Chapter 210: Chapter 209: Romantic EncounterBoth of them left the State Mansion hand in hand.


    Lu Zijin had brought over a dozen men, who mingled in the crowd, following them closely from a distance.


    The streets were bustling and packed with people coming and going.


    Gaily dressed young men and women shuttled back and forth, laughter filling the air.


    "May I ask the lady’s name?"


    Another handsome man approached and struck up a conversation.


    Sang Yan raised the hand she was holding and gave it a shake, smiling as she declared her territory, "Sorry, already taken by a husband."


    He Ying had been quite unhappy, but at hearing Sang Yan’s words, any trace of displeasure evaporated instantly.


    Husband?


    What a delightful term.


    "My apologies."


    His face flush with embarrassment, the man retreated one step, hastily bowed, and quickly left.


    Sang Yan’s face was too striking, and with her dressed up so well, she kept attracting would-be suitors along the way.


    In the end, He Ying couldn’t take it anymore and frowned, "You should cover up a bit."


    So, Sang Yan put on a veil. Sёarch* The n?vel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was wearing an inconspicuous dark indigo dress that evening.


    He Ying, too, was in a dark ink-colored brocade robe.


    Of course, the hem of the robe was embroidered with dark golden dragon patterns.


    Both were dressed rather modestly.


    But their bearing and grace still attracted many a sidelong glance.


    Especially He Ying.


    Unlike Sang Yan, he didn’t have a veil to hide behind.


    His sword-like eyebrows extended into his temples, his features were clear and handsome, and he emanated a natural and ingrained air of nobility and pride.


    Passing young women almost dropped their eyes on him.


    If it were not for the presence of a young lady by his side and his own cold and lofty demeanor that said he was not one to be approached, he probably would already have a myriad of veils thrust into his hands by now.


    Sang Yan looked on and somewhat regretted it. If she had known He Ying was so popular, she should have patched some fake acne on his face to deter others.


    Fortunately, his aura was so aloof that those people only dared to watch from a distance, never daring to really approach—


    "Young master—"


    Just as Sang Yan breathed a sigh of relief, a girl in a rose-red skirt and a loose hairstyle approached.


    Sang Yan: "..."


    Miscalculated.


    She celebrated too early.


    He Ying slightly lifted his eyelashes, looking at the shy-faced girl in front of him, his eyes revealing undisguised impatience, "What is it?"


    Qin Tangyue was startled by his cold tone, dared not to speak, and subconsciously looked back at the handkerchief exchange not far away.


    Sang Yan looked over—


    Several women, also wearing veils, stood not far away, waving at the girl in front of them, even more excited than her.


    "Speak up! We’ve been waiting all night, and finally we met such a handsome man!"


    "That’s right, hurry up and say something!"


    "Worst case, you give him the veil directly. You’re so beautiful, what’s there to fear?"


    ...


    They were all egging her on.


    Sang Yan watched quietly, thinking to herself: Why do these women sound so much like the modern cheerleaders who spur on their friends to confess their feelings? But couldn’t they take a glance at her first? She’s standing right here, isn’t she?


    She felt somewhat offended.


    Sang Yan frowned slightly and withdrew her gaze to look at the young girl in front of her.


    Their eyes met just as the girl was being spurred on.


    Qin Tangyue sized up the woman in front of her who was wearing a white veil. Those eyes were as clear as stars, but the veil covering her face was unflattering.


    It was crooked and looked like it was meant to be a pair of mandarin ducks, yet one could tell the needlework was coarse and the stitches were not fine.


    If she couldn’t even embroider well, her family background was probably not great.


    Didn’t the daughters of wealthy families all spend a lot of money hiring embroidery ladies to teach them needlework?


    With the title of Quanzhou’s Top Talented Woman, Qin Tangyue felt even more confident.


    She was about to speak when the tall man in front of her immediately grabbed the "poorly backgrounded" woman and walked past her.


    He Ying had wanted to leave for a while now.


    The market was noisy and crowded, and some people without a shred of awareness were asking for trouble.


    If it weren’t for not wanting to ruin Sang Yan’s mood, he really wanted to call Lu Zijin over to clear the crowd.


    "Shall we go?"


    Sang Yan was still in a daze: Was that what’s considered a romantic encounter?


    He Ying gave a "hm," utterly unconcerned about how his actions might have hurt the young girl’s tender feelings.


    Qin Tangyue stood there stunned, her mind momentarily blank, followed by a surge of competitiveness. She hurriedly jogged up and blocked He Ying and Sang Yan’s path again.


    Lu Zijin, not far away, felt his hair stand on end: At this moment, should he step in to protect them, or should he abstain?


    "Young master seems to have encountered something, should we go over there?"


    A subordinate also noticed the situation and looked very tense.


    The Emperor had said not to interfere with the Empress’s enjoyment unless absolutely necessary.


    Now the question was, was this necessary or not?


    Lu Zijin pressed his lips tightly together and chose to grip his Soft Sword inside his sleeve without taking action: "Let’s see what happens."


    At a glance, that foolish girl was clearly trying to hook up with the master.


    After all, isn’t a little jealousy supposed to be good for improving marital relations?


    Maybe the Emperor would even be in a better mood later and scold him a bit less.


    Meanwhile,


    He Ying’s patience had reached its limit.


    Seeing that he wanted to get angry, Sang Yan quickly stepped forward and spoke to the "rival in love," smiling with a twinkle in her eyes, "Little miss, what’s the matter?"


    Unexpectedly, the girl completely ignored her.


    She looked at He Ying with eyes full of tender affection, and in the next moment, reached out to pull off her veil, revealing an exceedingly beautiful face.


    Even Sang Yan, who was used to seeing beautiful women, couldn’t help but exclaim at the sight: Such beauty!


    Lovely and charming, her skin like creamy jade, she would attract extra looks even in the vibrant and colorful harem.


    However, what a pity.


    Sang Yan couldn’t help shaking her head: The girl was of the same type as Sang Ruoshui. He Ying hadn’t taken any interest in Sang Ruoshui, let alone this girl who didn’t even compare to her.


    Qin Tangyue saw Sang Yan shake her head and thought she was looking down on her appearance, which made her even angrier: She was both talented and beautiful, fitting of the title of Quanzhou’s Top Talented Woman.


    How dare this woman look at her like this?


    "Young master!"


    She hadn’t forgotten who her target was.


    So, suppressing her displeasure and withdrawing her gaze, her face blushing, she handed her veil to He Ying: "My name is Qin Tangyue, may I invite the young master to join me on a flower boat?"