As soon as Qin Jiujiu exited the City Lord's mansion, she darted towards anything delicious or fun. Her innate love for shopping was unleashed instantly. Fortunately, Old Master Qin had provided her with ample silver, enough for her to indulge.
Bai Qianluo, however, found no interest in any of it. From a young age, she had only been interested in cultivation and held no regard for the pastimes of young girls.
Just as the two emerged from a silk shop, Qin Jiujiu caught the scent of food in the air.
It was time to eat!
She scanned her surroundings and spotted a bustling restaurant not far away, with many people entering and exiting. It appeared quite lively.
Qin Jiujiu turned to Bai Qianluo and said, "Sister Bai, let's eat there!"
It was already evening, and indeed, it was time for dinner. Bai Qianluo looked in the direction Qin Jiujiu was pointing and replied, "Sure!"
The two then headed towards the restaurant. Upon closer inspection, the establishment was exquisitely decorated and appeared to be three stories high, towering above the surrounding buildings.
Qin Jiujiu sighed, "It looks good. I wonder if the food inside is as good."
Before Bai Qianluo could respond, a middle-aged man, who was also heading to the restaurant for a meal, happened to walk beside them. He overheard Qin Jiujiu's words and eagerly chimed in. He said to Qin Jiujiu, "You two must be from out of town! Everyone in the city knows about the Heavenly Beyond Restaurant. It's the number one restaurant in the city! I'm not exaggerating; just look at the crowd. This restaurant's reputation is well-deserved!"
Qin Jiujiu smiled at the uncle's proud demeanor and replied, "We'll go in and see. Thank you for telling us, Uncle!"
She found the uncle's reaction quite amusing, similar to how locals in her previous life would react to outsiders.
Seeing that his recommendation was successful, the uncle entered the restaurant first.
They followed him in. Upon entering, they were immediately impressed by the grandeur of this premier establishment. Inside, a stage was visible where a performance was underway. Qin Jiujiu observed that the seats below the stage were already full.
Suddenly, a roar erupted from the audience. The current performance had just concluded.
The two were quickly spotted by a waiter, who promptly rushed over to attend to them.
The waiter glanced at them and, noticing their distinguished attire, became even more attentive. With a keen eye, he saw Qin Jiujiu's interest in the performance on stage. He said to her, "Miss, if you wish to watch the show, I can escort you to a private room on the second floor, where the viewing is excellent!"
Qin Jiujiu agreed. Seeing that Bai Qianluo did not object, they followed the waiter upstairs.
The second floor presented a completely different scene from the first. The first floor was noisy, while the second was quiet. Furthermore, the décor on the second floor was more elegant, divided into private rooms with excellent soundproofing.
They were led into a small room. After being seated, Qin Jiujiu, following the waiter's recommendations, ordered a table full of dishes. The waiter chuckled with delight. Qin Jiujiu then asked, "Waiter, when does the next play begin? And what is it about?"
The waiter, still smiling, replied, "The next performance should start very soon. It's our restaurant's famous play, 'Farewell My Concubine'! This play is incredibly popular right now, and many people come specifically to see it!"
Qin Jiujiu hummed in acknowledgment, saying, "Then I am truly fortunate today, with good food and such a wonderful play to watch!"
Seeing that they had no further requests, the waiter said, "Your dishes will be served shortly. I will go now. Just call me if you need anything!"
The food arrived quickly. Bai Qianluo looked at the table laden with dishes, a little surprised. She said to Qin Jiujiu, "Jiujiu, with so much food, can we finish it?"
As Qin Jiujiu picked up her chopsticks and tasted a piece of fish, she heard Bai Qianluo's question. She confidently replied, "We'll eat slowly, we can finish it..." Taking another bite, Bai Qianluo listened to her muffled voice and shook her head, smiling, "Alright..."
As the play began, Qin Jiujiu's gaze was immediately captivated by the two figures appearing on stage.
It had to be said, both actors were strikingly handsome. The 'King' exuded heroic spirit, while the 'Concubine' was exquisitely beautiful.
Had the 'Concubine' not spoken with a male voice, Qin Jiujiu would have genuinely believed it to be a beauty.
Every gesture and movement was imbued with a captivating charm, surpassing that of any true beauty!
Bai Qianluo had little interest in such theatrical performances. Her gaze swept around the room and settled on a poorly dressed young girl.
The girl was surrounded by several burly men. Bai Qianluo watched for a while before realizing that the girl had eaten but could not pay. She was being held by the restaurant's enforcers, seemingly waiting for her to reveal her family so that someone could be sent to collect the money before she would be released.
However, the girl appeared unable to speak, and as if terrified, she squatted on the ground, crying.
Seeing this, Bai Qianluo decided to go and help the girl. Noticing Qin Jiujiu engrossed in the play and the dishes on the table, Bai Qianluo said to her, "Jiujiu, you eat first. When you're done, head back to the City Lord's mansion directly. I have something to attend to, so I'm leaving now!"
Qin Jiujiu vaguely responded with an "Okay" and continued watching the play.
Only after the play concluded did she notice that the person beside her was gone. Recalling the conversation, she vaguely remembered what Bai Qianluo had said.
It seemed the female lead had gone to meet the medical saint's sister!
Qin Jiujiu called for the waiter to pay the bill. Just as the play ended and she was about to leave, an incident occurred by the stage.
A crowd had gathered, and after observing for a while, Qin Jiujiu understood what had happened.
To her surprise, she was somewhat shocked! She hadn't expected there to be "cut sleeves" in "Monster Hunter," and now she was witnessing a scene of two men vying for one man!
Qin Jiujiu, unable to suppress her curiosity, leaned forward to get a clearer view and hear better.
She saw the 'Concubine' standing in the center, surrounded by people. To his left and right stood two men of considerable appearance, though slightly disheveled. It was clear that these two were significant supporting characters who had a role to play, while everyone else were mere onlookers.
As expected, these two had lines.
The man on the left said, "Ye Chu was mine first, Wen Qi, how dare you fight me for him!"
The man on the right, named Wen Qi, seemed equally formidable. He replied, "Who dares to snatch what I, Wen Qi, desire! Zhou Ji, you've picked the wrong person to provoke!"
Neither of them would back down, which greatly troubled the restaurant owner.
Qin Jiujiu listened intently and, through the whispers of the crowd, learned the identities of these two men and the cause of the dispute.
The man on the left was the son of a general, named Zhou Ji. The man on the right was the son of a Censorate official, named Wen Qi. These two were notorious wastrels in Xiuliu City. Because one's father held military power and the other's father was the head of civil officials, their families were already at odds. These two would stir up significant trouble every couple of days, but due to their fathers' influence, no one dared to offend them. Situations like today put the restaurant management in a difficult position.
As expected, the manager soon emerged. However, his appearance did not resolve the farce. The two parties were on the verge of a fight.
Just as he was in a state of panic, a young man stepped forward.
Someone immediately recognized his identity, realizing he was a distinguished guest of the City Lord.
Qin Jiujiu found the young man vaguely familiar, yet upon closer inspection, she was certain she had never met him.
The young man placed his right hand behind his back and walked to the center of the encirclement. He said, "Manager, why haven't you informed these two gentlemen that Ye Chu is the person I have taken a liking to!"
Both Wen Qi and Zhou Ji were surprised, but their fathers had mentioned this distinguished guest of the City Lord, who seemed to be a person of considerable standing, someone they could not afford to offend.
They ceased their argument, waiting for the manager to mediate.
From their perspective, as long as the other party gained no advantage, it was inconsequential!
Qin Jiujiu watched as this person resolved the commotion with just a few words. On one hand, he was indeed of great importance; on the other hand, he had understood the intentions of Wen Qi and Zhou Ji, which allowed him to resolve the matter so easily.
The more she looked at him, the more familiar he seemed, and she continued to stare intently.
The young man seemed to sense the intense gaze from the second floor. He raised his head and saw a head peeking out from a private room on the second floor.
He offered a gentle smile, as if greeting Qin Jiujiu.
Qin Jiujiu felt a little embarrassed and could only offer an awkward smile before immediately retracting her head. Having witnessed the excitement, it was time for her to leave.
However, the young man did not immediately avert his gaze. He fixed his eyes on the private room, his expression in the depths of his eyes unclear.