Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Everyone, please be a bit quieter," although the murmurs were low, Yun Nishang still caught a hint of them. She wasn't angry; instead, she smiled and introduced, "This is something I heard from a friend. Since we rarely gather like this, let's not be constrained by formalities. It's perfectly fine to eat and drink freely, so I prepared these..."
Her words were clear, yet everyone remained confused, unsure of what she meant.
"Ahem..." Seeing the blank expressions on everyone's faces, Nishang felt annoyed. Qing Luan sighed silently, thinking to herself: Oh dear princess, while you want to create some excitement, is it really fair to expect something grand from just one suggestion? Though she thought this way, she still stepped in to help.
"What the princess means is that the items on the table are available for everyone to choose freely. Once you've picked what you like, you can take it over to those busy maids," she said, pointing to a few maids nearby who were bustling about, smiling contentedly. "They will prepare it for you. If you prefer spicy or salty flavors, just let the maids know." Sighing inwardly, she wondered why they should still enjoy such pleasures when they had treated her with disdain.
Though reluctant in her heart, Qing Luan knew she couldn't let the princess lose face and had no choice but to proceed this way.
As soon as the young ladies heard this, curiosity flickered in their eyes, but no one stepped forward...
Sighing again internally, Qing Luan took a few steps toward the food spread out on the table. She picked up a delicately woven basket and began selecting items while muttering to herself, "The meat needs to be spicy for flavor; the fish should have enough oil for taste..." In no time at all, she filled half the basket with various foods and then carefully made her way over to the maids.
Yun Nishang didn't care about the dazed young ladies and followed Qing Luan over.
Once there, Qing Luan handed her selections to the maids for grilling. However, the maids lacked experience and were flustered; smoke billowed up as some items got burnt.
Watching good food being ruined made Qing Luan feel depressed. In her haste, she took over and began grilling for herself.
This task required attention to detail; if one wasn't quick enough with the fire control, everything would either burn or become charred. The aroma was enticing, but if it looked unappetizing, it wouldn't whet anyone's appetite.
"Wow, Qing Luan, you're amazing!" Seeing the fragrant grilled Crucian Carp, Yun Nishang swallowed hard and praised her generously.
"Of course," Qing Luan replied confidently. "Once you try it, you'll crave it again and again. Here, have this first—be careful; it's hot! Maid, could you please hand me a pair of chopsticks for the princess?" She spoke respectfully to a nearby maid, making her nearly jump in surprise.
"Miss is too kind," the maid replied gratefully. It was rare for those young ladies to treat her with such courtesy; being treated like an honored guest by the princess left her feeling overwhelmed. "I can't accept this; Princess, your chopsticks!"
"Mm," Yun Nishang paid no mind to their thoughts. She took the chopsticks and picked up a piece of Crucian Carp from the plate. Slowly chewing it brought a sparkle to her eyes as she exclaimed loudly, "Wow! This is really delicious! The spiciness is just right; my mouth is full of flavor..."
The Young Ladies, upon seeing the princess, were all captivated and began to gather around the table to grab their favorite foods, instantly transforming the previously quiet space into a lively scene.
Watching the Young Ladies chatter and laugh, Qing Luan couldn't help but curl her lip in disdain. They looked quite charming when not scheming against each other, but why did they have to wear such fierce expressions on their beautiful faces, making them appear almost ghastly?
Qing Luan's pleasant thoughts were quickly extinguished as those girls approached her.
"Hey, you! Roast this for me; I want it mild," came the voice of Blossom Snow, the daughter of General Bu, who had just been mocked by Qing Luan. She held out a small basket with an air of arrogance, commanding as if she were doing Qing Luan a favor by asking her to cook.
"I want one too," Chen Yan'er chimed in, unwilling to be left out. Since the princess had allowed her to take action, there was no need for them to hold back. Hmph! She had thought the princess treated Zhu Qingluan well, but it turned out to be superficial; otherwise, she wouldn't have let her do the work.
What she was doing was akin to treating Qing Luan like a slave—one of lowly status whom they could command at will.
Looking at the basket thrust in front of her, Qing Luan felt her mouth twitch in regret for her earlier naive thoughts. These foolish women were beyond redemption. Their only joy in life seemed to come from trampling on others' dignity and thriving on their suffering.
These people truly made her sick!
Qing Luan couldn't be bothered with them and continued roasting fish and meat on the grill, brushing them with oil while humming a tune, feeling quite content…
Sister Yun was eating the fish that Qing Luan had grilled when she saw how those Young Ladies insulted her friend. Just as she was about to speak up, Nishang stopped her.
"She's not someone who can be bullied easily; just wait and see," Nishang said. Those young ladies were asking for trouble. If it weren't for her status getting in the way, she would have gladly helped Qing Luan teach them a lesson. Unfortunately, she had to consider Emperor Dad's face; otherwise, this Princess Mansion would likely be taken back.
Sometimes, she envied Qing Luan's bravery and decisiveness—the freedom to soar under an open sky and do whatever she pleased without caring about others' opinions. Even when called a Merchant's Daughter and looked down upon, she would smile and nod without taking it to heart.
Such a person was so carefree!
Sadly, most people in the world were burdened by too many concerns and rarely possessed such nonchalance.
"Hey! I'm talking to you; are you even listening?" Blossom Snow shouted with a frown after holding out her basket for quite some time without receiving any attention from Qing Luan.
"Miss, there's a dog barking, it's so loud!" Sister Yun said, holding a piece of fish with oil at the corner of her mouth, but her words were sharp as ever.
"It's just calling for spring," Qing Luan replied coolly.
Chen Yan'er and Blossom Snow, after hearing their conversation, were immediately stunned. After a moment of shock, they angrily shouted, "You damn woman, who are you calling a dog?"
"Did I say anything?" Sister Yun looked around innocently, puzzled.
"Whoever barks is who I'm talking about," Qing Luan said lightly, completely unfazed by the two furious women.
"Pfft!" Yun Nishang couldn't hold back any longer at Qing Luan's calm demeanor after such a jab and stifled a laugh.
"You shameless woman, what right do you have to talk about me?" Blossom Snow was thoroughly enraged and shouted without caring about their surroundings.
"My face is right here, when did I lose it?" Qing Luan touched her own face, looking quite confused.
Miss, do you really need to go this far? Sister Yun and Yun Nishang thought to themselves as they struggled to contain their laughter.
Comment 0 Comment Count