"Then We shall see just how clever this coincidence can be."
Yun Shu rose to her feet and took several more hollow flatbreads from the pile of ingredients.
"This time, let each of us roast our own. We do not believe that fate would be so cunning as to make Our bread fall to the ground at the exact same time as yours again, Eldest Prince."
"But..."
If she insisted on handling the food herself, how was he supposed to get her to eat the 'specially prepared' flatbread?
The Eldest Prince quickly stepped in, attempting to dissuade her.
"It was agreed that I would take this opportunity to express my sincerity toward Your Highness. How could I possibly allow you to do it yourself?"
"It's quite alright. Courtesy demands reciprocity, after all."
Yun Shu offered a breezy smile.
"At worst, the ones We roast can be your share."
When Yun Shu truly meant to disarm someone, her innocent expression alone was enough to make most people lower their guard.
In that moment, her large, round eyes gleamed, her chin tilted slightly upward in subtle pride, and her tone, while lofty, carried no real arrogance—only a playful elegance that made others want to smile and grant her whatever she wished.
The Eldest Prince, though he hadn't felt much goodwill toward her after everything that had happened, found himself letting his guard down without realizing it. He played along with an air of being flattered beyond measure.
"Then I shall trouble Your Highness."
"It's not for you," Yun Shu huffed with disdain.
"We simply wish to test whether such a bizarre coincidence could truly happen again."
With that, she turned and began mimicking the Eldest Prince's actions. She brushed a thin layer of oil onto her flatbreads. Then, without drawing attention, she sprinkled a few sesame seeds onto the one skewered in the center—where it wouldn't be easily seen.
In the shadows, Ah Ku silently released the stone he had been gripping in his hand.
At last, the Eldest Prince's tampered flatbread—which had been repeatedly thwarted by unseen forces—successfully landed on a plate just beside Yun Shu.
"It's still far too hot. Let it cool a bit before We try it."
Speaking calmly, Yun Shu continued brushing oil onto the ones she was still roasting.
"Ours aren't quite ready yet either."
As she tilted her head toward the bowl of soaking Jianshouqing mushrooms, seemingly intrigued, she casually fished out one and placed it atop the bread to grill it together.
"Does the Princess wish to try the mushrooms of Nanyue?"
The Eldest Prince's grill had just cleared up, and seizing the moment, he retrieved the remaining four Jianshouqing mushrooms. With practiced ease, he brushed each one with his own carefully prepared seasoning.
He didn't notice a thing—didn't see Yun Shu quietly scrape off all the sesame seeds from the drugged flatbread and switch it with the one she herself had secretly marked earlier.
"Fifth Sister, you..."
Yun Chuhuan happened to glance over just in time to catch Yun Shu in the act of switching the breads. He opened his mouth to question her, but she turned her head and quickly put a finger to her lips in a silent gesture of secrecy.
Yun Chuhuan blinked.
Yun Chuhuan: "!!!"
Whatever he imagined in that moment, only the heavens knew—but whatever it was, it excited him immensely. He clapped his hands over his mouth in poorly contained delight.
"Sixth Prince, is something the matter?"
Sometimes, the workings of fate were simply too ironic.
Just as Yun Chuhuan saw Yun Shu switch the bread, the Eldest Prince happened to catch Yun Chuhuan's thrilled expression.
Suspicious, he followed Yun Chuhuan's gaze and looked toward Yun Shu—only to see her slowly flipping the Jian Shouqing mushroom on her skewer.
"This mushroom..."
Realizing she had drawn attention, Yun Chuhuan had a flash of inspiration and suddenly burst out in feigned enthusiasm.
"It really is the strangest-looking mushroom I've ever seen!"
Yun Shu: "..."
He would do better to keep quiet.
With a helpless shake of her head, Yun Shu picked up the sesame-covered flatbread by her side and took a slow, deliberate bite.
As expected, the Eldest Prince's attention immediately shifted back to her.
His eyes sparkled with satisfaction. With a self-assured smile, he raised his brows slightly.
"How is it? Does the taste suit Your Highness?"
"It's acceptable."
Yun Shu nodded casually, then picked up the flatbreads she had roasted herself and handed them toward the Eldest Prince.
"Courtesy demands reciprocity."
"If it is a token of Your Highness's goodwill, then I shall accept it gladly."
Still basking in the delight of believing his scheme had finally succeeded, the Eldest Prince remained utterly unaware that the flatbread he had laced so carefully had, in the end, been eaten clean by no one but himself.
"These mushrooms should be done by now."
Yun Shu, watching her would-be poisoner dig his own grave, took the final bite of her flatbread and slowly rose to her feet.
"But We are already full, so We will not partake."
"Then I—"
Yun Chuhuan remembered the Eldest Prince had spoken highly of the mushrooms' flavor. He took a step forward and reached out, clearly intending to take one for himself.
Before his fingers could touch it, Yun Shu reached over and yanked him back by the collar.
"You're not allowed to eat that."
"Why not?!" Yun Chuhuan's eyes widened in confusion.
"Did you forget what happened the last time we had hotpot together? You ate one mushroom and broke out in hives."
"I—"
Yun Chuhuan looked baffled, clearly trying to recall such an incident.
Just then, Cen Yiyi chimed in, whispering supportively.
"Sixth Prince, the Imperial Physician did say at the time that Your Highness should avoid mushrooms."
Yun Chuhuan stood there, stunned. "But I—"
"We know you like them, but no means no."
Yun Shu cut him off before he could protest any further.
"That's final. If you insist, we'll all refuse to eat them with you."
Yun Chuhuan: "..."
Finally sensing that something was amiss, Yun Chuhuan drooped like a wilted flower and gave a quiet nod.
Yun Shu gave him a light tap on the head.
"It's only mushrooms. We've been here long enough. It's time to walk around and show our faces a bit."
"Eldest Prince, We take our leave."
"Of course, Princess."
Having achieved his goal of slipping the drug to her, the Eldest Prince didn't mind in the slightest that she wanted to walk elsewhere—truthfully, it was even better that way.
After all, the supply of Jian Shouqing he had brought from Nanyue was extremely limited. Now that these five had already been roasted and wouldn't need to be shared, he could enjoy them all himself.
After leaving that hidden corner of the grove, Yun Chuhuan turned back at least a dozen times, only stopping once he was absolutely certain that no one else could overhear their conversation.
He finally halted and tugged eagerly on Yun Shu's cloak.
"Fifth Sister! Why didn't you let us eat the mushrooms? And that bread—did you spit in it or something?"
Yun Shu: "..."
She wasn't the sort to carry poison or purgatives like croton seeds on her person, much less use them in such a public setting—and certainly not against the Eldest Prince of Bei Xiang.
But spitting in it?
How utterly uncultured.