Zhao Jing’s cool expression instantly warmed, and a smile slowly spread across his handsome face.

"I remembered you didn’t eat much for breakfast, so I made a special trip to bring you some pastries."

Seeing that the two of them hadn’t noticed her, Mrs. Zhu hunched over and scurried back to her own shop.

’Heavens have mercy, I must have been out of my mind to try and earn some dishonest money. I swear this was the first time I’d ever mentioned it to Chen Wanqing, and I get caught red-handed by the man himself.’

’The fact that the young man didn’t grab me and beat me to a pulp just shows his incredible self-restraint. I’ll never dare to make that kind of dishonest money again. Otherwise, I might earn it but not live to spend it, and I’d only have myself to blame in the end.’

Mrs. Zhu was gone, but the mess she’d left behind was giving Chen Wanqing a headache.

’Explaining it formally seemed unnecessary. Besides, I’d already refused before Jing even arrived. But if I don’t say anything at all, I’ll feel like I’ve wronged him somehow. My conscience will bother me.’

’I’ll just find the right moment to bring it up later. I won’t mention this unpleasant business for now.’

Zhao Jing stepped into Qingxiang House and placed the oil-paper-wrapped sugar cakes and fried dough sticks on the counter. Along with those two items was a plum cake, shaped like a plum blossom and filled with a fine, delicious red bean paste.

’Looking over the three items Zhao Jing had bought, she saw two were sweet; only the fried dough sticks were savory. When did he figure out she had a bit of a sweet tooth?’

’Chen Wanqing did like sweets, but it wasn’t a strong craving. Her self-control was just too good. She worried about sugar rotting her teeth and about gaining weight. Only her mother knew this about her. No one else, not even her father, De’an, or Yao’an, had any idea.’

Zhao Jing handed her a plum cake. "It’s fresh from the oven, very fragrant and sweet. You should try it. I wanted to buy you something to drink, but the fog is so thick today that many vendors didn’t open their stalls. There were no drinks, only hot soup."

By the time he brought the soup over, it would have long gone cold, and she wouldn’t have eaten it.

The fried dough sticks and pastries, on the other hand, he had kept tucked inside his robes, so they were still warm.

Chen Wanqing took the plum cake and took a bite. It was sweet and soft on the inside, with a slightly crisp outer shell. The taste was absolutely divine.

She swallowed a mouthful of the plum cake before speaking. "I don’t need a drink, I brought a water flask with hot water." ’In truth, she rarely drank from it. There were no latrines in this area, and it would be a huge hassle if she suddenly needed to relieve herself.’

’But she wouldn’t be telling Jing that. It was too embarrassing.’

Seeing that Zhao Jing was still standing, Chen Wanqing gestured for him to sit on the stool across from her to warm himself by the fire.

’She had noticed that his fingers were red from the cold, and the tip of his nose was red, too. It made his cheeks look pale in contrast, giving him an even more unapproachable air.’

Zhao Jing sat down across from her and watched her eat. This made Chen Wanqing feel ill at ease all over again, and she deeply regretted her suggestion.

She pushed the fried dough sticks and sugar cakes toward him. "Are you hungry? You should have some more. You bought way too much, I can’t possibly finish it all."

"I’m not hungry. I ate plenty this morning. You go ahead. I’ll just sit here and read for a bit."

Chen Wanqing sensed that something was off. "Aren’t you going back to Moxiang Pavilion?"

"No, I’m not. I’ve already delivered what I needed to give Mr. Wang. However, he did accept two commissions for calling cards and one for a gift list on my behalf. I’ll just write them out later when I have a moment."

"So... you’re going to stay here with me in the shop all morning?"

Zhao Jing agreed without a second thought. "Yes. I’ll help you watch the shop. That way, those troublesome people won’t come and bother you."

Chen Wanqing cleared her throat. She finished the plum cake in her hand before saying, "Mrs. Zhu is just that sort of person. She speaks without thinking and isn’t a schemer at heart. You don’t have to hold it against her, and you certainly shouldn’t be angry over it."

"But I’m still angry."

"Why? You heard me, didn’t you? I already refused her."

"Of course I trust you. It’s just... I’m naturally not happy that someone is always trying to steal you away from me."

Zhao Jing sighed. "If only we’d set an earlier wedding date. If you were my wife, I doubt anyone would be so thoughtless as to try and set you up with another man."

Chen Wanqing’s face flushed red, though it was hard to tell if it was from bashfulness or annoyance at Zhao Jing. Or perhaps it was the two words "my wife" that were too embarrassing, leaving her flustered.

She tossed a sugar cake at him. "Here, eat this. It’ll shut you up. Get married sooner? In your dreams!"

Zhao Jing caught the sugar cake and took a bite. As he lowered his head, an irrepressible smile spread across his face.

’Oh, but what beautiful dreams they were.’

’He didn’t just want to get married soon. He also wanted to... with her...’