books44 Chapter 312: Wu Chang Causes Trouble Again
Chapter 312: Wu Chang Causes Trouble Again
Chapter 312: Wu Chang Causes Trouble Again
Since Li Ming and Yan Zhi parted ways yesterday, Yan Zhi hasn't come to see Li Ming every day like before, nor has she kept him company. He doesn't know why, but he always feels like something is missing from his left atrium.
Every morning, Li Ming would get up listlessly, go to the factory, and then do his usual things. But it seemed like someone who was always making a ruckus was missing—that person was Rouge. He patted his face and muttered to himself, "What are you thinking about? Stop overthinking." Then he lowered his head and continued doing what he was doing.
Following yesterday's successful opening, Zuixianlou Restaurant was packed again this evening. Waitstaff and servants were busy running up and down the stairs. The sounds of spatulas scraping against iron pots filled the air, along with the drums and gongs from upstairs. On a dull and monotonous night, wherever there is candlelight and the commotion, there are people. Nights are always quiet, and people fear silence and stillness most, so they always seek excitement and crave liveliness. Ji Meiqing had grasped this psychological characteristic, opening only in the afternoon.
This afternoon, guests arrived one after another. Ever since Ji Meiqing realized that she had offended someone she shouldn't have—Wu Chang, the eldest son of the Minister of Rites—she always gave him a good look whenever she saw a guest, fearing that he would come and cause trouble again.
"What are you looking at?" Lu Yu asked, seeing Ji Meiqing looking around.
"No, it's nothing," Ji Meiqing said with a somewhat embarrassed smile. She didn't want Lu Yu to know that she was so weak and timid.
"Let's go upstairs and sit down. The performance is about to start." Lu Yu took her hand and prepared to go to the second floor.
"No, no, I have things to do," Ji Meiqing said, shaking her head as she pulled away from Lu Yu's hand. Lu Yu was about to say something when Ji Meiqing broke free. He watched her slowly disappear from his sight, feeling increasingly anxious.
Lu Yu had no choice but to sit at the same table with the annoying Shen Bin.
Once the guests were seated, a figure appeared and disappeared on the stage. Zhao Ning'er, dressed in a red gown, was a top scholar. She paced back and forth on the stage, muttering to herself, and sang with a helpless expression: "I went far to the capital to save my beloved, and became the top scholar after the examination. Who could have imagined that the Emperor's grace would be so great, bestowing upon me a marriage with a princess? Such an absurd marriage, such an absurd person, the Emperor's decree is hard to disobey, and my entire family will be executed." After singing, she paced back and forth, seemingly deep in thought.
After the song ended, the audience erupted in cheers. Lu Yu sat restlessly in his chair, increasingly agitated by Ji Meiqing's absence. He kept glancing here and there, trying to find that familiar figure. After a long while, still not seeing her, he couldn't help but slap his hand on the table.
"Young Master Lu, what has caused you to act this way?" Shen Bin couldn't help but ask, seeing Lu Yu's behavior. Lu Yu realized his lapse in composure, awkwardly withdrew his hand from the table, and pretended nothing had happened.
As the two were talking, a sudden commotion arose. Shen Bin and Lu Yu both looked towards the stage. Shen Bin looked at the person on stage with surprise, while Lu Yu looked at the person on stage with doting eyes, his heart surging with indescribable feelings, wanting to pull her into his arms.
The two were looking at Ji Meiqing, who had changed her clothes behind the screen. She was dressed in pink, with light makeup on her face, and the silver ornaments in her hair were dazzling, making a slight tinkling sound as she walked. Ji Meiqing was naturally slender, and her skin was as white as snow. She smiled, her temperament in no way inferior to Zhao Ning'er's.
As soon as Ji Meiqing came out, she sang: "Feng Lang~ I'm so happy to see you here, so happy. I wonder why you look so sad. Feng Lang, can you tell me? I'll share your burden, share your burden." As soon as Ji Meiqing finished singing, Lu Yu and Shen Bin in the audience applauded in unison. All the guests looked at them with knowing smiles, leaving the two of them completely baffled.
Then Zhao Ning'er and Ji Meiqing began their duet on stage. The two collaborated seamlessly, their voices growing stronger with each song. The audience was captivated by the atmosphere, their eyes glued to the stage. It was hard to tell whether it was the performers' good looks, their beautiful voices, or their exceptional acting skills.
The performance on stage was drawing to a close, and everyone retreated behind the screen. A short while later, Ji Meiqing appeared in the center of the stage. She bowed to the guests and said, "It's a pleasure to have everyone here at Zuixianlou. The 'Female Imperial Son-in-Law' performance is now over."
His voice, neither too loud nor too soft, carried an air of authority. The guests below the stage applauded enthusiastically. Shen Bin looked at Ji Meiqing on stage with great excitement, while Lu Yu, standing beside him, couldn't stand it any longer and said coldly, "Brother Shen, what's the matter with your excitement?" Shen Bin looked into Lu Yu's eyes, feeling somewhat guilty and embarrassed, and stopped his overstepping actions. He chuckled awkwardly twice and said, "Nothing, nothing, I'm just a little excited seeing so many guests."
Upon hearing his reply, Lu Yu gave a cold laugh and remained silent. Shen Bin, feeling guilty as if a secret had been discovered, also kept quiet.
"I wonder if you gentlemen are satisfied with the performances and dishes at Zuixianlou?" Ji Meiqing said, smiling as she looked at the people seated, her gaze lingering on Lu Yu before quickly looking away. Lu Yu couldn't help but find Ji Meiqing's behavior somewhat amusing.
The guests below the stage cheered, "Satisfied!!" Hearing this response, Ji Meiqing nodded with satisfaction and said, "Since you gentlemen are all satisfied and have enjoyed yourselves, could you please give me some silver as a reward? I'll go home and buy some new clothes." Ji Meiqing spoke softly, occasionally smiling sweetly, and the people below the stage happily threw silver onto the stage.
Seeing Ji Meiqing's behavior just now, Lu Yu felt a tickle in his heart. The thought that Ji Meiqing had never been so gentle and affectionate towards him made him very angry. He ground his teeth in anger, staring at the person on the stage, thinking of a plan to deal with her when he got home.
When Shen Bin saw Lu Yu looking at Ji Meiqing on the stage with a wicked expression, his heart skipped a beat. Could he be planning something to do to Miss Ji? It seemed he should give her a good warning and tell her to be careful of Lu Yu, as he was dangerous.
The performance was over, the tips had been given, and the guests had enjoyed themselves. The place began to empty out. As the guests slowly dispersed, Zhao Ning'er and Zhao Lei tidied up the silver on the stage and arranged the other items. Ji Meiqing rubbed her arms and began to remove her hair ornaments. Although they were made of iron-plated silver, they were still very heavy, making Ji Meiqing sigh at how much effort people in ancient times went to for beauty.
The performance ended and the guests left. The waiters and servants began clearing away the dishes upstairs and downstairs. Lu Yu and Shen Bin had been sitting on the first floor for a while. After a long time, everything was almost cleared away, and the restaurant was nearly finished cleaning. Ji Meiqing was just about to tell the chef to start a fire and cook when suddenly a group of people barged in, led by Wu Chang. One of them overturned a table next to him, smashing the chair to pieces.
Seeing that Wu Chang dared not retaliate for fear of causing trouble for Shen Bin, and also because she couldn't stand Wu Chang's behavior, Ji Meiqing clenched her fists tightly. Lu Yu, watching Ji Meiqing's every move, stepped forward and took her hand. Only then did Ji Meiqing slowly calm down.
"Wu Chang, what matter requires you to resort to violence?" Shen Bin said in a low voice, his face dark. Seeing that Shen Bin dared not lose his temper, Wu Chang laughed even more arrogantly and said, "Oh, judging from Young Master Shen's tone, it seems you know you were wrong."
As Wu Chang spoke, he leisurely fanned himself with a folding fan. Zhao Ning'er and Zhao Lei, having finished tidying upstairs, were coming downstairs carrying bundles filled with silver tips from the guests.