Next, Xiangling returned to the kitchen. She planned to cook some "Sweet, Springy, and Smooth Jelly" to treat her friends, as Lovia was particularly fond of this little snack. (See Chapter 81 for details.)
She had just placed a plate of freshly made "Sweet, Springy, and Smooth Jelly" on the small table and was about to hear everyone's feedback when a cold and familiar voice came from the backyard entrance.
"Xiangling."
Everyone looked toward the sound and saw Shenhe standing quietly by the door curtain at some unknown point. Her gaze swept across the courtyard, pausing for a brief moment on Lovia. She gave a slight nod as a greeting before turning her eyes to Xiangling.
"Shenhe! What brings you here?" Xiangling asked in pleasant surprise.
"Master Mao said he needed Qingxin. I recalled you mentioning the other day that you might go to the Qingce Village area to purchase ingredients soon, so I wanted to ask if it would be convenient for us to go together. Perhaps we can help each other find what we need," Shenhe explained her purpose in a concise manner.
"Right now?" Xiangling looked at the soup pot still bubbling on the stove, then at her friends in the courtyard, feeling a bit hesitant.
"Yes, the timing is right," Shenhe nodded.
Xiangling had a straightforward personality, and since she did indeed need those ingredients, she made a quick decision. she looked apologetically at Lovia, Xingqiu, and Chongyun. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry. Shenhe needs me for something, so I have to go. Lovia, could you help me watch the soup on the stove? Just keep it on a low simmer. Xingqiu, Chongyun, you two..."
"It's fine, go ahead and attend to your business," Xingqiu interjected considerately. "Chongyun and I happen to have some matters to handle as well; we were just stopping by on our way."
As he spoke, he lightly nudged Chongyun with his elbow, who was still working hard to digest the "Sweet, Springy, and Smooth Jelly."
Chongyun was nearly choked by the nudge. He quickly gulped down some tea and looked up blankly. "Ah? Matters? Oh, right, right, right! Matters!"
Although he didn't fully understand Xingqiu's intention, years of rapport made him instinctively go along with it.
Xiangling didn't suspect a thing and smiled gratefully. "That's great! Lovia, I'll leave the stove to you! Guoba, let's go!"
She briskly untied her apron, called Guoba over, and hurriedly left the backyard with Shenhe.
The courtyard, which had been quite lively just a moment ago, was suddenly left with only three people.
Lovia watched the direction Xiangling had left, then looked at the pot of soup still steaming on the stove. The small sense of relaxation she had just built up quietly dissipated a bit with Xiangling's departure.
She instinctively shrank back into the small stool, her eyes lowered, staring at the tips of her shoes.
Xingqiu noticed her subtle change and knew this was a rare opportunity. He cleared his throat and spoke to Chongyun in a relaxed, natural tone: "Chongyun, when we were coming over, I saw that the newly opened beverage shop on the corner seemed to be selling Iced Berry Mint Drinks. I heard they are refreshing and cut through grease, perfect for this season. Why don't you go buy three cups? My treat."
As he spoke, he took out a few Mora from his sleeve and handed them over.
Chongyun's eyes lit up. He had always had no resistance to these kinds of cool drinks, and since the buns and snacks earlier were indeed a bit dry, he immediately nodded. "Okay! I'll go right now!"
He took the Mora and turned to run toward the front hall, not thinking at all about why Xingqiu wasn't going with him or why he needed to buy three cups.
Having sent away the simple-minded Chongyun, Xingqiu finally turned around to face Lovia, who was starting to feel a bit uneasy again. He didn't approach immediately but kept a distance that made her feel safe, leaning against a nearby pillar and letting his gentle gaze fall on her.
The courtyard fell silent, save for the faint bubbling of the soup pot on the stove and the distant, indistinct clamor of the marketplace.
Lovia could feel Xingqiu's gaze, which made her feel uncomfortable. Her fingers unconsciously picked at the edge of the now-empty bowl of ice jelly.
Xingqiu didn't dive straight into the main topic but spoke as if making small talk, his voice slowing down significantly. "Miss Lovia seems to get along very well with Miss Xiangling."
Lovia gave a soft "Mm."
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