Chapter 51: Young Master Song

Chapter 51: Young Master Song

At high noon the following day, Li Qi arrived at the Emerald Pavilion as promised.

By this time, the Emerald Pavilion was truly bustling, packed to capacity, and vibrantly lively.

Knowing full well the intention behind Cai Minde’s invitation at such an hour, Li Qi could not help but smile wryly.

Before even reaching the entrance, a pungent stench assailed his nostrils.

Li Qi frowned. The mere whiff of this odor now made his stomach churn. He thought bitterly to himself, "I wonder if I made a mistake. I've turned the entire fine city of Bianjing into stinking grounds; I really shouldn't have!"

"Young Master Li!"

Catching sight of him, Old Third Cai hurried over to the entrance to greet him.

"Steward Cai! Congratulations, congratulations!" Li Qi cupped his fists and smiled.

"Not at all, not at all. This is all thanks to your blessing, Young Master. Please, come right in. My master is waiting upstairs to welcome you." Old Third Cai smiled modestly, though his eyes were brimming with smugness.

After exchanging a few more polite pleasantries, Li Qi followed him inside.

The moment he stepped through the doors, several surprised gazes immediately locked onto him.

Li Qi paused slightly, looked down at his attire, and instantly realized the situation. The Emerald Pavilion was indeed the five-star restaurant of Bianjing; those dressed even slightly shabbily were simply barred from entry. Had he not been personally invited by Old Third Cai, he probably would have been chased off before even reaching the threshold.

Come to think of it, Li Qi was indeed dressed quite shabbily. A drab yellow long cloth robe, a pair of cloth shoes—he looked every bit the impoverished scholar, needing no introduction at all.

In stark contrast, everyone seated inside wore lavish silks and brocades. At a glance, Li Qi stood out like a sore thumb.

Yet, seeing Old Third Cai treat Li Qi with such deference left the patrons thoroughly astonished. They knew Old Third Cai’s character all too well; he was a classic bully of the weak and flatterer of the strong.

For Old Third Cai to personally welcome a young man dressed in such rags was truly unprecedented.

Aware of their thoughts, Li Qi sighed inwardly.

In truth, Wu Furong had wanted to whip up a decent set of clothes for Li Qi the previous night.

However, Li Qi had refused. After all, his current identity was merely that of a cook. If a cook dressed better than the shop manager, that would be downright bizarre.

Keep a low profile! Maintaining a low profile was the ultimate rule.

Never did he expect that instead of keeping a low profile, he would draw all this attention. It was a complete backfire!

Taking all of this in, Old Third Cai smiled secretly to himself while maintaining a calm expression, and led Li Qi toward the upper floors.

As they walked up the stairs, Li Qi noticed that almost every table featured a plate of stinking tofu, containing about ten pieces apiece, garnished with a scattering of scallions to enhance their visual appeal.

This was well within Li Qi's expectations.

When people bought stinking tofu at Drunken Immortal House, it was expensive, came in limited quantities, and did not include food or wine. After eating it there, customers had to go elsewhere for a proper meal, which was quite a hassle.

The Emerald Pavilion was different. They offered fine wine, exquisite dishes, and their stinking tofu was bound to be cheaper than Drunken Immortal House's, while being served in generous portions so patrons could eat their fill. Comparing the two, people would naturally scramble to order the dish here.

However, this no longer affected Drunken Immortal House. Two days prior, the final two thousand pieces of stinking tofu had completely sold out, and Li Qi had no intention of continuing production. He had simply shut the doors, nice and clean.

Li Qi followed Old Third Cai up to the fifth floor. Compared to the levels below, this floor seemed somewhat tranquil, but the guests seated here surpassed those downstairs by several tiers, both in attire and bearing.

Presently, Cai Minde was chatting and laughing with a fair-faced young gentleman at a table by the window. Seeing Li Qi arrive, Cai hurriedly stepped forward, cupped his fists, and smiled, "Your esteemed presence honors us, Young Master Li. Forgive me for not coming further to welcome you."

"You flatter me, Patron. How could I ever presume to trouble you?" Li Qi returned the courtesy with a smile.

The fair-faced youth did not rise. He merely glanced sideways at Li Qi with a hint of surprise, and upon noting his shabby attire, immediately wore an expression of disdain, though a flicker of doubt crossed his eyes.

"Come, come, please, this way!"

Cai Minde led Li Qi to the table, gestured toward the fair-faced youth, and introduced him, "This young master is the renowned great scholar of Tokyo, Young Master Song Yuchen."

Li Qi appraised the fair-faced youth briefly. He was quite young, around twenty or so, with a face as flawless as jade, a handsome and dignified appearance, and dressed in a pure white jade robe that radiated nobility. He exuded an air of arrogance, holding a white paper fan with an elegant and dashing demeanor.

With polite courtesy, Li Qi cupped his fists and said, "I have long admired your reputation!"

To his surprise, Song Yuchen did not even stand up, merely offering a faint, dismissive hum.

Seeing this, Cai Minde felt a trace of displeasure. Regardless of anything else, Li Qi was his guest, and Song Yuchen’s behavior was a blatant loss of face for him. Keeping his expression neutral, however, Cai continued, "And this is the head chef of Drunken Immortal House, Young Master Li Qi."

"So he's just a cook!"

Song Yuchen snorted with contempt.

Li Qi frowned slightly, feeling a surge of irritation. Yet, seeing the youth's luxurious garments and swaggering manners, he deduced he must be the scion of a wealthy family, forcing him to swallow his anger. He lacked any powerful backers here and dared not offend people rashly.

Cai Minde offered Li Qi an apologetic smile and invited him to be seated.

Once seated, Cai Minde seemed intent on dampening Song Yuchen’s arrogant spirit. He smiled and said, "Young Master Song, do you recall who completed the first half of the couplet you hung outside my shop doors a few days ago?"

Song Yuchen was indeed eager to know the answer. Just what sacred deity of a person had managed to match both his and Bai Qiannuo's couplets in one breath?

Throwing a sidelong glance at Li Qi, Song Yuchen frowned and said, "Patron, you surely don't mean this cook—this Young Master Li?" The title was dripping with sarcasm.

Cai Minde laughed heartily. "Precisely!"

Song Yuchen drew a sharp breath, looked down his nose at Li Qi, and sneered, "A mere cook knows how to compose couplets?"

Hearing this, Li Qi’s anger flared instantly.

You fucking arrogant bastard, looking down on people so much!

It's just couplets, what's with acting like you're hot shit?

Back when I was matching couplets, your ancestors had been dead for centuries. The things I've read far outnumber the words you've ever written.

Li Qi initially wanted to launch into a biting retort, but a sudden memory of the conversation between the two loyal fans outside the Emerald Pavilion's doors made him hold his tongue. With Drunken Immortal House about to open, offending this influential so-called scholar at such a critical juncture was unwise. Besides, this kid undoubtedly had powerful backing, or else that old fox of a landlord wouldn't be treating him with such deference.

Fine! Let you swagger for a few more days; I'll settle this score with you later.

Catching sight of the four characters "Nothing is right" (Bai Wu Yi Shi) written across the white paper fan in Song Yuchen's hand, Li Qi thought with inward contempt, "Showing off such a simple riddle when a three-year-old child knows the answer is 'Bai' (White)—ah, yes, didn't that person say last time that this Young Master Song has been courting the maiden Bai, but hasn't had much success?"

A spark of inspiration flashed through Li Qi's mind. He cupped his fists and smiled, "That day was merely a lucky coincidence. How could I ever presume to compare myself to Young Master Song? Your great name is known to all in Tokyo. I remember running into Maiden Bai at the Qin residence a few days ago, and she was singing your praises, Young Master Song."

"Maiden Bai?"

Song Yuchen’s expression tightened instantly. He hurried to ask, "Which Maiden Bai might you be speaking of?"

Li Qi replied, "None other than Tokyo's second most talented maiden, Bai Qiannuo."

At this, joy blossomed across Song Yuchen’s face. Yet, observing Li Qi’s shabby clothes, a trace of skepticism lingered as he asked, "You know Qiannuo?"

Li Qi chuckled. "I wouldn't dare claim such fortune. It's just that Maiden Bai has always been on good terms with my mistress and frequently visits our household, so we cross paths often and exchange the occasional word."

"I see!"

Finding Li Qi's explanation logical and convincing, Song Yuchen believed him. His attitude underwent an instantaneous three-hundred-and-sixty-degree transformation as he asked in a gentle tone, "And pray tell, what did Qiannuo say about me? Do enlighten me, Brother Li."