Lardor and Lamu brothers entered the house, chatting and laughing.
At this moment, inside the house, Huang Ying was pulling Cui Hongyu to take her seat, but Cui Hongyu shook her head gently and tugged at Huang Ying's arm. "Men have things to discuss over drinks. We shouldn't be here. Let's go to the back hall."
Chen Xiaobei felt a little surprised. He hadn't intended for this. Previously, Huang Ying and Feng Xiaoyue always joined them for meals.
Seeing Cui Hongyu pulling Huang Ying away, Chen Xiaobei quickly called out, "Hongyu, you don't actually have to leave. There's no need for such formality here."
"It's alright. We'll just have a quick bite and then go see Miss Xiaoyue. I heard she's ill," Cui Hongyu said before pulling Huang Ying away.
By the time Lamu and Lardor walked in, Cui Hongyu and Huang Ying were long gone. Lardor scratched the back of his head and asked in surprise, "Brother Xiaobei, I clearly saw sister Hongyu come in just now. Where did she go?"
Chen Xiaobei smiled. "She was in a hurry to see Miss Xiaoyue. We don't need to worry about it."
Yang Zhi, standing nearby, also chuckled. "Brother Xiaobei, don't take offense, but it's a bit more comfortable for us few brothers to talk without the women around."
Chen Xiaobei naturally agreed with this sentiment, but he couldn't say it himself at times.
"Alright, let's drop this. Brother Xiaobei, these beasts have been delivered to you. When are we going to set up the magic array?" Lardor immediately got to the point.
Chen Xiaobei lowered his head and pondered. "I agreed with His Highness the Crown Prince that it would be in three days. I estimate that the altar will be mostly set up by tomorrow afternoon. So, we should go around and stir up some trouble beforehand, to prevent His Highness from coming to rush us."
Hearing his words, everyone responded enthusiastically. This was indeed a good idea. Stirring up some commotion first would help to placate people's anxieties.
Meanwhile, Huang Ying and Cui Hongyu had already hurried back to the inn. For Cui Hongyu, eating was simple, just a few bites.
Her main concern was hearing that Long Xiaoyue was ill, and she was anxious.
Seeing Cui Hongyu's anxious state, Huang Ying hesitated once more. Should she tell Chen Xiaobei the truth, and inform Cui Hongyu?
In the inn, Feng Xiaoyue was sitting alone in her room, lost in thought. She heard a knock on the door and casually asked, "Who is it?"
"Xiaoyue, it's me, Hongyu."
What? Feng Xiaoyue exclaimed in surprise, covering her eyes and shaking her head. Could she have misheard? This was the capital, and the commotion she heard earlier was clearly Cui Hongyu. Could she have traveled all the way from Hetou Village to the capital?
She then asked again, "Is that sister Hongyu outside?"
"Yes, Xiaoyue, it's me. Open the door quickly."
Feng Xiaoyue jumped off the bed, as if her illness had already improved by five or six tenths. She hurried to the door and unbolted it.
As the door opened, Cui Hongyu stood at the threshold.
Feng Xiaoyue, disregarding everything else, let out a cry and rushed forward.
Feng Xiaoyue buried her face in Cui Hongyu's shoulder, weeping heartily and uninhibitedly. After holding back for so long, she could finally release her emotions. Seeing Cui Hongyu was like seeing a relative. Su Dan novel network.
Seeing Feng Xiaoyue crying so sorrowfully, Cui Hongyu couldn't help but shed tears as well.
She gently patted Feng Xiaoyue's shoulder. "It's alright, Xiaoyue. Don't cry. Take your time to tell me what's on your mind. Sister knows you've been feeling wronged."
"Whatever it is, Brother Xiaobei will help you resolve it."
The words were spoken carelessly, but they struck a chord with the listener. Huang Ying's heart felt a strange pang. Her jealousy and selfishness resurfaced.
However, outwardly, she had to go along with Cui Hongyu's words.
"Yes, Sister Xiaoyue, tell us what's bothering you. We can think of a solution together and it will surely be resolved."
After a long while, Feng Xiaoyue's crying finally subsided.
"Sister Hongyu, Sister Huang Ying, I... I'm fine. It's just that I've been feeling a bit depressed lately."
Cui Hongyu and Huang Ying, one on each side, helped Feng Xiaoyue back to the bed.
Cui Hongyu patted Feng Xiaoyue's hand and gently comforted her. "I heard about it too, something happened to Prime Minister Fang."
"But Brother Xiaobei has already said that he will definitely find a way to help you locate the old Prime Minister. As long as the old Prime Minister is found, your father's injustice will naturally be cleared."
Under her constant persuasion, Feng Xiaoyue finally regained some semblance of reason and nodded gently. "Thank you, Sister Hongyu. Speaking it out has made me feel much better."
Seeing that Feng Xiaoyue had been comforted, Cui Hongyu was also very happy.
"Xiaoyue, don't stay cooped up in your room all day. Tomorrow, I'll accompany you out for a walk. Oh, right, Brother Xiaobei is about to perform a ritual. We can go and help then."
Hearing this, Feng Xiaoyue burst out laughing. "Sister, are you teasing me? How can Brother Xiaobei perform rituals? He's not a sorcerer."
Cui Hongyu said seriously, "I'm telling the truth. If you don't believe me, ask Sister Huang Ying."
Huang Ying nodded. "Yes, Sister Xiaoyue, Sister Hongyu is telling the truth. It seems like it will start tomorrow or the day after."
Seeing them both speak with such sincerity, Feng Xiaoyue also became interested. "Really? Then I'd really like to see it. I've never seen Brother Xiaobei perform a ritual before."
Cui Hongyu continued, "What else can it be like? Just imagine it, with his usual undisciplined demeanor."
"Sister, you're mistaken. Brother Xiaobei is quite serious when he needs to be."
Seeing the two of them, whose conversation revolved entirely around Chen Xiaobei, Huang Ying's heart felt a pang of sadness again. Instead, she felt a sense of relief. She was glad she hadn't revealed the whereabouts of Fang Zheng. Her decision seemed to be correct. She couldn't let Feng Xiaoyue return to Hetou Village, otherwise, given the current situation, she would inevitably end up marrying Chen Xiaobei.
After chatting for a while longer, Cui Hongyu and Huang Ying left Feng Xiaoyue's room. As they walked out, Huang Ying felt a bit troubled.
For the past few days, she had been sleeping with Chen Xiaobei. But now Cui Hongyu had arrived.
Both sentimentally and logically, she should take the initiative and push Chen Xiaobei towards Cui Hongyu.
She hesitated for a moment, then tugged at Cui Hongyu's arm and said in a low voice, "Sister, why don't you go check on Brother Xiaobei and tell him to drink less? I'm not feeling well, so I'll go to bed first."
Cui Hongyu naturally understood Huang Ying's intention.
But to be honest, she had been exhausted for days, and now that she was pregnant, she wasn't feeling well. If Chen Xiaobei were to start his tai chi practice at night, she really wouldn't be able to handle it.
With this thought in mind, Cui Hongyu chuckled. "Forget it. Let him drink as much as he wants. I'm too lazy to bother with him."
"Right, I'm tired from running around these past few days. I want to rest early. Why don't you go check on him?"