Chapter 5

“Officer Zhang.”

Seated across from Zhang Meng, Zi Yi spoke with some unease, “With so many dishes ordered, can we finish them all?”

Zhang Meng put her index finger to her lips, shushing him quietly, “Don’t worry, the boss will definitely be paying for these. We just need to open up our stomachs and eat to our heart’s content.”

After Jin Yue had taken the criminal away, Xu Lu Cha, with tears in his eyes, walked up to Zhong Huo, knelt down, and expressed his gratitude for saving his life.

It was clearly Zhang Meng who had saved him, but Xu Lu Cha chose to ignore her. What’s more, Zhong Huo didn’t hesitate to take the credit for herself.

She even said that it was only natural for an official to serve the people and that she was just doing what she was supposed to do.

Zhang Meng didn’t refute her. In modern times, she had experienced her superiors taking credit for their subordinates’ accomplishments many times. As long as the boss was happy, that was all that mattered.

Zhong Huo and Xu Lu Cha seemed to hit it off immediately, and once they started talking, they couldn’t stop. They even made plans to go to the Moonlight Teahouse to drink tea and admire the flowers.

Naturally, Zhang Meng and Zi Yi, as their attendants, went along with them.

Having endured so much undeserved blame from Zhong Huo, Zhang Meng knew that Zhong Huo always cared about saving face. This time, inviting a beauty to drink tea and admire flowers, Zhong Huo would definitely be paying for it herself.

If Zhang Meng didn’t take this opportunity to eat her fill, she wouldn’t feel satisfied.

While Xu Lu Cha and Zhong Huo were chatting and laughing in a private room, Zhang Meng and Zi Yi sat outside and ordered more than a dozen dishes from the menu.

An hour later, Xu Lu Cha and Zhong Huo were still inside talking, while Zhang Meng and Zi Yi had already eaten so much that they could barely stand up.

Initially, Zi Yi was quite restrained, only eating a little before putting down his chopsticks. However, seeing how delicious the food Zhang Meng was eating, he couldn’t help but join her.

Having eaten and drunk their fill, the two inside still hadn’t come out. Zhang Meng, feeling bored, took out two hair ribbons of different colors from her sleeve.

“Zi Yi, let me show you a magic trick.”

Zi Yi was puzzled, “Magic trick?”

Zhang Meng smiled and tied the ends of the two differently colored hair ribbons tightly. She held the red ribbon in her left hand, forming a circle, and the blue ribbon in her right hand, also forming a circle. Holding her hands in front of Zi Yi, she said,

“Watch closely.”

She slowly brought her hands together, rubbing the ribbons against each other a couple of times. Suddenly, with a “snap,” the two ribbons were linked together.

Zi Yi let out a gasp of surprise and took the linked ribbons from Zhang Meng’s hands, examining them closely. He tugged on both ends, “Both ends of the ribbons were clearly tied tightly, how could they possibly be linked together?”

“It’s very simple. I’ll teach you.”

As Zhang Meng was teaching Zi Yi, the two who had been chatting for over an hour in the private room finally came out.

Zi Yi quickly stood up and silently walked behind Xu Lu Cha.

Zhong Huo frowned and glared at Zhang Meng.

On the way back, Zhong Huo’s face remained gloomy.

Zhang Meng thought that Zhong Huo was unhappy because she had spent too much of her money.

Although Zhang Meng always believed that taking advantage of one’s boss wasn’t really taking advantage but being smart, seeing her boss’s face so dark, she felt a little guilty.

“Boss, how about…” I’ll deduct the cost of mine and Zi Yi’s meal from my wages.

But before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Zhong Huo’s cold voice.

“The moment you have free time, you can’t resist flirting with men? How improper! What will people think of our yamen if they see this?”

Zhang Meng was startled by her boss’s inexplicable words, “No, no, no, boss, you misunderstood. I wasn’t flirting with any men.”

Zhong Huo stopped in her tracks and glared at her, “Your heads were so close together, do you think I’m blind?”

She even referred to herself as “this official,” it seemed that the boss was really angry. But didn’t she also hide away in a private room with Xu Lu Cha for a long time?

Even if it did damage the yamen’s image, wasn’t the boss the one leading by example?

Zhang Meng lowered her head, holding back her words, but in the end, she couldn’t help but say, “Boss, you were clearly the one talking with Xu Lu Cha inside first. I was just bored and chatted with Zi Yi for a bit.”

Zhong Huo paused, “There’s nothing between me and Xu Lu Cha.”

“There’s nothing between Zi Yi and me either.”

In the inner courtyard of the Xu residence.

“Zi Yi, what do you think of that Zhong Huo?”

The green-robed man stood by the pond, his snow-white feet bare. His slender fingers plucked a petal from a flower and tossed it onto the clear pond water.

The blood-red petal floated on the pond’s surface, spinning with the water’s flow, coated with fine water droplets, making it appear even more delicate.

Zi Yi held the hair ribbons in both hands, studying them with his head lowered. Upon hearing those words, he replied, “Upright in conduct, diligent in governance and love for the people, outstanding in appearance, and brimming with talent.”

Xu Lu Cha’s hand, holding the flower branch, tightened slightly, “I find her quite dull.”

“Ah?” Zi Yi looked up.

“She was even absent-minded while talking to me.” Xu Lu Cha’s fingers exerted force, and with a “snap,” the flower branch broke.

“Young, young master.”

Xu Lu Cha threw the broken flower branch into the pond water and said indifferently, “The rot starts from the top. I reckon Zhang Meng’s starving ghost-like behavior was learned from her.”

Zi Yi wisely kept his mouth shut, lowering his head to continue studying the two hair ribbons.

“Zi Yi, it seems you and that starving ghost hit it off quite well?” Zi Yi’s face stiffened, “No, young master.”

“Throw away the hair ribbons.”

“Yes.”

“Zhang Meng, you angered the boss again today?”

Jin Yue squatted to the side, munching on a watermelon, and asked.

Zhang Meng sighed while washing the dishes, “Is there a day when I don’t anger her?”

Jin Yue said, “I’ll probably quit in four or five days and return to my hometown to marry. When the time comes, you can ask the boss for leave and go back with me. Not only can you attend my wedding ceremony, but you can also escape from the boss for a few days to relax. How about it?”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Meng praised, “That sounds perfect.”

That night, Zhang Meng wrote a leave request of several hundred words and submitted it to the boss the next day.

“Denied.”

Zhong Huo threw the leave request back to Zhang Meng.

“Why?”

“I remember you just took leave a few days ago.”

Mentioning this, Zhang Meng felt aggrieved, “Boss, that day, how could that be considered leave? That day, I cooked dinner, weeded the grass, and watered the flowers.”

Zhong Huo glared at her, “As a member of the yamen, quibbling over such things, have you no shame?”

“Boss, although I also want to dedicate my everything to the yamen, my foster father insists that I find a man I love before he agrees to see me. Taking a few days off isn’t for fun, but for the important matter of my life.”

Zhong Huo’s face darkened, “A woman should establish her career before considering marriage.”

“Isn’t it marriage first, then career?” Zhang Meng muttered under her breath.

Unable to get Zhong Huo’s approval for leave, Zhang Meng was dispirited on her way to patrol the streets. Usually, pushing an old man’s cart uphill with one hand was more than enough, but now, even using both hands, she could barely push it.

Moreover, she had a bitter melon face the entire day.

“Officer Zhang, you seem to be in low spirits today!” The vegetable-selling uncle laughed.

Zhang Meng replied, “Just so-so.”

The uncle put two bundles of green vegetables on her cart, “Since Officer Zhang is in such low spirits today, I won’t mind bringing you down a bit more. No discount on today’s vegetables.”

“Uncle, with your generosity, how could you possibly do something so stingy? It completely goes against your noble character.”

Zhang Meng pushed a cart full of vegetables out of the vegetable market. It was still quite early, and the sun was still scorching.

In no hurry to return to the yamen, Zhang Meng sat at the entrance of a teahouse, drinking the tea provided for free by the owner to cool off.

“Officer Zhang.”

A clear and pleasant male voice rang out.

Zhang Meng took a sip of tea and waved at the person in front of her, “What a coincidence, Young Master Xu. Zi Yi.”

Xu Lu Cha smiled shyly, his beautiful eyes moist and bright, like the rippling of spring water.

Zi Yi stood behind Xu Lu Cha. Seeing Zhang Meng wave at him, he lowered his gaze, his face slightly flushed.

“Officer Zhang, why isn’t the boss out on inspection today?” Xu Lu Cha asked, seeming a bit embarrassed.

“She’s busy with work.” Busy withholding employee benefits.

Xu Lu Cha nodded, “With the boss’s numerous official duties, naturally she can’t come out for inspection every day.”

Zhang Meng said, “She’ll come out when she has time.”

Sadness is contagious. Seeing Zhang Meng’s dispirited appearance, Xu Lu Cha inwardly thought: Putting on a dead man’s face for whom to see? Based on her starving ghost-like appearance, she probably hasn’t eaten today.

Although Xu Lu Cha thought this way, he didn’t show it on his face. He only gently curved his lips and, holding a silk handkerchief tightly, leaned close to Zhang Meng’s face to wipe her sweat.

“Officer Zhang has been patrolling the streets all day. It must have been tiring, seeing you covered in sweat.” His tone was gentle, with a hint of coquettish complaint.

Zhang Meng was startled by the cool and fragrant handkerchief. She leaned her head back to avoid the handkerchief, then wiped the sweat on her forehead with her sleeve, “I can wipe it myself.”

Xu Lu Cha’s beautiful eyes dimmed, but his smile remained unchanged as he naturally withdrew the handkerchief.

“Yesterday, with the boss present, Lu Cha was too nervous to even speak with Officer Zhang. Lu Cha deeply regrets it.”

Zhang Meng took out two empty cups, filled them with tea, and pointing to the two empty seats across from her, said to them, “Please sit and have some tea.”

Xu Lu Cha sat down but didn’t drink the tea. He continued, “Today, being able to chat and drink tea with Officer Zhang, Lu Cha feels very happy.”

“Young Master Xu flatters me too much,” Zhang Meng said. Seeing Zi Yi standing behind Xu Lu Cha and not taking a seat, she hurriedly invited him as well, “Zi Yi, you sit too.”

Zi Yi hesitantly glanced at Xu Lu Cha. Seeing Xu Lu Cha also smiling and allowing him to sit, he cautiously sat down beside Xu Lu Cha.

“Officer Zhang, you helped Lu Cha retrieve the jade pendant. Lu Cha wanted to thank you properly but ended up doing the opposite, sending something unsuitable for Officer Zhang. Lu Cha feels very ashamed. Seeing that Officer Zhang quite enjoys delicacies, Lu Cha personally made some pastries for Officer Zhang.”

Zi Yi placed the food box he had been holding on the table and opened it. A fragrant aroma immediately wafted out.

Zhang Meng’s hand, holding the teacup, paused. She spoke in surprise, “Young Master Xu, did you make all of these?”

Although there weren’t many types of pastries in the food box, each one was exquisite, like a work of art.

Xu Lu Cha smiled slightly and gently nodded, “I hope Officer Zhang won’t mind.”

Zhang Meng picked up a pastry and took a bite. Her eyes lit up, “It’s delicious!” With good food to eat, her mood finally improved a little.

Xu Lu Cha shyly lowered his head, “As long as Officer Zhang likes them.” She’s really inexperienced, easily appeased by some small pastries.

“Officer Zhang, Lu Cha has a request,” Xu Lu Cha took out an exquisite sachet, “Could Officer Zhang please give this sachet to the boss?”

Zhang Meng took the sachet, “Alright, I’ll give it to her for you.”

She put the sachet into her sleeve, then used her hand to take another pastry and put it in her mouth, “It’s really delicious.”

Xu Lu Cha’s heart was filled with even more disdain, but he maintained a smiling face, “If Officer Zhang likes them, Lu Cha can make them for you every day.”

“No, no, no!” Zhang Meng quickly shook her head, “I can’t afford that.”

Xu Lu Cha was stunned, “Wh-what?”

Zhang Meng laughed, “Our yamen has rules. Soldiers can’t casually accept things from civilians. If the boss finds out, my salary will be deducted. So I’ll pay you. For the pastries.”

“Officer Zhang, there’s no need to pay. These were specially…”

“I must pay,” Zhang Meng took out two silver taels from her sleeve and pushed them in front of Xu Lu Cha, “I don’t know the price of these pastries, but I’ll pay you according to the prices at the Moonlight Teahouse. Although the taste of yours can’t compare to the Moonlight Teahouse’s, they’re quite good. Thank you.”

Xu Lu Cha’s face stiffened, and his hands, hanging by his legs, slowly clenched.

“By the way, Zi Yi, how’s the magic trick I taught you the other day coming along?” Zhang Meng looked at Zi Yi.

Zi Yi lowered his head and replied with some difficulty, “It’s, it’s alright.”

“Next time, if there’s a chance, I’ll teach you something more fun.”

Zhang Meng stood up, packed the pastries, and bid them farewell with a smile, “I have something to do, so I’ll be going first. Let’s chat again next time.”

With that, she turned and left.

Xu Lu Cha’s clenched hands slowly relaxed. Zhang Meng’s repeated disregard for his goodwill made him angry and unwilling to accept it.

Usually, as long as he softened his attitude a little, women would automatically flock to him and try to please him in every way. When had he ever been treated so coldly?

Xu Lu Cha slightly lowered his gaze, and when he raised it again, his eyes had already brewed a misty wetness.

“Does Officer Zhang dislike Lu Cha?”

☆、