Chapter 42: Long Time No See

The young man surrounded by the crowd could barely conceal the smugness on his face: "My father once received great kindness from the Marquis of Dingbei's manor. Now that the Heir of Dingbei has returned to the capital, it is only proper that I present an invitation."

Though his words sounded humble, they subtly revealed that his family indeed had dealings with the Marquis of Dingbei's manor. Hearing this, the surrounding youths looked on with intense envy.

"That is the Marquis of Dingbei's manor—true imperial nobility! Never mind ordinary families; even among the civil and military officials of the entire court, how many could possibly be graced by their presence? Brother Mingze, once you achieve great success, do not forget us!"

The continuous flattery made the young man feel even more elated.

One of them excitedly suggested, "Hey, since we are all gathered here today, why don't we head to the Spring Breeze Pavilion? A new top courtesan just arrived there; she plays the pipa exquisitely and is a peerless beauty!"

As soon as this was said, the others immediately agreed. Only the young man in the center showed a flash of interest in his eyes before his expression turned hesitant.

"I'm afraid I cannot go. I haven't finished the lessons my father assigned yesterday. If he finds out I went to the Spring Breeze Pavilion again, he will surely be angry."

The youths were indifferent.

"It's just going to listen to some music! What's the big deal? Besides, when else can you do your lessons? Why act like those bookworms, buried in those piles of useless books all day?"

Most of them came from families with some means, and the ones they looked down upon most were the scholars from humble backgrounds who struggled through their studies.

The young man was somewhat tempted, but he ultimately refused, saying irritably, "You don't understand. My father's demands for me are getting higher and higher. Last time he saw an essay I wrote, he gave me quite a lecture. Forget it, I'll go some other time!"

Hearing this, the others showed expressions of regret.

"That is truly a pity. That Miss Su does not perform every day. Having missed her today, who knows when we will be able to catch a glimpse of her beauty again..."

Ye Chutang withdrew her gaze.

Before the waiter could even announce the dishes, Ye Yunfeng had already begun ordering.

"Crystal pig's trotters, braised crab-meat lion's head, vegetables in white sauce, phoenix-tail shrimp, and a portion of steamed pork with rice flour!"

The waiter gave him a second look upon hearing this.

He had assumed the boy was a traveler from elsewhere, but hearing his tone, he clearly knew the signature dishes of their Moon-Gazing Pavilion as if they were his own, as if he had been here before.

"Sister, do you want anything else?" Ye Yunfeng was already starving and looked at her expectantly.

As the saying goes, "a growing boy eats his father out of house and home." Teenagers are in their prime growth period; while Ye Jingyan was manageable, Ye Yunfeng's appetite was truly staggering. If Ye Chutang hadn't occasionally—no, diligently—earned money, she truly wouldn't have been able to afford to feed him.

She thought for a moment and said, "Add a portion of pine nut mandarin fish and a portion of lychee pork."

Xiao Wu loved sweets; he would definitely like them.

The young girl's clear and clean voice rang out, flowing through the noisy and bustling hall like a spring of fresh water.

The waiter hurriedly responded.

Setting aside the pine nut mandarin fish, the lychee pork was truly the signature of their Moon-Gazing Pavilion. Ordinary people might not even know of it; only true VIP guests would order it.

Having seen this woman earlier, the waiter felt her aura was not that of an ordinary family and thus did not dare to be negligent. Now, hearing her order the dish so familiarly, he was even more convinced of her extraordinary status—perhaps a noble lady from an outside prestigious clan. He dared not offend her and became much more attentive.

"Right away! Please wait a moment, gentlemen, it will be out shortly!"

A youth coming down the stairs couldn't help but look over upon hearing the voice. When he clearly saw the girl's face, a flash of amazement crossed his eyes.

He immediately nudged the person beside him with his elbow: "Hey, hey! Look over there! You just said Miss Su from the Spring Breeze Pavilion is a beauty; I wonder how she compares to this one?"

Another tall, thin youth, who had been busy talking, was drawn by the call and instinctively glanced over. "What—"

His voice cut off abruptly.

It took a long while for him to regain his senses. He stared at the girl continuously, his eyes filled with a growing heat.

"No comparison, no comparison at all! I thought Miss Su was beautiful enough, but compared to this lady, she is just common fare! I just wonder which family this lady belongs to? Why have I never seen her before?"

He had a penchant for beauties; if there were a woman of such grace in the capital, there was no way he wouldn't know!

"She doesn't look like a local from the capital?"

"Probably not. Her clothing and appearance seem quite ordinary, but her beauty and aura are truly transcendent!"

"What, smitten? How about I go and ask around for you?"

Noticing the reaction of the two, the young man in the center asked curiously, "Who are you talking about?"

The tall, thin youth quickly signaled with his eyes: "Over there! The girl sitting in the corner! Isn't her beauty unparalleled?"

The young man in the center followed his gaze. He was stunned at first, then slowly furrowed his brows.

For some reason, the woman's profile looked somewhat familiar...

Seeing his reaction, the tall, thin youth felt strange and quickly said, "Of course, she definitely isn't as beautiful as your elder sister! But she certainly catches the eye, doesn't she?"

The young man said nothing, and his furrowed brow did not relax.

The others looked at each other, not expecting this reaction from him.

The tall, thin youth's eyes darted around, and he asked tentatively, "How about it? Brother Mingze, if you take a liking to her, I promise I won't compete with you!"

His words received no response.

The young man took two more steps, his eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to see more clearly.

To the others, however, this was taken as proof that he had indeed taken a liking to the girl, and they couldn't help but exchange giggles.

"Brother Mingze, if you're too shy, we'll go and ask for you!"

"Exactly! If Brother Mingze takes a liking to her, it's her good fortune!"

As if the commotion on this side had drawn attention from the other, just as he was hesitating to step forward, the woman suddenly looked up.

An incomparably exquisite face came into view.

The youths all fell silent.

Just seeing her profile from a distance had made them think she was a beauty; now that they saw her features clearly and met those dark, warm, starlike eyes, they felt she was soul-stirring, almost captivating the very spirit.

The tall, thin youth was the first to react. A smile spread across his face as he cupped his hands toward Ye Chutang. "I am Han Yao, son of the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. May I ask your name, lady?"

He deliberately mentioned his family background, expecting her to be intimidated. To his surprise, the girl opposite him remained calm, as if she hadn't heard him at all.

Coincidentally, the waiter had begun serving the food. She turned her head and said to the little child beside her, "Xiao Wu, try this."

Han Yao felt his face fall instantly; everyone around was watching!

He frowned, his tone turning harsh, "Do you have any idea who is sitting next to me? This is the second son of Lord Ye, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review! You—"

The girl finally turned her head again.

Just as Han Yao thought she was finally afraid, he saw the corners of her lips curl slightly. She gave a faint smile to the person beside him and said

"Mingze, long time no see."

(End of Chapter)