Transmigration: The Little Chef Calls The Shots
Chapter 1186 - 095 Unfazed (Fourth Watch)

Chapter 1186: 095 Unfazed (Fourth Watch)

Before Su Qiuyu could speak, Yan Ruchun, who was lounging sideways in her chair, opened her mouth leisurely, "Miss Yao really is too modest. In my opinion, both of you are about the same, not that remarkable at all. I didn’t hear any hint of the ’high mountains and flowing rivers’ in your music."

Pfft.

Someone couldn’t hold back and was amused by Yan Ruchun’s unabashedly blunt comment.

Many of those present were covering their lips and snickering silently, not because they didn’t want to speak, but because they simply didn’t know what to say. Indeed, they hadn’t detected any ’high mountains and flowing rivers’ in the performance. The ’Ambush from All Sides’ was, however, unmistakably clear.

Lin Yuan also looked at Yan Ruchun with a smile, but she hadn’t expected that just a glance would result in Yan Ruchun catching her off guard and asking, "Miss Lin, do you think my assessment is fair?"

A forced smile froze on Lin Yuan’s lips; in her heart, she silently criticized Yan Ruchun for her unlikeability. She was trying to avoid her and yet, this woman had thrown the hot potato right into her hands.

However, she couldn’t just refuse to catch it.

Lin Yuan, with an unchanged expression and an apologetic smile, said, "Miss Yan truly holds me in high regard. As for musical rhythms, I’m totally clueless. I don’t understand anything about ’high mountains and flowing rivers.’ But if you’re talking about game from the mountains or fish and shrimp from the water, I could catch some for you to taste, and I guarantee I can make those ingredients exceptionally delicious."

Upon these words, naturally, a number of people who already looked down on her curled their lips and paid no further attention—it really was a countryside person after all, mentioning nothing but game and fish, utterly lacking in interest.

Yet, there certainly were those curious souls who looked on with wide eyes, some even getting restless, eager to invite her to go climbing mountains and wading rivers with them.

After Lin Yuan’s response, Yan Ruchun lifted an eyebrow, chuckled, and muttered, "Xia Zheng actually fancies someone like you! How strange!"

Although Yan Ruchun let Lin Yuan off without making things difficult for her, this did not mean the others would let her off the hook.

Su Qiuyu and Yao Hanai were competing like twin stars, neither able to outdo the other, and were naturally keen to move past this awkward scene. Lin Yuan thus became the best candidate to divert everyone’s attention.

Yao Hanai gave Yao Zhilan a look, and the latter understood immediately, her eyes widening with excitement and a hint of anticipation for the drama as she said, "Miss Lin really is too modest. How could someone who has caught the attention of Young Master Xia and Princess Anle be merely someone who hunts in the hills and fishes in the rivers? I certainly don’t believe that!"

The corners of Lin Yuan’s mouth curled slightly, such a watertight remark didn’t seem like something Yao Zhilan could have come up with on her own.

She cast a glance towards Yao Hanai and indeed saw Yao Hanai smiling with her head lowered, saying nothing.

Xiao Linshuang, preoccupied with the matter, stopped eating and pouted, "Whether Miss Yao believes it or not, what does it have to do with us? We don’t need her belief, anyway."

"You-"

Yao Zhilan bit her lip hard. It was the first time she had been so bluntly scolded to her face! Although she was a concubine’s daughter, because of Yao Hanai’s protection, many in the Capital city might look down on her, but they still showed her some respect for the sake of Yao Hanai’s face. However, she never expected that she, who had never been slighted outside, would lose face at her own family’s banquet today. It was truly an embarrassing loss!

"Sister!"

Yao Zhilan looked at Yao Hanai with a sense of grievance, hoping she would save face for her as she had done in the past, but before she could speak, Xiao Linshuang dismissively said, "My, my! So grown up and still needing your sister to help you regain face after being slighted outside! How shameless! Tsk, tsk, tsk!"

Pfft!

Yan Ruchun was the first to laugh out loud, Xu Muqing almost spat out the soup in her mouth, and Guo Mei looked down to hide her giggling.

Yao Zhilan’s face blushed and paled by turns as she maintained a silly and stunned expression, her entire face becoming stiff with embarrassment.

The corners of Yao Hanai’s mouth twitched, she turned her head away, ignoring her younger sister’s plea for help, but very timely remembered the idea of having Lin Yuan perform, and with a light chuckle said, "Miss Lin, my young sister is inexperienced and ignorant, I hope you won’t mind."

Lin Yuan found it amusing and waved her hand dismissively, "I don’t mind at all, she’s still young!"

Then she turned her head and said sternly to Xiao Linshuang, who was even younger than Yao Zhilan, "Little sister, don’t bully Miss Yao the Second, she’s still young and can’t stand being bullied like this."

At this, even Yao Hanai’s entire face began to twitch.

Su Qiuyu swept contemptuously over the deflated Yao sisters and looked at Lin Yuan with a softer expression, "I have heard that Princess Anle holds Miss Lin in high regard, and Miss Lin must surely have outstanding qualities. Since all the sisters are present today, why not let everyone have a glimpse of your talent?"

Fearing that Lin Yuan would not agree, Su Qiuyu suddenly schemed, continuing, "The sisters have long heard that His Highness Third Prince has a sworn sister from the common folk. Everyone is very curious, what kind of virtuous and artistic excellence does the Third Prince’s sworn sister possess? Qiu Yu, although not talented, is also very eager to witness it!"

By invoking even Zhao Hongde, if she were to refuse now, not only would she lose face, but she would also mar the reputation of Princess Anle, Xia Zheng, and even Zhao Hongde.

Lin Yuan arched her eyebrows slightly, thinking that it seemed she couldn’t get out of this today, but fortunately, she hadn’t come unprepared.

"In that case, I will humbly offer a performance today," Lin Yuan raised her head, looked at everyone anticipating her performance, and chuckled, "However, I trust you all know that I’m just a little village girl from the countryside. I can’t play the qin like Miss Su and Miss Yao did, let alone the qin, I don’t understand much about other arts either."

Upon hearing her say this, some people scoffed and rolled their eyes, their faces expressing a ’just as I thought’ attitude.

Lin Yuan glanced over those faces and committed their expressions to memory. Then she casually picked up an apple from the table and tossed it around in her hand. The bright red apple looked like a lively little ball flipping and turning in her hands, quite entertaining.

Tian Xuan recalled her sister’s advice that if someone asked Lin Yuan to showcase her talent at the banquet, she must find a way to help deflect the situation. But now she was so anxious, she didn’t know how to extricate Lin Yuan from this predicament.

Unable to help, she had focused all her attention on embroidery these past two years, neglecting the poetry, painting, and musical instruments she had studied before, and the sisters in the Capital city knew this. They never asked her to perform at the gatherings.

Watching the apple flying up and down in Lin Yuan’s hands, Tian Xuan took a deep breath and spoke up, "Ladies, since my Sister Yuan is not versed in these arts, let’s not make it difficult for her. How about this, I will personally gift each sister a hand-embroidered handkerchief of mine? Please don’t disdain my craftsmanship; these days, I’ve been diligently practicing at home and have made significant improvements!"