25. Biyuefang tests its skills
◎You, I am determined to have you◎
"Mr. Lou," Yan Yunzhao greeted with a forced smile.
Lou Dongjia snapped his folding fan shut and smiled gently: "Miss Yan, you're too kind. Just call me Lou Chengjing."
This man had a face as gentle as a spring breeze and an elegant and unrestrained air. The moment he appeared at the alley entrance, even the daylight seemed to brighten.
If Yan Yunzhao hadn't stumbled upon his plot to harm someone some time ago, she probably would have been staring at him like the infatuated women standing around.
"Thank you for speaking up for me, Young Master Lou. I have other matters to attend to at the shop, so I'll be leaving now."
Yan Yunzhao gave him a bright smile, turned around and prepared to leave quickly, not wanting to get entangled with this person any longer, but a folding fan blocked her way.
Lou Chengjing smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, young lady. I have some business matters I would like to discuss with you. Would you be so kind as to invite me to Biyuefang for a cup of tea?"
With that said, Yan Yunzhao had no choice but to go, even if she didn't want to. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she boarded the sedan chair of Biyuefang.
Two people sat in the small sedan chair, the carriage filled with a fragrant breeze, and some exquisite pastries were placed beside it. However, Yan Yunzhao had no mind to pay attention to these things at the moment, and was only anxiously recalling whether Lou Chengjing had noticed anything amiss that day.
She was only responsible for supplying ingredients to Biyuefang, and this part was clearly handled entirely by Granny Chen. What was there for the shop owner to talk to her about?
Yan Yunzhao remained silent for a long time, but Lou Chengjing broke the silence: "I've heard that Miss Yan's cooking skills are superb. I wonder how her pastry skills are? Would you like the pastries made by the chefs of my Biyuefang?"
Exhausted at the moment, she replied casually, "Young Master Lou, you're too kind. I make very few pastries, so they certainly can't compare to those of your chef."
"It's alright. We can talk more once we get to the neighborhood. Miss Yan seems a bit tired. I wonder if my brother has upset her?"
elder brother?
Upon hearing those two words, a string seemed to tighten in Yan Yunzhao's mind. She straightened her back and asked, "Could it be... that the elder brother you mentioned is Lou Su?"
The surname Lou is uncommon. When Yan Yunzhao first heard that the owner of Biyuefang was surnamed Lou, he didn't look like Lou Su, so he just thought it was a coincidence. He had asked Lou Su a few days ago, but since the two were cousins, they had never been in contact, which was quite suspicious. Now that he had received Lou Chengjing's affirmative answer, he no longer had any worries.
"That's right." Lou Chengjing's smile remained unchanged as he stretched out his long legs and leaned against the sedan chair.
Yan Yunzhao frowned and looked him up and down. The man was dressed in luxurious clothes with intricate patterns and exquisite workmanship. He had a calm and composed demeanor, as if he had been pampered since childhood, which was completely different from Lou Su's frugal and simple lifestyle.
Yan Yunzhao asked cautiously, "I've never heard Lou Su mention him before. Is he a cousin or a distant relative?"
"What, your brother didn't even tell you this?"
Lou Chengjing leaned forward, resting his elbow on his leg while holding the fan, his eyes smiling as he glanced sideways at Yan Yunzhao.
The close gaze made her a little uncomfortable, and she subtly shrank back, a small movement that Lou Chengjing noticed.
"My brother treats you badly? I heard you've been living together for a long time, yet he hasn't even thought of taking you home to meet him." Lou Chengjing sneered, "That's true, if you knew his family's situation, you would have run away long ago."
Yan Yunzhao glanced at him and said coldly, "Lou Su and I are not in that kind of relationship. He is my waiter and I am his boss. It's that simple. Lou Su said not to believe the rumors, but he believed them himself."
"Driver, stop the carriage."
Yan Yunzhao shouted to stop the carriage, got up and lifted the curtain to get off, but Lou Chengjing grabbed his wrist.
"Don't rush off, sister-in-law?"
Lou Chengjing grabbed her wrist and forced her to turn around. With his other hand, he rummaged in his pocket for a while and pulled out a hairpin. It was simple in design and was the one she had accidentally lost.
"Was it you who eavesdropped on our conversation at Biyuefang that day?" Lou Chengjing said slowly. "There are always stray cats who accidentally wander in, thinking they are safe, but little do they know they have become prey."
Yan Yunzhao was initially annoyed, but upon hearing this, he got goosebumps all over: Does this guy think he's some kind of melodramatic CEO from a soap opera? I couldn't even read such an awkward line.
She didn't want to deal with this strange murderer, but her wrist was gripped tightly and she couldn't break free. Lou Chengjing was incredibly strong; even though the grass demon's strength was already greater than that of ordinary people, she still couldn't defeat him.
"Sister-in-law, we haven't had our tea yet, don't rush off."
Lou Chengjing stopped pretending to smile, his dark eyes revealing a chilling intent as he pinched her wrist until it turned red.
Yan Yunzhao couldn't help but shiver; her intuition told her that this person intended to kill her.
The familiar pattern of uncovering a conspiracy, stepping on a tree branch and leaving "evidence" of her presence, and then coming to her door to kill her to cover it up is back in front of everyone. Who wouldn't sigh and wonder why fate is chasing after her?
"What happened that day was an accident. I'm not interested in what I said to you, nor do I have time to gossip about you. You can rest assured, Master Lou. May I leave now?"
Yan Yunzhao's tone was curt, and she didn't give him a friendly look. Based on his disregard for etiquette in keeping him there, she was certain that Lou Su didn't acknowledge her as having a younger brother. Otherwise, why would her cousin be out there indulging in pleasure while her older brother was seriously ill and wandering the world alone?
"Nothing important happened that day, you know it and you know it, I won't do anything to you."
Lou Chengjing released her hand, leaned back casually in his chair, and stared at her as he added, word by word, "But I have to say a few good words for my brother. He has gone to great lengths to protect your peaceful life."
"Is this all you wanted to say?"
Yan Yunzhao looked incredulous, but his heart was pounding as he tried to decipher the meaning behind his words.
“My brother has his reasons for keeping you by his side. I’ve been busy with various matters since we parted a few days ago and haven’t had time to look after you. Now that I have some free time, I want to see who you are that deserves such treatment from him.”
As he spoke, Lou Chengjing picked up two fingers and probed between her eyebrows. Yan Yunzhao tried to dodge but couldn't, and felt a coolness on her forehead.
Why are his hands so cold?
Lou Chengjing glanced at her indifferently, withdrew his hand, and smiled in a somewhat eerie way: "No wonder."
Yan Yunzhao shook off his hand and took two steps back to keep her distance, saying impatiently, "I'm just an ordinary woman who happened to come up the mountain to save your brother. He has no money for medical treatment, and I just happen to be starting a business to make money. I'm afraid I'll disappoint you."
Lou Chengjing raised an eyebrow, pondering the meaning behind her words: "Although I don't understand what you're talking about, you and Lou Su will live in Biyuefang from now on. Don't even think about going anywhere until I figure out what special things you have."
Yan Yunzhao glanced at him and said disdainfully, "Master Lou, it seems I need to remind you that it is illegal to imprison people in Daqi without authorization."
"Breaking the law?" Lou Chengjing raised his eyes with a smile. "Do you have an ultimatum?"
"I already had someone investigate you, but the entire Ministry of Revenue didn't have an ultimatum for you. Of course, I'm not interested in where you came from. As long as you cooperate with me honestly, I can process the ultimatum for you."
Unexpectedly, Lou Chengjing had some powerful backers. Yan Yunzhao couldn't persuade him otherwise, but he wouldn't compromise either: "I have a good relationship with the county magistrate. If my three younger sisters find out I'm gone, they will definitely report it to the authorities. Then the news will spread everywhere that Lou Chengjing has abducted women. Will you still be able to do business then?"
"Dare to threaten me?" Lou Chengjing sneered. "Then let's see if I'm afraid of reporting to the authorities first, or if you're afraid of being expelled from Daqi first."
My words just now were merely meant to remind Lou Chengjing that both he and the Three Grass Demons were currently unregistered residents, and according to the law, they would indeed be expelled from Daqi if they were discovered.
Yan Yunzhao's tone softened: "I can go with you, but you have to promise me a few things."
Lou Chengjing remained silent, but gestured with his chin to signal her to continue.
"First, you must bring my three younger sisters to live with you. Second, you cannot interfere with my business. Third, you must guarantee my right to life, health, and other basic human rights. In short, strictly follow the laws of Daqi and do not mistreat or mistreat me."
"Okay, no problem."
Lou Chengjing pursed his lips, agreeing more readily than expected.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of Biyuefang. The two entered the building one after the other and took their seats in the reception hall of the small building. Yan Yunzhao silently drank her tea, while Lou Chengjing leaned back in his chair, as if trying to see through her.
"You're not good-looking either. Besides your special physique, what is it about you that makes you so attractive?"
Yan Yunzhao nearly choked on the hot tea she had just swallowed. The words "not good-looking" pierced her ears clearly. She wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and retorted, "Everyone has their own ambitions. Of course, I can't compare to Lord Lou's noble birth. I wonder why Lord Lou gave up life in the capital and came to this remote town?"
"Miss Yan has excellent insight." Lou Chengjing picked up his teacup, took a sip, but offered no further explanation.
It wasn't difficult for Yan Yunzhao to tell that he was a member of the royal family from the capital.
According to the maids and servants below, the furnishings in the hexagonal building of Biyue Lane were all brought by the owner of the building himself, and were extremely precious. She saw that the porcelain vases were exquisitely arranged, with the seals of the best official kilns on the bottom of the vases. The gilded hibiscus incense burner and the purple-gold beast teacup were also not things that ordinary merchants could find. She guessed his identity to a large extent. Now that she had tested him, she found that he was indeed right.
What puzzled her was that her cousin came from a wealthy family, so why was Lou Su's family so destitute?
Since it involved family secrets, she didn't want to ask too much. She tentatively asked, "Master Lou is very wealthy, but Lou Su has been ill for a long time. Isn't there any way to cure his illness?"
Lou Chengjing picked up his teacup and blew on the tea foam: "It's incurable. His whole family is like that, only he and his grandfather are left to barely survive. But it won't last long, the same disease may recur in my family."
This was exactly the same situation Lou Su had told her. After all, they were cousins, not born of the same father and mother, so it was normal for the situation to be different. Therefore, she did not ask any further questions. Now that the divine artifact was in her hands, the illness of her clansmen would surely gradually recover.
"Master, the Osmanthus Pastries from Qu Shui Liu Shang are ready. The cook asked me to bring them up for you to try and see if there's anything that can be improved."
The servant brought over a dark porcelain plate with three kinds of pastries shaped like flower petals, which emitted a rich osmanthus fragrance as soon as they were served.
Lou Chengjing, annoyed at being interrupted, got up leisurely, picked up a piece of pastry, and put it in his mouth. Before he could even chew two bites, his face changed drastically, and he spat it out with a "pui" sound.
"This thing dares to call itself Osmanthus Pastry? How dare they try to fool me with this? Call the cook here."
Lou Chengjing was furious. He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief in disgust and was about to lash out when Yan Yunzhao stopped him: "Let me try it."
She picked up a perfectly intact pastry from the plate and put it in her mouth. The pastry was crisp and fragrant, and although it had the aroma of osmanthus, it was clearly not well preserved.
"Where's the kitchen? Let me try."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com