Miss Jun, who was retching, was amused by this comment once again.
Retching and laughing at the same time, she looked rather disheveled.
"You're doing this again." Zhu Zan gritted his teeth and muttered in a low voice. "Playing this trick again."
The reason he said 'again' was because this wasn't the first time she acted like this.
While Zhang Baotang and Sifeng were confused, Miss Jun recalled the event clearly.
That one time, she had been invited to diagnose someone at Lu Yunqi's private residence. Shocked by the yard full of concubines and fancy women, she inadvertently wandered outside the Duke of Chengguo's residence. Gazing at its walls, she ran into Zhu Zan, and the mention of Lu Yunqi caused her to retch uncontrollably.
Back then, Prince Xian had casually said, "Oh, someone's having a baby now?" which made her laugh.
Miss Jun covered her mouth with a towel and gestured to Zhang Baotang and the others.
"It's just that something I ate didn't sit right," she said. "I choked on it."
Zhang Baotang was half-convinced, while Sifeng raised the corner of his mouth in a mocking smile, then shrugged and sat down again.
Zhu Zan, still fuming, suddenly turned to look at Lu Yunqi.
Lu Yunqi was watching with a concerned expression.
Their gazes locked.
"What are you looking at?" Zhu Zan angrily snapped. "Don't you see how you make people sick enough to throw up?"
He jabbed a finger toward the door.
"Get out of here immediately."
This sharp reprimand made the shopkeeper and assistants let out a sigh of relief, their worries dissipating. Things were back to normal; they were really about to cause a commotion. Well, let them cause a scene and get it over with quickly.
The shopkeeper and assistants instinctively ducked behind the counter and held trays above their heads to keep from being hit by flying objects if a fight broke out.
Hearing Zhu Zan's exchange, the Jinyiwei behind Lu Yunqi immediately glared and reached for their waist knives.
Lu Yunqi wiped the corner of his mouth with a towel and stood up.
Zhang Baotang and Sifeng immediately stood up as well.
The tense atmosphere inside the shop grew even heavier.
Zhu Zan, without hesitation, grabbed a stool and hurled it fiercely.
Before the Jinyiwei could act, Lu Yunqi stepped forward and caught the stool.
He did not throw it back, nor did he smash it on the ground to assert dominance. Instead, he placed it down gently.
"It's a decent shop. Don't ruin it," he said.
"Ha!" Zhu Zan let out a laugh.
"Lu Yunqi, do you even understand the meaning of the word 'ruin'?" he spat.
Lu Yunqi ignored him and turned his gaze toward Miss Jun.
"Enjoy your meal," he said, and with that, he strode toward the door.
The Jinyiwei quickly followed him, and in the blink of an eye, Zhu Zan and his group were the only ones left in the hall.
"That guy seems to be getting crazier," Sifeng quipped with a raised eyebrow and a hint of amusement.
Zhu Zan cursed under his breath and sat back down.
"Let's eat, let's eat," Zhang Baotang hurriedly chimed in, trying to diffuse the situation. He hesitated as he reached for the food. "Miss Jun, can you eat this?"
Zhu Zan shot him a glare.
"She can eat anything," he snapped.
Miss Jun smiled and nodded to Zhang Baotang.
"Really, it's nothing. Don't overthink it," she said.
Blushing, Zhang Baotang sat back down, and Miss Jun picked up her bowl of lamb soup, sipping lightly.
Zhu Zan exhaled and stabbed his chopsticks into a piece of lamb in front of him.
"That scoundrel is truly revolting," he muttered. "Why didn't I just kill him back then?"
"Back then, he was just a child and dared to sneak a peek at the Duke's secret letters," Sifeng remarked. "It shows he was heartless even back then."
Miss Jun's spoon paused slightly.
Lu Yunqi had actually spied on the Duke of Chengguo's secret correspondence? So that's why they harbored such hatred for him? But what period were they referring to when they said 'back then'?
"I've always said it was this scoundrel who exposed the Duke's private stash of money during the bandit-clearing operation, causing the Duke to nearly be impeached and dismissed," Zhang Baotang stated. "The brat played the innocent role and never admitted to it."
"I suggested wrapping him up and beating him to death to end the trouble back then, but you all wouldn't agree," Sifeng scoffed. "And now look at him, fully fledged with wings."
"That was all because of Princess Jiuling." Zhang Baotang slammed the table as he spoke.
Before his words even fully landed, there was a loud sputtering sound. Miss Jun, who had been drinking lamb soup, spat it out, hastily grabbing a towel to cover her mouth, but the fit of coughing came in waves.
Again...
Zhang Baotang leapt to his feet in fright.
"Sister-in-law, if there's something you can't tolerate, don't hide it from us. We're all family here; no one's going to laugh at you," he exclaimed.
Zhu Zan slammed his hand on the table.
"Sit down!" he barked.
Zhang Baotang promptly plopped back down.
Zhu Zan took a deep breath and turned his gaze toward Miss Jun.
"Miss Jun, what exactly are you trying to do?" he asked through gritted teeth, forcing out a strained smile.
Miss Jun covered her mouth, coughing and laughing, while waving her hand.
"I really wasn't doing it on purpose," she said. "You all continue, keep talking."
Zhu Zan shot her an exasperated glare.
"What's the point of any more talking?" he said. "Just hurry up and eat, then finish and go home."
Miss Jun ignored him and turned to Zhang Baotang.
"So, you all knew Princess Jiuling?" she asked, holding her spoon.
"Not really knew her. It's just that when we had a grudge with Lu Yunqi and tried to discipline him, Princess Jiuling intervened and ruined the whole thing for us…" Zhang Baotang started.
Before he could finish, Zhu Zan slammed his chopsticks onto the table.
"What does she have to do with it? If we wanted to kill Lu Yunqi, who could stop us?" he said. "Feeling pity for an orphaned boy, we softened our hearts. That's on us. If you want to blame anyone, blame the Old Heavenly Father for creating such a creature."
Zhang Baotang muttered an acknowledgment, while Sifeng nodded seriously.
"Exactly. That's it. It has nothing to do with anyone else," he said.
No one spoke again, and the mood at the table turned strange. Miss Jun glanced left and right in hesitation before choosing not to ask further questions.
Was it true that Princess Jiuling had meddled? And during Lu Yunqi's conflict with them?
She had only met Lu Yunqi after arriving at Prince Huai's mansion, hadn't she?
As for Zhang Baotang and Zhu Zan, she had heard their names before but had never seen them in person. Her daily life was away from home, and during festive occasions, boys didn't need to pay respects inside the harem.
Even before her death, she hadn't known them, let alone met them.
How…?
Miss Jun bit the edge of her spoon, feeling muddled. Could it be that something had happened which she herself couldn't remember?
She tilted her head to look at Zhu Zan, who had a calm expression and was focused on eating his meal, exhibiting none of his earlier playful antics or fiery temper.
Zhang Baotang and Sifeng were quietly eating as well.
In the silence, the group quickly finished their meal. Zhu Zan was the first to head outside, Miss Jun trailing a step behind. She overheard Sifeng, who was handling the payment, discreetly admonishing Zhang Baotang.
"Why did you bring up Princess Jiuling? Things were going well, and now you've upset him."
Upset?
Why would mentioning herself cause Zhu Zan to feel upset?
Miss Jun frowned, utterly perplexed.
Outside the door, Zhu Zan paused in his steps, prompting Miss Jun to stop as well. Looking ahead, she saw Lu Yunqi standing there.
He hadn't left; he'd been standing outside this entire time.
Noticing her gaze, Lu Yunqi smiled faintly.
How truly persistent, she sighed inwardly.
As the thought crossed her mind, Zhu Zan suddenly strode toward Lu Yunqi.
"You scoundrel!" he snarled.
The abrupt outburst caught everyone off guard. Accompanied by the sound of knives being unsheathed by the Jinyiwei, Zhu Zan reached Lu Yunqi and punched him squarely in the face.
Hot on their heels, Zhang Baotang and Sifeng rushed forward in quick strides.
Shouts and curses erupted, filling the alley with chaos.
The brawl broke out, thankfully not inside the shop. The shopkeeper and assistants quickly slammed the door shut.
Standing at the shop's entrance, Miss Jun felt a sudden flash of clarity, as if a switch had been flipped in her mind while she stared at the fight unfolding before her.
Could the group of ruffians she'd encountered at the city gate when she was thirteen have been Zhu Zan and company, and the boy they had beaten up been Lu Yunqi?
The scene in front of her slowly blurred into fragments of that day—parts clear, parts hazy.
.........
........
(Wishing everyone a joyful spending spree)