Yu Banxia led her maid to Jinzhao Zui. When she smelled that long-missed aroma, she swallowed hard.
She truly missed this taste.
Su Li and her group were about to go upstairs when they heard someone call her.
"Princess Changning!"
Su Li turned and saw Yu Banxia waving at her, her smile friendly and radiant.
Su Li smiled and nodded at her.
Yu Banxia stepped forward, "Are you all also here for hotpot?"
Su Li nodded, "Is Miss Yu here for a meal as well?"
Yu Banxia nodded.
She saw that the hall was full of people, and many more were already queuing.
Su Li smiled, "Then Miss Yu, please join us."
Yu Banxia's eyes widened, a little flattered.
"May I?"
Su Li smiled, "Why not? It's just an extra set of chopsticks. Hotpot is more lively with more people. Let's go."
Yu Banxia looked at the queuing diners. If she could use the back door, she certainly didn't want to queue.
"Then I won't decline."
The group went up to the private room, and Yu Banxia was even more dumbfounded.
This is too luxurious, isn't it? Too opulent!
This particular private room was the largest in Jinzhao Zui, and it was reserved for Su Li and her companions, not open to the public.
As soon as everyone sat down, the door was pushed open.
"Sorry, I'm late," Ji Huainan said as he entered.
Ji Huaiyan smiled, "Not at all, we just arrived too, and the dishes haven't even been served yet."
"Big Brother, did you call me here just for a meal?" Ji Huainan asked.
"Second Brother, don't be so dull. Isn't it nice to gather occasionally?" Ji Huaizhou rose and pulled him over to sit down.
A waiter came in with dishes, placed them one by one, then orderly retreated.
Before long, Jun Mo and Wei Yuanling also arrived.
Su Li asked, "Cousin, where is Second Miss Lan?"
Wei Yuanling was startled, and asked strangely, "Why are you asking me? I've been with Ziyan the whole time."
Wei Yuanyao also looked at Su Li curiously, "Yes, Li'er, Second Miss Lan is a lady. Did you ask the wrong person?"
Su Li was stunned. She thought her cousin had finally understood, because everyone thought highly of these two.
The capital was unlike Lan'an, where everyone saw each other frequently. She was clearly giving her cousin a chance to get closer to the lady.
"It was Li'er who misunderstood. I'll send someone to invite her again."
Fortunately, the Lan manor wasn't far from Jinzhao Zui.
Not long after, Lan Yan appeared at the door.
"Miss Lan, come quickly."
Lan Yan was momentarily stunned by so many people.
Fortunately, there were some familiar faces. She walked over and sat down.
"Lan Yan, you'll be in the capital for half a year. You don't have many acquaintances here, so it must be very boring. Come, let me introduce you to a few sisters. If you're bored, you can send them invitations," Su Li, being the only woman Lan Yan knew here, naturally took care of her.
Lan Yan nodded, "Thank you, Princess Consort."
"Lan Yan, this is Wei Yuanyao, the daughter of Duke Weiguo and my cousin. This is Qu Zhirou. They are the same age. You are younger than them, so just call them 'sister'."
Lan Yan felt their kindness and gracefully said, "Sister Wei, Sister Qu."
Wei Yuanyao's eyes lit up. "At the imperial banquet yesterday, I glimpsed you from afar and simply marveled that the frontier could nurture such a striking beauty. Seeing you up close today, Yan'er, you are even more beautiful!"
Wei Yuanyao was naturally lively. Seeing this reserved young lady call her "sister," she treated her as a half-sister and called her "Yan'er."
Lan Yan had never been praised in front of so many people before and felt a bit awkward. "Sister Wei is joking. All of you sisters are truly divine beauties."
"Ayao isn't wrong, Sister Yan truly possesses a beauty different from the women of the capital," Qu Zhirou said softly.
Seeing that Lan Yan couldn't respond, Su Li interjected, "Lan Yan, this young lady is Miss Yu Banxia, daughter of Lord Yu. She is the same age as me."
Lan Yan slightly nodded towards Yu Banxia, "Sister Yu."
Yu Banxia smiled, "You're bored in the capital, and I'm very bored at my manor. I'll come find you to play tomorrow."
Lan Yan paused, then nodded, "Okay."
Su Li continued to introduce, "These three gentlemen are the renowned Ji family's three young masters in the capital. You already know the rest."
Lan Yan slightly nodded towards the three Ji brothers.
Wei Yuanyao smiled, "Alright, introductions are done! Let's eat and chat!"
Everyone first raised their cups and drank a toast together.
Wei Yuanyao's cup contained milk, and she could only look longingly at the fruit wine in everyone else's cups.
Ji Huaizhou, seeing her pitiful state, said, "After you give birth, you can drink all the pomegranate fruit wine we've made to your heart's content."
Wei Yuanyao looked down at her still barely visible abdomen and sighed, "That's so far away!"
Relatives, lovers, and friends gathered together, eating hotpot, drinking fruit wine, and turning their heads to see the wide, surging river outside the window.
This life was flavorful and more beautiful than that of immortals.
Ji Huaizhou patted Ji Huainan's shoulder and said, "Second Brother, you really should relax. Ten years, day after day, aren't you tired? Come, let's have a drink, us brothers."
Ji Huainan disdainfully shook off the hand on his shoulder, but still raised his cup and clinked it with him.
Everyone happily enjoyed a hotpot meal. After eating, they sat by the window, admiring the scenery and drinking tea.
"It's so much more fun since you came back to the capital. Li'er, you don't know, after you left for two months, I was stifled for two months. First, I twisted my ankle, and after it finally healed, well, then again..." Wei Yuanyao glanced at her abdomen and complained, finally giving Ji Huaizhou a resentful look.
Ji Huaizhou smiled triumphantly, making Jun Mo and the others' teeth itch with envy.
They haven't even gotten married yet, and this guy already has a child!
Su Li smiled, "You can go find Sister Qu."
"Rou'er? She's completely focused on embroidering her wedding dress; where would she find time for me?"
Qu Zhirou's face instantly flushed red. She secretly glanced at Ji Huaiyan, only to find Ji Huaiyan also looking at her, making her face even redder.
Yu Banxia felt this meal would give her indigestion.
This "dog food" (public display of affection) was truly too much.
During the hotpot meal, these men took meticulous care of their beloved.
Their gazes were constantly fixed on the other person, eyes so doting they could drown someone.
Everyone chatted for a while longer, digesting their food, then prepared to return to their respective manors.
"Cousin, please escort Lan Yan back to her manor." Outside Jinzhao Zui, Su Li said to Wei Yuanling.
Wei Yuanling looked at his cousin with confusion. It's broad daylight, does she still need an escort? Besides, most men in the capital are no match for Lan Yan; she's perfectly safe.
Wei Yuanyao's eyes darted between the group. She pushed her brother out, saying, "Brother, hurry! I heard the capital isn't very peaceful today, so please escort Yan'er."
Wei Yuanling helplessly said to Lan Yan, "Let's go."
Lan Yan glanced at Su Li, said nothing, and turned to walk ahead.
Seeing the two walk away, Wei Yuanyao leaned closer to Su Li and asked, "Li'er, how did I do?"
Su Li smiled, "You did great!"
Wei Yuanyao chuckled, her gaze then shifting to Ji Huainan and Yu Banxia.
Yu Banxia felt a chill down her spine from her stare and said, "Why are you looking at me? I don't need an escort. I brought my maid."
Wei Yuanyao smiled, "What good is a maid? If there's true danger, ten maids wouldn't help. Second Brother, only you can escort Miss Yu."
Yu Banxia was about to refuse when Ji Huainan said, "Alright, it's on my way back to the Ministry of War anyway."
Later, on the way, I can conveniently ask her if she has any new ideas.
Yu Banxia opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
Since he had agreed, she couldn't very well refuse.
After the two left, Ji Huaizhou stepped forward and patted Wei Yuanyao's head. "When did you get into matchmaking?"
"Didn't I just understand Li'er's intention? Don't say it, if these two pairs actually work out, it would be quite good."
Ji Huaiyan stepped forward and said, "Third Brother, you all return to the manor first. I'll escort Rou'er back."
Ji Huaizhou nodded, then looked at Jun Mo and said, "We're returning to the manor too."
Jun Mo looked at Su Li and said, "Let's go, Li'er."
After bidding farewell to everyone, Jun Mo and Su Li got into the carriage together.
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