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Gu Bei and Murong Jing's gazes met, both of them expressionless as they exchanged a glance.
Then, Gu Bei withdrew his gaze, brushing past Ye Xiaohan and walking in front of Murong Jing, bowing respectfully.
"I am General Gu, Your Highness the Third Prince."
Despite being a great general, Gu Bei held the highest official rank of first grade, which made him one of the highest-ranking subjects. However, even without an official title, Murong Jing's status compelled all subjects to treat him with utmost respect.
"Ah, it is General Gu. How rare," Murong Jing said with a disdainful look that suggested he regarded everyone with indifference. "General Gu has finally cleared his name. I haven't had the chance to congratulate you yet."
Gu Bei replied, "Thank you, Your Highness. The ability to clear my name is all due to Your Majesty's imperial favor."
"Enough with the formalities; we are outside the palace. No need for such clichés," Murong Jing waved his hand to stop Gu Bei. In this world, only this pampered Third Prince could dare to dismiss imperial favor as mere platitudes.
"Since we have met by chance, General Gu, why not join me for a meal? These are all new dishes that cannot be found outside."
Murong Jing invited Gu Bei to dine with him, as he had already eaten enough and didn't mind an extra person.
Ye Xiaohan and Liu Yang approached from behind. The guards, well-trained, immediately retreated upon seeing the Third Prince, dutifully taking their posts downstairs.
"General Gu, you're here! The kitchen's fire is still on; let me get you something to eat!" Liu Yang exclaimed joyfully as he rushed over to serve his older brother.
In front of the Third Prince, they could not reveal their relationship. Even though they had long been investigated due to Gu Bei's connections and their family backgrounds were thoroughly checked, they still had to pretend not to be particularly close in public.
Ye Xiaohan watched as Liu Yang ran away, feeling a bit jealous. "He really likes you. I've been so good to him, yet I've never seen him be this filial towards me."
Gu Bei's gaze shifted from Liu Yang to Ye Xiaohan, then to the table.
"Oh, you're just in time! Come over and help us discuss the menu for the next issue," Ye Xiaohan said excitedly as she noticed Gu Bei looking at the table.
Murong Jing glanced at Gu Bei and said, "General Gu's taste is indeed worth considering. When we launch it, if we highlight that it's the favorite of the great general, it will definitely sell well."
"Yes, yes! That's a great idea!" Ye Xiaohan quickly jotted it down. This gimmick was powerful enough to catch the attention of diners.
After all, when it comes to business, the more exaggerated the advertisement, the better. Other establishments often boast about being favored by certain courtesans or ladies; no one would suspect them even if they used dishes favored by the great general.
The two confirmed their plan together and were quite happy about it. In contrast, Gu Bei had maintained a serious expression since entering, never once relaxing.
"Make way, make way." Liu Yang brought a pot of soup to the table. As he lifted the lid, a rich aroma wafted out, making even Murong Jing, who had just thought he was full, feel hungry again.
Liu Yang quickly served soup to everyone, and they all held their bowls to drink.
"This is really delicious!" Murong Jing exclaimed after tasting a spoonful. "It's better than what we had earlier. What is this?"
Ye Xiaohan took a sip as well and was pleasantly surprised. "This is made from the leftover scraps from the dishes I prepared for the Third Prince, simmered together into a soup."
Originally, she had planned to take it home for Bai Rong'er and Liu Qi to drink since they hadn't gone out; it could also serve as dinner without needing to cook again—just heat it up.
She hadn't expected the flavor to be unexpectedly good, even better than the dishes previously offered by the restaurant.
"Could it be that I'm actually quite talented at cooking?" Ye Xiaohan took another sip, and it really was delicious.
She had never cooked before; at most, she would wash some vegetables and lend a hand. It wasn't until she decided to open a restaurant that she slowly started to learn a few things.
"This should definitely be added to the menu; I think it will be a bestseller!" Ye Xiaohan happily praised herself, realizing that in any field, one could excel with consistent effort.
Li Yang nodded repeatedly, not wanting to waste time talking and instead expressing his agreement through gestures.
"If this is added to the menu, I'll come here for meals every day!" Murong Jing quickly finished one bowl and served himself another.
Ye Xiaohan felt proud. After just a short time of learning, she had gained recognition. Her decision to open a restaurant was indeed the right one.
"Gu Bei, why aren't you drinking? Is it not to your taste?" Ye Xiaohan glanced over and noticed that Gu Bei's bowl was still full, hardly touched.
Strange. Gu Bei usually wasn't picky; why didn't he like it?
Could it be that his taste buds were particularly unique, preferring plain food over something delicious?
That seemed rather unfortunate.
Li Yang also looked curiously at Gu Bei's bowl, then turned with concern towards him. "Big Brother, are you feeling unwell? Do you have no appetite? Let Sister-in-law take a look!"
"Yes, let me check." Ye Xiaohan put down her bowl and reached out to grasp Gu Bei's wrist, intending to check his pulse.
To her surprise, she didn't even get to touch him as he swiftly moved away.
Gu Bei stood up and bowed to Murong Jing. "Thank you, Third Prince, for the meal. I am full now and will take my leave."
He nodded slightly to Liu Yang and Ye Xiaohan before walking away. Soon, the sound of the door opening followed by it closing echoed in the room.
He left so quickly that the group at the table barely had time to react, exchanging puzzled glances.
"Hey, what's up with Gu Bei today? He didn't even eat before leaving?" Ye Xiaohan looked at Liu Yang in confusion. "Is the soup really that unappetizing to him?"
It was known that even the wild vine leaf soup, which was disliked by even the villagers, Gu Bei could usually manage to drink two bowls.
Liu Yang felt a moment of doubt as well, but as they say, those involved are often confused while outsiders see clearly. He glanced around the table and recalled the earlier conversation, forming a rough guess in his mind.
Just now, Ye Xiaohan and Murong Jing were chatting happily, and Gu Bei must have seen it and felt jealous.
Liu Yang couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. His older brother, despite being so mature, still had such childish moments.
"Sister-in-law, you stay here with His Highness the Third Prince; I'll go take a look," Liu Yang said to Ye Xiaohan, intending to catch up with Gu Bei and explain things to prevent his brother from overthinking and affecting their relationship.
Ye Xiaohan agreed, "Alright, go ahead."
She had also wanted Liu Yang to ask Gu Bei if there was anything he wanted to eat so they could prepare it in advance for his next visit or send it over.
However, she decided to hold off on that conversation in front of the Third Prince.
As time passed and they spent more time together, Ye Xiaohan gradually felt that Murong Jing wasn't a bad person. Although he could be arrogant and sometimes acted solely based on his mood without considering others' situations, it was understandable given his noble status. Everything belonged to his family; what did he have to worry about?
Aside from that, Murong Jing was actually quite simple-minded. If they got to know each other better over time, he could be someone worth befriending.
They were still not very familiar with each other, and Ye Xiaohan couldn't guarantee that she fully understood Murong Jing. If anything were to be revealed in front of Gu Bei that could harm him or the six families, she would regret it too late.
Everything still depended on being cautious.
Murong Jing seemed completely indifferent to Gu Bei's departure. When Gu Bei was there, he had invited him to dinner; now that Gu Bei was gone, he could enjoy the entire pot of soup by himself.
Meanwhile, Liu Yang hurriedly caught up with Gu Bei.
Pulling Gu Bei into a discreet corner, Liu Yang quickly explained the situation from earlier.
"Big Brother, please don’t misunderstand. Today was to thank the Third Prince for helping us yesterday. He asked for some unique dishes, and that's why my sister-in-law prepared them for him. It wasn't specifically to cook for him."
As for the later pleasant conversation, Liu Yang clarified that as well.
"When you arrived, they were just discussing the menu for the restaurant. The Third Prince really enjoys the food there and often comes to eat. Being from the palace, he has tasted many delicacies and has plenty of ideas."
He emphasized, "It was only a discussion about dishes; there were no other topics. I was present the whole time, I assure you!"
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