Male superiority and female superiority: forced love

Linfeng Garden

Ruan Chuyin sat at the table, staring blankly at the colorful and diverse delicacies, not daring to look up at the handsome man sitting in front of her.

He was wearing a black robe with golden python patterns, a jade crown on his head, and an ink bead in his hand.

He sat upright, with broad and upright shoulders, three-dimensional facial features and a resolute face. He exuded an unignorable majesty and a charm that only belongs to a mature man.

Especially those narrow eyes, which were deep and had a faint smile in them, and the curled eyelashes were slightly drooping, looking at him carefully with an inquiring look.

Ruan Chuyin felt a lot of psychological pressure as she was stared at by a handsome man in a high position of power, and his appearance was completely against her aesthetic standards.

"Miss Ruan, are the dishes not to your liking? What would you like to eat? I'll ask the kitchen to redo it." Seeing that she didn't move her chopsticks, Jiang Xuanzhou frowned slightly.

"No need to trouble you. Your Highness, you are so... polite." Ruan Chuyin quickly picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of the dish closest to her.

Today, she fainted from sunstroke and was saved by Prince Linhuai. She was not good at speaking and didn't know how to express her deep gratitude in a dignified way.

The palace was filled with young men, all of them tall and strong with good looks. They walked straight and strong with a strong stride, revealing a sense of determination.

As a young girl, she felt like she was about to explode in a house full of overflowing hormones. She wished she could dig three feet into the ground or use a burrowing technique to escape quickly.

However, the Prince of Linhuai seemed to have no intention of letting her leave. She made it clear several times, but he kept her with various reasons.

At first, they were worried that she had other symptoms, so they specially asked a doctor to check her out again. Later, the doctor said that she was too weak and overworked and needed tonic, and immediately arranged a table of delicious food for her to have a meal.

Prince Linhuai had saved his life, and he could not refuse his kindness, so he had to stay.

As the red sun set in the west, he thought that if he didn't go back, Master Qin and A Yu would be in a mess, so he picked up his chopsticks faster.

After finishing a piece of lotus crisp, half a yellow croaker, two mouthfuls of roasted duck and half a bowl of rice, Ruan Chuyin couldn't help but say again: "Your Highness, I am full, thank you for your hospitality. It is getting late, I will not disturb your rest anymore. Your Highness, I will repay you for saving my life one day." She didn't know if what she said was right, and all the scenes of repaying a favor that she had seen in TV dramas went through her mind.

"I'll repay you with gratitude someday?" Jiang Xuanzhou's eyes flickered slightly, and he emphasized his tone, with the corners of his narrow eyes curling up uncontrollably.

Ruan Chuyin's heart skipped a beat, her head shrank slightly, and she rubbed her little hands hidden under the table nervously.

She had neither money nor status, and didn't know how to respond appropriately. The prince had been kind enough to save her, but she had drawn a hollow dumpling for him, which seemed unkind.

Or? She lowered her eyelids and silently looked at the ruby ​​ring on her hand.

This was the adult gift her parents gave her on her eighteenth birthday: a pigeon-blood red diamond from Myanmar, teardrop-shaped, 1.09 carats, and worth Chinese yuan.

Jiang Xuanzhou was a prince, a man of high status and prestige, and he had no shortage of treasures. This ring was unique in this world, so it shouldn't be disrespectful, but she couldn't bear to part with it. So she took off the gold-plated hairpin.

"Your Highness, if you don't mind, please accept this hairpin. When I have money in the future, I will give you a better one." Ruan Chuyin put it on the table.

In Dayong, if a woman gave a personal item to a man, it meant that she was willing to marry him.

Jiang Xuanzhou was very surprised that Ruan Chuyin would choose to repay him in this way. His fingers tapped the table lightly from time to time, and his eyes became deeper and deeper, like an endless abyss, which was unfathomable.

Jiang Xuanzhou's silence made Ruan Chuyin feel uneasy. Could it be... dislike? What should she do then? She unconsciously touched the ruby ​​ring again, her eyes misting.

The tearful look in Jiang Xuanzhou's eyes was so poignant and touching that he was instantly mesmerized.

In Dayong, there are countless beauties who admire him, but no woman is as beautiful and touching as Ruan Chuyin.

For the first time, he considered marrying her. But being a royal daughter-in-law wasn't easy. His father and mother wouldn't approve of a woman with only beauty but no family background.

"Miss Ruan, this hairpin looks special to me. Where did you get it from?" Jiang Xuanzhou immediately recognized its uniqueness. Judging from its texture and style, it definitely wasn't from Dayong.

"It's inherited from my ancestors." Ruan Chuyin hesitated for a moment and lied.

"Where is Miss Ruan from?" Jiang Xuanzhou followed up her question.

"Xiaohe Village." Ruan Chuyin was extremely nervous when she answered, her body stiffer than rock.

Xiaohe Village? Could the villagers of Xiaohe Village produce such a rare treasure? Or was there something else going on? And the jewel ring she was wearing looked even more valuable.

If she really came from a peasant family, marrying into the royal family would be harder than ascending to heaven, unless her identity was changed.

"Your Highness, would you... take this hairpin?" Ruan Chuyin couldn't wait any longer. Who knows what kind of mess the tavern has become in the few hours she's been away. Young Master Qin and A Yu's cooking skills aren't up to par, what if they scare the customers away? Just as she was about to reach out to retrieve the hairpin, Steward Wu suddenly arrived with a report: "Your Highness, the son of the Duke of Zhenguo and the son of the Qu County Magistrate's family request an audience."

"Who are you talking about? Qin Guanzhi is here?" Jiang Xuanzhou was stunned, thinking he had misheard, and confirmed with Wu Yong again.

"Yes. Prince Qin is here." Wu Yong confirmed.

Ruan Chuyin was surprised when she heard this. Did Young Master Qin have such a formidable background? She had finally made it big enough to open a restaurant with such a prominent figure!

"He came to see me." Ruan Chuyin stood up and said.

"Looking for you? The Young Master Qin you mentioned earlier is Qin Guanzhi?" Jiang Xuanzhou was quite surprised. Looking at the hairpin on the table, his eyes darkened even more.

"I accept Miss Ruan's kindness, but I'm afraid that just a hairpin is not enough to repay my kindness." Jiang Xuanzhou looked at Ruan Chuyin and said slowly.

After a moment's silence, he continued, "How about this? I'll be hosting a banquet for distinguished guests at my mansion tomorrow evening. Since Miss Ruan is able to open a restaurant, I'm sure she's a very good cook. How about you be in charge of the dinner that night?"

Ruan Chuyin was stunned for a moment.

Is the prince saying that cooking another meal will repay the favor? He was immediately overjoyed and said, "No problem. I wonder how old the guests are? Do they have any dietary restrictions? How many people are there?"

Jiang Xuanzhou smiled faintly and said, "There's only one person, the same age as me. Speaking of dietary restrictions, he doesn't eat fish, pork, mutton, onions, or anything sweet."

Oh my god! Ruan Chuyin was stunned. This distinguished guest was not just a picky eater.

"Let's go. I'll take you out." Jiang Xuanzhou saw her beautiful eyes wide open, smiled slightly, and his mood became cheerful. He even inadvertently changed the way he referred to himself from "this king" to "I".

As she stepped out of the mansion, Ruan Chuyin suddenly saw two familiar figures.

"Master Qin! Ah Yu!" Ruan Chuyin quickened her pace as she walked towards them. Suddenly, she glanced at Qu Haoyue, who was lost in thought, and was filled with confusion. Why would Master Qin come with this person?

The moment Qin Guanzhi and Yu Yu saw Ruan Chuyin, the heavy weight of their hearts finally fell to the ground. They carefully observed her, and after confirming that she was alright, they bowed to Jiang Xuanzhou and said, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you."

"Why did Prince Qin come to Wushui Town?" Jiang Xuanzhou asked him with a gloomy look.

"To relax." Qin Guanzhi's answer was extremely simple.

"Oh? You opened a restaurant to relax?" Jiang Xuanzhou asked meaningfully.

He had come to Wushui Town on his father's orders to investigate the Liangcheng illicit salt case, involving tens of millions of yuan. What a coincidence, running into Qin Guanzhi here. Could the Zhenguogong Mansion also be involved?

"It's a long story. I will report the reason to His Majesty someday."

Qin Guanzhi now only wanted to take Ruan Chuyin back home as soon as possible. The Prince of Linhuai was the dream husband of many noble ladies in Dayong. Having been rescued by him and having spent so much time in Linfeng Garden, Miss Ruan wondered if she would be as captivated by the Prince of Linhuai's charm and status as the other ladies.

Although he is the prince of the Duke of Zhenguo, he is still incomparable to the prince.

"Okay. It's a deal. I'll be waiting for you at Linfeng Garden." Ruan Chuyin was present today, so Jiang Xuanzhou didn't force her and politely agreed to "talk another day."

Seeing that they had finished their pleasantries, Qu Haoyue was about to bow, but Jiang Xuanzhou just turned his back on him and went back to the mansion.

Along the way, Qin Guanzhi and Ruan Chuyin recounted what happened in the afternoon. Ruan Chuyin was very grateful for Qu Haoyue's help, but when she saw his bright eyes fixed on her, the words of thanks that were on the tip of her tongue were forced back into her stomach.

By the time they returned to Mingyue Restaurant, it was already dark.

Ruan Chuyin felt bad and asked softly, "Mr. Qufang, would you... like to have a simple meal with us here? Thank you very much today. Next time, I'll treat you to a good meal at the restaurant!"

"Okay! Miss Ruan, just call me by my name. It's always too formal to call me by my name in Qufang. From now on, I'll come to Mingyue Restaurant every day to eat and support you." Qu Haoyue's eyes curved, and he was so happy that he opened his folding fan and waved it vigorously. To receive the approval of such a beautiful woman, today's hard work was not in vain. It was worth it!

Qin Guanzhi stood behind the two of them and looked at Qu Haoyue gloomily, with the corners of his mouth drooping lower and lower, but he had no right to chase him away, so he had to accept the fact that he stayed. He kept comforting himself in his heart: After all, he has made great efforts today, and it is reasonable for Hatsune to treat him to a simple meal.

Yu Yu could see the young master's displeasure and could only express his deep understanding, cheering him up in his heart.