Seven days later, Shen Xuan's shop lease agreement had been approved by the authorities, and Master Wang's renovations were nearing completion.
The agent sent a message to Shen Xuan, asking him to sign for the shop. Only then did Shen Xuan bring Jin Gui and Jin Zhi along.
The three-foot-square shop front had been repainted with a fresh coat of red lacquer, looking completely new.
According to Shen Xuan's request, a half-person-high counter was built on the front of the shop, with only a one-person-wide entrance on the side.
Inside the shop, one room was directly converted into a kitchen. Several stoves were built, capable of holding four large pots simultaneously.
Beyond the kitchen was a well, making it very convenient to draw water. On either side were areas for washing kitchen utensils and an open space. Further inside, the courtyard housed the living quarters and the latrine.
Shen Xuan placed four beds in two of the rooms, preparing to arrange for the hired servants to live there.
Although these rooms were not large, they had complete doors and windows, offering good ventilation. Facing a canal at the back, the scenery was also pleasant, making it a very good living arrangement for the servants.
With all the preliminary preparations for opening the shop complete, Shen Xuan went to the labor market to pick up the servants he had previously purchased.
He named the two boys Sheng Cai (meaning "generate wealth") and Sheng Fu (meaning "generate blessings"), and the two young men Qing He and Qing Kang, all auspicious and blessed names. They sounded joyful and were considered good omens for the shop.
After naming them, Shen Xuan also prepared to name his shop.
After all, if he wanted to expand, a good name was indispensable; it was a living signboard.
Since the opera house was directly opposite, Shen Xuan pondered for a moment and named his shop "Xiyuan Xiaoshi" (Opera Garden Snacks).
This name was intended to immediately let people know that the shop was located near the opera house, making it easy for word-of-mouth spread and allowing outsiders who had never visited to find his shop just by hearing the name.
After deciding on the name, Shen Xuan still needed to make a signboard to hang up. For the calligraphy on this signboard, he again thought of Xue Fenglin.
Previously, when Shen Xuan was setting up his stall in Lezhou, the calligraphy on his signboard was done by Xue Fenglin.
This time, as he was opening a shop, it naturally made sense for him to ask Xue Fenglin for help with the calligraphy again.
Shen Xuan did not know that Xue Fenglin rarely did calligraphy for others in the capital, nor did he feel that asking The Shizi to do calligraphy for him was a big deal.
He knew that Xue Fenglin had been staying at the Imperial Academy recently, so he simply had Jin Zhi help deliver a letter to Wuxin, asking him to send it to the Imperial Academy.
He explained that he wanted to open a shop and requested The Shizi to help him with a few characters for his shop during his leisure time after class.
Unexpectedly, two days later, Wuxin suddenly delivered another letter. The letter was in Xue Fenglin's handwriting, inviting Shen Xuan to meet for lunch at Guiyun Tower near Zhuangyuan Bridge.
Shen Xuan had not seen Xue Fenglin for over half a month since their meeting during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Receiving his invitation suddenly was somewhat unexpected.
He heard that Xue Fenglin was very busy because he was going to take the provincial examination after the New Year, and he didn't expect him to have time to eat with him.
After such a long time without seeing each other, and now suddenly about to meet again, Shen Xuan surprisingly felt a little nervous.
The next morning, Shen Xuan woke up even earlier than usual.
When it was time for the agreed lunch, he specifically took out one of the Fuguang-colored clothes Xue Fenglin had given him and put it on. After thinking for a moment, he then put on a white jade hairpin that Xue Fenglin had also given him before heading out.
Since it was a meeting with The Shizi today, and it was near his Imperial Academy, Shen Xuan wondered if he might run into any of Xue Fenglin's classmates or teachers. After all, he was nominally The Shizi's fiancé now, and he didn't want to embarrass Xue Fenglin.
Shen Xuan's carriage quickly arrived below Guiyun Tower. Upon entering the main hall, he saw Wu Wang waiting inside.
As soon as he saw Shen Xuan, Wu Wang stepped forward and said,
"Shen Ger, The Shizi hasn't finished class yet. He asked me to wait for you here. Please follow me to the private room upstairs to rest first."
Shen Xuan followed Wu Wang upstairs and realized that the private room Xue Fenglin had booked was likely the largest in Guiyun Tower.
This private room was on the top floor of Guiyun Tower, and the entire floor contained only this one elegant room. Shen Xuan walked in and found that it was even divided into two smaller rooms.
One room had tea and snacks on the table, while the other resembled a study, with paper, ink, brushes, and an inkstone on the desk, as well as a chaise lounge where one could sit and rest. This was likely arranged by Xue Fenglin through Wu Wang beforehand.
"Shen Ger, please wait here for a while and feel free to have some tea," Wu Wang said, then stood respectfully to the side.
He was a first-class servant by Xue Fenglin's side, and his conduct was always very strict. Jin Zhi and Jin Gui were also very respectful when they saw him, not daring to be presumptuous in the slightest, and could only stand alongside Wu Wang, not daring to move.
Seeing Jin Zhi and Jin Gui looking uncomfortable, with beads of sweat appearing on their foreheads after standing for only a short while, Shen Xuan said to Wu Wang,
"I'll be fine by myself. You can take Jin Zhi and Jin Gui out to rest and eat something first."
Jin Zhi and Jin Gui let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Wu Wang caught their expressions in his eyes, his gaze flickering, then nodded and said, "Yes."
He then led Jin Zhi and Jin Gui out of the private room and downstairs.
"Go buy something to eat nearby yourselves, and come back later," Wu Wang said, giving them thirty wen.
Although this wasn't a lot of money, it was enough to buy two bowls of wontons and two cups of tea nearby.
After Jin Gui took the copper coins, Wu Wang asked, "Does Shen Ger treat you very well?"
Jin Gui was stunned and hadn't had a chance to speak when Jin Zhi, standing nearby, interjected, "Shen Ger is the most lenient and has always treated us extremely well."
Only then did Wu Wang nod, then sternly said, "No matter how lenient the master is, we as servants must strictly adhere to the rules. You two couldn't stand still after only a short while, which shows you're too lax on weekdays. You must not take the master's leniency for granted and become habitually lazy."
"Yes, we understand," Jin Gui and Jin Zhi tensed up, then immediately lowered their heads and responded before leaving.
After walking out of Guiyun Tower, both of them finally relaxed.
Jin Zhi then said to Jin Gui, "I used to envy those who served by The Shizi's side. Now it seems there's no more comfortable place in the Marquis's Residence than where we are. This really is thanks to Shen Ger."
"Yes," Jin Gui also sighed, "We're also lucky to have followed the right person. I hope Shen Ger successfully marries into the Marquis's Residence in the future, and The Shizi treats him well."
Afterward, the two found a wonton stall to sit down at and sighed with emotion again.
Meanwhile, Shen Xuan waited in the private room for a while, drinking two cups of tea, feeling a bit bored.
He simply went to the desk and began to write. He first wrote the large characters "戏园小食" (Xiyuan Xiaoshi) on the paper, and it looked somewhat presentable.
However, although Shen Xuan could write, his skill was only average, and his handwriting was somewhat soft, clearly far inferior to Xue Fenglin's.
After writing for a while, he felt a bit sleepy. Still holding the brush in his right hand, he leaned back on the chaise lounge and closed his eyes to rest.
As Xue Fenglin pushed open the door, what greeted his eyes was Shen Xuan, dressed in a Fuguang-colored robe, leaning on the soft cushion of the chaise lounge, seemingly asleep.
This Fuguang-colored robe was also something he had specially chosen, embroidered with peaches and peach leaves in moonlight-white silk thread.
This color of clothing had recently become popular among young men in the capital, making their skin appear as fair as jade.
Xue Fenglin had seen it during a banquet and felt it would also suit Shen Xuan, which was why he specifically had one made for him.
Now, seeing Shen Xuan wear this clothing, it indeed suited him. Shen Xuan's complexion was originally wheat-colored, but since coming to the capital, with less sun exposure, it had become much fairer.
Wearing this color now made his skin appear even fairer. Coupled with the fact that he had been eating well and had gained a little weight, his entire person, set against a faint pink background, looked even more alluring.
Xue Fenglin dismissed Wu Wang and Wuxin behind him, closed the door, and quietly walked over to Shen Xuan.
It wasn't until Xue Fenglin sat down beside him that Shen Xuan felt someone had entered.
He immediately opened his eyes, and what he saw was Xue Fenglin, dressed in a scholar's robe.
Xue Fenglin was now sitting right beside him, practically pressed against him, very close.
Shen Xuan was startled and wanted to get up. Unexpectedly, Xue Fenglin pressed his shoulder and said, "I just sent Wu Wang to order the dishes. Wait a little longer."
As he spoke, he directly took Shen Xuan's right hand and, holding the brush, wrote the four large characters "戏园仙味" (Xiyuan Xianwei) on the paper.
Xue Fenglin had practiced calligraphy since childhood, and his brushstrokes were very strong and powerful. As Shen Xuan was guided by him to write with his right hand, he unknowingly nestled into Xue Fenglin's embrace.
When he realized what was happening, he felt Xue Fenglin pressing down on him from behind, writing the last few strokes. Just as he was about to be pushed over, Xue Fenglin used his left hand to support his waist.
Shen Xuan's face instantly flushed red, and he felt his heart pounding extremely fast.
He could see Xue Fenglin's face out of the corner of his eye with a slight turn of his head. The other person was very close to him, and his breath was near his face.
Moreover, his handsome face was indescribably beautiful, and every move he made made one involuntarily nervous.
Actually, when Xue Fenglin's face was disfigured, Shen Xuan wasn't nervous when he saw him. But later, as the other person became more handsome day by day, Shen Xuan instead became uncomfortable.
'I must be a sucker for good looks,' Shen Xuan thought to himself. He felt a bit speechless about this tendency of his but couldn't help it.
'Food and sex are human nature,' the ancients had long concluded, and Shen Xuan was merely no exception to this common truth.
As Xue Fenglin wrote, he noticed Shen Xuan's ears had turned red. He subtly curved his lips, revealing a slight smile, and a sense of accomplishment clearly rose within him.
He had always disliked women and ger who only valued his appearance, and he handled their admiration with ease. But whenever he faced Shen Xuan, he couldn't help but deliberately use his appearance to entice him.
If Shen Xuan fell for his charm, Xue Fenglin would not only not be displeased but would also feel a sense of triumphant pleasure.
However, Shen Xuan's ears were red with shyness, which Xue Fenglin found adorable, and a surge of heat also rose within him.
He didn't dare to get too close to Shen Xuan, fearing he might do something inappropriate in a moment of impulse. So, he immediately released Shen Xuan's hand, stepped back, and said, "After I received your letter, I thought about it and felt this name was better. What do you think?"
Shen Xuan's mind was still a bit muddled, but looking at the large characters "戏园仙味" (Xiyuan Xianwei) written by Xue Fenglin, he also felt they were better.
So, he nodded and said, "This name of yours is indeed more elegant. Let's use this one."
Upon hearing this, Xue Fenglin coughed and couldn't help but smile again. Then he took a new sheet of paper and wrote another one for Shen Xuan.
Just then, Wu Wang announced that the dishes were being brought up at the door.
Xue Fenglin then said to Shen Xuan, "The food is here, let's eat first."
"Okay," Shen Xuan nodded and went with Xue Fenglin to the partitioned dining area.
Once a table full of dishes was served, Xue Fenglin sent Wu Wang and Wuxin out again, and then said to Shen Xuan, "These are all the most famous dishes in Guiyun Tower. Please try them."
With that, he scooped a spoonful of green tea shrimp for Shen Xuan, remembering that Shen Xuan loved shrimp.
Shen Xuan tasted a bite, then nodded and said, "This shrimp is indeed very fresh and tender, delicious."
Xue Fenglin smiled and then picked up a piece of lamb for him with his chopsticks, saying, "This roasted lamb dish is a signature here. Try it too."
Shen Xuan then looked at Xue Fenglin and said to him, "Don't just get food for me, you eat too!"
Xue Fenglin then picked up his chopsticks and, after eating a few bites, said to Shen Xuan, "The last time we ate at a restaurant was in Lezhou. I still remember that day vividly."
As soon as Xue Fenglin said this, Shen Xuan choked on a mouthful of food, nearly gagging, and started coughing violently.
Seeing him cough until his eyes were teary, Xue Fenglin immediately handed him a handkerchief, looking at Shen Xuan's expression with some concern.
Shen Xuan, however, felt a bit guilty, because he suddenly remembered what Xue Fenglin had asked him that day...
At that time, he didn't know that Lin Ye was Xue Fenglin, and he thought that after they parted, it would be a final farewell. Unexpectedly, after many twists and turns, they met again in the capital, and he had even become his fiancé.
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