Repeatedly broken branches

Jewelers from Jiuguang Kingdom are holding a jewelry auction. As the name suggests, they'll be auctioning off their finest pieces at Jiuguang's jewelry market. It's said that jewelry tycoons from all over will be attending. Xiao Mu has also received an invitation to the auction, but she's still considering whether to go. After all, she's just a newcomer to the jewelry industry, and she's a little intimidated by her much more experienced peers. However, this is a good opportunity to exchange experiences, and she really wants to go, even though it's Jiuguang—that place that caused her so much pain. But this time, it's for her career, so it doesn't matter.

Xiao Mu called Ling over, wanting to ask for Ling's opinion.

Ling frowned slightly and thought seriously, "I think it's fine to go or not to go. If you want to go, I'll go with you. If you don't want to go, that's okay too. We won't lose anything because of it."

"I don't know if I want to go or not, but I really want to see other people's work so that I can see my own shortcomings."

"Then let's go. I'll go with you."

A hint of joy flashed in Xiao Mu's eyes. "Really? But I haven't decided which work to bring yet. I don't know if these will catch the eye of those royal nobles, since the palace is sending representatives this time." After saying that, the light in her eyes dimmed a little.

She lacks confidence in her work because she does whatever comes to mind. Although some people buy her work and like it, she doesn't know if her creations are suitable for mainstream aesthetics.

Aya looked up and said lazily, "Just bring your favorite things. Nothing else matters. It's all about participation. Just think of it as a trip. There are about ten days before the competition. We can travel around and relax during these ten days. I know Hisamitsu very well."

"Really? It seems you've been traveling around a lot. But what do you do for a living? How come you can wander around like this every day?" Her tone was full of curiosity about Ling. Perhaps he was a young master from a wealthy family. Judging from his speech and clothing, he didn't seem like an ordinary person. Having been in business for some time, she had also learned to read people's expressions.

"Actually, I work in the palace study... I serve books every day, and the job is quite leisurely, so I can often come out for a stroll." Ling casually made up an excuse, otherwise, if Xiao Mu found out that he was coming and going from the palace and questioned his identity, wouldn't he be unable to explain himself even if he was in the right?

Xiao Mu became interested. "In the palace, so... can you often meet with the Emperor? Can he never leave the palace? Why doesn't he have any concubines?"

"I've almost never seen him. When he goes to read, it's not my turn to be on duty. The Emperor doesn't like to be disturbed... As for why there are no concubines, how would I know? We basically don't dare to inquire about our master's affairs!"

Xiao Mu was clearly disappointed. If Ling knew the Emperor well, she could ask him more questions about Yu Yanjing.

But she had clearly told herself not to think about him anymore.

Ling comforted him, "Alright, if you're so interested in the Emperor, I'll take you to the palace after the competition. I can't guarantee you'll see the Emperor, but I can show you around!"

"Is entering the palace so casual?"

"Of course, don't forget that we advocate freedom here. Although not just anyone can enter the palace, no one will dare to stop me if I take you in. But now, focus on choosing your entry for the competition. Tomorrow, we'll set off for Jiuguang from here."

Xiao Mu's eyes flickered. "You've decided just like that? So hastily?"

Ling said dismissively, "Where is it hasty? Didn't I give you one night to prepare? Isn't that enough?"

Xiao Mu shook her head. "That's enough. I need to go back and pack my luggage and work. I won't keep you company. If you're hungry, go to the teahouse and order a bowl of noodles." With that, she got up to leave.

Ling Youyou said, "You don't need to worry about me, just go. I'll be right here."

Xiao Mu walked out of the shop and headed towards her house.

She stayed in the room for a long time, but couldn't decide which piece she was most satisfied with. Was it the phoenix crown? Although it was similar in style to ordinary wedding phoenix crowns, every single piece of jade on it was polished and glued on by Xiao Mu herself. Each one was exactly the same in size and shape. The gold thread wrapped around it was also made by her personally by gluing gold fragments onto the thread. As for the diamond fragments, she smashed a whole piece of crystal to get just a tiny bit of them. The rest had some impurities, but no matter how precious they were, she had discarded them. The sides of the phoenix crown had South Sea pearl tassels, which were also purchased from the Northern Territory and were quite expensive.

Another item is a phoenix flying apsara hair ornament. The phoenix is ​​made of pure gold and is solid. The tail of the phoenix is ​​covered with gold powder. The tassels of the hair ornament are made of small pearls. The eyes of the phoenix are made of rubies made from pigeon blood, which are very hard to find.

But she specifically wanted to wear that white jade bracelet. The white jade was polished smooth and delicate, with a hollow design in the middle, intricately carved with tuberose petals that wrapped around the entire bracelet. A pearl chain connected the bracelet, creating a double-layered design that made it even more translucent and beautiful. In the center of the pearls was a golden bean. The combination of gold and white was a collision of color and soul, carrying the beautiful meaning of a perfect match, making it very suitable for a token of love. It just hasn't been released yet.

Looking at the golden jade marriage in the box, Xiao Mu felt a little tempted.

Actually, she already had the answer in her heart, didn't she?

She ran out of the house and jogged all the way to the teahouse. Ling was still there, but she was asleep on the table.

She tiptoed over and stood behind Ling, not daring to make a loud noise. She ran to Xiaoshao and asked, "When did Ling fall asleep?"

Xiao Shao thought for a moment and said, "It was probably not long after Miss left that Young Master Ling fell asleep."

Not long after she left? No wonder he looked so tired, he must have been exhausted from not getting enough rest. If she hadn't called Aya over, Aya would probably be resting right now.

She took a small blanket from the private room and covered Ling's back with it. She then took out her account book and sat down to carefully read through it, not daring to make too much noise while turning the pages, for fear of waking Ling.

Xiao Mu had almost finished reading the account book, but Ling showed no sign of waking up. So Xiao Mu had to ask Xiao Shao to close the teahouse early and shut the door to prevent the noise from the customers from waking Ling.

After a long while, Ling groggily opened her eyes, her gaze unfocused as she looked at Xiao Mu, who was diligently checking the account books. Her voice was hoarse as she asked, "How long have I been asleep? Why didn't you wake me? Why is it so quiet? There isn't a single customer." She looked around and found that there was no one there. In the huge teahouse, there were only the two of them.

Xiao Mu closed the ledger, turned to look at him, and said, "Can't I just not do business today?"

Aya looked bewildered. "Why wouldn't you make money?"

Xiao Mu sneered, "Yeah, am I stupid? Why wouldn't I make money? Actually, it's because the customers were too noisy when they came to eat, so I asked Xiao Shao to close early. What's wrong with that?"

"Of course you can. You're the boss, you decide. So, have you thought about what you want to bring to the competition?" Aya teased.

Xiao Mu pursed her lips, her eyelashes trembled slightly, her eyes lowered, and she said calmly, "I've thought it through, but is your job really that important? Can you come with me?"

"Of course, I can find someone to stand in for me, so you don't need to worry about that. Just focus on the competition, I'll be there for you all the way. I promise you'll have a great time at Jiuguang!"

"Won't we be punished?" Xiao Mu asked worriedly.

Aya curled her lips and smiled, "How could that be? I'm just someone who takes care of the study. It doesn't really matter whether I'm here or not, so you don't need to worry!"

"Okay." Xiao Mu was still a little scared. If Ling lost his job because of this, she could support him, but she was afraid he would have a hard time getting over it.

After Ling went back to hand over her duties, Xiao Mu tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. She had already packed her bags, but she was still very excited. Although it wasn't the first time she had gone out with Ling, she was so nervous and afraid of being rejected. She spent the whole night lost in her thoughts.

Before she could even get ready for bed, it was already dawn, and just then, she felt sleepy.

With panda eyes, I waited for Ling at the entrance of the teahouse. Ling arrived in no time. She didn't bring much, traveling light, wearing only an ordinary brocade robe and a black cloak. Yes, it was getting cool, so Xiao Shao also draped a cloak over her shoulders. It was light blue, which made her look fair and beautiful.

"What's wrong? Were you too excited to sleep last night?"

The moment Ling saw Xiao Mu, she could tell that she hadn't slept well the night before. Otherwise, why would she have such dark circles under her eyes? Her face was also full of sleepiness, and she kept yawning.

"Yeah, actually I'm just nervous."

Xiao Mu glanced at the magnificent and grandly decorated carriage behind Ling and asked, "Is this the carriage you rented?"

This carriage is different from ordinary passenger carriages. Ordinary carriages are simple, but this carriage is decorated in a way that makes it look like the carriage of a wealthy young man. Even the coachman is wearing brocade clothes.

Aya's face darkened, and she said awkwardly, "Yes... this carriage is a friend's business, and I'm just patronizing it. I didn't expect... their carriages to be so impressive. If you don't like them, I'll..."

Actually, this was a carriage sent by Shen Ruoxuan from the palace. The driver was also highly skilled in martial arts. Shen Ruoxuan had him disguise himself like this to protect Yu Yanjing. In his eyes, nothing was more important than Yu Yanjing's personal safety. He even wanted to arrange for Wei Lan and Rou Rou to serve him in the carriage. Yu Yanjing's face darkened, and Shen Ruoxuan fearfully abandoned his idea.

Xiao Mu waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no need. Since it's your friend's business, of course we'll patronize it. This carriage is very nice, very nice!"

It's nice, but it's too extravagant. It must cost a lot of money. Aya's job isn't a high-ranking official position. If that's the case, she'd rather rent the car herself. Aya is probably doing this for the sake of appearances.

Once inside the carriage, Xiao Mu was once again astonished. The interior was incredibly luxurious, with even the seating area made of soft couches for resting. The roof was made of sandalwood and featured exquisite carvings. There were also small tables made of mahogany, incense, and various kinds of food and drinks. All that was missing were maids to serve them.

Ling was also taken aback. Shen Ruoxuan should have just revealed his identity directly. Why did he have to hide it? Whenever Shen Ruoxuan made a move, it would definitely be embarrassing!

Once inside the carriage, Xiao Mu could no longer hide her drowsiness. The soft cushions of the carriage were so comfortable, and the incense smelled so good that she couldn't help but want to take a nap there. She decided to sleep the whole way.

Ling lowered his eyes to look at Xiao Mu, who was already asleep. Her sleeping face was beautiful, with delicate and petite features, slightly closed eyelashes, and pink lips that looked as if they could be broken with a touch. He was even more eager to remember their previous memories.

But why did he feel a vague sense of unease on this trip to Jiuguang? He never felt unease before, because he was above everyone else, and no one dared to disobey him. He could do whatever he wanted. But facing such a young woman, he was at a loss, unsure how to treat her. He wanted to treat her very well, but he was afraid that it would be too much of a burden for her. He had no idea how to treat a girl, let alone how to be a man who could please a girl. What kind of girl did she like? He had no idea.

As the carriage traveled into the evening, it finally arrived at an inn. Ling woke Xiao Mu and told the driver to find a place to rest while they went to rent a room at the inn. They were about 100 li away from the territory of Jiuguang Kingdom, which was now Xingquan Town. They had heard it was quite fun, so they planned to rent a small house here, stay for a few days, and then go to Jiuguang to participate in the competition. They treated it as a vacation.

Xiao Mu slept the whole way and was full of energy. As soon as she got off the carriage, she and Ling went to choose a room. This inn was rented from private houses, much like a guesthouse nowadays. They rented out one building after another, so they had to choose one themselves.

Aya suggested that they eat something first before choosing a house. It was already dark, and they hadn't eaten much all day. If they weren't full, they wouldn't have the energy to choose a house.

Xiao Mu wanted to eat noodles, so Ling took her to a noodle shop and ordered two bowls of beef noodles.

This noodle shop is delicious and very popular. I heard it's been open for decades and has changed owners several times, but the taste is still the same. There are always a lot of people coming to eat here. We just finished cleaning one table and another one came in.

"How is it? It tastes good, right?" Ling asked, watching Xiao Mu slurping her noodles.

"Hmm, even the soup is delicious. I didn't expect you to have been to a place like this before, or to be able to find a place like this."

Because this noodle shop doesn't have a big sign, it's mainly frequented by locals. Most tourists eat at restaurants and rarely come to places like noodle shops.

Aya smiled and said, "Because I've been to so many places, I like to try different things."

“Indeed, it seems you’re quite familiar with this place. Get a good rest tonight, and tomorrow you can take me to explore all of Xingquan Town.”

Ling also had the same plan. By eating and playing along the way, she could perhaps ease Xiao Mu's nervousness about the competition. This way, she could stay with her and relax at the same time, which would be the best of both worlds.

He looked at Xiao Mu, trying hard to recall every little detail of their past. It's a strange thing; the more you try to think about it, the less you get, but if you do it unintentionally, you can think of a lot.

The doctor said that the most effective way to recover memories is to immerse yourself in the past, even just visiting places you've been before. This can help with recovery. It's possible to recover all of it, only half, or never at all. It depends on the extent of the treatment and how important the memory is to you. These are all important elements in memory recovery.