When Yun Qingyi saw the man in black step into the banquet hall, her emotions went through several rapid changes.
So he was today’s guest of honor.
He had been hiding behind the bushes, quietly listening to all the gossip about himself for quite some time. Thinking of the noble ladies who had spoken so boldly earlier, Yun Qingyi felt a surge of secret satisfaction.
How embarrassing for them.
At the same time, he had witnessed everything—her helping Lu Zhiyao and teaching Lu Zhiyaing a lesson.
Perhaps he wouldn’t expose her, but who knew what he was really thinking?
The uncertainty made her uneasy.
Then there was what he had said: “It’s been many years.”
Yet they had only just met.
He didn’t seem to be mocking her, but the remark left her baffled.
She turned to glance at Shuiling, hoping to discover whether the Yun family had some prior connection with him.
Seeing the same confusion on Shuiling’s face, she understood.
The Yun family had no relationship with him at all.
Since he showed no sign of exposing her, Yun Qingyi quickly decided to distance herself. Judging by the admiration the other young ladies held for him, she had no desire to become public enemy number one.
“I’m afraid you’ve mistaken me for someone else, General. I rarely leave home and don’t believe we’ve ever met.”
Mo Yuxuan looked slightly embarrassed.
“Then I must indeed be mistaken. My apologies.”
After the host and guests exchanged ceremonial toasts, everyone gradually left their seats to stroll through the gardens.
Yun Qingyi finally felt at ease.
At last, she no longer had to sit hungry among strangers, exchanging meaningless pleasantries.
Although the banquet had offered wine and dishes, most of the food was blandly seasoned with little more than salt. Even the boiled meat lacked flavor.
She had only nibbled on fruit to pass the time.
Fortunately, she had brought her own food.
Just as she opened her lunch box, Lu Zhiyao approached.
“So this is where you are, Sister Yun. Thank you again for your help earlier. I have no way to repay your kindness, but I brought some soup from home. Please allow me to share it with you.”
Yun Qingyi invited her to sit.
The two young women settled on the grass and exchanged food, feeling far more relaxed than they had inside the banquet hall.
Yun Qingyi unpacked braised pork sandwiches, sliced egg pancakes, and flower pastries.
Lu Zhiyao offered her a bowl of angelica beef soup.
Yun Qingyi had done an excellent job preserving the temperature. The food was still steaming when she opened the containers.
Lu Zhiyao picked up a piece of egg pancake.
The aroma of eggs, vegetables, and sweet bean sauce blended together, creating layers of flavor.
It was delicious.
She hadn’t expected the kind and beautiful Sister Yun to have such extraordinary food.
Because Yun Qingyi had already helped her so much, Lu Zhiyao wanted to leave a good impression. Though she loved the egg pancake, she restrained herself and reached instead for the braised pork sandwich.
The first bite astonished her even more.
The bread had absorbed the rich meat juices perfectly. The balance of lean meat and fat was ideal, and every mouthful was bursting with flavor.
Yun Qingyi had brought a wide variety of foods, each portion modest in size. After tasting two dishes, Lu Zhiyao felt too embarrassed to continue eating.
“Sister Yun is truly fortunate to have such an exceptional cook in your household. I wonder if they accept apprentices? If possible, could the cook from my household learn a few dishes?”
Once someone had tasted true delicacies, it was impossible to return to ordinary food.
She assumed such culinary skills were closely guarded secrets, but she couldn’t help asking.
Yun Qingyi smiled softly.
“Our cooks can make these dishes, but they can’t teach others.”
“I only recently taught them myself. They can follow instructions, but they still need my supervision to ensure the quality remains consistent.”
That revelation stunned Lu Zhiyao even more.
The master chef was sitting right in front of her.
Embarrassed, she bowed slightly.
“Please forgive my rudeness. In that case, would Sister Yun consider accepting me as a student?”
Yun Qingyi understood immediately.
For a woman in this era, learning to cook was rarely about satisfying her own appetite.
It was about serving her future husband and family.
Seeing how poorly Lu Zhiyao was treated at home, Yun Qingyi suspected that if she taught her too much, she would only end up being exploited further.
She planned to open a business based on her cooking, so she wasn’t worried that Lu Zhiyao would become a competitor.
Still, she didn’t want to encourage this mindset.
“It’s easy to imitate appearances,” Yun Qingyi said gently, “but two people following the same recipe can create completely different dishes.”
“True mastery requires systematic learning, and that’s no easy task.”
She changed the subject with a smile.
“Recently, I’ve been making food for family and friends, and the response has been quite positive. I plan to begin selling some dishes at my home in the near future.”
“When that happens, if you’d like to eat them, you’ll have to come support my business.”
Lu Zhiyao barely registered the rejection.
Instead, she was astonished by something else entirely.
“Sister Yun wants to start a business?”
Yun Qingyi nodded.
“I don’t have many talents. I only know how to cook.”
“There are only so many people in my family. It would be a waste to make delicious food for them alone.”
“Besides, my parents and brothers love me. Whether the food is good or not, they’ll always praise it.”
“If strangers are willing to pay for it—that’s real proof of skill.”
Lu Zhiyao admired her even more.
Noblewomen were not expected to enter the kitchen.
Even after marriage, preparing an occasional soup was considered more than enough.
Yet Sister Yun, despite living within the inner quarters, possessed ambitions far beyond them.
For the first time, Lu Zhiyao felt her horizons widen.
The endless struggles within her household had made her believe that such conflicts were her destiny.
But now she realized there was an entire world beyond the walls of the inner residence.
Her dark and hopeless life suddenly seemed to contain a glimmer of possibility.
She wanted to become friends with this remarkable woman.
“Sister Yun, you’ve taught me so much today. I hope to visit you in the future. Would that be all right?”
Yun Qingyi smiled warmly.
She was pleased to see her earlier guidance had not been in vain.
Given time, this minister’s daughter would surely shine like a pearl emerging from the shadows.
As the two chatted happily, two young men approached.
They were none other than Yun Qingshi and Lu Qinyan.
“So Sister is here today!”
Yun Qingshi’s eyes lit up.
“You never attend these banquets. What made you decide to come this time?”
“What a coincidence that Sister Lu is here too, don’t you think, Qinyan?”
His gaze immediately landed on the food containers.
“Sister, you must have brought something delicious again. Quick, let me see! I’m starving.”
Turning to his friend, he added proudly:
“Qinyan, the crispy fish I shared with you before was made by my sister.”
“Now she’s brought a food box with her. We’re in for another feast.”
At the Imperial Academy, Lu Qinyan had grown accustomed to seeing the Grand Tutor lecture and discipline Yun Qingshi.
The Yun Qingshi he knew was steady, reserved, and careful with his words.
He always followed proper etiquette.
Yet in front of his elder sister, he transformed completely into a cheerful chatterbox.
“Big Sister, didn’t you bring any crispy fish today? Last time I only got to eat two pieces…”
He hesitated, realizing it might not be proper to complain in public.
Glancing at Lu Qinyan, he silently invited his friend to finish the story.
Lu Qinyan understood immediately.
“The rest was respectfully offered to the Grand Tutor.”
Imitating Yun Qingshi’s solemn expression from that day, he recited:
“‘The Master says: A gentleman does not seek fullness in food nor comfort in lodging.'”
The moment he finished, he burst into laughter.
Both young women laughed as well.
“Since it was offered to Grandfather, that’s perfectly fine,” Yun Qingyi said.
“There’s no crispy fish today, but I brought other dishes you’ve never tried before.”
“Eat as much as you like. No need to worry about saving anything for the Grand Tutor.”
Though slightly embarrassed by the teasing, Yun Qingshi quickly forgot his discomfort in the face of delicious food.
Everyone present was familiar company, and he relaxed completely.
He eagerly opened every container and spread out all the dishes, preparing to enjoy himself.
Before he could start, however, Lu Qinyan grabbed his arm.
“Qingshi, aren’t you going to invite me to share?”
He had been tempted by the aroma for some time but still wanted to observe proper manners.
By then, Yun Qingshi already had two large bites of braised pork sandwich in his mouth and couldn’t speak.
He simply waved his hand in a grand gesture that said:
“Help yourself.”
Then he lowered his head and continued devouring his food.