Xiao Ze and Xiao Xun'er walked side by side down the street.
Their striking pairing of a golden boy and a jade beauty drew frequent glances from passersby.
Neither of them paid any attention to the stares, though. They headed straight for their destination.
By the time they arrived at Shengde Restaurant, the lanterns were just beginning to glow.
Inside, the restaurant blazed with light and buzzed with activity.
"What a lively restaurant. No wonder it's the best in Wutan City!"
Xiao Ze watched the streams of people coming and going and spoke to Xiao Xun'er.
"We'll probably have to wait a while."
"Don't worry, Brother Xiao Ze. Xun'er made arrangements ahead of time. We can go right in."
Xun'er gave him a mysterious smile, then took his hand and led him into Shengde Restaurant.
A server soon escorted them to a private room upstairs.
The room had been cleverly designed.
Looking inside, they could see the singing and dancing performers entertaining the diners in the main hall.
Looking outside, they could see the bustling marketplace, still bright with lights in the night.
"Xun'er, you picked a great private room!"
"Hehe, I specifically booked this one so we wouldn't be disturbed by some clueless pests."
Xiao Ze nodded in agreement. He knew that Xun'er's beauty always attracted people who tried to approach her.
Dining in a private room saved them a lot of trouble.
"By the way, how much does this private room cost?"
Xun'er held up one finger and smiled. "Including the Monster Feast we're having tonight, it's fifteen hundred gold coins in total!"
"Good grief! That's expensive! If I remember right, the Xiao Clan's annual profits are only a hundred thousand gold coins!"
Xiao Ze couldn't help commenting, "Tsk, tsk. The Xiao Clan's yearly profits would only cover a little over two months of meals at Shengde Restaurant!"
"Well? Wasn't this a very generous feast from Xun'er?"
"More than generous!"
As they chatted, the Monster Feast began to arrive, dish by dish.
The meat came from edible magical beasts, specially bred and prepared. Eating it brought many benefits: it replenished one's blood and energy and strengthened the body.
It wasn't as effective as an Alchemist's pills, but it was still enough to make people flock to it.
After all, this was the Dou Qi Continent, a world where the strong ruled!
Anything that could increase one's strength would draw a crowd.
The aroma of meat filled Xiao Ze's nostrils. He took a deep breath and gazed at the table laden with magical beast meat, practically drooling.
"Brother Xiao Ze, stop staring and dig in!"
"Together!"
They chatted and admired the view as they savored the delicious Monster Feast.
Happy moments never lasted long. Xiao Ze picked up a glass of pale blue juice and clinked it against Xun'er's.
The instant it touched his lips, it felt ice-cold, but as he swallowed, it seemed as if a flame were blazing inside him.
The novel sensation made Xiao Ze glance at the glass in his hand.
"This juice is quite unusual."
Xiao Xun'er explained, "It's made from a low-grade medicinal herb cultivated by Shengde Restaurant. Drinking it regularly can increase your Dou Qi by a tiny amount."
Xiao Ze blinked at that and carefully sensed what was happening inside him.
Thankfully, he knew his body inside and out now, so he could detect the increase in Dou Qi, though it was less than a trace.
"So you really do have to drink it regularly to gain even a tiny bit of Dou Qi. Still, that claim alone is enough to make people rush to buy it."
Xiao Ze stressed the words "a tiny bit," making Xiao Xun'er giggle.
"But for Shengde Restaurant to offer so many things people clamor for, the power behind it must be no ordinary force, right?"
Xiao Xun'er nodded. "It actually has a tiny connection to the Xiao Clan, too. Shengde Restaurant is backed by the Nalan Clan!"
"The Nalan Clan! One of the three great clans of the Jia Ma Empire—the clan that used to be on good terms with the Xiao Clan?"
Xiao Ze was surprised. He hadn't expected the Nalan Clan to be behind the restaurant.
Still, as one of the Jia Ma Empire's three great clans, it was only natural for the Nalan Clan to have a presence in every corner of the empire.
"No wonder Shengde Restaurant can make so much money and still operate safely in Wutan City's central district. The Nalan Clan is behind it."
"My third brother's betrothed, chosen for him before they were even born, is the Nalan Clan's eldest young lady."
Xun'er took a sip of juice and remarked pointedly.
"In years past, the Nalan Clan was often in contact with the Xiao Clan. Starting this year, though, things may not be the same."
Xiao Ze understood what Xun'er meant.
Now that Xiao Yan had become a cripple, it remained to be seen whether the Nalan Clan would continue dealing with the Xiao Clan as before.
Still, if things went as they had in the original story, the Nalan Patriarch would honor his promise. Even after Xiao Yan became a cripple, he wouldn't break off the engagement.
"But perhaps not. Maybe the Nalan Patriarch doesn't care about that sort of thing."
Xun'er nodded. Who could say for certain what the future held?
"Young Master Aoba, please show some respect!"
Just as they were admiring the view outside, a sharp scolding suddenly rang out inside the restaurant.
They looked downstairs. A beautiful woman in a qipao stood there, her figure breathtaking.
But her face was frosty, and her voice was stern!
Facing her was a short, chubby boy, around thirteen or fourteen years old.
He was clearly a victim of excessive indulgence: sunken eye sockets, pale skin, and vacant, lifeless eyes.
The boy seemed startled, but when he recovered, his gaze turned even more lecherous. He stared at the woman with a lascivious grin.
The argument had barely begun when the restaurant manager appeared.
He stopped the confrontation from escalating and warned the boy not to cause trouble in the restaurant.
Perhaps wary of the restaurant's numbers, the boy held his tongue. He found a seat in the main hall instead.
The beautiful woman went upstairs and chose to dine there.
Xiao Ze and Xiao Xun'er had watched the whole thing. They exchanged a glance.
"Isn't that Ya Fei, the chief auctioneer of the Mittel Auction House?"
Xiao Xun'er was taken aback. How did Brother Xiao Ze know Ya Fei?
"Brother Xiao Ze, how do you know that's Miss Ya Fei?"
Xiao Ze glanced at Xiao Xun'er and noticed the confusion in her eyes.
"What are you thinking? Didn't we invite Miss Ya Fei to observe the coming-of-age ceremony at the Xiao Clan last year?"
"Oh, right! I remember now. I also heard Miss Ya Fei say he was from the Aoba Clan."
Xiao Xun'er stuck out her tongue, then quickly changed the subject.
"Even though the Aoba Clan is one of Wutan City's three great clans, surely they're not important enough to mess with Miss Ya Fei of the Mittal Auction House."
Xiao Ze nodded, sighing. "That's what they mean by blinded by lust! And judging by the way he looks, he doesn't seem ready to give up."
Xiao Ze gestured toward the hall below. Sure enough, while the young master of the Aoba Clan ate, he kept glancing toward the stairs.
"Good thing we came early and booked a private room," Xun'er said, patting her chest in relief.
"Otherwise, even if we weren't afraid of that guy, he'd have ruined our good mood."
"True. I doubt Miss Ya Fei is in any mood to enjoy her dinner now, either."
Xiao Ze thought for a moment, then said to Xiao Xun'er, "How about we wait a little before heading back and catch a good show?"
Xiao Xun'er was quick-witted and soon understood what sort of show Xiao Ze meant.
She tilted her head, thought it over, and agreed. The two of them ordered a few more desserts.
While they waited, Xiao Ze checked the price of the feast.
It was just within what he could afford. But after tonight, he'd be penniless again!
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