Sheng Xinhua clicked her tongue and said, "If I keep listening to you show off , I won’t need to eat the barbecue... it’s making my teeth hurt from all the sweetness."
Phoenix grinned, grabbed a handful of kebabs from the grill, and offered them to Sheng Xinhua, saying, "You should try it... try it and you’ll know I’m not lying."
Sheng Xinhua took a bite of the skewer and found it was indeed tastier than what she had eaten in other places.
The fire was fiercer, the flavor more intense.
It was the style Sheng Xinhua liked.
So, she ate all the kebabs in her hand.
"How is it? Not bad, right?" Phoenix kept an eye on Sheng Xinhua’s expression, her face full of anticipation as she asked.
You better praise Tang Fei, praise Tang Fei...
Sheng Xinhua praising Tang Fei made her even happier than praising him.
"Not bad," Sheng Xinhua nodded and said, "It would be even better with a glass of Princess Champagne."
"I knew you’d want that. Don’t worry, I’ve had it chilled in advance," Phoenix said with a chuckle.
Phoenix had someone bring over a bucket of chilled champagne, opened it up, and poured a glass for each person.
Tang Fei drank his drink while grilling kebabs for everyone.
Seeing sweat beads on Tang Fei’s forehead, Phoenix took out a handkerchief and gently wiped his brow.
Tang Fei, looking up at Phoenix wiping his brow, could clearly smell the fragrance of the girl, like orchids and oranges.
It reminded him of the cave in Hate Mountain, when he and Phoenix went to fetch water and were attacked by acid rain; they had taken shelter in that cave...
It was the first time Tang Fei had smelled Phoenix’s scent, and also the first time he realized that a woman could exude such a pleasant fragrance.
Phoenix felt Tang Fei’s burning gaze, their eyes met, and they both smiled simultaneously.
Such a wonderful feeling.
"I should be under a car"
"Not supposed to be here"
"Seeing how sweet you two are"
Sheng Xinhua turned away to quietly drink, pretending not to see any of it.
She too noticed the sweat beads on Tang Fei’s forehead, but she had no right to wipe them off for him.
Tang Fei placed the grilled meat and vegetables on a plate, preparing a portion for the young maids as well.
Each of them couldn’t stop praising it, saying it was the best barbecue they had ever eaten.
There was no helping it, the man the Princess liked...
Could they say it wasn’t good?
After finishing the skewers and vegetables, Tang Fei and Phoenix Xinhua sat in the pavilion in the courtyard, drinking.
Phoenix looked at Tang Fei with concern and asked, "Did you go to the Lu Family today?"
"Yeah," Tang Fei nodded: "The Military Minister personally named me to cooperate with the Security Bureau on a case. How could I refuse? I had no choice but to go with them."
"Did they give you a hard time?"
"Not really," Tang Fei replied with a helpless wry smile: "Because of this, the Military Minister suspects I’m in cahoots with the Lu Family... and he gave me a good grilling."
Sheng Xinhua sipped her champagne and looking at Tang Fei with her glass raised, she asked, "The word out there is that you have a good relationship with that Miss from the Lu Family, and she spoke on your behalf so you could escape punishment. Is that true? Seems like you’re quite the ladies’ man."
Phoenix’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Tang Fei, clearly, she must have heard the rumors too.
"I explained it the same way to Shen Wuxiang, but he didn’t believe it..." Tang Fei said, preparing to use Shen Wuxiang as a shield.
At times , other people’s analyses can be more persuasive than one’s own explanations.
"Shen Wuxiang says, even if Lu Siyu and I are classmates and usually get along okay, those personal feelings don’t stand a chance against family interests."
"Moreover, Gongshu Wuyu and Lu Yunhang from the Lu Family were both captured by me... and because of me, hundreds of officials and technicians affiliated with the Lu Family were fired or imprisoned..."
"The Lu Family probably hates my guts by now... How could they possibly let me off just because of my little friendship with Lu Siyu?"
"So, what does Shen Wuxiang think the real truth is?" Phoenix asked.
"Shen Wuxiang feels the Lu Family is trying to cause division..." Tang Fei looked at Phoenix and said earnestly, "If the Monitoring Bureau and the Security Bureau clash at this time, or if there’s mutual suspicion and hatred between us and Shen Wuxiang, the Lu Family will be the one to benefit in the end."
Phoenix nodded, "That guess does make sense."
Sheng Xinhua looked at Tang Fei and asked, "Are you really going to make a move against the Lu Family?"
"Is that something I can decide? I’m just a junior director at the Monitoring Bureau, only an acting one... Whatever the big shots up there tell me to do, I do. How could I have a say?"
"Yo, pretty clear self-awareness," Sheng Xinhua sneered and said, "In that case, we told you to leave... and you didn’t want to go?"
Phoenix also looked worried, saying to Tang Fei, "It’s been unsafe lately, and you’re caught in this storm... A single misstep could shatter you to pieces."
Tang Fei patted the back of Phoenix’s hand, comforting her, "Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of myself. I’m just a small fry at the Monitoring Bureau, keeping my head down and staying out of trouble, they won’t notice me..."
"Besides, who would offend the Princess over a small fry like me? They know that if they kill or hurt me, the Princess will never let them off the hook."
"It’s not about not letting them off the hook."
"It’s fighting to the death," Phoenix said seriously, "I’d fight them to the death."
Sheng Xinhua sucked in a breath of cold air and said, "My teeth hurt, my teeth hurt... Is this champagne expired? Why does it taste so sour?"