Male superiority and female superiority: forced love

"Zhigui, I came to Beiyue this time to ask you to help me find someone."

The situation was serious, so Jiang Wenzhou didn't hesitate and directly stated his purpose.

Lu Zhuoxi ordered an ice jar to be placed in each of the four corners: east, south, west, and north. As the temperature in the central hall dropped, the summer heat gradually faded, and the sensation of coolness and comfort grew, temporarily suppressing Jiang Wenzhou's rising restlessness.

"Who are you looking for?" Lu Zhuoxi took out her treasured purple bamboo tea and poured it over the tea set elegantly.

"An eighteen-year-old girl." Jiang Wenzhou frowned and replied. The helpless sound from his lips made him pause suddenly.

Lu Zhuoxi's eyes twitched slightly, and she stared at Jiang Wenzhou with a half-smile in her eyes. "You came all the way from Liangcheng just to ask me to find you a girl? What kind of girl?"

"Qin Guanzhi and my third brother's sweetheart." Jiang Wenzhou replied.

Oh?

His words sparked some interest in Lu Zhuoxi.

Qin Guanzhi is the most proud disciple of Master Qi, the Sword God. He had many interactions with him when he was learning martial arts at Wangxi Mountain. Qin Guanzhi appears to be gentle and calm on the surface, but is actually conservative and stubborn. His single-minded pursuit of swordsmanship is very similar to Master Qi who has seen through the world. He is the disciple with the highest attainments in swordsmanship in the sect, and a popular candidate for the next headmaster.

Jiang Wenzhou's third brother, Jiang Xuanzhou, the King of Linhuai of the Great Yong Kingdom, was a handsome and imposing figure, renowned for his adoration among the noble ladies of Liangcheng. However, his personality was far from as appealing as his appearance; he was cold and heartless. Having dealt with him several times, the description of him as a "tough nut to crack" was a perfect fit.

It's quite interesting that a girl can be liked by both of them.

"Zi Yu, what exactly happened?" Lu Zhuoxi pushed the brewed purple beard tea in front of him and waited for the next words.

When Jiang Wenzhou slowly finished telling the whole story, Lu Zhuoxi's eyes were filled with shock beyond words.

"Did Uncle Qi say when Prince Linhuai would wake up?" He took a sip of tea and asked indifferently.

Jiang Wenzhou shook his head. "Master only said he could keep him safe. Before I left, my third brother hadn't regained consciousness yet."

"It's not like Qin Guanzhi to do such a thing for a beautiful woman. I think this girl must be as beautiful as a fairy." Lu Zhuoxi said with certainty.

Back in Wangxi Mountain, Hao Rong, the sect's most beautiful woman, fell head over heels for Qin Guanzhi. Qin Guanzhi kicked her off a cliff, breaking six ribs and nearly leaving her crippled. This incident caused a huge uproar, and Uncle Qi finally used the "bone-repairing pill" he had treasured for half his life to heal her.

Hao Rong was a disciple of Cuizhu Peak's master, Zuo Jinghe, and also a princess of the Nanxing Kingdom. To appease their rage, the head of the sect and the Emperor of Dayong offered countless treasures. Afterwards, Qin Guanzhi was taken back to Dayong by the Emperor.

Jiang Wenzhou took out a scroll from his sleeve, interrupting Lu Zhuoxi's gradually drifting thoughts.

"This is Miss Ruan's portrait. I've secretly sent thousands of people to search for her, but to no avail. Wushui Town is five hundred miles from the Beiyue border, and most of the roads are straight. I think she might have traveled all the way north to Beiyue Country, so I'd like to ask for your help in the covert search."

"Her surname is Ruan? What's her full name?" Lu Zhuoxi took the portrait and looked straight at Jiang Wenzhou.

A native of Dayong, surnamed Ruan. Could it be her?

"Ruan Chuyin." Jiang Wenzhou replied.

It’s really her!

Lu Zhuoxi concealed the surprise in his eyes and slowly opened the portrait.

She was wearing a yellow shirt and skirt, her figure was like a willow, her black hair was like clouds, and her skin was like the snow on Tianshan Mountain.

It’s just that his facial features…are rather ordinary, and seem out of place with his demeanor.

"Ziyu, are you sure she's Ruan Chuyin?" Lu Zhuoxi asked suspiciously. Miss Ruan's eyes were as bright as stars, and they didn't look like the eyes of the woman in the painting at all.

"Sure, this was given to me by the guard in my third brother's house. He has met Miss Ruan, so he shouldn't be wrong." Jiang Wenzhou said affirmatively.

Qin Guanzhi was originally asked to paint the figure, but he refused to put pen to paper. Later, Yu Yu was called in, but his painting was so horrible that it was unrecognizable. Chu Yi was then called in, and he dictated the figure to the painter.

After hearing this, Lu Zhuoxi had a plan in mind and said no more.

"Zhigui, if Ruan Chuyin really came to Beiyue, she should have been here for more than ten days according to the schedule. She is a girl and doesn't know martial arts, so she will definitely go straight to Licheng. I heard that she is a good cook, so restaurants and stalls may be her places of stay." Jiang Wenzhou expressed his thoughts.

Now that Prince Linhuai hasn't regained consciousness, Ruan Chuyin has vanished without a trace, and the Empress is determined to execute Qin Guanzhi, my father's patience is wearing thin. He must be found as soon as possible, or else, even if Qin Guanzhi survives, he will be exiled. The Duke of Zhenguo will never sit idly by and watch him be deposed.

"Okay. I'll let you know as soon as I have any news. Are you staying here today or going back to Dayong?" Lu Zhuoxi asked.

"Go back to Dayong." Jiang Wenzhou was worried about something happening in Liangcheng and hurried back.

After he left, Lu Zhuoxi called Song Siyuan over and briefly told him what had happened.

Song Siyuan held the scroll in his hand, carefully pondering the prince's intentions.

After a moment, he tentatively said, "Your Highness, why don't we go to Zuixianlou to confirm it? If Miss Ruan's appearance doesn't match this painting, then she's not the person Prince Dayong is looking for. The world is so big, there are many people with the same name!"

If the prince really wanted to help Jiang Xuanzhou, he would have taken him to Zuixianlou long ago, so Song Siyuan guessed that the prince wanted to keep him.

"It's getting late." Lu Zhuoxi said slowly as he looked at the setting sun.

"Your Highness, I heard Zuixianlou's seafood is excellent. How about we go and try some later? Miss Ruan's cooking is so good, I wonder how many people would love to eat there three times a day!" Song Siyuan suggested with a smile. What's wrong with going twice a day? How could they not be happy when they were given money?

"Okay. I'll change into a robe." Lu Zhuoxi nodded slightly, with a hint of pleasure in his eyes.

"Your Highness, I've heard that the young men of Licheng these days like to wear bright colors, like the vibrant yet dignified purple-red that's so eye-catching. Your Highness has a dignified figure and a handsome demeanor. I'm sure Miss Ruan will remember him forever." Song Siyuan pointedly reminded the prince to stop wearing all black. He was usually so stern and his words lacked warmth, so why didn't he use his clothes to bring him down to earth?

The prince will be twenty-five next month. If he doesn't hurry up, he'll inevitably be granted a marriage at the palace banquet at the end of the year.

Lu Zhuoxi's greatest strength is his willingness to accept advice and listen to opinions from all sides.

When he went out, he had already changed into the purple satin robe recommended by Mr. Song.

The mansion would buy him twenty sets of robes every season, in all colors, but he was just used to wearing dark colors.

Two quarters past You is the busiest time at Zuixianlou.

Ruan Chuyin patiently taught Ming Ba, Ming Jiu, and Ming Liu in the kitchen. Ming Liu was the most talented of the three and could already cook several decent dishes, which greatly reduced Ruan Chuyin's workload.

"Miss Ruan, the two people who came at noon are here again." Ming Qi didn't care about the pain in his body and rushed in.

"Which two people?" Ruan Chuyin was so confused from shaking the pot that she didn't react for a moment.

"They are the two who spent 1,200 yuan on four dishes." Ming Qi immediately pointed out the key point.

After hearing this, all the friends in the kitchen stopped what they were doing, and their eyes flashed with burning light.

"Miss Ruan, it must be because your cooking is so delicious that they come again!" Ming Jiu kept praising.

"Yes, many of the diners in our building are repeat customers, and quite a few come to eat every day." Ming Ba continued while recalling the diners' appearance.

"You two are clueless!" Ming Qi was furious. Hadn't you heard the saying, "The drunkard's real purpose lies elsewhere"? It seemed like he was the smartest person in the building.

"What do you mean by 'mindless'? Are you asking for a beating again? Do you want us to greet you later?" Ming Ba said unconvinced. He felt that the beating he had received this afternoon was too light. This kid has a thicker skin than a carp, and he can jump around without getting hurt.

"Ming Liu, I leave this to you. I'll go take a look." Ruan Chuyin immediately took off her skirt and wiped her hands.

A bowl of divine rice costs one hundred taels, four dishes cost one thousand taels, and the reward alone costs five hundred taels.

A lunch for two people can equal half a day's profit for the building.

No matter how busy you are, you have to make time to receive such high-end VIPs.