Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Thirty-Four is Just to Provoke You, Are You Angry?
"Master, what brings you down here? It’s pretty chaotic. You can just give orders from above," Shopkeeper Ma carefully eyed his master.
"You seem to have quite the leisure, chatting away down here. It appears I’ve been too lenient with you all recently," he said without anger yet with an air of authority to Shopkeeper Ma.
"Master, there are still two hours until lunch. I’ve taken care of everything," Shopkeeper Ma retorted quietly.
"So you think you have a point? Go and check how my meal is coming along. If you can’t even do that right, you’re fired," Xiao Chen said with narrowing eyes and a displeased expression as he listened to Shopkeeper Ma.
Xiao Chen didn’t speak behind Feng Xuxu and the others, so Feng Xuxu heard everything clearly. Seeing Uncle Ma scolded by the demon because of her, she felt very sad and took it upon herself to step forward and help Uncle Ma.
"Young Master Xiao, this isn’t Uncle Ma’s fault. I was the one who begged him for help. Please don’t fire him."
"Uncle Ma?" Xiao Chen raised his eyebrows slightly and turned his head to look at Feng Xuxu.
"Yes, I’ve just recognized him."
"You’re pleading on his behalf?"
"If you want to see it that way, then yes."
"And if I don’t accept?"
"Why are you like this? I’ve already told you it was my fault. If you have any grievances, direct them at me instead of involving Uncle Ma," Feng Xuxu shouted in frustration, her face flush with anger as she glared at Xiao Chen with teary eyes, her lips pursed and chin lifted defiantly.
Watching the flustered Feng Xuxu, so full of life and not pretentious like the young ladies on the street, Xiao Chen’s mood improved a lot. He continued to tease her, "All I know is that Ma Fei is a shopkeeper at my tavern, and if he doesn’t perform his job during working hours, I have the right to deal with him."
Feng Xuxu, seeing Xiao Chen’s serious expression, knew that the demon wouldn’t let Uncle Ma off easily. For Uncle Ma’s sake, she decided to make a final push, "Is there really no other way? Can’t he make up for it by making amends?"
"Oh—Make amends? That’s worth considering."
"Fine, I’ll offer two free recipes for the tavern. How about that?" Feng Xuxu decided to go all in. After all, she had no silver like the demon, and only her recipes were needed by his tavern, hoping to make amends for Uncle Ma.
"Five recipes, and for today’s lunch, you must cook those five dishes yourself. If you don’t satisfy me, there’s nothing to discuss," Xiao Chen said upon seeing Feng Xuxu’s pained expression at the thought of offering two free recipes. His mood became even better, and he couldn’t help wanting to see the expression on the girl’s face if she lost a few more recipes. He stared at Feng Xuxu without blinking.
"What did you say? Five? You’re cheating me! You look like an honest person, but you’re nothing but a sanctimonious hypocrite, a deceitful little man," Feng Xuxu critiqued Xiao Chen from head to toe, biting down on her tiny canine tooth, wishing she could pounce and bite off a chunk of flesh from the man before her to alleviate her deep-seated hatred.
"Are you done? Tian Yi, take Ma Fei away," Xiao Chen said coldly, glancing down at Feng Xuxu.
"Hey hey hey, where are you taking Uncle Ma? I didn’t say I wouldn’t provide them. What’s the rush? Offering you five all at once still hurts, doesn’t it?" Feng Xuxu touched her small heart, feeling the pain there. She agreed reluctantly.
"Tian Yi, take Miss Feng to the kitchen," Xiao Chen smiled faintly, watching the girl’s myriad expressions, his mood sky-high. This girl was too amusing.
Tian Yi and Shopkeeper Ma watched the back and forth between the two people, listening to the conversation. Both broke out in a sweat, thinking of the last person who insulted the master and was left with no bones. Then, looking at Feng Xuxu still standing there, they really sweated for her. She was an unprecedented exception. Tian Yi, dazedly hearing the master’s command, numbly escorted Feng Xuxu to the kitchen.
"Master, please have a look," Shopkeeper Ma took out a drawing from his bosom and respectfully handed it over to his master.
Xiao Chen unfolded the drawing in his hands, and an exquisitely designed courtyard appeared before his eyes. After examining it briefly, he casually tucked it into his sleeve and commanded Shopkeeper Ma with an indifferent expression, "You will personally take care of this matter, and no mistakes can occur."
"Yes, Master," Shopkeeper Ma responded, bowing his head. Thinking back to what had just occurred, it seemed that the master was overly preoccupied with Feng Xuxu.
"What are you trying to say?" Xiao Chen looked at Ma Fei, who had a conflicted expression on his face.
"Master, it seems that you... towards Feng Xuxu..."
"Uncle Ma, you’ve served under my grandfather and have watched me grow up. If you have something to say, just say it," Xiao Chen suggested, noticing that Ma Fei hadn’t finished speaking, sensing there were more words left unsaid.
"Master, do you perhaps have feelings for Feng Xuxu?" The master was excellent in all things, the only deficiency being his obliviousness to matters of love.
In the study room on the third floor, Xiao Chen was still thinking about what had just happened. It seemed he quite enjoyed watching Feng Xuxu’s deflated expression. Over the years, there were few women who could stir his emotions, and she was the only one, a wild little cat at that. Could this be affection?
A knock on the door interrupted Xiao Chen’s thoughts. Calming himself, he spoke in a low voice, "Come in."
Feng Xuxu entered, carrying a food box. Seeing Xiao Chen at the desk, seemingly deep in meditation, she got frustrated and puffed her cheeks, lifting the food box high and setting it down gently. Who knew if the gentleman before her would become displeased, and what other pitfalls awaited her later? She pursed her lips, reluctantly taking out the five dishes she had labored over.
Xiao Chen looked at the visually and aromatically enticing dishes before him, not minding the disdain from the little wild cat, and began to enjoy the food by himself with his chopsticks.
Feng Xuxu hated how the alluring man was enjoying the meal before him. She turned her face away in frustration, refusing to watch the enchanting figure. She reached down and touched her stomach, not realizing how hungry she had become amid the busyness, and now, as she watched him eat so deliciously, her stomach embarrassingly grumbled loudly, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.
Xiao Chen, with ears attuned, caught the sound and curved his attractive lips upward, glancing sideways at Feng Xuxu. He lay down his chopsticks and invited, "Since you’re hungry, why not sit down and have something to eat with me?"
"I can’t afford it, don’t have the silver to pay for it," Feng Xuxu casually glanced at the dishes on the table, speaking sullenly.
"Do you really see me as someone so petty?"
"And you think you’re so generous," Feng Xuxu shot back immediately.
"If I were petty, I wouldn’t have lent you the silver note in the first place. Now that I am being so ’petty,’ perhaps it’s time we discussed the interest on that loan."
Sure enough, he was scheming again. "Who said Young Master Xiao was petty? Cough cough, what I meant to say was that you are very generous, truly, so handsome and dashing, suave and debonair, a man with such irresistible charm..."
"Am I good-looking?" Xiao Chen cut off Feng Xuxu’s flattering words, his bright peach-blossom eyes fixated on her, he asked softly.
"Pretty..."
Hehehe, Xiao Chen watched Feng Xuxu’s stunned expression with satisfaction, the normally wild cat surprisingly not showing her wildness.
