Wu Duan left.
His impassioned manner made him seem nothing like a beggar at all.
Su Che could not help wondering how such a vicious-looking, extraordinary beggar had managed to remain hidden in the city.
That everyone in the Solitary Bamboo Kingdom was so incompetent was quite the curiosity.
The unrestrained beggar stunned the waiter for a moment, but the waiter quickly began serving the restaurant's signature dishes one after another.
Sliced hibiscus chicken, fermented rice Eight-Treasure rice, fish slices in lees sauce...
Eight plates of food flowed onto the table, complete in color, fragrance, and flavor.
Su Che picked up two bites of food. The taste was decent.
Food was like literature—there was no undisputed first place. Everyone had flavors they liked, and it was difficult to satisfy every palate. If it suited most people, it could be called fine craftsmanship.
Though Su Che was no gourmet, he felt the food at this restaurant suited his tastes well enough. It was quite good.
Lü Zheng, on the other hand, was clearly weighed down by worries. He did not touch the dishes, merely held a bowl of aged wine without drinking it, staring blankly all the while.
"What are you thinking about?"
Su Che chewed a slice of chicken, its smooth, fresh flavor blooming over his tongue. It truly was delicious.
"Hong'er was my personal maid. She usually stayed in my room. She had taken care of me since childhood."
Su Che nodded.
Great households generally had several senior maids like that. They helped their masters deal with daily matters, and warming the bed at night was simply another part of their work.
It was a relationship as intimate as could be.
"Sir, I am a coward."
Lü Zheng drained the aged wine in his bowl and spoke softly.
"Oh."