Chapter 33 – Confrontation at the Restaurant
A young lady is sitting in the Lan’s Room on the second floor, she was wearing a purple dress, with a perfect body line and strikingly beautiful face. She is the princess from Mobei, Qin Yuyuan. The people were praising her in a low voice; she put down the chopsticks and glanced at Ouyang Shaochen as he walked up the stairs.
The perfection of his jawline and his charming face can hardly make people take their eyes off him. His mesmerizing eyes and dark pupils... everything in him is just perfect.
He really is the carefree king’s heir!
In the northern Mongolian deserts, she met Ouyang Shaochen several times. She got to know that he was talented in many ways – in literary, martial arts, painting, chess-playing. The talents that he possessed very much exceeded all those who tried to compete with him.
There was one thing, however – he never approached women.
No matter how beautiful or elegant they were, even if they were standing in front of him, he wouldn’t take notice of them. The cold, distant face of his which seemed to reject all those around him, left the women in the desert heart-broken.
Yet she heard Ouyang Shaochen invites a girl to his private room to eat with him!
It was astonishing! Who was this mysterious girl who made him change his attitude towards females!
Her observing eyes swept towards Ouyang Shaochen. She saw that beside him was a girl whose face was as beautiful as blossoms, who had eyes like pristine waters, hair like dark clouds and on her dress, life-like flowers embroidered onto it. Her graceful movement was matched with the smooth fair skin of hers. She emanated a radiant, youthful aura!
Murong Xue! How could it be her!
Didn’t Yi Chen unexpectedly abandon her, the one who was always sick? How did she gain the favour of Ouyang Shaochen who never went near women?
Qin Yuyuan’s beautiful eyes squinted: Could she has performed some extraordinary acts on him?
It seems right, how can the young miss of Zhen Manor be a concubine to anyone? YiChen is the Prince of War. In the whole of Qingyan, you cannot find many talented people like him. Since Murong Xue already has him as a future husband, naturally, she wouldn’t want to be with just any simple folk.
Despite that, she and Yi Chen have a mutual beneficial relationship. Yi Chen would never let her marry Ouyang Shaochen! The carefree royalty parents of Ouyang Shaochen would also, never accept a woman who has been divorced. Murong Xue is destined to be the Y iChen’s concubine!
Being a concubine should have its limits! How could she cheat her future husband to seduce men outside!
Yi Chen may not be in Yueyang Restaurant, but allow her, the future queen of Qingyan, to let Murong Xue know her position and where she truly belongs to!
The Meixiang private room Ouyang Shaochen had booked was a lavish room with a black marbled floor so shiny that you could even see your reflection in it. The tables and chairs were made up of rose wood; the handiwork on it was exceptionally good.
Murong Xue casually sat in front of the round table and scanned the menu. She then ordered some of the signature dishes recommended by the restaurant. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a white robe.
“Since you didn’t eat anything back in the palace, you should order something,” she casually suggested.
“I’m not hungry; I’ll just have some wine!” Ouyang Shaochen responded.
“Alright then, please wait briefly while we prepare your order!” the waiter said smiling as he proceeded to pace quickly out of the room.
“Didn’t you have errands to attend to at Zhuque Street? Why are you drinking wine here? It wouldn’t be good if you happen to get drunk and make a scene.” Murong Xue said while she poured Ouyang Shaochen and herself some tea.
The corner of Ouyang Shaochen’s mouth broke to reveal a smile, “This wine is made from Qiong flowers. It’s said to be wine but doesn’t have a much alcoholic smell. It’s also fragrant and it doesn’t make you drunk easily. Single women like to drink this.”
“Really?” Murong Xue’s eyes glimmered. She didn’t like the bitterness and rich taste of wine in this era. Back in the modern world, she only drank red wine and champagne. Upon entering the Qingyan country, she only saw different types of white wine and all of them were bitter and rich in flavor. Because of that, she canceled the thought of enjoying wine. She did not expect to find any wine that wasn’t bitter or rich in Qingyan until Ouyang Shaochen mentioned about that wine.
Seeing her glistening eyes, Ouyang Shaochen’s eyes were tinged with humour: “You can try some when it gets here.”
“Thank you!” Murong Xue smiled delightfully. If that wine really wasn’t too rich in flavour, she could drink a glass before she went to bed every day, like what she did in the modern world with red wine.
“Heir of Ouyang and Miss Murong!” a gentle voice called out.
Murong Xue snapped out of her reverie and turned towards the direction of the voice. There she saw Qin Yuyuan and her maidservant walking towards them. Her face was as alluring as flowers and on her face, she wore a friendly smile. She was dressed in an elegant long dress which swept the floor as she walked, leaving faint trails behind.
How did I wind up meeting her? What a small world!
Murong Xue frowned and with an expressionless tone, she said, “Princess Qin, have you come to Yueyang Restaurant to have your meal too?”
“Yes...and no,” Qin YuYuan let out a small smile: “I heard that the women in Qingyan were beautiful, smart and talented. So I came to Yueyang Restaurant to learn musical skills from them.”
It turns out that Yueyang Restaurant was not only a dining place but also a place to display artistic talents. The noble people of Jing City, especially the rich single women liked to gather in the private rooms. There they would happily compete and learn from one another in many things – playing musical instruments, writing poems, making arts.
“I have already competed with a few people and my Yangqin musical skills have improved in some measure. Murong Xue is the young miss of Zhen Manor, I’m sure you also know how to play the Yangqin. Could you possibly teach me a few tips for playing?” Qin Yuyuan said eyeing at Murong Xue, maintaining her smile.
Qin Yuyuan is the princess of the northern Mongolian deserts and also the future wife of Prince Jing. The citizens of Jing City had long spread the news about her beauty and musical talents. Her musical skills in Yangqin were so remarkable that even the cranes flew down to witness her playing. Why would she even need tips then?
“I’m sorry Princess Qin but I don’t know how to play! So I can’t possibly teach you anything!” Murong Xue responded, rejecting Qin Yuyuan’s request.
Qin YuYuan did not seem to be bothered by the rejection. Still, she smiled and replied, “Miss Murong, you must be joking, the mistress of Zhen Manor was the most talented woman in Jing City. No one could beat her. And as her daughter, how could you not know how to play....?”
Murong Xue sneered at her remark. The host’s mother had passed away when she was just 4 years old, how could she have taught her any of her skills? After that, she got frostbite in the snow and was frequently sick. Before the age of 10, she had spent the majority of her life lying on the bed, how could she even learn any artistic skills?
Ye Yi Chen had known that Murong Xue had gotten frostbite and naturally he knew that she had no artistic skills. And as his future wife to be, Qin Yuyuan must have known that. Yet, she had asked her to give her tips on musical skills in front of everyone. She was obviously challenging her and wanted her to make a fool out of herself.
She has been here just to have a meal. So why was she purposely giving her a hard time?