Zhu Xiuxiu walked towards the entrance of the courtyard, holding Xiaosuisui in her arms.
Huo XingâEr turned and followed her.
What couldnât be helped, couldnât be helped. Since Xie PanâEr and Xiaosuisui were destined to be connected, if this couldnât be resolved now, it meant the opportune moment hadnât arrived. It seemed she could only head back for today.
ăOn the rooftop, Ji Youzhi and Ji Youze perceived the gloomy atmosphere of the young Emperor.ă
"This might well be the most uncomfortable performance Iâve ever witnessed!" Ji Youzhi whispered.
"It seems that Suisui was rightâthe Luo Family likely knows her husband and child were poisoned. The child must be the Luo Familyâs eldest son with Xie Wulang. She likely acted in an attempt to protect them," Ji Youze surmised.
"As if only you understand!" retorted Ji Youzhi.
As a Divine Hunter, wasnât he expected to possess analytic skills to deduce such a scenario?
Ignoring Ji Youzhi, Ji Youze turned to the Emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, shall we help Miss Xie with this matter?"
The young Emperor thought for a moment and responded, "Youzhi, investigate the background of the Lin Family. Ideally, determine what poison they administered to Xie Wulang."
"Yes!" Ji Youzhi obeyed and turned to leave.
Ji Youze said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, itâs time to return to the Palace."
The Emperor stood up at these words, glanced at Huo XingâEr and the others leaving the Xie Family courtyard, and declared, "I rarely get time to leave the Palace. Iâll stroll around with my daughter."
Just as he was about to join his group, he heard a young manâs voice calling for "PanâEr," and he abruptly halted.
"PanâEr... Iâm back. PanâEr, your brother is back! Are you at home? Come out and see what Iâve brought you!"
At the entrance of the courtyard stood a young man, around fifteen or sixteen, holding two grease-paper packages. He was tall and gaunt. He wore the white robes exclusive to Luming Academy students, his hair bound with a white cloth wrap.
Zhu Xiuxiu and Huo XingâEr halted upon seeing him.
Xiaosuisui sniffed the air, detecting the aroma emanating from the grease-paper packages in the scholarâs hands.
"It smells so good! What does this big brother have? Why does it smell so nice?"
Seeing that Xiaosuisuiâs gaze was fixed on the grease-paper packages, Zhu Xiuxiu patted her head helplessly.
"You little foodie, thatâs likely the signature Roasted Duck from the Luming Academy; you canât buy it anywhere else. Do you want to try it?"
Xiaosuisui licked her lips and said to Zhu Xiuxiu in a soft, sweet voice, "Yes!"
Zhu Xiuxiu said with a helpless sigh, "Youâre putting me in quite a predicament, young one. I could manage if it were any other food, but this Roasted Duck can only be cooked by the chef at Luming Academy. Itâs simply not purchasable outside."
Considering this, Zhu Xiuxiu turned to the scholar and said, "Young man, it seems youâre carrying two packages that look like a whole Roasted Duck. Could you spare us half? Iâll pay for it!"
Hearing this, the scholar hesitated. He glanced towards the courtyard and replied, "This is a gift for my little sister. I havenât seen her for years, and this duck is all I have for her. If I were to give away half, I would feel Iâd let her down!"
"Did you only bring it for your sister to eat? She surely canât finish a whole duck by herself, right? She likely wouldnât mind if you shared half, especially since Iâll pay you. Simply bringing a duck is hardly a proper gift. With this money, you could buy your sister something elseâperhaps a pearl flower pin. Isnât that better? A gift with something to eat and something to wear would surely make your sister even happier."