Night falls.

The last table of guests in the Zhaixinglou got up and left, a closing sign was hung outside, and the streets were deserted.

Jin Lingyu's fingers were fiddling with the abacus beads rapidly, and they kept crackling, while the other hand was writing records in the account book.

"What's the profit today?" Duguman came over chewing a big chicken leg and leaned in front of the counter, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Crack-"

Jin Lingyu finally stopped moving the beads, breathed a sigh of relief, and said with a smile: "The total is 3,700 taels, which is a full 500 taels more than what was earned yesterday!"

Duguman's mouth opened wide, "Wow, you actually have so much money!"

The money was actually not that much. Jin Lingyu had seen larger amounts of silver coins at his home.

However, this was the first time that he had earned so much money through his own efforts, so he was particularly proud of it.

"It's all thanks to your continuous improvement of the recipe of the dishes, and finally prepared the dishes that suit the taste of the guests, making them want to come back. Today, the seats in the Star Building are full, but those guests are unwilling to leave and insist on staying here.

Wait."

Jin Lingyu did not hesitate to praise, and the admiration in his eyes almost overflowed.

Dugu Man chuckled, opened his mouth and bit into a large piece of chicken in a good mood, making his little face round and bulging, which was really cute.

She was already in a good mood, and after eating delicious food, it naturally became even better. She seemed to be surrounded by a layer of happiness.

She smiled, and Jin Lingyu also laughed with her. He supported his chin with one hand, and with a gentle halo in his eyes, he tilted his head slightly and looked at her carefully.

Finally, he couldn't help but stretched out his hand and wiped the oil stains from the corners of her lips with his sleeve.

The bright smile on Duguman's face disappeared and she looked at him in astonishment.

Jin Lingyu just came back to her senses. After realizing what she was doing, she was so frightened that she immediately pulled her hand back.

He looked down at the account book on the table, then looked up at her, and then continued to look at the account book, "I, what about... I just saw some oil on your mouth and wanted to help you wipe it off. Absolutely, absolutely not."

I mean something else, don’t misunderstand..."

He said the last sentence extremely quietly and looked at the account book the whole time.

Duguman was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand nonchalantly.

"Alright, it's okay. What's the point? When I eat, pastry crumbs and grease stains often stick to my mouth. Wen Wan and Le Rui will wipe them off for me when they can't stand it anymore.

It’s just too early for you to wipe it, my chicken legs haven’t been finished yet…”

Duguman turned sideways slightly and continued to chew on the remaining chicken leg meat, her heart still as big as ever.

She regarded Jin Lingyu as a friend. After getting along with each other for a while, the two of them became quite familiar with each other, so she didn't think there was anything wrong with his actions just now.

Just like Wen Wan Le Rui and others.

The only difference may be that the sisters wiped her mouth hard with a handkerchief with a look of disgust, while the good friend's actions were much gentler.

Jin Lingyu lowered his head to sort out the account books, taking the opportunity to hide the disappointment in his eyes.

He didn't know what was wrong with him. On the one hand, he wanted her to know, but on the other hand, he was very afraid of letting her know.

The two simply tidied up, finally closed the door to the Star Reaching Tower, and prepared to return to the palace.

Jin Lingyu held a lantern and walked side by side with her, with a carriage following not far behind.

The groom raised his head at a forty-five-degree angle and looked at the sky speechlessly.

He didn't know what the people living in the palace thought. They didn't want to ride in the carriage, but would rather walk.

The coachman slowed down and moved the carriage closer to the roadside, trying not to disturb them.

Duguman: "Why don't we ride in the carriage instead of walking?"

Jin Lingyu: "You just ate a big chicken drumstick. I'm afraid you won't be able to digest it. If you walk, I can help you digest it."

"Yes, thank you for being so thoughtful." Duguman smiled sweetly at him.

But in fact, digestion is only secondary. The main reason is because An Zhiruo told him that walking under the moon with the person he likes is the most romantic scene.

Gu Jiyue also agreed and used herself as an example to teach him how to express his love to the woman he liked.

And he also learned it!

After Jin Lingyu took a few deep breaths, she suddenly took Dugu Man's hand.

Duguman paused in his steps and turned his head to look at him doubtfully.

Jin Lingyu was extremely nervous, but her eyes were looking at her seriously.

"Man'er, the moonlight is so beautiful tonight."

"Well...the moon is quite round and bright."

Duguman looked up at the full moon hanging in the night sky and gave his answer.

She also patted her round belly and sighed softly.

"It seems that the chicken legs are almost gone. I'm hungry again. Otherwise, why would I want to eat mooncakes so much now?"

Jin Lingyu: "..."

Ahhhh!

What the hell?

What the hell are mooncakes?

Why is she so gentle even without touching the wind?

Could it be that she really didn't like him and didn't want to embarrass him so much that the situation would become awkward, so she rejected him tactfully like this on purpose?

Jin Lingyu smiled calmly on the surface, but was crying in her heart.

Anyway, with a simple mind like Duguman's, he would never have imagined that there was another layer of meaning hidden in his words.

She was about to go back and take the carriage, but found that Jin Lingyu's hand was still holding hers and hadn't let go.

Duguman felt a burning sensation in her palms, which made her a little uncomfortable.

"Then can I still... hold your hand and go?" Jin Lingyu tried to suppress the pain in her heart.

"What? Are you afraid of the dark?"

Jin Lingyu: "..."

He now has a heart attack.

"Okay, you can hold my hand and walk, but in a different way."

After a while, the person holding the lantern turned into Dugu Man, and Jin Lingyu was holding her arm obediently with both hands.

"This is the most comfortable way. When Wen Wan and Le Rui walked with me, they always held their arms like this."

Jin Lingyu couldn't laugh at all now, and the corners of her mouth twitched twice.

"Urgent report! Urgent report from the border!"

The man's rough voice and the sound of heavy horse hooves came from behind.

Jin Lingyu glanced back, then reacted extremely quickly and pulled Duguman aside to dodge.

They both fell down together.

Duguman was lying in his arms, and he was covering his head with his hands to protect her.

At the same time, a brown horse galloped past where they were just now, as fast as lightning, with no intention of stopping.

One can imagine what would have happened if he had been hit just now.

The soldier on the horse was covered in blood, an arrow was pierced through his shoulder, and his other hand was holding a letter high.
Chapter completed!