Cui Yunchu tapped her fingers leisurely against the wine jar without answering.
Beside her, Chen Miaohe was so moved that tears streamed down her face, her eyes shining with stars as she gazed at Shen Zilan.
For the sake of the woman he loved, he could even set aside his hatred. Just how deeply must he care for her?
“Elder Sister Cui, seeing how devoted he is to you, please give him a chance.”
Cui Yunchu said nothing. Instead, she stared steadily at Shen Zilan. “So, Young Master Shen, do you mean that my elder brother is certain to enter the Ministry of War in tomorrow’s selection of officials?”
Shen Zilan nodded with complete confidence.
Cui Yunchu lowered her eyes slightly, her gaze falling on the bowl of glutinous rice balls in fermented rice wine. After a long while, she rose to her feet. “Young Master Shen and Miss Chen had better send someone home to fetch the money first. Otherwise, you may be stuck washing dishes here and unable to make it home.”
With that, Cui Yunchu left without another word.
Chen Miaohe frowned. “What does that mean? Did she agree or not?”
Shen Zilan scratched his head.
“I told you, you should have said more bad things about your uncle. Only then could she give up on him completely and let him go.”
Shen Zilan was displeased. “My uncle is my elder. Though he made a few mistakes where romance is concerned, I’m not in a position to criticize him as his junior.”
“But he deceived Eldest Sister Cui with his honeyed words. He’s nothing but a scoundrel.”
Shen Zilan’s eyes reddened with anger. “You’re not allowed to talk about my uncle like that.”
Seeing that he was truly angry, Chen Miaohe pouted. “Fine, I won’t say it anymore. And don’t come looking for me again. We’re through.”
She turned angrily to leave, only to be stopped by the waiter.
“Esteemed guests, please settle the bill.”
Shen Zilan pulled out his purse and handed it to the waiter.
The waiter opened it, glanced inside, and frowned. “Are you joking, sir? This much won’t even pay for a single jar of wine.”
Shen Zilan had visited the Wangyue House before, but he had never paid out of his own pocket. In the past, his family estate had always covered the bill.
He had never imagined that Cui Yunchu would order such a lavish table of food.
He emptied all the silver and banknotes on his person onto the counter.
The waiter counted them, then shook his head. “You’re still short by half.”
“How is that possible? Don’t try to cheat me!” Shen Zilan glared.
The waiter said, “Sir, you jest. This amount is indeed only enough to pay for four jars of wine.”
Shen Zilan looked at Chen Miaohe. She shook her head. She had not ordered any wine.
“We only ordered one jar. How did it become four?”
“That’s right,” the waiter replied. “The young lady who just left also had three more jars carried to her carriage.”
“...”
After a brief silence, Chen Miaohe took out every last bit of money she had.
It still wasn’t enough.
“This is all the allowance I have for the month.”
“I’ve taken out my entire salary as well,” Shen Zilan said.
The waiter’s brow furrowed. “If you don’t have the money, why did you come here to eat? What do you think the Wangyue House is?”
Shen Zilan clearly remembered that it had not been this expensive before.
“Exactly,” Chen Miaohe muttered under her breath. “If you don’t have the money, why come to the Wangyue House?”
Shen Zilan frowned. “Wasn’t it you who chose the Wangyue House because you said it would look impressive?”
“What do you mean, impressive? We were obviously just pretending to be rich.”
The waiter urged them on. “Stop dawdling. Think of a way to pay the bill.”
“He can go home and get the money. I’m going home,” Chen Miaohe said.
“That won’t do.” The waiter blocked her way. “You ate too, young lady. You can’t just walk away without paying.”
Chen Miaohe had been deeply out of favor with her family lately. There was practically no chance they would send money if she went home to ask for it.
The same was true for Shen Zilan.
*
“Hurry up, hurry up! There’s another table over there that needs washing too. Get moving!”
Chen Miaohe was seething, her eyes red with anger.
“What kind of restaurant is this? They have no sense of value at all. The hairpin on my head is worth a fortune!” And yet they had refused to accept it.
With their sleeves rolled up, the two sat in the courtyard. Filth covered the ground, and the water in the basin was icy cold. Whenever the chilly wind swept past, their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
Behind them stood a burly man, watching them like a hawk.
“We really are the children of officials. Let us go, and we’ll have someone bring you the money.”
“Stop talking nonsense. Wash. Do you still want to leave tonight?”
The moment the burly man opened his mouth, his breath was foul enough to knock a person over.
Chen Miaohe had never suffered such humiliation before.
After washing dishes for half an hour, her hands had long since turned red and begun to peel. Tears started to fall.
Being caught eating without paying and forced to scrub dishes—Miss Chen had never lost face so thoroughly in her entire life.
“You uncle and nephew are both insane! I’m never playing with you again!”
A pair of warm hands suddenly clasped hers. Shen Zilan lowered his eyes and used a handkerchief to wipe away the water and grease from her fingers. Then he spoke to the burly man in a conciliatory tone.
“Could I wash alone? She’s a young lady and not very strong. Let her wait somewhere sheltered from the wind. I’ll work faster on my own.”
The burly man looked at the two of them and nodded.
Shen Zilan told Chen Miaohe to wait for him beneath the corridor. “There’s no wind there. Go wait for me.”
Chen Miaohe’s nose and heart both felt strangely sore.
Shen Zilan even gave her his cloak and carried over a stool for her to sit on.
As the night grew later, the wind grew stronger and more biting. Chen Miaohe wrapped herself up tightly and stared blankly at Shen Zilan in the courtyard, dressed in such thin clothing.
His lips had turned blue from the cold, and his hands were bright red.
Thinking she was cold, Shen Zilan comforted her. “Bear with it a little longer. Our servants and maids should come looking for us soon.”
Chen Miaohe nodded.
Resting her chin on one hand, she scooted her stool a little closer and spoke to Shen Zilan. “Actually, you’re not a bad person.”
Though today had been utterly humiliating.
Shen Zilan said, “There’s definitely something wrong with this restaurant. Once I get out, I’ll have the Wangyue House investigated thoroughly.”
As an official, he could not even afford a single jar of wine with a month’s salary. It was absurd.
Chen Miaohe agreed. “You’re right. I also think there was something wrong with the bill today.”
Shen Zilan felt deeply apologetic. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this.”
“What are you talking about? We planned this together. I ate the food too. It’s not all your fault.”
He had gone to propose, been unable to pay, and ended up imprisoned and forced to wash dishes. Shen Zilan felt that he had lost every scrap of dignity he had possessed in this lifetime.
“So you’re not breaking off our friendship anymore?” Shen Zilan asked, raising a brow.
Chen Miaohe pouted and said nothing.
“Then are you still going to propose to me?”
*
In a small alley close to the Wangyue House, a carriage stood parked.
Yu Feng walked up to the carriage and reported, “Master, the young master’s and Miss Chen’s servants have been knocked unconscious and thrown into the restaurant’s woodshed.”
A cold, indifferent hum came from inside.
“Master, the weather has been bitterly cold these past two days. Are you really going to make the young master and Miss Chen wash dishes until tomorrow morning?”
The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing Shen Xiabai’s languid figure.
“Tell Minister Chen that the Dowager Madam and Miss Chen hit it off wonderfully. Miss Chen will be staying the night at the Shen residence.”
That meant they really would have to wash dishes all night.
“Oh.”
Yu Feng could not help sighing.
His master had gone to such lengths, practically working himself to death to win Eldest Miss Cui’s heart. Meanwhile, the young master had accused his uncle of being fickle and two-timing, then tried to use Young Master Cui’s official appointment to steal his uncle’s girl right out from under him.
Yu Feng thought back over what Chen Miaohe had said, and suddenly felt that making them wash for half a month—not merely one night—would be worth it.
It was just that…
“Master, what if the Young Master and Miss Chen come out tomorrow and realize the restaurant cheated them?”
Shen Xiabai arched his cold, hard brows. “It suddenly raised its prices. Is that not allowed?”
“It is.” Yu Feng nodded.
You were the owner, after all. Naturally, what you said went.
A chilling smile tugged at the corners of Shen Xiabai’s lips.
That brat really had some nerve—trying to poach someone right from his own uncle. If he didn’t teach him a lesson, how would the boy ever learn?
“Tell the people watching them that they’re not allowed to rest until the washing is done.”
Yu Feng acknowledged the order, then mentioned something else that made a smile curl across Shen Xiabai’s lips. “The matchmakers you sent to the Cui residence earlier have all returned. They said Eldest Miss Cui asked them to pass along a message: she has never been this happy in her entire life.”
Shen Xiabai gave a soft laugh, delight shining in every line of his brows and eyes.
