bad

"who are you?"

Suddenly a crisp voice came from behind, Ying Zhou turned around, and saw the girl she had seen in her dream holding a bamboo basket, looking at them warily.The girl was wearing coarse clothes with many patches, her hair was tied in a bundle at the back of her head, and her skin was the color of the weather. Before they could answer, she pursed her pale lips and asked, "You... are you here? Are you looking for your brother?"

There was obvious fear in the girl's eyes, and the hand holding the basket was clenched tightly. Ying Zhou felt that he didn't look so scary, so he turned to look at Xu Boyuan.

Xu Boyuan stared ahead, he clearly didn't notice it from the corner of his eye, but he immediately noticed Ying Zhou's gaze and penetrated his thoughts, and said softly: "Meng Tuo owed a lot of money outside, and people often come here to find money. He collects debts."

--I see.

It's really embarrassing for this little girl, Ying Zhou thought to herself, since Meng Tuo is dead, she will take care of her younger brother alone, and she doesn't know how to survive in this cruel world.

"She..." Ying Zhou tilted his head and thought for a long time, but he didn't know how to tell Xu Boyuan. Although Meng Tuo kidnapped Xu Jingluan, but...

Seeing his troubled expression, Xu Boyuan said calmly: "You are innocent, I will not take my anger out on you."

Relieved, Ying Zhou smiled at the girl, "We're here to find you."

The girl paused, "Looking for... me?"

Ying Zhou didn't answer, but just flipped his palms, as if by magic, two snowflakes suddenly appeared in his hands.

Two translucent snowflakes floated on the palm of Ying Zhou's palm, their luster was like gemstones, and they shone brightly under the late summer sun, scattering colorful rays of light.The girl was still young, she had never seen such a beautiful thing, she forgot her fear for a moment, and exclaimed: "It's so beautiful!"

Ying Zhou smiled and said, "For you."

The girl's eyes widened, "Send me?!"

"Well," Ying Zhou said, "your elder brother entrusted me to send it to you and younger brother."

——He didn't lie to her, it was indeed entrusted by Meng Tuo.He wanted to go home but didn't want to enter reincarnation, so Ying Zhou split his soul into two and handed it over to his younger siblings, which can be regarded as fulfilling his wish, in return for telling him how to break the curse.

Ying Zhou originally thought that the girl would accept it readily, but unexpectedly, she hurriedly said: "Brother, is he okay? He still..." The girl paused, her expression was cautious, and she was a little afraid and hesitant, but in the end it was a Gritting his teeth, he asked, "...are you still alive?"

Ying Zhou didn't know whether to tell the truth or not, so he looked at Xu Boyuan as if asking for help.

"He's dead," Xu Boyuan ruthlessly exposed the truth, but left a last bit of room for happiness, "but his debts have been paid off, and no one will bother you in the future."

The girl's eyes widened, and the basket in her hand fell to the ground. Tears the size of a bean burst out of her eye sockets, and hit the yellow mud floor, seeping into a brown color.

Ying Zhou really wanted to say a few words of comfort, but he didn't know what ordinary people would want to hear at such a time.

The red silk grass on the wall of the yellow mud courtyard is all over the wall, and the fine hemp and hemp are intertwined together. Occasionally, one or two unknown white flowers bloom. The girl outside the courtyard knelt on the ground and cried bitterly.

Xu Boyuan said: "Let's go."

Ying Zhou squatted in front of the girl, put the ice crystal snowflake into her basket, patted her on the back, got up and chased after Xu Boyuan.

Recalling that day many years later, Ying Zhou can't help but wonder, what happened to the tearful girl back then, when she thinks of him and Xu Boyuan, will there still be resentment in her heart, or will she grow older as she grows older? Would she feel a little grateful for Xu Boyuan's cruelty at the moment?

He hoped that she would, hoped that she could still remember Xu Boyuan, remembered that this person once appeared under this peach tree that had not bloomed in a bright and splendid afternoon, cut off the mess with a kind of executioner's sharp knife, and cut away the endless sorrow after that Mourning, when the spring flowers bloom all over the branches in the coming year, they will surely bloom new hope and life.

It was already dusk when we arrived at the gate of the palace.

Quan Yin met a dim sum shop with a long queue on the road, smelling the fragrance, Ying Zhou immediately couldn't walk and wanted to queue.Xu Boyuan didn't agree at first, but he should turn around every step of the week, as if his soul had fallen in front of the dim sum shop, and thought that it was hard work for him to walk with him all day, so he agreed for a while.

Ying Zhou took the broken silver and happily went to line up.

Xu Boyuan led the horse and the cat and waited for him under a tree not far away. After waiting for more than half an hour, Ying Zhou finally came back with two cages of dim sum.

He unwrapped it, twisted a piece and handed it to Xu Boyuan, and then put another piece into his own mouth.

The sweet-scented osmanthus cake made from picking sweet-scented osmanthus flowers in the new autumn is soft and sweet, and melts in the mouth. Ying Zhou is satisfied, holding the snacks and eating all the way. When he arrives at the gate of the palace, a basket of twelve has been wiped out.

Xu Boyuan finally couldn't help but stop: "Dinner is coming soon, so eat less."

Ying Zhou swallowed the last bite, licked his lips and said, "Don't eat, this box was originally reserved for A Luan."

At dinner time, Ying Zhou entered the Flower Hall and only saw Xu Jingluan. It turned out that tonight was Liu Ge's [-]th birthday in the Imperial Academy, and Xu Boyuan returned home with him, changed his clothes, and hurried to the banquet in a carriage.

I ate too much dim sum in the evening, and my stomach was bloated and uncomfortable at dinner, and I felt really anxious when I couldn't eat all the delicious food on the table.It happened that Xu Jingluan kept asking, so Ying Zhou simply put down her chopsticks and told her what she had heard and seen today, from Linglongxin to Biluo, the little girl from the Meng family, and the two boxes of sweet-scented osmanthus cakes.

Xu Jingluan held the job bowl and listened with gusto, and finally commented: "My brother is such a person. Although he looks cold, he is actually a good person."

Ying Zhou agreed, and nodded immediately.

Xu Jingluan asked again: "Since you know it's the pregnant female monster, you can't let her continue to make trouble. Do you have any idea how to find it next?"

Ying Zhou said: "I do have an idea, but I don't know if it will work, I have to wait until tomorrow to try."

On the other side, Liu Mansion.

During the banquet, Xu Boyuan and Prince Xu Li drank a cup together, the fine white jade was full of fragrance in just one sip.

The chief assistant of the two dynasties, Liu and Lao, had a detached status in the court. Although the emperor would not attend his birthday banquet in person, he also sent the prince as a representative to celebrate his birthday, and rewarded countless gold, silver and jewels.

"You and I haven't had a drink together at the same table for many years." Xu Li poured the wine for Xu Boyuan himself, "In the palace banquet, we always sit far away, so it's better to be close and comfortable like this. Come, let's respect my cousin again." .”

The clear and translucent nectar in the sapphire wine glass rippling with a refreshing aroma, Xu Boyuan drank it down with his neck upside down, the cup turned upside down, not a single drop remained.

"Good!" Xu Li praised, "Cousin is really good at drinking! Come again!"

Xu Li raised his hand to pour wine, but Xu Boyuan put the back of his hand on the flagon to stop him, and said calmly: "Your Highness, let's drink less, drinking too much will hurt your health."

"It's just a few cups, can you still call Gu Zui to death?" Xu Li smiled, "Cousin is not giving Gu face."

Xu Boyuan could only let go, and let Xu Li fill up his cup, the two toasted, Xu Li said: "This cup is to congratulate Ah Luan for surviving a catastrophe!"

Xu Boyuan paused with the hand holding the cup, Xu Li didn't seem to notice it, and drank the cup full with a smile, "I'm done drinking alone, cousin?"

"Your Highness is huge," Xu Boyuan said, "I feel ashamed."

Xu Li looked at him looking up to clear his glass, with a half-smile, as if he was a little drunk, "No one in the court knows that His Royal Highness is not drunk after a thousand cups, my cousin is mocking Gu—"

"I dare not, Your Highness forgive me."

"Forgive me, I will naturally forgive my cousin's sin," Xu Li drank another cup, propped his head, his eyes were red, the smell of alcohol evaporated from his whole body, steaming his whole body like a boiled shrimp, "How could Gu punish my cousin's crime?"

Xu Boyuan took the jug from Xu Li's hand calmly, "Your Highness is drunk, I send His Highness back to the palace."

"Go back to the palace? No, if you don't go back to the palace, cousin, why don't you send Gu Gu back to Prince Yu's mansion!" Xu Li raised his brows, "I've been hiding in the golden house for a few days, and I should have had enough fun. How about letting my younger brother enjoy himself?"

"...I don't understand what His Highness is talking about."

"Cousin and Gu, why are you pretending to be so stupid?" Xu Li suddenly leaned close to Xu Boyuan's ear, and chuckled ambiguously, "That little beauty... is called Ying Zhou. Cousin thinks my younger brother doesn't know? She's been living in your house for the past few days. , I went to Dali Temple with you today, we are really inseparable, my younger brother is very envious, my cousin is afraid that the tent will be warm every night and spring..."

"..."

Xu Boyuan rubbed his throbbing forehead, speechless for a while.

That day when Xu Li came to visit Xu Jingluan, he was thinking of trying to test Ying Zhou, so he didn't tell Ying Zhou to avoid it in time, but he didn't expect that it was just a haste, and Xu Li thought about it so far.

Seeing that Xu Boyuan was silent, Xu Li thought he was right, and couldn't help but sarcastically said: "Gu just said that he was a mere prostitute, why did he pretend to be arrogant in front of Gu, it turned out that he climbed into his cousin's bed... Dai Xiang He praises his cousin in front of his father every day for his cleanliness and self-discipline, if he knows about this, tsk tsk, I don't know how it will hurt his old man's heart."

Xu Boyuan finally knew where his anger came from.

The prince is extravagant and extravagant, and the left minister Dai Zheng often writes letters admonishing him. After all, the emperor is just such a son, and the position of the East Palace is as stable as a mountain, and one day he will provoke the burden of the society.However, Xu Li is used to being reckless, and he was born with no opponents, how could he be willing to restrain himself?Every time Dai Xiang's crying blood was accepted, he always lost his temper.Among the imperial clan, only Xu Boyuan and Xu Li were of the same age and age, so it was inevitable that they would become objects of comparison among the ministers.

——Xu Li probably received another brochure today.

Want to explain?

Xu Boyuan leaned back on the armchair, his gaze swept across the hall for a week.

The members of the Xu family's royal family have always been withered, except for him and Xu Li, who came to celebrate the birthday, they are all distant branches, sitting at another table far away.Because Xu Li was sitting at their table, it was set up alone, and there was still a few steps away from other tables, so there was no need to worry about others hearing it.

"I'm not with him..." Xu Boyuan paused, and changed his words: "Ying Zhou has escaped from the Yayan Pavilion, I just took him in for a few days because of his kindness to A Luan, it's not the kind of relationship His Highness thought."

"Heh..." Xu Li had a lot of meaning, "So what if you redeem yourself? If you become a bitch and set up an archway, isn't it a bitch?"

Xu Boyuan frowned, "His Royal Highness speaks carefully."

"Cousin, why bother to be hypocritical?" Xu Li shook his head, probably because he was dizzy because of drunkenness, his voice was a little fluttering, and he didn't know what he thought of, and suddenly laughed foolishly, "Cousin, how does this man feel? Is it ecstasy? tight?"

Xu Boyuan half-closed his eyes, blocking the sarcasm that was about to spill out of his eyes, "Your Highness is drunk, you should go back to rest earlier."

"Alone drunk!"

Xu Li suddenly raised his voice, attracting other people's attention, but soon lowered his voice and begged: "Good cousin, just for a day, just lend me a day, okay? Take the golden jade Xuan that my father rewarded last year The iron bow will be exchanged with you, okay?"

Xu Boyuan's patience finally came to an end, he squinted at him for a while, and said two words coldly:

--not good.