After Luo Yuan explained cuju to her in detail, Yang Ruo Ning finally understood that it was the predecessor of modern football. She had learned in middle school that football originated in China, and now she was excited to witness and even participate in this ancient activity firsthand. She had been a member of the school's women's football team and had participated in many inter-school competitions. She didn't know how Qing Ye found out she could play football; perhaps Jason had told Yue Feng.
In the afternoon, Luo Yuan changed into a handsome cyan cuju uniform and went to the cuju field. Yang Ruo Ning had wanted to secretly tell him that she was also participating, but she held back. She wanted to give him a surprise.
Xiao Gui Zi led Yang Ruo Ning to the Emperor. Her and Qing Ye's cuju uniforms were red, but Qing Ye's had golden threads embroidered on it, shimmering in the sunlight.
To avoid being recognized as a woman, she deliberately drew two small mustaches on her face and tied her hair up high in a man's topknot, making her look like a fair-skinned, delicate scholar.
After teaching Qing Ye a few cool celebration moves, she accompanied Qing Ye to the cuju field.
When Luo Yuan saw Yang Ruo Ning standing in the crowd of the opposing team in her cuju uniform, he was visibly stunned. Seeing his expression, Yang Ruo Ning playfully raised her eyebrows at him.
A drumbeat sounded from the sidelines, and the left army, which included Yang Ruo Ning and Qing Ye, kicked off first. Qing Ye was the ball-header, equivalent to a forward. Yang Ruo Ning stood in the middle of the field, acting as a center-back. Despite playing cuju for the first time, Yang Ruo Ning knew her task was to run all over the field, seize opportunities to pass the ball to Qing Ye, and let him score.
Yang Ruo Ning didn't remember much of the rules Qing Ye had explained to her. She somewhat took for granted that it was probably similar to modern football. However, when the actual match began, she was dumbfounded.
This was completely different from the football she knew. Not only could one use their hands to catch the ball, but they could also use all sorts of anti-human skills like martial arts and qinggong.
Just as Yang Ruo Ning managed to get the ball and was about to pass it to Qing Ye, she saw a figure fly up from beside her. Then, the ball was already in the opponent's possession. She saw Luo Yuan's agile figure flash past his teammates who were blocking him, then he leaped lightly and scored a goal.
She felt she could truly be called a lagging pig teammate. Her footwork, which she had once thought was quite good, was simply not worth mentioning in front of Luo Yuan. She felt a deep sense of frustration and anger. F*** it's unfair!! It's too damn unfair. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Luo Yuan seemed to sense the brewing anger about to erupt from Yang Ruo Ning. Yang Ruo Ning managed to get the ball again, but he seemed to hesitate for a moment. Yang Ruo Ning seized the opportunity and kicked the ball to Qing Ye, who was unguarded near the goal. Qing Ye turned and threw the ball into the net.
A whistle blew. The eunuchs holding the two armies' flags raised the red flag and shouted loudly, "Left army, one point!"
Yang Ruo Ning was overjoyed. She rushed over and hugged Qing Ye tightly, ruffling his hair fiercely. Although everyone found their celebration a bit unusual, they just thought that this unfamiliar young man seemed to be very familiar with the Emperor.
After Yang Ruo Ning blew a few flying kisses to the cheering spectators on the sidelines, the game resumed.
After this, Luo Yuan never seemed to make any more mistakes. He kicked the ball towards the red team with even greater force, with an unprecedented fierceness. Yang Ruo Ning even blocked Luo Yuan's shots for Qing Ye a few times. The ball hit her body and hurt, and Yang Ruo Ning felt like her ribs were about to break. But as a center-back, she had to block shots when necessary to protect the main attackers from injury.
The result was obvious: Luo Yuan's right army won the match with an absolute advantage. After the game, Yang Ruo Ning was almost exhausted. Although they lost, it didn't matter much. The two sides were already too uneven in strength. Instead, the feeling of exhilaration after a good sweat was truly refreshing.
As her teammates slung an arm around her shoulders and ushered her to change, she looked back and saw Luo Yuan surrounded by a group of girls. When their eyes met, Yang Ruo Ning grinned at him and gave him a thumbs-up.
Of course, Yang Ruo Ning didn't go to change clothes with her teammates. Xiao Gui Zi quietly led her to the Empress Dowager's bathhouse. The palace maids had already been dismissed. The huge bathroom was filled with steam, and Yang Ruo Ning relaxed in the bath, enjoying her first royal hot spring bath, and she began to understand why everyone wanted to be Emperor.
Light footsteps echoed from a distance. Yang Ruo Ning turned her head to look, and a figure appeared from behind a thick, cherry-blossom pink gauze curtain.
"This is Mother's favorite bath," Qing Ye said.
"Favorite? Are there other baths?"
"Yes, there are several others in the palace, drawing water from different hot springs."
"Ha, truly extravagant. Have you changed your clothes?"
"Yes, I came to talk with you," Qing Ye said.
"Oh?" Yang Ruo Ning swam to the edge of the pool, leaned on the rim, and rested her head, gazing at Qing Ye's silhouette through the heavy gauze.
"You and Luo Yuan... Do you like him very much?" Qing Ye asked.
"Luo Yuan has his destined love. I am just one of the countless women in his life," Yang Ruo Ning replied.
"You haven't answered my question. Do you like him?" Qing Ye asked again.
"Are there any women in Bianliang City who don't like him?"
"The State Uncle told me there's a rumor in the marketplace that the deceased crown prince was Luo Yuan," Qing Ye's voice was a little uneasy.
"Don't worry, I will protect you. I won't let anyone harm you," Yang Ruo Ning said.
"So, you're staying by Luo Yuan's side because of that?"
"...You don't need to worry about me. Luo Yuan won't do anything to me."
"I think you are very special to him."
Yang Ruo Ning smiled lightly, unconcerned. "Yes, we are both special beings in this world. Luo Yuan treats me so specially perhaps because he knows I came from another world. But from ancient times to the present, men's habit of getting bored with novelty has never changed. One day, he will grow tired of me."
"I don't want to be that kind of man."
"Hehehe, is that why you were so distracted in the pavilion just now?"
"I don't like those girls!"
"You don't even know them, so how can you decide you don't like them with just one glance? I think there are a few nice girls."
Yang Ruo Ning reached out, took the love letters written to Luo Yuan from under the clothes placed nearby, put them in a small bag, and slid them under the curtain to Qing Ye. "But you are the Emperor. It is your responsibility to choose consorts. You can take some time to get to know those girls better, go on a date."
"What is this?"
"Love letters written to Luo Yuan."
"Love letters written to him? Why are you giving them to me?"
"See if there's anyone you like inside."
"I said I don't like those delicate and pretentious women!"
"What if there really is someone very good? Besides, this is just dating, not like you're marrying them immediately. We have a saying: one has to kiss a few frogs before finding the real prince."
"Ah?"
"What I mean is, you have to experience various relationships to know what kind of person is truly suitable for you, okay?" Yang Ruo Ning paused. "Moreover, you have another choice. The choice I gave you."
There was another moment of silence from Qing Ye. "When we go to your world, can I still be Emperor?"
Hearing this, Yang Ruo Ning giggled. She found Qing Ye's insistence on the throne to be like a child's stubbornness. She said, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid you won't be able to be Emperor anymore, but I can guarantee you a life like an immortal. Just take a box of your precious trinkets and ornaments and sell them at Sotheby's auction..."
As Yang Ruo Ning and Qing Ye were talking, Xiao Gui Zi's voice could be heard from afar. "Miss Yang, Lord Luo asks if you have finished bathing?"