"My Lord!"
Neither had expected Feng Wuxi to test the poison himself. Their hearts tightened, but they watched as the dark mass entered his mouth.
The lamb was freshly slaughtered today, its meat tender. Combined with Feng Yinwan's perfect grilling, it was an explosion of flavor for the taste buds.
A myriad of emotions flickered across Feng Wuxi's face. Finally, under their overly eager gazes, he nodded.
"Go fetch the wine from the cellar."
This statement was the highest form of affirmation.
Upon hearing this, everyone else could no longer contain themselves and rushed to retrieve the wine. For a moment, only the cook and Yu Feng remained, watching with longing eyes.
"Forget the meat, you can even grill vegetables? What kind of divine cuisine is this, it smells so amazing!"
"Exactly, I dislike vegetarian dishes the most, but if it's prepared like this, I could eat two hundred skewers in one go!"
"Three hundred!"
"..."
Just smelling it was enough to make one's mouth water, and seeing them eat now was simply heavenly!
Yu Feng nudged the cook with his elbow, his eyes still glued to the skewers. "They all say it's delicious, you should go eat some."
The cook swallowed, his jaw clenched in a final act of defiance. "You go, you go first!"
While they were pushing and pulling, two skewers were already presented before them. The aroma instantly dazed them, and Feng Yinwan's voice drifted to them.
"Would you two like to try?"
This fragrance... no, this voice was utterly captivating!
"Since you've said so..."
"Then we shall try!"
The skewers in their hands vanished in an instant. Feng Yinwan curved her lips, retracting her hands with satisfaction.
*Little tricksters, I still can't win you over!*
Though he was reluctant to admit it, Yu Feng and the cook were indeed won over by the taste!
"What is this divine skewer, I'm about to cry from how delicious it is!"
Yu Feng, who had been so resolute moments ago, was now weeping openly. The cook cast him a disdainful glance, then stepped forward to get closer to Feng Yinwan.
"Divine Doctor Jiang, from a professional chef's perspective, your barbecue is indeed excellent, but it does have one fatal flaw."
He pointed at the remaining half skewer with a serious expression.
Feng Yinwan was momentarily stunned. "Oh? And what are your esteemed opinions, Brother Xu?"
The cook pursed his lips and smiled. The burly, tall man looked surprisingly bashful.
"It's not exactly an esteemed opinion, but we have quite a number of people in Wuxi Pavilion. Your skewer is too small, and there might not be enough to go around."
"So, my suggestion is, you tell me the method, and I'll help you grill!"
Yu Feng: *Are you even polite? Fine, I'll pretend I didn't hear.*
Feng Yinwan naturally heard the little calculation. Her beautiful eyes flickered, but she readily agreed.
"Alright."
There were plenty of ingredients in the kitchen, but her abilities were limited. She hadn't grilled much in her haste earlier. Looking at the table now, the wine hadn't even been brought back, and most of the plates were already empty.
It was indeed not enough to go around.
The cook, still regretting his earlier mockery,'s eyes widened in surprise.
"Really?"
Feng Yinwan nodded, then looked at Yu Feng, who was eavesdropping with perked ears, and raised an eyebrow.
"Brother Yu, would you like to join us?"
"Is it really okay?!"
What had started as a simple barbecue lesson somehow turned into the entire manor being mobilized. More and more people gathered in the kitchen, the threshold almost worn flat.
Chef Xu's heart ached.
"Alas, everyone, please be careful. Cherish every brick and tile, every knife and tool in our kitchen!"
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud crash. Someone, without much thought, had split the chopping board in two with a palm strike.
Chef Xu's heart ached even more.
"Oh no! Didn't I tell you all to be careful? Please retract your inner energy!"
Before he could finish, he spotted a pair of hands sneakily reaching out from the crowd, silently pilfering two skewers from the grill, and he immediately exclaimed.
"Hey... who is it! What's going on! Have you no manners? Those two were supposed to be mine!"
"And you lot, stop eating! Those vegetables are meant for grilling!"
A crowd of people gathered outside the kitchen, grilling and eating, and the skewers never made it back to the dining hall.
Eventually, Feng Wuxi, unable to wait any longer, personally brought the wine to the kitchen.
A group of people sat on the ground outside, drinking and conversing with great camaraderie, truly unrestrained.
Feng Yinwan didn't drink, watching from the side. A subtle, strange feeling arose in her heart.
This kind of life was indeed not bad.
"Have you eaten?"
Snapping back to attention, she realized Feng Wuxi was standing beside her. Feng Yinwan was slightly startled and nodded.
"I have."
*The one closest to the water gets the moon first.* She had eaten while grilling.
Feng Wuxi pondered for a moment and nodded.
"Follow me."
She had expected him to drag her off to treat Feng Yueli again, so she was completely bewildered when they arrived at the entrance of the Pavilion of Cultivation Techniques.
"What are you standing around for? Come in."
As she followed him in, Feng Wuxi took down a scroll from the top of the bookshelf.
Feng Yinwan subtly glanced at it. It was the secret technique, Qingying Zhen, which she had coveted for days but couldn't obtain.
"Your foundation in needle techniques is good, but against absolute masters, you won't have many opportunities to use them. Qingying Zhen is a secret art for cultivating needle techniques, perfectly suited for you to study."
Did he mean to give it to her?
Feng Yinwan's beautiful eyes subtly lifted. Fearing he might change his mind, she immediately reached out and accepted it.
"Thanks, boss!"
She had always heard that the secret arts of Wuxi Pavilion were powerful. To receive one, this trip wasn't in vain.
Feng Wuxi glanced at her, his tone coolly reminding her, "Treat Li'er well."
Feng Yinwan: "..."
She knew it wouldn't be that simple!
Chef Xu, worthy of being a renowned chef from Jinzhou brought back by Feng Wuxi, had turned Feng Yinwan's barbecue into a masterpiece within an afternoon.
"Divine Doctor Jiang, come to Yingyue Hall later for a gathering. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Feng Yinwan's attention was entirely on the plate the man was holding.
She had only gone back to sleep for a while, and now there were grilled shrimp, scallops, and oysters! Where did Chef Xu get all this seafood!
Tsk, the seasoning looked different from noon too, much richer!
As she watched, she casually picked up a skewer, eating it while vaguely responding.
"Got it."
It wasn't until she reached Yingyue Hall that Feng Yinwan realized the significance of the word "Mid-Autumn Festival."
The kitchen had not only grilled skewers but also prepared plenty of wine and dishes. It seemed they hadn't drunk their fill in the afternoon and intended to drink heartily tonight.
Feng Yinwan gently pressed her slightly bulging stomach beneath her loose robe and decisively decided to slip away.
She had already witnessed their relentless persuasion tactics in the afternoon and figured it was best to leave now.
As she was about to leave, she bumped into Feng Wuxi, who was carrying a food box. He didn't seem to be entering.
His gaze swept from her hand resting on her stomach, and he spoke with a faint smile.
"I'm going to Yingyuetan. You can come with me."