Chapter 481: A Nanyuan Seafood Theme
"Mmm."
Zhan Chi turned and glared at the servants. "They actually dared to lie to me."
"You and Boss Gu are arch-rivals. If you showed up unannounced, I would’ve lied to you too. The ’Four Feuds of the Capital City’ isn’t a title you get for nothing."
Nine times out of ten, a meeting between you two ends in a fistfight. Even if you don’t trade blows, you’ll still trade barbs.
At that, Zhan Chi’s bravado instantly deflated. "Let’s not talk about the past. Let’s just drop it."
Ye Qianning didn’t break her stride as she walked out the door.
"I just saw Prince Yu go upstairs. Why are you already coming down?"
"My business is done. They’re in the middle of a discussion and I couldn’t get a word in, so there was no point in hanging around." Ye Qianning climbed into the carriage.
Zhan Chi followed her in. He wanted to ask her something but was afraid she would mock him for being idle.
"Why do you keep staring at me?" Ye Qianning asked, her eyes shifting to him.
"You went to Gu Shuo about the trade with Nanyuan, didn’t you? Actually, I’m pretty good with business myself. You could have told me about it. Maybe I could do an even better job than them."
Ye Qianning stared at him with her clear, bright eyes.
Zhan Chi puffed out his chest, letting her size him up. He flexed an arm and patted it. "I’m very strong, and my martial arts aren’t bad either. Leading troops into battle would be a cakewalk for me."
"There won’t be any need for fighting, but I do have something that I think would suit you well," Ye Qianning said slowly.
"What is it?"
"Eating."
"..." His handsome face fell. "Is that all you think I’m good for?"
"I’m serious."
"What’s so serious about eating?" ’Does she really think the only thing I’m good for is eating?’
"I just asked Boss Gu to open a chain of restaurants across Beili, featuring seafood from Nanyuan. I’ve also prepared a lot of seafood recipes, and we need people with discerning palates to taste them." Ye Qianning herself was a picky eater, as was Zhan Chi. If the two of them approved of the food, it would surely satisfy the tastes of the nobility everywhere.
Then, we’ll have some of the general public try it. If it gets rave reviews, making it a hit won’t be a problem.
"So, the theme is seafood from Nanyuan?"
"Mmm-hmm. The seafood from the southern seas is fantastic. We can’t let something that good go to waste."
"Hearing you praise it like that makes me want to try it, too." Zhan Chi believed that anything she praised had to be good. Then, another thought occurred to him, and he grumbled, "I could have opened the restaurants. Why did you have to go to Gu Shuo?"
"Boss Gu is a natural-born businessman. When it comes to management and operations, no one can touch him. His status as an Imperial Merchant is proof of that."
"If I don’t know how, I can learn from him! Nanyuan is a long way from Beili, and transporting seafood all that way won’t be easy. I can provide the manpower!"
Zhan Chi couldn’t deny that Gu Shuo was capable, but he wasn’t useless either.
Ye Qianning looked at him. "What are you so worked up about?"
"I..." A flicker of hurt crossed Zhan Chi’s handsome face. He lowered his head slightly and mumbled, "You think I’m useless, don’t you?"
"Why would you think that?"
"Qian Fanji knows everything, Gu Shuo is a master of business, and Xiang Minghou is a brilliant general. And then there’s me..." ’Only he was idle, with no notable skills to his name.’
’When Ye Qianning first investigated him, she had indeed thought he was just a good-for-nothing living off his family’s wealth. But after learning the Zhan family’s history, she came to understand the actions of Old Master Zhan and Lady Zhan.’
’Several generations of loyal court officials in their family had all met tragic ends. Their decision to dote on Zhan Chi was understandable.’
’In their eyes, as long as their son was alive and well, it didn’t matter whether he amounted to anything. The Zhan family’s fortune was more than enough for him to squander for a lifetime.’
’Putting aside his attitude when she’d first come to the Capital City, and the incident at Immortal’s Drunkenness, she thought he wasn’t a bad person. Arrogant, yes, but at his core, he was just the lawless young master of a noble house who’d been spoiled rotten.’
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