After infiltrating the main characters' group, I became the most beautiful woman in the world.

The distance between Su Ning and Pei Yunlian was neither too close nor too far.

However, if another person were to squeeze in, it would feel a bit crowded.

Su Ning looked up at the profile of the person in front of her. He sat upright, and the contours of his profile were as exquisite as carved jade. His nose was high and straight. The warm yellow candlelight fell on his face, softening his usual arrogance and making him seem more approachable.

If he were a few steps closer, Su Ning could touch his arm, but that distance would still be enough to smell the delicate, cold plum fragrance emanating from him.

I don't know how they managed to burn the incense, but it smells really nice.

The others at the table seemed equally surprised by the other party's shamelessness.

Yue Zijin's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He cursed inwardly that the other party was indeed a spoiled brat. Even though he had been struggling in the streets for so many years, he never expected that the other party's skin would be even thicker than his own.

Seeing that Su Ning had tacitly agreed to this approach, Tang Xi didn't say anything to Lou Xianyue. It wasn't that she was afraid, but rather that she was afraid that if Lou Xianyue spoke again, they wouldn't be able to eat dinner tonight.

Considering that the other party was Su Su's savior, what harm was there in tolerating him this time?

The people at the table had different thoughts, but the one who was the angrier was probably Pei Yunlian, whose seat had been taken away.

I felt a chill all over my body; I was afraid the food in front of me would freeze solid.

The young man in red to his left seemed oblivious to everything, picking up a slice of stir-fried lotus root with his well-defined knuckles.

The lotus root slices, white and crisp, were gently placed into the white porcelain dish in front of Su Ning, coated with a sweet and sour sauce.

Su Ning was surprised by the other party's politeness and could only quickly thank him, "Thank you, Young Master Lou."

In her bowl were the dishes that Yue Zijin and the others had previously picked up, but although Lou Xianyue's movements were gentle, they carried an unmistakable forcefulness as she precisely placed the lotus root slices she had picked up on top of the other dishes.

The others at the table naturally saw his actions as well. Except for You Xunchun, everyone stared intently at Lou Xianyue's hand, wishing they could chop it off.

If Su Ning hadn't been holding onto Yue Zijin's clothes so tightly, the table would probably have been overturned.

Although Pei Yunlian was also furious, he knew his limits, and his upbringing prevented him from doing something like overturning the table.

He could only sulk and gulp down the wine.

Lou Xianyue, on the other hand, was in a rather good mood. Seeing that Su Ning didn't immediately pick up her chopsticks but was only staring at her, she spoke gently, but her words seemed to hide a sharp edge: "Lotus root is crisp and tender, which is the best way to cut through greasiness. It's much more palatable than those things that look shiny but are actually sour and rotten."

As he finished speaking, he glanced at the emotions of those around him, a barely perceptible smirk playing on his lips. "You poor wretches, you dare to compare yourself to me?"

He then explained to Su Ning, "However, at this time of year, no matter how you prepare the lotus root, it will inevitably have a slightly bitter taste, unlike the fresh and crisp lotus root slices from the lotus pond in summer."

"I wonder if Miss Su has ever been to Dongjian?"

Su Ning shook her head, then looked at him.

Lou Xianyue added another slice of lotus root to her plate, her fingertips brushing against the rim with a touch of tenderness: "That Miss Su certainly doesn't know that there's a vast lotus field in Luofu Water Pavilion, stretching as far as the eye can see."

"The pond embankment meanders, and lotus leaves crowd together, covering the entire area. Every summer, pink and white lotus flowers bloom one after another, and when the wind blows, even the air is filled with the sweet fragrance of lotus."

"Willows grow along the pond, their branches brushing the water's surface, startling a few fish; it's much more interesting than the noise of this banquet."

"If you have some free time, young lady, you might as well visit Dongjian. The Luofu Water Pavilion is no less impressive than that of Lingzhou City."

After Lou Xianyue finished speaking, she took a small bite of the crisp lotus root, but didn't take a second bite before putting it down.

"If Su Ning has time in the future, she will go to Dongjian to take a look." She said this casually, as if she was just making excuses for the person in front of her.

Yue Zijin rolled her eyes at him, "Hey Lou, if you want to eat, just eat. Why are you showing off here?"

He picked at his ear. "Anyone who didn't know better would think we're at Luofu Water Pavilion right now. And Su Su is definitely not going to Dongjian, so just give up on that idea."

"That's strange, how can there still be flies buzzing around at this time of year? Miss Tang, you should have the servants clean up properly."

Lou Xianyue didn't even look up, slowly and methodically eating her meal.

It must be said that the other person is good-looking and has good table manners; it would be even better if we ignored what he said.

Su Ning knew that if the two of them spoke again, she would really forget about having this meal.

For the sake of her own stomach, she interrupted Yue Zijin, saying, "I'm hungry."

Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, the noise at the table instantly quieted down.

Tangxi was busy serving soup to Su Ning, while Yue Zijin and Lou Xianyue seemed to be at odds, unable to talk, but their hands never stopped moving.

Yue Zijin: "Su Su, eat this. This braised pork is tender and juicy, and it's incredibly flavorful."

Lou Xianyue: "This is coarse food, too oily and salty. Aren't you afraid of making Miss Su sick of it?" With that, she picked up a piece of tofu with egg white filling. "Tofu is soft and tender, melts in your mouth, and is very gentle on the stomach."

Pei Yunlian then brought over a bowl of lotus seed soup between the two of them, saying, "The lotus seeds are sweet and refreshing, not greasy or bland."

Su Ning...

The banquet finally came to a grand and spectacular end when the moon was high in the sky.

Lou Xianyue originally wanted to speak with Su Ning alone, but upon hearing that Su Ning lived in the same courtyard as Tang Xi, she knew that she would not be able to speak with her tonight.

He wisely took his leave first, since he had already achieved his goal for the night. He would stay at the Sword Forging Manor for about a month before and after the martial arts tournament.

He understood the principle that there is plenty of time in the future from a young age.

"Phew, that Lou guy is finally gone. This Ten-Mile Hanging Bell Pavilion is getting worse and worse. How could they put someone like that on that damn list of young masters?"

"It drastically lowered the overall quality of this list."

Yue Zijin lay on the table, feeling that the other party was like a piece of dog skin plaster, and what kind of young master of Luofu Water Pavilion was he?

After the servants had cleaned up the table, the group looked at Su Ning.

Su Ning looked at everyone's gaze, blinked, and asked, "What's wrong with you all?"

Stared at by such eyes, everyone felt a little dizzy and mesmerized. Tang Xi was the first to pinch her own palm, then looked at the other person and asked, "Su Su, are you sure he saved you, and not the other way around?"

"I have a feeling that Lou Xianyue is rushing to repay a debt of gratitude."

"Pah! He's a despicable man who lusts after women. He must have seen Su Su's face last night and then harbored ulterior motives."

Yue Zijin put one leg on the other person's chair and spat at him fiercely.

You Xunchun, however, spoke up silently, "That young master Lou just now said you caught a chill last night. Would you like me to take your pulse?"

You Xunchun did not participate in the recent food-picking contest; he was so quiet that people almost forgot he existed.

Su Ning shook her head, of course. She wasn't really scared or frightened, which is why she developed a fever from just being exposed to a breeze.

After all, Duan Ming didn't even leave behind a corpse.

The "wind" was just a pretense for Lou Xianyue; she had actually taken cold medicine from Xiaoqi Mall.

[Cold medicine: True to its name, it will immediately make your body feel hot after taking it, simulating a persistent high fever. Of course, you'll feel better after a nap.]

You Xunchun didn't force them. After Su Ning explained the whole story, the group forgot all about Lou Xianyue's provocation.

After all, the other party did save Su Ning. In the martial arts world, loyalty is paramount, especially when it comes to saving a life.

So after discussing it, the group decided to stay far away from Lou Xianyue after seeing her in the manor. If they couldn't afford to offend her, they could at least avoid her.

"Tangxi, you really should ask Uncle Tang why the other party wanted to leave Lou Xianyue at the Sword Casting Manor."

Even after the group was about to go back to rest, Yue Zijin couldn't help but call out to Tang Xi.

Tang Xi paused slightly. "I understand."

Even without Yue Zijin's reminder, Tang Xi was also puzzled: when did her family become so familiar with Luofu Water Pavilion?