Chapter 9: The Cycle of Cause and Effect, He's Reborn Through Tribulations! He's Actually a Favored Official of the Imperial Court...
Inside the luxurious room, an exquisitely crafted jade screen blocks the view, while a faint scent of sandalwood wafts through the air, creating an intoxicating atmosphere.
Suddenly, a thud was heard in the room, and a group of people knelt down. Then Yan Jingshan scolded, "Useless! You can't even explain how the young master was injured."
Behind the screen, lying on a rosewood bed was none other than Zhao Jinghuan. At this moment, his lips were pale, and his complexion was even worse than when he had fainted.
However, Dr. Li, who had just woken up, was sitting at the head of his bed.
Seeing him frown, Yan Jingshan asked anxiously, "Divine Doctor, how is my child?"
Doctor Li glanced at Zhao Ying, Cui Shihai, Cui Fuyu, and the others, and simply said, "There's nothing seriously wrong."
Yan Jingshan nodded in relief and then asked Cui Fuyu about the situation at that time.
Cui Fuyu was puzzled as to why Zhao Jinghuan would suddenly vomit blood and faint, but she told him everything truthfully, and even mentioned the insects, explaining that he vomited blood and fainted after stepping on an insect.
Cui Fuyu glanced at the shoes on her feet with disdain and decided to burn them when she got back. She thought it was such a waste to throw them away after wearing them for the first time.
Yan Jingshan was still wondering if Cui Fuyu was behind it, but her expression changed drastically after hearing about the insects. Now she understood everything. Her son's attempt to cast the Gu poison failed, and he was even backfired by the mother Gu, which led to this whole mess.
And there was nothing she could do; it was truly heartbreaking!
Her son's attempt to cast the spell failed miserably; it was time-consuming, laborious, and expensive, and he ended up suffering a backlash.
Yan Jingshan was momentarily dazed and could only stand up with the help of her personal nanny. She said sadly, "Please forgive me, Sister Ying. The Prince's Mansion is really having bad luck. So I won't keep you for lunch. Go back early. I won't see you off."
Zhao Ying nodded. With one mishap after another occurring at Prince Gong's mansion, she didn't want to stay there either.
Who knows if they'll suffer the same fate as Prince Gong's Mansion?!
Yan Jingshan pointed to a head maid to lead the way.
The Cui family returned home.
It was already close to noon, and there wouldn't be enough time to prepare lunch if they went back to the Cui residence now, so Cui Fuyu suggested that they eat at Zuixianglou before going back.
Zuixianglou's food is recognized as the best in the entire capital, and the dishes prepared by the cooks are always fresh.
Her mention of Zui Xiang Lou made the people in the car genuinely miss the taste of the restaurant's food.
Cui Shihai immediately told the driver to go to Zuixianglou.
Inside Zuixianglou Restaurant, it was packed with people at mealtime. The main hall was chaotic and noisy, with square dining tables on both sides and a narrow aisle in the middle that could accommodate three people. Waiters were moving around serving dishes, and the aroma of food mingled with the sounds of conversation, creating a lively and extraordinary scene.
Cui Fuyu stepped forward and asked, "Manager, are there any private rooms upstairs?"
"Let me see." The innkeeper flipped through the private room records. "The 'Ten Mile Fragrance' restaurant on the third floor is now available."
Upon hearing that there were still private rooms available, Cui Fuyu immediately prepared to come down.
The shopkeeper called a little girl to lead the way, and the little girl was very respectful as they walked up the stairs.
It left a very good impression.
Upon entering the private room, there was a menu on the table, which was the most fashionable illustrated booklet available these days.
Cui Shihai ordered two dishes that his wife and daughter liked. He wasn't picky, and then passed them on to Zhao Ying, who only ordered a soup.
Cui Fuyu closed the menu with pictures, and added two more of her favorite dishes. "That's all for now. Tell the kitchen to hurry up."
After the little girl agreed, she served them tea and said, "Please wait a moment, distinguished guests. I'll go to the kitchen to serve the dishes."
After saying that, she stepped back to the door and gently closed it.
Their room's window faced the main entrance of Zuixianglou, and Cui Fuyu could see all the guests coming and going. She watched with great boredom, her fingers idly turning her teacup, her chin resting on one hand. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she revealed a meaningful smile.
Cui Fuyu saw Su Zhiyao and Liang Xiaoyun, and thought that it had been almost half a month since they last met at the poetry gathering.
Moreover, she just noticed that the two of them seemed to have had a fight!
Su Zhiyao's one-sided neglect of Liang Xiaoyun is not a good thing.
Cui Fuyu decided to help Liang Xiaoyun coax the beauty.
She smiled at her parents who were chatting idly: "Father, Mother, I just saw a friend coming to Zuixianglou. I'd like to go down and find her for a while, is that alright?"
Cui Fuyu had just caused quite a commotion at the Prince's mansion, and fearing her parents wouldn't allow it, she cautiously observed their expressions and asked.
Cui Shihai doted on his daughter the most, so he naturally spoiled her even more, since he, as her father, would take the blame no matter how big the trouble she caused.
Zhao Ying figured she must be upset at the Prince's residence. Since the food hadn't been served yet, it wouldn't hurt to let her go out and play for a while.
They both nodded at the same time. Cui Shihai looked at her with a loving expression and said, "Remember to come back for dinner, it's all your favorite food!"
Cui Fuyu nodded emphatically, beaming with joy, and got up to head towards the door.
She slowly descended the steps and reached the top, where she saw Su Zhiyao. Before she could greet him, Su Zhiyao had already greeted her.
Su Zhiyao walked quickly toward Cui Fuyu and greeted her sweetly.
"Miss Cui!"
Because Cui Fuyu had helped Chi Yanzhou at the last poetry gathering, Su Zhiyao still remembered her very well and had slightly changed her previous opinion of her.
She thought to herself: Rumors really do cause harm!
Cui Fuyu looked back at the two of them, "What a coincidence, Miss Su and Young Master Liang are also here for dinner?"
She glanced at Liang Xiaoyun's face out of the corner of her eye, and it looked even worse than when she had seen him upstairs. She carefully asked, "Why does Mr. Liang look so pale? Did you two have a fight?"
Cui Fuyu walked side by side with Su Zhiyao, secretly tugging at the other's sleeve to ask what could have caused the two of them to quarrel.
Su Zhiyao felt it was a trivial matter and there was no need to tell him; it was a private matter.
So she changed the subject: "It's nothing, Liang Xiaoyun just has this bad temper. In a few days, there will be a grand temple fair at Bailong Temple outside the city to celebrate the temple's centennial. I wonder if I would have the honor of inviting Miss Cui to attend?"
Cui Fuyu had heard about the temple fair outside the city, but he hadn't been interested in it these past two days and had declined many invitations...
Seeing that she was at a loss for words, Su Zhiyao pondered for a moment and then said, "It's alright if Miss refuses!"
Upon hearing this, Cui Fuyu covered her mouth with her sleeve and smiled, "May I call you Zhiyao? You don't have to always call me Miss Cui, just call me Fuyu."
She thought that rather than becoming enemies with the male and female protagonists, it seemed like a good option to try becoming friends. If that didn't work out, then becoming enemies would also be fine.
Perhaps, if the Cui family really falls into trouble, they might be able to make an exception for them out of consideration for their friendship.
Furthermore, in the dream, it was the two of them who worked together to uncover the case of the Cui family.
Despite the resentment, nothing had happened yet in this world. In the dream, Su and Liang were also ordered to investigate the case, so the resentment dissipated over time.
More important than hatred is finding out who wants to harm the Cui family!
Therefore, Cui Fuyu was more willing to befriend Su Zhiyao and Liang Xiaoyun.
Su Zhiyao looked at her in surprise: "Of course you can, but Miss is of noble status... Wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to do this?"
Cui Fuyu shook his head: "There's nothing wrong with it. It's been a long time since I've ridden a horse out for a ride. Shall we ride horses to the temple fair?"
Cui Fuyu didn't want to always travel by carriage, feeling like she was trapped in a square box and missing the scenery along the way, but she was also worried about whether Su Zhiyao would mind.
To everyone's surprise, Su Zhiyao readily agreed: "Okay, then I'll invite Yanzhou to go together."
Liang Xiaoyun stared at the two people in front of her who were chatting happily, especially since Su Zhiyao showed no intention of mentioning herself. Suddenly, she let out a soft hum, making a noise.
"Zhiyao isn't planning to take me?"
Su Zhiyao retorted irritably, "You!? Go if you want, I heard everything anyway."
Liang Xiaoyun shook her head helplessly and sighed silently.
When they reached the third floor, they passed the Shili Xiang private room. Cui Fuyu said, "This is the private room I'm in. My parents are in there today, otherwise we could have eaten together!"
Su Zhiyao joked, "It's okay, you can come and eat with us too."
No sooner had Su Zhiyao finished speaking than a disturbance occurred in the private room next to them.
The door panel, carrying the person, flew out with a "bang" and landed in the corridor. The tall door panel also damaged the corridor, and wood chips fell into the lobby, startling the diners below.
People below stood up to avoid the sawdust, pointing and wondering what had happened on the third floor.
A middle-aged man dressed in black was beaten out of his room.
Cui Fuyu looked at the familiar face before him, wondering who it was.
She seemed to have seen this person at the Cui residence.
The man angrily got up and shouted, "When did I say I broke my promise? Besides, there are still five days until the repayment date. What is the meaning of you coming to my house today? My wife, children, and elderly parents are still at home watching over me. If my family finds out, I will never forgive you."
The people who beat him were thugs from the gambling den. Today, the gambling den suddenly came to his home to prevent his family from knowing that he had gone gambling and incurred debts.
After much pleading and persuasion, they finally managed to get someone to come to Zuixianglou, but before they could even exchange a few words, the people from the gambling den started making a move.
Upon hearing his voice, Cui Fuyu felt a sudden chill run down her spine, her mind went blank, and she stared at him in disbelief.
It's him!
Cui Fuyu recognized his voice; it was the middle-aged man who had pleaded with the young master to protect him during their secret conversation at the poetry gathering.
He was actually Zhang Chaijie, a salt transport commissioner appointed by the imperial court.
No wonder they have the ability to manipulate salt mines.
It was he who told the young master he was talking about what he would do to the Cui family. The person who was called the young master that day must have deliberately disguised his voice.
Cui Fuyu clenched her fist tightly in her sleeve, biting her lower lip and repeatedly telling herself.
Don't rush, don't rush, find out who's behind this.
Her emotions shifted repeatedly, but she still stepped forward to help him: "How dare you! He is an official of the court. Do you know that beating an official is punishable by five days in prison?"
People from gambling dens shouldn't cause a scene outside. If they are involved in gambling dens and are actually detained by the enforcement department, they might go back and investigate the gambling dens.
When all the shady dealings at the gambling den are exposed, they'll have no way out.
So they glared at Zhang Chaijie and left.
Zhang Chaijie was in excruciating pain and collapsed to the ground, looking as if he had just escaped a disaster.
Cui Fuyu lost interest in chatting with Su Liang and the other two. After telling them the situation, he gave Zhang Chaijie a deep look before returning to Shili Xiang with a livid face.
However, before entering the private room, Cui Fuyu summoned Zhu Jin and asked her to deliver a message to the Chi family.
Cui Fuyu was in an extremely bad mood at the moment, and for some reason thought of Chi Yanzhou.
A note from the author:
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Cui Fuyu: I'm in a bad mood and need a man to comfort me. [Good Luck Lotus]
Sorry everyone, this chapter will still follow the plot. [laughing and crying emoji]
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