There were many folks in the night market, Lord Shen was really not lying about that. When they slipped out of the palace, the sky was pitch black with stars twinkling in the distance. Looking up, one could see the shimmering lights.
“Lord Shen, can you please let go of me now?” Lord Shen led him to a dark alley. He had endured him holding his hand the entire time, but it had escalated from normal hand-holding to interlocking their fingers, which made Shen Fengyue angry.
Lord Shen was still reluctant and made a final effort, “The night market is crowded, and I’m afraid of losing Empress Dowager.”
“…”
This excuse was quite ridiculous. Shen Fengyue coldly snorted and twisted his arm with his other hand, successfully freeing himself.
“This palace is an adult. How could I get lost?”
Shen Fengyue’s strength was like a kitten tickling Lord Shen, completely harmless. However, he feared his wife’s style of doing things, which had been passed down through generations. If his wife was unhappy, he had to let go immediately.
“What if there are human traffickers?”
“They wouldn’t be interested in me,” Shen Fengyue replied irritably.
Lord Shen couldn’t argue with him and stopped dwelling on the topic after realizing that holding hands was hopeless.
“We sneaked out of the palace, so we have to change our titles too. What should we address ourselves according to the Empress Dowager?” He asked.
“That’s reasonable. Of course, we should…” Halfway through the conversation, seeing the other party’s bright eyes and cunning expression, Shen Fengyue immediately changed the topic and dismissed his thoughts, “Of course, it should be master and servant.”
“I am the master, and you are the servant.”
Lord Shen’s plan was ruined, and he looked disappointed as he agreed in a low voice. Being a couple was so much better, why didn’t they adopt that?
“What? Do you have any objections?” Shen Fengyue raised his chin, proud like a peacock. “Do you have any complaints about your master?”
Master…
The word had an unexpectedly delightful connotation, and Lord Shen obediently said, “No, master.”
Some people may seem good on the surface, but they are rotten inside. Master Shen didn’t think too deeply and didn’t notice the subtle erotic wordplay that Servant Shen was playing as they walked out of the dark alley.
“What should we see first?”
As they walked out of the alley, they were greeted with a completely different scene. The lights were bright, and the sounds of people and vendors filled the air. Shen Fengyue realized that only by being in the common people’s world could they truly experience the lively atmosphere. The palace was always too closed off and desolate.
Lord Shen was about to say something when their attention was drawn to something ahead.
“Great! One more, one more!”
“This pig is so smart.”
“Excuse me, master, can your pig do it again?”
“Who knew there was a pig that could do math in this world!”
Ahead, a crowd had gathered to watch something. From their fragmented words, it seemed that a pig who could do math was performing under the guidance of its owner.
“A pig?” Shen Fengyue asked.
These types of performances were usually just a gimmick. The owner would test the animals extensively before bringing them on stage to do business. They would then find a few people (fake supporters) to cheer. With their cheer and support, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to attract the crowd’s attention.
Lord Shen made a sound of interest and suggested they go take a look.
So the two of them walked towards the crowd. As there were many people, Lord Shen walked in front of Shen Fengyue to block the flow of people coming and going to create a narrow pathway that only one person could pass through.
With the loyal protection of his servant, Shen Fengyue naturally had a smooth journey to the center of the crowd.
There were some cards with numbers written on them on the ground, and the magical pig was cleaned and groomed. It was now standing fearlessly in front of the crowd, waiting for its owner’s command.
The owner held a gong in his left hand and a hammer in his right. He struck the gong with the hammer, and as the sound echoed, he slowly spoke, “Since you all are so eager and passionate, it’s hard to refuse. Let’s do it again.”
“Listen carefully, what is the sum of 8 and 10?”
The pig moved its limbs and first stopped at 1 before moving to 8. It answered correctly.
Someone in the crowd suggested, “Owner, why don’t you let me ask a question?”
The owner wasn’t afraid and agreed.
So the person asked the pig, “What is the sum of 1 and 10?”
The little pig revolved around 1 twice.
“Very clever!” The person asked again, “What about 2 and 6?”
The pig answered correctly again. The person asked a few more questions, all of which the pig answered accurately. The person couldn’t help but marvel at the wonders of the world and exclaimed in amazement.
After interacting with the audience, the owner took out a cloth bag from his pocket and went around the crowd asking for tips. Before he reached Shen Fengyue and the others, Lord Shen made a gesture with his lips,
[This person is a fake supporter.]
Shen Fengyue nodded and made a gesture back.
As the owner approached them, he put on a flattering expression and repeatedly wished the audience good luck. Shen Fengyue didn’t have any money, so Lord Shen gave it to him. But as soon as the money was taken out, a man’s loud shout came from the front, “Didn’t I say no more peddling? You ignorant fraud! And those fake supporters, If I caught you this time, let’s see how I deal with you!”
The people around were still confused, but the owner’s face changed drastically. He quickly pulled the open bag and put it in his arms, then picked up the pig and ran away without looking back, bumping into Shen Fengyue in the process.
Shen Fengyue didn’t expect this to happen and was caught off guard, falling into Lord Shen’s arms.
The fake supporters were also frightened and tried to escape through the crowd, but the officials arrived and were chasing after them. The area was already densely populated, and now it was chaotic, with people constantly running around. Unknowingly, Shen Fengyue was surrounded by the crowd and pushed out. When he finally broke free, he found that Lord Shen had disappeared.
He looked around but didn’t see anyone with that familiar face.
Tsk, I didn’t expect to stand up one second and fall the next, and I was actually pushed out!
