Chapter 813: Up in Smoke
Every year, the Lantern Festival would be held in Jingdu’s West Plaza. Guessing riddles, viewing lanterns, watching firework displays…, Jingdu would be more festive than it was even at New Year’s.
Mu Feichi was taking Yun Xi and her father to a meal at a place that he had picked out. He didn’t pick out a centuries-old, prestigious restaurant that would reflect his status nor did he choose a lavish high-end restaurant, but rather a traditional, private family restaurant in an alley.
Cars couldn’t drive into the alley. When Yun Xi and Yun Yuanfeng walked toward the restaurant, the sound of playing children could be heard faintly from behind the walls in the quiet alley.
Yun Yuanfeng was a snob, so he had nothing but disdain for this old, remotely-located restaurant. On the way, he looked stern and stayed silent.
However, at last he burst out with, “We should have picked the restaurant. If the Young Commander is buying us a meal, he could at least have picked somewhere classier. This place is really…”
As the saying goes, take your guests to a suitable place that reflects their status and position.
Since he had taken them to this place, did this mean that he looked down on them?
Yun Yuanfeng worried that that might be the case and was feeling troubled the whole way to the restaurant. His heart felt unsettled as he wondered what exactly the Young Commander meant by buying them this meal.
Yun Xi understood Yun Yuanfeng’s thoughts. Although she hoped that Yun Yuanfeng would stop his ridiculous thinking, knowing that he was thinking so poorly of Mu Feichi, she couldn’t help but defend Mu Feichi.
“Dad! Someone like Mu Feichi would have tasted every delicacy there is in the world. In his position, he has experienced enough luxury from every kind of source. He doesn’t need to add to it. Since he picked this place, he must like going there. It is safe and discreet, and there will be no need to worry about some ill-intentioned person spinning this into something more than it is.”
On the contrary, of course Yun Yuanfeng wanted everyone to see and know that the Young Commander was taking him out for a meal. Having outsiders know about this would be good for his election campaign.
However, he didn’t dare to make use of the Young Commander so blatantly. If it were a hotel, he could have picked somewhere to coincidentally bump into someone and pretend that it was unintentional.
But no one would notice him in an alley that was out of the way like this. All his plans had gone up in smoke.
They had walked quite a way down the alley before they found the correct house number. Two waiters were at the door to escort them to their table.
“Hello, we are from the Yun family.” Yun Xi looked toward the waiters and informed them of her identify.
“Please, come this way, the Young Commander is already here.” When they heard who she was, the waiter smiled and respectfully took them inside.
The restaurant was furnished like a Qing dynasty private garden with three halls. The restaurant looked plain from the outside, but was actually beautiful and elegant on the inside.
Winding corridors decorated with wood engravings stretched inside from the entrance. A few persimmon trees littered with small, unripe persimmons hanging on their branches had been planted in the middle of the courtyard.
The waiter led them through a few winding corridors and knocked respectfully on the door of a private room.
After a noise from the inside, the waiter pushed open the door and led them inside.
“Young Commander, your guests are here.”
Stepping into the private room, Yun Xi glanced around its interior. The room was also decorated in the simple, classic, elegant style of the Qing dynasty. Traditional windows, wooden tables, porcelain, everything emanated a refined Chinese style.
In the spacious private room, Mu Feichi sat at a big round table. A tea set was placed on top of the mahogany table.
The proud, refined man was not in a military uniform today, but a casual, dark-green outfit. He sat gracefully in an old-fashioned wooden armchair as he made tea. The fragrance of the tea permeated the whole room.
When he saw Mu Feichi, Yun Yuanfeng’s stern face immediately changed as he broke out into a glib smile. He walked forward tentatively and respectfully.
“Young Commander!” As if it were his first time meeting a big shot, in that moment, Yun Yuanfeng suddenly didn’t know how to act.
Mu Feichi didn’t put him on the spot and made a gesture for him to sit. “Please take a seat!”
He then turned around and said in a low voice to the waiter who was standing on the sidelines, “Tell the kitchen they can start preparing the meal.”
“Yes, certainly, Young Commander!”