Chapter 6: Jade Green Cucumber Salad

Chapter 6: Sliced Jadeite Jade (Smashed Cucumber Salad)

Yun Fan quickly covered his mouth, his large eyes twinkling with amusement.

Wen Zhaofu and Cheng Yu, rarely at a loss, exchanged bewildered glances, completely missing the point. Liu Erxing burst into laughter, while the old butler nervously wiped his brow.

Though Wen Zhaofu was not usually strict in managing his household, Yun Fan causing such a commotion so soon after his arrival was entirely unexpected for the old butler.

"Mind your manners!" the old butler admonished, tugging at Yun Fan.

"No need."

"It's fine!"

Wen Zhaofu and Liu Erxing spoke in unison.

"My apologies, I spoke out of turn," Yun Fan said immediately, glancing at Wen Zhaofu.

The look seemed to prick Wen Zhaofu, who paused before saying, "This is a family dinner; everyone should relax."

Liu Erxing was truly relaxed, leaning back in his chair as he drawled, "It seems Butler Yun and I were raised in the same educational system."

"Those two studied abroad—they wouldn't understand," Liu Erxing added with a smile toward Yun Fan.

Yun Fan didn't reply. He knew that talking too much could lead to trouble, and to secure more income, it was better to keep a low profile. He thought to himself, "It's not that I'm from the same system as you; it's that the author of this book and I studied from the same textbook."

Wen Zhaofu’s father and Cheng Yu’s mother were cousins, both the same age, with Wen Zhaofu being a few months older. Though related, they weren't particularly close.

Cheng Yu’s grandfather was a researcher, rarely seen, dedicated to his work. Years ago, Cheng Yu’s mother had asked him to step forward to help reclaim their share of the family assets.

Wen Zhaofu couldn't comment on the elders' past grievances. He and Cheng Yu weren't particularly close, largely due to their busy lives as they grew up. Plus, being the same age, they were often compared, intentionally or not.

And Cheng Yu did indeed quietly compete with Wen Zhaofu.

Growing up, Wen Zhaofu had faced too many rivals, so he no longer cared much about such matters. Outside of work, he genuinely saw Cheng Yu as a younger brother.

This younger brother was far less trouble than Wen Haochen. At least he wouldn't be swindled and then help count the money.

Compared to Wen Zhaofu and Cheng Yu, the two elder brothers, Liu Erxing was far more talkative. It was thanks to him that the spacious dining room didn't feel so cold.

Once the atmosphere warmed up, Cheng Yu, having had a bit to drink and holding his cat, finally joined the conversation.

"Last week, I went to a pub owned by a classmate. He had some original drinks that tasted pretty good," Cheng Yu said, stroking the cat’s head. The kitten lazily meowed. "But I felt like something was missing."

Liu Erxing shifted and tilted his head to look at Cheng Yu. "You guys call individual business owners 'proprietors' now? How quaint."

Cheng Yu could detect the sarcasm. He pressed his lips slightly and adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses.

"Yeah, I still think 'Duanqie Biyu Feicui' sounds better," Cheng Yu said with a light laugh.

Yun Fan couldn’t help asking, "What’s that?"

"Smashed cucumber salad," Liu Erxing replied, looking over. "The no-garlic version."

"That doesn’t sound good," Yun Fan said with a dismissive wave. "Bland."

Hearing these two debate garlic, Wen Zhaofu unconsciously frowned. Normally, he wouldn’t bother playing peacemaker, but today, unusually, he spoke up before the argument between Cheng and Liu escalated.

"You two, always arguing whenever you meet. No wonder Great-uncle and Third Great-uncle always criticize you."

"Hmph, anyway, I don’t eat sesame paste."

"Heh, if sesame paste were sold to you, it’d be by the gram."

The two young masters finally quieted down, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Yun Fan could tell that Liu Erxing had arrived with a fiery spirit—after sparring with the old-school butler, he was ready for a Beijing-Shanghai showdown with Cheng Yu.

So his "xing" wasn't the star in the sky—it was the spark of fire.

Young Master Liu had arrived, and the fire was burning bright.

*

Since Cheng Yu and Liu Erxing weren't staying overnight at Langyuntai, the old butler hadn't arranged rooms for them. Seeing the weariness on Wen Zhaofu’s face, Yun Fan kept signaling the old butler, hoping he’d suggest ending the dinner.

But the old butler seemed unresponsive, slow to react. In his view, hosting guests was a duty—even the host had that responsibility—so everyone would just have to suffer through it together.

Seeing the old butler unmoved, Yun Fan decided to step in himself. Just as he was about to speak, Wen Haochen burst in. He stood rigidly in place, glancing at Wen Zhaofu, clearly still remembering yesterday's incident.

Wen Zhaofu remained seated. He’d already given Wen Haochen an out today, but the young master hadn’t taken it, not even showing up for the meal.

Cheng Yu and Liu Erxing could tell at a glance that there was tension between the Wen brothers. For once, they were in agreement, both crossing their arms and settling in to watch the show.

"Master Haochen, have you eaten?" Yun Fan hurriedly lightened the mood. "The food today is delicious!"

Wen Haochen turned to look at Yun Fan. The butler in black and white tailcoat was gazing at him intently, eyes full of expectation, as if sincerely inviting him to taste the food.

These days, there weren’t many people who genuinely urged him to eat.

For a moment, Wen Haochen forgot all the accusations he had for Wen Zhaofu and actually obediently sat down across from Cheng Yu, picking up his chopsticks.

Wen Zhaofu glanced subtly at Wen Haochen, then looked up at Yun Fan with a faint smile of gratitude in his eyes.

Yun Fan hurriedly waved his hand, not daring to take credit. The old butler took a deep breath, watching Yun Fan and feeling increasingly that he lacked proper decorum.

What kind of butler dared to make such eye contact with his employer?

The others sat with Wen Haochen as he ate awhile longer. Cheng Yu and Liu Erxing stopped arguing and even clinked glasses.

Liu Erxing remained his usual irreverent self, while Cheng Yu held his cat, his emotions hidden behind gold-rimmed glasses. Both man and cat seemed exceedingly refined.

Wen Haochen couldn’t help himself and blurted out the story of being cheated buying caviar again. Wen Zhaofu tried to stop him but couldn’t.

"Pretty dumb, honestly," Liu Erxing teased. "I say, Xiao Er, how do you keep falling for these things again and again?"

"Brother Xing!" Wen Haochen winced, his handsome features scrunching up.

Cheng Yu chuckled quietly, stroking the cat’s head. "We don’t spend recklessly. We eat whatever our owner gives us. We’re very well-behaved."

The kitten stuck out its pink tongue and licked Cheng Yu’s palm.

Yun Fan now understood: the four young masters at this table each had their own style. Wen Haochen was an inexperienced rich heir—what you’d call a spoiled brat.

Back when he’d worked in the industry, Yun Fan had seen plenty of young masters like this. Ideally, they’d live as carefree aristocrats, never wanting for food or drink.

But often, they just couldn’t help stirring up trouble.

Noticing Wen Zhaofu rubbing his temples again, Yun Fan sensed he’d been sitting there far too long. With stiffness in his legs, he couldn’t easily adjust his posture, and bound by gentlemanly etiquette, he wouldn’t leave on his own. To Yun Fan, he seemed almost pitiful.

So, risking another scolding from the old butler, Yun Fan spoke up again: "Ah, food is food. Whether it’s twelve-year-old or two-year-old, it all goes down the same—gone in an instant. Just don’t buy it next time."

Wen Haochen's eyes went wide, while Wen Zhaofu breathed a sigh of relief and, following Yun Fan's lead, said, "Xiao Yun is right, let's not buy it anymore from now on. Finish your meal and get some rest."

Wait, that can't be right! Wen Haochen's eyes widened even more. Just this afternoon, a lawyer had contacted him, claiming to be entrusted by Wen Zhaofu to help him file a lawsuit.

How could it all be dismissed because of Xiao Yun's say-so?

"But I... I can't just let this go..." Wen Haochen finally voiced the knot of frustration in his heart.

"Then tell them off." Yun Fan decided to help him all the way.

Wen Haochen immediately sat up straight, his hope renewed. Liu Erxing covered his mouth with one hand, his shoulders shaking as he laughed.

"Better to give birth to a piece of char siu than to give birth to you—is that it?" Wen Haochen blinked his eyes, full of curiosity.

Yun Fan paused for a moment, realizing the young master probably hadn't received much education in this area: "Ah, that doesn't pack enough punch."

Wen Haochen looked pleadingly at his last hope: "Butler Yun, I'll hire you to curse them for me, at a high price."

"Haochen." Wen Zhaofu spoke up, trying to stop him, but noticed Yun Fan's eyes light up.

"You've got a deal!" Yun Fan laughed.

Liu Erxing found Yun Fan hilarious and raised an eyebrow: "I'll go too, no charge."

Wen Zhaofu lowered his head and smiled faintly, while Cheng Yu looked at these people with confusion, continuing to soothe the cat in his arms.

The dinner finally wrapped up, and Yun Fan was still delighted about scoring some side cash. Just as he was about to return to his room to freshen up, the stern old butler cut him off.

"Yun Fan, with so many tasks to handle at home, why are you getting involved in cursing people? You're not doing any proper work."

Yun Fan frowned: "Solving the employer's troubles isn't proper work?"

The old butler was left speechless for a moment, glaring at Yun Fan: "Why are you talking in circles, just like Young Master Liu?"

At that moment, a young man who looked strikingly similar to the old butler walked over. He nodded to the old butler and then turned to Yun Fan: "Father, is this the new young butler at the Wen residence?"

Yun Fan took a deep breath, every alarm bell in his head went off.

Oh no, oh no—the one who'll be the death of me has arrived!