The Return of the Pampered Wife

Chapter 26

Chapter 26: A New Identity

"Huo mei!" "Jing Yu gege!" The exchange between two elegantly dressed youths attracted attention from the crowd. A gongzi wearing a white and blue hanfu was smiling gently at a light blue dressed guniang.

The gongzi's eyes were dark and beautifully shaped; a glance from those phoenix shaped eyes would make one tremble with both anticipation and desire. The straight brows and thin lips made the gongzi look scholarly and gentle. A silver coronet secured his hair and a jade flute secured at the side made him look elegant.

The guniang was also exceptionally good looking. Her eyes were large, round and watery. Her skin was dewy and her cheeks rosy. Half of her dark hair was pinned into a bun, secured with a blue buyao of a sparrow. Her light blue hanfu flowed with her movements, making her look like a descending fairy.

Chen Jing Yu approached Ru Huo and smiled down at her gently. This picturesque sight made others sigh in envy. The beautiful guniang only reached the gongzi's shoulders and the gongzi looked down at the guniang dotingly. Truly a pair matched by heaven.

"Is Huo mei planning on going somewhere?" Ru Huo looked at Chen Jing Yu silently for a moment then smiled brightly.

"En. There seems to be new food at Man Yue and Huo'er wanted to try." Chen Jing Yu smiled and patted her head gently.

"Then gege will accompany you. I was planning on going to Man Yue anyway, so eating together won't be bad." Ru Huo looked a bit stunned but nodded and continued on. Sensing that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Ru Huo started to animate all the gossips in Yu Gong to alleviate the tension. Chen Jing Yu smiled, nodded, laughed and agreed when needed to give appropriate reactions to Ru Huo's stories. Once they entered Man Yue, they immediately requested for a zhu room and settled down.

"Huo mei can order whatever you want." Ru Huo nodded and looked at the menu before calling in a yatou.

"We will have a blooming lotus, seven treasures duck and sweet and sour pork. Bring us your most popular tea in the meantime." The yatou bowed once then retreated.

The zhu room was decorated in a refreshing manner. The walls were white but bamboos were spread around the room and the window was made of bamboo as well. There was a clear view of the streets from the table. The table itself was made out of wood and the seats were cushioned with green pillows. There were a few famous paintings of bamboo forests on the walls and the whole room had the refreshing scent of fresh dirt and grass. Chen Jing Yu looked at Ru Huo dotingly as she leaned on the window to look at the streets. Stall owners were busy finding customers, a few nobles were in and out of stores, a few carriages blocked the road and the common people milled around as they tended to their daily activities. The streets were filled with the sound of advertisements, laughing children and gossiping commoners. Not too long after, the tea was served.

"The tea is very refreshing, ah! It has a mild after taste of ginger but it is not strong enough to sting, just enough to waken the taste buds!" Hearing Ru Huo's evaluation of the tea, Chen Jing Yu also took a sip and nodded in agreement. Ru Huo's chatter filled the room until the food was carried in by several yatous.

"Guniang, gongzi, this is the blooming lotus, seven treasures duck and the sweet and sour pork! The blooming lotus and seven treasures duck are specials so they will be gone in a month! Be sure to come again or else guniang and gongzi will have to wait until next year!" The pretty yatou at the front introduced each dish and subtly advertised. Ru Huo nodded in agreement; Can Yue did have a good eye for people. After finishing, the yatou retreated quickly and closed the door for privacy.