For Leng Qi and Leng Lin, having a meal with the Regent was a pleasant affair, especially since he had personally extended the invitation.
Leng Yaoda paused for a moment, then turned to face the others with a composed expression two seconds later.
Only Su Luo’an seemed extremely reluctant. However, Zhou Yingkui had repeatedly warned him today, and with the Leng brothers present—with whom he shared some camaraderie—he had little choice.
Thus, led by a servant, the five of them ascended to the third floor. Coincidentally, the last private room happened to be the one Leng Yaoda had visited with Shen Jinxiao.
Standing at the doorway, Zhou Yingkui’s gaze drifted lightly over the young woman. Seeing Leng Yaoda still maintaining the demeanor of a first-time visitor, he found it intriguing.
He had known Leng Yaoda for a long time—how had he never noticed her talent for deception in earlier years?
Although Leng Yaoda relied on her memories to mimic the original owner’s behavior in front of others, memories could be imprecise. To compensate, she adopted an aloof and indifferent attitude.
Su Luo’an grew even more disgusted at the sight. If not for his master’s presence, he would never have shared a room with Leng Yaoda in this lifetime!
Seating arrangements became a challenge. Leng Qi and Leng Lin exchanged a glance and promptly took the seats opposite the main position. Zhou Yingkui raised his eyes slightly and settled into the main seat, while Su Luo’an sat beside his master.
The young woman, left standing awkwardly, was about to step forward when she realized the only remaining seat was beside Zhou Yingkui, directly facing Su Luo’an.
Leng Yaoda: “…”
She suddenly felt like going home.
Noticing someone still standing, Zhou Yingkui feigned ignorance of her hesitation and asked, “Why isn’t Sister Daji taking a seat?”
Leng Lin turned to look, then stood up and pulled the young woman over, pressing her into the seat beside Zhou Yingkui.
Leng Yaoda: “?”
She hadn’t even processed what was happening.
Su Luo’an rolled his eyes and let out a soft, disdainful snort, refusing to look at her again.
Outwardly, the young woman showed no reaction, but inwardly she sighed at her two oblivious and tactless “brothers.”
Now that she was seated, getting up to change seats would only draw more attention. Resigned, she settled in and decided to make the best of it.
As the hidden owner of the establishment, Zhou Yingkui had visited most frequently. Without ceremony, he ordered a lavish spread of thirteen exquisite dishes.
This was nearly double what she had ordered during her last visit, yet it included every dish she and Shen Jinxiao had tried together.
A chill ran down Leng Yaoda’s spine, but she didn’t dare glance at Zhou Yingkui, even though the man wasn’t looking at her at that moment.
Wait, why was she afraid?
Zhou Yingkui wasn’t the one who had killed her in the book. She wasn’t even afraid of Lu Zhiyou anymore, so why fear this man?
Realizing she had unconsciously grown fearful of Zhou Yingkui, Leng Yaoda mentally flipped herself off.
Recalling a detail in her mind, she turned to Zhou Yingkui and asked, “Daji remembers that the Regent never used to eat these dishes. Today’s feast… hardly seems to include any of your favorites.”
Hearing her words, Zhou Yingkui looked at the young woman, his dark eyes glinting briefly.
“Why do you care what my master likes to eat now?”
A sudden, youthful voice interrupted. Su Luo’an glared at the young woman, his eyes filled with contempt.
Leng Yaoda said nothing. Zhou Yingkui continued to stare at her before replying, “How thoughtful of Sister Daji to still remember what I’ve always enjoyed eating.”
His voice was cool yet tinged with laziness, a faint glint flashing in his eyes. After a moment, he finally looked away.Leng Yaoda’s palms broke out in cold sweat. It was over—she had been checkmated.
She had originally intended to try and probe why he had ordered dishes he didn’t like, but who would have thought Zhou Yingkui would say something like that.
This damned fox of a man, more alluring than any woman.
Leng Qi, meticulous in his thinking, instinctively glanced at his sister’s reaction as the elder brother, then looked at Zhou Yingkui.
What the Regent had said was truly… too ambiguous.
Zhou Yingkui’s peripheral gaze had hardly left the young girl, his eyes subtly lingering on her. None of Leng Yaoda’s small movements escaped his notice.
Noticing the girl unconsciously curling her little finger, the man paused as he lifted his teacup.
Leng Yaoda had never made this gesture since childhood.
So why would she today…?
Considering some possibilities, Zhou Yingkui sneered inwardly and fell silent.
Su Luo’an was hungry. Finally, when all the dishes were served and he received his master’s permission, he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.
He looked just like a little hamster.
The boy’s face was just maturing, still retaining a hint of baby fat on his fair cheeks. He ate somewhat hurriedly, his cheeks puffing out slightly.
Leng Yaoda had no direct conflict with him; it was the original body that had quarreled with him. Seeing the boy like this reminded her of the children in the orphanage, and she couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile.
This expression was fully captured by Zhou Yingkui, who raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Su Luo’an vaguely sensed a gaze, devoid of malice. Swallowing the meat in his mouth, he looked up and met Leng Yaoda’s eyes directly.
The girl, seemingly caught off guard, immediately averted her gaze, pretending nothing had happened.
This left Su Luo’an momentarily stunned. How could she look at him so gently? It was impossible!
He quickly surmised that Leng Yaoda might have grown cleverer, trying to act obedient in front of his master. The boy couldn’t help but feel a bit more wary.
Hmph, she must have seen how sternly his master had reprimanded him today and wanted to provoke him into making another mistake.
Dream on! He wasn’t that foolish!
Having figured it out, Su Luo’an stopped dwelling on it and continued eating and drinking. The gaze he had felt earlier never reappeared.
Leng Yaoda found herself in a dilemma. The original body particularly loved a certain dish, which happened to be her least favorite.
Not only did she dislike it, but it also caused her to break out in rashes and struggle to breathe.
Steamed goose liver with sauce was placed right near her, and the girl repeatedly passed it over.
At home, goose liver wasn’t often prepared. Zhao Yujin also said eating too much might cause internal heat and indigestion, so it was only made for her on a few days each month.
Today, despite the goose liver looking incredibly delicious, the girl couldn’t bring herself to take a single bite.
Zhou Yingkui looked at her and, noticing Leng Yaoda had stopped her chopsticks, asked, “What’s wrong, Daji? Could it be that none of these dishes suit your taste?”
Snapping back to reality, the girl shook her head and naturally picked up a slice of goose liver, placing it in her mouth to chew. “Daji is fine. Thank you for your concern, Regent.”
The girl ate quickly, then picked up another slice of goose liver and put it in her mouth, pretending to enjoy it.
Only then did Zhou Yingkui withdraw his intense gaze. Leng Yaoda didn’t even frown as she swallowed the two bites of goose liver and ate some other dishes.
After all, this was no longer her original body. While she still disliked the taste, it was impossible for her to break out in rashes.
Finally, after the five of them ate and drank past noon, only a small portion of the twelve dishes remained on the table. It seemed the chefs of the Victorious Spring Court truly had excellent skills.
Among them, Su Luo’an had eaten the most.The young man was a military officer and in the midst of his growth spurt, his stomach seemed like a bottomless pit.
As she listened to their idle chatter, Leng Yao’s left hand twitched, and she suddenly felt a fine, dense itch spreading across her wrist, making her unable to resist the urge to scratch it.