Transmigrated as the Villain: Punching the Protagonist Group and Stepping on the Domestic Abuser - Chapter 10

Over the past few days, aside from Yun Chu, who frequently moved in and out of the estate, even Lan Ying and Yun Zhi noticed the obvious changes in Rong Se. Although he still diligently reviewed government affairs of the court, he now carved out much more time for the Floating Life Tower and cooking.

The prince’s estate, which should have had two meals a day, now boasted all three, and whenever mealtime arrived, appetizing aromas filled the air.

Yun Zhi, who had finished his shift, also used official business as an excuse to arrive punctually at the dining table in the Golden Pavilion every single day.

What was this?

This was silent flattery!

Who could possibly resist this? Rong Se was brimming with enthusiasm.

When he finally looked at the table full of dishes, then gazed at a large wooden bucket filled to the brim with steamed rice, followed by the three siblings devouring their food around the dining table, he was left speechless with complex emotions.

It felt rather like raising a litter of animals.

Rong Se sighed and asked, “The Floating Life Tower opens tomorrow. Has everything been arranged properly?”

Yun Chu handled affairs for Rong Se, and most merchants in Jinjing recognized Steward Yun. Moreover, he had a brother who served as the Commander of the Imperial Guards, and the two shared identical faces. To avoid attracting suspicion and keep a low profile, the matters concerning the Floating Life Tower had been handed over to Lan Ying.

“My Lord, rest assured!” Lan Ying spoke with a muffled voice because she had been scalded by a piece of steamed egg. After blowing out a breath, she continued, “Yesterday, once the news spread, people on every street and alley were discussing it. Over the past few days, I sent people to taste the food at all the major restaurants, and I guarantee that not a single one compares to ours!”

Rong Se nodded.

On the other side, Yun Zhi spoke up again. “The Marquis of Dingbei shows no intention of leaving the capital. I’m afraid he came specifically for us. The day the Jinbei Iron Cavalry entered the capital was far too coincidental. From sending the message out of Jinjing to Qiangzhou, and then having the Jinbei cavalry reorganize and return to the capital, they must have received word a month ago. This matter probably has something to do with that Yu.”

Before he could finish his sentence, Rong Se softly interrupted him: “Things have reached this point; there is no need to bring it up again.”

Yun Zhi was startled, and his foot was promptly kicked by his older brother under the table.

Yun Chu had also brought this matter up previously, only to be lightly brushed aside by Rong Se, clearly showing no intention of punishing anyone. He gently shook his head at his younger brother.

Understanding the cue, Yun Zhi nodded with an expressionless face: “This subordinate overstepped.”

Rong Se still wasn’t quite used to their deferential attitude. After all, he was not a native-born person of ancient times, nor did he come from a wealthy and noble background. He never felt that he was superior to others in any way, so he didn’t subject them to harsh reprimands, simply nodding and saying, “Eat.”

Though he didn’t fully understand why, Yun Zhi knew his previous words hadn’t been phrased very well. Since he wasn’t particularly good at speaking anyway, he simply chose to eat in silence.

After the meal, Rong Se drifted off like a wandering soul to the Yunsong Study to handle official documents.

Reading through these felt just like reading foreign documents; he had to mentally translate them first and then comprehend the meaning, which was terribly vexing.

Meanwhile, the other three individuals stood outside the Golden Pavilion. Yun Zhi frowned and asked, “Is His Lordship simply letting this go?”

Lan Ying also hesitated, saying, “That shouldn’t be right.”

They all knew what kind of temperament their master possessed. Leaving aside the major blunder of tipping off the Marquis of Dingbei to return to the capital and save the throne, which completely disrupted their plans, normally, if anyone said even a single wrong word, they might lose half their life.

This clearly did not fit their master’s usual style of action.

Both of them turned to look at the older brother, who usually had the most contact with the master.

Yun Chu said, “Why are you looking at me?”

Lan Ying said matter-of-factly, “I’m asking you. What on earth is the master thinking? Aren’t you usually the best at guessing his intentions? Even I’ve heard about this. That secret letter to the Marquis of Dingbei was most likely the work of that Yu Qingzhou kid. He ruined such a huge matter; why hasn’t the master reacted at all?”

Yun Chu thought to himself that actually, he had no idea either.

Yun Zhi chimed in to agree, “If he did it once, he will definitely do it a second time. He holds an official post in the Court of Judicial Review and occupies an important position; we cannot simply ignore it.”

After thinking for a moment, Yun Chu replied, “Just do as His Lordship instructs. There is no need to know too much.”

With disbelief written all over her face, Lan Ying widened her eyes. “Didn’t you say we shouldn’t listen to the master in everything, that he is naturally cold and heartless, and told us to be smart and leave ourselves a way out so that if anything happens in the future, we have an escape route?”

Yun Zhi nodded in agreement.

Yun Chu said, “Keep your voice down.”

Was this something that could be openly broadcasted?

Putting on an exaggerated act of covering her mouth, Lan Ying thought for a moment before offering a pragmatic assessment, “So you don’t know the master’s intentions either, right?”

Gritting his teeth, Yun Chu retorted, “I might as well sell you off; at least it would fetch a couple of strings of cash.”

Like a blade of grass swaying in the wind, Yun Zhi nodded and said, “I think that’s a viable option.”

Lan Ying obediently clamped her mouth shut.

The next day, the Floating Life Tower chose an auspicious hour to open for business. Firecrackers popped with a deafening rattle, and quite a few people gathered outside, chattering and discussing animatedly.

“This restaurant looks quite impressive. I heard that for its opening today, the first five tables don’t charge any silver!”

“That’s right, and there are those dishes that have been spreading over the past two days with such strange names, Three Fresh Delicacies from the Earth, Braised Pork Chunks, things I’ve never heard of, absolutely never heard of!”

“I heard the new owner of this Floating Life Tower goes by the name Floating Life. These dishes were all created by him, praised as peerless under heaven. I wonder if they’re really as delicious as people say!”

Amidst the discussion, a middle-aged man with a plump figure and luxurious attire squeezed his way to the front of the crowd. Panting slightly, he smoothed down his mustache, his face glowing with health. The young servant trailing behind him muttered repeatedly, “Oh, my dear lord! Please slow down. With so many people here, why did you have to run all the way over? If you really wanted to eat, couldn’t we just have invited that chef to the residence to cook a meal for you?”

Ji Miaotong lowered his voice to scold him, “Keep your voice down. What are you shouting about? If this chef could be invited to the residence, why would your master here have to squeeze in with the crowd?”

This person named Floating Life had appeared far too abruptly, and local gentry and nobles had never heard of him. Over the past few days, the menu of the Floating Life Tower had spread like wildfire, and plenty of people had already set their sights on this chef.

Yet not a single person had succeeded in inviting him!

Ji Miaotong surmised that this person must possess some genuine skills; otherwise, he wouldn’t dare cause such a massive stir. Coming in person today was not just to grab a couple of bites to eat, but also to probe the real background and capabilities of the Floating Life Tower.

Amidst the red paper scraps covering the ground, a charming young woman clad in a blue dress stepped out from the doorway. The hairpins hanging at her temples jingled with her steady footsteps. With pleasant features and a bright smile, she raised her voice to shout out: “The Floating Life Tower is opening for business today! Thank you all for honoring us with your presence. Please enter in an orderly fashion. For the guests at the first five tables, regardless of what you wish to eat today, it is treated on the house by our owner!”

Seeing that the person coming out was a pretty young woman, someone could not help teasing her: “How is it that a little lady is greeting us? On such a day as a grand opening, your owner didn’t even bother to show his face?”

Lan Ying raised an eyebrow. “Our owner is in the kitchen in the back. Today’s dishes are cooked personally by our owner himself, and apart from him, no one else knows how to make them. Forget about Jinjing; even throughout the entire Great Jin, this is one of a kind!”

“Oh, little lady, you talk big. Is that true or false?”

Amidst the chuckles of the crowd, Lan Ying remained calm and collected. She was no sheltered young lady of a boudoir who wasn’t allowed to show her face; setting aside these words, what kind of ugly sights hadn’t she witnessed? Her face was unblushed and her breathing even as she spoke loudly and unhurriedly: “Whether it is delicious or not, you will only know once you step inside and taste it!”

Ji Miaotong couldn’t be bothered to listen to them bicker and took the lead, striding quickly through the doors.

He didn’t care about that bit of silver, but he was short on time!

Catching sight of him entering, a flicker of awareness crossed Lan Ying’s eyes. She recognized this man.

Wasn’t this Ji Miaotong, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices holding a rank of the true second grade?

Why was he here too?

Frowning slightly for a moment, Lan Ying kept her composure and immediately welcomed him with a warm, natural smile: “Please enter, honored guest.”