Did the Seventh Prince attend court today?

After selecting the location for the tavern, Shen Yuyao asked Li Sanjin to recommend a suitable place to build a brewery.

As noon approached, Shen Yuyao and Li Sanjin were still having a heated discussion. Youlu couldn't sit still any longer and stood up, saying, "I have an appointment with my brother to go boating on the lake this afternoon. I should go to Zuixianlou to meet him now, so I'll take my leave."

Shen Yuyao looked reluctant to part. "I haven't fulfilled my promise to host a banquet for Young Master Lu yet. I wonder when Young Master will go out again so I can prepare in advance."

"I won't be coming out again anytime soon." Youlu smiled. "Business is important, you go ahead and do your thing. We'll see each other again."

He lifted the beaded curtain and left gracefully.

Shen Yuyao watched his departing figure, feeling a little melancholy.

I really envy the eldest prince for having such an obedient and adorable younger brother.

Outside the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, the First Prince suddenly sneezed. Su Yan'an chuckled and teased, "What happened? Caught a cold in this heat? Are you that weak?"

The eldest prince pressed his finger to his nose and shook his head. "I don't know, but I've been inexplicably feeling a chill down my back these past two days."

"Maybe some girl is eyeing you," Su Yan'an said jokingly, raising an eyebrow.

"That's you, not me," the eldest prince said irritably, peering into the street. "Why hasn't Seventh Brother arrived yet? Has he gotten lost?"

"Don't worry about it. His Highness is very clever. How could he get lost? He could sell you out and still make you count the money for him." Su Yan'an said dismissively.

Youlu, who had rushed over, overheard these words. She raised an eyebrow and said with a pitiful expression, "Big brother, why didn't you come to pick me up? I'm lost."

Su Yan'an: "..."

Wait, does it have to be this quick to slap someone in the face? Was this intentional?

He chuckled dryly to try and salvage the situation, "What I mean is that His Highness is exceptionally intelligent and quick-witted, unmatched by anyone."

The eldest prince opened his fan to shield his eyes from the sun, which was shining through the deer's head, and said gently, "Ignore him. The food and wine have been ordered. Let's go in and have our meal."

Youlu nodded obediently, and as soon as he turned around, he immediately moved closer to Su Yan'an and said in a sinister tone, "If you bully my eldest brother again, I'll sell you out! Awooo!"

He made a gesture as if a tiger had its mouth wide open.

Su Yan'an found it both funny and infuriating. Well, never mess with this little devil; he's both vengeful and fiercely protective of his own.

The three of them settled into a private room on the second floor, and the waiter began to serve the dishes one after another.

Youlu took out 20,000 taels of silver notes from his sleeve and pushed them in front of the First Prince and Su Yan'an. "Here, this is the stolen money. You each get 10,000 taels."

The eldest prince and Su Yan'an exchanged surprised glances. They really gave it to him?

"I can't accept a reward without doing anything. I haven't done anything, so I dare not accept this money. If my grandfather finds out that I took your money, he'll break my legs."

"I don't want it either, Seventh Brother, you keep it for yourself."

The two pushed the silver notes back to Youlu.

You Lu simply nodded, "Alright then, we'll break off our friendship."

He stood up to leave.

"Hey! I want it! I want it, okay?!" Su Yan'an quickly blocked the door.

The eldest prince nodded with a wry smile.

"That's more like it." Youlu directly pulled open their clothes and stuffed the silver notes into their pockets.

The eldest prince and Su Yan'an felt a strange sense of shame. Even though they were both men, they couldn't just pull off each other's clothes like that. This was too audacious.

"My little money..." Pixiu said goodbye to the silver note with tears in its eyes, biting its paw.

Seeing how pitiful it was, a deer comforted it, saying, "Don't cry. There are still 30,000 taels left. Keep 10,000 taels for you as snacks, and find a chance to give the remaining 20,000 taels to Shen Yuyao."

The brokerage firm was crowded and noisy, and since Shen Yuyao was traveling alone, he dared not give her the silver notes in public, fearing it would bring her trouble.

Upon hearing this, the Pixiu instantly beamed with joy.

Seeing the Crown Prince and Su Yan'an still clutching their clothes and acting coy, You Lu couldn't help but mock, "Why do you look like you've been molested? I'm very picky. Even if I were to molest a man, I'd choose the Imperial Uncle, okay? With your figures that are barely better than boiled chicken, I have no interest in you."

The door creaked open, and the "brother-in-law of the emperor" he had mentioned stood expressionlessly outside.

The eldest prince suffocated.

Su Yan'an pinched his philtrum hard.

Upon hearing the door open, You Lu instinctively turned around, but upon seeing the person outside, she froze instantly.

What do you do if the person you said you were going to molest hears you say that?

I need help urgently!

In a mere second, Youlu's mind went from the origin of the universe to the Big Bang; at that moment, all he wanted to do was shout, "Destroy the world!"

The world was not destroyed, of course, and Cang Shuyue was still standing at the door, not having left.

Youlu took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and forced a smile as she greeted him, "Brother Imperial Brother, what a coincidence! You're here for dinner too. It's good to eat, have some more."

His smile was reserved yet harmless.

Su Yan'an silently gave a thumbs up under the table. This guy's skin is as thick as a wall. I admire him!

The boy's earlobes turned red, and his eyes darted away, as if he were about to jump out of the window and escape at any moment. The displeasure he felt at being offended vanished in an instant.

Cang Shuyue stepped into the private room and said casually, "Only through rigorous training can one forge a strong physique. As long as you persevere, you can have one too."

You Lu was slightly taken aback. Was Cang Shuyue trying to exonerate him?

He obediently lowered his head and replied, "Oh, I understand."

He didn't really want a strong physique, but if he could just touch it...

Realizing what he was thinking, Youlu shook his head repeatedly to clear his mind of these thoughts. No, no, he's still a child, he can't think about these things!

The eldest prince and Su Yan'an quickly stood up and bowed.

Cang Shuyue nodded, sat down not far from Youlu, and said, "Let's start eating."

The dishes were now all served.

You Lu shuffled slowly over to the Crown Prince, clutching the stool, and asked in a low voice, "Why is the Imperial Uncle here?"

The eldest prince shrugged and answered weakly, "Because the pleasure boat for the lake tour belongs to my uncle..."

Youlu was on the verge of tears, thinking, "Big brother, you're such a terrible teammate."

The eldest prince pointed at himself: ??

Su Yan'an, struggling to suppress his laughter, leaned closer and whispered, "Ali, next time you ask Xiaolu out to play, remember to make things clear, otherwise I'm afraid he'll say something morally reprehensible in front of your uncle again."

"Just eat! All you do is talk!" Youlu grabbed a pig's trotter and shoved it into Su Yan'an's mouth, grumbling inwardly: [I was just bragging, I wasn't really going to do anything to Cang Shuyue, damn it, they actually said I'm morally corrupt!]

Pixiu, hiding under the table gnawing on a chicken leg, scratched its head upon hearing this and said, "Seriously speaking, Cang Shuyue is practically your uncle, Boss. Isn't it morally reprehensible of you to covet your uncle's body? But then again, I've only ever read stories about younger uncles, not younger brothers. I'm a tiny bit curious."

[Not a trace of curiosity remains.] A deer groaned weakly.