People all have inherent flaws in their nature—enjoying another’s one-sided devotion becomes a habit, and excessive consideration and kindness in return always bring brief gratitude and lasting lack of appreciation.

He Zeyou was exactly like this. In the past, when he was together with Liu Ruyi, had he ever thought about what Liu Ruyi’s feelings might be, let alone bothering to carefully choose gifts for her? As a result, after their separation, he instead began to feel longing and anticipation.

Using Ruyi’s words, he was just being ridiculously cheap.

On the day the wine banquet was prepared, He Zeyou was the first to arrive.

As soon as he got off his carriage, he saw more than twenty long tables lined up on both sides outside the Immortal Meeting Wine House, with eight cold dishes placed on each table, their fragrance filling half the alley.

Such a grand scene? He hesitated somewhat, and was just thinking of finding someone to ask what was happening when he saw Ruyi emerge from inside, her arms wrapped in smoke-like gauze sleeves, smiling as she approached him: “My Lord has arrived? Please come up and take your seat first.”

He Zeyou looked up and only then noticed that tables had also been set on the third-floor terrace.

“Today is the Heavenly Saint Festival, so naturally it’s more lively outside.” Seeing his concern, Ruyi covered her lips and laughed, “Upstairs will naturally only have you and Lord Shen.”

His heart relaxing slightly, He Zeyou nodded and first took out a brocade box to give her: “I came in haste and randomly picked this item—please accept it with a smile.”

Ruyi opened it for a glance—it was a red coral hairpin.

His warehouse already had nothing left in it. For him to be able to bring out something like this, he had most likely pawned off some land property.

The formerly extravagant noble lord who spent money like water had also fallen to this state.

The corners of her eyes curving upward, she gracefully bowed: “Many thanks, My Lord.”

“Won’t you wear it?” He looked toward her hair bun, which only had a single yellow jade magpie hairpin.

Ruyi paused briefly but was quite generous—she took out the coral hairpin and inserted it next to the yellow jade magpie hairpin.

Two elaborate hairpins—if worn on someone else’s head might seem burdensome, but somehow on her they seemed just right, the red brilliant and yellow soft, treasured and magnificent.

Ruyi raised her head in this pool of bright light, gently curving her lips toward him.

On the street, carriages and horses flowed like water, yet these two people stood in the distance gazing at each other—the man in moon-white robes, the woman in a skirt full of rosy light—looking like they made people want to praise them as a talented scholar and beautiful lady, a perfectly matched couple.

—If one of them hadn’t just been intimate with him.

Shen Qiyuan’s face was expressionless as he flicked his robes and got off his carriage, strolling forward: “Excuse me.”

Before He Zeyou could react, he felt his chest bumped by someone’s shoulder, the pain making him cough once and step back two paces.

Ruyi wasn’t bumped into, but before she could speak, Shen Qiyuan had already walked past her without even giving her a fraction of his peripheral vision.

Yanning, watching from the doorway, found it curious and couldn’t help turning back to mouth to Ruyi: Did this person come here after eating gunpowder today?

Ruyi was also puzzled. Yesterday his expression certainly wasn’t like this—could it be that the more he thought about it, the more he felt he had suffered a loss, so he came to show her a cold face?

It wasn’t necessary, right? He had also quite enjoyed himself in it.

Blinking her eyes, she smiled and said to He Zeyou: “My Lord, please also go upstairs.”

He Zeyou didn’t say much else. He knew Shen Qiyuan found him displeasing to the eye—after all, there were old grudges between them. Today, he had also come with sincere intentions. Signaling his household slaves to bring up several boxes, he quickly followed upstairs.

Ruyi clapped her hands and gestured to Heye and Fuman: “Begin.”

The two nodded in unison and worked in coordination.

The Immortal Meeting Wine House could become a famous destination in Lin’an City—naturally, it had its signature skills. Snow Cloud Soup, Mountain Fragrance, White Immortal Fish, Crispy Jade Leaves, Mountain and Sea Pouch—each was a specialty dish, not to mention the new stir-fry secret recipes Ruyi had recently found. A pot of braised meat stir-fried with caramel color filled the entire street with fragrance.

The tables set up along the street quickly had some people sit down to eat, but more people watched fearfully from the side.

A wine house where people had died—would they use human flesh for cooking?

Ruyi knew their concerns, so the people hired to eat were very energetic in their efforts, each eating as if intoxicated, shouting with great enjoyment.

With these people leading the way, slowly, some curious people dared to come forward and inquire: “Brother, you dare to eat food from this wine house? People died here.”

“Is it delicious? Is the meat fresh? Is it human flesh?”

Having food to eat and money to take, those people naturally helped speak up: “How could it be human flesh? The case in this wine house was solved long ago. See the people on the terrace? That’s a lord from the Ministry of Justice. If they dare to eat here, what do we have to fear?”

“A lord from the Ministry of Justice came?”

“He came, and there’s also the Marquis from Ningyuan Marquis’ Manor. Look at the four-horse carriage beside us.”

Princes, marquises, generals, and ministers have always been pursued and followed by common people. With these two presiding, the number of people trying the food along the street gradually increased.

Ruyi nodded slightly and only then lifted her skirt to go upstairs.

On the third-floor terrace, the breeze was gentle and pleasant, but the atmosphere seemed somewhat heavy.

Shen Qiyuan drank his wine in silence with his head down, while He Zeyou’s face was flushed red, appearing somewhat at a loss.

Seeing her arrive, he immediately said: “Yi’er, quickly come sit.”

Ruyi sat between the two men, looking left and right, then smiling as she asked Shen Qiyuan: “What’s wrong with My Lord today—did you not choose satisfactory clothes when going out?”

Always using these feminine mannerisms to make fun of him.

The fire in Shen Qiyuan’s heart grew larger as he gave her a cold sidelong glance: “Yes, the moon-white bamboo shadow robe that the proprietress likes most—I didn’t choose it today.”

He Zeyou, wearing the moon-white bamboo shadow robe, stiffened slightly and said somewhat awkwardly: “So Lord Shen also likes this pattern.”

Ruyi looked at He Zeyou over once and nodded: “It is quite nice.”

Shen Qiyuan narrowed his eyes and was just about to make a few more sarcastic remarks when he heard her latter half sentence: “If you like it, I’ll also embroider a set for you.”

She supported her chin while looking at him, her gaze very indulgent, as if no matter what he wanted, she would give it to him.

The bristling thorns retracted somewhat. Shen Qiyuan pressed his lips together, gave a light snort, and turned his head away: “No need.”

He Zeyou hurriedly poured wine for him: “I offended My Lord earlier and have never found an opportunity to apologize to My Lord. His Majesty also said that if you and I could be harmonious, it would be a blessing for the state. I hope My Lord will consider His Majesty’s face and not hold past grievances against me.”

Ruyi took the wine pot from his hands and smiled: “What are you saying, My Lord? Our Lord Shen has always been magnanimous and has never held personal grudges against anyone.”

“Yes, yes.” He Zeyou nodded but still stole glances at Shen Qiyuan.

Shen Qiyuan looked at the wine cup in Ruyi’s hands, feeling somewhat unhappy in his heart.

He had originally thought she had invited him to taste dishes, never expecting that it was using him to sell He Zeyou a favor? What was this now—the two of them joining forces to persuade him not to hold grudges?

When he had kindly helped her back then, it had instead become meddling in other people’s affairs.

Seeing him not accepting the wine for a long time, He Zeyou gritted his teeth and had people bring up two boxes: “This is a small gift, not worthy of respect.”

He clapped his hands again and summoned four women with supple waists and beautiful faces, who lined up and knelt beside him.

“What does My Lord mean by this?” Shen Qiyuan asked.

“I heard that My Lord’s manor lacks personal maidservants to serve you. These are all honest, dutiful ones with tight lips—I’m giving them to My Lord for entertainment.” He cupped his hands and said, “Please don’t refuse, My Lord.”