Liu Liu led her subordinates into the private room number three. The room was spacious, furnished with tables and chairs, and offered an elegant environment. A gentle breeze blew in, creating a cool and comfortable atmosphere, perfect for alleviating fatigue.
Liu Liu gestured for everyone to sit on either side. As she looked up, she saw Feng Xie enter the private room with his three subordinates. Although the room was initially spacious, the presence of their four tall and imposing figures made it feel crowded. Liu Liu spoke coldly, her displeasure evident.
"Does Young Master Liu intend to dine with us?"
Feng Xie raised his elegant brows and spoke with a devilish charm, "Why not?"
Upon hearing this, Feng Xie's three subordinates frowned. What was their master doing? They had already eaten, so where would they eat now? However, they dared not voice their objections. Instead, they all looked towards Qi Ye, who was masked by a butterfly mask. The youth appeared unapproachable. Indeed, Liu Liu curved her lips and sat down, speaking coldly.
"We dare not dine with a great deity like yourself. Young Master Liu, please proceed. Boy, bring us the menu; we wish to order."
"Yes, honored guest," the waiter felt the chill emanating from the private room and trembled slightly. He quickly handed the menu to the impudent-looking youth, lowering his head and not daring to exhale.
After Liu Liu finished speaking, Mu Xing sat next to his mother, his little face set in a determined expression. His dark, ink-like eyes were filled with anger, and his small mouth pouted as he glared disdainfully.
"We don't eat with strangers, nor do we eat with annoying people," Mu Xing's eyes were full of disdain and contempt. With a simple gesture and an unintentional remark from the child, Feng Xie felt a pang in his heart.
He didn't understand what was happening to him; these emotions seemed beyond his control. His heart ached with suppression, and the pain, which had nearly numbed him over the years, now intensified more than ever.
These two, one adult and one child, could so easily trouble him. Was it because their aura was so similar to Liu'er's?
Even Bu Xiangyin, who looked exactly the same, had only caused him initial distress. Yet, these two strangers could sway his emotions.
Feng Xie couldn't help but feel angry with himself. A cold aura emanated from him, and his handsome face was overcast. His two subordinates, knowing their master was angry and fearing trouble, quickly and respectfully spoke.
"Master, shall we leave here?"
"This?"
Feng Xie's three subordinates clearly hesitated. The Emperor was currently in the same room as the nefarious Qi Ye. If they didn't guard here, what if something happened to the Emperor? Seeing no movement behind him, Feng Xie's coldness intensified, and he suddenly commanded sharply, "Retire."
"Yes, Master." No one dared to question further. They swiftly exited the private room.
Descending to the floor below, they chose a spot and sat down, ordering a pot of tea from the innkeeper. The three of them kept a close watch on the movements upstairs. Even if something happened, their skills were sufficient to protect him, so they felt slightly at ease.
Liu Liu had already ordered the dishes. Without even glancing at Feng Xie, who had sat down at their table, she handed the menu to Dai Mei, asking her to order anything else she wanted.
Dai Mei was not like Liu Liu. With the Emperor sitting beside them with a frosty expression, how could she remain indifferent? She cautiously handed the menu to Feng Xie. "Would you like to order something?"
Feng Xie swept a cold glance at Dai Mei, his expression unchanged. He coldly ordered the waiter behind him, "Bring me a pot of tea."
"Yes," the waiter nodded fearfully, took the menu from Dai Mei's hand, and walked out before daring to take a deep breath. This guest exuded a noble presence yet was chillingly intimidating and expressionless, which was quite frightening.
Liu Liu's expression grew more displeased, though it couldn't be seen through the mask. Only a hint of cold air flickered around her lips. Was this man deliberately provoking them?
They were eating, and he only wanted a pot of tea, yet he sat there, obstructing them. Did such a large restaurant have no other place for him to drink tea?
"Is there no other place for you to drink tea?" Liu Liu retorted sarcastically. Feng Xie raised his eyebrows subtly.
Within his clear, glassy eyes, turbulent currents surged. He was not in a hurry now; he wanted to understand clearly why he felt such strong emotions towards a youth and a child.
Furthermore, why their every word and action could affect his mood. This kind of feeling had only ever been brought to him by Liu'er, and no one else had ever broken this precedent. Unexpectedly, another exception had appeared.
"Is there really no other place to drink tea? Must you follow us?"
Mu Xing beside him repeated the question, his demeanor and tone eerily similar to Qi Ye's. Even his small lips were shaped like beautiful diamond petals.
As Feng Xie noticed Qi Ye's lips, a memory resurfaced. Liu'er's lips were also petal-shaped. What a coincidence.
Feng Xie laughed at himself. Was it simply because they resembled Liu'er too much that they could hurt him?
Was he doomed to never escape that terrible nightmare?
The thought of this caused Feng Xie's heart to ache, and his expression became melancholic. He remained silent in response to the presumptuous words of the adult and child.
Liu Liu felt somewhat unaccustomed to this. She looked at her son, and the two mothers and sons exchanged a glance, then fell silent. They shared a common weakness: they did not bully the weak.
Although this man was powerful, he appeared somewhat pitiable at the moment, so they ceased their words.
The waiter soon brought the dishes, filling the table. A pot of tea was also served, creating a peculiar atmosphere at the table.
Everyone was eating, while a handsome, cold, and ethereal man leaned lazily on his chair, sipping his tea. The air was filled only with the sounds of eating, nothing else.
Feng Xie took a sip of his tea, his cold, demonic gaze casually sweeping towards the youth by the window. With just one look, his heart seemed to stop. Even the teacup in his hand tilted.
The tea spilled onto his white robe, the burning sensation piercing his skin, yet he was oblivious. He was too shocked. xxs壹贰
He saw the youth wearing the butterfly mask meticulously picking out segments of green onion from a dish of braised suckling pig. The child beside him was doing the same, picking out all the green onion segments from the dishes and placing them on an empty plate nearby.
Feng Xie's breathing grew rapid, his gasps heavy, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably. It was because Liu'er disliked green onions. Every time they dined, he would instruct the imperial kitchen staff not to include them.
If, by chance, a dish contained green onions, she would behave just like Qi Ye at this moment, carefully picking them out one by one from the bowl before eating.
Who was he? Who was the person beneath the mask?
Liu Liu was engrossed in picking out the green onions when she suddenly felt the air in the private room become icy. She even heard rapid gasping. Looking up, she saw the Emperor staring at her and Mu Xing with a look of horror, his eyes filled with shock, confusion, and bewilderment.
Liu Liu's heart trembled. Her mind raced. So he was watching her eat. She immediately realized he knew her habits. These darn habits were going to be the death of her. Meanwhile, Mu Xing was still meticulously picking out the green onions.
Liu Liu quickly curved her lips into a smile. Casually, she reached out with her chopsticks, picked up a green onion segment, and put it into her mouth, eating it with relish. "I love eating green onions like this. They have a great flavor. Mu Xing, come, eat all of them for your brother."
Liu Liu forced herself to eat, feeling on the verge of vomiting. The sensation was agonizing. She truly wanted to stand up and beat this man to a pulp. Why did he have to stay where they were eating?
The entire table was stunned by Liu Liu's actions. Everyone knew their proprietress disliked green onions. And Mu Xing was even stranger. He opened his mouth and called out, "Brother?"