Chapter 303 Candlelight Dinner
The prince dressed up specially today. He wore a purple robe made of brocade fabric inside and a white mink cloak outside. He looked very noble.
After Qianhuan had finished arranging the dinner and the room, Banxia pulled her behind the screen to wash and dress up. "Miss, you are finally done. I have picked out a few dresses for you. Which one do you want to wear?"
Qianhuan looked at several sets of dresses. As if she and the prince had a telepathic connection, she pointed at one of them and said, "Let's pick this smoky purple one."
"Okay, Miss, I will dress you up beautifully today and impress our prince."
Having said that, Banxia began to help Qianhuan change her clothes, and after that she began to dress up her young lady.
It gets dark early in winter, and when the prince arrived at Jingyuan, it was already pitch black outside.
Yinhua held a lantern in her hand and led the prince towards Qianhuan's boudoir.
After walking for a while, the prince realized that we were not heading to the dining hall, so he asked in confusion, "Didn't Huan'er invite me to have dinner with her? Why do we seem to be heading to Huan'er's boudoir?"
Yin Hua replied with a smile, "My Lord, tonight's dinner will be served in the young lady's boudoir. Our young lady has put a lot of thought into this dinner. The dishes all look very beautiful. I have never seen such food in my life. When you see it later, my Lord, you will know how much effort our young lady has put in."
After listening to Yin Hua's chattering, the prince was full of anticipation.
When they got to the door, Yin Hua knocked on it and called out to the room, "Miss, the prince is here."
At this time, Banxia was applying lip balm to Qianhuan behind the screen. Qianhuan whispered, "Banxia, go open the door. I can apply the lip balm myself."
So Banxia quickly got up and walked to the door and opened it, and the scene inside the room immediately came into everyone's sight.
The whole house was lit up by red candles. The soft light revealed a hint of romance and mystery. On the antique sandalwood table stood a pure white porcelain vase with a blooming red plum blossom in it, making the whole room full of vitality.
There are also many exquisite tableware on the table, and the food on those plates looks colorful and very beautiful.
Qianhuan put on lip balm and came out from behind the screen at the back of the room. She was wearing a smoky purple dress and had light makeup on her face. Under the soft candlelight, she walked towards the prince with a smile on her face.
When the prince saw Qianhuan like this, his eyes were wide open. His Qianhuan was so beautiful, just like a fairy.
When Qianhuan walked to the door, the prince was still in a daze. Seeing his expression, Qianhuan couldn't help but teasing him, "Why, you don't recognize me after not seeing me for a few days?"
The prince nodded, "Yes, I really don't recognize you. I haven't seen you for a few days. Huan'er has become more beautiful and charming."
Qianhuan smiled shyly, "I haven't seen you for a few days, and your mouth has become even sweeter. Stop standing at the door like an idiot, and come in quickly. I have specially prepared a candlelight dinner for you tonight."
The prince let her pull him into the house. Looking at everything in front of him, his eyes were full of surprise.
He didn't expect Qianhuan to prepare this dinner so carefully. The prince felt warm in his heart as he looked at the table full of delicious dishes that he had never heard of or seen before.
After Qianhuan pulled everyone to the table and sat them down, Banxia and Yinhua tactfully left and closed the door considerately.
Qianhuan placed a well-done steak in front of the prince and said, "Ziyu, this is the fried steak I specially made. Try it and see if it tastes good."
The prince saw some strange metal objects on the table and chopsticks next to them. He picked up the chopsticks on the table, picked up the whole steak, and prepared to put it into his mouth.
Seeing this, Qianhuan quickly stopped him, "Zi Yu, wait a minute, you can't eat this fried steak with chopsticks."
"No chopsticks? Then what to use?"
She quickly demonstrated and explained, "Sorry, I forgot to teach you that this steak is eaten with a knife and fork. You can do as I did, holding the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right hand, and then use the knife to cut the large piece of beef into small pieces, and then use the fork in your left hand to eat it."
After saying that, she put a fork on the small piece of steak that she had just cut in demonstration and handed it to the prince's mouth. The prince opened his mouth and took a bite.
As he ate, he couldn't help but exclaimed: "Hua'er, I didn't expect that the fried steak you made is not only unique in the way it is eaten, but also tastes so delicious."
Qianhuan looked at him with a smile, feeling satisfied. "As long as you like it, just cut the steak according to my method. You can use chopsticks to eat the salad vegetables, and use a fork to eat the fish."
While cutting the steak, the prince asked in confusion, "Huan'er, did you come up with all these things by yourself? I have been to many places and have seen many new delicacies and different ways of eating them, but the food you made today and the unique way of eating them are the only things I have never heard of or seen before. Sometimes, I feel like you are a mystery, and you always have many unexpected surprises."
Since Qianhuan had prepared Western food, she had already anticipated that the prince would ask her questions. She actually wanted to tell him that she was from the future world. After all, it was tiring to keep this secret in her heart all the time. She also hoped that someone could share her secret with her.
But she is not a very secure person, and before they get married, she chooses to keep her little secret.
"Zi Yu, I will definitely tell you how I know these things when I have the chance. Can you please stop asking me now?"
In fact, the prince has always known that Qianhuan has many secrets. He can't understand why a little peasant girl has so many strange things, but since Huan'er doesn't want to say it now, he won't force her. He believes that one day she will be willing to tell her secrets.
The couple enjoyed the food under the warm candlelight, talked and laughed, and shared interesting stories in each other's lives. The atmosphere was harmonious and beautiful.
After dinner, Yin Hua and Ban Xia came in to clean up the mess on the table, and made a cup of fruit tea for their young lady and the prince respectively, and then left tactfully.
The prince held Qianhuan in his arms and sat her on his lap. He said with a moving expression, "Huan'er, I have attended many palace banquets and eaten many delicious foods, but today's meal is the happiest I have ever had in my life. Thank you for everything you have done for me."
Qianhuan snuggled in his arms, looked up at him and said, "Zi Yu, I should be the one thanking you. I heard from Banxia about the Crown Prince being deposed. You got involved in this imperial power dispute just to protect me. Sometimes I really worry about you. Promise me that you won't do such dangerous things again, okay?"
"It is a fact that the prince formed a clique for personal gain. I just did him a favor and delivered the evidence to the people who wanted to bring him down. Don't worry, this matter will not cause any danger to me."
"Well, then I'm relieved. I plan to take my brother back to Qingxi County tomorrow. Will you come to the city gate to see me off?"
The prince was surprised. He didn't expect Qianhuan to go back home so soon. He said reluctantly, "Are you leaving tomorrow? I've been busy with military affairs these days and haven't had time to accompany you. Can you stay a few more days before leaving? I really can't bear to leave you."
"I can't stay a few more days. Wenjie only has one month of vacation. Even if we hurry, it will take 20 days to go back and forth, and we can only stay at home for about ten days. Don't worry, a month will pass quickly. When I come back after the New Year, you will be able to see me again, right?"
The prince could only nod and agree helplessly, "That's the only way. You have a long way to go back, and it might not be safe on the road. I'll send a few more guards to escort you back tomorrow."
"No need to bother. I'm going to go back with Brother Lin'an. Brother Lin'an has hired someone from the escort agency to escort us. Don't worry, it's safe."
When the prince heard that Qianhuan was going back with Chu Yichen, his face fell instantly. "As a man, I can tell at a glance what that guy thinks of you. I am even more worried about him being with me along the way. Huan'er, you should not go back with him. Can I let my people escort you?"
Qianhuan knew that he was getting jealous again, so she could only persuade him, "Zi Yu, Brother Lin'an did like me before, but I have already made it clear to him. Now we are just partners and friends. Just put your heart back in your stomach. With you, the most handsome man in Beijing, there is no way I would be interested in other men."
Perhaps this sentence pleased our prince, and he finally stopped insisting, but he still said, "You can go back with him, but Leng Feng and Leng Yu must go back with you too. I can only feel at ease when they are with me."
Qianhuan knew that Lengfeng and Lengyu were both secret guards placed by the prince by her side. Although she now had a girl like Banxia who knew martial arts, it would indeed make her feel more secure to have two more secret guards who knew martial arts to protect her.
She nodded without hesitation and agreed, "Okay, I'll do as you say. Let them follow me."
The two of them chatted affectionately for a long time, and finally the prince reluctantly returned to Prince An's Mansion from Jing Garden.
Originally, the prince wanted to stay overnight in Jingyuan, but Qianhuan's body was getting better and better, and she looked more and more feminine. As a young man full of vigor, he was worried that he would lose control in front of such a charming beloved, so he finally returned to his own house to rest.