That infuriating expression directly filled Shen Ji with anger.
Until the end of his shift, Pei Zhao’s ears were free from the usual buzzing noise, granting him a rare moment of peace.
Shen Ji was angry, but at the same time, he was wondering where Pei Zhao had gotten those fresh snacks he had brought these past few times.
Unlike him, Pei Zhao didn’t spend his days eating and playing around. Shen Ji had tried every shop in the capital, and he was always the first to know where the good food was.
The snacks Pei Zhao brought were fresh and delicious, something Shen Ji had never seen in any shop outside. They weren’t bought from a store, nor were they made by the Pei family’s chefs. Could it be…
His mistress!
Shen Ji’s eyes lit up as he suddenly remembered someone.
He wanted to pull Pei Zhao aside to confirm, but just then, the Crown Prince summoned him, and Pei Zhao had already gone to the back hall.
“I’ll definitely ask him when I get the chance!”
The fact that Pei Zhao had taken a mistress was simply unbelievable in Shen Ji’s eyes.
As his childhood friend, Shen Ji knew better than anyone how indifferent Pei Zhao was to worldly desires. Since childhood, there hadn’t even been a female mosquito around him. All his attendants were young male servants, and he paid no attention to the admiration of noble ladies in the capital.
Even Shen Ji himself couldn’t resist accepting handkerchiefs and pouches from young ladies a few times, but Pei Zhao never did.
He had even suspected that Pei Zhao might prefer men and had worried about himself for a while. But later, when Pei Zhao found out what he was thinking, he made Shen Ji study books with him for three days and three nights, and Shen Ji lost all such thoughts.
That man was a cold-hearted monster. No one could ever enter his heart. If he had taken a mistress, there must be a secret behind it.
But if this mistress had exceptional culinary skills, then things would get interesting.
Shen Ji stroked his chin, grinning with a lecherous expression.
Pei Zhao had already broken his routine twice by bringing snacks to work. This mistress must be special to him.
The only question was whether Pei Zhao had realized it himself.
……
“Is this the place?”
Princess Changle held her maid’s hand as she stepped down from the carriage, frowning as she looked at the food shop not far away.
The northern part of the city was mostly inhabited by commoners. The streets were narrow, and the ground was littered with vegetable leaves and dirty water. Princess Changle had never seen such a filthy place before. She covered her nose with a handkerchief, her face full of disgust.
The maid also wrinkled her nose, looking disdainful. “Princess, this is the place. The shop ahead, Xi’s Shop, is run by Third Master’s mistress.”
“Hmph! Let’s go in and take a look.”
Princess Changle snorted coldly, holding her maid’s hand as she stepped around the dirty water and walked forward.
Seeing a customer at the door, Nanny Su quickly stepped forward with a smile to greet them. But when she saw the customer’s appearance and attire, her smile faltered slightly.
“What would you like to eat, miss? We have all kinds of snacks and noodles here. Please take a look and see what you like.”
Nanny Su had served noble ladies in deep mansions before. Princess Changle’s demeanor made it clear she was no ordinary girl. Nanny Su couldn’t understand why such a noble lady would come to a small shop in the northern part of the city, so she remained cautious.
Princess Changle held her fingers in an elegant pose, refusing to take the menu Nanny Su offered. She picked at her nails, her face full of arrogance.
“Where is your shopkeeper? I want her to personally make something for me!”
A lowly old woman like her wasn’t worthy of speaking to her.
“This…”
Nanny Su hadn’t expected this young lady to demand to see their mistress as soon as she arrived. Moreover, her attitude didn’t seem like she was here to eat—it felt more like she was looking for trouble.
Their mistress was delicate and gentle, no match for such a difficult person.Nanny Su’s smile also faded. No matter what, their young lady was still the Third Young Master Pei’s mistress, not someone that any random person could see.
“Sorry, miss, our young lady does not cook. The two chefs in the shop were personally trained by her. If you want to eat, please look at the menu. If there’s nothing you like, there are plenty of eateries on this street, and I’m sure you’ll find something to your taste.”
Her calm and dignified manner earned applause from the customers in the shop.
“Well said, madam! This young lady wants to throw her weight around without even looking at where she is. Does she think everyone will indulge her? We commoners may fear the nobility, but that doesn’t mean we’ll let ourselves be bullied.”
“Exactly, I wonder which family this young lady is from, to have no manners at all.”
Princess Changle had only brought a maid with her. Since no one knew her identity, they criticized her rudeness one after another.
Princess Changle trembled with anger. “You… you lowly commoners! I’ll have you all arrested!”
The little maid also flared up in anger. “How dare you! Do you know who our young lady is? Offending a noble, aren’t you afraid of being caned?”
After the two of them finished their angry rebukes, the shop fell silent.
Commoners do not fight with officials; they dared not truly offend a noble.
Everyone hurriedly finished their meals, left their silver, and slipped out, afraid that Princess Changle would hold them accountable.
Watching the customers flee, Nanny Su’s heart skipped a beat. What exactly did these two want?
“Call your shopkeeper out, or this shop won’t be allowed to stay open!”
It was just a shop—she could crush them with a snap of her fingers.
In her eyes, Xi Ning was an obstacle. Whether Pei Zhao liked this mistress or not, she could not let her live.
This was the first time Nanny Su had encountered such a situation. She didn’t know Princess Changle’s identity and dared not act rashly. If she offended the other party and brought trouble to her mistress, she would never forgive herself.
Gouzi was clever. As soon as Princess Changle started causing trouble, he quietly slipped out from the crowd and sprinted all the way to Wutong Street.
“Young lady, young lady, something’s happened!”
“What’s the matter, so panicked? Have some water and speak slowly.”
Seeing Gouzi sweating profusely from running, Xi Ning quickly had Ren Dong pour a cup of warm water.
Gouzi gulped it down in two mouthfuls and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
“Young lady, someone came to the shop to cause trouble and scared all the customers away. Now they’re demanding to see you. Nanny Su can’t handle it alone, so I sneaked out to find you.”
In Gouzi’s eyes, Xi Ning was an omnipotent fairy—otherwise, how could she make such delicious food?
“Someone causing trouble?”
Xi Ning frowned. With Xi’s Shop doing such good business, she had long expected someone to cause trouble. But from what Gouzi said, it seemed the person wasn’t targeting the business but rather her.
Xi Ning thought it over but had no clue.
“Let’s go take a look.”
When the two arrived at the shop, Princess Changle was condescendingly sitting on a long bench, with her handkerchief placed underneath, her eyes filled with disdain.
She looked around. Xi Ning had limited funds, so the shop was simply decorated. Moreover, since the customers were mostly ordinary people, Xi Ning hadn’t put much effort into the decor.
All of this only deepened Princess Changle’s contempt.”Tsk! I don’t know what Brother Zhao sees in her. A woman who doesn’t know her place, actually running a business—and such a lowly food business at that. Hmph! She really is from a brothel, just can’t be presentable.”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but Xi Ning happened to overhear as she approached.
Brother Zhao?
This person knows Pei Zhao?