Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

On the other side, after the banquet, Tang Ling was not paying attention and Qi Xiao disappeared. She felt a little lost at first, but when she returned to her tent, she found that Qi Xiao had sneaked in and was making tea for her. It seemed that Tang Ling had walked into the wrong tent.

Qi Xiao was not happy when he left yesterday. Tang Ling thought that he would not be nice to her recently, but when she saw Qi Xiao in his tent, she suddenly felt relieved.

"Why... are you here?" Qinglan was startled and opened her mouth to shout, but was stopped by Tang Ling's look and suddenly stopped talking halfway.

"Come and have some tea."

"..." I have never seen such a shameless person. How could the dignified King of Chu be short of this little tea?

Tang Ling couldn't help laughing: "Are you tired?"

Qi Xiao smiled and shook his head.

"Happy? Was it fun?" Tang Ling knew that he liked hunting, but she didn't think Qi Xiao would really enjoy today's hunt. Qi Xiao didn't look very happy when he left the training ground.

"Come, let me show you something."

Tang Ling sat down across from Qi Xiao and asked, "What?"

Qi Xiao placed the small bamboo basket on the table and pushed it in front of Tang Ling: "Look, this is for you."

Tang Ling became even more curious. Isn't this the thing that the Fifth Prince wanted to see just now, but Qi Xiao refused to give it to him in front of His Majesty?

Tang Ling opened the bamboo cage and was shocked to see the little white snake inside: "Snake?!"

Qing Lan heard this and hurried over. After just one look, he almost jumped up: "Sir, be careful! This snake is extremely poisonous!"

"It's okay, I used some aphrodisiac and it fell asleep."

"Bewitching incense..." The dignified King of Chu carries bewitching incense with him? Qing Lan almost couldn't help it and just wanted to drive Qi Xiao out.

"Does it look good? Do you like it?" Qi Xiao drank tea and looked at Tang Ling with a smile, as if he was presenting a treasure to Tang Ling.

Tang Ling nodded.

Qi Xiao laughed out loud: "Does it look like you?"

Tang Ling was slightly stunned, and suddenly she didn't know whether Qi Xiao was praising his good looks or referring to his poisonous nature.

Qi Xiao finished his tea and, without waiting for Tang Ling to respond, he suddenly stood up and said, "Don't tell anyone else. I'm leaving now."

"Why did you give it to me?"

Tang Ling asked this, but Qi Xiao just smiled and didn't answer, then left.

"Sir, please give me this thing, it's dangerous." Qinglan reached out to the small bamboo cage, but was stopped by Tang Ling who patted the back of his hand.

"Sir?"

Tang Ling picked up the small bamboo basket and ignored Qinglan.

***

"Where did you go just now?" As Qi Xiao entered the door, he ran into Bai Xiqiao with a cold face blocking his way.

Qi Xiao didn't respond. He walked behind the screen and took off his dusty outer robe, boots and socks, preparing to change into new clothes. He was just outside the Baixi Bridge.

"I'm asking you a question, where have you been?"

"next door."

"Where's the snake?"

Qi Xiao answered again: "Next door."

Bai Xiqiao took a deep breath and asked through gritted teeth, "What on earth are you thinking?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"Tang Ling."

"What's up with him?"

"Now there are only two of us brothers, you and I. I have even sent Zong Sheng away. Tell me the truth, are you interested in him?" Bai Xiqiao knew Qi Xiao too well. Although Qi Xiao had always been wary of Tang Ling, he obviously cared too much about her, and his attitude towards her was ambiguous and unusual.

Qi Xiao took off his robe and hung it on the hanger. After a pause, he chuckled and said, "You like him? What do you mean? What do you like about him?"

Bai Xiqiao couldn't stand Qi Xiao's beating around the bush here, so he strode over with his arms folded. Qi Xiao wanted to avoid him, but he insisted on standing in front of Qi Xiao.

Qi Xiao was shirtless and startled by the sudden appearance of Baixiqiao: "What are you doing? Get out!"

"What kind of you have I not seen before, Senior Brother?"

"Senior brother, could it be... that you like me and are jealous of Tang Ling?" Qi Xiao teased Bai Xiqiao with a sly smile on his face.

Bai Xiqiao didn't fall for Qi Xiao's tricks. He raised his foot and kicked Qi Xiao's calf: "Behave yourself! There's no point in talking nonsense."

Qi Xiao put on a clean shirt, straightened his loose hair, and took a deep breath: "Brother, what exactly do you want me to say?"

"Tang Ling." Bai Xiqiao had made up her mind. Today, she had to make everything clear to Qi Xiao and get the word "Tang Ling" out of his mind. "Don't you think you're a little too attached to him? I told you to stay away from him before, and you gave me a bunch of legitimate excuses. But were you fooling me, or yourself?"

Qi Xiao knew exactly what Bai Xiqiao was talking about, but he didn't know how to respond. He really wanted to use Tang Ling, and he wasn't trying to fool Bai Xiqiao, but it was precisely this use that made him feel unhappy.

Just like yesterday, when Tang Ling mentioned Lu Xiulin to Qi Xiao, his expression immediately changed, and he could barely suppress his inner frustration and anger. Tang Ling didn't know why Qi Xiao wanted to investigate Bai Liu's life, so she deliberately brought up Lu Xiulin to test Qi Xiao.

Favors are favors, information is information, and exploitation is exploitation. They should not be friends, but Qi Xiao suddenly hated this reality.

When Tang Ling said they were friends, that they should care about each other, talk about their concerns, and even eat a bowl of noodles together, Qi Xiao's hidden worries and entanglements were quickly overshadowed by relaxation and joy. He liked being with Tang Ling, at least most of the time.

When Qi Xiao saw the little white snake, he liked it and wanted to give it to Tang Ling. There seemed to be no reason for it.

But he couldn't answer the question about Baixi Bridge.

"Just friends."

"Ha," Bai Xiqiao snorted, very disdainful. "Friend? You're with him? Do you believe in him?"

"Brother, what do you want to say?"

"Not to mention now, even back in Yongcheng, ever since that folding fan, something was wrong with you. Did Tang Ling drug you? Saving him once or twice wasn't enough. Now, for him, for a white snake, you dare to speak nonsense in front of His Majesty. Are you going to give up your life?"

Qi Xiao frowned. He wanted to refute, but Bai Xiqiao was right. He just wanted to give the little white snake to Tang Ling. No one else was allowed to even look at it, not even the fifth brother or the emperor.

"Being cautious in front of him won't make my life easy. Even if I disobey him in public, I won't necessarily lose my life. He puts me before the Fifth and Seventh Brothers, granting me permission to enter the palace at any time. He forces me to exert my full strength during the hunting. He puts me on a pedestal, making me a target of public criticism. In that situation, while he may not necessarily side with me, he certainly won't punish me seriously. On the other hand, if I can really anger him and let me suffer a little punishment, then the Fifth and Seventh Brothers will let me go. That would be great."

Qi Xiao carried Bai Xiqiao on his back and straightened his new robe and belt.

"quibble."