A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

Mu Nanzhao's expression froze; he knew there was something wrong with He Jinglan's letter!

He casually reached out to warm his hands over the fire. "You believe all that nonsense?"

"I just don't like crowds."

Gu Xixi stared at him with a half-smile, "Is it really just that you don't like crowds? But I heard..."

In her letter, He Jinglan wrote that since the Lantern Festival was mentioned, she had some interesting stories to share.

Because of his good family background and good looks, when Mu Nanzhao became the top scholar in the imperial examination, several families who were vying for his hand in marriage almost came to blows.

Fortunately, the Mu family had some status, and they publicly declared that Mu Nanzhao wanted to focus on his official career and was not considering marriage for the time being, which brought an end to the competition among families to marry off their daughters.

After that, Mu Nanzhao's career progressed smoothly, and he quickly gained the emperor's favor, rising three ranks in a short period of time.

They were truly riding high, enjoying great success, like oil being poured over a raging fire.

This earned him the nickname "The First Young Master of the Daye Dynasty".

As the dream man of all the unmarried girls in the capital, it is said that Mu Nanzhao once stepped out of the mansion on the night of the Lantern Festival.

Immediately, gifts expressing admiration and respect, such as handkerchiefs, sprigs of orchids, poem sheets adorned with sandalwood beads, oranges, and tangerines, were rained down upon him.

One girl only had a large pear she had just bought, and in a moment of panic, she also threw it out.

Fortunately, the guards acted quickly, and Mu Nanzhao's head was not injured.

Therefore, Lord Mu turned back home after traveling only a hundred meters.

After that, no matter how many people longed to see him on the Lantern Festival, no one was ever able to witness Lord Mu's unparalleled charm again.

Gu Xixi took a sip of hot wine and sighed with a smile, "It's a pity I arrived too late."

"Otherwise, I really want to see this spectacle with my own eyes."

Too late? Mu Nanzhao thought to himself, she probably meant that they met too late?

The snowflakes, as fine as feathers, seemed to fall endlessly from a dark, bottomless abyss.

The two, each wrapped in a thick cloak, sat around the fire.

The charcoal in the stove glowed red-hot, dispelling the chill and carving out a small space that belonged only to the two of them amidst the swirling snow.

Gu Xixi broke off the browned part of the steamed bun from the edge, divided it into two small pieces, and handed one piece to Mu Nanzhao.

"You say it's all just hearsay, but isn't it true that you almost got hit on the head by a big pear?"

Mu Nanzhao looked at Feixue, a smile playing on his lips. "These things are indeed true."

"However, I didn't go to the lantern festival at the time, not because I was afraid, but because I suddenly found it troublesome and boring."

"Remembering there was a pile of official documents in the study, I went back."

Gu Xixi asked in surprise, "That's all?"

This was the first time Mu Nanzhao had ever eaten a roasted bun.

Hot and crispy, with a unique and pure wheat aroma after baking, and a sweet aftertaste after chewing.

It was surprisingly delicious.

He couldn't help but relax and said, "Every year on the Lantern Festival, the morning court session has to resume the next day. The memorials impeaching me have long been piled up, and I have a lot of people to deal with."

"So, rather than wasting time going out, I'd rather prepare in advance."

"When I got to the court, I saw those old guys who couldn't stand me, but were helpless against me."

"Then they were rendered speechless by my impeachment, and some even fainted in court. Every year, several of them are carried out."

Mu Nanzhao turned to look at Gu Xixi, "Isn't this much more interesting than some lousy lantern festival?"

Gu Xixi broke out in a cold sweat. This person really didn't shy away from his perverse tastes at all!

"Can this be compared to what I'm talking about at the Lantern Festival? Are you allergic to refined culture?"

Mu Nanzhao remained noncommittal and asked, "Aren't the steamed buns ready yet?"

Gu Xixi almost fell over.

This person! Just a moment ago they were complaining about how simple it was, but after taking one bite they've fallen in love with it so quickly?

She picked up the toasted bun, which was so hot that she kept turning it over in her hands, hissing and breathing out warm air as she explained:

"You've never eaten this before, have you? There are two ways to eat it. One is like we are now, baking it layer by layer, breaking it off, and eating it little by little as a snack."

"Another way is to bake the whole steamed bun until the crust is golden brown, then slice it horizontally in half and stuff it with braised pork, fried egg, stir-fried celery, shredded radish... anything goes. You have to stuff it full to make the bun stand up. One bite, and it's simply amazing..."

The rumbling of my stomach sounded particularly loud in the quiet night.

Gu Xixi turned to Mu Nanzhao and burst out laughing. "First Young Master, you've lost your composure."

Mu Nanzhao, however, showed no shame. "So what if he's the First Young Master? Even the First Young Master can starve to death."

"Gu Xixi, you're the one who woke me up, you have to take responsibility."

Gu Xixi stuffed the freshly broken pieces of baked bun into his hands, saying, "Eat up."

Mu Nanzhao, however, became unusually willful, saying, "I'm not full, I want to eat something else."

Remembering the last two pages of the letter, Gu Xixi asked patiently, "What do you want to eat?"

Mu Nanzhao said with a straight face, "Toasted steamed buns, stuffed with vegetables, stuffed with fried eggs."

Gu Xixi: "..."

She really wanted to smack Mu Nanzhao on the head for making demands on someone who can't cook.

However, considering what had happened, Gu Xixi had no choice but to endure it, gritting her teeth as she entered the kitchen.

There are plenty of steamed buns; let's bake two first.

Then she rummaged through the cupboard and, after a lot of fuss, finally managed to make two baked buns with vegetables and eggs.

Gu Xixi sat down and said, "The fried egg is a little burnt, but it'll have to do with it."

The only side dishes were pickled mustard greens stir-fried with boiled soybeans. Aunt Zhang made a lot and stored it in jars to eat slowly.

Mu Nanzhao wasn't picky at all; he picked it up and took a bite. "Delicious."

Knowing his germaphobia, Gu Xixi teased him, "The water is too cold. I didn't wash my hands."

Mu Nanzhao calmly replied, "It doesn't matter. What kind of filthy things haven't I eaten during my exile?"

It was just a simple statement of fact, but it made Gu Xixi feel heartbroken.

"Last time, regarding the matter with Magistrate Ma, you faced the enemy alone, and those words you spoke to the He siblings."

"thank you."

Mu Nanzhao paused in his eating of the steamed bun, then continued biting down, giving a muffled "hmm."

Gu Xixi knew how much people in ancient times cared about having a complete body after death.

Mu Nanzhao, however, ordered his body to be disfigured and limbs severed.

All of this was so that she wouldn't be investigated or implicated after his death.

There was silence for a long time.

Mu Nanzhao muttered under his breath, displeased, "He Jinglan's big mouth hasn't changed since she was a child."

Gu Xixi chuckled softly.

"Jinglan cares about you and hopes that if I know the inside story, I can treat you better."

Mu Nanzhao sneered, "You've only known her for a short time, yet you always obey her every word."

Gu Xixi frowned. "What are you saying? When have I ever listened to her every word?"

Mu Nanzhao looked straight ahead, his gaze unwavering. "You know the answer yourself."

Gu Xixi was completely confused, but when she saw the slight curve of Mu Nanzhao's lips, she smiled knowingly.

He seems to be in a good mood; he's probably moved on from what upset him before.

So Gu Xixi drank the wine in her glass and, emboldened by the alcohol, asked frankly, "Why have you been so polite and distant to me lately?"

Mu Nanzhao denied it, "Gu Xixi, aren't you overthinking things? Are you taking yourself too seriously?"