Chapter 42: Station 22: A Banquet of Joy

Chapter 42: Station 22: A Feast

The fabled twin waiters appeared, escorting them to empty seats on either side.

Sure enough, these two long tables were precisely large enough to accommodate everyone, neither too spacious nor too cramped.

It was hard to believe this was merely a coincidence.

The grand doors of the Golden Melody Arena closed with an echoing "hong hong."

Ruman, being bold, called over a waiter and whispered instructions:

"…We're still waiting for one more person. Could you help look for him? He's a young boy with a mole on the right side of his face, wearing a white sports outfit."

The female waiter crouched attentively to listen, patiently absorbed the details, then repeated the clues and reassured gently,

"We'll do our best to locate him."

"…If possible, please bring him straight in."

The female server nodded with a smile.

"Of course."

The chef, wearing a frilled toque, took center stage.

He stood amid two mobile countertops, his face clean-shaven, and his high cheekbones gave him an unapproachable appearance. He exuded a strong leadership presence.

The stage became his domain. He raised a wireless microphone, opened his arms wide, and spoke with the passion of a speaker:

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Ararat Mountain Hotel."

"On this snowy night, our manager, Mr. Smith, was supposed to address you all, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, he had to descend the mountain. Therefore, it falls upon this old man to convey his message."

The servers and kitchen assistants chuckled in unison, while scattered laughter echoed from the guests seated at their tables. The atmosphere, surprisingly, remained rather normal.

Ming Yiyang leaned close to the man's ear and whispered:

"He seems a bit different from the others."

Yan Qiling nodded slightly with his eyes slightly lowered, his gaze shifting to the dessert before him, lost in thought.

The chef proceeded to deliver a witty welcome speech, concluding it by picking up a pre-filled red wine glass from the countertop. He gently tapped its rim in a courteous gesture towards everyone:

"May each of your evenings here at the hotel, starting from this very moment, be as delightful as this one."

With some hesitation, the guests raised their glasses.

Once all the glasses were raised, the chef, brimming with enthusiasm, exclaimed:

"Congratulations to the hotel, to all of you, cheers!"

He sipped the shallow red wine in his glass, and others followed suit with symbolic gestures, though whether it actually touched their lips was known only to themselves.

The head chef set down his glass, and promptly, his three assistant chefs took their positions. The waitstaff switched the record on the turntable, and the music transformed into "Por Una Cabeza."

As the transition occurred, the chef showcased the stage behind him:

"I apologize, there was supposed to be a live orchestra, but unfortunately, they couldn't brave the blizzard tonight to entertain you. For now, I hope you'll indulge in the recording."

"However, that doesn't hinder the hotel's tradition. Ladies and gentlemen over there, this first dance of tonight's dinner is reserved for you."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Qi Yongxin and Ji Congrong were unexpectedly called upon by the head chef.

This seemed to catch both of them off guard, especially Ji Congrong, whose unease was visible to all.

The waiter led the couple onto the spacious stage.

"Feel free to dance to any tune you like," said the chef as he put down the microphone and stepped back behind the counter, drawing out his well-maintained knife.

"The appetizers will be prepared during your dance. Enjoy this joyful moment to the fullest, everyone."

With an awkward touch, Qi Yongxin placed his hand on Ji Congrong's waist, clearly unprepared for this. Not only that, he seemed unsure how to begin the dance.

Ji Congrong, on the other hand, gently draped herself over his shoulder and whispered something into his ear.

As the lively melody took hold, the two of them gradually began to sway in rhythm.

Ming Yiyang found more pleasure in watching the chef's skillful knife work than appreciating a dance. He casually asked the person beside him,

"What does this tradition signify?"

Yan Qiling speared a pre-dinner dessert and smiled,

"He made it clear—it's an appetizer."

Ming Yiyang turned to look at him,

"Didn't he say the ingredients are from normal animals?"

With a casual swipe of his napkin to remove cream from the corner of his lips, the man, still chewing, held the handkerchief with one hand to cover his mouth,

"Of course, for tonight."

But there was also tomorrow night, the night after, and the night after that.

Unspoken hints intertwined with the sweet melody.

Si Shuhao paid no attention to the whispers between the two men.

She had wandered around the hotel, and now her appetite was voracious after all the walking. Following Yan Qiling, she eagerly speared food onto her plate, mimicking his choices.

After dessert, thirst easily sets in. Just as she was about to take a large gulp of wine, a broad hand belonging to the young man reached over to cover her glass. Turning to the attendant standing behind them, he said,

"She's underage. Get her a glass of water."

Si Shuhao's eyes widened, ready to protest, but she met Ming Yiyang's meaningful gaze and quickly understood.

...Was there something wrong with the wine?!

She hastily covered her stomach and then wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. After a while, realizing it was futile, she leaned over the table and whispered softly,

"Damn, I spat out the glass the head chef offered, but I might have licked a tiny bit. Will that be a problem?"

"It could kill you."

Ming Yiyang was concise and to the point.

The young girl blushed, but quickly realized that he was teasing her. She was so angry that she wanted to stab this rascal with her fork.

Through Yan Qiling, Chi Zihe shot a subtle glance at Ming Yiyang, hinting for him not to bully the young lady.

Ming Yiyang looked back at him and asked,

"Is your eye twitching?"

Chi Zihe also wished he could pull out his peach wood sword to give Ming Yiyang a tap.

However, he knew that Ming Yiyang had a tongue as sharp as a dog's tooth, so he didn't take it too seriously. Instead, he turned to Yan Qiling and said,

"Qi Yongxin has been scrutinizing Song Yuan's cause of death and the rules during his own gathering."

"What did he conclude?"

"He thinks it was the hotel staff who did it, but we've checked the laundry room in the basement, and there were no bloodstained clothes. We also didn't find any murder weapon nearby. With all that blood splattered at the scene, the killer couldn't have left spotless."

"Is that all?"

Si Shuhao was evidently quite displeased with the meeting, and she immediately complained, "No, everyone was just going through the motions like they were playing a script-killing game. We didn't discuss anything substantial. At this stage, we should be focusing on finding clues. But he insisted on holding a meeting, isn't that just wasting time? And we had to listen to his tedious analysis – it was excruciating."

As the dance ended, the couple on stage returned to their table, hand in hand.

Surprisingly, their complexions appeared much rosier, and their relationship seemed to have deepened. They now looked more like a genuine couple than when they first entered.

The waiter respectfully served the first course of appetizers.

Feeling particularly triumphant, Qi Yongxin glanced at the man across from him, who was using a small spoon to scoop truffle custard from a ramekin. He asked forcefully, "Speaking of which, Mr. Yan and Mr. Ming, whom we were supposed to discuss matters with today, didn't show up. I wonder what they saw outside that made them so reluctant to leave?"

Yan Qiling's fingers paused in holding the spoon, but before he could speak, Ming Yiyang took offense first, "Mind your own business."

Qi Yongxin narrowed his eyes at the two men before him, though he didn't give Ming Yiyang a direct glance.

Since dealing with the murder case that morning, he subconsciously perceived the two to be in a subordinate relationship.

This silver-haired young man was not someone to be feared. As long as Yan Qiling was under control, this person would naturally follow suit.

Therefore, he chuckled and glanced pointedly at Yan Qiling:

"On a dining table, Mr. Yan, it would be courteous for you to watch your language around others."

Yan Qiling understood that Qi Yongxin had misjudged their relationship, so he responded calmly with a veiled hint:

"He is free to express himself as he wishes; I cannot control him."

"Never mind, it's just a minor issue."

Unaware of the subtle message, Qi Yongxin persisted in his assumption, appearing magnanimous and unconcerned:

"As for the leads Mr. Yan has uncovered, regardless of what they are, they concern everyone's lives. If there is any information, it would be best to share it openly."

"After all, if any of you violate the rules, the consequences might not only affect yourselves, but others as well."

Ming Yiyang was completely immune to moral coercion. In his eyes, Qi Yongxin was clearly taking advantage of Yan Qiling's polite demeanor, treating him like a pushover.

Although his attitude towards Yan Qiling was indifferent, the man was currently on his team, after all.

Especially when he thought about how Yan Qiling showed his strength in front of him but submitted passively before others, it made him particularly annoyed.

The silver-haired youth gave a cold laugh, his expression unchanged as he said,

"Oh? From your last statement, it seems Mr. Qi has made some discoveries about the rules. Why don't you share your insights, so those of us who haven't grasped the rules can learn from you?"

His words carried a subtle, biting sarcasm, as if blaming Qi Yongxin for hiding crucial information while hypocritically seeking knowledge from others.

Qi Yongxin hadn't anticipated this "insignificant" person to be so troublesome. He finally gave him proper attention and replied with a perfunctory tone,

"I was just speaking off the cuff."

Ming Yiyang seized the opportunity, pretending to be surprised as he shot a disdainful glance with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

"So that's the case. Then I can understand Mr. Qi wasting half a day in a meeting without any progress. It seems our decision to prioritize exploring other areas was right, at least better than sitting idle in the presidential suite."

Feeling the curious gazes from the neighboring table, Qi Yongxin found himself offended by this person's remarks.

He wondered if Yan Qiling had allowed his subordinate to speak to him like this because he had detected something amiss, perhaps testing Qi Yongxin.

Ming Yiyang thought to himself, Hah, you want to bully the weak? Well, I won't let you have your way.

Two people with entirely different trains of thought unexpectedly found themselves on the same wavelength.

Suppressing his rising anger, Qi Yongxin chose the safest response he could think of:

"Are you questioning my authority?"

"Yes, I am."

Surprised by this man's blatant disregard for decorum, Qi Yongxin felt a mix of shock and fury:

"I've been analyzing the situation for everyone all day long. What have you done to criticize me? Pretty boy!"

The young man didn't get angry; instead, he glanced at him provocatively:

"Why, are you jealous because your old man is handsome?"

Qi Yongxin was so enraged that he pointed his fork at him:

"You!"

The man who had been listening quietly suddenly lifted his yangyang eyes.