"Young Madam, there's another one..."
Lu Shi's voice was extremely soft as he handed over another food box. This one was extra that he had specifically bought for Cai Qing.
"How come there's another one? Didn't the Young General only buy one?"
Chu Qing, still not fully grasping the situation, asked openly. This made both parties involved, who knew the truth, blush simultaneously.
Feng Jin was on the verge of clapping her hands in approval. Chu Qing was truly a divine helper, and the question she asked was simply perfect.
"That... that is... I, I bought an extra portion, worried... worried you might get hungry on the road..."
"You wouldn't have bought it for Sister Cai Qing, would you?"
Chu Qing continued to ask, and Lu Shi's face instantly turned completely red. Cai Qing, along with him, looked like a cooked shrimp, wishing she could bury herself somewhere.
As an observer, Feng Jin was secretly laughing. She had to admit that what Chu Qing said this time was extremely satisfying.
The relationship between these two had always been ambiguous, a thin veil of secrecy still intact. This time, it was truly brought out into the open.
"Everyone... everyone eat... eat together..."
Lu Shi mumbled indistinctly, the flush on his face never receding.
Seeing this, Feng Jin decided to add a little more fuel to the fire: "Cai Qing, didn't you want to give a pair of boots as a return gift? It's the perfect opportunity to ask Lu Shi what size boots he wears."
"Young Madam..." Cai Qing said shyly, lowering her head quickly, not daring to look at Lu Shi.
Lu Shi was also startled by this. He cautiously glanced at Cai Qing from time to time but, unwilling to be discovered, would quickly turn his head away after just one look.
"Alright, alright... you two can talk about this privately later. The most important thing now is to keep moving. Lu Shi, you should go back now."
Fearing that she might make things worse, Feng Jin quickly sent Lu Shi away. She estimated that if Lu Shi stayed any longer, Cai Qing's little face would truly turn completely red.
"Now that they're gone, lift your head up."
Feng Jin prompted, opening one of the food boxes. The pastries were indeed exquisite. She picked one up and handed it to Chu Qing: "Try it, is it delicious?"
"Young Madam, why did you tell Lu Shi just now that... that..."
"Tell him what? Just say it directly, don't stammer."
Taking a deep breath and steeling herself, Cai Qing said directly: "That I wanted to give him a pair of boots!"
"Isn't that what you said? I didn't say anything wrong; I just relayed it to Lu Shi for you."
Feng Jin took a bite of the pastry, feeling that she hadn't said anything wrong at all. These were all words Cai Qing had spoken herself earlier.
She had merely repeated them and hadn't gotten anything wrong.
"Then... then..."
Cai Qing stammered, her face full of shyness. "You shouldn't have said it so soon! I wasn't prepared at all..."
She had originally planned to find a suitable opportunity to ask Lu Shi, or perhaps find someone close to him to inquire.
Now that Young Madam had blurted it out so directly, she had no mental preparation and had made the situation so awkward. How would she face Lu Shi in the future?
Cai Qing lowered her head with a worried expression, curling up in a corner, looking somewhat forlorn.
"Don't worry, the cart will find its way when it reaches the mountain. Have a piece of pastry first."
Selecting an exquisite peony cake and putting it into Cai Qing's mouth, Feng Jin found that the peony cake tasted truly good. It was fragrant and soft upon entering the mouth, much better than any she had tasted before.
She wondered where Lu Shi had bought it; he was truly thoughtful.
Cai Qing took a bite and her appetite was instantly whetted. She ate several more pieces. These pastries were even more delicious than those in the capital.
"I didn't expect Lu Shi to look like a rough fellow, but he's quite considerate to find such delicious pastries."
Feng Jin couldn't help but rub salt in the wound. Her remark caused Cai Qing to almost choke, and she coughed incessantly. After drinking several mouthfuls of water, she finally felt a little better.
"Truly useless..." Feng Jin shook her head and sighed helplessly. Just a mention of it, and she choked. Cai Qing's skin was simply too thin.
"Chu Qing, eat more. Don't waste it. I estimate Cai Qing won't be able to eat any more, so you'll have to work harder."
"It's fine, Young Madam, I can eat more."
Chu Qing was truly hungry and ate several pieces of pastry in a row.
"Being able to eat is a blessing, eat more."
Seeing Chu Qing's gluttonous appearance, Feng Jin felt delighted and placed the entire food box in front of her.
Feng Jin's appetite also improved, and she ate two more pieces.
Compared to the two of them feasting, Cai Qing looked worried and had lost all appetite. Her mind was entirely occupied with how to interact with Lu Shi and what to say when they met.
The more she thought about it, the more troubled she became. Cai Qing drooped her little face and sighed helplessly.
"Young Madam, is Sister Cai Qing really alright looking like this?" Chu Qing asked with some concern.
"She's fine; it's just the young girl has fallen in love."
Feng Jin teased. Before this matter was revealed, Cai Qing used to eagerly rush forward to meet Lu Shi whenever he arrived.
Now that things were out in the open, this little girl would unconsciously avoid him when she saw him. This was truly an interesting development.
Now she knew how to be shy, whereas before she was not ashamed to go forward and see him.
"Young Madam, how do you think I should face Lu Shi in the future?"
After much thought, she couldn't come up with a solution and decided to ask for Young Madam's advice.
"Just maintain your composure. The way you faced Lu Shi before, continue to do so now. There's no need to act deliberately."
The more deliberate one acted, the more artificial it would seem. Feng Jin felt like an emotional master now, meddling in everything.
It seemed she could become a matchmaker in the future. Her business would surely be good, and she might even make a fortune.
Cai Qing nodded as if she understood and seemed to grasp some of it.
"I'm going outside for some fresh air. You two stay and rest for a while."
Feng Jin felt extremely uncomfortable from the bumpy carriage ride and got up to go outside.
Indeed, the air outside was much better. She felt suffocated inside the carriage.
"Get back into the carriage and sit down. Don't you know it's dangerous outside!"
Ling Mo Han's angry voice sounded from behind. Feng Jin quickly turned to look.
"Why are you here? What a coincidence."
"Get back into the carriage. Standing outside, are you truly unaware of the danger!"
He had seen a familiar figure from behind, resembling Feng Jin, and had ridden closer. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed her.
There might be ambushes nearby. Standing outside, she could easily become a target. Did she truly not want to live, standing outside looking for death?