Chapter 99: An Unexpected Encounter with a Rival, Dantai Ming

“Darling, what do you think of this courtyard?” Shen Yanxi asked.

It was a modest garden covering more than ten acres, complete with pavilions, terraces, and towers. Though much smaller than the Shen estate, its scenery was no less exquisite. Lu Jin couldn’t fathom how Jianglin had so many splendid places—none of it was apparent from outside.

“It’s certainly an excellent choice,” Lu Jin said with genuine satisfaction. Had he handled this himself, he’d likely have settled for a courtyard with just a few rooms. Finding something like this on his own would have been impossible. As the daughter of a prominent family, Shen Yanxi made arrangements with effortless skill and thorough consideration. The location wasn’t far from the Shen mansion, so travel between the two wouldn’t take much time.

“As long as you’re pleased, my husband. What about Cai Wei?” Shen Yanxi draped her arm around Lu Caiwei’s shoulders.

Lu Caiwei, the daughter of a rural landlord, had seen quite a bit of the world lately. The thought of living here with the whole family still felt like a dream.

“This is nice, but where will I live?” She wondered if such a large garden might include a small personal plot.

“There’s no room for you here. You’ll live at Xiyuan,” Lu Jin replied without even turning his head, his gaze lingering on the surrounding scenery.

“Hmph! I want to live with Mom and Dad. Since when do you get to boss me around?” Lu Caiwei retorted angrily.

“Because I’m your brother. Enough of this pointless rebellion—just enjoy the life ahead,” Lu Jin said, turning back to ruffle her hair.

“Hmph! Sister-in-law, look what Lu Jin is doing...” Caiwei was about to complain.

“Doesn’t Caiwei want to live with sister-in-law?” Shen Yanxi teased, tousling Caiwei’s hair.

Caught off guard, Caiwei fell silent. She was stubborn but not unversed in social graces. Besides, what was wrong with these two?

“Don’t worry. With such a large place, of course there’s a room for Caiwei—not just one, but rooms for your brother and me too. Still, you’ll mostly stay at Xiyuan since it’s more convenient for your studies,” Shen Yanxi explained.

Only then did Caiwei feel satisfied, shooting a spiteful glance at her brother, wishing he’d learn from sister-in-law.

“Yanxi, this garden must have cost quite a bit, right?” Lu Jin asked, pretending not to know.

“Is Nanqing going to settle accounts with his wife?” Shen Yanxi laughed.

Lu Jin had no reply. The topic ended there. Whether at the Shen family or with Lu Jin himself, Shen Yanxi was the one in charge; Lu Jin merely played the hands-off role. With Shen Yanxi managing the follow-up, he had nothing to worry about.

“Let’s go. Since we’re out, we might as well have lunch at Qingfeng Mingyue Pavilion, then check out the Zuixian Residence,” Lu Jin said to Shen Yanxi.

“If you ask me, you shouldn’t have agreed to Father’s request. Why take on such a thankless task?” Shen Yanxi complained.

“Better to be busy than idle. It’s only right to contribute to the family,” Lu Jin didn’t mind. With good food and drink provided, he couldn’t just act like a lord who ignored everything. It was just a matter of giving a few casual directions.

The group soon arrived at Qingfeng Mingyue Pavilion by carriage. Seeing the crowd outside, Lu Jin felt a sense of satisfaction. If he had owned a place like this in his past life, he might have lived quite comfortably.

“Miss Shen, the Second Young Lady of the Shen family?” Just as Lu Jin and Shen Yanxi entered, a voice called out from the side.

Second Young Lady of the Shen family? That was his wife! Lu Jin quickly turned to look.

Ahead stood a man with a tall, graceful figure and elegant bearing, dressed in splendid robes. His face was as beautiful as jade, skin pure and white. His eyebrows curved like willow leaves, exuding pride with a subtle lift. His eyes shone brightly like stars. A high nose and slightly parted lips suggested a smile without words. Every move revealed refinement and nobility.

“Who are you?” Shen Yanxi was momentarily confused, the man’s face vaguely familiar but elusive.

“I am Dantai Ming, from the second branch of the Dantai family of Jinling. I saw the Second Young Lady a few times in the capital a few years ago...” he said.

“Ah, Brother Dantai! It’s been years. Unexpected to meet you here in Jianglin today,” Shen Yanxi replied happily.

Such was life among the noble families: relatives connected to relatives, always able to trace ties. When she accompanied her father in the capital years ago, she had indeed attended a few gatherings where she met Dantai Ming.

“Madam, who is this?” Lu Jin couldn’t feign ignorance.

Seeing Lu Jin turn, Dantai Ming’s expression soured. Hearing Lu Jin call her “madam,” he was stunned—when had the Second Young Lady of the Shen family married?

“Husband, this is Dantai Ming, the young master of the second branch of the Jinling Dantai family. I met Brother Dantai a few times in the capital a few years ago. Brother Dantai, this is my husband, Lu Jin, Lu Nanqing,” Shen Yanxi quickly introduced them.

Watching Shen Yanxi beam as she introduced him, Dantai Ming felt a pang of pain. Was he too late? Who was this man who suddenly appeared? He hadn’t heard of any noble family proposing to the Shen family. To Dantai Ming, since she had refused the royal family, she must be marrying into a noble house.

“Brother Lu, an honor!” Lu Jin smiled and clasped his hands in greeting. He couldn’t afford to lose face, even though the other man was visibly hostile.

“Brother Lu, the pleasure is mine,” Dantai Ming returned the gesture.

When Shen Yanxi removed her veil upon entering, the patrons of the restaurant all turned to look. They had never seen such a beautiful woman. Hearing she was the Shen family’s Second Young Lady and that a young master of the Jinling Dantai family was present, curiosity swelled. A crowd gathered, blocking the entrance.

“Brother Dantai, if you don’t mind, why not come in and talk? It would avoid disturbing the other guests,” Lu Jin suggested.

“Brother Dantai, please join us. It’s been years; it’s good to catch up,” Shen Yanxi invited.

Did Shen Yanxi not consider Lu Jin’s feelings? Not entirely. Nobles had their own grace and etiquette. Even if she only wished to enjoy a meal with her husband, she had to step back now. Dantai Ming was the same—resenting Lu Jin inwardly, wanting to corner him with questions, but smiling politely instead.

“Very well, I shall trouble you,” Dantai Ming said courteously. He turned and instructed his attendants to proceed on their own, then followed Lu Jin and Shen Yanxi upstairs.

On the third floor, Lu Jin led them to a private room. As the restaurant’s owner, he had reserved this space for private use during the design. It was Shen Yanxi’s first visit, and her face was full of curiosity. She hadn’t expected her husband to quietly acquire such assets.

After some polite exchanges, they settled in as the restaurant’s attendants appeared. Qingfeng Mingyue Pavilion was high-end; naturally, guests were not served by servants with towels draped over their shoulders.

“Brother, what brings you to Jianglin?” Shen Yanxi, as a local landlord, couldn’t help but ask.

“Nothing major. I recently took over family affairs and thought I’d come see the business here,” Dantai Ming replied. He had two aims: to oversee his family’s trade and to check on Shen Yanxi’s situation. With the emperor dead, she would eventually marry. He hadn’t expected to be blindsided by the news that she was already wed.

“Brother Dantai, what made you come to Qingfeng Mingyue Pavilion?” Lu Jin asked curiously.

“I heard about this new restaurant’s unique charm and came to try it out during some leisure time. I didn’t expect to meet both of you—it’s fortuitous,” Dantai Ming smiled warmly.

“I’m familiar with this place. Let me recommend some dishes for Brother Dantai, a little welcome feast,” Lu Jin said, avoiding mentioning that the restaurant was his own—it wasn’t necessary since they were still strangers.

“Everything is up to Brother Lu; Ming will follow your lead,” Dantai Ming said.

While Shen Yanxi and Dantai Ming conversed, Lu Jin ordered the signature dishes and instructed the attendants to bring two bottles of wine. He’d heard of the Dantai family; since the opportunity presented itself, he saw no reason not to make the most of it.

As they chatted, the food and wine arrived. Lu Jin poured two small cups of wine from bottles sent a few days earlier, not yet available to the public. The bottles were elegantly crafted by the Shen family’s kiln.

“Brother Dantai, my wife and I welcome you to Jianglin!” Lu Jin raised his cup.

“Oh, I haven’t tasted this wine before. It’s as clear as water. Could it be that Brother Lu is sparing the good wine and serving water instead?” Dantai Ming peered curiously at the small cups filled with clear liquid and joked.

“If Brother Dantai can drink this as if it were water, then I must truly admire you as a wine immortal,” Lu Jin quipped.

At Lu Jin’s words, Dantai Ming brought the cup to his nose, then immediately withdrew it.

“This wine smells so rich?” Dantai Ming exclaimed in surprise.

“Only the best wine will do for Brother Dantai. If it were ordinary wine, wouldn’t you doubt our sincerity?” Lu Jin teased.

“Very well, Ming is fortunate. Hey, why doesn’t Mrs. Lu drink? I recall she drank at banquets before,” Dantai Ming said, no longer addressing Shen Yanxi as the Second Young Lady now that she was married.

“Brother, please forgive me. This wine is too strong, probably only the men here can handle it. I’ll toast you with tea instead,” Shen Yanxi said, lifting her teacup.

The three raised their cups in a toast to welcome Dantai Ming.

After swallowing the wine, Lu Jin remained composed—he had prepared for this. But Dantai Ming was less fortunate. He was unaccustomed to such potent liquor. Though he swallowed the small cup at once, halfway down his throat felt as if it was on fire. He hurriedly set down the remaining half, coughing violently, his face flushed like a burning coal.

Aside from Shen Yanxi’s concerned inquiries, Lu Jin sat steadily. This was a necessary ordeal; he would recover shortly.

“This wine... oh...” The fierce drink robbed Dantai Ming of his usual calm. After several attempts, he couldn’t utter a complete sentence. Had it not been for Lu Jin and his wife sitting serenely opposite him, he might have suspected poison. When did Daliang come to have such fiery wine?

“Brother Dantai, are you feeling better?” Lu Jin asked as the worst seemed to pass. The first cup was always the hardest.

Dantai Ming rested a moment; his throat was much improved, but his stomach still burned. Unable to speak, he blushed deeply and sipped some tea.

“Brother Lu, where did you get this wine?” Dantai Ming finally managed.

“No rush to say. Brother Dantai, please try these dishes—they’re quite different from others,” Lu Jin replied graciously.

Dantai Ming was puzzled. Could the wine really be so rare? If it were easy to obtain, he would have known about it already.