In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, the Jiangs make a strategic move to secure a marriage alliance between a late bloomer, Jiang Ying, and the crown prince, Lan Xichen. However, their plans are disrupted when Jiang Ying is abducted before the mee...
Once they are done, they start walking again; the town is now visible in the distance. Jiang Ying doesn't realize how silent he has been until he hears the bustle of the city around them, effectively helping to drown out his thoughts. People crowd in front of stalls, trying to bargain for better prices on the items they want, and he takes a moment to breathe it all in.
Dark brown eyes land on a stall with cabbage, and Jiang Ying walks over quickly. Lying before him are all the vegetables he could possibly want, and his mouth waters at the prospect of getting some. Xie Yun's voice can be heard conversing with the vendor, but Jiang Ying can't bring himself to pay attention. All he wants is lettuce.
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Out of the corner of his eye, he catches his reflection in a bucket of water. He looks cute with his messy hair and slightly flushed cheeks from the brisk morning air. He smiles at his reflection and admires how the sunlight dances on his skin, giving him a warm glow.
A hand on the collar of his robes starts dragging him away from the stall. Jiang Ying turns around to protest but is effectively cut off when a bag of vegetables is thrust into his arms.
"Happy now?" Xie Yun raises an eyebrow, a playful smirk on his lips.
Jiang Ying clutches the bag closer to himself, his heart beating a little faster. "Very."
The two of them continue wandering around the marketplace but never stop to look at any of the stalls. After all, Jiang Ying is unsure how much money Xie Yun has, and he doesn't want to be rude. He does slow down when he sees a wanted poster with a familiar face on it. Subtly ripping it off the wall, he crumples it up and shoves it into his sleeve.
Xie Yun gives a sideways smirk, aware of what is happening around him. Without believing in himself, he wouldn't dare to step out of the woods.
They are almost making a full circle around the market when Xie Yun suddenly veers toward a stall. Confused, Jiang Ying follows him. Upon getting closer, he is able to see what is being sold at the stall. On one side, there is an assortment of pretty hairpins and combs, and on the other side is, of course, jujube. They came here to get vegetables, yet Xie Yun wants fruit. And that is jujube!
Placing his hands on his hips, Jiang Ying glares at Xie Yun accusingly. "We came here to buy vegetables, not fruit."
Xie Yun doesn't even look up as he continues to sift through the jujube selection. "I never made such a promise."
A sigh escapes Jiang Ying's lips as he turns to look at the combs and hairpins in front of him. Many of them are very detailed with vibrant colors, and some even have pearls, but Jiang Ying's eyes land on a comb with a purple lotus on top. His hand reaches for it carefully, and he admires it. The transparent purple petals of the lotus, enhanced with a sparkling pigment, give off a radiant shine in the sun. A glass bead sits at the center of the flower, surrounded by transparent stamens.
"Hey, look at me," Jiang Ying commands as he turns back to Xie Yun.
Xie Yun has barely turned his head when the comb is shoved in his face. "Isn't this beautiful?" Jiang Ying asks, his eyes shining with excitement. "Can you buy this for me?"
