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The handsome men and beautiful women lining up to have dough figurines made couldn’t help but laugh at his words, realizing that he was actually talking about themselves!

"Come on, make a pair of figurines for me too, and I want to have my dreams come true as well." A handsome young man tightly held his beloved girl’s hand and said loudly to the old craftsman.

The old craftsman pocketed Xia Zheng’s silver and laughed heartily, quickly kneading another lump of dough and getting busy. He hadn’t expected that his casual recommendation would bring in so many customers; it looked like he was definitely going to make a big profit today!

Holding the pair of bright red dough figurines, Lin Yuan’s own face turned just as red, and she wished she could glare away all the onlookers.

There were even some who were oblivious to social cues and actually had the gall to come up and ask where they could buy such dough figurines.

Lin Yuan hemmed and hawed for a long time, awkwardly falling silent.

Xia Zheng chuckled, pointed behind him, then took her handkerchief out from her sleeve and carefully wrapped the pair of figurines, tucking them into his own chest and giving them a light pat before leaving.

"How could my wife show off like this in the street for everyone to see? Better to tuck them away for safekeeping."

Lin Yuan bit her lip in secret, "What wife? Don’t talk nonsense!"

Xia Zheng raised an eyebrow, "Nonsense? What, do you want to be someone else’s wife?

That won’t do. I’ve waited for you from age twelve to fourteen, which other man could be as patient as me?

Ah yes, indeed, you’re already fourteen, and there are plenty of girls in the capital getting married at this age.

How about we quickly settle our engagement?

Look at Lan Hua, she got engaged last year and is getting married by the end of this year.

If you think it’s still too early, we can just get engaged first and marry next year, it won’t be late, haha, alright, it’s decided. "

"Xia Zheng!" Seeing him unilaterally deciding on getting married, Lin Yuan stamped her foot in anxiety, "Marrying, getting engaged, you sure talk lightly about it! Humph, I’m still young, I don’t want to marry you!"

After that, she went her own way forward, fearing that if she lingered another moment she would truly be dragged off to bow in ceremony by someone.

Xia Zheng felt a twinge in his heart. Now, the words he feared most were not "Boss is losing money," but "Xia Zheng, I’m getting married, but the groom isn’t you!" If that day truly came, he would personally emasculate the groom who replaced him!

"Don’t be mad, I was only joking with you, yes, you’re still young, still very young. Anyway, I’ve waited for you for two years; I don’t mind waiting another year."

Listening to Xia Zheng continually apologizing next to her, Lin Yuan was both sweetened and saddened.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to marry, but she had just arrived in the capital and hadn’t yet found her footing.

She knew that if she really married Xia Zheng, just her elder brother and Princess Anle alone could protect her completely.

However, she didn’t want that kind of sheltered life.

She wanted to use her own strength to drive away each and every one of Xia Zheng’s frivolous admirers.

She wanted to make everyone aware that Lin Yuan’s man couldn’t just be taken by any woman; if she found out someone dared to make a move on her man, it wouldn’t just be a matter of shamelessness, it would be a matter of life and death.

Xia Zheng’s nagging shifted from getting married to having children, then from having children to raising them, all the way incessantly in her ear, making Lin Yuan think that she had gone out with Dong Qing instead of Xia Zheng today.

Just as she was trying to think of a way to interrupt him, Lin Yuan’s eyes were drawn to a cluster of firelight flying out in front of her.

"What’s that?"

Following Lin Yuan’s gaze, Xia Zheng, excited, said, "Haha, street performers! The last time I saw it was when I snuck out of the palace with Little White Rabbit years ago... I think, it has been five or six years since I last saw it. Come on, let’s go have a look; we don’t usually get to see this. "

With these words, he grabbed Lin Yuan’s hand and rushed towards the crowd that was packed tight, with Lin Yuan following behind laughing.

It had been five or six years, which seemed to imply that as he grew up, he had been restricted by his elders to attend palace banquets.

Speaking of which, these children of noble families really had it tough; commoners’ kids see such things once a year, yet they had to sneak out to see them, truly pitiful.

Xia Zheng carefully protected Lin Yuan, weaving through the crowd to reach the very front where Lin Yuan’s cheeks were instantly flushed by the sudden burst of fiery, silver serpents.

In the center of the crowd, a couple of street performers were performing—one downing wine, the other waving a fiery stick in front of him. Then the drinker would spurt the wine from his mouth and, with a whoosh, flames would scatter impressively!

"Well done! Great!"

Xia Zheng also excitedly cheered with the crowd, leaning into Lin Yuan’s ear explaining to her about the man’s mouthful of fire, "It’s not fire he’s blowing; it’s wine... And then boom! Isn’t it amazing?"

Lin Yuan nodded in agreement, smiling, her eyes not on the performers but completely captivated by Xia Zheng’s excited and handsome face.

The fire-breathing continued, and on the other side was a seemingly delicate young woman. Dressed in a very neat suit, she bowed to the audience, then with a sprightly step, jumped onto a long bench, laying down and stretching her straight legs high in the air.

As everyone wondered what she was about, two men assisted by carrying over a small jar.

The woman’s legs flexed slightly, then curled just enough to catch the small jar securely with her feet.

Her feet skillfully turned back and forth, and the small jar rhythmically spun on her feet, steady and unhurried.

Everyone’s attention was drawn to her, and they began to applaud, even Lin Yuan couldn’t help but watch and cheer for the woman’s extraordinary leg strength.