Chapter 45: Favoring Love Over Friendship

But unexpectedly, in that brief instant, the Fifth Young Master, who had seemed so weak and lifeless, slumped over the table just moments before, suddenly sprang upright.

With a swift, sharp sound, he moved lightning-fast and pried Du Xiaomei’s hand away.

It all happened in the blink of an eye, but it was enough for Du Xiaomei and Li Yi to lock eyes, seeing each other with utter clarity.

Li Yi was utterly dumbstruck, his eyes widening in astonishment.

He had never imagined that one of these cross-dressing fellows was actually Du Xiaomei!

This revelation left Li Yi profoundly surprised and caught off guard.

“So Xiaomei has such inclinations?” he wondered inwardly.

Yet, as he looked more closely, he found a unique charm in her appearance.

Meanwhile, the moment Du Xiaomei saw Li Yi, her expression froze, and then her cheeks flushed crimson. She bit her lip, lowered her head, and complained angrily to the Fifth Young Master beside her, “Fifth Young Master, you’ll never have any friends if you keep this up.”

The Fifth Young Master, however, remained unmoved, wearing the smug expression of a trickster whose scheme had succeeded.

He suppressed his laughter, put on an air of solemnity, and fixed his gaze on Du Xiaomei. “Don’t worry, Xiaomei. I won’t give you the chance to end our friendship!”

Du Xiaomei’s nose twitched in frustration; she no longer wished to say another word.

She felt as though she’d utterly embarrassed herself in front of Li Yi—perhaps so much so that even her grandmother would hear of it.

Silently, Du Xiaomei gripped the corner of her robe, too ashamed to speak, unable to meet Li Yi’s eyes.

“Will my husband think I’m not at all gentle and virtuous?”

“What if he believes I, Du Xiaomei, am a mischievous, unruly woman and ruins the impression he has of me?”

“Hmph, this is all that Fifth Princess’s fault…”

Du Xiaomei was locked in an inner struggle, casting a fierce glare at the Fifth Princess.

But the Fifth Princess paid her no mind, covering her mouth and laughing softly.

“Xiaomei, what brings you here?”

At that moment, seeing Du Xiaomei in men’s attire, her face still flushed and eyes downcast, it was Li Yi who broke the slightly awkward mood by calling out and walking straight over.

Du Xiaomei finally raised her head a little, her cheeks tinged with red as she softly called out, “Husband…”

The Fifth Princess at the side remained silent, waiting for the drama to unfold with a smile.

What surprised her, however, was that Li Yi didn’t tease Du Xiaomei at all. Instead, he affectionately ruffled her hair and said in a gentle voice, “Xiaomei, you look rather striking in this outfit. It suits you very well.”

Du Xiaomei, who had been consumed by shyness, immediately felt her anxious heart calm at his words.

She lifted her gaze, her eyes filled with hesitant hope. “Do you really mean it, husband?”

“Of course. Truer than any pearl!” Li Yi replied with a gentle smile.

Du Xiaomei finally broke into a smile, playfully sticking out her tongue. In a girlish manner, she nodded shyly. “Then from now on, I’ll wear this only for you at home, husband!”

Li Yi was momentarily taken aback, then shook his head with a laugh. “All right.”

At this, having failed to witness any drama and instead seeing the two openly displaying their affection before her, the Fifth Princess let out a disgruntled huff, finally drawing Li Yi and Du Xiaomei back to themselves.

The spectators who had been watching now fully understood, and breathed a long sigh of relief.

“So it was Miss Du in disguise all along…”

“I almost thought they were actually a ‘pair of paramours’…”

“Thank goodness our eyes were spared…”

The diners dared not speak too loudly, murmuring quietly amongst themselves.

After all, knowing that Li Yi had dared to beat even someone like Zhangsun Chong, none of them would risk offending him for fear that, with a careless word, they might suffer a similar fate.

What’s more, Du Xiaomei was Li Yi’s fiancée and the daughter of Minister Du.

Each of them was a person of rank and influence, far beyond the common man’s reach.

So, many of the diners hurriedly rose from their seats, smiling as they respectfully saluted Li Yi and Du Xiaomei before sitting again and quietly turning back to their food.

But what puzzled them was the identity of the other young woman dressed as a man—she was astonishingly beautiful!

Even searching the length and breadth of Chang’an, apart from the famed Miss Shangguan who had briefly graced the pleasure quarter of Pingkang Lane, they had never seen such a beauty.

But these were not matters for ordinary folk to inquire about.

Anyone who could keep company with Du Xiaomei was surely a noblewoman of Chang’an’s elite.

Certainly not someone they could afford to provoke.

Li Yi, meanwhile, glanced at the food on their table, most of which was untouched, guessing that they hadn’t yet eaten.

Without a hint of ceremony, he sat down beside Du Xiaomei, flashing a bright smile. “Xiaomei, what would you like to eat? Your husband will order for you.”

“I’ll leave it all to you, husband…” Du Xiaomei replied sweetly, nodding her head. In this moment, she felt herself the happiest woman in the world.

Across from her, the Fifth Princess, watching Du Xiaomei’s sudden change and her public display of affection, could hardly sit still.

“Du Xiaomei, Young Master Li,” the Fifth Princess pouted in mild annoyance, looking at the pair with exasperation, “there’s still a living person sitting right here, you know! Could you at least be mindful of others?!”

“Pay her no mind, husband,” Du Xiaomei retorted, shooting the princess another glare.

The Fifth Princess was speechless.

Hmph, Du Xiaomei, you’re so fickle—now that you have a man, you’ve forgotten all about me!

She grumbled inwardly.

Still, the Fifth Princess remained composed, her manners impeccable. With a smile on her lips, she turned to Li Yi. “Young Master Li, I wonder—were your words to Xiaomei just now sincere?”

Li Yi paused, turning to look at the cross-dressed Fifth Princess. Though somewhat surprised and puzzled, he replied calmly with a smile, “May I ask, Your Highness, to which words do you refer?”

Both the Fifth Princess and Du Xiaomei were stunned.

Neither of them had revealed to Li Yi that the Fifth Young Master’s true identity was Princess Li Lizhi.

How had Li Yi discovered it?

Du Xiaomei looked at Li Yi in confusion, unable to guess his thoughts.

The Fifth Princess was shocked as well, but quickly composed herself, her expression smooth as she smiled and continued, “Just now, you said, ‘Order whatever you like.’ I wonder if you would choose a signature dish for me, Young Master Li?”

Since her identity had been uncovered, Li Lizhi decided there was no need to hide it further.

Fortunately, there were few diners nearby, so there was little fear of their conversation being overheard.

“Of course,” said Li Yi with a gentle nod and unhurried composure, his face serene and unflustered.

(End of this chapter)