Chapter 44: Which of Us Two Looks Better?

  "Ah, I see!" Chen Yi smiled, casting a subtle glance at He Lan Minyue. Beautiful women always make people want to take an extra look, their beauty is pleasing to the eye, as they say "a feast for the eyes". However, since they were sitting just one table apart, very close in distance, it would be impolite and might lead to misunderstandings if he stared openly. But with a beautiful woman by his side, not taking a few extra glances would be a waste, especially someone as stunning as He Lan Minyue - he subconsciously tried to make her unaware of his gazes, using the corner of his eye to steal glances, only to be caught several times by He Lan Minyue!

  Chen Yi's movements and expressions were a bit comical, making He Lan Minyue unable to help but want to laugh, and also feeling very pleased.

  Seeing He Lan Minyue like this, Chen Yi felt a little embarrassed for a while, and then stopped covering up, looking at the other party openly.

  He Lan Minyue was indeed very beautiful, with delicate features that made it impossible to find any flaws. Her beauty wasn't the kind of weak and fragile beauty, but rather had a strong and heroic quality to it. The young girl was quite tall and slender, with a well-proportioned body, and wearing women's clothing made her chest look full and ample, apparently intentionally hidden when she wore men's clothing. Such a appearance gave people a sense of healthy beauty, and added to that, she liked to smile, smiling brightly and not giving off any weak impression at all. A girl like this would be liked by any man who saw her. And her noble status further amplified the charm on her body, also making Chen Yi, a man with a naturally proud heart, feel a desire to conquer her, his gaze towards her becoming different from before.

  Nor did she know what was going on, He Lan Minyue didn't get angry at Chen Yi's "rudeness", calmly accepting his gaze, and even showing a shy expression under his gaze, of course this shyness also contained a small sense of pride.

  He Lan Minyue's expression made Chen Yi both surprised and delighted, with unrealistic thoughts flooding his mind one after another. However, he soon thought of the historical records that the little girl in front of him was Emperor Li Zhi's concubine, extremely favored by Li Zhi, making Wu Zetian feel threatened, and eventually being poisoned to death by the jealous Wu Zetian. Thinking of this, his heart felt a pang of melancholy, and he turned his head slightly, letting out a faint sigh.

  Chen Yi didn't know how old Emperor Li Zhi was this year, but judging from historical records, he was probably at least several decades older than the little girl in front of him who looked like she was only fifteen or sixteen years old. Thinking about this made Chen Yi feel a kind of disgust and indescribable discomfort, as if he had seen a precious object being ruined, and it even brought up a slight feeling of heartache. Because of this thought, he couldn't help but take another look at He Lan Minyue.

  He Lan Minyue also sensed Chen Yi's change in expression, a wave of panic rising in her heart, and she couldn't help but lift her head.

  "Chen Gongzi, please don't mind me saying this, my brother is afraid that I might make a mistake, so he instructed me to do it this way!" He Lan Minyue misunderstood the change in Chen Yi's eyes and thought he was because she and He Lan Minzhi had deceived him.

  "I really didn't mind this, if it were me, I would also respond like this to someone I just met!" Chen Yi said with a very casual smile again, his eyes falling on He Lan Minyue's pretty face. Seeing Chen Yi say this, He Lan Minyue let out a sigh of relief and gave Chen Yi a sweet smile in return. This made Chen Yi feel good, he had a special feeling towards He Lan Minyue, something that couldn't be put into words, like they had been similar before, with a tacit understanding in their hearts, no need for too much explanation, without any strange feelings, without the taste of distance.

  "It's okay if you don't mind!" A faint blush appeared on He Lan Minyue's face again.

  "Miss He Lan, I know you must have had no choice but to do this!" He Lan Min said with a hint of teasing, "You're too beautiful, Miss. Your brother must be afraid that you'll run into some rascal and get taken advantage of, so he's dressing you up like this..."

  He Lan Minyue's smile made Chen Yi even more convinced that there was a certain tacit understanding between them, an inexplicable tacit understanding. The flavor of his words changed immediately, and he wanted to exchange a few playful remarks with the beauty, not feeling at all that this was inappropriate!

  "Am I really very beautiful? Do you think so too?" He Lan Minyue's face wore a faint smile, her eyes rolled around twice, and she asked with a hint of slyness: "When I saw your companion that day, they were also very beautiful... between the two of us, who do you think is more good-looking?"

  Looking at He Lan's mischievous expression, Chen Yi's heart actually trembled slightly, surprised by the little girl's moving expression and also shocked by what she said. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said: "Actually, little lady, you already know the answer yourself, why ask me?"

  "Hmph! I knew you wouldn't answer!" He Lan Minyue snorted, rolled her adorable white eyes, and looked displeased.

  "Your and your brother's appearance, looking at all the men and women of the Tang Dynasty, should be unmatched by anyone. I'm sure everyone thinks so!" Chen Yi smiled mysteriously and slowly said: "I think so too!"

  "Really?" Chen Yi's words made He Lan Minyue very pleased, and she asked back with a smile after pursing her lips.

  "Is it cooked? Hehe, of course it's real!" Chen Yi smiled and nodded, naturally admiring the beautiful woman in front of him.

  He Lan Minyue still didn't show any unusual behavior, maintaining her cute expression from earlier, letting Chen Yi feast his eyes to his heart's content!

  The relationship between people is quite subtle. Some people have known each other for many years, but you can't remember what they look like, and even if they tell you their name, you'll soon forget it. But some people feel a strong sense of familiarity when they meet for the first time, and their appearance and name will never be forgotten. Maybe this is what people mean by "fate".

  But Chen Yi did not know what kind of fate he and He Lan Minyue and her family would have in front of him.

  Fate had brought him together with this family, and their paths would continue to cross in the future. He knew the fate of this family, which gave Chen Yi a very complicated feeling, making it hard for him to clear his head, especially when facing Hè Lán Mǐn Yuè alone, who was a beauty that could be described as stunning enough to overthrow cities and kingdoms, he felt even more bewildered.

  Because he was thinking about something, Chen Yi's eyes were fixed on He Lan Minyue, making the other person feel strange. Seeing He Lan Minyue's face turn pale with fright, Chen Yi quickly withdrew his gaze and smiled apologetically: "The young lady is as beautiful as a heavenly being, it's no wonder that I was dazed by her beauty, I apologize for my rudeness, please forgive me!"

  "It's nothing! Ah, Chen Gongzi..." Chen Yi's words made He Lan Minyue feel at ease and also a bit pleased, so she gave him another sweet smile. She was someone who didn't have many thoughts or worries because her mother and brother were very strict with her, making it difficult for her to talk to young men other than her brother. Chen Yi was one of the few people who made her feel familiar and close, and talking to him made her feel very relaxed. Unlike others who were formal and reserved, Chen Yi was natural and casual, saying things that came to mind without hesitation, and his expressions and reactions flowed naturally as well.

  Maybe there are other reasons why she likes being with Chen Yi so much and doesn't feel a bit awkward.

  After a while, she felt that it was not quite proper to behave like this in front of Chen Yi, and suddenly thought of something more important. She immediately stopped smiling and asked Chen Yi in a slightly anxious tone: "Young Master Chen, how is my mother's illness? Is it really nothing serious?"

  Just now, Chen Yi said that her mother's illness was not serious, which made her feel relieved. For some inexplicable reason, she believed in Chen Yi's judgment and thought that her mother was really fine, so she would behave like this when she was alone with Chen Yi. But eventually, she remembered that her mother was still ill and lying on the bed without getting up!

  "It should be fine," Chen Yi also put away his smile, he was a bit puzzled too. He came to diagnose the illness but ended up playing a little flirtation with He Lan Minyue, this little beauty. He stood up, "I'll go in and check on your mother again, see how she's doing!"

  "Alright! I'll go with you!"