Chapter Eighty-One: Heavenly Fragrance Tavern

"Hey, watch your driving!" If it weren’t for Liu Ruoyi sitting in front, Ye Qian would’ve given Long Fei a piece of her mind. If not biting him, she’d at least have pinched him a few times. It’s broad daylight—why can’t he just focus on the road? No matter how skilled he is behind the wheel, that’s no excuse for daydreaming while driving.

From what she knew of Long Fei, and given how she’d just caught him sneaking glances at Liu Ruoyi, Ye Qian immediately concluded that Long Fei must be indulging in some sordid daydream.

"Let’s go to Qibao Pedestrian Street," Liu Ruoyi said, sensing Long Fei’s burning gaze lingering upon her. Her cheeks flushed crimson, but inside, she couldn’t help feeling a little pleased. She’d dressed up today deliberately for Long Fei, and to have caught his attention left her both happy and satisfied.

Ye Qian, however, was fuming in the back seat.

Homewrecker! Scoundrel! Hussy!

When Ye Qian got angry, her ire spared no one—not even Liu Ruoyi. Thankfully, she kept her curses to herself. The poor plush bunny she’d just been holding, though, wasn’t so lucky. If that stuffed animal truly had a spirit, it would have been wailing in protest at her merciless treatment.

Qingnian Road was a leisure pedestrian street in Qibao Town, adjacent to the renowned heritage site of Qibao Old Town—one of Tianhai’s most famous tourist attractions. Its streets, lined with well-preserved Ming and Qing architecture, had become even more popular since the reform era. Amidst these ancient buildings were pavilions, bridges, flowing water, and ferry boats. During festivals, traditional opera performances were often staged, drawing visitors from across the country and even abroad. Naturally, the pedestrian street was packed with shops and bustling with shoppers and tourists.

Having wasted quite a bit of time at the school gate earlier in the morning, it was nearly noon by the time they reached Qibao. They decided to head straight to Tianxiang Restaurant in Qibao Old Town. Shopping on an empty stomach was a fool’s errand.

Tianxiang Restaurant was one of Qibao’s largest eateries, though its footprint wasn’t particularly grand—perhaps two hundred square meters at most, and only two stories tall. Even so, it was packed to the rafters.

Finally, a table opened up. Ye Qian dashed over faster than anyone, chasing off a young couple who’d barely sat down, then called Long Fei and Liu Ruoyi over. The three of them settled in, heedless of the couple’s indignant glares.

This restaurant truly lived up to its reputation. Not only was the entire interior designed in an antique style, but every staff member—from the owner to the servers to the cashier—dressed in Ming or Qing dynasty robes or tunics. The cashier even wore sunglasses, holding one sleeve with his left hand while his right hand flew over a clattering abacus. Whether he was actually doing any sums, no one could say.

The server who came to take their order made Liu Ruoyi stifle a laugh—he had a long towel draped over his shoulder (clearly custom-made, since Liu Ruoyi had never seen one so lengthy), a tray tucked into his waistband, an apron around his waist, and a fake queue hanging from his cap. The professionalism was almost comical.

Seeing Liu Ruoyi’s amusement, Ye Qian cleared her throat and turned to Long Fei on purpose. "I bet you’ve never been to a place like this, have you? Haha! Let me tell you, this is the most distinctive restaurant in all of Tianhai. I’ll order a few of their signature dishes for you—just wait, you’ll be craving more after your first bite!"

Long Fei simply smiled, shrugging without a word.

Liu Ruoyi blushed, a little embarrassed by her earlier surprise. She could hardly be blamed; this was her first time in Tianhai. Though her hometown wasn’t small, it still paled in comparison. Not that her family was poor—by national standards, they were quite well-off.

The server waited for the young couple to leave before hurrying over. "Honored guests, what would you like to order?"

Long Fei had to suppress a laugh. In this day and age, who still called customers "honored guests"?

With a note of pride, Ye Qian announced, "Waiter, bring us braised Changming eel, crystal river shrimp, squirrel yellow croaker, braised fan-shaped fish tail, crispy squab, and pickled vegetable yellow croaker soup. That’ll do! Do you two want anything else?"

Liu Ruoyi hesitated. "Isn’t that a bit much?"

"No worries—my treat! Since we’re here, you have to sample the specialties," Ye Qian said, closing the menu and grinning at Long Fei.

Long Fei just shrugged again. What could he say? He couldn’t very well tell Ye Qian that he’d tasted countless delicacies, most far beyond anything she’d ever even heard of—like certain dishes served at British royal banquets, which you’d never find in any market. Had Ye Qian ever eaten such things? Had she even heard of them?

The server chimed in enthusiastically, "Miss, you’re absolutely right! You can’t come to Qibao Old Town without eating at Tianxiang Restaurant—otherwise, you haven’t really been here. I’ll get your order in right away!" He turned and sang out, "Table three has placed their order!" Then he repeated every dish Ye Qian had named, not missing a single word.

Downstairs, someone echoed the order verbatim.

While they waited for their food, Ye Qian tried to show off. "Long Fei, do you know what ‘Changming eel’ is?"

Long Fei smiled. "Changming eel, also known as green eel, phoenix eel, or river eel, is one of the most prized freshwater fish. It’s rich in vitamin A, and its tender, delicious meat has earned it the nickname ‘ginseng of the water.’ They’re nocturnal and prefer the dark, especially fond of frolicking during storms. They’re hardy too—can survive long out of water. In plain language, it’s what we mountain folk call yellow eel. Got it?"

Ye Qian’s face fell. Of course she didn’t know what yellow eel was. She pouted. "If you know so much, have you eaten it before?"

"Oh, when I was young, I often caught them in the fields and hills, then steamed or braised them at home. If there’s ever a chance, I’ll cook some for you—it won’t be any worse than what the chefs here can do!" Long Fei replied, just to needle her further.

Sure enough, Ye Qian’s expression darkened. She believed him—she’d tasted his cooking before, and it was better than anything she’d had in even the fanciest restaurants.

"Then do you know what ‘braised fan-shaped fish tail’ is?" Ye Qian asked, pointing at a reddish, fan-shaped dish just served to their table.

Long Fei replied casually, "That’s one of Tianhai’s traditional specialties. It's made from the ‘live meat’ of grass carp—the tail section. It’s braised to a glossy red, shaped like a folding fan, and has a beautiful color, aroma, and taste. The technique is very particular; you have to flip it several times during cooking without breaking the tail. It’s not easy to do well. The chef here did a decent job. The presentation isn’t perfect, but the flavor’s there. I’d guess this is a signature dish, but not one that’s ordered often—otherwise the chef wouldn’t have saved it for last, and the imperfections suggest he’s out of practice."

The nearby server broke into a sweat, forcing a strained laugh before hurrying over to the hallway to confer in hushed tones with a colleague, both of them sneaking glances at Long Fei.

Ye Qian was beside herself with frustration. She’d wanted to see Long Fei make a fool of himself in front of Liu Ruoyi, but now she’d only made him look better. Liu Ruoyi gazed at Long Fei with admiration and respect. Ye Qian could have bitten her tongue with regret—if she’d known, she never would have brought them here, or at least not asked Long Fei those questions.

Still, she couldn’t help but admire Long Fei’s breadth of knowledge. Maybe he was just naturally gifted when it came to food and cooking. In future skirmishes with Long Fei, she’d have to come up with new strategies, and think carefully before trying to trip him up—lest she end up suffering the consequences herself.

Long Fei helped Liu Ruoyi to some squirrel yellow croaker. "I know you don’t like spicy food—this dish should suit your taste."

"Thank you," Liu Ruoyi replied, glancing at Ye Qian’s sour expression and giving Long Fei a subtle look.

Seeing Ye Qian so put out only made Long Fei more cheerful and attentive. He was soon busy helping Liu Ruoyi to more yellow croaker, then some shrimp, and—occasionally—he did offer Ye Qian a taste, though far less often.

Long Fei ate heartily, explaining to Liu Ruoyi the secrets of each specialty dish and their preparation. She listened intently, sometimes praising him, sometimes asking for more details. Ye Qian grew more and more annoyed, finally slamming her chopsticks onto the table.

"I’m done eating!" she declared, her face stormy.