The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 85: Off to Roast Fish (7)

Ye Qingran hesitated. "How are we supposed to eat this?" Was she expecting them to take turns or something? That didn't seem right.

"Use your dagger to carve a couple of sticks into chopsticks for us. We'll use them to pick at it," Yun Qianyue directed, turning the fish over on the fire. Her cheeks, flushed from the heat, made her look even more radiant.

"Fine!" Ye Qingran immediately took out his dagger and got to work.

Soon, he returned with two pairs of chopsticks, handing one to Yun Qianyue and keeping the other for himself.

"Alright, let's dig in!" Yun Qianyue decided the fish was ready and eagerly grabbed the first bite.

Ye Qingran found her enthusiasm entertaining and quickly followed her lead. They began picking at the large fish, completely absorbed in their meal and unaware that someone else had ventured onto the back hill. They continued eating, focused entirely on the delicious fish, oblivious to approaching footsteps.

It wasn't until several figures drew closer that the two of them looked up and spotted familiar faces—Ye Tianqing, Rong Linglan, Leng Shuli, Yu Ning, and trailing behind them, Fourth Prince Ye Tianyu, whom Yun Qianyue had only met briefly at the palace.

"So persistent," Yun Qianyue muttered as she withdrew her gaze.

Ye Qingran glanced at the group, gave a dismissive hum, and then continued eating, alternating bites with Yun Qianyue as if no one else were there.

"Oh, so it's Qingran and Sister Lan causing all this smoke! I wondered who would dare make a fire here at Lingtai Temple," Ye Tianyu spoke first. He glanced at Ye Tianqing, then smiled at Yun Qianyue and Ye Qingran sitting close together. "No wonder we couldn't find Sister Lan. I heard Qingran was here too, but he'd disappeared. So, you both hid away here to enjoy some grilled fish."

"Killing creatures at Lingtai Temple? If Master Ciyun or Master Lingyin found out, how would you explain yourselves? Truly reckless!" Ye Tianqing's gaze settled on them with a disapproving glare. His eyes narrowed, especially as he noticed how closely they sat, each with a makeshift pair of chopsticks, their actions even synchronized. His expression darkened.

"Why not arrest us now, Crown Prince? Deliver us to Master Ciyun and Master Lingyin and have us punished," Ye Qingran replied without even looking up. "We've already eaten anyway."

"You—" Ye Tianqing was momentarily speechless with frustration, rendered mute by his own inability to actually take them to task.

"Isn't there a saying, 'Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but Buddha remains in the heart'? So what if we're eating fish here? With Buddha in our hearts, it's hardly an offense," Yun Qianyue muttered, keeping her gaze fixed on the fish. She wasn't about to let these people drag her off to be lectured by that pious Lingyin.

"Ha! Exactly! 'Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but Buddha remains in the heart.' Just because we're eating fish here doesn't mean we're being irreverent," Ye Qingran burst out laughing. He was completely taken by Yun Qianyue's wit.

Ye Tianqing stopped talking, his face visibly darkening.

Ye Tianyu looked between Ye Tianqing and the pair of fish-eaters, his lips curving into a smile. "Looks like Sister Lan's grown closer to Qingran than to me, even sharing a single fish. I'm truly heartbroken."

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes. The Fourth Prince was the epitome of unpredictability.

Ye Qingran scoffed, disdainfully snapping, "Have you even looked in a mirror? Can you ride a horse? Grill fish? Play? Dice or cards? No? Then, of course, she's closer to me. I can do all that."

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes again, unimpressed with Ye Qingran's shameless boasting.

"Who says I can't do those things? I can do all of that!" Ye Tianyu stepped forward, trying to grab Ye Qingran's chopsticks. "I entered the gates right behind you, only to find that you'd vanished. I searched all over before I found you here. You're something else—waking Sister Lan just to grill fish! Did you even consider inviting me?"

"Please, your idea of fun is amateur at best." Ye Qingran dodged Ye Tianyu's hand, leaving him grasping at air. "Get lost; this isn't for you."

"Fish grilled on Xiangquan Mountain is supposed to be the best. Since I'm here, how can I not try it?" When he failed to get Ye Qingran's chopsticks, Ye Tianyu turned to Yun Qianyue, attempting to grab hers. She evaded him, and he frowned. Giving up, he pulled a dagger from his waist, skewered the remaining half of the fish, and took a bite. With his mouth full, he taunted, "Look at this pile of fish bones—you don't even worry about overeating. I'll take this, and if you want more, go catch some yourselves!"

Ye Qingran looked at Yun Qianyue.

She patted her stomach, set her chopsticks down, and shook her head. "I'm full! No more for me!" She had lost her appetite as soon as the others arrived.

"Fine, I'm full too." Ye Qingran set his chopsticks down as well.

Ye Tianyu, looking smug, raised an eyebrow and took another big bite. "So tender and flavorful—simply delicious! Ever since you left, I've tried grilling fish here a few times myself, but it was never quite the same."

Yun Qianyue was slightly impressed. So, the Fourth Prince had a knack for this too.

Ye Qingran scoffed. "As if you could ever match my level."

"Come on, grill another one for me! This wasn't enough," Ye Tianyu urged. "You and Sister Lan are full now, but don't shortchange me."

"If you want more, grill it yourself. I'm busy!" Ye Qingran stood up and turned to Yun Qianyue. "We've spent half a day here, and I'm full. Let's go take a look at the Bodhidharma Hall. See if that old monk and that fragile beauty are still discussing philosophy. Maybe we'll witness him renouncing the world for good."

"Haha, you read my mind. It'd be great if he joined the monastic life." Yun Qianyue laughed heartily, but then remembered Cailean mentioning the old monk's talent for reading faces. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "On second thought, no. I'm tired. What's so great about a philosophy debate? I want to go back and sleep." She yawned, stretched without any concern for ladylike behavior, and added, "Nothing's better after a delicious fish meal than a nap, especially with how good that fish was. I'll sleep like a log."

"Alright, I'll escort you back to rest," Ye Qingran agreed with a nod.

"Let's go!" Yun Qianyue agreed readily. Originally, she'd thought about heading up to the waterfall to enjoy the view, but now, she didn't want to spend another minute there.

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