Helan Ruizhe didn't say anything and just looked at her in silence. In fact, he wanted to say that he also felt very depressed.
But this is a date after all, so we have to be happy. He changed the subject: "Where are we going next?"
Jin Suting straightened up, breathing less heavily, and said, "I don't know!"
Helan Ruizhe: "..."
Jin Suting smiled sheepishly and said, "I'm hungry. How about we go eat something first?"
"good."
West Street was very busy today. When Jin Suting and Helan Ruizhe arrived in front of Zuixianlou, they could hardly move forward.
There were crowds of people, and the sound of gongs and drums came from far away, making it very lively.
Fortunately, Helan Ruizhe's aloof temperament prevented most people from getting close to him, thus saving them from being squeezed into a meat patty.
"What day is it today? Why is it so lively?" Jin Suting shouted loudly in Helan Ruizhe's ear because of the noise around her.
He replied calmly, "I don't know."
Jin Suting's former barbecue stall was right across from Zuixianlou, below the East and West Buildings. The fishmongering lady spotted her and greeted her warmly, "Miss Jin!"
Jin Suting also saw the woman selling fish, "Auntie Wang!"
She patted Helan Ruizhe's shoulder and said, "Let's go over there and talk. There are fewer people there."
Helan Ruizhe nodded and walked forward, "There are too many people, hold me."
"Ah?" Jin Suting was panicked for a moment, as if someone had also said the same thing to her here - hold my hand.
Jin Suting still didn't do as he said, but just held his wide sleeve, a small corner of his clothes.
The people in front of him unconsciously made way for him when they saw him, for fear that their clothes would be stained by the noble young man's clothes.
Jin Suting followed behind him, with a bit of a fox-taking-advantage attitude.
Soon they arrived at the fishmonger's stall smoothly. Jin Suting was the first to greet her: "Aunt Wang, it looks like business is good today~"
Aunt Wang had already bought most of the fish by now, and there were only a few still swimming in the water.
It was indeed a good business, but she modestly said, "It's not as good as your barbecue business!"
Aunt Wang invited them in, and because she was afraid that passersby outside would squeeze them, she said, "Isn't Miss Jin taking a day off today?"
Jin Suting briefly introduced Helan Ruizhe and said, "Come out with friends to play and relax."
Helan Ruizhe's eyes flickered. Aunt Wang saw that although Helan Ruizhe was wearing a mask, she could tell from his figure that he was an extremely handsome man.
So he said, "Miss Jin, you are so lucky!"
"Ah?" Jin Suting didn't understand what Aunt Wang was referring to, but Helan Ruizhe already knew.
It seems that Aunt Wang misunderstood the word "friend" that Jin Suting said as meaning something else.
It was better not to continue this topic to avoid embarrassing Susu later. Helan Ruizhe took the initiative to say, "Aunt Wang, what's going on today that makes West Street so lively?"
Aunt Wang, with an expression that said, "You don't even know this," pointed at the East and West Buildings over there and shouted, "Oh my! That's a grand opening! I'm afraid everyone in Funing City will be here. Who wouldn't want to show their support for a restaurant opened by Prince Helan?"
It's opening soon...
Jin Suting didn't even know that today was the opening day of the East and West Buildings. She turned to Helan Ruizhe and said, "Shall we go in and take a look?"
Helan Ruizhe: "What are you looking at?"
"Eating, of course!"
"Is the food at Zuixianlou not delicious?"
"Hey, isn't that the restaurant opened by your uncle? Why don't you support it? Besides, I've contributed to the research of their recipes! Why don't you support me?"
"....good."
At this time, Aunt Wang realized something was wrong and pointed at Helan Ruizhe, "Uncle? Are you the Crown Prince?"
Jin Suting grabbed Aunt Wang's hand and pleaded with a smile, "Shh! Don't tell anyone~"
Aunt Wang nodded blankly.
So Jin Suting pulled Helan Ruizhe's clothes and let him lead them into the East and West buildings. It was very lively outside the building, but very quiet inside.
This is consistent with what Helan Yinsheng said at the beginning, that it is a place only for nobles.
The restaurant has three floors. The first floor is for lower-end dining, catering exclusively to officials below the third rank and their families. Each seat is screened, lit with incense, and decorated with wooden plants, offering a level of privacy comparable to the private rooms at Zuixianlou.
The first floor is so luxurious, Jin Suting sighed. It took less than a year from the construction to the completion and opening of the East and West Buildings.
"Wait for me here." Helan Ruizhe said to Jin Suting, then walked to the shopkeeper and asked for a private room on the second floor.
Jin Suting didn't look at the layout of the first floor anymore. After all, there were people eating there, and it would be impolite to stare at them like that.
Jin Suting followed Helan Ruizhe upstairs. She found that she felt safer with Helan Ruizhe than with Qin'er.
The second floor is for high-end consumption, and only officials of the third rank and above, or their families, can go up there. Helan Ruizhe had just shown the shopkeeper Yuan Jing's token. Yuan Jing was a second-rank military officer in the imperial court. The shopkeeper was naturally overjoyed to have a second-rank official come and spend money on the first day of business.
The stairs leading upstairs were made of wood and were densely carved with patterns. Jin Suting felt it felt very good and couldn't help but touch the handrail while going up the stairs.
Helan Ruizhe turned his head and asked her, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"Ah? No." Jin Suting replied.
"You can hold on to me, no need to hold on to the handrail." Helan Ruizhe said seriously.
Jin Suting laughed and took her hand away from the armrest. "I won't support you, and I won't hold the armrest either."
Going up to the second floor was an eye-opener for Jin Suting. It felt like the lobby of a five-star hotel. There was a counter in the middle, the service counter. If a guest dining or resting in a private room encountered any problems or danger, the second-floor counter would handle it immediately.
The doors of the private rooms are all made of pure wood, which makes people think that this is the style of the private rooms.
Very elegant and gentle.
Helan Ruizhe pushed open a door near the stairs and politely let Jin Suting go in first.
As she entered the room, she smelled a familiar fragrance. Jin Suting didn't like fragrance very much. If she smelled a fragrance that didn't suit her, she would probably vomit or even go crazy.
However, the fragrance in the private rooms of the East and West Buildings did not have this feeling at all. It was very similar to the fragrance she smelled in the private rooms of Zuixian Building those days.
"Do you like the taste?"
Helan Ruizhe also came in and asked her.
"Ah? How did you figure that out?" Jin Suting was a little surprised by his attentiveness.
Helan Ruizhe: "Your face says 'I like this taste', I see it."
"Hey, that's exaggerated, okay!"
Helan Ruizhe smiled: "If you like, I can give you some."
"Give it to me?" Jin Suting didn't understand again.
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