Chapter 4 : Traditional Imperial Golden Soup Fish

Shi Pengpeng and Yan Jing met at a well-known Chinese restaurant in the city center.

It had been more than seven years since they last saw each other, and both had changed somewhat. 

Shi Pengpeng had grown from a youthful high schooler into a radiant young woman, while Yan Jing had matured significantly. 

He had always been exceptionally handsome—almost to the point of being delicate—but his sharp brows and piercing gaze gave him a sense of distance.

However, neither of them felt estranged. 

They quickly found the familiarity of old times in each other.

Especially Yan Jing—when he looked into Shi Pengpeng’s cunning, peach-blossom-shaped eyes, certain unpleasant memories surfaced in his mind.

In fact, he had originally intended to decline her invitation outright on WeChat. 

Not only was he not considering romantic relationships at the moment, but even if he were, it certainly wouldn’t be with this little witch—she was terrifying. 

He had no idea what his grandfather had said to her to convince her to reach out.

But after thinking it over, he decided they should at least meet. 

After all, he had once received kindness from her family, and it wouldn’t be right to be too cold and distant.

Just as Yan Jing was contemplating how to start the conversation, Shi Pengpeng suddenly leaned in slightly and whispered, “Jingjing, this place is so expensive. You’re going to treat me, right?”

Yan Jing had chosen this restaurant himself. 

It was located on the top floor of the city’s landmark, Xiluo Tower, offering a breathtaking view of the Luo River. 

The ambiance was top-notch—and so were the prices.

Shi Pengpeng had just received a hefty red envelope, but since such income wasn’t a regular occurrence, she figured she should spend wisely.

A vein throbbed on Yan Jing’s forehead. 

“…Don’t call me that!”

That was a blacklisted nickname she had given him back when they used to bicker. 

After all these years, she still remembered and wasted no time jabbing right at his sore spot!

“Oh, oh, my bad. Habit.” 

Shi Pengpeng smoothly corrected herself and, with a respectful gesture, cupped her fists like a martial artist. 

“Brother Jing.”

Yan Jing: “……”

Was it just his imagination, or did that sound even more sarcastic?

Yan Jing let out a huff of laughter at her antics. 

Forget bringing up the matchmaking issue—he’d lost the mood for that. 

Instead, he signaled the waiter over. 

“Don’t worry. It’s on me. Order whatever you want.”

Shi Pengpeng instantly relaxed, her smile becoming a lot more genuine. 

She even gave him a thumbs-up. 

“You’re the only real bro I’ve got!”

Yan Jing scoffed.

As a regular at this restaurant, he was personally attended to by the manager, who recommended several signature dishes. 

Then, with great enthusiasm, the manager added, “By the way, we recently introduced a new dish—Traditional Imperial Golden Soup Fish. It’s made from premium wild perch from the Luo River. 

What’s truly special is the golden soup base—our owner specially acquired an ancient fermentation jar from the Jin family in Beijing, a household famous for their pickled vegetables since the Qing Dynasty. 

The unique flavor of the preserved vegetables in this soup is unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere…”

Shi Pengpeng’s eyes lit up in realization. 

“Oh, so it’s just pickled fish.”

The manager’s expression didn’t even flinch. 

He simply smiled and replied, “It’s an imperial-style pickled fish, a fusion of tradition and innovation.”

Shi Pengpeng nodded knowingly. 

“Got it.”

So… just an overpriced version of pickled fish.

The manager: “……”

Yan Jing wasn’t a fan of these flashy dish descriptions, but since she seemed interested, he nodded. 

“Alright, we’ll have one.”

Once the manager walked away, Yan Jing turned back to Shi Pengpeng, cleared his throat, and said, “Let’s talk about the main issue. About what my grandfather mentioned—I don’t think it’s really suitable…”

He kept his words somewhat tactful. 

It just felt too strange to think about being set up with her. 

He never imagined there would come a day when they’d be on a matchmaking date—it was just too weird.

Luckily, given how they had always butted heads, she would probably agree with him right away.

But Shi Pengpeng had completely misunderstood Yan Fengshu’s intentions. 

Thinking that Yan Jing was still unhappy about the arrangement, she was already mentally prepared for this. 

With a chuckle, she said, “I know how you feel, but don’t be so quick to make up your mind. I think I’m actually pretty great—you sure you don’t want to give it a try?”

Yan Jing: “?”

Yan Jing almost spat out his tea, looking at her in astonishment. 

“So you actually agree with my grandfather’s arrangement?”

“Yeah.” 

Shi Pengpeng blinked, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. 

“Otherwise, why would I be looking for you?”

Yan Jing: “…?”

Yan Jing was utterly confused. 

Right, why was she looking for him? 

Wasn’t she, like him, just here to appease the elders without outright rejecting them?

But looking at her calm demeanor, she didn’t seem even the slightest bit reluctant. 

Yan Jing frowned and finally couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you agree?”

At this, Shi Pengpeng suddenly seemed a little embarrassed. 

She shyly fiddled with her fingers and said, “Uh, well… because your grandfather offered pretty good conditions.”

By “conditions,” she naturally meant the red envelope. 

But in Yan Jing’s ears, it sounded like something entirely different.

Damn, so it’s because I have good conditions?!

Yan Jing’s face darkened. 

He didn’t know whether to praise her honesty or criticize her for being too honest. 

After holding it in for a while, he finally muttered resentfully, “…You’ve changed.”

He had always known she was shameless, but at least she had a personality back then. 

Now, even when it came to relationships, she was this casual?

But as soon as he said it, he felt a little guilty. 

After all, she was a girl—it wasn’t nice to be too harsh.

Unexpectedly, Shi Pengpeng completely agreed, letting out a long sigh as she nodded. 

“Yeah, poverty changes people. You don’t even know how miserable I am right now. My base salary is only 4,000 a month, and I still have to pay for social security…”

Yan Jing: “……”

She then looked at him pitifully. 

“So, since we’ve known each other for so long, why don’t you give me a chance?”

Yan Jing: “……”

Yan Jing was completely stunned. 

No, even if she had her reasons, wasn’t this too blunt? 

And way too unreserved?

He was so shocked that he had no idea how to respond. 

After stumbling over his words for a moment, he barely managed to say, “You… how can you be like this…”

“No choice. Life has beaten me down repeatedly, and now my flesh is firm and bouncy.” 

Shi Pengpeng spread her hands helplessly.

Yan Jing: “……”

Yan Jing closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He had originally planned to firmly reject this marriage arrangement. 

But seeing how adaptable she was, he suddenly felt a strange sense of guilt.

Sigh, how did she end up like this…

Before he could sort out his thoughts, the waiter began serving the dishes. 

Shi Pengpeng, having been hungry for a while, didn’t bother worrying about what Yan Jing was thinking—she just started eating.

Seeing this, Yan Jing decided to put the conversation on hold. 

He figured he’d talk to her properly after the meal, so he picked up his chopsticks as well. 

But after just a few bites, his brows furrowed, and he muttered discontentedly, “The cooking isn’t as good as before.”

“Really?” 

Shi Pengpeng had never been to a fancy restaurant before, so she had no basis for comparison. 

She just kept eating enthusiastically. 

“I think it’s pretty good!”

Yan Jing’s mouth twitched. 

“Forget it.”

Just then, a loud “BANG!” suddenly echoed through the restaurant, followed by an angry male voice.

The restaurant was known for its private atmosphere—tables were spaced far apart, and there were partitions, so normally, other tables wouldn’t be able to hear conversations. 

But this customer was clearly furious, shouting loud enough for his voice to carry across the entire dining area.

“What’s wrong with you people? For days now, the dishes have been terrible! You said it was a one-time mistake before, but today, you’re serving me soup that’s practically cold?! If the chef doesn’t want to work, just replace him already!”

The manager was beside him, bowing repeatedly, sweating profusely as he apologized. 

“Please calm down. Maybe we were just too busy today, and the dishes took a bit longer to be served. I’ll have the kitchen redo it immediately…”

“Busy?” 

The man sneered. 

“There are barely any customers, and you’re saying you’re too busy to serve hot food?”

This restaurant operated on a reservation system, so seating was limited. 

Even during peak dining hours, the place wasn’t full, so it really couldn’t be called “busy.”

The manager eventually had to waive the bill to pacify the customer, but the damage was done. 

Other guests began whispering among themselves, murmuring that the food quality had gone downhill.

Yan Jing gave Shi Pengpeng a look: See?

Shi Pengpeng’s chopstick speed remained unchanged as she nodded in agreement. 

“Got it. I’m just a wild boar that can’t appreciate fine grain.”

Yan Jing: “……”

That wasn’t what he meant!

As they spoke, another dish was brought to their table—the one the manager had enthusiastically recommended: Imperial-Style Pickled Fish.

The dish was served in a large blue-and-white porcelain bowl. 

When placed on the table, the hot oil was still sizzling, releasing an aromatic explosion of peppercorn and spicy-sour broth. 

The scent was so enticing that Shi Pengpeng instinctively swallowed.

The manager, still on edge after the earlier commotion, cautiously observed their reactions. 

Seeing that their food was served hot, he quickly approached to serve them personally. 

“Here you go, please be careful, it’s hot.”

Shi Pengpeng took a porcelain bowl, blew on the food, and took a bite. 

Her eyes lit up as she exclaimed, “Delicious, delicious! Definitely different from the usual ones!”

The manager finally breathed a sigh of relief and proudly said, “Of course…”

But before he could finish, Yan Jing’s expression darkened. 

“Why is it cold again?”

“…Huh? Impossible, let me check.” 

The manager, already traumatized from the earlier complaint, panicked. 

He quickly reached out to touch Yan Jing’s bowl—only to freeze in shock. 

“W-what? This was just taken off the fire, and the oil was poured fresh!”

Shi Pengpeng, thinking Yan Jing was just being picky again, assumed it was another case of “house-raised pigs being too particular.” 

The fish might not be piping hot like some other places, but the taste was great—it wasn’t worth getting mad over.

Seeing the manager on the verge of tears, she felt a little sympathetic and reached out to take the bowl. 

“Forget it. Give me that one and make him a fresh one…”

But as soon as her fingertips touched the porcelain bowl, she froze.

The bowl was truly cold.

Not just slightly underheated from poor timing—but completely cold. 

Looking at the broth inside, a thin layer of oil had already congealed on the surface. 

Not a single wisp of steam rose from it.

Shi Pengpeng frowned and picked up the entire bowl. 

“Let me see.”

The manager kept bowing. 

“I sincerely apologize! I’ll have the chef remake it immediately—”

Before he could finish, a sharp “CRACK!” sounded.

The manager looked up—Shi Pengpeng had just crushed the entire porcelain bowl in her hand.

Manager: ???!

Broken porcelain and fish soup spilled onto the table, the loud clatter drawing the attention of nearby guests.

Someone gasped. 

“Holy shit! How bad was that dish? She got so mad she smashed the bowl?!”

Someone else whispered, “Damn, this lady has a temper…”

Yan Jing, equally shocked, stared at her. 

He had been a little annoyed before, but seeing her suddenly explode, some deeply buried, terrifying memories resurfaced. 

He immediately stood up to calm her down. 

“Don’t be rash! This is a society governed by law!”

Shi Pengpeng: “……”

What exactly did he think of her?!