Chu Yingfeng felt as if his heart was clogged with something, making him feel flustered.
Hearing this, there was still a gentle smile on Chu Yingfeng's face.
He slowly put down the teacup in his hand and faced Pei Zhaolin directly without any fear.
"Your Highness is joking. The seats in this hall are for anyone to take."
After saying that, Chu Yingfeng stood up and motioned for everyone to look. "There's no name of Your Highness engraved on it."
Before Chu Yingfeng could finish his words, Pei Zhaolin gracefully took his seat.
Without even raising his eyelids, when he turned to look at Cui Jintang, his tone instantly softened.
There was a hint of barely noticeable eagerness in his voice. "Tangtang, this fried eggplant with minced meat is delicious. Try it."
It was as if the confrontation with Chu Yingfeng just now was just an illusion.
Chu Yingfeng, who was forced out, couldn't maintain his proper smile at all.
His eyes swept over Pei Zhaolin like a sharp sword, with undisguised hostility.
But it disappeared in a flash. Chu Yingfeng smoothly sat down opposite Cui Jintang.
Cui Jintang felt a bit of a headache due to the sudden tension between the two.
She could clearly feel the smell of gunpowder in the air, but it was not appropriate to expose it in public. She could only force a stiff smile.
She just picked up the teacup and took a sip, trying to cover up the suffocating silence.
But Pei Zhaolin seemed completely unaware. He picked up a chopstick of fried eggplant with minced meat and steadily put it into her bowl.
Seeing that she didn't move, Pei Zhaolin leaned forward and asked with concern, "Why don't you eat? Is it not to your taste?"
Cui Jintang pursed her lips and forced a smile. "No, it's just suddenly a bit too hot."
After saying that, she put the fried eggplant with minced meat in her mouth.
The melted eggplant aroma wrapped in the mellow gravy spread on the tip of her tongue. It did taste really good.
Just as Cui Jintang swallowed it, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chu Yingfeng pick up a jade ladle and scoop up a bowl of Chinese yam and lily porridge.
Cui Jintang quickly swallowed it, and then the bowl of Chinese yam and lily porridge in Chu Yingfeng's hand was placed in front of her.
Seeing her stunned look, Chu Yingfeng smiled with his eyes. "You always like cold food. I've known you for so long and know that your stomach always feels uncomfortable during the season change. It's just right today. Try this Chinese yam and lily porridge."
After saying that, Chu Yingfeng picked up a piece of soft snow clam cake.
"This snow clam cake is good. It's not too sweet. Try it too."
After hearing Chu Yingfeng say "I've known you for so long", Pei Zhaolin's face instantly darkened, and his hand holding the chopsticks tightened slightly.
He quickly stood up and served a bowl of warm tremella and lotus seed soup for Cui Jintang.
He placed it beside her hand, with an unquestionable confidence in his tone.
"Tangtang always likes sweet food. This tremella and lotus seed soup is cooked soft and glutinous, and the sugar content is just right. It suits your taste better than some light porridge." Then, Pei Zhaolin picked up a chopstick of hibiscus shrimp balls and steadily put them in her bowl.
Pei Zhaolin said with a smile, "These shrimp balls are fresh and tender. You always ate several mouthfuls every time you came here before."
As if he thought the snow clam cake picked up by Chu Yingfeng was an eyesore, Pei Zhaolin added a huge piece of osmanthus glutinous rice lotus root to Cui Jintang's plate!
The osmanthus glutinous rice lotus root was oozing honey - colored soup, and there was even a lychee peeled by Pei Zhaolin lying beside it.
Cui Jintang's hand holding the chopsticks hung in the air, and somehow a thin layer of sweat oozed from her forehead.
She just paused for a moment, and Chu Yingfeng opposite had picked up a piece of steaming roasted pheasant leg!
Chu Yingfeng's voice was as gentle as jade. "The roasted pheasant leg is cooked to perfection. Try it and see if it suits your taste."
After saying that, he didn't forget to look up at Pei Zhaolin meaningfully, with a faint arc on his lips.
Pei Zhaolin's eyes turned a bit colder. He then picked up the public chopsticks.
He picked up a whole shiny steamed hilsa herring, carefully removed the fine bones, and put the fattest part of the fish belly into Cui Jintang's bowl.
There was a hint of barely noticeable competitiveness in his tone. "The hilsa herring at this time is the most nourishing. It has few bones and tender meat. Tangtang, you're in poor health. You should eat more of this."
The two of them were competing secretly, making moves one after another.
When A Xun obediently finished the food on her plate and was about to pick up some more,
Most of the dishes on the table were empty.
A Xun pursed her lips and looked at Cui Jintang's bowl and plate piled up like a small mountain with eager eyes.
Cui Jintang: "..."
She reached out and pressed her throbbing forehead.
She glanced at the two beside her. They were even more restless than An'er when eating!
Cui Jintang suddenly felt her scalp go numb.
Especially when she saw the delicious food in the bowl and plate, which now seemed like a hot potato.
She suddenly felt that having this meal was more uncomfortable than being tortured.
A Xun put down her chopsticks aggrievedly, pursed her lips and looked at Cui Jintang with eager eyes.
Cui Jintang came back to her senses and stroked her face soothingly.
Then she turned around and her face immediately darkened when she looked at the two of them.
"You two—"
The two who were still competing couldn't help but be stunned. Looking at Cui Jintang's gloomy face, they both felt a sense of guilt involuntarily.
Pei Zhaolin was the first to put down his chopsticks. He coughed lightly. Facing Cui Jintang, his tone unconsciously weakened a bit.
"Tangtang, I was wrong."
Chu Yingfeng first showed a confused expression, but he also put down the jade ladle in his hand.
After seeing the bowl and plate piled up like a small mountain, his pupils trembled.
Chu Yingfeng smiled awkwardly. "I'm really... sorry."
Cui Jintang scanned the two of them expressionlessly. She just felt both angry and amused.
She said seriously word by word, "Get out."
Both Pei Zhaolin and Chu Yingfeng were stunned.
Chu Yingfeng obviously didn't expect Cui Jintang to say such a thing.
He was stunned for a moment. Just as Chu Yingfeng was about to explain, he saw Pei Zhaolin beside him had already got up familiarly.
Facing the confused Chu Yingfeng, at this moment, Pei Zhaolin was strangely filled with a sense of pride like "I'm an outstanding graduate" all over his body!
He just lifted his chin at Chu Yingfeng, with the word "proud" clearly written in his eyes.
Then, Pei Zhaolin's cold eyes swept over the maid standing beside.
The latter quickly handed over the public chopsticks and the celadon bowl and plate in her hand.
Pei Zhaolin calmly took them, with a steady and proper movement.
When he looked at Cui Jintang, a gentle smile immediately appeared on his face, and his tone became even softer.
"Tangtang, don't be angry. It was my momentary lack of propriety. Calm down. Can you give me a chance to serve you and pick up food for you?"
Cui Jintang gave him a non - committal look, and then picked up a chopstick of chicken marrow bamboo shoots and put it in A Xun's bowl.
This was considered an agreement.
Out of the corner of his eye, seeing Chu Yingfeng's stunned expression, Pei Zhaolin felt a great sense of relief.
So what if he had known Tangtang for a long time?
In the end, the one who could serve Tangtang was only him!
Pei Zhaolin anxiously dismissed all the waiting maids and personally served Cui Jintang and picked up food for her.
Chu Yingfeng beside him: "..."
Looking at the "harmonious" scene in front of him, Chu Yingfeng felt as if his heart was clogged with something, making him feel flustered.
The words that Chen Mingyuan had said to him last night also inappropriately rang in his mind—