Chapter 137：Bickering

As the boat slowly came closer, the sound of the qin stopped and the green yarn slowly opened. Liu Yiyi stepped out wearing a white silk coat that emphasized her small waist and a long silk skirt with a white soft smoke pattern. Both the cuffs and the skirt were embroidered with bright yellow silk thread that complemented the goose yellow muslin on her arm. She walked gently and delicately as if she was treading on a glass, her steps crossing like a cat.

Little Jing's boat was positioned perfectly in front of the water stage so Ye Jiayao was able to see Liu Yiyi clearly.

She was really a beauty. Her dark hair framed her face her seductive eyes in a way that accentuated them even more. Ye Jiayao could totally see what Zhao Qixuan was saying about the courtesan's high quality.

"She is beautiful but she still can't compare with Susu," Zhao Qixuan exclaimed.

"She is beautiful but she cannot compare with... someone," Little Jing repeated.

Xia Chunfeng squinted at him. "What are you talking about?"

Little Jing raised his brows, giving nothing away.

Xia Chunfeng lips twitched. "Idiot."

Ye Jiayao was frustrated to find that Liu Yiyi really was gorgeous. She could not compare to her! The woman was elegant, could play the qin, has a face that could launch a thousand ships and a body that men would kill for. She could grudgingly say that Liu Yiyi really was worth thousands of silvers.

I am worth thousands of silvers, too! Well, I can make thousands of silvers, at least, so I should be much better than her! Right?

Ye Jiayao hated feeling this unsure of herself. She's an imperial chef, for cripes' sake! Why was she feeling so insecure compared to a woman whose job was to just to giggle and look pretty?

Her predicament was so shallow and so unlike her that she could not help but let out a bitter laugh.

The three nobles turned to her, looking at her as if she had lost the plot.

Ye Jiayao rolled her eyes. "What?"

They shook their heads.

"Chunfeng, go and ask Lady Liu over to the boat later," Little Jing said.

Xia Chunfeng's forehead wrinkled. "Why me? I have nothing to do with her."

"Just go there," Zhao Qixuan urged.

"Fine. I'll try."

Fortunately for them, Liu Yiyi was easy to invite today. After her appearance on the stage and a few rounds on other boats, Liu Yiyi came to them.

"I wish peace to Young Royal Highness, Heir-Son Lord Zhao, and Heir-Son Lord Xia," she greeted softly, sounding and looking coquettish.

Ye Jiayao couldn't believe that this woman's income relied on this.

When Liu Yiyi looked at Ye Jiayao with her bright eyes, she smiled and asked, "May I dare to ask who this sir is?"

"He is the famous chef who makes ice cream mooncakes in Jin Ling. He is the head chef of Heavenly Residence and he's also the Mobile Imperial Chef, Li Yao," Little Jing responded proudly.

"Helian Jing, stop talking me up," Ye Jiayao muttered.

Liu Yiyi hid her surprise. "So you were the one who invented the ice cream mooncakes?"

She has heard people talking about this chef before but she didn't expect her to be a woman. Liu Yiyi wondered if the company of nobles she was keeping knew about it.

Ye Jiayao said with a smile, "If you like it, I will give you 20% off."

"Thank you for your generosity, but I already have piles of ice cream mooncakes on my table gifted to me. I am afraid I would not be able to finish all of them," Liu Yiyi declined graciously, a slight flirty smile still on her lips.

Ye Jiayao gritted her teeth. There's no need to rub the generosity of your customers on my face! She faked a laugh and flattered, "Of course! What else should I have expected from the head of the flowers? I'm sure that many people are already lined up to show their favors."

"Oh, I know that there are also many people who favor Master Chef Li. It's not easy to get recognized in a city full of talented people such as Jin Ling," Liu Yiyi complimented.

"I don't have another choice. I rely on cooking to live, and you rely on good looks to live. The difference is that I can rely on cooking for a lifetime, but good looks..." Ye Jiayao trailed off in a cough.

Liu Yiyi's indifferent look changed a fraction. "Whatever you say, Master Chef Li. However, I'm not really living a miserable life, so..."

The three men were a bit confused, knowing that something wasn't quite right yet they were unable to put a finger on it.

"Liu's qin technique is getting more and more refined as time passes by," Zhao Qixuan commended. "I won't be forgetting the way you sound for a long time."

"Heir-Son Lord, you flatter me too much. Don't worry, I will play a song for you when you come to Drunk Spring Lane."

"I will definitely come to look for you another day."

Liu Yiyi turned to Xia Chunfeng and said, "May I ask if the Jing An Heir-Son Lord is coming?"

"I'm afraid my second brother is busy at the moment! He went with the Empress Dowager to Puji Temple and won't be back for at least a couple of days," Xia Chunfeng answered.

The vague disappointment in Liu Yiyi's eyes did not escape Ye Jiayao's notice. She actually still remembers the man who paid for her?

"I still have people to entertain so I will have to leave for now. I will prepare wine to drink with you guys another day." Liu Yiyi bowed to her knees and made a move to go.

Before leaving, however, Liu Yiyi stole one last undecipherable look at Ye Jiayao to which the latter responded with a quirk of her brow and a smile.

The three guys stared after Liu Yiyi's silhouette, their eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. Ye Jiayao wanted to deck them. All men are perverts.

"Are you really going to go to Drunk Spring Lane?" Ye Jiayao asked.

Zhao Qixuan said, "Of course! That invitation is hard to come by, you know. I wasn't exaggerating when I said that seeing Liu Yiyi is hard. Even a 500 silver-note won't necessarily guarantee you a meeting."

"Take me with you!" Xia Chunfeng jumped in, laughing excitedly.

"I won't go." Helian Jing shook his head firmly and said, "There's nothing to do there but drink and talk."

Ye Jiayao nodded. "You should listen to Little Jing."

"If you want to spend money, you might as well just go to Heavenly Residence for Yaoyao's foods," the smitten Helian Jing added.

Zhao Qixuan and Xia Chunfeng looked at them like they were disgusting. "You don't understand the art of love and seduction."

Ye Jiayao looked at Zhao Qixuan and deadpanned, "Will you take Susu with you?"

Zhao Qixuan paled and hastily said, "Well, I think Little Jing is right actually. That kind of money should not be spent so haphazardly. It's better if it goes to food and drinks."

Xia Chunfeng, not knowing the new progress in Zhao Qixuan and Susu's relationship, teased, "When Susu returns to Jin Ling, you always dress up nicely."

"I have always been loyal to him. I never looked or touch anyone else," Zhao Qixuan said rightfully.

Xia Chunfeng snorted. "Then, why did I hear that someone wanted to meet the little official in the spring opera class?" 

"Don't say things like that!" Zhao Qixuan yelled, sounding panicky. "That was for business!"

Ye Jiayao and Helian Jing exchanged secret smiles. Even if Zhao Qixuan was tempted, he would not dare to do anything that wasn't with his beloved Susu.

Now that she had seen Liu Yiyi, Ye Jiayao has no interest in staying anymore and watching girls get auctioned off to perverts.

Helian Jing, of course, capitulated to Yaoyao's wishes and they went back home.

Meanwhile, in the Puji Temple, Xia Chunyu sat in front of an old pine tree, looking at the direction of Jin Ling.

He hasn't seen Yaoyao for seven days now and it was starting to take a toll on him. Song Qi told him that Yaoyao and Little Jing had visited the Qin Huai River to go to the courtesan's competition. What was bugging Chunyu was she went there with Little Jing. He has repeatedly warned her that Little Jing was romantically interested in her but the stubborn woman wouldn't believe him.

He also heard that Yaoyao was wet when she went back to the courtyard that night and because of that, she got sick the next day. He was still worried, not knowing the reason why she fell into the water. 

Xia Chunyu was restless and all he wanted to do was ride back to the city and rush to Yaoyao. However, he has a responsibility he couldn't just abandon so he'd just have to buckle down and be happy that he was going back tomorrow.

"Brother Chunyu..."

Xia Chunyu frowned. He already hid in the backyard to avoid her and yet she still found him? The girl was a bloodhound!

Liu Li has been finding any excuse to approach him these past few days and it was fraying his last nerve.

"Brother Chunyu? What are you doing here? It took me so long to find you!" Liu Li said, walking over to him cheerfully.

"Nothing. I went here because it's quiet."

"You are already in the quiet area of the Buddhist Temple. If you're seeking a place that's quieter, it means that you are not at peace. Tell me, what troubles you?"

Xia Chunyu resisted the urge to say, You. What troubles me is you because you just won't leave me the f*ck alone!

"Nonsense. It is late, why aren't you sleeping?"

Liu Li picked up the pinecone on the ground and fiddled with it. "I can't fall asleep."

"Try because you have to get up early tomorrow. I'm going to rest." Xia Chunyu stood up to leave.

"Hey, stop," Liu Li said. "Why don't you ask me why I can't sleep?"

Xia Chunyu sighed helplessly. Heavens, give me patience. "Princess, I'm going to patrol."

"Don't interrupt me. Ask."

Xia Chunyu wasn't going to play into her hands. He knew that she'd find a way to turn the topic to things he did not want to hear much less talk about. 

"Hurry up and ask me!" Liu Li rushed.

"Princess, don't mess with me, I really have things to do." 

"Xia Chunyu, am I really that annoying? I know you don't want me bullying people so I've stopped now. Isn't that good enough? What else do you want me to do? I will improve on whatever you don't like," Liu Li said desperately, working up her sadness.

"Princess, you don't have to change anything for me. You should change for your own good," Xia Chunyu said placatingly.

"Brother Chunyu, stop being so cold to me, please? I don't like the way you keep your distance from me. I just want you to talk to me because I don't have any friends in the palace. It gets very... lonely," Liu Li said pathetically.