The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 730 - 730 338 Love (Third watch of the night)_3

Chapter 730: 338 Love (Third watch of the night)_3 Chapter 730: 338 Love (Third watch of the night)_3 While they were waiting for their noodle soup, the waiter came over with a smile, asking, “Customers, all the tables in our shop are taken. Two more guests just arrived. Can they join you at your table?”

Neither of them objected.

The waiter led the newcomers to the table, and it was wildly unexpected that the newcomers were the Crown Prince and Princess, who were traveling incognito without any palace maids or eunuchs, except one inner palace expert acting as their driver.

Just as unexpectantly, the Crown Prince, and the Princess did not anticipate running into Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao.

Nowadays, whenever the Crown Prince saw Xiao Liulang, he would be reminded of the stack of arithmetic problems, instantly bringing about a headache!

The Crown Prince had never met Gu Jiao before. Seeing Xiao Liulang sitting with a woman, he was pretty surprised.

He had heard that Xiao Liulang is married.

Is this woman his wife or one of his improper women?

The Crown Prince did not pay any attention to it. To him, women were nothing more than accessories to men. He did not care if this woman was Xiao Liulang’s wife or not.

The Crown Prince frowned a little, feeling somewhat reluctant to eat here.

After all, anyone would lose their appetite for food in the presence of a teacher like Xiao Liulang. All he could think of were the problems that Xiao Liulang had given him.

But, the Crown Prince could not merely banish Xiao Liulang. That would be too overbearing and would contradict the reputation that he had been building amongst the people over these years.

He thought about leaving.

Suddenly, the Crown Prince’s wife tugged at his sleeve and gently whispered, “your highness, there is a seat here.”

“He…” The Crown Prince thought. ‘Did you not recognize him? Xiao Liulang! He looks just like the son of my uncle, my father’s closest official, and my tutor from the Hanlin Academy!’

The Crown Princess softly said, “It appears to be Xiao Xiuzhuan, what coincidence!”

As she spoke, her gaze fell upon Xiao Liulang’s exceptionally handsome face.

Precisely at that moment, the waiter brought up the two bowls of noodle soup, announcing loudly, “Customers, your noodle soup!”

Xiao Liulang barely raised an eyebrow, he did not seem to have heard what the Crown Princess had said, presumably due to the loud voice of the waiter.

The Crown Princess felt slightly embarrassed.

But the Crown Prince assumed that her words were directed at him, so he sighed resignedly, “Yes, him. What a coincidence indeed!”

The eyelashes of the Crown Princess quivered slightly, and she smiled, “Capital City is so big that a midnight snack could still bring us together. It is destiny for the Crown Prince and Xiao Xiuzhuan.”

Though her voice was not loud, it was just enough for Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao to hear.

Neither of them responded to her.

The Crown Prince scoffed, “Who wants to have any destiny with him?”

“I’m hungry.” the Crown Princess said.

“Th-then sit down!” The Crown Prince reluctantly had the Crown Princess sit down across them. He said to the waiter, “Bring out all the delicious dishes from your restaurant!”

“Can the Crown Prince even finish all of them?” Xiao Liulang finally responded to him, but his tone was far from friendly.

The Crown Prince glanced at the two bowls of noodle soup in front of them, thinking how undesirable it was. He then generously said, “Tonight, dinner is on me, Xiao Xiuzhuan, eat as you please. There is no need to be courteous with me. If your salary at Hanlin Academy is not high, you can come over to my mansion to be a staff.”

Xiao Liulang unemotionally stared at him, saying, “Forming cliques for personal gain is a serious crime, is the Crown Prince sure he wants to do this?”

Having staff and guests at the mansion was not uncommon, and the emperor usually turned a blind eye to it. But if it reached the point of including a pupil of the emperor, that was a line even the emperor would not allow to be crossed.

Xiao Liulang, in an indifferent tone said, “I am a student of the emperor. I should serve him wholeheartedly. If you invite me to join your household staff, where will that leave my current duties to the emperor?”

Speechless, the Crown Prince was taken aback.

He had only taken pleasure in teasing Xiao Liulang, forgetting that Xiao Liulang, as a scholar with several exceptional accomplishments, had been summoned to visit the emperor, been to the Luming Banquet, was a bona fide student of the emperor.

Was he out to pull one over on his father?

If word gets out, how would this appear to people about him, the Crown Prince?

“Ahem ahem!” The Crown Prince sternly said, “I was merely testing you. As long as you remember your identity, it’s all good.”

Very quickly, the cold dishes for the couple were served which were stir-fried silk and braised lamb.

Xiao Liulang picked the most tender piece of lamb and put it in Gu Jiao’s bowl.

The Crown Princess looked at Xiao Liulang, and then at Gu Jiao.

This was the first time she had seen them face-to-face. The face of Xiao Liulang overlaid with the boyish face from her memory, realigning and separating again.

The youthful and cheerful young boy from her recollection, with his pure and warm eyes, were now crystal clear.

The current Xiao Liulang, on the other hand, possessed a distant and aloof aura, and his facial features exhibited less boyishness and more restrained masculinity.

However, the way he looked at Gu Jiao was unique, filled with a gentleness that he, himself, could not perceive.

He had once looked at her that way, as though she was the only one in his eyes.

The Crown Princess secretly clenched her handkerchief.

What was she thinking about?

Why did she mistake him for Ahen again?

The lamb in the small restaurant suits Gu Jiao’s palate and she enjoyed it well.

The Crown Prince initially had no intention of interacting with her. But after Xiao Liulang retorted, he didn’t feel like letting the awkward silence fester. He then unconsciously fixed his glance upon Gu Jiao’s face.

He was taken aback by what he saw, what’s wrong with her face—

“Customers! Your food is ready!”

The waiter spread out a table full of the restaurant’s signature dishes.

Even though the variety was extensive, somehow, the piece of lamb in front of Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao seemed to be the most enticing!

Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang had almost finished eating and were preparing to leave when Gu Jiao sniffed, “Waiter, what smells so good?”

The waiter replied with a smile, “That would be the Osmanthus brew from our shop. If you like it, I can give you a pot! This is for our shop’s Grand Opening, and we hope you frequent our restaurant!”

“Is that a wine?” Gu Jiao asked while looking at the bottle handed over by the waiter.

The waiter replied, “It’s not exactly a wine! It won’t get you drunk! It’s a particular favorite among ladies—”

Gu Jiao took a sip.

The next instant, with a thud, she toppled over, unconscious on the table due to intoxication!

Thanks to Xiao Liulang’s quick reflexes, he was able to sharply prop his hand against her forehead.

The waiter stammered, “Madam, it looks like… you can’t really hold your drink…”

The Crown Princess gently suggested, “We have a carriage, let our driver take you back.”

The Crown Prince sulked internally, ‘why bother being so kind to them?’

Xiao Liulang responded expressionlessly, “No need.”

The Crown Prince sneered, “See, they are not even grateful.”

Xiao Liulang ignored the Crown Prince and lightly tapped Gu Jiao’s shoulder with his other hand. He gently told her in her ear, “Jiaojiao, it’s time to go back.”

“Hmm?” Gu Jiao gave a glittery-eyed response.

“It’s time to go home,” He said to her tenderly.

Gu Jiao suddenly straightened up – her phoenix-like eyes wide open and round, and with a decidedly sober expression she declared, “I’m not drunk!”

“Right.” He comforted her, a faint smile curving up toward the corner of his mouth, “Jiaojiao is not drunk.”

His clean youthful voice, laced with a touch of male magnetism, went straight to her heart.

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