How can I bow my head and serve the powerful officials?

When Su Qinghe came to the backyard, he didn't expect that the two princesses were also there.

He subconsciously stopped and looked at the three people sitting together and getting along harmoniously. Su Qinghe felt timid and didn't know whether he should go over or not.

Once upon a time, he thought that the Second Prince was the same person as him.

When they were young, everyone had high expectations for them, thinking that they could become the bright moon rising above the sea. However, as they grew older, they realized that they were just an ordinary drop in the ocean, their talent could not support their beauty, and their ability was not worthy of their pampering.

Without the protection of their maternal family, anyone can step on them and sneer at and look down on them for their mediocrity.

He chose to erect a high wall to surround himself, while the second prince chose to erect a body full of sharp thorns to bite anyone he met. However, no matter whether it was soft or sharp, it was only to protect that pitiful self-esteem and could not change anything.

So that day, when the second prince said he wanted to make friends, he was delighted in his heart. The anticipation of being able to huddle together with his kind made him forget for a moment that he was once an "official" in Sheng Yi's words who was in charge of transferring grain from the north to the south, and who could fight side by side with Brother Shen to solve the flood in Yizhou.

He watched the Second Prince and Sheng Yiren talking to the expedition caravan, watched them trying to cut through the mountains and make Jian'an accessible, watched them toasting each other with confident and dazzling smiles on their faces. At that moment, an invisible high wall suddenly rose up between the three of them, completely separating him from the Second Prince and Sheng Yiren.

He suddenly realized that he and the second prince had never been the same.

The Second Prince really did as Brother Shen said.

Intelligent and bold, the best of the best.

So at this moment, looking at the Second Prince, who was as bright as the sun, sitting together with the noble and elegant princess, Su Qinghe became timid and retreated, unable to take another step forward.

They were the true nobles standing at the top, while he was just a mediocre grass that could barely look up and peek at a ray of light through the gaps between the branches of the towering trees.

Rather than a swan that can run parallel to the blazing sun.

How could he be worthy of being the second prince's friend? He should know himself well. He could not break down his own walls, nor could he break down the walls between himself and others.

Su Qinghe turned around and tried to flee, but just as he took a step, Xie Chengze's loud and soft voice called out, "Qinghe! What are you standing there for? I've been waiting for you for a long time, and I'm dying of greed!"

It's not you, it's me.

It’s not the Second Master Su, but Qinghe.

Like old friends, they called each other by their nicknames familiarly. Su Qinghe suddenly realized that the Second Prince seemed to have never called him Second Young Master Su.

It seemed that he had been calling him Young Master Su from beginning to end, not because he was the second son of the Su family, but simply because his last name was Su and his name was Su Qinghe.

He couldn't help but look up, and then he was caught off guard to see a young man with a bright smile lying on the top of a high wall, and then jumped down from the wall. He rushed forward in panic to catch the young man's falling body, but the young man was unharmed and walked towards him with brisk and joyful steps.

With every step he took, a huge crack appeared on the high wall, and it was about to collapse.

It was not until the young man walked up to him and reached out to take the mahogany lunch box from his hand, and his hands suddenly felt empty, that Su Qinghe suddenly realized that Xie Chengze was really standing in front of him.

There was a big hole in the high wall. Behind the wall, three little heads poked through the hole and looked at him, their eyes full of curiosity about him.

There was no ridicule, no contempt, but a long-lost friendly gaze, like a soft light shining on the body.

"Come on, come and sit down."

His wrist was wrapped in a slightly cool palm. Su Qinghe looked down at the fair little hand that was slightly shorter than his. For some reason, his fingertips and palms began to feel numb and itchy.

He... This was the first time his skin touched that of someone other than his family!

His body instantly stiffened like a puppet, and he sat down on the stone bench as if being pulled by strings. He lowered his head slightly, not daring to look directly at them.

"Try it! The cakes made by Qinghe are so delicious!" Xie Chengze was simply an Amway maniac. He couldn't wait to open the lid of the food box and put the cake plate inside on the stone table. He said in a rhythmic tone, "This is a masterpiece that even the imperial chef can't make. It's exclusive to Qinghe friends. You deserve it~"

Xie Shu and Xie Pingan: …

Second brother, are you really like this in private?

However, the cakes in the white jade dish did look tempting, as they were all styles they had never seen before. The little girl liked sweet things to begin with, so she couldn't help but reach out her hand, pinch a piece and put it into her mouth.

The next moment, Shui Lingling's eyes suddenly widened.

"What is this? This fragrant taste, this sweet and non-sticky filling—"

"It's as soft as white clouds, and as fragrant as tea without the bitter taste. This is something I've never tasted before!"

Xie Chengze: ...Why are you making up random words again!

"Xiao Biao, you try it too." Xie Chengze pushed a plate over. Zhu Xiaobiao tasted one and immediately shuddered. "Last time you said that the cakes made by Master Su were better than those made by the imperial chef. I didn't believe it at the time... My God, if Master Su went to the imperial kitchen with his cooking skills, he should be able to become the head chef directly, right?"

"Second Master Su!" Xie Shu immediately looked at Su Qinghe with eager eyes, "Please! Go to the Imperial Kitchen and be on duty! The cakes in the Imperial Kitchen are always the same. I have been eating them for sixteen years! I am about to vomit!!!"

Su Qinghe:?

Please, please whom?

"I've heard that the second young master Su is good at cooking, but I didn't take it seriously before and thought it was just an ordinary skill. I never thought it would be such a delicious meal. I feel like I missed out on a thousand taels of gold!" Xie Ping'an sighed, not forgetting to snatch another piece of cake from Xie Shu and put it in his mouth.

Xie Chengze:?

Why does it feel like I heard the ancient version of the “wrong billion” joke?

Knowing that the two princesses were praising him for Xie Chengze's sake, Su Qinghe raised his hands slightly and folded them in salute, his voice trembling slightly as he said, "Your Highness, I am too kind to praise you. It's just my clumsy craftsmanship."

"I'm not praising you falsely. I'm really praising you." Xie Shu, who was quite straightforward, retorted directly, and then angrily slapped Xie Ping'an's hand, "Second sister! Stop eating! Didn't you say you wanted to lose weight so you can meet the third place winner?"

"It's not important, it's not important." Xie Pingan raised his arm to block Xie Shu's attack, and raised his hand to pick up the cakes, "I'll bring some back for my mother to eat, second brother, you don't mind, right?"

Xie Chengze smiled slightly, "Of course, I mind. Put them all down. I just let you try them, I didn't let you eat them all."

Xie Shu and Xie Pingan: …

The two little girls immediately sat up straight, not forgetting to stuff the last cake into their mouths, "Mmmm, no more."