Ya Fei and Young Master Aoba

Xiao Ze and Xiao Xun'er walked side by side along the main street.

The sight of such a golden boy and jade girl drew frequent gazes from passersby.

However, neither of them paid any mind to the attention, heading straight for their destination.

By the time they arrived at Shengde Restaurant, the lanterns had already been lit.

Inside, the restaurant was brightly illuminated and bustling with noise.

"What a lively place; it truly lives up to its reputation as the premier restaurant in Wutan City!"

Xiao Ze watched the crowd flowing in and out and remarked to Xiao Xun'er.

"I'm afraid we'll have to wait for a while."

"Don't worry, Brother Xiao Ze. Xun'er has already made arrangements, so we can go straight in."

Xun'er revealed a mysterious smile and pulled Xiao Ze into Shengde Restaurant.

Soon, led by a waiter, they arrived at a private room on the upper floor.

The design of this room was quite ingenious.

Looking inward, one could see the singing performers in the main hall and the diners enjoying their meals.

Looking outward, one could see the market, which remained brightly lit even in the dead of night.

"Xun'er, this private room you chose is quite excellent!"

"Hehe, I specifically booked this room to avoid any blind fools coming to disturb us."

Xiao Ze nodded in agreement; he knew that with Xun'er's beauty, she would always attract unwanted attention.

Dining in a private room certainly saved a lot of trouble.

"By the way, how much does this room cost?"

Xun'er held up one finger and said with a light smile, "Including the Monster Feast we are having today, it comes to a total of 1,500 gold coins!"

"Hiss! That's expensive! If I recall correctly, the annual profit of the Xiao Clan is only about 100,000 gold coins!"

Xiao Ze couldn't help but say, "Tsk tsk, the Xiao Clan's annual profit would only be enough to eat at Shengde Restaurant for a little over two months!"

"How about it? Is Xun'er's grand feast sincere enough?"

"Far too sincere!"

As the two spoke, the Monster Feast began to be served.

These were edible magical beasts, specially cultivated and prepared; consuming them provided many benefits to humans, such as nourishing the blood and strengthening the physique.

Although not as potent as the pills of an alchemist, they were enough to make people scramble for them.

After all, this was the Dou Qi Continent, a world where the strong were respected!

Anything that could enhance one's strength would inevitably trigger a pursuit.

With the scent of meat filling his nose, Xiao Ze took a deep breath and stared at the table full of monster meat, his mouth watering.

"Brother Xiao Ze, stop staring and eat!"

"Together!"

The two chatted and enjoyed the scenery while tasting the delicious Monster Feast.

Happy times are always short; Xiao Ze picked up a glass of ice-blue fruit juice and clinked it against Xun'er's.

The moment it touched his lips, it felt incredibly cold, yet as he swallowed, he felt a flame burning fiercely within.

This novel sensation made Xiao Ze look at the glass in his hand.

"This juice is quite peculiar."

Xiao Xun'er explained, "This is made from low-level medicinal herbs cultivated by Shengde Restaurant. Drinking it often can increase one's Dou Qi slightly."

Xiao Ze was stunned upon hearing this and carefully sensed the state of his body.

It was fortunate that he now had a thorough grasp of his internal condition, allowing him to detect that trace of Dou Qi growth—which was less than a sliver.

"It really does require frequent consumption to increase even a weak amount of Dou Qi, but using this as a gimmick is enough to make everyone scramble to buy it."

Xiao Ze emphasized the word "weak," causing Xiao Xun'er to giggle incessantly.

"However, for Shengde Restaurant to be able to produce so many things that people scramble for, the power behind it must not be simple, right?"

Xiao Xun'er nodded and said, "Actually, it has a slight connection to the Xiao Clan. The power behind Shengde Restaurant is the Nalan Clan!"

"The Nalan Clan! One of the three great clans of the Jia Ma Empire, a clan that once had good relations with the Xiao Clan?"

Xiao Ze was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected the existence behind this restaurant to be the Nalan Clan.

However, as one of the three great clans of the Jia Ma Empire, it was normal for the Nalan Clan to have infiltrated every corner of the empire.

"No wonder, with the profits of Shengde Restaurant, it can operate safely in the heart of Wutan City. So, it's the Nalan Clan behind it."

"My third brother's betrothed, whom he was engaged to since birth, is the eldest daughter of the Nalan Clan."

Xun'er took a sip of her fruit juice and said with a pointed tone.

"In previous years, the Nalan Clan kept in frequent contact with the Xiao Clan, but starting this year, that might not be the case anymore."

Xiao Ze understood exactly what Xun'er meant.

With Xiao Yan reduced to a waste, it was uncertain whether the Nalan Clan would continue to associate with the Xiao Clan as they had before.

However, based on the original story, the Nalan Patriarch kept his word and did not cancel the engagement even after Xiao Yan became a waste.

"But it's not set in stone; perhaps the Nalan Patriarch doesn't care about such things?"

Xun'er nodded; who could say for sure what the future holds?

"Young Master Aoba! Please show some self-respect!"

Just as the two were admiring the scenery outside the window, a sharp, indignant cry suddenly rang out within the restaurant.

The two couldn't help but look downstairs, where a beautiful woman in a qipao with a stunning figure stood.

However, her face was currently covered in frost, and her voice was stern!

Opposite the woman stood a short, chubby youth, roughly thirteen or fourteen years old.

It was clear he had indulged in excess; his eye sockets were sunken, his skin was pale, and his eyes were hollow and listless.

The youth seemed startled for a moment, but once he regained his composure, his eyes filled with lechery, and he looked at the woman with a wicked grin.

The argument hadn't lasted long before the restaurant manager arrived before them.

He stopped the conflict from escalating further and warned the youth not to cause trouble in the restaurant.

Perhaps wary of the restaurant's influence and crowd, the youth didn't lash out, instead finding a seat in the main hall.

The beautiful woman headed upstairs, choosing to dine on the upper floor.

Xiao Ze and Xiao Xun'er, having watched the entire scene, exchanged a glance.

"That seems to be the chief auctioneer of the Mittal Auction House, Miss Ya Fei?"

Xiao Xun'er was stunned; how did Brother Xiao Ze know Ya Fei?

"Brother Xiao Ze, how do you know that is Miss Ya Fei?"

Xiao Ze glanced at Xiao Xun'er, noticing the confusion in her eyes.

"What are you thinking! Wasn't Miss Ya Fei invited to the Xiao Clan to observe the Coming of Age Ceremony last year?"

"Oh, right! I remember now. And from what Miss Ya Fei said, that fellow seems to be from the Aoba Clan."

Xiao Xun'er stuck out her tongue and quickly changed the subject.

"Although the Aoba Clan is one of the three great clans of Wutan City, they aren't qualified to provoke Miss Ya Fei of the Mittal Auction House."

Xiao Ze nodded and remarked with a sigh, "That's what they call being blinded by lust! And looking at him, he doesn't seem to intend on giving up."

Xiao Ze gestured for Xiao Xun'er to look downstairs; sure enough, the young master of the Aoba Clan was eating while casting glances toward the staircase from time to time.

"It's a good thing we came early and booked a private room."

Xun'er patted her chest, saying with relief.

"Otherwise, if we ran into that guy, even if we weren't afraid of him, our good mood would have been ruined."

"That's true. I imagine Miss Ya Fei probably isn't in the mood to enjoy her dinner right now either."

Xiao Ze thought for a moment and suddenly said to Xiao Xun'er, "Why don't we stay a while longer before heading back? We might get to see a good show!"

Xiao Xun'er was clever and quickly understood what kind of show Xiao Ze was referring to.

She tilted her head to think, agreed, and the two ordered a few more desserts.

During this time, Xiao Ze checked the price of this feast.

It was just within his budget, though after today, he would be a pauper once again!

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