Male superiority and female superiority: forced love

Ruan Chuyin carefully studied the old Zhenbei King's paintings, and immediately gained a firm understanding. His style was rigorous and precise, and he was particularly skilled in depicting birds. Furthermore, this painting already had a touch of meticulous brushwork, demonstrating his profound mastery of the art. To challenge him, one needed both strength and courage.

"Are you sure?" Xiang Yunchi asked worriedly, secretly wondering which large auction houses there were in Yangcheng.

"Don't worry. But I need the best colored ink, as well as rouge and powder."

"Rouge gouache?"

"Yes, some of the colors of the ink here are not thick enough, so I need to add some to mix it up." Ruan Chuyin explained.

"Come on, I'll take you out for a walk." Xiang Yunchi decided to take his wife out to eat instead of having dinner at Tianshimen.

Ruan Chu was very fond of music. She washed her face, changed her clothes, and went out with her husband.

In Nanhua Town, every street and alleyway is filled with the vibrant atmosphere of life. A dazzling array of small stalls line the streets, their bluestone slabs gleaming with age. Vendors, cross-legged, shout loudly, warmly greeting every passerby.

"Madam, would you like some freshly picked iron-footed pears? They're so sweet! Only thirty cents each." A vendor asked with a smile, holding up a long fruit.

What is an iron-footed pear? Ruan Chuyin heard the name for the first time and took a closer look by candlelight. It looked a bit like a papaya.

"Give me two. No need for change." Xiang Yunchi picked up the two and threw down a tael of silver.

What a spendthrift! Sixty wen worth of fruit for one tael of silver. Seeing the vendor's grateful face, Ruan Chuyin felt too embarrassed to ask for the change.

"Iron-foot pears are good things. Eating more of them is good for you." Xiang Yunchi said meaningfully, his eyes as deep as the sea under the moonlight. The faint red at the corners of his eyes was so bright that it made her face blush and her heart beat wildly.

I picked one up and sniffed it gently. It smelled like papaya, and I immediately understood what my husband meant.

She suddenly felt warmth around her waist, and the full sense of security made her more dependent on this safe haven.

Along the way they bought paint, rouge, powder, and a number of snacks. By the time they reached the restaurant, their stomachs were already about seventy percent full.

"We... still want to eat?" Ruan Chuyin asked uncertainly, looking at the golden sign hanging high up - "Wanchunlou".

"Of course we have to eat! How can we miss the most famous restaurant in Nanxing Country? The one in Yangcheng is the largest. This place is a little small, but they should have a lot of signature dishes." Xiang Yunchi hugged the little white rabbit tightly and strode in.

It was already past mealtime, but the building was still bustling with people. Xiang Yunchi told her that because of the hot climate in Nanxing Country, people here preferred to travel at night when it was cooler, so it was too early for them now and they would not disperse until after the hour of Yin.

Xiang Yunchi not only ordered a table of food, but also a room upstairs. Only then did Ruan Chuyin realize that "Wanchunlou" was not only a restaurant, but also an inn.

"We're not going back to live here?" They haven't even said hello to their family yet!

"It's too late, let's stay here. Tomorrow morning I'll take you to Zhao Ji on the next street for morning tea. The meat patties there are really good, with a soft, juicy crust and plenty of filling. Even when they're cold, the crust doesn't get hard. They only sell 300 a day, so if you go later, you won't be able to get them. And you can only eat them at Nanxing." Xiang Yunchi particularly liked the meat patties there and would buy several whenever he passed by. Zhao Ji had a limited supply, with a maximum of two per person. Ming Wu and Ming San often joined the queue.

Xiang Yunchi's obsession with meat patties made Ruan Chuyin extremely curious, and she wished it would be dawn immediately.

As she turned the corner upstairs, a man in red emerged from an elegant room to the east. Perhaps it was the vibrant color that drew Ruan Chuyin's attention. Imperial Master Beiyue's breathtakingly beautiful face suddenly caught her eye. The visual impact was like a hydrogen bomb exploding overhead, sending her mind into a tizzy, her mind emptied, her breath gulping, her imagination swirling.

What does it mean to be obsessed with looks? She is one now. What does it mean to be a loser? That’s what she is now.

Xiang Yunchi paused, looked in the direction where the little white rabbit was distracted, smiled lightly, and a dangerous light flashed in his eyes.

"Does it look good?" He asked someone very gently.

"It looks good... no way." Ruan Chuyin almost made an irreparable mistake. Fortunately, she reacted in time and made up for it.

"I think she's quite good-looking, even better looking than my older brother." Xiang Yunchi commented indifferently, the smile in his eyes growing even brighter. He then asked further, "Do you two know each other?"

Ruan Chuyin awkwardly rubbed the floor with her toes and nodded, "He's Zhou Ziyi, the Imperial Preceptor of Beiyue. I met him once before, at the Academy's literary competition, with Guanzhi."

"Zhou Ziyi?" Xiang Yunchi's eyes flashed with surprise. He looked at him deeply and pulled the little white rabbit back to the room.

Although Zhou Ziyi was quite a distance away from them, he had already noticed that unforgettable figure out of the corner of his eye.

Today, Mrs. Qin wore an orange dress, which looked like a gorgeous colorful cloud from a distance, with a unique charm that made his heart beat fast.

"Zi Yi, what are you looking at?" Lu Yinnian stood by the railing, staring at the piece of fire satin exposed outside the door and asked in confusion.

"Look at Madam Qin again. What a coincidence, she is here too." Zhou Ziyi walked in with a faint smile, stars suddenly appeared in his eyes, lighting up the entire room.

"Oh? It seems that we have a deep connection with her." Lu Yinnian said with interest.

The evening breeze outside the window gently caressed the tips of my hair, and the silver hair danced in the air, shining with an intoxicating light.

Zhou Ziyi stood beside Lu Yinnian, looking at the bright jade plate hanging high in front of him, and a smile even more beautiful than the jade plate bloomed on his face.

"She and I have a deep connection. I believe we will meet again soon."