Tang Yan curled his lips into a smile. "I'm no official, just a wandering martial artist."
Chu Chu blinked at this burly, unshaven man in his thirties. "Wandering martial artists handle cases too?"
Tang Yan glanced at Xiao Jin Yu leaning against the headboard, half-joking and half-complaining, "When your Prince says to handle it, who dares refuse?"
Xiao Jin Yu was flustered by the "your Prince" remark, his expression darkening. "Tang Yan, the coroner is here. Please bring in the deceased."
Tang Yan frowned at the small bowl Chu Chu held in her hands. "Your Highness, your appetite has always been poor. I'm afraid after seeing this corpse, you won't be able to eat for days. Better finish your meal first."
Hearing this, Chu Chu quickly uncovered the bowl and handed it to Xiao Jin Yu. "That's right! A corpse won't get impatient or scold anyone no matter how long it waits, but shrimp steamed egg turns awful once it cools down."
A wave of fresh aroma wafted from the bowl. Though Xiao Jin Yu wasn't hungry, Tang Yan's stomach growled. "I'll go downstairs for some food too—I threw up pretty badly earlier... Enjoy your meal, Your Highness. I'll return shortly."
With that, Tang Yan slipped out the door and drifted down to the dining hall, settling at an empty table. "Xiao Er, a bowl of shrimp steamed egg."
The fragrance from that earlier bowl of shrimp steamed egg was truly tempting—who would have thought a coroner girl from a small town would know how to order so well?
But Xiao Er looked puzzled. "Sir, we don't have that dish here... How about some braised prawns instead?"
Tang Yan glared with his hawk-like eyes. "Are you trying to fool me? A young lady just brought a bowl upstairs."
Xiao Er hurriedly smiled apologetically. "Ah, that young lady! She said her husband was ill and needed something light yet nutritious. Nothing here suited her, so she borrowed the kitchen to make it herself."
Tang Yan was taken aback, then chuckled, feeling a warmth in his heart that even restored his appetite, which had vanished earlier. "Braised prawns, fish-fragrant eggplant, plain noodle soup, and a jar of Huadiao wine."
"Right away!" Xiao Er, thinking this might not be enough to fill this burly man, kindly suggested, "Our signature dish is pepper salt spare ribs..."
Tang Yan's smile vanished, his face instantly darkening. "Don't fucking mention spare ribs to me!"
The entire hall turned to look. Xiao Er panicked and quickly said, "Sir, please calm down! I'll get your dishes right away!" With that, he dashed to the kitchen.
What did spare ribs ever do to him...
Under Chu Chu's watchful gaze, Xiao Jin Yu carefully tasted a spoonful of the shrimp steamed egg. It was deliciously light, smooth, and delicate. For some reason, it reminded him of those small hands that had washed him—equally soft and tender, gently caressing every part of him with such natural comfort that he couldn't muster any guard...
Chu Chu cautiously observed Xiao Jin Yu's reaction to the steamed egg. Seeing his expression soften after the first bite but hesitate to take a second, she couldn't help asking, "Don't you like it?"
Xiao Jin Yu snapped back to reality, his sickly pale face flushing crimson instantly. The fresh flavor lingering in his mouth seemed to tie his tongue in knots. "I—I do..."
Damn it, what was he thinking...
"If you like it, have more! Look, your complexion has improved already!"
"..."Xiao Jin Yu ate in silence with his head down. Feeling satisfied, Chu Chu stopped staring at him intently. As her gaze wandered, she noticed the food box placed on the table in the room.
She remembered that this food box had been carried by Tang Yan all along and was only set down just before he left.
Out of curiosity, Chu Chu went over to take a look. She saw that the rosewood food box was exquisitely crafted, with three characters carved in small seal script on the lid. Chu Chu read them out as she deciphered them, "Gath...ered... Fragrance... Pavilion."
Xiao Jin Yu was slightly taken aback. Gathered Fragrance Pavilion?
The village chief's words flashed through his mind, and Xiao Jin Yu murmured casually, "It couldn't be sweet and sour ribs, could it..."
Chu Chu lifted the lid and peered inside, immediately exclaiming, "Wang Ye, you're amazing! It really is sweet and sour ribs!"
Xiao Jin Yu was startled and looked up, "Just a plate of sweet and sour ribs?"
The food box was single-layered, allowing a clear view to the bottom. "Yes."
Why would Tang Yan bring a plate of sweet and sour ribs to see him?
As a birthday gift?
Who would give sweet and sour ribs as a gift...
Suddenly recalling Tang Yan's words before he left, Xiao Jin Yu was slightly alarmed. He immediately felt a faint tingling on his scalp, frowned, and set down the half-eaten steamed egg, "Bring it here, let me see."
Chu Chu brought the entire food box over and held it out in front of Xiao Jin Yu.
In the center of the food box was a plate of cold sweet and sour ribs. Judging by the amount left on the plate, it seemed someone had already taken a few bites, though not many.
No matter how unreliable Tang Yan might be when it came to gift-giving, he wouldn't bring him a plate of leftover sweet and sour ribs that someone else had eaten.
There was only the plate in the food box, no chopsticks.
Xiao Jin Yu examined it for a long time, hesitated for a moment, but still didn't touch it himself, "Could you pick up a piece for me?"
"It's already cold. If you want to eat it, I can go heat it up for you."
Xiao Jin Yu shook his head, "I just want to take a look... Just pick it up for me."
Chu Chu couldn't understand what he was trying to do. What was so interesting about a piece of brownish-red, glossy sweet and sour ribs sprinkled with a few sesame seeds? But since he asked, she reached into the plate, picked up a piece, and brought it close to him.
Xiao Jin Yu stared at the perfectly presented rib in Chu Chu's hand, examining it from all angles, then leaned in to sniff it gently, almost as if he were about to take a bite.
Watching Xiao Jin Yu's keen interest in the rib, Chu Chu couldn't help but say, "If you like sweet and sour ribs, I'll make some for you tomorrow. I guarantee they'll be even better than this!"
Xiao Jin Yu didn't respond. After studying it a while longer, he slowly leaned back against the pillow at the head of the bed, his brow furrowed, and said in a slightly low voice, "Chu Chu.".. take a closer look."
A rib was just a rib, but since Wang Ye asked her to look, Chu Chu took a couple more glances, "I don't think this dish is as good as the village chief said. The cook didn't even know how to pick the ribs—the meat is too thin and tender, with hardly any fat. How could it taste good?"
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