Osmanthus fragrans

"Oh, Sister Mu, you're here at last!" Luo Zhiyan, who was chatting with Old Madam Mu, immediately stood up and trotted to the side of Ling Nuning.

Luo Zhiyan had her hair in a bun today. The two little ears on her head bounced around with her movements, looking very lively.

But Mu An Ning's eyelids twitched. He took two steps back, greeted her, and then bowed to his grandmother.

The two of them were not even friends, and she didn't know why Luo Zhiyan wanted to see her today, so that she would visit the Marquis' Mansion at 9:00 p.m.

"An Ning, treat Miss Luo well." Old Madam Mu, who was sitting in the host seat, looked at the two young men of similar age and suddenly spoke.

Mu An Ning raised her eyes and saw her grandmother's face full of smiles, so she could only nod in agreement.

Madam Mu obviously likes Luo Zhiyan very much, or rather, she likes her identity as the cousin of the Prince of Anqing's Mansion.

Although Mu An Ning looked indifferent, Luo Zhiyan's smile did not diminish. Instead, she said eagerly: "Sister Mu, take me to your yard!"

Having said that, she reached out and held Mu An Ning's hand, making the two of them seem like very good friends.

Mu An Ning didn't want to agree, but under the oppressive look of his grandmother, he had no choice but to lead Luo Zhiyan away.

After all, she didn't need to go to Jishitang today, so she had no reason to refuse.

*

Mu An Ning looked at Luo Zhiyan who kept looking around as soon as she arrived at Xiangningxuan, and smiled helplessly: "Miss Luo, what do you want to talk to me about today?"

She has an appointment with Sister Su and Tan Wenhuai today, and she has to go to the teahouse to keep the appointment later, so she needs to prepare.

Upon hearing this, Luo Zhiyan suddenly became embarrassed and poked the maid behind her with her elbow, motioning her to go down. She then turned her gaze to the zither behind Mu An Ning.

Mu An Ning was stunned, and had to say: "Baoqin, you go down first."

After Baoqin left, they were the only two people left in the room. Mu Anning said, "Miss Luo, please stop talking."

All the conversations between Luo Zhiyan and her in the past were only about Gu Huaizhi. Could it be that she came for him today as well?

"Oh, Sister Mu, why are you so distant from Yan'er?" Luo Zhiyan smiled and fluttered her eyelashes a few times: "Sister Mu used to call Yan'er "Sister Luo."

Listening to the sickly sweet voice, Mu An Ning's forearms were covered with a thin layer of goosebumps, but she didn't show it on her face and just hummed.

She did call Luo Zhiyan that, but that was many years ago.

Luo Zhiyan was the same age as her, but a little younger than her, and she was also Gu Huaizhi's cousin. She thought it was reasonable for her to call her that at that time.

But Luo Zhiyan was quite disgusted at that time and ordered her not to shout like that again.

Luo Zhiyan curled her lips and was about to lose her temper, but when she remembered that she had something to ask for, she had to hold it back.

"Sister Mu, Yan'er wants to ask you something today." Luo Zhiyan's face gradually turned red.

Mu An Ning's eyes fell lightly on her face and nodded: "What's the matter?"

Luo Zhiyan hesitated for a long time before asking in a coquettish voice, "Sister Mu, can you make pastries?"

Mu An Ning was stunned for a moment, then nodded doubtfully.

If you can make one kind of pastry, then you should be considered as someone who can cook it.

Although she already knew about this, Luo Zhiyan's face was still filled with joy: "Then Sister Mu, can you teach Yan'er?"

"If Miss Luo wants to learn, why don't you learn from the cook?" Mu An Ning said calmly, "I'm not very skilled, and I can only cook one kind."

Luo Zhiyan smiled. This was exactly what she wanted. She said nonsense, "Those cooks have no patience. Only Sister Mu has patience!"

Seeing that the girl still refused to give in, Luo Zhiyan hurriedly grabbed her arm and said, "Hey, Sister Mu, just teach Yan'er. Yan'er promises that she won't waste too much of your time!"

Today she heard from her maid: To capture a man's heart, you must first capture his stomach.

She didn't think much of it before, but now she finds it seems to make sense.

After all, Brother Huai had broken off his engagement with Mu An Ning, but he still couldn't forget the osmanthus cake she made.

Mu An Ning was a little dizzy from being shaken, and reached out to push Luo Zhiyan's hand away, and then said, "Actually, I haven't done it for a long time, and I can't remember some of the steps clearly."

It is true that I haven’t done it for a long time, but it is false that I can’t remember it clearly.

How could she forget something she had practiced hundreds of times? But she didn't want to do it anymore.

"It's okay, I'll learn whatever Sister Mu teaches me!" Seeing that Mu An Ning still didn't give in, Luo Zhiyan rolled her eyes and suddenly said aggrievedly: "Sister Mu, you don't want to help me pursue Brother Huai, right?"

Mu An Ning's heart skipped a beat. How did Luo Zhiyan end up talking about Gu Huaizhi?

But after a moment, Mu An Ning suddenly realized that Luo Zhiyan had always known what kind of pastries she would make, no wonder she didn't even ask.

"Sister Mu, you don't still like Brother Huai, do you?" Luo Zhiyan stopped pretending, sobbed twice, and pretended to sob: "But you are going to marry someone else..."

Seeing that Luo Zhiyan was getting more and more off topic, Mu Anning took a deep breath and said, "I only have one hour to teach you. I have other things to do later."

Luo Zhiyan's words sounded as if she was deliberately hiding something.

Since Luo Zhiyan wants to learn, then she will teach her. As for who Luo Zhiyan does it for and why she does it, it has nothing to do with her.

Luo Zhiyan immediately rolled up her sleeves with great interest, and smiled faster than turning the pages of a book: "There is no time to lose, Sister Mu, take Yan'er to the kitchen!"

Liu Qingyue has been too arrogant recently. She must teach this overconfident woman a lesson for wanting to marry Brother Huai.

Her aunt was also very upset about this matter. If she could take this opportunity to get Brother Huai to propose to her, wouldn't that also relieve her aunt's worries?

*

Since Mu An Ning didn't want to spend more money, the small kitchen in Xiangningxuan had not been used for a long time.

However, the ingredients for making osmanthus cake are still there.

"By the way, Sister Mu, you are getting married on June 15th?" Luo Zhiyan absentmindedly asked, "Why didn't Sister Mu send someone to deliver the invitation to the palace?"

She hadn't heard it from her aunt, nor from Brother Huai, so it must be that Mu An Ning didn't want to invite them.

Mu An Ning paused while stirring the glutinous rice flour, then said calmly, "It's too early now."

These matters were under the jurisdiction of Mrs. Xu, but she was not actually very clear about them.

Luo Zhiyan frowned and secretly looked at the girl with her long eyelashes.

Even though she didn't want to admit it, Mu An Ning was indeed much prettier than other young ladies from aristocratic families.

Of course, a little worse than her!

Mu An Ning was wearing a moon-white thin skirt today, looking as if she was out of touch with the world. Although she was doing cook's work with her hands, it looked like she was playing the piano or painting.

Luo Zhiyan looked at it for a moment and narrowed her eyes.

...she knew what the problem was.

Mu An Ning was clearly working hard, but why did she still look so calm and composed, with not even a speck of dust on her dress?

Looking at her pink dress covered with glutinous rice flour, Luo Zhiyan puffed up her cheeks and quietly glared at the girl beside her: "Then Sister Mu, don't forget to invite Yan'er and Brother Huai. We have been playmates since childhood."

Anyway, it was a done deal that Mu An Ning would marry that Tan Wenhuai, so she wasn't worried that Mu An Ning still had feelings for Brother Huai.

Brother Huai doesn't seem to have given up yet, but if he witnesses Mu An Ning getting married with someone else, he might also want to start a family.

Upon hearing this, Mu An Ning nodded, but her drooped eyelashes trembled.

Based on her understanding of her adoptive parents and grandmother, they would definitely send an invitation to the Anqing Palace.

But she didn't want Gu Huaizhi to get involved in her marriage.

"Sister Mu, how much sugar should I add?" Luo Zhiyan frowned, looking embarrassed.

Mu An Ning came back to her senses and said, "Two spoons will do." She paused, then remembered who Luo Zhiyan was making it for, and had to correct herself, "...four spoons."

In fact, she didn't know the difference between two spoonfuls of sugar and four spoonfuls of sugar.

When Baoqin first tried it, she said two spoonfuls was just right, but Gu Huaizhi complained that it was not sweet enough.

Luo Zhiyan looked suspicious, but did as she was told: "Four spoonfuls? Isn't that too sweet?"

Without waiting for Mu An Ning to answer, Luo Zhiyan added two more spoonfuls of sugar: "I almost forgot, Brother Huai likes sweet things, so the more sugar the better."

Mu An Ning moved her lips as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. However, she decided not to meddle in other people's business. A thought with a hint of revenge even popped up in her mind: just make him die of sweetness.

*

"Baoqin, let's take this food box back to the carriage." After entering the teahouse, Mu Anning glanced at the food box in Baoqin's hand and suddenly said.

Previously, she and Luo Zhiyan accidentally made a bunch of osmanthus cakes. Luo Zhiyan took away all the osmanthus cakes she made, and also took away some of her own.

However, there are still quite a few left.

Mu An Ning couldn't eat it herself, and Bao Qin also refused to eat it no matter what.

But wasting food is not a good thing, so she impulsively took the food box with her to the teahouse.

Baoqin was slightly surprised, and then she stuffed the food box directly into her young lady's hands, and said, "Young lady, you finally did it once. Why don't you send it to me suddenly?"

Today, she was surprised to hear that Miss Luo came to learn how to make osmanthus cake from Miss.

But later the young lady said she wanted to give the osmanthus cake to Mr. Tan, and she felt relieved. The young lady finally remembered her future aunt.

Mu An Ning tightened her fingers holding the lunch box and cleared her throat: "I...I wonder if Mr. Tan will like it."

Her action was too abrupt. If Tan Wenhuai didn't like it but accepted it for her face, that would be really not good.

"According to Baoqin, there is no way that Mr. Tan would not like it and he really cherishes it..." Baoqin raised her eyebrows. This Mr. Tan has deep feelings for the young lady and he would definitely like whatever the young lady gives him.

What's more, they have already arrived at the teahouse, so why should they retreat?

While Mu An Ning was still hesitating, Bao Qin leaned close to her ear and whispered, "But Miss, why are you still calling me 'Mr. Tan'?"

She still has to help the young lady realize her feelings as soon as possible and not let her continue to be trapped in the past.

Mu An Ning was stunned and blinked: "Then...what is it called?"

Although Tan Wenhuai had said before that she could just call him by his name, she still felt it was a little strange.

Seeing that the waiter was about to lead them to their seats, Baoqin said with a smile: "Baoqin thinks that the young lady should call her the same way as Miss Su calls her."

Mu An Ning's eyebrows twitched. How did Sister Su call him?

...Ahuai?

While Mu An Ning was stunned, Bao Qin smiled meaningfully: "Miss, Bao Qin will not follow you."