Chapter 26: The Restaurant Opens

As Shen Xuan finished speaking, the murmurs among the gathered crowd grew louder.

"Thirty percent off? This Manager Shen is truly generous!" a bystander exclaimed in surprise.

"Thirty percent off? It’s just a gimmick. Every new shop does this; the prices will be back to normal by tomorrow," a person nearby scoffed, shaking their head with a dismissive air.

"Exactly, exactly. You don't even know what the prices are like. Maybe a single dish will cost several taels of silver. It’s probably a shady establishment designed to swindle us common folk," another chimed in, offering a malicious guess.

"Stop with the fear-mongering. This is the capital, right under the Emperor's feet! Who would have the guts to run a shady shop here?" a scholar said, looking at the ignorant crowd with a sense of exasperation.

Ignoring the discussion, Shen Xuan left Lin Gui to handle the door and headed back inside "Jun You Lai" with the others.

"Young Miss, since we’re already here, why don't we go in and have a taste?" a young girl in a hempen dress whispered to the young man in white beside her.

"Cough! Didn't I tell you? Call me 'Young Master' while we're out!" the young man in white cleared his throat and whispered a reminder.

"Yes, Young Master. Xiaoying understands," the girl replied, shrinking her head back with a look of grievance.

"Hmph! I snuck out hoping to find those skewers, but after walking in circles, I didn't see any stall at all," the young man in white pouted and huffed.

"Young Master, I just asked around. It seems that Young Master Shen hasn't set up his stall for several days now," the girl said helplessly, seeing her master’s sulky expression.

"Forget it. It’s not often we get out, and this... this Young Master is a bit hungry. You’re right, Xiaoying, since we’re already here, let’s go into Jun You Lai and see how it tastes," the young man in white said, pointing at the restaurant with a folding fan, full of sudden energy.

It wasn't just this pair; many others, lured by the thirty-percent-off discount, began to trickle into the restaurant in groups of two or three.

"Waiter!" The two found a vacant table, and the young man in white opened his fan and called out loudly.

Liu Ruifeng, seeing someone calling, looked over and noticed that Shen Xuan and the others were busy. He walked over with a smile and said politely, "May I ask what you would like to order?"

The young man in white looked Liu Ruifeng up and down, noting his flamboyant attire, and thought he hardly looked like a waiter.

Shaking his head, the young man ignored it and said quite generously, "Bring us a serving of every signature dish in the house. Money is no object!"

Liu Ruifeng looked at the rather handsome youth with a peculiar expression.

"Is something wrong?" the young man in white asked, puzzled by the silence.

"Dear guest, would you like to take a look at our menu first?" Liu Ruifeng smiled, pointing to the menu hanging on the wall.

"What’s there to look at? Isn't it all just the same old dishes... wait? Skewers!" The young man, initially dismissive, gasped in surprise as he looked at the menu.

"That's right! Aside from some side dishes, our main signature offerings are these skewers!" Liu Ruifeng said with a hint of pride.

"That's wonderful, Young Master! We’ve searched high and low, and here it is right in front of us! Who would have thought Jun You Lai would sell skewers too!" Xiaoying said excitedly.

However, upon hearing this good news, the young man in white didn't look very happy. With a tone full of skepticism, she said, "So what if they sell skewers? Who knows how they taste? They might just be imitations."

Xiaoying nodded, agreeing with her mistress. There had been many merchants selling skewers lately, but none had tasted quite right, and it was possible this shop was no different.

"Dear guest, I am still standing right here. Isn't it a bit rude to slander my restaurant to my face?" Liu Ruifeng said, his expression darkening.

"Hmph! Am I wrong? Plainly speaking, your restaurant is just plagiarizing," the young man in white retorted with a sneer.

"Who are you calling a plagiarist? Our skewers are the most authentic in the entire capital!" Liu Ruifeng snapped, clearly offended by the pretty boy’s words.

"Anyone can brag. Those skewers were invented by Young Master Shen. Since when did your Jun You Lai become the authentic source?" Before the young man in white could speak, Xiaoying retorted.

"You!" Just as Liu Ruifeng was about to say more, a hand rested on his shoulder, and Shen Xuan’s calm voice cut through the air.

"Brother Ruifeng, what’s happening here?"

"Brother Shen, you’re finally here! These two are claiming our Jun You Lai is a copycat and that our skewers aren't authentic." Liu Ruifeng pointed at the pair, looking quite indignant.

"I understand. Go attend to the other guests; I will handle this," Shen Xuan said gently.

"Fine!" Seeing the calm, lake-like depths of Shen Xuan’s eyes, Liu Ruifeng’s irritation subsided, and he walked away with a resigned shrug.

"Blech!" Xiaoying stuck her tongue out at Liu Ruifeng's back, full of provocation.

"I am Shen Xuan. May I ask how the two young ladies should be addressed?" Shen Xuan ignored Xiaoying’s gesture and introduced himself.

"What! You are Shen Xuan?" Both of them froze, and the young man in white couldn't help but gasp.

"That is I," Shen Xuan smiled. It was just a restaurant; for those who wanted to find out, it was simple. From the start, he had never intended to hide it.

"Wait! How did you guess our identities?" The young man in white recovered, suddenly realizing her identity had been exposed, and spoke with a hint of panic. She had snuck out, and if her grandfather found out, she would be locked away for a month.

"What is there to guess? Neither of you has an Adam's apple, and you both look so delicate—how else could I explain it if not for a woman disguised as a man?" Shen Xuan’s expression was slightly odd. They hadn't even bothered to wear fake beards; it was just a change of clothes. If he hadn't noticed that, he would have to question his own eyesight.

"This..." The young man in white was at a loss for words. She had thought her disguise was seamless, but in front of Shen Xuan, it had been broken with such ease, leaving her feeling quite deflated.

"I am An Miaoyu. It is a pleasure to meet you, Young Master Shen," she said, composing herself and introducing herself gracefully. "I apologize, Young Master Shen. I didn't realize you owned this restaurant. My words just now were indeed excessive. I hope you will not hold it against me."

An Miaoyu bowed slightly, looking quite embarrassed.