The table was laden with dishes, but Shen Xiaoyan and the others didn't immediately start eating. Instead, they asked Boss Liu to introduce them to each dish.
Boss Liu didn't seem impatient; after all, this was something he did frequently.
After Boss Liu finished his introductions and withdrew, Shen Xiaoyan and the others began their meal.
"The flavor is quite good," Lu Taobao commented, nodding.
"It is indeed good," Yi Zhixie agreed.
"However, it's still not as delicious as the food from home," Na Muzhong added with a smile.
"How can there be food without wine? How about we have some Golden Osmanthus wine?" Yi Zhixie suggested, then retrieved a pot of wine from his spatial ring.
Shen Xiaoyan was somewhat speechless upon seeing the wine pot appear on the table.
This wine was brewed by her, yet Yi Zhixie had already snatched a large portion of it.
But then, Na Muzhong would consume a pot at a time, so what was that about?
Could it be that Na Muzhong was not a woman at all?
Perhaps sensing the unspoken resentment in Shen Xiaoyan's gaze, Yi Zhixie looked up at her and sighed, "Seeing your pitiable expression, and given how happy we are today, I'll let you have a cup. Don't say I'm stingy."
Hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.
Where did Yi Zhixie get this demeanor of pitying her and bestowing a favor?
Had he forgotten that later on, he would have to beg her if he wanted more wine?
It was quite clear that Yi Zhixie had forgotten.
He had already produced several small wine cups, stood up, and placed them in front of everyone before pouring a cup of wine.
As he poured wine for Shen Xiaoyan, he lectured, "You can only have this one cup!"
Watching Yi Zhixie turn to return to his seat, Shen Xiaoyan glanced at the cup before her and then at Yi Zhixie's retreating back.
She couldn't help herself and was about to say something.
Just then, the door of the room was suddenly pushed open from the outside.
The unexpected sound of the door opening startled everyone.
They all turned towards the door and saw a figure rush in quickly.
Before Shen Xiaoyan and the others could say anything, the newcomer had already picked up a wine cup from the table and drained it.
After finishing one cup, the person swiftly moved to the next person and drank their wine.
When he reached Zheng Wei, he tried to grab a wine cup but was caught by Zheng Wei.
"Who are you!"
"Ay, ay, ay, young man, don't be angry. This old man is just having a cup of your wine. Don't be so stingy."
As the voice spoke, everyone saw clearly that the person Zheng Wei had grabbed was an old man with graying temples.
Although his hair was gray, his face was exceptionally ruddy.
Looking at his face alone, one would think he was only in his forties.
Perhaps he was truly young, and his hair had turned white due to some other reason?
Shen Xiaoyan mused playfully in her heart.
In the television dramas of her previous life, weren't there always people who turned gray overnight due to excessive sorrow?
However, upon hearing the old man's words, she knew she had been overthinking.
This old man's demeanor confirmed that he was indeed an old man.
"You barged in uninvited, entered without a word, and drank our wine. Are we supposed to be stingy?" Zheng Wei asked coldly.
"This... this... that..."
Zheng Wei's question left the old man momentarily speechless. He stammered a little but couldn't provide a reason.
Yet, Shen Xiaoyan saw that his face showed no sign of embarrassment.
His silence was likely because he hadn't thought of a good excuse yet.
Indeed, things unfolded exactly as Shen Xiaoyan had anticipated.
The old man's eyes darted around a few times, and he quickly became much calmer.
He looked at Zheng Wei's face for a moment, then suddenly stood up straighter, his expression becoming much more serious.
"I see you have excellent bone structure and a rare talent for martial arts. How about I take you as my disciple?"
Shen Xiaoyan: ...
Had this old man also transmigrated?
"I don't need a master. You should focus on how you're going to pay for our wine," Zheng Wei said, releasing his grip.
He wasn't worried that the old man would leave; after all, there was still wine left on the table.
The entire room was filled with the aroma of wine.
Because the door had been opened, the wine fragrance had already wafted out of the room and into the third-floor corridor.
He could already hear the sounds of other private room doors opening, with people asking where the wine aroma was coming from.
The old man in front of him was clearly obsessed with wine; otherwise, he wouldn't have acted like that.
Therefore, even if he let go, the old man wouldn't leave.
As Zheng Wei had predicted, after being released, the old man moved his hand but showed no intention of leaving.
He circled Zheng Wei a couple of times, then looked him up and down before finally shaking his head.
After shaking his head, his gaze fell upon Shen Xiaoyan.
Coincidentally, Shen Xiaoyan had been watching him, and at this moment, they made eye contact.
Seeing this, the old man's eyes instantly lit up, and he walked towards Shen Xiaoyan.
Shen Xiaoyan raised an eyebrow with interest, curious to see what the old man intended to do.
The old man approached Shen Xiaoyan, pulled over a wooden chair from behind, and sat down.
"Young girl, I see you have excellent bone structure and a rare talent for martial arts. How about I take you as my disciple?"
Shen Xiaoyan: ...
If you're going to trick a disciple, at least be more original, alright?
The words he spoke to Zheng Wei just a moment ago, after being rejected by Zheng Wei, he turned around and said the exact same thing to her without changing a single word. Was that really acceptable?
The old man, seeing Shen Xiaoyan shake her head helplessly, looked a little puzzled, but still insisted with a solemn expression, "Girl, I'm serious. The moment I saw you, I knew you were a martial arts prodigy. If you follow me, you'll definitely become the number one master in Great Chu. Then, no one will be able to bully you. You can help the weak and punish the wicked, and perhaps, inadvertently, you might even save your destined true love, and then you two will live happily ever after."
The old man droned on endlessly. As Shen Xiaoyan listened, a smile grew wider on her face.
Meanwhile, Zheng Wei, sitting behind the old man, grew increasingly displeased.
He regretted it. He shouldn't have asked the old man to pay for the wine; he should have just thrown him out.
"Girl, why are you smiling? Do you think it's great? As long as you let me drink the wine in front of you, this apprenticeship ceremony will be considered complete, and you will be my disciple from now on."
Shen Xiaoyan finally understood. So, all that talking was just for the wine.
However, his method of tricking people out of their wine was clearly not very good.
Shen Xiaoyan shook her head. "How can I believe you?"
"Believe what?" the old man asked curiously.
"What you just said, that by becoming your disciple, I can become the number one master in Great Chu."
"Oh, that. You don't need to believe it. Just let me drink your wine, and..."
Before he could finish, the old man clapped his hand over his mouth.
Seeing Shen Xiaoyan's wry smile, the old man showed a flustered expression for the first time.
However, he quickly regained his composure, coughed a few times, and said, "Girl, look at my age. Would I lie to you? Besides, what benefit would I get from tricking you into becoming my disciple?"