The dinner was arranged on the stone table in the pavilion of the inner courtyard.
Fresh sea fish was placed in the center, cooked in the northern style with sweet and sour sauce that filled the air with its aroma. The other dishes were also of high quality. Even the simplest blanched green vegetables were made with the tenderest parts carefully selected.
Yu Chi Feng stood beside Feng Tingliu, following the order to serve him. He used chopsticks to pick off the softest meat under the fish head, carefully removed the bones, and divided it into appropriately sized pieces. He then dipped them in the rich sauce and placed them on the side of the fish plate for Feng Tingliu to pick up and eat.
Feng Tingliu ate extremely politely. Apart from the sounds of the chopsticks and bowls, there were no other noises. Perhaps due to his obsession with cleanliness, he did not allow the fish sauce to remain in the bowl for even a second to avoid affecting the taste of the rice mixed with the sauce and confusing it with other dishes. He had the demeanor of a true young master.
"Master, along with the sea fish, there is also this sea cucumber. The back kitchen steamed it with eggs, and it's very fresh. Please have a try." Bai Zhong said softly on the side.
Yu Chi Feng noticed the steamed egg with sea cucumber in a small pot. Among the dishes on the table, it was a bit far from Feng Tingliu. So, he picked it up and held it in front of Feng Tingliu.
"Uncle Zhong is thoughtful." Feng Tingliu scooped up the sea cucumber that emitted a fresh flavor and put it in his mouth. The steamed egg was drizzled with sesame oil, making the color brighter and the taste more fragrant. Feng Tingliu nodded and said, "Not bad, it's indeed very fresh."
Feng Tingliu's tone was plain, but he seemed to really like this steamed egg. After just a few bites, the pot was almost empty.
Seeing this, Bai Zhong's face showed joy and he said with a smile, "Master has a good appetite today. You've eaten much more than usual."
Feng Tingliu raised his eyebrows. "With such attentive service, how could I disappoint?"
Bai Zhong smiled even more widely. "It seems that Master is very satisfied with Mr. Yu Chi."
Feng Tingliu smiled without answering and continued to pick up the fish that Yu Chi Feng had prepared. Seeing this, Yu Chi Feng couldn't help but also show a smile on his face, making him even more handsome. "Thank you for Master's appreciation."
Feng Tingliu chuckled. "This is just the beginning."
After dinner, more than half of the dishes on the table were eaten. Bai Zhong couldn't suppress the smile on his face, and even the voice of calling for someone to clear the table was much more cheerful.
His master was picky about food and clothing. Usually, he only ate one or two bites of each dish. Today, even the blanched green vegetables made for a balanced diet were eaten half. You should know that the master rarely touched vegetables on ordinary days.
After dinner, Feng Tingliu walked in the courtyard to aid digestion alone, dismissing Yu Chi Feng and Bai Zhong. Bai Zhong then led Yu Chi Feng to the kitchen in the outer courtyard to have dinner with the other servants.
The servants' dinner was similar to Feng Tingliu's, and they could even get a fish tail - the fish tail accounted for half of the fish, which Feng Tingliu naturally wouldn't eat. The steamed egg also had a hint of the freshness of the sea cucumber and was served in a large bowl. Yu Chi Feng scooped a spoonful and found that it contained many small pieces of sea cucumber.
"Hehe, it's delicious, right! Master usually spoils us. We eat what he eats!" The young man in charge of the meals gave Yu Chi Feng a hearty smile and was very familiar.
Yu Chi Feng's expression in front of outsiders was not as rich as when he was with Feng Tingliu. Now, he just kept a straight face and nodded.
"Brother Yu Chi is handsome. No wonder Master asked you to serve him closely as soon as he saw you!"
"That's right. You must take good care of the master. If there's any mistake, we'll hold you accountable!"
The servants were in a lively mood. Yu Chi Feng only nodded in response occasionally and then silently lowered his head to eat. He was faster than others. When he was full, he said goodbye and left the others.
He had already trusted Feng Tingliu and Bai Zhong, but the people in Liudu City and the Feng Mansion always reminded him of the strange street he saw when he first opened his eyes, making it difficult for him to relax his vigilance. At this moment, he just wanted to leave as soon as possible.
"The master should be in the study." Bai Zhong said.
"Okay, I'll go now."
When the servants saw his departing figure, the enthusiasm in their eyes faded a bit, and the tone and content of their conversation also strangely cooled down, losing the previous harmony.
"His muscles are firm, and there are calluses on his hands from the sword."
"The way he gets up shows that he has practiced, but it's impossible to tell which school or style it is."
"Keep an eye on him."
Even the youngest woodcutter boy tightened his chopsticks and listened carefully, his eyes full of vigilance and shrewdness.
Strange conversations were mixed with the sounds of chopsticks and bowls. Someone also turned to look at Bai Zhong, who was drinking soup, and asked in a low voice, "Uncle Zhong, what's the background of this person?"
Bai Zhong slowly finished the soup in his bowl and then looked up at the servants who were full of curiosity. He chuckled, "Don't worry. The person chosen by the master will naturally not have any problems."
"Since Uncle Zhong said so, there should probably be no problem."
"Let's eat. Let's test him slowly. If he has ill intentions, I'll be the first to dig out his internal organs and use them as a side dish for my wine!"
"We're eating. Don't talk about such bloody things."
"That's right. Those who come from a butcher background are really rude."
"Damn! I don't want to be criticized like this by you, a former beggar gang disciple!"
Bai Zhong just smiled and said nothing. He gently put down his chopsticks, picked up the crutch beside him, and left with his hands behind his back.
On the other side, Yu Chi Feng returned to the main courtyard and originally wanted to go directly back to Feng Tingliu. But he subconsciously sniffed and smelled the smell of the meal on his body. He thought for a moment, turned back to his room, changed into a set of clothes, and then knocked on the study door.
After getting a response, Yu Chi Feng pushed the door open and saw Feng Tingliu sitting on one side of the desk, and a man sitting on the other side.
The man was wearing a purple robe with constellation and cloud patterns, and a single-sided lens. He was lowering his head and writing something. Hearing the sound of the door opening, the man raised his head, looked at Yu Chi Feng, and frowned.
"It doesn't matter. Continue." Feng Tingliu waved at Yu Chi Feng. "Come and stand here."
"Can he listen?" The man looked puzzled and frowned, seemingly unwilling.
"I've said it. Continue."
Yu Chi Feng stood beside Feng Tingliu. Knowing that the man must be discussing something important with Feng Tingliu, he lowered his eyes and stood still, not looking or listening.
Seeing this, the man sighed in relief and said while writing, "In short, this is a losing business. The Plum Blossom Society is still an unknown and insignificant small force. This favor is not worth selling. Nearly half of the people in Jianya Pool are rushing to forge the swords required by the Huashan Sect. They are using top-quality black iron, and the construction period is very long. If we rush to make what they need..."
"Then delay the delivery time for the Huashan Sect by half a month." Feng Tingliu suddenly interrupted.
The man frowned and grabbed a handful of his loose hair. "Are you sure? I think it's more important to maintain a good relationship with the Huashan Sect. But even if it's delayed, the Huashan Sect won't say anything..."
"That's the way it is. I have my reasons for selling this favor to the Plum Blossom Society."
The man scratched his head, sighed helplessly, wrote down what Feng Tingliu had just said, and then put down the pen. He looked up and found that Yu Chi Feng had been maintaining the same posture. He couldn't help but be a little curious.
Yu Chi Feng noticed the gaze and looked at Feng Tingliu. Feng Tingliu looked over, giving his permission. Yu Chi Feng then lowered his eyes and introduced, "I am Yu Chi Feng, the guard that the master just recruited today."
"Xie Zicun, the accountant in charge and also the manager of the Heavenly Craft Pavilion." Xie Zicun said, taking off his glasses and putting them in his pocket.
"The Heavenly Craft Pavilion?"
"I was originally a disciple of the Heavenly Craft Sect and know the art of Heavenly Craft. That is to create some machinery for the Jianya Pool to speed up weapon production." Xie Zicun explained. His voice was cold but extremely patient. "Alright, then I'm leaving. Tomorrow, I'll ask Xia Yi to notify the Jianya Pool."
Xie Zicun packed up the paper and pen in front of him, carried the account book, and left the study.
The room became quiet. Feng Tingliu leaned against the back of the chair, closed his eyes to rest, and frowned tightly, extending his hand towards Yu Chi Feng. Yu Chi Feng then realized that Feng Tingliu did not have his tobacco pipe. After looking around, he found it on a shelf nearby. He fetched the tobacco pipe for Feng Tingliu, filled it with tobacco, and lit it with a flint.
Feng Tingliu held the pipe in his mouth for a while before his frown finally relaxed a bit.
Yu Chi Feng tentatively asked, "Master, do you need me to give you a massage?"
"No need. I want to sleep."
"Then I'll go and make the bed."
Feng Tingliu nodded, and Yu Chi Feng withdrew from the study and went to the bedroom. He quickly made the bed, went to the study to invite Feng Tingliu, extinguished the oil lamp, and locked the study door.
Inside the bedroom, Feng Tingliu stood in front of the bed, lazily raising his arms, waiting for Yu Chi Feng to serve him.
Yu Chi Feng took a step forward, untied the thin gauze belt, and loosened the belt and the front of the garment. He did not dare to make any unnecessary movements throughout the process. Even the time his fingers stayed on the belt did not dare to be too long, for fear of touching something he shouldn't.
Angering Feng Tingliu was secondary. If he aroused something else, there would be nowhere to vent.
But his eyes freely stayed on every inch of the skin, remembering the scene in front of him.
Feng Tingliu covered his mouth and yawned, turned over and got on the bed. He let Yu Chi Feng tuck him in and blew out the lamp.
"There's no need for service at night."
"Okay, then if you need anything, Master, just call me." Yu Chi Feng still remembered what Bai Zhong had said, so he quietly withdrew from the room and covered the moonlight in the courtyard for Feng Tingliu.
He stopped in front of the room for half an incense stick, staring at the moonlight reflected on the door for a while. After confirming that it was quiet inside, he returned to his own room.
Yu Chi Feng lay on the bed and looked at the beam, still feeling a bit dazed. Since he woke up, everything had happened so naturally. But there were many things waiting for him to explore, whether it was his lost memory, the mysterious Liudu City, or Feng Tingliu...
But except for Feng Tingliu and Liudu City, Yu Chi Feng's mind was blank, inevitably causing him to develop a dependence on this place and an inexplicable throbbing towards Feng Tingliu.
Yu Chi Feng turned over and decided not to think too much. The current situation wasn't too bad. He closed his eyes and, along with the rustling sound of the willow trees outside the window, fell into a deep sleep.
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, and it was extremely peaceful.
The next day, at the moment the rooster crowed, Yu Chi Feng woke up instantly. He firmly remembered the arrangements in the mansion that Bai Zhong had told him. Feng Tingliu would soon get up and then practice martial arts. There were too many things for him to be busy with.
He turned over and was about to get out of bed when suddenly his hair stood on end, and he looked up vigilantly. This look scared him so much that he coughed repeatedly and backed into the bed.
A charming and tall purple-clad woman with a seductive face was sitting in front of his bed. The woman's clothing was revealing, exposing her slender waist and partially showing her long legs. Her charming eyes smiled at Yu Chi Feng. Seeing him shrinking back into the bed, she even moved closer to take a closer look.
Yu Chi Feng quickly escaped from the side and got out of the bed, looking at her vigilantly. "Who are you...!"