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Madam Cheng smiled awkwardly, but Cheng Haoxuan clapped his hands with a laugh and said, "Finally, someone sensible speaks. Mother, honestly, if you all want to go eat, just go. Why do you need to pretend it’s about discussing business?"

Having spent a year in the Red Smoke Pavilion, what Cheng Haoxuan found most disdainful was the subtle intrigue and backstabbing among the women; one day they were chatting cheerfully, and the next, they were spreading rumors about each other.

Lady Jiang’s expression turned somewhat unsightly, while Lady Liu gave a light cough and lowered her head to play with the young Yong Yan in her arms.

Madam Cheng glared at her son and said to Luo Sangu, "Miss Luo, you’re refreshingly straightforward. But it’s nearly noon now. Shall we have lunch first before we talk about the embroidery designs, how about that?"

Her words were down-to-earth, as it was indeed almost midday.

However, Luo Sangu wasn’t concerned about mealtime at all.

She stood up, took two steps forward, and shook her head, "No thank you, I’m not hungry.

I’d rather go to the embroidery room to see the ladies work.

I’ve been wanting to see the embroidery for two years now. I must go. I will skip the meal!"

Madam Cheng’s mouth twitched, but she yielded to Luo Sangu’s stubborn temperament and quickly signaled to a maid with a glance, instructing her to lead Luo Sangu to the embroidery room on the first floor.

Once Luo Sangu skipped excitedly out of the room, Lin Yuan couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—Luo Sangu was not oblivious to social graces, but rather she poured her entire heart into embroidery. It could be said that she was single-minded to the point of obsession.

Shortly after Luo Sangu left, a young lad entered the elegant room, led by a maid.

At the sight of this young lad, Lin Yuan almost dropped her teacup—a rare lapse of composure for her.

The man who had appeared so unexpectedly was none other than Xiao Linzi, who had vanished without a word from the tofu shop nearly six months ago, or, to be precise, Chen Ruochu, the young master of the Chen family of Jiangnan.

Not only was Lin Yuan surprised, but Xiao He and Xiao Linshuang were as well.

Xia Zheng had long suspected that Xiao Linzi was of noble birth, but he was clearly surprised too upon hearing Lady Jiang introduce his identity.

Lady Liu had little interaction with Xiao Linzi, having met him only a few times at the opening of Rice Flower Fragrance, so she merely recognized him without any particular thoughts.

"Ruochu, come and greet Madam Cheng and Madam Liu," Lady Jiang said with a smile to Chen Ruochu, the corners of her mouth reflecting a fondness as if she truly liked this concubine’s son.

Chen Ruochu, with an impassive face, bowed to Madam Cheng and Madam Liu, the gesture meticulously proper, yet it carried with it an air of estrangement.

From the moment Chen Ruochu entered, he had not laid eyes on the others, so when Xiao Linshuang was about to call out to him, Lin Yuan stopped her in time.

Xiao Linzi was neither an ungrateful person nor one who acted rashly. Since he had decided to leave suddenly, there must have been a reason for it.

Moreover...

Lin Yuan looked at Lady Jiang, whose smile didn’t reach her eyes, and Chen Leyao, who appeared completely unconcerned, and she roughly understood Xiao Linzi’s status within the Chen family.

Chen Ruochu had come to invite everyone to the Drunken Immortal Tower for a meal, and since he had already extended the invitation, there was no need for anyone to wait any longer. Thus, everyone promptly got up and left.

Cheng Haoxuan intentionally dawdled, walking at the very back, and sidled up to Lin Yuan with an impish grin, squeezing his eyes and saying teasingly, "Yo! You really did come to the Capital city, huh? Could it be that you missed me... ow, ow, my arm, my arm! It hurts, it hurts!"

Apart from how he treated Lin Yuan, Xia Zheng was never known for being tender or merciful, especially not to someone who dared to flirt with his woman.

Gripping Cheng Haoxuan’s slender arm as if he were holding one of Lin Wei’s pet chicks, Xia Zheng’s lips curved slightly as he hummed, "Kid, you’re something, aren’t you?

Turns out you’re Madam Cheng’s adopted son.

If Madam Cheng knew that the son she raised for nearly twenty years had secretly learned cooking skills behind her back, would she be furious enough to lock you in your room, huh?

Hmm, I’m suddenly very curious about the answer.

Perhaps, I should try to find out, how about that? "

"No, no, please don’t!" Cheng Haoxuan, enduring the pain and looking at his arm which was close to losing sensation, his face turned as bitter as if he had eaten a gourd, cried, "Young Master Xia, I beg you to let me go! I realize my mistake, I won’t ever joke with Sister Lin again! I promise!"

Xia Zheng raised his eyebrows, thinking to himself that this youngster indeed had a bit of cleverness; he had only squeezed his arm, and the kid already knew where he had crossed the line.

However, knowing full well that his actions would provoke him, and yet brazenly flirting with Lin Yuan, how could Xia Zheng let him off so easily?

Releasing Cheng Haoxuan’s arm, Xia Zheng casually cracked his knuckles, producing a slight creaking noise, and glanced sidelong at Cheng Haoxuan, who was rubbing his arm with a pained smile, and said mockingly, "Acting bravely for a just cause? Driving off villains? Heroic savior? Is the man in Tian Xuan’s painting really you?

Tsk, tsk, it doesn’t look like you, this weakling, at all! "

"I’m not a weakling!" Knowing he couldn’t beat Xia Zheng, Cheng Haoxuan muttered quietly, wrinkled his nose, and took a few steps away from Xia Zheng, massaging his arm, which hurt even though it bore no marks, and complained to both Xia Zheng and Lin Yuan, who was looking at him.

"So, you know that girl, huh? Ah, it’s not that I’m narcissistic, but ever since I came to the Capital city, quite a few girls have confessed to me, with their embroidered purses and powders and the like, yet, it’s the first time I’ve seen such embroidery.

Tsk, tsk, even though I don’t understand embroidery, I recognized it was me at a glance.

If that girl hadn’t embroidered me and had obediently embroidered an eggplant or a potato instead, she probably would have made it into the top three. What a pity!"

Listening to his endless rambling, Lin Yuan frowned deeply, feeling it somewhat unworthy that Tian Xuan had gone to such lengths to confess her feelings for such a man.

Xia Zheng felt the same; although he had had minimal contact with Tian Xuan, after all, she was his sister-in-law’s younger sister and was also on very good terms with Lin Yuan and Lin Wei.

In a way, she was almost like a sister to him, which is why he had instructed someone to secretly investigate Cheng Haoxuan.

Aside from some difficulty in uncovering his origins, the results were quite clear.

Just as he himself had claimed, indeed, many women had confessed to him, but contrary to what he said, each time, he was chased away by the enthusiastic young ladies, just like the way Tian Xuan had confessed to him.

This did show that the young man was somewhat upright, but always speaking so freely also seemed a bit too childish.

Xia Zheng shook his head, Lin Yuan also sighed, Tian Xuan herself was quite childish, and now she had taken a liking to an equally childish Cheng Haoxuan. It was unclear what would happen between them in the future.