Chapter 171 – Who’s Paying the Bill
Yan Xiaosi’s remark had both Long Yu and Murong Qinjian feeling awkward and uncomfortable.
When Murong Qinjian caught Yan Xiaosi’s somewhat flirtatious gaze, he felt goosebumps all over his body.
“No, no, Xiaosi, please spare me. I don’t swing that way. Just serve General Zhan.”
Upon entering the main hall of Juxian Tower, Long Yu waved his hand, shaking off Yan Xiaosi’s grip. He, like Murong Qinjian, felt a shiver down his spine at Xiaosi’s coquettish look.
Yan Xiaosi, unfazed by being brushed off and slipping past Yan Bozhang’s watchful eyes, noticed Long Yu and Murong Qinjian’s distinguished attire.
A waiter from Juxian Tower approached them warmly, “Would you like to dine or have tea? Would you prefer the main hall or a private room upstairs?”
“The private room on the third floor.” Long Yu dropped these words to the waiter and strode towards the stairs.
Yan Xiaosi glanced around Juxian Tower, noting its exquisite decor. The main hall was impressive, and the private rooms were likely even more luxurious, meaning they wouldn’t be cheap. She knew that General Zhan and Murong Qinjian had come to help her, so technically she should be the host.
With this thought, she touched the silver coins hidden in her bosom. After her shopping spree at the clothing store, only a few copper coins remained from the ten silver taels, hardly enough to host a meal.
Seeing Long Yu and Murong Qinjian ascending the stairs, she hurried after them, tugging at Long Yu’s sleeve.
Long Yu stopped and glanced at her sideways. “What now?”
Embarrassed about her financial situation, Yan Xiaosi’s face showed her discomfort.
“Um… General Zhan, can we just wait in the main hall?”
“Do you think it’s appropriate for someone of my status to sit in the main hall?”
“That’s true, it’s not quite appropriate. But going to a private room on the third floor must be expensive. After borrowing your ten silver taels to buy these clothes, I only have a few copper coins left. I’m afraid we can’t afford the third floor.”
Murong Qinjian chuckled, shaking his fan. “Who said you’re paying? Our General Zhan is a man of stature. He wouldn’t let a commoner like you foot the bill.”
“You mean I don’t have to pay?”
Yan Xiaosi patted her chest in relief. “That’s a load off my mind.”
The waiter led them to the third floor and was about to open a room next to the stairs.
“Please follow me, honored guests.”
Long Yu’s gaze shifted to another room with a closed door. “Is that room occupied?”
The waiter replied truthfully, “It’s currently vacant.”
“We’ll take that one then.”
Ignoring the waiter, Long Yu headed to the chosen room. Yan Xiaosi and Murong Qinjian followed.
Yan Xiaosi noticed that the room Long Yu picked was two doors away from Yan Bozhang’s, close enough for a martial artist to overhear conversations from Yan Bozhang’s room.
Once inside the private room, Long Yu ordered only a pot of Yunwu tea and handed the menu to Yan Xiaosi.
Having filled up on imperial pastries earlier, Xiaosi wasn’t very hungry. She casually glanced at the menu, and the prices nearly blinded her.
“Buddha’s Shadowless Kick” was actually braised pig’s trotters, priced at five silver taels.
“Dragon and Phoenix” was a pot of chicken and snake stew, costing ten silver taels.
She wondered if they were in a five-star hotel, given the exorbitant prices.
The extravagant prices of the dishes at Juxian Tower made Yan Xiaosi hesitant to order. With her current financial state, if General Zhan decided not to pay the bill, even selling her wouldn’t be enough to cover the cost of a full table of dishes. Most importantly, she wasn’t hungry, so why order?
“Murong Qinjian, why don’t you choose the dishes?” Yan Xiaosi suggested with a smile, pushing the menu towards him.
Murong Qinjian, always happy to order, took the menu and swiftly selected seven or eight dishes, all signature dishes of Juxian Tower.
Soon, two waiters brought in the tea and food. The table was filled with a variety of colorful, aromatic, and flavorful dishes. Though Yan Xiaosi initially wasn’t hungry, the sight of the delicious food made her swallow hard.
After the waiters left, Long Yu poured himself a cup of tea, sipping it while eyeing Murong Qinjian, “You ordered so much. Murong Little Scoundrel, can you even finish all of this?”
Murong Qinjian’s idea was simple: it’s rare for General Zhan to treat, so why not order a few good dishes?
“Isn’t Brother Xiaosi here too? I know he has a good appetite.”
“Brother Xiaosi, let’s eat while the dishes are hot.”
Yan Xiaosi, initially a bit embarrassed, but soon let go of her reservations and started eating heartily upon Murong Qinjian’s invitation.
Watching her roll up her sleeves and eat voraciously, Long Yu frowned and commented, “With such eating manners, are you a pig? At least pigs gain weight after eating so much, but you…”
Noticing Yan Xiaosi still looked as thin and frail as when he first met her, his frown deepened. “Such a waste of food.”
The dishes at Juxian Tower were truly delicious. Yan Xiaosi and Murong Qinjian enjoyed the meal immensely. Considering it was Long Yu who was treating, Yan Xiaosi decided not to take his comments to heart.
Shortly after, Long Yi entered the room.
“Master, five men have entered Yan Bozhang’s private room.”
Yan Xiaosi immediately put down her chopsticks. “So, those five ruffians finally found Juxian Tower.”
She quickly used her mental power to eavesdrop on Yan Bozhang and the five ruffians. Long Yu and Murong Qinjian listened using their internal power.
In the adjacent room, Yan Bozhang, seeing the disheveled state of the five men, became wary.
“Did you complete the task I assigned you?” Yan Bozhang asked the group of five, his eyes betraying a hint of doubt.
The eldest of the five nodded, “Steward Yan, we have accomplished what you commanded, just as you asked.”
Yan Bozhang’s eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. “Then why do all five of you look so disheveled?”
The eldest among them gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, “It’s all because Yan Xiaosi is too cunning. It took a great deal of effort for us brothers to subdue that little rascal. After we got a hold of him, we gave him a good thrashing to ensure he wouldn’t dare oppose the Yan family or you, Steward Yan, ever again.”
The image of Yan Xiaosi’s cunning and tricky nature surfaced in Yan Bozhang’s mind. Indeed, such a crafty youngster could have caused this situation.
“Steward Yan, we had an agreement. We deal with the boy, and you pay us afterwards,” the eldest ruffian reminded him.
After a moment of thought, Yan Bozhang dismissed his suspicions. The five were insistent, so he straightforwardly took out a silver ingot and handed it to the eldest man.
