After My System Went Bankrupt, I Found My Happy Ending with the General - Chapter 17

Luo Chuchen had no choice but to obediently attend the appointment.

Qin Yu had arranged to meet at the capital’s largest Ruyi Restaurant and reserved a private room. As soon as Luo Chuchen stepped out of the carriage in front of the restaurant, a servant immediately came forward to greet him and escort him inside.

Pushing open the door to the private room, he found Qin Yu seated by a window-side table. Today, he was wearing an even more vibrant red robe, embroidered with golden threaded floral patterns, and a jade crown adorned his head. He rose with a beaming smile and said, “Chuchen, you’ve arrived just in time.”

Luo Chuchen cupped his hands respectfully and said, “Sorry to have kept you waiting.”

“Not at all, I’ve only just arrived myself. I was just about to have the waiter come and take our order,” Qin Yu said, guiding him to sit opposite before personally brewing tea. Rolling up his sleeves, he placed the cup in front of Luo Chuchen. “Try this it’s Sparrow Tongue tea.”

Luo Chuchen quickly expressed his thanks, picked up the teacup, and watched as steam curled over the water’s surface, accompanied by a rich, fragrant aroma.

He gently blew on the surface, and finding it not too hot, took a small sip.

Huh? Not only was it not bitter, but it was also slightly sweet.

Luo Chuchen didn’t know much about tea, so he remarked somewhat uncertainly, “Not only does it smell fragrant, but it’s also sweet in the mouth.”

Qin Yu laughed. “Of course, this is a premium tea tribute from Jingchu sent to the capital. Our prince’s manor received quite a share. Not only does its fragrance linger, but it also tastes refreshing with a sweet aftertaste. I thought you might like it, so I brought some along.”

Luo Chuchen was startled this was a tribute item?

Qin Yu continued, “If you like it, I’ll bring you more next time. My parents aren’t fond of this flavor, so most of the tea allocated to our manor ends up with me. How could I possibly finish it all by myself? If I can make a gift of it to you, that would be even better.”

“I couldn’t possibly accept.” Luo Chuchen instinctively refused.

Qin Yu sighed and said, “I thought we were already good friends.”

Luo Chuchen: “…”

He stared hesitantly at the feignedly sorrowful prince before him, deliberating for a moment before finally saying, “Then I’ll accept graciously.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Qin Yu broke into a wide grin and said, “Excellent! Tomorrow, I’ll have the servants sort it out and send it to the Chu residence.”

Luo Chuchen was speechless. Just then, the restaurant waiter knocked on the door and entered, saying, “Greetings to you both, young masters.”

Qin Yu took charge of ordering, beckoning the waiter over, and took the small menu booklet. Flipping through it, he selected several dishes.

By the fifth dish, Luo Chuchen quickly interjected, “Qin Yu, that’s enough. We won’t be able to finish so much.”

“Alright then, that’ll be all. Oh, and bring a pot of plum wine as well,” Qin Yu said, handing the menu back to the waiter and urging him to serve the dishes quickly. Turning to Luo Chuchen, he explained, “The plum wine here is quite famous.”

“I don’t drink,” Luo Chuchen said apologetically.

Qin Yu shook his head with a smile. “No one knows how to drink at first. Plum wine is hard to get drunk on, just think of it as trying the flavor. Don’t worry, I’m not someone without discretion.”

Luo Chuchen had no choice but to agree. Silently, he thought to himself, The prince’s overly familiar manner with everyone really doesn’t seem like someone with much discretion.

The dishes and plum wine were soon served. Qin Yu enthusiastically served food to Luo Chuchen and poured a small cup of plum wine, pushing it toward him. “Try a sip of this first.”

In the white porcelain cup, the golden plum wine shimmered gently. Luo Chuchen stared down at it for a moment before steeling himself and picking it up. He took an even smaller sip than he had with the tea.

Huh.

It was still slightly sweet.

Luo Chuchen had drunk alcohol a few times before his transmigration, but with his strong preference for sweet flavors, he found baijiu too spicy, red wine too bitter, and beer too bland. Thus, he never really developed much drinking experience.

If anything, he drank more rice wine.

But even when drinking rice wine, he couldn’t be bothered to eat the fermented glutinous rice residue in it.

One could say he was extremely picky.

Luo Chuchen had intended to try new things, so after tasting the sweetness, he took a few more sips.

Squinting slightly, he said happily, “It really is quite good.”

Qin Yu smiled and said, “It seems I guessed correctly Chuchen really does have a sweet tooth.”

Luo Chuchen felt a bit embarrassed but nodded in agreement.

Qin Yu continued, “In that case, I know quite a few good places in the capital with delicious food. I’ll take you to try them out another day.”

Qin Yu’s manner of interacting with others was natural and enthusiastic. He always responded to conversation, chatting and laughing, never letting anyone feel awkward or left out.

As they talked, Luo Chuchen gradually shed his initial shyness, becoming much more relaxed. He slowly began sharing stories of his experiences in Yunzhou.

Qin Yu listened with great interest, then sighed regretfully, “It’s a pity that in my twenty years, I’ve never left the capital. Someday, I must travel far and wide.”

Luo Chuchen was taken aback Qin Yu was already twenty? He couldn’t help but voice his surprise.

Qin Yu looked at him with amusement. “Do I look that young?”

Luo Chuchen nodded. “You haven’t even reached the age of capping.”

To him, Qin Yu seemed like a spirited young man, at most two or three years older than himself.

Qin Yu was rather pleased by this and raised an eyebrow. “Well, you’re way off the mark, Chuchen. I’m already married, and in a couple of years, I might even have a child calling you ‘Uncle.'”

Luo Chuchen was even more stunned. The thought felt somewhat alarming.

Qin Yu slapped his forehead. “Speaking of which, General Liang is about my age. How did you two meet?”

Luo Chuchen blinked.

That’s right, Liang Jue was also twenty,

At twenty, Qin Yu was already married and planning for children. Liang Jue might be heading in that direction soon too,

The thought made Luo Chuchen instinctively uncomfortable. Luckily, Qin Yu changed the subject, and Luo Chuchen shifted his attention as well, briefly explaining how he and Liang Jue had grown up together.

“I never imagined such an impressive general had such a past,” Qin Yu said in surprise. “Don’t worry, I won’t spread it around.”

Luo Chuchen thought back to how Qin Yu had dragged him from the east to the west of the capital at the hunting grounds, gossiping all the way, and couldn’t help but doubt this promise.

Still, it wasn’t something that needed to be kept secret anyway.

Qin Yu added, “By the way, you really had me fooled yesterday. You and the general grew up together, yet when I introduced you, you didn’t say a word, making me look like I was overstepping.”

Luo Chuchen expressed his regret. “I was often sick as a child and stayed indoors all the time. I thought everyone knew about it, It wasn’t until we were outside the training grounds that I realized otherwise. I didn’t mean to hide it.”

Qin Yu waved it off good-naturedly. “It’s all in the past, and I didn’t take it to heart. But outside the camp, you two really gave me a scare.”

“You didn’t notice, but the way the general looked at me was downright fierce.” Qin Yu took a sip of wine, smacking his lips as he savored it.

Luo Chuchen felt even more embarrassed. He filled Qin Yu’s cup with plum wine, picked up his own, and said, “I apologize on his behalf.”

Qin Yu laughed heartily again, clinked glasses with him, downed his own cup of plum wine in one go, and teased, “It was just a joke.”

“I also want to thank Brother Qin for your care,” Luo Chuchen said, finishing his own cup.

He had now drunk two small cups of plum wine and felt his mind was still perfectly clear far from reaching the point of drunkenness.

Perhaps his alcohol tolerance was quite good? After all, he had such high vitality.

Thinking this, Luo Chuchen couldn’t resist pouring himself another cup.

After eating for a while, Qin Yu asked curiously during the meal, “Chuchen, you’ve been back in the capital for some time now. Do you have any plans for the future?”

“I plan to take the Imperial Academy’s painting school entrance exam early next year,” Luo Chuchen replied.

“Oh? That’s quite good,” Qin Yu said with a smile. “So, for the next few months, will you be preparing at home?”

“Not entirely,” Luo Chuchen admitted frankly. “Mostly, I’ll be studying under my teacher.”

Qin Yu grew even more curious. “Oh? Who have you apprenticed under?”

Luo Chuchen said, “My teacher is named Yin Zikun.”

“It’s actually Yin Zikun!” Qin Yu raised his voice slightly, both surprised and delighted. “It seems Chuchen’s future is boundless. Master Yin rarely takes on disciples, and his painting skills are exceptional. His early work, ‘Plum Blossoms Falling,’ still hangs in the main hall of my residence.”

Luo Chuchen quickly offered a few modest words, his face warming slightly from Qin Yu’s praise.

Qin Yu continued, “In that case, do you go every other day? Are you free the rest of the time?”

Luo Chuchen thought for a moment and said, “Well, there are usually assignments and practice works, so I’m not entirely free.”

Qin Yu paused before explaining with a laugh, “Chuchen, don’t think of me as someone who idles all day and just invites you to have fun. However, if you’re serious about pursuing painting, I can recommend a few places for you.”

With that, Qin Yu mentioned several shops famous for calligraphy and painting supplies, as well as some scenic spots with excellent views lately.

“By the way, aside from these, the Wenxing Temple market is coming up soon. Have you heard of it?” Qin Yu asked.

“Wenxing Temple?” Luo Chuchen shook his head. “No, I haven’t.”

Qin Yu explained, “Wenxing Temple is in the west of the city, near most of the shops I mentioned earlier. On the fifteenth of every month, they hold a market where they mostly sell literary curios, calligraphy, and paintings. It’s easy to find interesting treasures there. If you’re interested, you should check it out.”

Ah, so it’s like an ancient antique market.

Luo Chuchen was indeed intrigued and nodded in thanks. “Alright.”

They chatted idly as they finished the meal. Qin Yu said he had matters to attend to in the afternoon, so they parted ways, agreeing to meet again soon.

Luo Chuchen felt satisfied with the meal and thought he had gained quite a bit from the conversation. In high spirits, he hummed a tune all the way back to the Chu residence.

As soon as he entered his small courtyard and saw it was still empty, Luo Chuchen stopped humming. A sudden, inexplicable premonition came over him.

He halted and turned to Shechuan. “Did you deliver the message to the general’s residence?”

Shechuan replied, “I went first thing in the morning.”

Luo Chuchen couldn’t help but smile, feeling his premonition had come true. He instructed Shechuan to guard the courtyard gate and hurried to the study, pushing the door open.

Sure enough, Liang Jue was sitting at the desk, holding the storybook Luo Chuchen hadn’t finished reading earlier.

“You’re here!” Luo Chuchen closed the door and shuffled over, complaining with a pout, “My uncle is just too much. Just because I went riding and archery with you yesterday, he accused me of neglecting my studies for frivolous pursuits and forbade the steward from accepting any more of your invitations.”

Liang Jue hummed in acknowledgment. After a moment, he looked up and asked, “Did you have a good time with the young master?”

Oh no.

Luo Chuchen froze for a second, finally belatedly recalling that he had, in fact, told Liang Jue he wouldn’t be going out with Qin Yu today.

Luo Chuchen: “…”