The snow was falling heavily, the sky and the earth were foggy, and the courtyard was already covered in silver—only the central road leading to the main hall was covered with coarse salt after being cleaned, and the snow melted, leaving a white line of wet blue and black that extended to the outside of the temple.

Because it is the New Year's Day, the palace welcomes visitors from the outside court for a long time. The palace ladies are more diligent and excited than usual. Although she was bound by the rules and didn't dare to chatter, every little girl who had gone through tea in the hall couldn't help but "look at the road" and excitedly communicate with her eyes.

For a while, the lady in charge glanced over, and the girls were busy restraining themselves, and they returned to you in a dignified and solemn manner.

But there are still playful people who can't help but agree with each other, "I'll talk to you when I go back!" ”

After two teas, the visitors in the hall finally got up and said goodbye. The eyes of the palace ladies couldn't help but look at each other again.

Ruyi came out of the hall with Xu Yi, and vaguely felt that there was a thorn in his back on this day, as if he was being stolen by many people. However, when she looked back, she saw a qiē into normal.

She only thought it was her own delusion - such a snowy day, silent everywhere, supposedly more peaceful than usual.

She pulled up the Guanyin pocket under the eaves and walked into the snow with Xu Yi.

The snow hits the tarpaulin umbrella, and there is only a thin and soft rustle.

When they meet on weekdays, Ruyi is dressed in a green deep coat and dressed up as a man. Xu Yi has been looking at it for a long time, and when she suddenly saw her red makeup today, she was a little embarrassed for some reason. This girl has a slender figure, even if she is wrapped in a heavy winter coat, she is still slender and graceful. The face under the hood is delicate and beautiful. She also seemed a little shy, her cheeks were peach-colored, her eyes were half-contained under her eyelashes, and her demeanor was beautiful. It is impossible to mistake him for a teenager.

Xu Yi couldn't help but realize that she had indeed grown up to an age where she needed to avoid suspicion moderately.

He lowered his eyes from her. said, "On the sixth day of the first lunar month, everyone in the hall agreed to visit Guo Sai Restaurant together-because I don't know where you live, so I asked you to ask you, do you want to go?" ”

"Is everyone else going?"

"Get rid of you...... There are about Princess Shuyang and Zhang Ben, and everyone else is going to go. ”

It's like a classmate's birthday, and if you can't go to ask someone to bring a birthday gift, it's not very unsociable. But if classmates go together to pay New Year's greetings to the teacher, and they don't go for some reason, it's not just a matter of being unsociable. Therefore, knowing that her identity is different, Xu Yi still speaks, and it is up to her to judge.

Sure enough, after pondering for a moment, he replied, "I still have to discuss it with Ah Niang first-I'll give you news later, okay?" ”

Xu Yi said, "Okay." ”

They had reached the gate of the courtyard, and both of them stopped.

Xu Yi was about to say goodbye, but Ruyi suddenly stopped him and asked, "...... Does my cousin continue to study in the kindergarten? ”

Xu Yi is thirteen years old - the upper age limit of the kindergarten is thirteen years old, and the lower age limit of Guozi school is also thirteen years old.

Xu Yi didn't expect Ruyi to notice this, thought for a moment, and was about to answer, but suddenly realized that something was wrong - Ruyi's changes today seem to be unable to be explained just by changing into palace clothes. She was indeed a little dazed and embarrassed today, and he just avoided it, as if Ruyi was also avoiding making eye contact with him.

He paused, then said, "If I stay in the kindergarten - will you feel embarrassed?" ”

Ruyi's face turned red, and he couldn't help but look at his toes. Following this question, I thought seriously and blankly.

-- According to her usual temperament, she must have asked her why she was embarrassed.

Xu Yi suddenly realized something - he had been back in Beijing for almost a year, and after studying with his classmates for so long, he and Ruyi were no longer cousins who were in name only, but in fact they were hardly very familiar. And Ruyi has passed her tenth birthday...... The timing should be right.

He guessed that his aunt had already told him about their marriage.

Xu Yi has known about this since she was a child, so she doesn't take it seriously. Probably because he hasn't touched the relationship between men and women yet, he just feels that this is a natural thing that will happen when he becomes an adult, so he doesn't care about expectations and embarrassment. Only after reuniting with Ruyi in the kindergarten, he will think that this girl is his fiancée, so he is more curious and concerned about her than others.

Later, the more I voted with her, the more I liked and appreciated her, and the marriage contract became more and more logical. He had no doubts, and he was at ease.

But at this moment, he couldn't help but be a little concerned - what did Ruyi think?

Therefore, even though that sentence was purely to test Ruyi's reaction and asked it very unnaturally, he did not change his words, but waited for Ruyi's answer.

Xu Si did tell him that they had a marriage contract.

Every woman in this world has heard adults make fun of how to marry in the future since she was young. Therefore, when it comes to the marriage contract, wishful thinking - but only a half-understood understanding - can not say joy, panic, fear or expectation, only some due shame. What's more, this is a matter that has been set since childhood, and no one has consulted with her before, and no one has even hinted at her. Suddenly telling her, "You have a marriage contract with your cousin," is not much different from indiscriminately informing her of something she doesn't know.

It's just that the person who has a marriage contract with her is Xu Yi.

If Xu Yi continues to stay in the kindergarten, will she feel embarrassed?

Ruyi thought about it for a long time, and still felt-

"I love being with my cousin. Playing with my cousin is the most fun and fun. ”

She finally confessed frankly - what was there to be embarrassed about? Obviously, I like to be with him the most, and I am most comfortable and fulfilled when I am with him. Since the marriage contract hasn't changed anything at all, why should she bother? How you got along before is how you will still get along in the future.

She figured it out, her heart knot opened, and she was finally able to look up at Xu Yi again, "So it would be best if my cousin could continue to stay in the kindergarten." However, I can't let my cousin accommodate me in everything, even if my cousin leaves the kindergarten......," she felt that something was wrong when she said this, and finally came back after a while, "-why should I feel embarrassed? ”

Xu Yi didn't start, but she still couldn't restrain herself, and laughed softly.

He didn't explain obediently, he only looked at Ruyi's eyes with a smile and said, "I'm about to leave the kindergarten." However, the kindergarten and the national school are in the same school, and if you want to see me, you can still meet at any time. ”

They said goodbye in front of the temple, and when they were about to go their separate ways, they suddenly saw Erlang striding towards here.

-- On the night before Chinese New Year's Eve, he naturally stayed with his parents to keep vigil and did not return to the royal mansion for the festival. In the second half of the night, he rested in the Ciqiu Palace, and in the early morning, he accompanied the Son of Heaven to participate in the court, and he had just returned at the moment.

Because of the heavy snowfall, everything was silent, and Xu Yi didn't have the idea to come over when he talked to Ruyi.

Erlang had already seen from a distance that at the end of the long steps in front of the Ciqiu Palace, there were two people standing in the heavy snow talking. One of them, dressed in a cloak of scarlet velvet felt, had his head half-slipped down, revealing a cloud-like bun and a white and delicate face, and was tilting his head to talk to the person opposite—it was Ruyi. The other person did not wear a cloak to avoid the snow, but was dressed in a lotus-blue satin crane, and his posture was as tall as a sword - naturally it was his cousin of the Xu family.

Jiro was heartbroken.

There are many restrictions and avoidances for foreign men to enter the palace, but the Son of Heaven specially ordered Xu Yi to enter the palace to visit Xu Si. Erlang was already dissatisfied, and when he asked casually, the Son of Heaven smiled and said, "He is different from others." ”

As soon as Erlang asked, he naturally knew that this person was going to marry his sister in the future.

This person looks gentle and elegant, and has a humble and gentlemanly style on weekdays, and Erlang is relieved that he studies with his sister, gets along with each other day and night, and takes care of each other - of course, the gist is to make him take care of his sister. Who knew that he was secretly crossing Chen Cang quietly under Erlang's nose, and he was going to get his sister back to his home......

It's just pretending to be a pig and eating a tiger, how can it be reasonable!

As soon as Erlang saw that they were talking in private, he hurriedly strode forward. The servants behind him who were holding the umbrella couldn't catch up, and he was soon left behind panting.

Erlang rushed in front of the two people, and Xu Yi naturally stopped and saluted.

Erlang was annoyed with him in his heart, so he naturally wanted to stare at him hard.

Although the age difference is not too much, the difference of four years at the age of * is a completely different concept from the difference of four years at the age of 20*. Erlang slammed the pestle in front of him, and immediately realized that he had made a mistake - Xu Yi was certainly polite, but this gesture of overlooking him was naturally overlooking a little hairy child.

Erlang is depressed - it's a shame to be young!

Xu Yi was in a pretty good mood, and she was smiling at him very gently and generously.

Jiro: ......

"Cousin go slowly, I won't send each other off." In the end, he could only issue an eviction order.

Xu Yi smiled at Ruyi and said goodbye to each other.