"Pfft!" Someone couldn't help but laugh first.
They could see it now—Little Chef Pei's return today wasn't really about causing a scene. Young Chef Wei hadn't even lifted a finger, and she was already running a business built on flattering the powerful and trampling the lowly, long past caring about her reputation among the common folk.
Today's affair would have been a death blow for any other restaurant. But for the Tianxiang Tower as it stood now, it would just become another topic of gossip for a while.
The real purpose here was winning back the old staff of the Tianxiang Tower.
The reason the Tianxiang Tower had dominated its competitors for so many years was never just Chef Pei alone.
Other skilled head chefs, efficient kitchen hands, observant waiters who could read a guest's mood—weren't they all vital links in maintaining the restaurant's standard?
Otherwise, with a greedy, short-sighted fool like Madam Wei running the place, the only reason the Tianxiang Tower could still fool new customers who knew nothing of its history was the Pei family crew cleaning up after her messes.
Just as Chef Lin had done his best with subpar ingredients.
This move might be underhanded coming from anyone else, but when Little Chef Pei pulled it off, no one around could fault her for it.
"So this is about reopening the Tianxiang Tower? It's been a few years—I'm sure Little Chef Pei's skills have only grown. Opening in seven days, you say? I'll definitely be there."
"Nothing's tasted like the real Tianxiang Tower in years. Other restaurants just don't have that same feeling, that attachment. Finally, it's opening again."
"The Pei family's cooking has always been beyond reproach—never shortchanging portions, never passing off cheap goods as premium."
A whole crowd hadn't even stepped out of the Tianxiang Tower yet, but they were already talking as if this century-old establishment had become a counterfeit, and the real Tianxiang Tower was the one Pei Liang had just announced she was opening across the street.
Wei Yingshu's teeth chattered with fury, and Wei's Mother shrieked, "The Tianxiang Tower signboard is ours! What right do you have to open another one? Is there no law anymore?"
Young Master Wang of the Shuntian Prefecture also gave Pei Liang a cold, sinister look: "Such vicious competition, stealing business like this—you think you can really run a restaurant like that?"
Pei Liang smiled: "Rest assured, everyone. Though I'm unremarkable, I do know a thing or two about basic law. These guests are just reminiscing over old times and sighing out loud—how could my Pei family ever resort to such underhanded tactics to poach customers?"
"Of course, that's assuming the Tianxiang Tower still has customers to poach."
Wei Yingshu forced an ugly smile: "Is that so? Then I'm curious—have you come up with a name for your new establishment yet? Don't talk a big game and then still cling to the Tianxiang Tower's shadow."
Pei Liang said: "The name hasn't been decided yet, since aside from the Tianxiang Tower, no other signboard quite meets my standards."
Wei Yingshu laughed: "Surely Miss Pei isn't planning to run some nameless little workshop? That would be an insult to Chef Pei's former glory."
Pei Liang smiled back at her: "Has Miss Wei forgotten? The Tianxiang Tower was lost to you, yes, but the imperial plaque gifted by the late emperor, 'The First Tower Under Heaven,' is still in our possession."
The faint mockery on Wei Yingshu's face froze solid, and the look she gave Pei Liang was thick with bitter resentment.
That she had failed to seize the "First Tower Under Heaven" plaque back then had been a lasting wound—one that not only reminded her constantly of that humiliation, making her victory stink, but also gave others a handle against her no matter what she did these past years, preventing her from ever truly becoming the undisputed first in the public eye.
Even when she was riding high.
Watching Pei Liang turn and leave Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, everyone except for the newcomers recruited later—those who had originally served the Pei family—pulled off their aprons and uniforms and followed her out the door.
Wei's Mother was beside herself with rage, her voice shrill and warped: "Fine, fine—every one of you ungrateful wolves! The moment someone surnamed Pei calls, you go crawling after her like dogs."
"Nobody leaves! Anyone who dares walk out, repay everything you've eaten from us Weis over the years—"
"Enough, Mother!" Wei Yingshu cut her off sharply.
Her brows knitted tightly together, disappointment in her mother growing by the second.
Young Master Wang was still standing right there—how could she display such a vulgar, sharp-tongued side of herself? What would he think of her?
Fortunately, love is blind. Though Wei's Mother's coarseness displeased Young Master Wang, because she was Wei Yingshu's birth mother, he naturally leaned toward sympathy.
He only felt that the beauty was being humiliated, her shop's staff betraying her in unison—his heart ached beyond measure. That a woman of such lowly origins should lose composure for a moment was only to be expected.
Since nearly everyone had run off and there was no way to do business today anyway, Wei Yingshu simply closed the doors and went back inside to think of a plan.
Young Master Wang took charge of the matter, saying: "Yingshu, don't be upset. That Pei family has always been crafty and scheming. You defeated her fair and square back then, and still fell into her trap—for years now, despite your extraordinary skills, you've faced hardship after hardship and endured endless gossip. Now that she's come back fully prepared, how could you possibly withstand her?"
"Rest assured, even if she has an imperial plaque in hand, she still has to run her business by the rules. She says she'll open in seven days—does she have all the permits and certifications in order? Every single one has to pass through the Shuntian Prefecture. If even one item falls through—"
He didn't need to finish. As the saying goes, commoners don't fight officials. Even in modern times, a single bureaucratic hurdle could stall things for ages, costing people a fortune—let alone in ancient times.
But Wei Yingshu didn't see it that way. Back then, the Pei family clearly held the upper hand, yet they fled the capital that very day, catching everyone off guard.
Later, when she realized the Peis had already left the city, Li Shen finally told her what he had planned—only for cunning Pei Liang to slip away from it.
At the time, she'd pretended to disapprove of Li Shen's methods, but deep down, she'd felt a flicker of disappointment.
From that, she could tell: if Pei Liang dared return to open a shop now, she was definitely not coming empty-handed. Just now, seeing how calmly she faced Young Master Wang and the rows of officials, she clearly had someone backing her.
Take Gu Xiu, for instance—one of those meddling judges from before. If Pei Liang had managed to sway him back then, now that she'd returned in force, given Gu Xiu's love for fine food and lively scenes, he certainly wouldn't be absent.
Young Master Wang was merely the son of a district magistrate. If he tried to use authority to bully her, he'd only end up making a fool of himself.
So Wei Yingshu quickly said: "I appreciate Young Master Wang's kindness, but in the food trade, skill is what speaks. Miss Pei may be confrontational, but I wouldn't stoop to preventing someone from doing business."
"With all the entanglements between our two families, if her opening goes poorly, she'll surely spread word that I was the one sabotaging her."
Young Master Wang thought of that woman's sharp tongue—yes, that was exactly what she'd do.
Wei Yingshu continued: "Besides, I'm genuinely curious. She tore my establishment apart with such disdain—well, let's see what level of cooking she can actually produce."
"When it comes to eloquence or scheming, I concede. But when it comes to culinary skill, I will never lose to her."
Young Master Wang’s eyes were full of admiration and appreciation: “Yingshu, you’re just too open and upright. You always let your cooking speak for itself, not realizing how complicated people’s hearts can be. That’s why petty schemers keep getting the better of you.”
“That Pei woman is probably counting on exactly that.”
Wei Yingshu smiled and said, “Alright, no matter how much hype she builds, when opening day comes, she’ll have to show what she’s really got. If she can spot flaws in a dish, why can’t I?”
“So we shouldn’t hinder her opening at all—in fact, we should help spread the word and bring in even more customers. Then, when the time comes, one taste will settle who’s better and who’s not.”
Young Master Wang nodded repeatedly: “Right, your skill is there for everyone to see. It’s not like people are blind. I’ll get the right crowd together and give her new restaurant a proper welcome.”
The two chatted for a while longer before Young Master Wang took his leave.
As he walked out, his feet felt like they were treading on clouds. He absolutely adored how Yingshu was so generous and kind, yet stubborn and resilient—never one to simply swallow injustice, knowing when to strike back, and always doing it with integrity.
What he didn’t know was that the moment he left, someone slipped in through the side entrance of Tianxiang Tower.
Seeing Wei Yingshu sitting in the main hall, lost in thought, the person spoke: “It’s my fault. My men saw them return earlier, but since she had so many people with her, they hesitated and didn’t make a move, letting her get all the way here. You had to suffer all that humiliation again.”
“At this point, even if it means trading my life for hers, breaking her legs first is the way to go.”
Wei Yingshu gave a bitter smile. Of all the men in her life, only with Li Shen could she reveal this vulnerable, ugly side of herself.
And far from being disgusted or keeping his distance, Li Shen was almost thrilled—delighted that he alone got to see the real her.
So Wei Yingshu said, “You had people watching that place for years. Nobody expected her to come back so suddenly, and the crews have been swapped out several times. It’s understandable they couldn’t react in time.”
Li Shen sneered: “Right, watched the place for years and still couldn’t keep track of her, letting that bitch run right in front of you. Since their eyes are useless, they don’t need to keep them anymore.”
Hearing such a cruel remark, Wei Yingshu frowned slightly but said nothing.
Li Shen knew she disliked bloodshed, so he changed the subject: “So, how do you want to deal with that bitch surnamed Pei?”
Wei Yingshu said, “She’s insulted my reputation time and again. If she just vanishes without a trace, people will still remember her as the upright and honorable Little Chef Pei.”
She gave a cold laugh: “I was so foolish back then, letting her lead me around by the nose. How impressive is she? Now, whenever anyone in the capital mentions the Pei family, who doesn’t say they’re the soul of honesty and integrity, that their Little Chef Pei is noble and just, so filial she moved heaven itself?”
“I want her to taste what it’s like to lose face and feel suffocated by shame.”
With that, she looked at Li Shen: “So don’t act yet. Let her have her moment of glory for a few days.”
Li Shen nodded: “Fine. Whatever you want to do, go ahead. I’ll keep a close eye on her.”
Because of the boldly public challenge to steal her staff, plus the dramatic backstory from years ago, word spread like wildfire through the capital that day. Everyone who’d witnessed the scene at the restaurant rushed to tell others, and soon the whole city knew that the heir to Tianxiang Tower had returned—and that she was reopening the “Number One Restaurant Under Heaven” right across the street from the original, bearing her imperial-bestowed signboard.
On top of that, Young Master Wang and a circle of noble friends were spreading the news for free, specifically targeting the kind of rich connoisseurs who praised Wei Yingshu’s cooking and had the most discerning, critical palates.
Let’s see how Pei Liang manages to pull off her grand opening.
And as for Wei Yingshu, she certainly wasn’t going to pin her hopes on the other woman making a mistake.
In her view, although Pei Liang's culinary skills were mediocre, her talent for managing people was not to be underestimated. As long as she performed at her usual standard, even if her dishes didn’t leave as striking an impression as Wei Yingshu’s, they certainly wouldn’t sink to the level of becoming a laughingstock for the crowd.
So over the next few days, Wei Yingshu rebuilt her kitchen staff from scratch and, while soothing the young gentlemen who had come to shower her with concern over her recent grievances, let out a soft sigh and said, “Miss Pei has treated me harshly, but her skills ultimately come from the Pei family. When you drink water, never forget who dug the well. No matter what, I still wish her business great success.”
“Perhaps a few years from now, once we’ve both matured, we can let bygones be bygones and share a smile to erase old grudges. Heirs of the same generation helping each other out—that would make for a fine tale.”
“She’s rushed to open her doors just to spite me. I wonder if she’s truly prepared. Having just returned to the capital, ordinary ingredients are easy enough to come by, but many rare items that are out of season or have already been reserved by multiple establishments are probably going to be hard for her to get her hands on.”
Hearing this, two of the young gentlemen whose families dealt in the food supply business exchanged thoughtful glances.
