Chapter 8, Meddling

Long Zeyu, after introducing Long Zhaofeng, said to Ye Xiaonuan with a serious expression: "Xiaonuan, this is my fourth brother, King Ji."

What a profound saying, 'When the elder bestows, one does not dare to decline'! Long Zhaofeng narrowed his beautiful phoenix eyes, and his gaze towards Ye Xiaonuan was clearly laden with meaning.

With her little oily hand waving, she beckoned Long Li, and seeing him lean over with a flattering demeanor, Ye Xiaonuan smiled with satisfaction. Leaning close to his ear, her small, oily mouth whispered softly, "Pies will never fall from the sky. This guy is offering such good conditions; his intentions must not be pure. Be careful of deceit."

However, the latter part of that statement is rather unpalatable

What does he mean by wanting this woman? Does he want her to die sooner?

Ye Xiaonuan instinctively smiled upon hearing the previous remark. Who wouldn't be pleased to receive a compliment from a handsome man

Zhao Feng only wanted to be cautious, and moreover, taking the official road was too time-consuming; the round trip would almost take twice as long. Zhao Feng felt that this extra time should be better spent elsewhere

Long Zeyu had not yet brought the fragrant tea to his lips when he suddenly began to cough incessantly, his face turning red. Out of the corner of his eye, he cast a complicated glance at Long Li beside him

"Fourth brother, did you invite me out today just to see my woman?" Looking down at the woman who was eating in a manner that was both astonishing and intriguing, a fleeting emotion crossed Long Li's cold and stern face, one that even he could not control. When he raised his eyes, he was met with the cold, piercing gaze of Long Zhaofeng across from him.

Long Zeyu was taken aback by Ye Xiaonuan's ungraceful eating manner. Upon hearing Long Zhaofeng's words, he immediately regained his composure and cast a somewhat displeased glance at Long Zhaofeng

Long Li pressed his lips together, neither asking nor answering, his stern face exuding a natural air of indifference. His bottomless black eyes made it impossible for anyone to discern what thoughts he harbored.

What exactly does this second brother want to do? Bringing this woman out has already stirred up quite a commotion, and now he is being so brazen and disrespectful in front of the fourth brother

Upon hearing this, a shadow flickered in Long Zhaofeng's eyes

Everyone knows that the man before him, his second brother, is not only the Duke of Liyang in Jinling, but also the adopted son of the Emperor of Cangyue.

Cough cough cough

She had just opened her mouth to correct him when an arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, constricting her like an iron hoop, rendering her unable to move. Immediately, a voice devoid of warmth came to her ear: "That is, she is the woman bestowed upon this king by his adoptive father, and thus she is naturally worthy of this king."

Oh? Long Li cast a faint glance at Long Zhao Feng across from him, then shifted his gaze to the woman whose mouth was covered in grease. The corners of his lips twitched involuntarily for a moment, and then he turned his head and said indifferently, "Fourth brother should not be lacking in manpower. If it is legitimate goods, one can certainly take the official road, and I believe no one would dare to obstruct it."

Fourth brother may as well speak frankly

What is this guy talking about? What woman granted by the Cangyue Kingdom?

His introduction caused Ye Xiaonuan to widen her round eyes in surprise

"The elder bestows, I dare not decline, this king cannot disregard the goodwill of my adoptive father"

Deliciousness was right before her eyes, and Ye Xiaonuan, already so hungry that she felt weak, momentarily set aside the words she wanted to say. She took the roasted duck from the man's hand, disregarding how others might perceive her, and with her delicate hand, she grabbed a duck leg and began to gnaw on it.

Upon witnessing this, Long Zhaofeng's elegant and gentle face also showed signs of strain, and his speech began to take on a somewhat grating tone, revealing a certain emotion he was deliberately suppressing: "Second Brother, you may simply borrow Zhaofeng's guards; this time, I am willing to give half of the profits from the shipment to you."

Do you really think of her and the man beside her as a couple?

Upon hearing this, Long Zeyu also ceased to smile, looking at Long Zhaofeng with a hint of displeasure in his eyes

His statement, 'The elder grants,' leaves no one with a reason to question further

Although she has little fondness for anyone here, she is more inclined towards the man she has known for just two days, especially since he just treated her to a plate of roasted duck

There is no way; her current situation is worse than that of a beggar. She has no money, no power, and no status, and cannot even secure basic necessities. If she were to ignore such delicious food, wouldn't that be foolish?

Second Brother is joking. Second Brother is surrounded by beautiful companions, and Zhao Feng is naturally happy for him. Glancing at Ye Xiaonuan, who looked as if she hadn't eaten in hundreds of years, Long Zhao Feng secretly twitched the corner of his mouth, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes. Meeting those cold, piercing black eyes, he raised the corner of his mouth into a gentle smile, "This time I invited Second Brother out because I indeed have a matter to request of him, and I hope Second Brother can lend Zhao Feng a helping hand."

Ye Xiaonuan was momentarily taken aback, and as she listened, the King of Ji across from her spoke again: "Zhaofeng does not understand; the beauties of Jinling are countless, and the Emperor also intends to select a suitable match for the Second Brother. Why must the Second Brother seek far when there are close options?"

Who does not know that the Second Brother is the adopted son of the Emperor of Cangyue Kingdom, having a deep connection with the kingdom? Whenever someone from the Li Wangfu goes to Cangyue Kingdom, who would dare to obstruct them? The Fourth Brother, who has always been at odds with the Second Brother, is now lowering himself to borrow troops from him; it is hard to believe that there is no ulterior motive behind this.

It was merely the identity of the Prince of Ji that she heard. Based on the principle of having already offended two other princes and not daring to make more enemies, Ye Xiaonuan chose to temporarily ignore Long Zeyu. She turned to Long Zhaofeng and displayed a smile that she believed to be quite appropriate, feigning modesty as she nodded slightly and said: "Greetings, Prince Ji. It is a pleasure to meet you"

She just sat there, showing no intention of getting up, let alone performing any kind of greeting

This is excessive

In Zhao Feng's shop, there is a batch of goods to be transported to the Cangyue Kingdom. Second Brother is also aware that the journey is long, and it is inevitable to encounter mountain bandits along the way to Cangyue Kingdom. To avoid losses and to be on the safe side, Zhao Feng wishes to borrow Second Brother's guards for assistance

As the two exchanged words back and forth, Ye Xiaonuan found it impossible to interject. Perhaps it was that she simply did not understand what their conversation truly meant to her. Seeing Long Zhaofeng silently staring at her, she was just about to speak when a plate of aromatic roasted duck suddenly appeared before her.

How can this fourth brother speak like that! He is indirectly insulting that woman, and even dragged the second brother into the insult.

Even if it is to repay this favor from the 'duck', she felt it was necessary to remind the cold-faced man beside her

To put it in simpler terms, it is merely that the emperor of the Cangyue Kingdom granted him a woman, but on a larger scale, it is equivalent to a marriage alliance between two nations

"Neither of them has eaten much, let's fill our stomachs first." The man's deep and cold voice sounded beside me.

What does it mean to be compatible or incompatible? What does this man mean?

Ye Xiaonuan was originally enjoying her meal with great appetite. However, the constant chatter around her did not affect her hearing at all, as she was using her mouth to work.

In response to Ye Xiaonuan's impolite greeting, Long Zhaofeng's expression noticeably darkened. He gazed at her intently for a moment longer, then turned to Long Li, who was sitting opposite him, and said with a hint of meaning, "Miss Xiaonuan is truly charming and carefree, possessing a unique grace that complements my second brother very well"

Regardless of the reason, it is truly astonishing that the King of Li, who has always resisted marriage, would so readily acknowledge a woman.

Looking at the woman across from me with her exotic wavy hair, is she really from the country of Cangyue