The dinner was finally ready, six dishes and one soup, a combination of meat and vegetables, with a full blend of color, aroma, and taste. It was all prepared by Nangong Yi and Cai Wei working together.
Manager Li was seated by the dining table, smiling as he watched Cai Wei bustling about, serving dish after dish of steaming, delicious food to the table. He couldn’t help but stroke his beard and shake his head, saying: "Girl Wei really is a catch, I truly wonder which lucky boy will get to marry her and take her home!"
Nangong Yi was sitting there, gazing at Cai Wei’s busy figure with affectionate eyes. Upon hearing Manager Li’s words, his gentle gaze suddenly dimmed.
He said solemnly: "Old Li, you once said that we were fated to be husband and wife!"
Manager Li said dismissively: "Yes, I did say so. However, one’s fate is not set in stone. Girl Wei’s previous life was not good, her face showed a life-threatening situation that would come this year. But, isn’t she still alive and well now? So, when it comes to fate, half depends on destiny and half depends on one’s own effort!"
Hearing this, Nangong Yi gave a bitter smile, feeling melancholic.
Whether it was determined by destiny, or depended on his own effort, he was destined to not be with her. He was laden with heavy responsibilities, and if he were to marry her whimsically, the old ministers who supported him would certainly be extremely disappointed. They were all looking forward to relying on his future achievements to find an imperial mother’s position for their daughters and granddaughters. If he were to marry Caiwei, those ministers would inevitably become angry and might switch to the prince’s camp.
Then, not only he, but also his Imperial Mother, younger sister, his maternal grandfather’s family, including the newly wedded her, would be subjected to the prince’s party’s torment, none would be spared!
So, he still couldn’t marry her, and to become his side consort, she would absolutely refuse. What she wanted was a life-long, inseparable marriage, and as she herself has said before, it is her unchangeable principle and a bottom line that cannot be crossed in this life.
He couldn’t give her the marriage she wanted, so he could only let go, albeit painfully. However, the thought of her wearing a wedding dress for another man someday and becoming another man’s wife would make his heart ache like a piece of it was being carved out...
The door curtains were lifted, and Cai Wei entered carrying the last dish. She placed the dish on the table, took off her apron, and sat down. Pointing at the latest dish loaded with red chilies and fish, she said to Manager Li: "Manager Li, you must taste this carefully. This was personally prepared by your master. It’s very precious!"
Manager Li chuckled, picked up his chopsticks, tasted a piece of the tender white fish, and nodded: "Yes, very good, I knew right away it was guided by an expert!"
When Nangong Yi heard this, he barely suppressed a smile. The boiled fish on the table, wasn’t it the one that she directed him to make!
The dinner was delicious. Manager Li was sweating from the heat and kept praising it as he ate. He kept asking between mouthfuls, "Girl, what’s the name of this dish?"
"Fish-flavored shredded pork!"
"Ah, very tasty, now what’s this one?"
"Cumin fried solid eggs."
"Wow, really good! You are indeed a skillful and thoughtful girl. I don’t know who the lucky guy is that will get to marry you and take you home."
Upon hearing Manager Li bring up the subject again, Nangong Yi’s brows wrinkled almost imperceptibly, and his eyes darted a glimpse at the girl.
Normally, when a girl hears someone talking about her future marriage, she would blush, lower her head in shyness, revealing a radiant and shy demeanor. However, this young girl simply dismissed it, seemed to show disdain for the idea of marriage, and continued eating, her face unchanging and unperturbed.