Male superiority and female superiority: forced love

"Excuse me, do you have any pen and ink here? I want to make a menu." Ruan Chuyin asked timidly with her head lowered.

"Yes, I'll get it right away."

"I go!"

"I am coming too!"

"Miss Ruan, what else do you need?"

"Miss Ruan, are you thirsty? I made some sour plum soup this morning, and it's iced."

"Miss Ruan, can I get you some of the freshly baked lotus pastry?"

"If you guys have the time to ask, why don't you bring them all?"

Ruan Chuyin froze in place, watching those tall figures pass over her one by one. She couldn't help but take two steps back, waving her hands repeatedly and saying hesitantly, "No... I'm not thirsty, nor hungry... Please just give me some writing materials."

"Go get it quickly!" a masculine-looking man yelled, then scratched his head and grinned at Ruan Chuyin. The strong contrast almost made her cry.

"Miss Ruan, are you okay?" A deep and magnetic voice came from behind, and Ruan Chuyin felt a strong hand covering her shoulder.

Jiang Xuanzhou's gaze lingered on her face. Her clear pupils appeared exceptionally bright and misty with a thin layer of moisture, rushing into his heart like a fluttering deer.

"Your Highness, I'm fine." Ruan Chuyin quickly moved sideways to get out of his confinement. Suddenly, she noticed the gold-plated hairpin on his collar and was slightly stunned. An unknown emotion quietly spread from the bottom of her heart.

Jiang Xuanzhou suddenly felt empty inside and slowly withdrew the big hand that still carried the warmth of the beauty's body.

"The pen and ink are in the study. I'll take you there."

"Okay." Ruan Chuyin responded obediently. Her voice was sweet, soft and delicate. Her little head hung low, like a little kitten following closely behind Jiang Xuanzhou.

The study in the palace was unexpectedly small, with only a row of bookcases, a desk and a Luohan chair.

As the two of them stepped inside, the space suddenly became more cramped, but it gave Ruan Chuyin an indescribable sense of security.

The orange-red sunlight poured in from the window, shining on her body as if she were covered with a layer of red gauze, reflecting on her snow-white skin. Her whole body exuded a soft light, and in Jiang Xuanzhou's eyes, she was pure and moving, pure and clear, like a blooming lotus, untainted by the mud, and without being coquettish.

Ruan Chuyin's mind was full of thoughts about tonight's dishes, and she shook her head inwardly as she pondered.

The distinguished guest does not eat fish, pork, mutton, onions or any sweets.

In addition, there was no kiln in the kitchen, and in the blink of an eye, only one third of the recipe that he had memorized was left.

Half an incense stick later, she wrote down six dishes, two snacks and the required ingredients.

Garlic shrimp, pan-fried king prawns, steamed sea cucumber with egg, fairy chicken, fried button mushrooms, blanched cauliflower, fried rice noodles and emerald steamed dumplings.

When I looked up, I encountered a sea of ​​stars, so deep and vast that it seemed to suck people in and make them sink into it.

"Your Highness, this is the menu I've proposed for the banquet. Please review it and see if there's anything wrong with it," Ruan Chuyin asked softly, her heart racing. Although she was a good cook, she had never hosted a banquet before, and she didn't know if this menu would please the prince.

The beautiful handwriting on the paper made Jiang Xuanzhou's eyes light up slightly. Compared with many noble ladies in Liangcheng, Ruan Chuyin's handwriting was much neater.

He noticed that several of the characters were not from Dayong, and were written in a font he had never seen before, but this did not affect his understanding and judgment.

"Which academy does Miss Ruan attend?" Jiang Xuanzhou asked tentatively. His starry eyes stared at her, as if he wanted to see through everything.

Academy? What academy?

Ruan Chuyin's brain froze instantly. How could she have known that all Dayong women, regardless of their background, could attend the nearest academy free of charge? Those who wanted to attend a prestigious academy or become a disciple of a renowned teacher had to take a separate exam.

"I... didn't study in the academy. My parents taught me a little when they were free when I was a child. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Your Highness." Ruan Chuyin steadied her voice, her eyes becoming more cautious.

Jiang Xuanzhou sensed her uneasiness and temporarily suppressed his doubts.

The divine shrimp and sea cucumber mentioned on this menu are rare in Dayong, and there are only a handful of chefs who can handle these two ingredients well. How could a peasant girl from a small river village have such ability?

His eyes scanned the names of the dishes he had never heard of, and he suddenly felt genuine anticipation for today's dinner. He raised his eyes and smiled faintly, saying, "The dishes Miss Ruan has proposed are excellent, and there's nothing wrong with them. I'll have someone buy all the ingredients as soon as possible."

The fireman was very efficient and bought everything in less than half an hour.

Ruan Chuyin took a deep breath, rolled up her sleeves and pulled out a fat sea cucumber.

"Miss Ruan, just leave it there and tell us what you want to do with it." Chen Ping hurriedly stepped forward and said.

"Okay, thank you." Ruan Chuyin put the sea cucumber back with a smile.

She had never handled a living thing before. In the past, her parents or Xiaoya would prepare it beforehand. She was just wondering how to start.

The kitchen suddenly became bustling with activity. Twenty young men, young and old, were vying for the ingredients, each eager to show off their skills in front of Ruan Chuyin.

The rhythmic sound of cutting vegetables rang in my ears, accompanied by the sound of splashing water and the whooshing sound of flames. Beautiful notes danced in the kitchen.

The fireman handled the ingredients very carefully, even beating the eggs and setting them aside.

During this time, Ruan Chuyin soaked the rice in water, let them drain it and grind it into pulp after an hour and a half, and then steamed and cut it.

This rice noodle dish opened the eyes of everyone present. They had never known that rice could be made into delicate and chewy rice noodles. They were all full of admiration for Ruan Chuyin.

Initially, they thought Ruan Chuyin was just going through the motions. After all, in Dayong, no young woman would easily cook, let alone show her true skills.

At this moment, they suddenly became extremely fascinated by the beauty under the lotus-colored veil, and their big eyes lingered on her from time to time.

Ruan Chuyin was concentrating on rolling out the steamed bun wrappers and didn't notice anything unusual around her.

Today, she prepared a completely vegetarian filling, adding vegetables, corn, mushrooms, glutinous rice, and lard. She also added a little frosting to enhance the flavor.

A group of young men secretly watched her rolling out the emerald dough and pinching the dumplings, their eyes widening in amazement. Her skillful gestures seemed even more skillful than theirs.

"Did you see that? Miss Ruan really knows how to do it!"

"It's strange. How can a girl like her roll out the leather into such a round shape?"

"I heard she opened a small restaurant on Wu'an Street, and business is booming."

"Is it true? Have you ever eaten there?"

The low murmurs of discussion around them were like the humming of bees. Ruan Chuyin couldn't hear clearly and couldn't help but look behind her. Suddenly, the low humming stopped, and the sound of rushing water and the crackling of flames began to echo in her ears again.

"Miss Ruan, is there anything else you need us to do?" Chen Ping came forward and asked attentively after finishing the work in his hands.

Looking around, Ruan Chuyin felt that the preliminary preparations were almost done, so she smiled and thanked him, shaking her head.

After spending half a day with the cook, she was no longer as nervous and reserved as before, so she tried to strike up a conversation: "Brother Chen, do you know who the distinguished guest is for the prince's banquet tonight?"

Chen Ping's heart melted as he listened to the delicate voice, and he almost gave way to his knees. He answered without hesitation, "It's Master Yan, the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple."