"Alright! I'm not bragging, but our head chef used to cook for the late emperor. No other chef can compare."
"You two have come to the right place. Although we may not have the destiny of emperors, we can still taste the emperor's flavors, can't we..."
Song Ting: "..."
Chu Huaixu: "..."
For someone who grew up in the palace to actually go outside the palace to "taste the emperor's flavors" is... quite a peculiar feeling.
Song Ting's expression wasn't good either. He observed Huai Xu for a moment, and seeing that Huai Xu didn't seem angry, he waved his hand impatiently:
"Alright, you can go now."
The restaurant was bustling, with people sitting upstairs and downstairs, but their place was a bit quieter.
Chu Huaixu took a sip of tea, his eyelids slightly lifted, and he looked at Song Ting with a half-smile:
"If you want to look, then look. Why are you sneaking around like this? Do you think I'm going to gouge out your eyes?"
Caught spying, Song Ting blushed and instinctively grabbed Huai Xu's hand: "I didn't know he would—"
"I wonder if he would suddenly bring up the late emperor, and I'm afraid he might stir up painful memories for me?"
Song tacitly agreed.
"It's not that bad."
Chu Huaixu scoffed lightly, saying nonchalantly:
"I've faced your face every day and I haven't died of anger. Someone just casually mentioned the late emperor, it's not enough to make me sad."
Because of Chu Huaixu's special status, Song Ting put a silver mask on him before he left, covering most of his face.
Even so, one could still discern the man's unparalleled elegance from those watery eyes.
Song Ting lowered her eyes, not daring to look any longer.
"The food's here! A plate of Biluo shrimp!"
As they were talking, the first dish was served.
Song Ting picked up a shrimp and put it in Chu Huaixu's bowl: "Eat it."
Chu Huaixu ate the shrimp, but didn't look at Song Ting.
"Actually, I'm quite curious. You only approached me deliberately for the sake of the mission, and did those things to make me believe you."
"Each serves their own master, I can understand that. I was foolish to believe you, but what is it all for now?"
"Now that you're in a high position, you can have any beauty you want, and you always have such a indulgent look on your face when you do anything."
"Haven't you had enough of playing adult roles for so many years?"
The two seemed to have reached an agreement not long ago, but Song Ting knew that Huai Xu still didn't trust him, which was why he kept testing him.
His eyes darkened, and he said as if making a vow, "Master, trust me one more time, and I will not hurt you."
Chu Huaixu did not speak immediately, but after a long while, he said:
"Fine, since I've decided to use you, I'm already prepared to be bitten back by you."
“But Song Ting, you’d better think this through. Either kill me now, or I’ll skin you alive this time.”
"Hmm." Song Ting picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, her expression calm. "The food is getting cold, eat it quickly."
"..."
"Sweet rice balls in fermented rice wine are here!"
Just then, the waiter came over cheerfully, carrying the sweet fermented rice balls that Chu Huaixu had been thinking about.
He placed the wooden tray on the table, took out a bowl and handed it to Chu Huaixu, carefully instructing him:
"It's chilled. It would be best if you two had something to eat before trying the rice wine."
Chu Huaixu reached out to take it, but just as he finished holding the bowl and was about to pull his arm back, the waiter pressed his hand down and gently patted the back of his hand.
His heart tightened, and he had a vague guess. When he looked up, he saw that the person was indeed staring at him, and a half-smile in his eyes was repeatedly pointing to the bottom of the bowl.
"Hmm." He replied softly, and the waiter then let go of his hand and turned to bring the other bowl to Song Ting.
"If you two gentlemen like this wine, you must come again in August."
Chu Huaixu's fingers traced the bottom of the bowl, where there was a note.
"By then, the osmanthus flowers will be in bloom, and with fresh osmanthus flowers added to the fermented rice wine, the taste will be hundreds of times better than it is now!"
Chu Huaixu seemed quite interested: "Really? Then I definitely have to try it."
While chatting with the waiter, he quickly clenched the note in his hand and then quietly scooped up a spoonful of fermented rice.
But he didn't taste it much and gently placed the porcelain bowl back on the table.
"Alright, you two enjoy your meal. I'll head down now!"
Song Ting didn't notice anything amiss, and only asked with concern, "Why aren't you eating? Is it not good?"
Chu Huaixu stirred the porcelain spoon, lowered his eyes, and said, "It's acceptable."
“More than that,” he said, “we haven’t had a drink together in years. If you don’t mind, would you like to have a few drinks with me?”
Song Ting was naturally delighted, but he was also worried about Chu Huaixu's health: "Okay, but you can't drink too much, just three cups."
"Tch." Chu Huaixu didn't take his words to heart at all and started drinking on his own. Song Ting had no choice but to follow suit.
He unconditionally indulged Huai Xu in all other respects, but he became bolder whenever it came to matters concerning Huai Xu's safety.
He meant three cups, and after the three cups, he handed over the larger cup and asked the waiter to replace it with hot tea.
Chu Huaixu was naturally unhappy, his face immediately darkened, and he began to speak sarcastically to Song Ting.
The latter didn't utter a single complaint, letting him curse at him. Chu Huaixu's punches landed on cotton, making him tremble with anger.
"Hmph." He sneered, "But we've ordered so much wine, it would be a waste not to drink it. Why don't you drink it all yourself, sir? I'll offer you tea instead."
As long as Chu Huaixu himself didn't drink it, Song Ting agreed without hesitation: "Okay."
"I hope you don't get so drunk that you pass out, sir, I won't be able to help you."
Song Ting responded with another "Mm".
Chu Huaixu was furious. He ordered the waiter to bring a huge bowl, as big as his face, and personally helped the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard fill it with wine.
"Please, sir..."
With the signature dishes of Qingfengju, Song Ting was forced to drink five or six jars of wine, filling his belly with water.
When he returned home, he was so drunk that he could barely stand and had to be helped back by Chu Huaixu.
“…You bastard, you got off easy this time. If you weren’t still useful, I would have dumped you on the street corner.”
"Over the years, my alcohol tolerance hasn't improved, but my heart has become even darker."
The butler led a group of servants out to greet him: "Sir, have you had too much to drink?"
Just as he was about to reach out to help her up, Song Ting, who was in a daze, instinctively sensed someone approaching and glared at them with cold eyes.
The sight startled the butler and the others, causing them to stop in their tracks.
Song Ting, however, had already wrapped her arms tightly around Chu Huaixu's waist, sniffing at his neck like a dog and muttering his name.
"Stop...add more!" Huai Xu was tickled and impatiently tried to escape, but he couldn't break free from Song Ting.
Enraged, he cursed even more fiercely: "If I call you a dog, do you wag your tail? You're so heavy, I'll skin you alive sooner or later!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com