Chapter 61: Let's Play Husband and Wife Again

Xiao Youlan's gaze remained fixed on Nan Xueyin. Meeting her eyes, his expression softened, and he nodded, saying, "Very well."

He stood up, walked over to Nan Xueyin, and asked her, "Was the medicine not bitter?"

Nan Xueyin's expression was indifferent. "I didn't think so."

Xiao Youlan said gently, "Eat a piece of candied fruit, and then we shall set off."

Nan Xueyin frowned, but thinking that one bite was just one bite, she casually pinched a small piece of candied fruit and popped it into her mouth. Holding it there, her speech became slightly muffled, "Is this good enough now?"

Xiao Youlan gave a hum of agreement. "Let's go."

Nan Xueyin followed behind him as he walked outside.

The candied fruit was still held on the tip of Nan Xueyin's tongue. Originally, she hadn't felt much, but now, as the sweetness of the fruit dissolved and filled her entire mouth, bringing an indescribable sense of pleasure, she finally realized, with a delay, that the medicine at the start had indeed been too bitter.

Nan Xueyin lowered her eyelids, carefully chewed the candied fruit, and swallowed it, but that sweet, sugary taste lingered in her mouth for a long time.

To go out, one must first change clothes.

The fabric of the robes Xiao Youlan usually wore was too precious, making it very easy to invite suspicion.

He needed to return to his room to change, and Nan Xueyin had no intention of accompanying him; there was no need for her to wait on him.

Xiao Youlan, however, stopped in his tracks and looked over sideways: "Don't you think it would be better if we used disguise?"

Nan Xueyin had just eaten the candied fruit and her mood was fairly good. Thinking it over seriously, Wei Nian had just said that high-ranking officials and nobles often frequented Baoli Pavilion, and some might have seen the Crown Prince's face. If Xiao Youlan went just like this and was recognized, it would inevitably affect today's operation.

A simple disguise would indeed be safer.

Thus, Nan Xueyin nodded.

She followed Xiao Youlan back to the room.

Xiao Youlan removed his outer robe himself and changed into one of more ordinary material.

During this process, Nan Xueyin prepared for the disguise, standing by the table to direct him: "Come here."

Xiao Youlan came over obediently.

"Sit down."

Xiao Youlan did as told.

Nan Xueyin inexplicably felt as if she were training a dog.

Xiao Youlan waited for a moment, lifted his eyelids to look at her: "Are you not starting?"

Nan Xueyin snapped back to reality and said coldly, "Shut up when I'm applying the disguise."

Xiao Youlan then stopped speaking.

Nan Xueyin picked up her tools.

Xiao Youlan's bone structure could be called nearly perfect; she could only add small, imperfect elements to it, such as raising his cheekbones or protruding his chin.

Finally, the Crown Prince had changed into an extremely ordinary face, the kind that one wouldn't look at twice on the street, and if one weren't careful, he would blend into the crowd and never be found again.

"Take a look for yourself." Nan Xueyin moved the lozenge-shaped mirror in front of him.

Xiao Youlan looked into the mirror, then looked at Nan Xueyin.

"Not satisfied?" Nan Xueyin asked.

"Satisfied," Xiao Youlan smiled, "it's just that I feel the difference isn't very large."

Nan Xueyin paused, only then remembering that the current Crown Prince suffered from Face Blindness, and so-called beauty or ugliness was not worth mentioning in his eyes.

Xiao Youlan asked: "Are you disguising yourself?"

"Yes."

Nan Xueyin did not like being seen for her own face.

Disguising herself was much simpler; just a few pinches and a few touch-ups, and a new face was created.

Xiao Youlan stared at her for a while and raised an eyebrow, "Is this a man's face?"

That his Face Blindness could discern this point was truly a miracle.

Nan Xueyin gave him an extra look and said, "In this world, no woman would enter a gambling den."

Disguising as a man would be safer and more natural.

However, since she had changed into a man's face, Nan Xueyin also had to bind her chest and change her clothes.

By the time she finished all this, the sun had already shifted far to the west; it was almost evening.

The two went out, and Feihong was completely stunned, nearly blurting out, "Who are you two, and where did you hide my great Crown Prince!"

Also, wasn't that "Hua Lianying" a woman? Why did the Crown Prince bring out a man!

Xiao Youlan spoke in a calm voice: "I am going out to eat; tell the small kitchen not to bother."

Hearing the voice, Feihong finally recognized him, but such an ordinary face had nothing in common with the previously dragon-like, phoenix-graceful, and peerlessly handsome Crown Prince. He truly couldn't connect the two, so he lowered his eyes and gave a difficult "Yes."

Xiao Youlan chose the most ordinary carriage for their outing.

"Gambling dens are at their liveliest at night; it's perfect, we'll go after eating dinner."

Nan Xueyin gave a nonchalant hum.

"Eating thick noodles?"

Nan Xueyin hummed again.

Xiao Youlan's gaze landed on her face, and he asked with a smile: "How about we play husband and wife again?"

Nan Xueyin almost hummed again, but fortunately swallowed it back into her stomach in time.

She suspected Xiao Youlan was doing it on purpose. Her expression was strange as she reminded him: "I am a man now."

Xiao Youlan fell silent for a moment. Nan Xueyin thought he had given up on the idea, but a moment later, Xiao Youlan said again: "Then how about playing as a couple of men?"

Nan Xueyin:?

Xiao Youlan said slowly: "The Ye Dynasty has an open culture; the habit of 'cut sleeves' is not rare."

Seeing that he seemed intent on convincing her, Nan Xueyin simply refused: "No."

After a moment of silence, Xiao Youlan retreated to a secondary option, "Then, shall we pose as brothers?"

This time, Nan Xueyin finally gave a hum of agreement.

"I am a few years older than you, so I shall be the older brother."

Nan Xueyin did not understand why the Crown Prince was fixated on such things, so she replied casually, "As you wish."

The carriage drove into Chunping Ward and came to a steady stop in front of an eatery.

After alighting from the carriage, Xiao Youlan instructed the coachman: "Go directly to the vicinity of Baoli Pavilion, find a place to park, and wait to pick us up at any time."

The coachman acknowledged the order.

Xiao Youlan turned his head to look at Nan Xueyin again, "Let's go."

Nan Xueyin followed without a word.

"This place is a long-established shop in Fengdu; it has been open since the previous dynasty, so counting it up, it should be a hundred years old," Xiao Youlan said as they walked inside.

Nan Xueyin did not respond; it wasn't as if she had never eaten dough flakes before, so what difference could there be between a hundred-year-old one and a one-year-old one?

But when the dough flakes were served and Nan Xueyin picked some up with her chopsticks and put them into her mouth, her brows could not help but twitch.

The dough was firm and chewy, and the soup was smooth, delicious, and refreshing, bursting on the tip of her tongue.

—So it really was different.

In her memory, the last time she ate dough flakes must have been in Qingzhou.

Xiao Mingyu was getting hot and heavy with a beauty and even flew into a rage for the sake of a pretty face, which led to a very unpleasant conflict with the local thugs of Qingzhou.

In their fury, they dispatched Assassins one after another.

To ensure Xiao Mingyu's safety, Nan Xueyin followed him daily to protect him.

That beauty saw her and was somewhat displeased, pouting as she asked Xiao Mingyu: "Prince, is having me not enough for you?"

Xiao Mingyu laughed: "She is this Prince's Hidden Guard."

The beauty huffed: "But she is only a woman; what does the Prince expect her to protect you from?"

She hugged Xiao Mingyu's arm and acted coquettishly: "Make her leave; don't let her stay here."

Xiao Mingyu only thought for a moment before smiling slightly again.

He flicked the beauty's nose, raised his eyes, and said to Nan Xueyin: "It just so happens, go eat something; you don't need to follow behind anymore."

Nan Xueyin frowned, "But..."

She was worried about those Assassins.

The beauty grumbled with dissatisfaction: "The Prince is telling you to go eat for your own good; why are you so ungrateful?"