The opening of Shizhai was no secret in the capital, requiring no promotion from Hua Zhi. Those young masters from prominent families had been keeping a close watch on it.
Hoping to catch a glimpse of the renowned beauty, they all aimed to outpace one another. As soon as the red silk was unveiled and a string of firecrackers crackled, six or seven of them arrived in quick succession, almost racing to see who could enter first, their steps swift and eager.
Du Cheng, neatly dressed, greeted them inside the courtyard gate, appearing completely oblivious to the underlying tension among them. He bowed deeply to the group and said, "I must inform you, young masters, that Shizhai operates solely on reservations and accepts only one type of ingredient per reservation. The dishes prepared and the cooking methods used are entirely at the discretion of our head chef."
Someone immediately questioned, "What do you mean by reserving only one ingredient? Are you saying I can’t eat here if I want to?"
Du Cheng replied calmly and respectfully, "Such are the rules of Shizhai, and this is what makes our establishment unique."
"That’s quite interesting. Is this really how you run a business? What if the food isn’t good?"
Du Cheng guided the group further inside. "Although we’re not officially open for business today, we won’t let you leave empty-handed. A simple meal is offered for your enjoyment. If you find it pleasing, you may return in the future. If not, there’s no need to waste your silver here again."
One of the men walking among them suddenly spoke up, "Was this rule set by the eldest young lady of the Hua family?"
Du Cheng smiled and nodded. "Yes. The young lady said that all who come are guests. Since Shizhai has opened its doors for business, your presence alone is a gesture of support. She asked me to convey her gratitude."
Ah, so it was the eldest young lady who set the rule. In that case, what more needed to be said? They would comply!
Shizhai essentially functioned as a private club. Though such concepts were overused in later times, here it felt refreshingly novel. The greenery, which might have gone unnoticed elsewhere, was arranged in such a way that even a few casually intertwined branches in the room drew second glances.
Though it was merely a place to dine, the thoughtful layout brought it to life. Some couldn’t help but think that when they didn’t feel like visiting pleasure quarters, gathering here might be a fine alternative.
Today’s ingredients were pork and the most common northern cabbage—one meat, one vegetable. Hua Zhi had anticipated that few guests would come today, so she placed no restrictions on Fu Dong regarding the number of dishes to prepare. She could make as many as she liked, even employing all twenty-eight cooking methods if she wished.
Fu Dong had been in the kitchen since morning and hadn’t emerged since. The room originally prepared for her had now become Hua Zhi and Gu Yanxi’s secret meeting spot—or so Bao Xia muttered, though Ying Chun quickly silenced her. Still, the senior maids were all concerned about this matter. Their young lady and Lu Xiansheng… they were growing too close. Without any formal engagement or betrothal, they feared their young lady might come to harm.
Standing side by side in the shadows, Gu Yanxi chuckled softly. "Your maids are about to burn holes in my back with their stares."
Hua Zhi tilted her head slightly. The man was standing too close, his breath tickling her neck as he spoke. "They’re being quite polite."
If not for their ingrained subservience, they would have already rushed over to separate them.
Gu Yanxi chuckled under his breath.
Hua Zhi shot him a reproachful glance and signaled for Ying Chun to approach.
"Young lady."
"Stay here and take charge. Make decisions as needed."
"Yes." Ying Chun cast a discreet glance at Lu Xiansheng. "Are you planning to return to the residence, young lady?""Before I left, my aunt had her maid send word that she needed to see me." She could guess what it was about and wasn't in any particular hurry, but the girls under her command relied on her too heavily. Only when she wasn't around could they learn to stand on their own feet. Among the five senior maids including Liu Xiang, Ying Chun had the strongest ability to manage overall situations. With her here, nothing would go wrong.
She had too few capable people at her disposal. She herself had to step forward, and the maids she had trained couldn't remain behind her forever as they used to.
Ying Chun's mood visibly dampened, but she still obediently acknowledged the instruction. Their shared understanding was that they must never hold their young lady back no matter what.
Hua Zhi patted her arm, then glanced once more at those reserved young masters examining their surroundings before turning toward the back door. Unsurprisingly, within a few steps the man had fallen in beside her on her left, walking shoulder to shoulder.
She quite liked this subtle show of respect. So after boarding the carriage, she lifted the curtain and invited, "Coming up?"
How could Gu Yanxi refuse? He strode up into the carriage without hesitation.
As the carriage rocked along, Gu Yanxi leaned against the wall and looked at A Zhi. "Did you anticipate those people would come?"
"I have a maid who's quite skilled at gathering information." Especially regarding matters related to her - so unfortunately, she knew about that betting pool among the young gentlemen.
"I learned about it early and originally planned to suppress it. But the involvement was too widespread - if I intervened it might not stay concealed, and who knows how many people would then notice you. So I decided to leave it alone and let them be. I guessed you wouldn't care about such things anyway."
"Why should I care? I should thank them for patronizing my business." Hua Zhi truly didn't mind. As a businessperson, if she could become a selling point herself, what was wrong with that? A transaction with no capital investment!
Gu Yanxi felt pleased with himself for understanding A Zhi so well. Crossing his legs, he rested his chin in his hand and leaned closer to her. "The Lu family sent me an invitation early this morning requesting a meeting."
"Related to the Sixth Prince?"
"That's certainly part of it. Probably some other matters too. His Majesty hasn't made an appearance for some time now - all the civil and military officials are eager to know his exact condition. The Lu family likely wants to gather information from me."
Hua Zhi frowned in thought for a moment, then shook her head. "The Lu family probably has some genuine feeling for you."
"There's sincerity, but not only sincerity."
Hua Zhi understood his meaning. When measured against family interests, everything else had to step aside. This was the norm among noble families, something even the Hua family couldn't completely avoid. She needed to adapt.
"I really wish I could disregard everything and just become a martial arts instructor at the Hua family." Gu Yanxi took her hand and sighed with emotion. "But His Majesty intends for me to continue overseeing governance for a while longer. Having faced life and death, he seems to have gained perspective. He even summoned Master Banruo yesterday."
Hua Zhi also propped her chin in her hand, watching him. "Are you worried he might arbitrarily appoint the crown prince?"
"If only Little Six were three or four years older, I could certainly help him succeed. But now..." Gu Yanxi shook his head, not voicing his deepest concern - that his uncle might be scheming against him. Either the throne would pass to a prince while he remained as regent, or it would be directly bestowed upon him. He wasn't afraid of anything, but he truly didn't covet that position in the slightest. Just thinking about being trapped within those palace walls for a lifetime made him want to flee.
Moreover, A Zhi wouldn't like it either.Looking at the serene woman across from him, Gu Yanxi thought that compared to that position, he would rather travel to distant lands with A Zhi and see the vast world beyond.
OpenNovel