“Impossible!”
“They can pirate books, but they can’t replicate hotpot.”
“Why not?” Zhou De asked in confusion upon hearing Qin Yan’s confident claim.
“It’s simple,” Qin Yan said, “Hotpot requires hotpot base broth. Without that, they can’t recreate the dish. And the recipe and exact proportions for the broth—only I know them.”
“Besides, even if they somehow figured out the formula, they don’t have the ingredients. The most important one—chili pepper—only I have. No one else in the entire Great Phoenix Empire can supply chilies. Without me, there’s no way they can make it.”
“So, Old Zhou, hotpot will always be our monopoly. No need to worry about anyone copying us—at best, it’ll be a poor imitation.”
Qin Yan remained confident. After all, none of the core ingredients originated in this world; they were all brought here by him. And now, everything was under his complete control. No one else could replicate it even if they wanted to.
“I see! Then Young Master, doesn’t that mean you’re sitting on a goldmine?”
Hearing Qin Yan’s explanation, Zhou De immediately broke into a grin, his face glowing with excitement.
“You could say that,” Qin Yan nodded. Others thought that without the Princess’s residence, he wouldn’t survive. They didn’t know that even though he lost his Prince Consort status, he, Qin Yan, could still become one of the richest men in the Great Phoenix Empire—perhaps even its wealthiest.
“Shopkeeper! Bad news!”
Just as Zhou De and Qin Yan were talking, the same waiter who had received Xiao Wanyu’s group earlier came running up, looking anxious.
“What kind of behavior is that? So many people are watching. Calm yourself!” Zhou De immediately scolded him, his face turning cold.
“What? Someone’s causing trouble? What happened?” Zhou De’s face darkened instantly. He was raised in the Princess’s residence and had long dealt with nobles and royalty. With his background and connections, not many dared stir up trouble in his domain. So the moment he heard this, his expression changed.
The waiter quickly explained everything that had just occurred.
“Those guests went upstairs to the private rooms, and I’m afraid there might be some conflict with the current occupants. I couldn’t stop them, so I came to find you.”
In name, the shop belonged to Zhou De, not Qin Yan. Qin Yan disliked being in the spotlight. Whether it was the publishing house or the restaurant, he always worked behind the scenes. So even though he’d been here at the restaurant for the past few days, he dressed as a waiter and did actual waiter work—serving tea, greeting guests, and observing.
It wasn’t that he liked doing menial work, but since it had just opened, he wanted to gather firsthand customer feedback to improve service quality.
“Damn it. I’ll go see for myself,” Zhou De said, frowning.
“I’ll go.” Qin Yan stopped him before he could move.
“Your temper’s too explosive. Let me check it out. If things go wrong, you can step in,” Qin Yan said calmly. He knew Zhou De had always served noble masters and carried a natural sense of pride, which sometimes made him impulsive. Despite these years of tempering, Qin Yan wasn’t confident he’d stay composed in a situation like this.
The restaurant had only just started gaining traction—he couldn’t afford any trouble right now. So he decided to go check it out himself.
“Alright. You go first. If things don’t work out, call me,” Zhou De nodded without protest.
Qin Yan gave a soft reply and followed the waiter upstairs.
“Young Master Ji, you’re Master Ji from the Hanlin Academy?”
As Qin Yan and the waiter reached the second floor, they saw a group of people gathered outside one of the private rooms. But contrary to his expectations, there was no tension or confrontation. Instead, the scene was peaceful—even enthusiastic.
Inside the room, everyone was smiling and fawning over a young man. Clearly, they recognized him and were flattering him heavily.
“Brother Yuanyi, do you know them?” Xiao Wanyu asked, slightly surprised. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
They had originally come upstairs to negotiate with the guests for the private room, hoping to offer silver in exchange. But the moment they came face-to-face, the group had immediately recognized Ji Yuanyi and rushed over to greet him.
“These are students from Donglu Academy. They’re all preparing for the imperial exams this year—the future pillars of the empire. I once visited Donglu Academy with my teacher. We met briefly then,” Ji Yuanyi said with a smile.
“Indeed! When Young Master Ji visited our academy, the essay he wrote was masterful—like the work of a banished immortal. We learned so much from it!”
“Yes, a single conversation with Young Master Ji is worth ten years of study. He’s a rare talent of our generation. No wonder he entered the Hanlin Academy at such a young age. Surely a future chancellor!”
As soon as Ji Yuanyi spoke, the students from Donglu Academy began praising him like a chorus, almost elevating him to the level of a sage.
“You all flatter me. I’ve only read a few more books than others. I’m not worthy of comparison to the true scholars of our time,” Ji Yuanyi replied, wearing a modest expression though he was clearly basking in the praise.
“Brother Yuanyi, you’re being too modest. With everyone holding you in such regard, I think you’re no less than any great scholar alive today,” Xiao Wanyu said with a smile, clearly pleased by the compliments being showered on him.
“Indeed, Young Master Ji is too humble.”
“By the way, Young Master Ji, was there something you needed to tell us?”
Several students followed up, eager to please.
“Ah, yes…” Ji Yuanyi then explained the situation.
“I was wondering if you fine gentlemen would be willing to give up the private room. Don’t worry—I wouldn’t let you suffer. Today’s meal will be on me. How about it?” he asked politely.