A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

When An Qinghe returned from the outhouse, he found Mu Nanzhao had just picked up the next bowl.

He took a sip, his brows relaxed, and he seemed quite satisfied.

An Qing was dumbfounded. How could this guy still drink?!

He glanced at He Jinghui again.

He Jinghui replied with a helpless expression, his face contorted in a grimace. He was burdened by the Regent and his own younger sister, two heavy mountains weighing him down. What could he do but drink? He wouldn't die from drinking anyway.

An Qinghe resignedly sat down, picked up his bowl, took a sip, and his eyes gleamed.

Milk and black tea made his taste buds, those of a man from the Western Regions, tremble wildly.

What is this? It's so delicious!!!

An Qing looked at Gu Xixi with surprise and said incoherently, "This is milk tea? Why is it different from the one I make at home? It's sweet!"

Gu Xixi said, "If you really can't get used to it, then..."

An Qinghe hurriedly protected his bowl, "I can drink it, I can drink it! I mean, although it's sweet, it's a completely different kind of deliciousness!"

"The tea has a slightly bitter aroma, and the milk is rich and creamy. Neither of them overpowers the other's flavor, and the addition of sugar creates a surprisingly sweet and harmonious taste!"

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "The sweetness can be adjusted. This is my first time making it, so I only made a hot drink with 30% sugar. If you think it's not sweet enough, you can add sugar yourself. In the summer, it's even more refreshing to drink with crushed ice."

He Jinghui said, "I also think it's good, but what's that sinking at the bottom of the bowl?"

He Jinglan took the spoon from Guangzhu and placed it into the three bowls one by one.

"The pearls in this dessert are called pearl milk tea."

"Try putting the pearls and milk tea in your mouth together and chewing them carefully."

The three did as instructed.

The maids watching couldn't help but secretly swallow their saliva.

Everyone tasted the food while helping out in the kitchen, and it was truly an unprecedented experience.

Unfortunately, Mr. Gu only made one serving of each type. Everyone was lucky to get a small bite from the bottom of the pot to taste it.

He Jinghui frowned. "It looks a bit like rice cake."

An Qinghe: "It's much harder to chew than rice cake, and it's even a little sweet? Yes, it tastes like brown sugar!"

He scooped the bottom of the bowl a few times with a spoon, then said disappointedly, "That's all? Give me more!"

He Jinglan said, "This is made with tapioca flour, which is hard to digest, so you should eat less of it late at night."

Gu Xixi had no intention of making pearls at first, but she unexpectedly discovered that there was tapioca flour in Xiao He's kitchen.

There were quite a few brown sugar pearls cooked, but the maids and cooks "tasted" them one by one, leaving only this little bit.

However, this bowl of bubble tea is just the first half of the game.

Then there's one bowl, two bowls, three bowls...

Mu Nanzhao remained unfazed.

He Jinghui looked worried and distressed.

An Qinghe was the first to beg for mercy, saying, "I can't take it anymore, I really can't drink anymore."

"Xixi, it's so late, why don't we all go to sleep first tonight..."

Gu Xixi glanced at the table indifferently, "How can that be? It's not even halfway done yet. If you can't drink anymore, take a break and then drink some more."

"I just drank such strong milk tea, and I can't sleep anyway."

She looked around at the three of them and smiled very gently, "Since you all have the energy to make a fuss, why not do something useful?"

Anqing and a jolt of energy caused Anqing to sit up straight involuntarily. Xixi's smile tonight was both beautiful and frightening.

After drinking the fifteenth bowl, He Jinghui couldn't take it anymore and tentatively asked Mu Nanzhao:

"Your Highness, should we... continue?"

There was no response, so he called out again, "Mu Qixiu!"

Mu Nanzhao finally looked at him, but turned the soup bowl in his hand around to reveal the smooth bottom of the bowl.

"This kumquat fruit tea is very refreshing and invigorating. You should drink more of it."

He Jinghui, An Qing, and Qi Qi suffocated.

The Regent himself finished his entire bowl, yet he still urged them to drink more. What does that mean?!

Mu Nanzhao added with a faint smile, "Don't forget to savor the taste; you'll have to share your feelings later."

He Jinghui nearly choked. A threat! This is a threat!

An Qinghe looked as if he had seen a demon. He had never felt so confused and terrified when Mu Nanzhao was chasing him with his sword.

He Jinghui's face, half-hidden by the bowl, was filled with anger as he sipped his tea and gritted his teeth.

He finally figured it out!

Gu Xixi tried to dodge him but couldn't escape Mu Nanzhao in the end, so she must have felt uncomfortable.

The three grown men had just added fuel to the fire by making a ruckus, which is why Gu Xixi managed to prepare these drinks overnight to clean up the mess.

Mu Nanzhao was clearly aware of this long ago.

It was obvious they wanted to let Gu Xixi vent her anger tonight.

He Jinghui took a bite out of the rim of the porcelain bowl. How awful!

If you, Mu Nanzhao, want to drink it, then drink it. Why drag others down with you?!

No, it should be said that Gu Xixi and Mu Nanzhao were fighting, and he and An Qinghe were innocently caught in the crossfire.

At this point, all the sweet soups on the table were no longer so hot, and Mu Nanzhao suddenly began to speed up.

He picked up a bowl, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, threw the empty bowl on the table, picked it up again, and drank again.

Everyone was stunned.

He Jinglan whispered, "Is it okay for him to drink like this?"

Gu Xixi didn't speak, she just looked at Mu Nanzhao.

Another bowl, two bowls...

Seeing that he had already surpassed the twentieth bowl in total, Mu Nanzhao picked up the twenty-first bowl without hesitation.

Just as she took a sip, Gu Xixi said, "That's enough."

He Jinglan gasped in surprise, then quickly turned away to giggle, afraid her best friend would notice her over-excitement.

Wow! I feel so sorry for her! Oh my, she really feels sorry for her!!

An Qinghe and He Jinghui both breathed a sigh of relief.

They all felt a sense of "it's so good to be alive".

Mu Nanzhao, still holding the bowl, looked up at Gu Xixi and said, "What a pity."

Gu Xixi said, "Thank you all for helping with the taste test. It's getting late, and everyone has their own things to do tomorrow, so let's call it a day."

An Qinghe stood up and asked, "And what's your impression after eating it?"

Gu Xixi said, "Tell me tomorrow that the Prince and Lord He are free... Tell Jinglan, she's the boss."

After saying that, she turned and walked out.

He Jinglan quickly smoothed things over, "Yes, yes, it's the same no matter who you tell me!"

Before she could finish speaking, she caught a glimpse of Mu Nanzhao passing by her out of the corner of her eye, and the corners of her mouth once again turned up uncontrollably.

An Qinghe pointed at Mu Nanzhao's retreating figure in astonishment, "Where is he going?"

He Jinglan's expression was serious. "He went back to his own home."

He Jinghui was also very perceptive this time, grabbing An Qinghe and saying, "Brother An, you must be tired. Come with me to the guest rooms in the front yard to settle in."

An Qinghe was still struggling, "But I... I like her..."

As He Jinghui helped An Qing away, he laughed and said, "Of course Xixi lives with Jinglan. They're both girls. What are you doing here?"

"The backyard is for women, so we can't let any men stay overnight. I'll have someone give you the largest guest room, and I guarantee you'll be comfortable!"

……

Gu Xixi walked quickly through the corridor.

She knew where the bedroom was.

Because she was too upset, she didn't even bother waiting for He Jinglan and just wanted to go back inside as soon as possible.

As she turned the corner, a hand suddenly grabbed Gu Xixi's arm from behind.

It seems like a gentle tug, followed by a quick turn.

Just like that, Gu Xixi was caught off guard and turned halfway around, only to be confronted by the face that had stirred up her emotions.

"How long are you going to keep avoiding me?"