Jun Lao pouted, "Look, how long have we been waiting? If you don't come soon, I'll leave."
Ye Qingcheng rubbed her neck. "Oh, it doesn't matter, it's not like we're in a hurry. Waiting a bit longer won't hurt. I'll take a nap and you can wake me when he arrives."
Jun Lao was exasperated with her attitude, shaking her furiously. "Can't you take this seriously!"
Ye Qingcheng was so shaken she lost all her sleepiness. "Hey, let go! You old geezer, how old are you, and you're still so childish."
Jun Lao repeated incessantly, "I don't care, I don't care, hurry up and call him out. The sun is already setting."
Just then, a voice drifted down from the stairs above. "Did I come at an inconvenient time?"
Both of them stopped what they were doing and looked up. A figure was descending step by step, silhouetted against the setting sun.
It was Pei Changqiu.
Ye Qingcheng saw him as a savior. "No, you've come at the perfect time. If you hadn't come, I would have been driven crazy by this old geezer."
Jun Lao was displeased. "How can you speak like that! I am your master, after all."
Ye Qingcheng stuck out her tongue and fell silent.
Pei Changqiu, feeling he was late, quickly apologized. "My apologies, Your Highness. I was unavoidably busy with official matters, hence the delay."
Ye Qingcheng waved her hand, signifying it was alright. "It's fine. It was also my fault for not informing you in advance."
Jun Lao couldn't stand such endless pleasantries.
"Alright, enough with the mutual compliments. Let's talk! Where shall we spar?"
This stumped Ye Qingcheng. She couldn't possibly invite Pei Changqiu to the Prince's residence.
Pei Changqiu thought for a moment. "How about the Arena?"
The Arena?
Ye Qingcheng hadn't been there before. "What is that for?"
Pei Changqiu explained, "It's a place established by the court for military officers and top scholars to practice martial arts."
Such a place existed? Ye Qingcheng became interested.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
The three arrived at the entrance of the Arena. This was Ye Qingcheng's first visit. She had to admit, the grand gate was quite resplendent. A plaque hung high above, bearing the words: Arena.
Two stone lions guarded the entrance.
Upon pushing open the main gate, they found it already quite crowded. Countless weapons were neatly arranged. The combat platform was rather large; Ye Qingcheng estimated that nineteen people could stand on it without issue.
Pei Changqiu had intended to get a cold weapon for the Princess, but Jun Lao stopped him.
"She's not at the stage to handle cold weapons yet. Give her a wooden sword for now!"
Everyone in the Arena stopped and stared as Jun Lao handed Ye Qingcheng a wooden sword. Laughter erupted.
"Am I seeing things? A wooden sword."
"Perhaps some noble young master from who-knows-where is experiencing life."
"Hahahaha!"
Ye Qingcheng felt utterly embarrassed.
"Master, why a wooden sword? Can't I have a real sword?"
Jun Lao looked at her disdainfully. "You've only been learning the basics for a short while. Can you even hold a real sword steady?"
Ye Qingcheng was instantly silenced.
Pei Changqiu comforted her. "It's alright." He then picked up a wooden sword himself. "Since I'm here to spar with you, I'll take a wooden sword too."
This made Ye Qingcheng feel more balanced.
On the combat platform, as practitioners, the basic courtesy between opponents was essential.
The two bowed respectfully. Then, Ye Qingcheng began to demonstrate her moves.
This was her first time sparring with someone her age. Honestly, she was very nervous. Moreover, Jun Lao had said she wouldn't win, which added to her pressure. Although it was just a spar and winning or losing wasn't important, she couldn't help it! After all, she was a Leo.
"The match begins."
Ye Qingcheng attacked first, drawing her sword and slashing down. Pei Changqiu nimbly dodged, then slashed down with his sword. Ye Qingcheng blocked, and her hand trembled from the impact.
Ye Qingcheng was surprised by Pei Changqiu's immense strength. Her entire hand ached.
His follow-up power was also considerable.
It was a one-sided beating. Ye Qingcheng was desperately trying to block his attacks.
Finally, Ye Qingcheng swept her leg, creating a distance between them.
Ye Qingcheng finally had a moment to rest, breathing heavily, sweat pouring down her face. Pei Changqiu, however, remained calm.
Pei Changqiu launched an attack, swinging his sword horizontally towards Ye Qingcheng.
By the time the sun turned into a myriad of colors, the outcome was decided. Without a doubt, Pei Changqiu won. Ye Qingcheng couldn't even get up.
Pei Changqiu extended his hand and helped her up. "Your Highness shows great potential. Few people can withstand my attacks for such a long time."
Ye Qingcheng panted, "But I still didn't win against you!"
Pei Changqiu smiled wryly. "Your Highness, I have been practicing and learning since childhood. You have only just begun. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
Ye Qingcheng wiped her sweat. "Today was great fun. Can I come find you for practice again tomorrow?"
Pei Changqiu obviously wouldn't refuse. "Of course."
The practice session concluded perfectly for the day.
Following that, Ye Qingcheng came to find Pei Changqiu for several consecutive days, encouraged by his agreement.
However, today, when she came to find Pei Changqiu, she witnessed an embarrassing scene.
She saw a woman dressed in simple clothes, with patches on them, holding Pei Changqiu's ear and shouting at him.
Ye Qingcheng was about to intervene when she was stopped by constables.
"That's Constable Pei's mother. Constable Pei is already eighteen, but he still has no plans for marriage, so his mother wants him to meet some girls."
Another constable gossiped, "Alas! Our Constable Pei, he has looks, he has skill, he has a physique, so why doesn't he have a wife yet!"
"Exactly."
Ye Qingcheng didn't hear any of the subsequent conversation. She only understood one thing clearly.
Pei Changqiu's mother was looking for him to go on a blind date?
"Pei Changqiu, you go meet that girl immediately."
Pei Changqiu was helpless. "Mother, I have to coach the Princess later!"
"I don't care what you have to do. You're always finding excuses to escape. Is anything more important than your lifelong happiness?"
Pei Changqiu pleaded almost desperately, "Mother, those girls, they all look down on me."
Ye Qingcheng was completely dumbfounded. Even in ancient times, people couldn't escape the fate of blind dates!
Pei Changqiu's mother, dragging him by the ear, walked towards the main gate and turned to see Ye Qingcheng.
Pei Changqiu's mother, seeing her looking somewhat puzzled, this young girl looked so tender and delicate, clearly a lady raised in a noble family, why was she dressed in men's attire?
"Who are you?"
Pei Changqiu, whose ear was being tugged by his mother, saw her stop and speak with a hint of confusion. He glanced over and saw Ye Qingcheng.
Startled, Pei Changqiu quickly pulled his ear from his mother's grasp.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
The surrounding constables snapped back to reality. The Princess had arrived, and they quickly bowed to her.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
This commotion greatly frightened Pei Changqiu's mother. The old woman was from the countryside and had not seen much of the world. This was her first time seeing a Princess, and she dared not look directly at her, kneeling down with a plop and kowtowing. "Greetings, Your Highness."
Ye Qingcheng was indeed startled by this.