Mu Shuoqian walked over with a stern face: "You are not welcome here."
"Mu, you’re too harsh. Not as hospitable as Qili," Bai Chengxi said with a cigarette in his mouth, glancing at Zhuo Yanbei, who was curiously looking around, "Yanbei, what are you wandering around for?"
"Nothing, are those grapevines outside the window?" Zhuo Yanbei stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, staring earnestly at the newly opened garden.
It’s hard to imagine that someone like Mu Shuoqian would also tend to such a small courtyard, and it’s so well-organized and exceptionally neat and tidy.
"Let’s have some tea." Gu Qili had already brewed the tea and brought it over, but was intercepted halfway by Mu Shuoqian, who coldly glanced at the group of big men who were either sitting or lying on the sofa, not considering themselves outsiders, "Don’t serve them tea."
Gu Qili patted his hand and shook her head. This is not the way to treat guests.
She still placed the tea tray on the coffee table and invited everyone to have tea.
"Qili, I didn’t see it coming. You can make a good cup of tea." Leng Shaoqing tasted it first, and the others also reached out to take their tea cups.
As Zhuo Yanbei, who had been wandering around, suddenly stood by the kitchen door and exclaimed: "You guys haven’t eaten yet, right? Perfect, we haven’t eaten either."
Mu Shuoqian’s face turned utterly cold, and he went over to pull Zhuo Yanbei, who was peeking around, aside. This was a two-person meal specially prepared by Gu Qili, and he didn’t want these hungry wolves to share it.
"Bro, what are you doing? I want to try Qili’s cooking," Zhuo Yanbei fearlessly rushed in, lifted the pot lid, and a delicious aroma wafted out, "Wow, it smells so good, Qili, your cooking skills are really great."
The others, smelling the food, also hurriedly put down their tea cups and gathered around, taking their seats at the dining table, and Bai Chengxi even conscientiously went to get bowls and chopsticks for everyone.
Luo Shangqing frowned slightly without saying a word: "I am actually quite hungry."
Gu Qili scratched her head and looked at Mu Shuoqian, whose face was starting to brew a tropical storm. The perfect world for two was disturbed by these bastards, and he now had the urge to flip the table.
"Forget it." Gu Qili secretly pinched his hand, "Visitors are guests, stop making that face. I’ll boil the crabs and add a few more dishes."
"Don’t serve them," Mu Shuoqian still said the same thing.
"You’re such a miser." Gu Qili teased him with a smile, pushing him to the side, "Are you going to keep them company or help in the kitchen?"
Mu Shuoqian would naturally not accompany those men, he followed her into the kitchen and closed the door behind them.
Leng Shaoqing held his teacup and clicked his tongue twice: "I said this trip was worth it, Mu not only hooked up with someone but also settled down with that girl. No wonder he’s been looking so radiant and energetic recently."
"Gu Qili." Bai Chengxi played with the fork in his hand, meaningfully looking towards the tightly closed door, he said in a low voice: "Wine God Gu Dezhong’s daughter, the former lady of Gu Family, reputed to be the social butterfly Ruyan of the upper class society."
"What?" Leng Shaoqing was still drinking tea and almost spit it out, lowering his voice he asked, "You found out quite a lot, are you sure Qili is that Ruyan?"
Ruyan was quite famous back then, many people in high society had seen her.
Clearly, this news was explosive, even the usually indifferent Luo Shangqing cast an inquisitive look.
Bai Chengxi said: "Previously, a journalist followed Ruyan and took many photos, but then suddenly, the journalist disappeared, and the photos vanished as well. However, recently some of those original photos resurfaced, and the person in the photos looks exactly like Qili. As far as I know, Gu Dezhong only has this one daughter, and if it’s about resemblance, this is incredibly striking."
"I don’t think it’s Qili," Nan Zhan said. "Given Shuoqian’s temperament, he couldn’t tolerate Qili having such a past. You know how he is, completely indifferent to women, even averse on a physical level."
"I trust my brother, and I trust Qili," Zhuo Yanbei said with an innocently harmless smile, "I’m really hungry, they are so slow."
Bai Chengxi picked a rose from the white porcelain vase on the table and sniffed it: "Shuoqian isn’t that short-sighted."
The flower smelled nice; a home is different with a woman in it.
The group didn’t continue this topic. After all, it was Mu Shuoqian’s personal matter. They shouldn’t get too involved, and currently, whether Gu Qili was the famed Ruyan or not, it didn’t change their good impression of her.
Gu Qili cooked a few more dishes, all simple and quick to prepare, trying her best to save time, worried that the dishes she had already prepared would cool down.
Mu Shuoqian appeared to be helping, but with one hand in his pocket and the other idly wandering about.
Occasionally touching her bottom, then her waist, causing Gu Qili to continuously warn him with her eyes.
She moved the soup pot aside to chop green onions, and Mu Shuoqian picked up the salt shaker, nonchalantly pouring it into the soup. When Gu Qili turned around, he innocently handed her the spatula, and sneakily continued pouring when she wasn’t looking.
Soon, she had prepared six dishes, and the clattering of plates and bowls could be heard intermittently from outside.
Opening the kitchen door, Leng Shaoqing and Zhuo Yanbei were rhythmically tapping their chopsticks on the table, chanting in unison: "Qili, Qili, Qili." Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on nοvelfire.net
"It’s time to eat," Gu Qili laughed, their behavior lacked any trace of the dignity expected of men from the six major families; they were more like kindergarten kids eagerly waiting for snacks.
After arranging the dishes, Gu Qili served each of them a bowl of soup, a new recipe beneficial for the stomach she had learned specifically to make for Mu Shuoqian today.
With seven people, there was exactly one bowl for each.
Leng Shaoqing was the first to take a sip, the soup looked milky white and was fragrant, but when tasted, his mouth instantly puckered, barely resisting the urge to spit it out.
Was the soup salty because he poured a whole bag of salt in it?
However, Leng Shaoqing gritted his teeth and endured, since it was his first time eating food cooked by someone else, he didn’t want to be rude and spit it out.
"Is it good?" Gu Qili asked somewhat sheepishly. She had brewed the soup for a long time and was quite confident in it.
Leng Shaoqing’s face turned almost green, but he still forced a laugh and insincerely gave a thumbs up: "The best soup in the world."
Seeing his exaggerated praise, the others picked up their spoons.