Hiding behind the signboard, Chai Xiaomi also stood frozen on the spot with a look of astonishment.
She had just taken a step forward, ready to rush up and interrupt their contact, but unexpectedly, Wu Li dodged away on his own.
This actually made Song Yueyao appear somewhat awkward.
Just a moment ago, she had been secretly lamenting how polite, respectful, and docile he was to others. How did his mischievous nature pop up again in the blink of an eye? Could he still not change his habit of teasing people?
A trace of confusion flashed through Chai Xiaomi's eyes, and her brows knitted slightly.
"Miss, could you be peeking at your sweetheart?" a voice suddenly popped up beside her.
Chai Xiaomi turned her head to look and saw that it was the very young master who had been "speeding" earlier.
At this moment, he was copying her, hunching over and hiding behind the signboard.
This wooden signboard was only about a meter high and quite narrow. Now that it was hiding two people, it seemed even more cramped.
"What are you doing?" Chai Xiaomi shifted to the side in disgust, very dissatisfied with his choice of words. "What do you mean 'peeking'? That is my husband. I am looking at him openly and honestly."
She was already feeling sour while sneakily observing the interaction between Wu Li and Song Yueyao, and now someone had to come over and use the word "peeking" to validate her actions.
Chai Xiaomi glared angrily at Ouyang Rui.
Those shining eyes were tinged with slight anger, the pupils becoming even more clear and translucent, like gems washed by water.
Ouyang Rui was slightly stunned before he processed her words in his mind, his eyes unable to hide his disappointment. "You... you are already married?"
Immediately after, he seemed to suddenly realize something.
"Oh! I know!"
He secretly pointed towards the shop and lowered his voice, "Miss, you are catching a cheating spouse, aren't you!"
Catching a cheater was great!
The unfaithful man shifting his affections was the perfect opportunity for him to show off, descending like a god to soothe the little fairy's wounded heart.
Growing up, he had never lacked gold, silver, or treasures. There were at least seven or eight dancers, beautiful concubines, and bed-warming maids in his backyard.
Although he had long understood the affairs of men and women, no one had ever truly moved his heart.
Therefore, when his father repeatedly urged him to marry, he always made excuses and refused.
What was the point of getting married? Once married, you had to be controlled by someone.
Wasn't his father like that after marrying his mother? He even had to sneak around just to visit the Phantom Sound Pavilion.
But this time was different.
With just that one glance earlier, the stagnant water in his heart suddenly churned up huge waves—he suddenly felt that if he could be controlled by the little lady in front of him, getting married seemed... not too bad.
Especially seeing her puffed-up, angry look right now, she was charmingly cute.
He had never cared for etiquette and rules. Even if a woman was married, she could still get a divorce.
Besides, he wasn't exactly a chaste and loyal man himself.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he and the little fairy in front of him were an exceptionally good match.
He wished he could arrange for his subordinates to bring the bridal sedan chair over the very next moment.
It was simply—
A match!
A perfect match!
"Bah!!!"
Chai Xiaomi was so angry she wanted to smack him. "Catch a cheater, my foot! They are just friends. Could you mind your words!?"
"Then why don't you take the initiative to go up and join their conversation, instead of hiding here secretly feeling sad?"
Ouyang Rui wore a look of "I understand." He weighed it in his mind for a moment and decided not to speak too bluntly. Right now, the little fairy was in need of healing, and he couldn't say anything to pierce her heart. He ought to be more considerate.
Seeing through things without pointing them out was the basic quality of a confidant.
Chai Xiaomi bit her lip, wanting to retort, but she saw that Song Yueyao had already paid, picked up the newly bought bow, and smiled slightly at Wu Li.
She immediately stopped talking and pricked up her ears to listen carefully to the conversation in the shop.
Song Yueyao said gently, "Wu Li, I'm afraid I will have to trouble you for these five days. If you can teach me how to use this bow, I will be able to team up with you during the New Moon Archery Competition."
Wu Li, however, seemed somewhat absent-minded.
He kept feeling that a familiar, sweet, faint fragrance was lingering in the air, seemingly there yet not, but clearly distinguishable.
He had been out for too long. He wondered if she was obediently staying in the room.
With her restless nature and love for joining crowds and excitement, she probably couldn't stay put.
Jiang Zhiyu's room was right next door. Could she have gone to look for him to pass the time?
If he had known, he should have left Hongjiao behind to play with her.
The more he thought about it, the more chaotic his heart became.
It was as if an untangleable ball of hemp rope was wrapped around his heart, making him endlessly irritable.
But right now, he hadn't finished his proper business.
He also hadn't bought the food he promised to bring her. He couldn't delay any longer and had to settle this quickly.
He needed to plant the poison scorpion into Song Yueyao's body as quickly as possible and go back.
"Wu Li?"
Song Yueyao called out in confusion.
It seemed the youth hadn't heard half a word of what she just said.
Wu Li suddenly snapped back to his senses, nodded slightly, and then looked at Song Yueyao with a smiling face. His tone carried a hint of innocence: "Sorry, Sister, what did you just say?"
The youth had picturesque features, a high nose bridge, and cherry-colored lips. Especially the slightly upturned corners of his mouth, which always revealed a faint hint of arrogance.
Yet, in those deep, almost soul-stealing eyes, there was a bit of ignorance and purity, making it impossible to bear criticizing him.
With such an appearance, gently calling any older woman "Sister," probably anyone's heart would soften.
Sure enough, Song Yueyao was not annoyed, but merely repeated her previous words gently.
"Naturally, no problem," Wu Li smiled, his eyes curving. "Five days is even too long. I promise I can teach Sister how to draw the bow and shoot arrows in less than three days. With Sister being so intelligent and having a foundation in martial arts, a mere bow will definitely be a piece of cake."
"Your husband is quite good at coaxing people, his mouth is as sweet as mine." Ouyang Rui, not knowing when, took a handful of melon seeds from his pocket and handed them to Chai Xiaomi. "Here, Miss, have a taste. These are melon seeds from the Western Regions, worth a thousand pieces of gold per pound."
Chai Xiaomi's back molars were almost ground to dust.
Good at coaxing? Sweet-mouthed?
Listen, did these sound like words used to describe Wu Li?
It was completely out of character!
But he had just said them.
For Song Yueyao, he even praised her intelligence.
Right, right. Wu Li had always hated stupidity; it was quite reasonable for him to like a smart female lead.
Chai Xiaomi heard her jaw faintly clenching. She unceremoniously grabbed a handful of the melon seeds Ouyang Rui offered. If she didn't chew on something, she was really afraid she would shatter her teeth.
Who knew that with a "crack" as she bit one open, she immediately frowned. "What is this stuff? It's bitter and sour. These melon seeds are worth a thousand pieces of gold a pound?"
Ouyang Rui didn't believe it. He had personally tasted these melon seeds before carrying them with him. He pinched a few and put them in his mouth. It was clearly a faint milky aroma wrapped in refreshing sweetness.
Where was it bitter?
"Could the lady be feeling unwell? A bitter taste on the tongue is sometimes a symptom of pent-up anger." Ouyang Rui paused slightly. "I also know a little about medical principles. How about I check your pulse for you?"
"Don't be noisy." Chai Xiaomi had no time to bother with him.
Because she saw Wu Li pull a feathered arrow from his quiver and hand it to Song Yueyao, as if to let her nock it and test the bowstring.
Handing things over again—sure enough, something wasn't right!
Chai Xiaomi's heart tightened. Seeing that Song Yueyao was about to reach out and take it, she could no longer hold back. She suddenly stood up from behind the signboard, rushed over quickly, and snatched the arrow away.
As her fingertips brushed past the youth's hand, it was as if she carried a bit of venting force, rubbing against it heavily.
"What a coincidence, Sister Yao! Are you here to pick out a bow too?"
As she spoke, she gently slipped the arrow she had snatched into Song Yueyao's hand.
