Yangzhou Sixteen
Qianlixiang, a famous building in Yangzhou, is built on the edge of a lake. It is not an independent pavilion, but several pavilions connected together with flying eaves and painted corners, overlooking the rippling blue waves or the bustling street scenes. Not only is the lobby floor bright, but each room also has a unique view.
In the lobby, graceful women danced to the accompaniment of music, creating a lively atmosphere. Ingeniously designed corridors spun around, and waiters shuttled back and forth, replacing cups and plates. Fragrant dishes were delivered to the various rooms one after another.
Inside the lakeside suite on the third floor, hollow carved window lattices let in dappled sunlight. Famous paintings hang on three walls, creating an elegant atmosphere. Behind a carved white jade screen, a round rosewood table rests, upon which a variety of delicacies are gradually being served.
"Fresh fruit spring pancakes, steamed yogurt with sugar, steamed chestnut flour cake with osmanthus sugar, pearl jade rice dumplings, eight-treasure sweet duck..."
Su Zirui folded his arms across his chest, his expression growing colder as the waiter announced the dishes. He waved his hand to let the waiter go, then he slowly looked at the girl who lowered her head guiltily and dared not look at him.
"Miss Qi, you said you were treating me to a meal, is this what you're going to eat?" He pursed his thin lips slightly, his voice hinted at coldness, and even his address sounded distant.
"Uh, yes, yes... they are all top-quality Thousand Miles Fragrant flowers." Aruo smiled hesitantly.
He glanced at her lightly, tapping the table with his slender white knuckles, and said quietly, "You said you'd treat me to dinner as a thank you for saving my life, but it turns out all the food you like is your favorite?"
She had a sweet tooth, so the table was mostly filled with sweet dishes, especially greasy pastries. He didn't like sweets, a fact she'd known back in Sizhou. If she wasn't being deliberate, it meant she simply didn't care about his preferences.
"Well, I don't know what you like to eat, so I ordered what I think is the most delicious...and not all of them are sweet. The sesame oil roasted chicken and anchovy shark fin are both delicious...If you don't like it, we can order something else." Aruo felt that he saw through her little thoughts and did not dare to look directly into his sharp eyes.
"So when you invite people to a banquet, you don't ask about their preferences beforehand? If you are not sincere, why bother inviting them?" After saying that, Su Zirui stood up, waved his sleeves and was about to leave.
A slender white hand quickly pulled at his sleeve. Aruo raised his eyes and looked at him aggrievedly, "I'm sorry... Don't be angry, I just wanted to eat something sweet."
Su Zirui laughed in anger. Was she still feeling wronged? "Did the Qin family give you anything to eat? Are they even stingy with this little bit of candy?"
"You don't know how miserable I am. Lao Xue said that I can't eat sugar when taking medicine, so Shuangshuang changed all my snacks and meals, and also didn't allow Caixin to steal sweets for me..." God knows how she survived the past half month. Aruo bit her lip and looked up at him pitifully.
The girl's eyes were full of moisture and she bit her red lips lightly, as if she was complaining and angry. Su Zirui snorted coldly. He wouldn't buy it.
"Since the doctor said you can't eat it, just bear with it and wait until you feel better before eating."
"He just said that you can't eat sweets when taking medicine, not that you can't eat them at all! And I'm already well again. Let me tell you, I'm incredibly strong now!" Aruo saw him about to leave, and quickly leaned over to hug his arm.
They simply couldn't understand the obsession of someone with frequent hypoglycemia with sweets. Now she felt groggy every morning, relying entirely on the piece of brown sugar Cai Xin smuggled in for her to get through. Qin Shuang didn't completely ban her, it was just that the supply simply couldn't meet her needs!
"Let go! How shameless of you to be so entangled!" A faint peach scent drifted by her side. Su Zirui's eyes darkened, and he nudged her forehead with his finger, pushing her away. Glancing at her anxious eyes, the corners of her eyes tinged with a faint red, he couldn't help but frown. "What a shame! You're crying over such a small thing?"
Such a delicate thing… He looked at her with disdain, but his long fingers curled up and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. With gentle force, the back of his hand caressed her tender cheek, and the delicate touch made his heart flutter.
Aruo was stunned for a moment and turned his head away uncomfortably, "Who's crying... I just don't have the energy if I don't eat sweets... and I don't know how much longer I can eat..."
Waves of resentment surged up in her, not just about the food, but also about the many past grievances that constantly attacked her emotions. She disliked everything here: the officials who could kill people at will, the colds that could easily kill her, the injuries she had to endure without painkillers, the menstrual belts that leaked at night, the summers without air conditioning... She didn't want any of this. What she wanted was no longer there.
Su Zirui calmly withdrew his hand, remembering that when she felt unwell in Sizhou, she had eaten a bowl of sweet tofu pudding to calm her down. He sighed and sat down. "You're talking nonsense again. If you were truly well, you could eat as much as you wanted. Who would care?"
Having said that, he knew very well that some people wanted to do something the more it was impossible for them to do it, and it seemed that this girl was one of them.
In the future... we have to keep a closer eye on it.
After being scolded by him, she realized that she had been a bit presumptuous. Aruo quickly swallowed all her emotions, her eyes slightly complicated. She seemed to be completely defenseless against the man in front of her, subconsciously relying on him. This was too scary.
Putting aside his distracting thoughts, Aruo sniffed and smiled sheepishly, "Then... can I eat now?"
Su Zirui nodded indifferently, took the wine she poured over and handed to him, took a sip, his dark eyes brightened, "Not bad."
"It is an honor for this beautiful Dongting Lake to have a nice word from you, sir." Although Aruo wanted to get some sweets, she also wanted to thank him sincerely for saving her several times.
"The fragrance floats on the table when the bottle is opened, and the light from the raised cup shines into the window. I am about to pour the Anren wine, so don't let me smell it from far away." Su Zirui half-closed his eyes and looked at the liquid in the exquisite bone china wine glass.
Holding her chin with both hands, she watched him drink the wine in one gulp. Aruo's eyes curved, "Master Su, can you order something else you like? I remember the Longjing Tea Fragrance Chicken and Guanyin Shrimp are both good. I'm sure you like them."
Holding down her hand that was about to beckon the waiter, Su Zirui said with a faint smile, "No, it would be a waste to have more. If it's good, we'll eat it next time."
Since the customer was satisfied, Aruo didn't insist. She took the chopsticks he handed her and took a satisfied bite of the steamed chestnut flour cake with osmanthus sugar. It was sweet and soft, the chewy chestnut filling blending perfectly with the sweetness of the osmanthus sugar. She was almost in tears with satisfaction.
The girl in front of me licked her lips, a sweet smile on her face.
Su Zirui looked at her with amusement and anger. He knew he had to limit her intake, but he couldn't bear to see her feel disappointed.
"Hurry up and eat, this sesame oil roasted chicken is delicious." Aruo took a sip of tea embarrassedly and picked up a piece of chicken thigh for him.
Su Zirui stared at the chicken in the bowl in astonishment, his face stern. "You...are always so casual. If someone with ulterior motives saw you, it would damage your reputation."
Today, she had formally handed him an invitation, yet he had left the windows and door open, using only a screen to block the way. They hadn't been particular about it in the past, but since it wasn't a public place, he had his own reasons for not caring. However, the thought of her being so close to other people made him feel uncomfortable.
"Su Feng, please don't bring up these worldly prejudices when I'm happy, okay?" Aruo put down the serving chopsticks, picked up her own chopsticks, picked up the chicken in the bowl and stuffed it into her mouth, then took a moment to look up at him, "Do you think I don't have a sense of boundaries with anyone? I still know what to do in different situations. It's just that life may be very short. This world is boring enough. If I have to be so distant from people I know well, what's the point? People only pay attention to those who are always around them. If they become unfamiliar, maybe we will become strangers after we part ways."
Not everyone is like them, parting in the capital only to meet again in Sizhou and Yangzhou. This world is too dangerous; who knows if the next separation will be forever? When we have the chance, spend time together well. Even if the separation is permanent, there will be fewer regrets.
This was the first time Su Zirui had heard such a statement. He had a small family with no siblings, and his family relationships were average. Due to his personality, he didn't have anyone to cling to. But as she said, if one were to be so distant and cautious with those close to them, life would be meaningless. If one truly had someone close to them, they would definitely... be closer.
"Miss, you have a good insight. Su toasts to you." Su Zirui was not a person who stuck to the rules. He smiled and raised his glass to her.
"No, no, not as good as you, sir~" Aruo raised her glass and took a sip, only to find that her glass had been replaced with a teacup. In this room, besides her, there was only...
"You can't drink alcohol, and I don't want to taste this delicacy in front of a Guan Gong." Su Zirui tilted his head, his posture casual, and leisurely watched her expression go from surprise to suspicion and finally to a smile.
Aruo's eyes were sparkling, and even when she pursed her lips, she couldn't suppress the upturned corners of her mouth. She felt as if her heart was filled with honey, so sweet that it made her a little inexplicably shy.
This strange awkwardness lingered in her heart even after they had eaten their fill, causing her to look away in a slight panic whenever her eyes met his.
After drinking tea, it should be time to say goodbye, but for some reason, Aruo suddenly didn't want to leave like this. Her toes fumbled around the floor, her hands cupped around the warm teacup, sipping gently, and she glanced up from time to time.
Just as she coughed lightly and was about to ask what he had been busy with recently, a soft voice came from the side.
"Ruoruo?"
Aruo and the other person looked in the direction of the sound and saw a slender figure standing out among several agile figures outside the white jade hollow screen.
"Aya?" Aruo recognized the voice and stood up quickly. It was indeed Lin Ya.
The woman wore a pleated skirt with silver flowers on the edges, paired with a wide-sleeved, light-gauze gown with a cross-lapel. Her cloud-like hair was tied up in a bun with flowers on it. She looked thin and beautiful, with no trace of the chubby girl she used to be.
Lin Ya was surrounded by several guards. She looked at Aruo hesitantly, then looked at the cold and handsome man opposite her, and clenched her hands nervously.
Su Zirui glanced at Lin Ya, his eyes thoughtful, and nodded at Aruo.
"Come in and sit down. It's rare that we meet. I was injured recently and haven't visited you. Are you okay?" Aruo led her into the room. Lin Ya followed her obediently like when she was a child.
Qin Shuang gave a reasonable explanation for what happened that day. People outside thought that Lin Ya was just frightened during the outing, but she caught a cold after returning home. Her face is still pale now, and even the wedding date has been postponed to early October.
Lin Ya sat down next to A Ruo, her voice as soft as a mosquito, "It's okay... Ruo Ruo, I, I came to buy cakes for A Niang, but Ruo Ruo, I..."
Seeing her bite her red lips several times and her eyes flashing, Su Zirui's eyes turned cold and he raised his eyelids slightly to look at Aruo.
Aruo blinked and said to the guards cheerfully, "Since we've met by chance, we must have a good chat. Brothers, this is my family's restaurant. It's safe. Let's gather here. Brothers, you can go downstairs. I'll ask the shopkeeper to prepare a table of good food and wine as compensation for my willful behavior of dragging you back."
After saying that, he called the waiter to make arrangements.
Lin Ya stared at Aruo closely until she sat back down beside her, then she relaxed. "Aruo, I have something, and I don't know who to tell... But I always feel that my abduction wasn't related to the salt administration. It's very likely because of this."
Her voice was too soft, but Aruo and Su Zirui could hear it clearly.
"What's going on?" Aruo knew Caixin had taken the blame for her, that Luo Yin had intended to attack her to threaten the Qin family, but the men in black had mistakenly captured Caixin. But she had never considered Lin Ya's reason as to why it was anything else.
"That banquet..." Lin Ya cautiously glanced at Su Zirui, who was sitting on the other side. She felt that the other person's aura was more powerful than her own father. She looked at Aruo with panic eyes, and when she nodded, she whispered, "It was a banquet at the home of Mr. Hu, the Tongzhi. I didn't like crowds, so I took the maid to hide in a secluded place... Then, I heard..."
Lin Ya still felt horrified when she recounted what happened that day. She had found a quiet spot, intending to wait until the feast began, when she overheard Lord Hu conversing with a confidant. The confidant had bought three babies at the dark market and presented them to Lord Hu, claiming they were alive and needed to be fed. She had no idea why these people had bought the babies, but she quietly left to avoid causing trouble. Later, sensing something was amiss, she sent her brother's servant to the ghost market to inquire.
"The people in the Ghost Market refused to talk, but I once met a distant cousin who said there might be human trafficking in the Ghost Market to do some shady things, and asked me to remind my brother to pay attention. Not long after that, I was kidnapped. Those people didn't seem to want to kill me. Instead, they kept asking me why I sent people to the Ghost Market... I didn't dare to say it directly, so I said I wanted to go and see it for myself, and that's why I kept asking." Lin Ya finished speaking incoherently. After a moment of fear, she softly snuggled into Aruo's arms, timidly looking up at Aruo, "Ruoruo, tell me, are they... Lord Hu's... Lord Hu has a good relationship with Dad now, I..."
A baby? Aruo's heart trembled, and she subconsciously looked at Su Zirui, only to see him gently shaking his head.
"No, don't talk nonsense. The government has closed the case, which proves that the matter is over. You see, if it was Lord Hu, how could he go to report to your father every now and then? Even when he saw you, he showed concern and greetings. So, this was an accident. Look, isn't our Caixin safe and sound?" Aruo patted her and comforted her softly.
Lin Ya wrapped her arms around her waist and nodded muffledly. Suddenly, she felt a chill down her spine. She frantically looked up, startled to meet a pair of cold, black eyes. Her arms unconsciously loosened, and she buried herself in Aruo's embrace, feeling the gaze grow even colder.
Aruo patted her back, not understanding why.
Su Zirui watched the timid girl desperately trying to get into the girl's arms and rubbing against her chest again and again, while the unaware girl gently patted her and comforted her. He suddenly felt a surge of nameless anger in his heart and secretly accused her of being ridiculous.
The fingers holding the teacup moved slightly, and he lowered his eyes to hide the coldness in his eyes.
Aruo coaxed her a few more times, personally fed her a few bites of sweet cakes, and then sent Lin Ya out. Turning back, she saw Su Zirui's disapproving eyes and cold face, "Master Su... do you also think this is strange?"
What is different is your behavior!
Su Zirui felt depressed and really didn't want to face this slow and stupid girl anymore, so he walked past her and left the room.
After a moment of hesitation, Aruo hurriedly followed him out. While concentrating on pulling the person out, he ignored the threshold, tripped, and almost fell out.
He swiftly turned and caught her, and the soft girl fell into his arms, carrying the sweet scent of osmanthus and her unique peach fragrance. The suffocating feeling just now dissipated instantly, replaced by a mixture of laughter and tears, "I said, can you please be more careful when walking?"
"I..." Aruo stood firm on his hand, and just as she opened her mouth, she saw the person she absolutely didn't want to see at the moment.
Her expression stiffened instantly, her smile twisted unnaturally, her eyelids drooped, and her fingers kept rubbing Su Zirui's sleeves.
The person coming towards him was dressed in gorgeous clothes, with a beautiful face but a stern expression. His pretty eyes stared at the girl in front of him who was leaning in someone else's arms with a half-smile.
"Hey Ruoruo, why did you choose our own restaurant for your private meeting?" Qi Shaozhen behind her quickly opened his folding fan, covering the lower half of his face, revealing only a pair of long, curved eyes that sparkled with interest.
Aruo covered her face, she knew that her senior brother definitely didn't want to be the first to be scolded by his wife, this drama of catching the man red-handed was definitely premeditated!
"Mr. Qi, Madam Qi." Su Zirui helped her stand steadily and saluted with his fists clasped.
Qin Shuang suddenly smiled, her smile as bright and dazzling as a spring flower. "Master Su, I didn't know you were coming, and I didn't ask Ruoruo to entertain you well. If I was rude, please forgive me."
"Thank you very much. Qianlixiang is well-deserved of its reputation." Su Zirui looked at the girl beside him desperately trying to shrink behind him with amusement, and explained for her without revealing any expression, "Miss Qi, out of gratitude for saving me, specially hosted a banquet, and I, Su, was also able to taste this famous Yangzhou delicacy."
Qin Shuang raised her eyebrows slightly, as if she was a little surprised that he would say such polite words, "I see, it is indeed the right thing to do. If you are free in the future, please come to my Qianlixiang anytime. As long as you come, it will be a banquet for my Qin family."
Qin Shuang made a generous promise and looked at the figure who was trying to slip away. His smile instantly disappeared. "Ruoruo, come on, let's go in and sit down."
"Uh," Aruo's heartstrings trembled, and she smiled cutely, "I, I'll go see Master Su off."
Qin Shuang curled her red lips lightly, "Really."
Qi Shaozhen had seen enough of the show and tactfully gestured, "Master Su, please."
Su Zirui watched Qin Shuang lead the girl into the elegant room, somewhat surprised by her complete obedience to him. As he turned and took a step forward, he heard the girl's soft and delicate voice begging for mercy.
"Shuangshuang, my Shuangshuang, my goddess, my favorite... There are reasons for this. Listen to my excuses, no, listen to my explanations. Okay, okay, my most beloved Shuangshuang... I love you~"
Favorite? How can such a word be spoken so casually?
"Get out of the way, are you a dog? Why are you kissing me randomly?" Qin Shuang scolded with a smile in his voice without being angry.
What a nonsense!
Qi Shaozhen coughed lightly a few times, touched his nose and smiled reluctantly, "Well... my sister is more enthusiastic towards her relatives..."
Lord Su suddenly became angry, snorted coldly, and left with his hands behind his back without looking back.
Qi Shaozhen twirled his fan and smiled gently. After everyone left the restaurant, he slowly turned around and went back to rescue the little apprentice sister he had betrayed.
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