CH 64

Inside the carriage, Mu Qing Ci dispatched Mei Hua to line up to buy the braised duck. Ever since the Fourth Prince relaxed his mouth to admit her as a concubine, her treatment inside the Mu Family had improved a fair bit. But before she was entering the Fourth Price’s back courtyard, Mu Qing Ci was taking the chance to wander the capital while she had the time.

Once she entered the Fourth Prince’s back courtyard, she would no longer have this luxury.

Ruan si xiaojie was a popular figure in the discussions within the capital, and it goes without saying that Mu Qing Ci would not miss out on the opening of her braised duck store.

“The best braised duck under the heavens, and a plaque bestowed by the Emperor.” Mu Qing Ci did not know if she should be envious or speechless.

The Emperor was pushing Ruan si xiaojie’s braised duck store to where the winds and waves were the fiercest.

That was what Mu Qing Ci mumbled in her bottom in her heart.

Her horse carriage happened to be facing the store’s large entrance, and she could clearly view the situation inside.

The braised duck store design resembled a pawn shop slightly, except its counter was not as high as a typical pawn shop, and it was a lot brighter.

The waiter had hung up a row of ducks that had been braised: the braised duck meat was tender and plump, its colouration was red and glossy, its exterior skin had a greasy sheen, and it was diffusing an enticing aroma.

The people lining up at the very front were staring fixedly at the large and firm-fleshed braised ducks with a green light in their eyes, and they were swallowing their saliva.

Mu Qing Ci could not stop her saliva from secreting in her mouth in the horse carriage. The outward appearance of the braised duck was really too pretty.

At this moment, a greater stimulation appeared. A tall and sturdy employee brought out a coal stove, followed by a large pot of marinade with a strong and rich taste. Once he opened the lid, the strong fragrance drifted out from the pot, wafting out of the store front and into the streets…

The entire street was pervaded with the marinade’s aroma.

More and more people started to flock towards the store, drawn by the fragrance.

“It smells so good!”

The people queuing at the front were going crazy, the marinade’s scent was too fragrant and too stimulating.

“Buy, I must buy one!”

“It’s no wonder why even the Emperor praised this braised duck, I’m already salivating because of it even though it hasn’t been eaten. This braised marinade’s aroma is too fragrant, rich, and wonderfully delicious.”

“When is it opening for business, people are going to die from craving it.”

The entire crowd stirred, each and every one them breathing in the fragrance.

Mu Qing Ci looked intoxicated as well inside the horse carriage.

After a quarter of an hour or so, the chef came out and the shopkeeper announced that they were going to start selling the braised ducks officially, but once the price for a single duck was announced, everyone was dumbstruck.

One hundred taels.

Every person was only allowed to buy one, there were a total of two hundred braised ducks, and they would only be selling one hundred in the future.

“Skies above, it’s so expensive, can’t afford to eat it, can’t afford to eat it….” The people lining up in front, who did not have silvers in their pockets, started howling with grief, unreconciled.

“This is robbing our silvers.”

“I refuse to have more money than sense, one hundred taels for one braised duck, are we eating gold, or can we ascend to heaven just by eating it?”

“If anyone wants to eat it, they can go ahead, but I can’t afford to eat it.”

“Disperse, disperse, Ruan si xiaojie must have gone insane from thinking about silvers.”

“Precisely, precisely, the most expensive braised duck in Four Joys Restaurant is thirty silvers for one.”

“…….”

As the people in the crowd scolded and muttered, the queue emptied out by half in an instant, leaving only the servants of rich and noble families who were attired in thin silks and satin.

Honestly speaking, they were also shocked by the price, and they had to ask their masters.

When Mu Qing Ci saw Mei Hua returning from her position in the carriage, she counted the silvers that she brought along in anguish. It was not enough, she actually couldn’t afford to buy a single braised duck.

“Can’t afford to eat it, I actually can’t afford to eat a braised duck.”

Mei Hua: “…….”

Wasn’t that very normal? There were a lot of people who couldn’t afford to eat it.

The people drawn by the aroma gradually increased, crowding the entrance of the best braised duck store to the point where even water could not flow through, and all of them were inhaling the braised marinade’s aroma while salivating.

No one went in to buy the astronomically-priced braised ducks; no one wanted to be the first person who had ‘more money than sense’.

The people who did not like Ruan Xi were brimming with schadenfreude, watching her being made a joke of in the dark, and some even helped to push the waves and add to the billows by helping Ruan Xi promote her astronomically-priced braised duck.

The news of the sky-high priced braised duck spread outwards like an unstoppable wildfire.

Wave after wave of people came to spectate the commotion.

Despite being cognizant of the fact that everyone outside was just watching the commotion, the shopkeeper was not anxious just because no one was coming in to buy the braised duck. Instead, he sat in front of the counter in a zen state, intoxicated as he inhaled the dense fragrance of the braised marinade.

In the back courtyard, when Ruan Xi heard Zhang Qing recount the situation at front, she merely smiled, not feeling anxious at all.

She did find the shop name embarrassing at the start, and regretted fixing the price too high, such that it was provoking criticism, but it was already announced and she was not worried about not having sustenance. She only opened a braised duck store because she wanted a business that belonged to her alone; furthermore, now that she had a braised duck store, she would not have to personally braise said ducks if she wanted to eat the braised duck in the future, and it would suffice if she made a cauldron of braised marinade every half a month.

Ruan Xi was not anxious, and Wen Ting Zhou felt even less anxious. Just eating Ruan Ruan’s braised duck once was enough to make someone reminisce about the taste endlessly.

The pair’s calm appearance worried their three servants Su Yu, Su Zhu, and Zhang Qing.

“Ruan Ruan, I have a quiet residence nearby, how about we go there together to admire the flowers?” Wen Ting Zhou offered an invitation with a smile.

“Sure, let’s bring two braised ducks as well, how can we admire flowers with delicious food?”

Since Ruan Xi was not planning to stay in the braised duck store until noon, Wen Ting Zhou’s invitation happened to match her intentions.

Wen Ting Zhou: “……”

Su Yu, Su Zhu, and Zhang Qing were stunned. The newly opened store has yet to sell a single braised duck, are we just going to leave like this?

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Wen Ting Zhou’s small residence was located in a quiet lane. The people staying in this lane were noble, rich and elegant residents, and Ruan Xi was quite fond of the environment here.

Ruan Xi scrutinised Wen Ting Zhou’s compound with much interest. This was a two gated compound with an elegant landscape: the trees in the area provided foliage, the fragrance of the flowers filled the garden, and a few servants were trimming the trees.

She suddenly remembered that there were all kinds of stories of a mistress being kept in a golden house, and she could not resist teasing him with a line:

“Ting Zhou da ge, tell me honestly, did you decorate this house so well because you’re planning to keep a mistress in the golden house?”

“Indeed, is Ruan Ruan willing?”

Ruan Xi widened her eyes, glowering at him with palpable rage, “You’re actually planning to keep another woman?”

“There is no other woman. I’m asking if you’re willing to be the mistress in my golden house, whether it is at home or outside, I will only hide you.”

Wen Ting Zhou’s footsteps came to a halt, turning his head back to fix his gaze on Ruan Xi as he held her hand tighter.

Ruan Xi’s heart was wrapped up in honey, which made her feel sweet inside out, but her mouth said otherwise: “And if I’m not willing?”

Calmly, Wen Ting Zhou replied, “Be good, don’t say one thing and mean another.”

Ruan Xi: “…….”

At the back, Su Yu and Su Zhu: “…….” They were fed up with their Young Lady and Wen gongzi.

Whereas Zhang Qing was incomparably calm as he held onto the two food boxes with the braised ducks. Ever since his gongzi was engaged to Ruan si xiaojie, he had already discovered another side to his gongzi.

As Wen Ting Zhou conversed with Ruan Xi, he brought her to a secluded and peaceful small garden. The flowers in the garden were currently flourishing, the butterflies were fluttering, and being in this environment could make hearts untroubled, and relax their spirits.

Very sensibly, Su Yu, Su Zhu, and Zhang Qing stopped at the entrance of the small flower garden.

“Ruan Ruan, how is the scenery here?” Wen Ting Zhou asked smilingly as he stood there with Ruan Xi.

“It’s quite decent.”

Suddenly, Wen Ting Zhou turned around, filling the close proximity that they had with ambiguity. There were stars and sparks in his pitch-black eyes as his lips corners curled up gently.

“Ruan Ruan, you still owe me one request.

“It hasn’t been forgotten, right?”

Wen Ting Zhou raised his slender and long right hand, caressing her cheek lightly before it slowly roved down and stopped at her lips. The slightly cool sensation made Ruan Xi’s body stiffen, and she felt the bottom of her heart numb.

Ruan Xi’s heartbeat soared, which caused a red hue to stain her cheeks. Despite that, she pretended to be calm as she said:

“It has… has not been forgotten.”

“It’s good that it hasn’t been forgotten.”

Wen Ting Zhou laughed softly, dark fire flitting past the bottom of his eyes. His left hand tugged her forward abruptly, albeit lightly, looping around her tightly as it brought her into his embrace in an instant. His right hand pressed against the back of her head as he lowered his head to kiss her, his warm tongue slipping into her mouth forcefully.

Turning, pressing, and sucking.

With a loud bang, it seemed like hundreds and thousands of fireworks exploded in Ruan Xi’s mind. She raised her head to accept his turbulent kiss, her hands unconsciously hugging Wen Ting Zhou’s waist as she responded to his domineering and probing kiss dizzily.

In that moment, the quiet small garden only had the sounds of their moving and sentimental kisses.

After the deep kiss ended, Wen Ting Zhou buried his head in the crook of Ruan Xi’s neck.

“Ruan Ruan, I really want to marry you into the door right now.”

His low murmur echoed in Ruan Xi’s ears, and the arms wrapping around Ruan Xi seemed like they were on the verge of crushing her.

Ruan Xi’s delicate frame shivered lightly.

Wen Ting Zhou could not resist nibbling on her ear lobe, which made Ruan Xi’s heart tremble, the numb sensation spread across her entire body, like there was an electric pulse running amok in her body.

“Don’t, it tickles…”

Wen Ting Zhou chuckled lowly, moving his head back to block her lips again and kiss her.

Meanwhile, Su Zhu, Su Yu, and Zhang Qing were sitting and chatting in the small pavilion outside the small garden.

They were not worried about the pair in the garden at all.

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The Fourth Prince was the owner of the next-door residence, and both residences were separated by a wall, with a hidden door installed on the wall crawling with vegetation, which allowed the Fourth Prince to enter Wen Ting Zhou’s residence at any given time.

When the Fourth Prince was informed that Wen Ting Zhou was around like he usually would be, he decided to go over to discuss some matters with him. However, who could have expected that he would stumble upon a scene of a man and woman making out in the small garden?

The Fourth Prince: “……”

The disguised Qi Yue An: “……”

This was awkward, it seemed like they had arrived at the wrong time, and interrupted Wen Ting Zhou’s good matters.

While Wen Ting Zhou was deeply immersed in the kiss, he did not expect that someone would barge into the garden. Consequently, he was given a start and he immediately hugged Ruan Ruan tightly as he raised his head to look over.

It turns out it was the Fourth Prince and Qi er gongzi who had changed his face.

“Zi Run, sorry for disturbing.” The Fourth Prince spoke up, sounding faint.

Qi Yue An dropped his head, pretending to look at the small garden scenery.

It was only then that Ruan Xi realised that someone had barged into the small garden, which made her complexion explode red instantaneously as she buried her head in Wen Ting Zhou’s chest.

“What is it?”

Wen Ting Zhou asked with composed indifference as he used his arms to hug Ruan Xi’s tender and delicate body tightly while patting her back with his right hand.

Ruan Xi took deep breaths in Wen Ting Zhou’s embrace. It was just the case of someone stumbling upon them kissing, wasn’t it? She and Wen Ting Zhou were an affianced couple, having intimate moments were very normal, there was nothing to kick up a fuss about.

After Ruan Xi comforted herself, the blush on her countenance receded as she calmed down completely, and then she gave Wen Ting Zhou a light push.

“Ting Zhou da ge.”

Wen Ting Zhou released his grip on her waist. Upon seeing that Ruan Ruan had composed herself so quickly, his mouth corners quirked up. Paying no heed to the fact that he was in front of the Fourth Prince and Qi Yue An, he helped Ruan Xi smooth out her slightly messy clothes as if no one was around.

“It’s okay now.”

Turning around, Ruan Xi bowed to the Fourth Prince without changing colour. “One has seen the Fourth Prince.”

Her manners were unhurried, and her smiling expression was appropriate for the occasion.

The Fourth Prince: “……”

Inwardly, he gasped with admiration. She was truly worthy of being the lady that Zi Run liked, her adaptability was genuinely unmatched.

With the pair’s calm appearance, it was like the people who were not hugging and kissing in broad daylight was not them.