CHAPTER 90: A DRUNKEN ESCAPE

After sitting down, Yue Mingxuan swallowed his saliva hard when he saw the food.

Since he was here already, he might as well eat something good as his attendance fee.

With that happy thought, he began enjoying the dishes without a care for anything else.

Even though Yue Mingxuan tried to keep a low profile, he was still noticed by people who were watching.

Seeing Yue Mingxuan eating and drinking alone, Xie Lianhua’s face flashed with disdain.

She leaned to her personal maid and whispered something.

The maid nodded her head with full understanding, then slipped quietly into the crowd.

Yue Mingxuan happily tasted the dishes he didn’t even know the names of and his eyes narrowing in pleasure.

As a true food lover, he felt he had arrived in heaven.

He poured himself a cup of the plum blossom wine in front of him.

The sweet and sour taste with a light fragrance made him almost clap the table in praise.

The annoyance he felt earlier about being called over had completely disappeared.

With this kind of food, he wouldn’t mind the palace having banquets every night.

With good food and good wine and no one bothering him Yue Mingxuan soon finished an entire pot of wine.

His drinking tolerance wasn’t high, so beneath the mask his face was already flushed red.

Luckily he wore a mask, so no one saw it.

When he turned to call someone for another pot of wine, he found that because his corner was so far away, there were no servants serving there.

Following his usual belief of "if you want something done, do it yourself," he stood up and slipped quietly out the door.

Outside, the cool wind cleared his head a little.

Realizing he didn’t know where the imperial kitchen was, he decided to find someone to ask.

Because of the banquet, most servants were busy at the event.

Yue Mingxuan walked through two palace halls but didn’t find a single person.

He shook his head helplessly.

Walking too fast made the wine rise in his head, so he found a long bench and sat down.

Damn it, why did emperors always like to build palaces this big?

Were they all compass sellers in their past life?

Yue Mingxuan complained in his heart while looking around, hoping to find a wandering servant he could ask for directions.

Just then, a flash of white cloth appeared in front of him.

Yue Mingxuan thought it was a palace maid and quickly called out, "Hey, hey, wait a moment!"

Rong Qinglei had received an invitation to the banquet that day, but he had declined with the excuse of poor health.

After sharing a few cups of wine with the Emperor in the Imperial Study, he rested in the Tianji Hall.

Even though the Flower God this year attracted much attention, he had not attended the festival, so a small banquet meant nothing to him.

In his heart, things like the Flower God were nothing compared to the boy he had seen on the back mountain.

Unfortunately, even the Ten Thousand Wisdom Hall had no information about him.

They returned his commission untouched.

Rong Qinglei thought he would never see that boy again in this life, but on his way from the Tianji Hall to the back mountain, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

He paused feeling unsure and then looked around for the source of the voice.

He thought it was his imagination and yet he was afraid it was an imagination.

He gave a bitter smile.

So he was this weak?

Even if it was an illusion, he wanted it to last a bit longer.

While holding that fragile hope, Rong Qinglei glanced around.

He didn’t see the person he wanted to see.

He shook his head and was about to leave when suddenly someone hit his shoulder hard from behind.

He turned around and saw a person dressed in white clothes embroidered with feathers and wearing a mask standing right in front of him.

"It’s you?!"

When the men turned around, Yue Mingxuan realized the person wasn’t a servant but the same man he had met on the back mountain that day.

He was surprised at first and then he became calm again.

He had already known the man must be connected to the beirong royal family.

Now it was simply confirmed.

Rong Qinglei, however, felt all the anger from being grabbed melt into pure joy when he heard Yue Mingxuan’s voice.

The person he had been thinking of day and night appeared in front of him just like that.

Even though Yue Mingxuan wore a mask, Rong Qinglei knew at once it was him.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn’t know where to begin.

Seeing Rong Qinglei excited and shy at the same time, Yue Mingxuan felt a bit worried.

"Are you okay? Don’t tell me your heart problem came back?" As he spoke, he reached out his hand and grabbed Rong Qinglei’s hand to take his pulse.

It was the first time someone other than Imperial physician had grabbed him like that.

A soft tingling feeling spread from their joined hands.

Rong Qinglei immediately pulled his hand away and turning his head awkwardly.

A faint blush crossed his face. "I’m fine. My heart problem didn’t return."

After hearing the strength in Rong Qinglei’s voice, Yue Mingxuan felt relieved. Then he suddenly remembered his purpose. "You look like you know this area well. Do you know how to get to the Imperial Kitchen?"

Rong Qinglei stared at Yue Mingxuan’s round and delicate chin.

Without he realized he reached out his hand and removed the mask from Yue Mingxuan’s face.

It really was him... the person he dreamed about.

His eyes filled with excitement.

Rong Qinglei’s sudden act angered Yue Mingxuan.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand.

Slap!

The crisp slap echoed far in the night air.

Since the day he was born, Rong Qinglei had never been slapped in the face. But since it was Yue Mingxuan, he couldn’t get angry at all.