38: Chapter 38 May I share a table with you, young lady?

The younger brother was startled by Yellow Three's sudden anger, shrinking his neck and standing aside, not daring to speak further.

He secretly glanced at Su Mo's profile and saw that Su Mo's eyes were as cold as ice, immediately feeling a little apprehensive.

"Big Brother, what's so good about Steward Wang's funeral feast? I'll treat you to a meal at Piaoxiang Pavilion. The food there is much better than this unlucky place..."

Yellow Three patted his chest, forcing a smile.

Su Mo turned his head and looked at Yellow Three's generous demeanor, a slight curve forming on his lips.

"With the little money you earn, it's probably hard enough to support yourself."

The cheapest dish at Piaoxiang Pavilion cost dozens of copper coins, and a meal would easily cost several taels of silver.

The protection fees from the city's shops were controlled by the various Gangs. These few loafers like Yellow Three could only eat the leftovers.

Hearing Su Mo's words, Yellow Three scratched his head sheepishly:

"With the money I've saved over the years, I can still afford to treat Big Brother to a meal. At worst..."

"At worst, it's just getting beaten for dining and dashing."

"But Big Brother, don't worry, I'll definitely stop them and let you run first."

Su Mo shook his head and smiled, patting Yellow Three's shoulder.

"I'll treat you instead. Save your money for a proper business and to marry a good wife."

Yellow Three froze in place upon hearing this, his eyes reddening slightly. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by the younger brother next to him.

"Big Brother is generous!"

"Big Brother is so cool!"

The two younger brothers rubbed their hands excitedly. They had only heard about it but had never eaten in such a grand restaurant.

Before long, the four arrived at Piaoxiang Pavilion.

The four-story Piaoxiang Pavilion stood out like a crane among chickens on this street. Its azure glazed tiles shimmered with golden light under the sun, making it impossible not to notice.

The two younger brothers stood before the carved main doors, craning their necks to gaze at the gold-lacquered plaque, nervously swallowing. Yellow Three didn't look much better than them.

"B-Big Brother..." the younger one stammered, "Are we really going in? I heard one meal here costs half a year's income for us..."

Yellow Three also felt a bit timid, secretly glancing at Su Mo.

Su Mo turned around, looked at the embarrassed expressions of the three behind him, and smiled slightly.

"What's there to be afraid of! No matter how well decorated it is, it's still a restaurant. Restaurants are for cooking and serving food to people, and we're not planning to dine and dash."

With that, Su Mo turned and walked in. The three behind him exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and followed.

As they stepped through the doors of Piaoxiang Pavilion, countless enticing aromas of food mixed with the scent of cooking wafted towards them. Yellow Three and his companions' stomachs immediately rumbled.

They hadn't eaten since yesterday evening, hoping to attend Steward Wang's banquet, but were unexpectedly driven out by the Wang family.

"How many guests, esteemed sirs?"

The waiter, his face wreathed in smiles, came forward to greet them.

Although the four were dressed in coarse linen, the waiter did not look down on them because of it.

Su Mo had expected some snobbery from the restaurant, but then he quickly understood.

A grand restaurant like Piaoxiang Pavilion wouldn't need to look down on customers based on their attire. On the contrary, they valued their reputation, and doing business was all about harmony bringing wealth.

Su Mo casually took out a hundred-tael silver note from his 懷 and handed it to the waiter:

"Get us a quiet private room, and bring a dozen signature dishes. Pick the expensive ones, money is no object."

The waiter took the silver note as if in a dream, unable to recover for a long time.

'Indeed, the manager was right, one cannot judge a book by its cover. Good thing I didn't neglect these gentlemen.'

"Do a good job, and there will be a reward."

Looking at the waiter's astonished expression, Su Mo felt secretly pleased. It was his first time experiencing the feeling of spending like a rich person.

The waiter's eyes lit up at the words, and his smile became even more fawning.

"Rest assured, sir, I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

He was about to lead the way when he suddenly stiffened, looking apologetically at Su Mo.

"Sir, unfortunately, all the private rooms are taken."

"I don't know why, but there are so many guests today, even the first-floor hall is almost full..."

The waiter rubbed his hands, secretly peeking at Su Mo's expression.

"How about... you wait a bit, or just make do in the hall for now."

Su Mo frowned. No wonder there were dozens of carriages parked outside the door.

After some thought, he decided not to wait. His old man was still waiting at home, and there was no need to spend so much effort just for a meal.

"No need to wait, the first floor is fine."

"Alright!"

The waiter felt as if he had been granted a great pardon and quickly led the four into the main hall.

However, it was peak dining time, and there were simply too many people. They couldn't find an empty seat for a long time.

Just as the waiter was getting flustered, Yellow Three suddenly pointed to a spot.

"Big Brother, isn't there a table right there? We can just share a table with her."

Su Mo followed his gaze and saw a woman with a white veil covering her face, occupying an entire dining table by herself, with only a pot of clear tea on it.

Strangely, the surrounding diners dared not approach that table, as if there was something terrifying there.

"Strange?"

The waiter was also surprised. With seats so tight in the restaurant, someone was still occupying a table alone. He immediately walked over, preparing to ask the woman if she was willing to share a table.

However, just a few steps from the table, the waiter suddenly stopped, then ran back, his face pale.

"Sir... let's change tables..."

The waiter was trembling all over, his voice extremely low.

"What's wrong with you, waiter? You ran back without even asking."

Yellow Three grumbled unhappily and walked towards the woman himself.

"This Young Miss..."

Yellow Three put on a smile, about to speak, but suddenly froze.

Su Mo keenly noticed that the people at the two tables next to the woman all looked towards Yellow Three, a hint of red flashing in their eyes, their hands hidden under the table, doing something unknown.

Killing Intent?!

He felt a faint pressure emanating from the people at those two tables, an aura only possessed by those who had killed before.

Yellow Three's back was now cold, his body stiff, unable to even breathe.

He didn't know why, but just by making eye contact with the man at the next table, he felt like prey targeted by a venomous snake, unable to take another step forward.

"What are you standing there for?"

A hand clapped Yellow Three's shoulder. He immediately felt his body lighten, and he snapped back to reality as if waking from a dream, breathing heavily.

"B-Big Brother..." Yellow Three's voice trembled, cold sweat seeping from his forehead, "Those people... something's not right..."

Su Mo didn't answer. After glancing at the two tables nearby, he walked straight towards the woman.

The men nearby instantly showed a look of surprise and suspicion in their eyes. Su Mo seemed completely unaffected by their Killing Intent.

"Click!"

A faint sound of swords being drawn simultaneously came from under both tables, and the chairs also moved back a few inches.

But Su Mo's steps did not falter, and he was about to reach the woman.

Just as Su Mo was three steps away from the woman, the men at both tables stood up simultaneously.

"What can this Young Master do for you?"

The veiled woman finally looked up, raising her hand slightly to stop the actions of the people on both sides.

Su Mo glanced at the people who had stood up on both sides, and smiled slightly.

"Young Miss, would you be willing to share a table with us?"

"Of course, I won't treat Young Miss poorly. You can eat with us, order whatever you like, and I'll cover the bill."

A middle-aged man from the next table immediately walked over and whispered something into the woman's ear.

However, with Su Mo's perception, he heard everything clearly.

"Young Miss, these people are of unknown origin, especially the leader. My Killing Intent, honed from hundreds of kills, actually can't deter him..."

The woman lightly raised her arm to interrupt him, her red lips under the veil curving slightly:

"It's alright."

"Young Master, despite your simple attire, you are unexpectedly generous."

"However, there's no need to treat me. You all can just order as you please."