Chapter Twenty: Farce at the Dinner Table

Chapter 20: A Farce at the Dinner Table, or Li Hao’s Little Antics

The three of them arrived at the inn. The innkeeper, upon seeing the familiar pair of outstanding young man and woman, greeted them from afar with a broad smile.

“Boss, boss…”

“Oh! My apologies, my apologies. Please, young master, young lady, step inside…”

“Is there a free room? We’d like to have a meal.”

“Yes, yes, of course…”

The first time Li Hao called out, the innkeeper didn’t respond; only when he raised his voice a little did the man snap out of his daydream.

Li Hao, Lu Yao, and the innkeeper were already old acquaintances by now. What surprised the innkeeper today was that the two were accompanied by a maiden of ethereal beauty. The first glance he cast at Lu Xuemei left him deeply awestruck, as if lost in a dreamscape conjured by her beauty.

The innkeeper harbored no inappropriate thoughts, simply a genuine appreciation for such loveliness. As the saying goes, “Beauty is food for the soul.” Her appearance was so enchanting that one could forget to eat, unaware even of hunger.

Careful and deferential, the innkeeper led them inside. The tavern bustled with patrons eating and chatting. Whenever Lu Yao and her sister appeared, the gazes of those present seemed glued to them, so much so that they envied Li Hao from the bottom of their hearts. To be accompanied by such beauty, they would gladly trade centuries of their lives. The rare few men who passed a glance over the sisters only dared to keep the memory for themselves, a cherished image locked away forever. As for who harbored improper thoughts, only heaven could tell.

Both Lu Xuemei and Lu Yao found the stares directed at them uncomfortable, but there was little they could do.

Those graced with beauty seldom enjoy being stared at, while those less fortunate wish they could draw such attention. The human mind is a curious thing.

The three found a vacant table and sat. The innkeeper inquired, “What would you like? Just say the word.”

Li Hao looked to Lu Xuemei and Lu Yao for input. Their expressions were identical: “Do as you wish.”

With a sigh, Li Hao replied, “Just bring us your specialties.”

“Right away. Please wait a moment,” the innkeeper said cheerfully.

Soon enough, fragrant dishes arrived. The hot dishes were enhanced with tonic herbs, good for health and complexion. Li Hao sampled the food and praised, “Not bad. A change of flavor every now and then is delightful.”

Lu Xuemei and Lu Yao tasted as well, nodding to show their agreement. Li Hao, watching their elegant table manners, almost didn’t want to miss a single moment.

Li Hao himself was anything but refined; in just a few minutes, he had cleared his plate.

At that moment, a mischievous and wicked grin appeared on Li Hao’s face. Leaning close to Lu Yao’s ear, he whispered something.

Lu Yao’s pretty, almond-shaped eyes darted to Lu Xuemei, thinking to herself how lovely her sister was, but Lu Xuemei didn’t seem to mind. Lu Yao then glanced around the room, not daring to look again. She simply said, “I’m full,” and put down her chopsticks, bowing her head as she thought about the unsightly scenes conjured in her mind.

Lu Xuemei sensed something amiss since Li Hao whispered to Lu Yao. She had glanced at her, then around the inn, and stopped eating. Lu Xuemei looked as well but saw nothing out of the ordinary, her curiosity piqued as to what Li Hao had said. She didn’t eat much more herself and set down her chopsticks.

“Yao’er, why aren’t you eating more?” Lu Xuemei asked.

“I have no appetite,” Lu Yao replied, leaving Lu Xuemei puzzled.

Li Hao, meanwhile, wore a sly and infuriating grin.

“What’s going on?” Lu Xuemei demanded, this time directing her question to Li Hao.

“Nothing, nothing at all,” Li Hao insisted, waving his hands emphatically to conceal his lie.

But Lu Xuemei was not so easily deceived. She had observed his every move with sharp eyes and recognized his evasiveness. Her gaze hardened, signaling she was about to take a firmer approach.

Li Hao instantly understood. “Sister Mei, I’ll tell you…”

“I really didn’t say much—just told Yao’er not to pay too much attention to how others eat. How was I to know she’d be so curious and look anyway?”

He could only confess with a look that seemed to plead, “Sister Mei, you can’t blame me. I was just being thoughtful.”

“That’s all?” Lu Xuemei doubted him. “What’s so bad about watching others eat? Why would Yao’er lose her appetite?”

She looked at Lu Yao for confirmation.

Lu Yao nodded ever so slightly, which only puzzled Lu Xuemei more.

“What did you see, Yao’er?” Lu Xuemei pressed, hoping for an answer.

But Lu Yao shook her head, signaling her reluctance to speak.

Helpless, Lu Xuemei turned to Li Hao, her eyes insisting he explain.

Resigned, Li Hao tiptoed over, whispered something to Lu Xuemei, and said, “See for yourself, Sister Mei.”

Left with no choice, Lu Xuemei surveyed the inn, observing the patrons—young and old, men and women.

Some, midway through their meal, had soup dripping from their noses into their bowls, only to snort it back and resume eating. Others sprawled across the table as if, by sitting back, the food would be snatched away, their saliva flying everywhere. Some ate with thunderous sounds, as if afraid they wouldn’t be heard. The most reprehensible of all lounged with legs crossed, one hand picking at their foul-smelling foot, the other shoveling food into their mouth, wholly absorbed in their own pleasure.

Confronted with these revolting scenes, Lu Xuemei could hardly bear to look. To eat alongside such people without losing one’s appetite—that would be true mastery. Now she understood why Lu Yao had stopped eating.

After this episode, Lu Yao and Lu Xuemei became meticulous about their table manners. Whenever Lu Xuemei caught sight of Li Hao’s mischievous grin, she felt as if he were mocking her indirectly, and her anger flared. She nearly kicked him under the table.

“Sister Mei, mind your manners in public,” Li Hao called out, sensing danger and dashing out of the inn.

Had he not worn that grin, Lu Xuemei would not have been so annoyed. But every time she saw it, she wondered if she had made a fool of herself in front of this impish boy.

Lu Yao, still young and innocent, simply found those people’s eating habits appalling and resolved to be more mindful herself.

Only Li Hao, ever observant, would notice such details. Others focused on their own plates, never caring how others ate. In truth, Li Hao had a deeper motive: he didn’t want these two beautiful girls to embarrass themselves in public, so he had tried to warn them in his own way.

Li Hao sped out of the inn, just in time to bump into Kuihu and his two companions.

“Young master, what’s wrong? Are you in trouble?” Kuihu started to ask, but before he could finish offering backup, he saw Lu Xuemei chasing after Li Hao.

All three immediately forgot their beleaguered leader, their attention captured by Lu Xuemei’s beauty. Li Hao, momentarily blocked by the trio, was promptly seized by Lu Xuemei, her slender pale fingers pinching his ear.

Li Hao pleaded for mercy, casting desperate glances at Kuihu and the others. But the three, captivated by beauty, pretended not to see his distress.

“Big sister, not only are you beautiful, but you’re also remarkably capable. Even our formidable boss is no match for you. Carry on—we didn’t see a thing,” Kuihu said, adding fuel to the fire, while Li Zhan and Qin Zhen grinned and gave approving thumbs-up.

Their meaning was clear: “Big sister, to be able to handle our boss, you have our respect.”

Li Zhan and Qin Zhen did the same, gesturing with their thumbs.

Secretly, the three mused: “Our boss truly is something, always surrounded by stunning beauties who could topple kingdoms. We must learn from him someday.”

Li Hao had hoped for help, only to be betrayed by his own friends. He fumed inwardly: “You three turncoats, just wait—when I’m free, I’ll deal with you!”

A group of young men, seeing the scene, thought Li Hao was bullying their beloved maiden, and wished they could break his legs on the spot.

Lu Xuemei, thoroughly disgusted by their lascivious stares, felt nothing but contempt. Only a fool would fail to see through their intentions. As the saying goes, “Unprovoked flattery is never pure.” Besides, Lu Xuemei was no naive child; though she was reserved by nature, she understood all too well what these men were thinking. After twisting Li Hao’s ear to vent her frustration, she let him go.

Li Hao, finally escaping unscathed, flashed his signature devilish grin at Kuihu and the others.

Sensing trouble, the three made a run for it.

Having been betrayed, Li Hao couldn’t let them off so easily; how else would he appease his wounded pride?

And so, a curious spectacle unfolded on the streets of Lishui City—a boy of about ten chasing three older youths, creating a unique scene in the city.

Who says childhood is not a blessing? It is, in fact, the most unique kind of happiness.

“Yao’er, you’re always with that rascal Li Hao. Who are those three, and how did you meet them?” Lu Xuemei, unaware of the full story, asked with curiosity.

“Well! It’s a long story, Sister. Let me tell you from the beginning,” Lu Yao replied.

She recounted how, on their first day in Lishui City, they tried to attend a beast-fighting match but found the arena too crowded to enter. Li Hao concocted a clever scheme: smearing ointment on their faces so they could slip through the crowd. She described their adventures at the beast-fighting arena, omitting, of course, the part where she lost her first kiss to Li Hao—a memory forever etched in her mind but far too embarrassing to share. She went on to describe their participation in the next day’s contest, Li Hao’s uncanny victory, and how he remained unaware that Lu Yao had lost ten silver soul coins in secret. She also recounted their encounter with Kuihu and his gang on their way home, the harrowing fall from thousands of feet in the air, and the ensuing battle where Li Hao emerged victorious. Lu Xuemei, who had only ever known Li Hao as a medical student and her companion in music, chess, and calligraphy, was astonished to discover his hidden strength. Finally, she explained how Kuihu and his companions accepted Li Hao as their leader.

After hearing this, Lu Xuemei could only admonish, “You two are far too reckless. You mustn’t do such dangerous things again. If anything were to happen to you, Uncle Wu, Auntie, and Grandpa would be devastated.”

“Sorry for worrying you, Sister. I promise I’ll never do it again,” Lu Yao replied, sincere as a child admitting her mistake.

Lu Xuemei nodded, accepting her promise, though she knew such assurances did little to ease her heart.

Meanwhile, Li Hao chased Kuihu and his friends, dealing out playful blows all the way until they arrived at the grand entrance of a stately, blue-tiled building—the main gate of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. There, the four waited for Lu Xuemei and Lu Yao to catch up.