Upon returning from the Prince's residence, Gu Liyan began sending out invitations. The invitations contained no specific names, only a piece of paper with the banquet address written on it—extremely generic.
"Based on the weight of that snake meat, it should be enough to entertain nearly a hundred people. We'll take these invitations and invite the poorest civilians, as well as the soldiers at the rank of city garrison captain. Snake meat is a very nutritious food; let them all have a good nourishing meal and boost their morale!" Mo Han said.
Gu Liyan nodded absentmindedly, but in his heart he was thinking about how to keep it from Liu Mengxian. If he let her meet Wang Qi at the banquet, it would definitely cause unnecessary trouble.
If the two had met before, Gu Liyan wouldn't have needed to worry, since Liu Mengxian was still "Liu Changxian" back then. But now, Wang Qi always gives Gu Liyan a feeling of being unrestrained and wild, and he's afraid that she might say or do something inappropriate after getting to know Liu Mengxian.
However, it seems somewhat naive to hold such a grand banquet, inviting so many people, yet deliberately keeping Liu Mengxian out of the picture.
Just as Gu Liyan was considering whether to tell Liu Mengxian, Liu Mengxian came looking for him, knocking on the door and asking, "Xiao Li, are you there?"
Mo Han, who was drinking tea nearby, pouted and said, "Your little lover is here to see you!"
Gu Liyan stood up with a wry smile and went to open the door. When he opened the door, he saw Liu Mengxian carrying a basket and asked strangely, "Xian'er, you've come. Why did you bring something? My senior brother and I have already eaten. Food is scarce now, so you should keep it for yourself."
Liu Mengxian smiled and said, "This is indeed food, but it's not food to fill your stomach; it's a tonic."
As she spoke, Liu Mengxian opened the lid, and a strong medicinal smell immediately wafted out, which was quite unpleasant.
Gu Liyan's face darkened. "This...this isn't for me, is it?"
"Of course! You're weak and your injuries haven't fully healed. It'll be good to replenish your strength in this smoky, poisonous fog." Liu Mengxian walked in with a smile. She didn't go up to greet Mo Han, who was sitting there drinking tea, since Mo Han's behavior had angered her.
She put down the basket and, in a doting tone, said to Gu Liyan, "Come here and drink it."
Gu Liyan swallowed hard as he looked at the dark "soup" and looked to Mo Han for help, but Mo Han deliberately turned his head away and didn't look at him.
With no hope of getting help, Gu Liyan gritted his teeth and snatched the drink in one gulp. The bitter taste, along with the pungent burnt smell, made it really hard to swallow.
But under Liu Mengxian's expectant gaze, Gu Liyan dared not refuse to drink—
"How was it?" Liu Mengxian asked expectantly after Gu Liyan finished drinking.
Gu Liyan forced down the last mouthful. "Uh... good, delicious!"
"That's great! I thought you couldn't stomach the bitterness! Since you like it, I'll prepare some more for you tomorrow!" Liu Mengxian said happily.
"Huh?!" Gu Liyan almost cried. This tasted even worse than the culinary disasters he had ever eaten before. Who could stand drinking this every day?!
Mo Han, who was standing nearby, almost spat out the tea she was drinking when she heard their conversation.
"No, no need, that's too much trouble. I'm actually much better now," Gu Liyan said hurriedly, patting his thin frame.
"It won't be much trouble. Your health is more important than anything else," Liu Mengxian said stubbornly, looking at Gu Liyan with deep affection.
“Alright—” Gu Liyan smiled wryly, unable to refuse her kindness.
Liu Mengxian put away the medicine bowl, noticed the invitation on the table, picked it up curiously, and asked, "Are you two brothers planning a banquet? When? Here?"
Mo Han, who hadn't spoken until now, finally said, "Yes, it will be here at noon tomorrow."
Holding the invitation tightly in her hand, Liu Mengxian asked, "How's the food preparation? Will there be enough if we invite too many people?"
"Don't worry, my senior brother and I just destroyed a snake's nest, so we're planning to have a snake soup feast to boost morale!" Gu Liyan explained.
Liu Mengxian's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful! Everyone's been feeling down lately, and some have even started to give up on themselves. If we hold a snake soup feast, it will definitely give everyone the courage to fight against the snake people!"
Gu Liyan nodded. "Yes, that's what my senior brother and I think too."
"Let me help you. I've made snake soup before!" Liu Mengxian said.
Gu Liyan and Mo Han's expressions changed immediately. Mo Han hurriedly said, "No need. This matter has already been handed over to the cooking team under my command. We've already used the manpower."
Liu Mengxian glared at Mo Han, who completely ignored her, and said to Gu Liyan, "Then, Xiao Li, shall I help you send out the invitations? Although I haven't been here long, I already know a lot of people."
"They're all randomly distributed to people who can't afford food. Most of them have already been arranged by my senior brothers, so there's no need to bother," Gu Liyan said with an awkward smile.
Seeing that Gu Liyan was not going to use her, Liu Mengxian gestured to the invitation in her hand, pouted, and said, "Then you should at least give me an invitation, right?"
“This…” Gu Liyan looked at Mo Han with an embarrassed expression.
Mo Han glanced at Gu Liyan and said coldly, "Food is limited, and we don't have any extra invitations for you."
Liu Mengxian stomped her foot in anger and pointed at Mo Han, saying, "I'm not a big eater, and I won't eat too much!"
"No, not at all!" Mo Han rolled her eyes and said coldly.
Liu Mengxian's chest heaved as she glared angrily at Gu Liyan, "Little Li, tell me, will you let me go or not!"
"This..." Gu Liyan said helplessly, "The number of people is limited, I'm afraid it really won't be enough..."
Mo Han wouldn't budge, and to make matters worse, Gu Liyan wouldn't let her go either. Looking at Gu Liyan with a pitiful expression, she asked innocently, "Liyan, you're not even letting me attend your banquet?"
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