292: Chapter 292 See You Later

Chen Ran smiled and reached out to push the plates of exquisite pastries on the table toward her.

"Alright, let's put the matter of the medicinal ingredients aside for now."

"If we don't eat this table full of fine dishes and food now, they'll get cold."

Bai Nianci was slightly stunned and waved her hands repeatedly.

"Young Master, it's enough if you eat. I'm not hungry."

Although she said that with her mouth, her eyes couldn't help but glance toward the plate of osmanthus pastries.

Chen Ran picked up a pastry, stuffed it into his mouth, and deliberately sighed.

"The rules in this capital are very strict, especially here at Tingyu Pavilion."

"If we order a table full of food and can't finish it, people will make fun of us."

"Besides, these things are very expensive. If there's any left over, the proprietor will just dump it to feed the pigs."

"You really won't eat? Then it will all be wasted."

Hearing the word wasted, Bai Nianci's eyes instantly widened.

In Ciyin Medical Valley, Master had taught them since they were young to cherish food.

Life in the valley was austere, and every single grain of rice and every leaf of vegetable was grown through everyone's hard work.

Dump such exquisite food to feed pigs?

This was simply a monstrous waste!

Bai Nianci felt a pang of heartache. After hesitating for a long time, she finally reached out her hand.

"Th... Then I'll just eat a tiny bit, so as not to waste it."

She carefully picked up a piece of osmanthus pastry and gently took a small bite.

The soft, sticky, and sweet taste instantly spread throughout her mouth.

Bai Nianci's eyes lit up instantly, as if she had discovered some new continent.

"This is simply too delicious!"

"Young Master Chen, you really are a good person."

Before long, Bai Nianci's mouth was stuffed with food, and her cheeks were bulging on both sides.

That appearance looked endearingly silly, exuding a slightly goofy feel.

Hearing her hand out a good-person card, Chen Ran couldn't help laughing out loud.

This lass really was adorably naive.

A single meal was enough to buy her over, and she was already calling him a good person.

He leaned against the back of the chair, resting his chin with one hand, watching her gorge herself with great interest.

He wasn't actually hungry; having reached his Realm, he had long since taken worldly desires lightly.

Unless it was dietary nourishment made from the meat of Yao Beasts, ordinary food had no way of satisfying the needs of his body's Qi and blood.

Chen Ran had originally thought that this young girl looked thin and small, so she probably couldn't eat much.

As a result, he had completely miscalculated.

In less than half an hour, the table full of delicacies was swept clean by Bai Nianci like a whirlwind sweeping through the clouds.

Until the last piece of mung bean pastry was stuffed into her mouth.

Bai Nianci let out a small burp before realizing what she had done.

Looking at the table full of empty plates, her cheeks instantly flushed red.

"I... I usually can't eat this much."

She hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth and lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly.

"It's mainly because these dishes were too delicious, and I accidentally couldn't hold back."

Unwittingly, the sunlight outside the window gradually turned dim yellow as the sun set in the west, and the twilight's afterglow spilled over the streets of the capital.

She accidentally turned her head to glance out the window, and her entire body instantly stiffened.

"Oh no."

Bai Nianci abruptly stood up, her expression changing slightly.

"It's almost dark!"

Only then did she realize that she had been so preoccupied with eating that she had actually forgotten the most important matter.

The Medical Valley's team was going to leave the capital this evening!

Senior Sister Liu had given countless instructions before leaving, telling her to return and assemble immediately after delivering the medicine.

At this hour, the team was probably already waiting anxiously at the city gates.

Bai Nianci was spinning around in anxiety. She grabbed the medicine basket placed on the chair and flurriedly carried it on her back.

"Young Master Chen, I'm sorry, I have to leave quickly!"

"Senior Sister and the others are still waiting for me at the city gates. If I don't leave now, it'll be too late!"

Watching her flustered appearance, Chen Ran's expression remained very natural.

He didn't try to make her stay, only nodding slightly.

"Since the young lady has urgent business, then go quickly and don't delay your schedule."

As he spoke, he shouted toward the outside of the door.

"Waiter, bill."

The waiter immediately pushed the door open, holding an abacus, smiling like a blooming flower.

"Young Master Chen, have you finished eating?"

"In the Emperor-class private room, plus tea and pastries, it's a total of one liang of gold."

Hearing this number, Bai Nianci, who was just about to run outside, abruptly stopped in her tracks.

She gasped a breath of cold air, her small mouth slightly agape, filled with incredulity.

One liang of gold?!

This was simply an astronomical figure.

In Ciyin Medical Valley, whenever they usually bought rice or flour, they used copper coins.

One liang of gold was ten liang of silver!

Bai Nianci felt her head buzzing.

The money eaten up by this meal wasn't something she could pay back even if she sold her entire self!

A strong sense of guilt instantly surged into her heart.

Young Master Chen had originally only come to buy medicine, yet ended up having so much money eaten away by herself.

How could she let this pass.

"Young... Young Master Chen..."

Bai Nianci stammered:

"Th... This is much too expensive."

"It's all my fault for being too gluttonous, making you spend so much money."

She groped around her body anxiously, wanting to see if there was anything valuable to settle the account.

But after groping for half a day, besides a few withered medicine packets, there was nothing at all.

Watching her look like she was about to cry, Chen Ran found it extremely amusing.

He casually pulled an ingot of gold from his bosom and tossed it to the waiter.

"No need for change."

The waiter took the gold and retreated with a beaming smile.

Chen Ran turned his head, looked at Bai Nianci, and delivered a line with profound meaning.

"It's just a bit of food, nothing much."

"Compared to what the young lady gave me, this meal is simply not worth mentioning."

His words had a hidden meaning, referring to the intelligence Bai Nianci had revealed without reservation.

But in Bai Nianci's ears, she thought Chen Ran was speaking of the value of those medicinal ingredients.

Her heart was instantly moved into an absolute mess.

Young Master Chen was not only gentle to others and generous with his spending, but also so considerate.

Bai Nianci took a deep breath, and her gaze became incomparably serious.

"Young Master Chen, I, Bai Nianci, acknowledge you as a friend!"

"If you ever have the chance in the future, you must come to Ciyin Medical Valley to find me. I'll personally cook and treat you to a meal then."

Watching her serious expression, the corners of Chen Ran's mouth lifted slightly.

"Alright, it's a deal."

"If we are fated, I will definitely visit the Medical Valley."

Bai Nianci nodded heavily, then turned and ran toward the outside of the door.

"Young Master Chen, until we meet again!"

Her voice was still echoing in the corridor, but she had already run out of sight.

Chen Ran sat in the chair, picked up the teacup, and drank the tea in the cup in a single gulp.

Looking at the gradually darkening sky outside the window, his gaze grew deep.

"Until we meet again."

Chen Ran murmured softly, watching the young girl's figure gradually recede into the distance.

...