Mu Xing couldn't help but hold his breath to prevent himself from bursting into laughter.
It seems Miss Bai didn't want her patrons and the madam to know about this, so she wrote the remittance address at Jinbao's house. No wonder they have such a good relationship; this is probably one of the reasons.
After giving his instructions, Jinbao took Xiao Azhen away. Before leaving, Muxing secretly gestured to Xiao Azhen to seal her mouth. Xiao Azhen hugged the candy jar tightly and solemnly covered her mouth to show her loyalty.
Back at the clinic, Mu Xing was so happy she almost floated on air, which attracted several glances from the head doctor, Dr. Zhao, who was worried that this young lady might cause some trouble.
Finally, it was time to leave work. Mu Xing hurriedly tidied her hair and straightened her suit pants in her father's break room. She then took out the men's cologne her father had hidden and sprayed it on. She walked out of the clinic looking radiant.
Then she quickly got into her car and told the driver and maid to hurry back to report so as not to delay her important business.
"I want to...go to the movies with Youcheng. You guys tell my mom that when you get back." Anyway, Song Youcheng must have used her as an excuse to see his lover quite a few times. It's a give-and-take, mutual help, right?
The maid, Fu Guang, expressed her doubt: "Miss, you're on a date with Young Master Song, why aren't you dressed up properly? Why are you wearing men's clothing instead?"
Driver Uncle Song also shared his experience: "Girl, don't listen to those magazines and movies that say you should dress like a man. We men still prefer the gentle and charming type; tomboys won't do..."
Mu Xing listened patiently to their well-intentioned advice, then grinned and said, "Let's go quickly, otherwise I'll remember that Uncle Song didn't come to pick me up because I went fishing, and I might even remember Fu Guang and the Li family..."
Before he could even speak, the two pale-faced men had already driven to the intersection, leaving Mu Xing alone on the spot, and they happily headed towards a large restaurant.
According to Jinbao, Miss Bai's elimination ticket would definitely be accompanied by her maid. Naturally, she couldn't bring her maid to Jinbao's house for dinner, so she had to find another way to lure her maid away.
After ordering a coffee, Mu Xing asked the waiter for a piece of stationery, wrote his name on it as always, and handed it to the waiter.
Before Mu Xing had even finished half of his coffee, he saw a slender figure approaching from afar in a rickshaw.
Through the glass window, it was impossible to clearly see the faces of the people in the car, but Mu Xing intuitively felt that it was Bai Yan.
Amidst the vibrant colors of the street, only her captivating beauty shines through.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The rickshaw stopped in front of the restaurant, and the maid helped Bai Yan out. Entering the restaurant, Bai Yan immediately spotted Mu Xing sitting by the window. She smiled and walked over, and Mu Xing had already gotten up to pull out a chair for her.
As he sat down, Mu Xing took another look at Bai Yan's maid. She was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, and her face was kind and gentle. However, someone qualified to look after a young lady would have her own agenda. If she wanted to be alone with Miss Bai, she would probably only agree to it if she offered money.
With a change of heart, Mu Xing also warmly invited the maid to sit down, and the maid naturally accepted happily.
Bai Yan glanced at Mu Xing, then opened the menu on the table and said, "I suppose Young Master Mu hasn't eaten yet, so why don't we order a few dishes to eat together?"
When going out to a gathering, if the gentleman orders quick drinks or simple fast food, it implies he doesn't want to sit for long; but if he orders elaborate dishes, it means he's willing to sit for an extended period. Bai Yan's suggestion to dine together speaks volumes.
The maid immediately understood Bai Yan's meaning. Although Mu Xing didn't quite grasp the intricacies, she could roughly understand it. She replied, "That's excellent. However, I also know another good place with some gold and silver treasures. I wonder if Miss Bai would be interested?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Yan looked up at Mu Xing, who smiled and winked at her with her left eye, her expression mysterious. Bai Yan glanced at the maid beside her, and Mu Xing nodded slightly to indicate that she understood.
Bai Yan lowered her eyes, lost in thought.
If it's just ordinary companionship, there's no need to send the maid away. If one rashly tries to use tricks, the benefits won't be achieved, and one might anger the maid, potentially causing trouble for the master himself.
But she did not intend to refuse Mu Xing's invitation.
After closing the menu, she said, "I'll order the food later. I need to go to the restroom first."
Bai Yan glanced at Mu Xing, then got up and left.
Only Mu Xing and his aunt remained at the table. The aunt, having become quite shrewd, naturally understood the meaning behind Mu Xing and Bai Yan's back-and-forth. When Mu Xing asked her what she wanted to eat, she ordered two dishes that required slow cooking.
While waiting for the food to be served, Mu Xing took out his wallet and handed two banknotes to the maid: "The rest is yours after deducting the cost."
The aunt took the money and counted it. She found that Mu Xing had not only given her the fee for leaving the game, but also a generous tip. She immediately beamed with joy.
She carefully put the money away and said with a smile, "I don't know why Miss is taking so long. Young Master Mu, please go and look for Miss. I will wait here."
The two exchanged a smile, and Mu Xing headed straight in the direction Bai Yan had gone to "wash her hands." After a few steps, she reached the back door of the restaurant, where Bai Yan was waiting.
Seeing Mu Xing come out, Bai Yan hurriedly asked, "What did she say?"
Mu Xing laughed and said, "You asked me to come out and look for you, but I'm afraid I'll be looking for you until evening."
Bai Yan glanced inside and said, "This woman only cares about money. A few coins are enough for her to count until night."
The two walked side by side into the street, and Bai Yan then asked, "Where are we going?"
"Jinbao said she wanted to invite me to her house for dinner, and I thought you might want to come too, so we discussed it and decided to invite you."
Before he finished speaking, Mu Xing clearly felt that Bai Yan instantly became more alert.
She turned to look at Mu Xing, her eyes wide and round, and asked like a child, "What do you want to eat?" She managed to keep her voice steady.
Seeing how happy she was, Mu Xing smiled and said, "She said it was meat from a deli."
Bai Yan immediately beamed with joy: "It must be Uncle Wen's shop. Their local pork has the most authentic flavor, and their pork trotter hot pot is the most delicious..."
The sun was setting, its golden rays sinking into the sky. The two walked towards Jinbao's house against the wind, neither of them mentioning taking a car.
Perhaps she was genuinely happy, Bai Yan's lips were brimming with an irrepressible smile, and she talked all the way about everything from braised pig's feet hotpot to how to make Yunnan ham the best dish.
"In Xuanwei, Yunnan, it's fashionable to cure ham. After curing in winter, it's hung to dry under the porch, and around the Dragon Boat Festival the following year, it can be finely sliced and cooked with mushrooms that sprout after Qingming Festival, or added to soft tofu..."
She spoke with great enthusiasm, and Mu Xing couldn't help but feel hungry while listening.
“Speaking of ham, I have eaten canned ham from Xuanhe Ham Company, and the taste is indeed different from Jinhua ham,” Mu Xing said.
Upon hearing this, Bai Yan wrinkled her nose and shook her head, saying, "I dislike Xuanhe's canned goods the most. The point of eating ham is the lively feeling of cutting it fresh and eating it right away. What's the point of putting it in a can?"
After saying that, Bai Yan was a little embarrassed: "Oh, I've been rambling on and on, I hope Young Master Mu will forgive me."
Mu Xing shook his head and laughed, "How could that be? I really enjoy listening to you gossip like this."
That's the truth. Bai Yan, who was talking about the food so happily, seemed more approachable and down-to-earth than the usual sensible but cautious Miss Bai.
Mu Xing wouldn't dare say exactly what kind of Miss Bai was the best. But under such a brilliant sunset, in such a gentle evening breeze, walking so easily with Miss Bai on the way to dinner, talking about our favorite foods, how could one not be delighted?
Hearing Mu Xing say this, Bai Yan lowered her head and smiled, the setting sun casting its rays, the scattered gold sparkling and adorning her hair, making it look dazzling.
Mu Xing then said, "I heard from Jinbao that the food you eat in the brothel isn't very good?"
Speaking of the food in the restaurant, Bai Yan couldn't help but sigh.
"To maintain our figure, we usually eat mostly various vegetables. In the past, there was always some oil and salt, but recently my mother saw some fashion magazine and started making vegetable salads for us, which made us 'averse to the smell of vegetables'," Bai Yan said.
Mu Xing frowned: "How can this be? Putting aside the issue of taste, our bodies can't possibly take it in the long run."
Bai Yan shook her head: "Mother insists on this, and there's nothing we junior teachers who are still in the hall can do. Although we may have dinner parties when we're on duty, we can't possibly enjoy them to our hearts' content."
Mu Xing also remembered those times they met at dinner parties; Bai Yan hardly ate anything, just drank alcohol. Now, thinking back, he couldn't help but regret not thinking that Bai Yan might be hungry.
As the two were talking, they happened to pass by a restaurant, and a fragrant aroma of roast duck wafted over. Just smelling it was enough to make one's mouth water.
Looking at Bai Yan beside him, Mu Xing took a deep breath, and a thought suddenly struck him. He said, "Speaking of which, it wouldn't be right to go to Jinbao's house empty-handed. I should bring a gift with me. Why don't we buy some cooked food to take with us?"
Having already revealed everything, Bai Yan no longer needed to pretend to be reserved and nodded in agreement.
So Mu Xing first bought a whole roast duck. Later, when he passed a dried fruit shop, he thought that Xiao Azhen should like dried fruit, so he also bought a pound of peanuts and two bags of candied fruit.
This purchase was quite an adventure; Mu Xing went completely on a whim. She saw a biscuit shop by the roadside and bought a bag of walnut cakes, and also stopped by a nearby tobacco and liquor store to buy a bottle of French Cointreau liqueur.
Without any servants following her, Mu Xing had to carry all the bags of food herself, and she still complained that it wasn't enough. After walking only a few steps, she smelled the aroma of mutton buns from half a street away, and almost ran towards them again, but Bai Yan quickly grabbed her, saying, "That's enough, that's enough! There are only four of us, how can we possibly finish all this!"
Mu Xing still felt it wasn't enough: "You don't usually get to eat these. If you buy too many, you can take them home and store them to eat slowly."
Upon hearing this, Bai Yan felt a mix of emotions, a bittersweet feeling that she couldn't quite grasp.
Some people complain that her outfits aren't attractive enough, others worry that she's not fashionable enough, and it's been so long since anyone has asked her if she's ever had enough to eat.
Bai Yan took a deep breath and looked down at the red marks on Mu Xing's hands from the various ropes. She reached out and tried to take the things from Mu Xing's hands.
Mu Xing quickly stepped back, refusing, "This won't do, it's too heavy..."
Without saying much, Bai Yan glanced at her and, for the first time in a firm tone, said, "Give it to me." With that, she took the pile of things Mu Xing was carrying in her right hand.
Mu Xing looked down at the person's dark hair, then at her empty right hand, and slowly understood what Bai Yan meant. A warm feeling welled up inside her. She leaned forward, closer to Bai Yan, and looked at her sideways: "Are you worried about me?"
Bai Yan pursed her lips, a blush rising to her cheeks. She turned and walked forward, and Mu Xing quickly followed, just in time to hear Bai Yan say softly, "...You treat me like this, so naturally I will feel sorry for you too."
Looking up at the brilliant sunset, Mu Xing smiled.
The setting sun illuminated the sky and earth, casting long shadows of the two, and the golden road before them seemed endless. After much wandering, the two finally arrived at No. 38 Yingjiang Lane.
This is a small, square courtyard, crammed with three families, yet it doesn't feel cluttered. On the contrary, a fresh set of couplets adorn the low gate, and a cluster of bougainvillea bursts forth vibrantly from the low wall; opposite the gate, a row of white radishes is neatly stacked at the corner. In the middle of the courtyard, several children are squatting and playing, with a clothesline made of hemp rope stretched above their heads, where a pile of grayish-brown clothes floats—cheap, but clean.
The whole courtyard exudes a neat and vibrant energy, which perfectly matches Mu Xing's impression of the Jinbao sisters.
As soon as Mu Xing stepped into the courtyard, a fragrant aroma enveloped him, so strong that the narrow alley could not contain the scent, which seemed to reach the sky.
Before Mu Xing could even take in the view of the courtyard, a loud voice from the side startled him—it was truly loud, loud enough for someone to go on stage and sing a few lines with Shang Xiaoyun.
"Oh my, isn't this Miss Bai! It's been so long!" A loud voice came from an older woman. As she spoke, she rushed out of her hut like a tank, got close to Mu Xing, and started singing again: "Wow! Look at him! What a handsome young man!"
Before his mind could process it, Mu Xing's face already broke into a habitual smile: "Hello."
The older woman exclaimed excitedly, as if she had discovered a new continent: "Listen to this! He even says 'hello'! What a cultured person! How wonderful, Miss Bai, isn't this your boyfriend?"
Bai Yan subtly pulled Mu Xing back behind her and said with a smile, "No, just a friend..."
Before Bai Yan could finish speaking, the old woman rushed to a neighbor's house and shouted, "Xiao Chen, come quick and take a look!"
Mu Xing inexplicably kept smiling.
What are you looking at? Animals?
As she was thinking, she suddenly felt her sleeve being tugged. Turning her head, she met Bai Yan's apologetic gaze.
"That's just how Aunt Li is, don't take it to heart," Bai Yan said softly.
Mu Xing quickly shook his head: "No, it's great, they're very welcoming."
After a long, noisy commotion, Jinbao finally poked his head out from the kitchen: "Sister Bai!"
Aunt Li was indeed very enthusiastic. The large and small bags that Mu Xing brought were quickly divided up evenly by Aunt Li.
But they weren't just taking it for free. They deftly brought out a large copper pot from their own kitchen and carried it into the yard, enthusiastically calling out, "Jinbao! Auntie's having hot pot tonight! What did you make? Hey, don't make anything else, let's have hot pot together! Xiao Chen, you come too..."
As soon as they heard about hot pot, the children in the yard started clamoring for it.
Jinbao had already prepared two or three dishes, enough for four people, but he couldn't refuse Aunt Li's hospitality. Jinbao hesitated and looked at Bai Yan, who then looked at Mu Xing with a troubled expression.
It's already a great honor that someone of Young Master Mu's status would be willing to have dinner at Jinbao's house. How could we let him eat hot pot with such a large group of strangers?
She said, "I'll go talk to Aunt Li..."
Knowing what she was thinking, Mu Xing quickly pulled Bai Yan back, "It's alright, hot pot it is." Although she was usually particular, she wasn't that extravagant. Besides, although Aunt Li's enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming, she could tell that she was genuinely kind. If she caused conflict with the neighbors because of her, wouldn't it be a case of losing more than she gained?