Chapter 31 Meal Time

Chapter 31: Having a Meal

Just as Cheng Ge pushed Cui Ji through the gates of the Prince’s Manor, a gaggle of little kids came sprinting straight at them like rabbits.

They were clutching a bamboo dragonfly in their hands, smiles on their faces, and seemed quite young.

But the moment they caught sight of Cui Ji in his wheelchair, the smiles on their faces vanished in an instant.

The kids looked like they’d been hit with a freezing spell, stopped dead in their tracks, and stood off to the side, careful not to make a sound.

“Your Highness.”

Cui Ji stared at the kids with a blank face, his eyes eerily calm and hard to read.

After a moment of silence, he slowly asked, “Have you practiced your skills today?”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a weight you couldn’t ignore.

Hearing this, those little kids hung their heads even lower.

Their little hands twisted together, too scared to even squeak.

“Zewu, you speak.” Cui Ji’s stern face was extra scary; he was a military man, and that fierce aura was hard to hide.

Zewu, the one called out, flinched in fear, his voice trembling with tears as he said, “Your Highness, we… we’ll definitely work harder next time.”

The other kids started sniffling quietly too, clearly scared out of their wits of Cui Ji.

“Go take your punishment, and double your training. If you don’t finish, no dinner for you.”

Cheng Ge watched this, his gaze drifting to Cui Ji, wondering why he was so harsh with these kids, almost to the point of being cruel.

Cui Ji seemed to notice Cheng Ge’s stare, turned his head to look at him, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“Yes, Your Highness.” The kids still had tears on their faces, bowed and then took off in a flash.

Cheng Ge watched their backs, a lump forming in his throat, couldn’t help remembering how he was at their age—he’d been such a wild kid.

“They’re just kids,” Cheng Ge couldn’t help blurting out.

Cui Ji was silent for a moment before slowly replying, “They’re the last surviving collateral branches of the Cui family. The sons of the Cui clan will have to go to war one day.

On the battlefield, swords and arrows don’t have eyes—they won’t go easy on them just ’cause they’re young!”

Cheng Ge was taken aback. He’d never been to war, but he knew in this age of cold weapons, battles were mostly hand-to-hand, and one slip-up and you’d lose your head.

Cheng Ge didn’t say anything more and pushed Cui Ji into the dining room, where the steward had already set the table.

A table full of food. Since coming here, aside from the good meals at the Lin residence, Cheng Ge had been eating pretty simply.

Not having money was one thing, but mostly the conditions didn’t allow it. He mostly stayed at the Hanlin Academy, and even going out wasn’t easy, let alone go out for a big feast.

And the Lin residence wasn’t his home, no matter how you looked at it; he had to keep in mind he was an outsider, everything was kept simple.

Now, looking at the table piled with food, he felt like a mouse that had fallen into a rice jar.

Forget everything else, he settled Cui Ji by the table, and obediently sat down next to him, his eyes wandering over each dish.

Cui Ji wasn’t picky about food and usually ate little, but the Prince’s Manor had to maintain its prestige, so daily meals were always quite lavish.

Seeing Cheng Ge staring eagerly at the dishes without touching his chopsticks, just swallowing saliva, Cui Ji found it amusing and said nothing.

“Your… Your Highness, when will the others arrive?”

Since not everyone was present, Cheng Ge felt awkward starting to eat, so he tentatively asked.

Cui Ji’s expression froze for a moment, then quickly returned to normal. “It’s just the two of us.”

With that, he picked up his chopsticks, placed a piece of chicken in Cheng Ge’s bowl, and said, “Eat.”

“But those kids earlier… you’re really not letting them eat?”

Cheng Ge thought, surely the man couldn’t be that heartless? Some of those kids looked only about four years old—it wouldn’t be right to deny them food, would it?

“They are from the collateral branches; they do not dine with me.” The steward and servants nearby stepped forward to help serve the dishes as the two began to eat.

The ancients valued distinctions between the main and collateral lines, and as the Prince of the Manor, Cui Ji held a noble status—the collateral branches were not worthy of dining with him.

Moreover, Cui Ji always wore a stern face, as if someone owed him millions.

The younger generation was terrified of him; they couldn’t even stand within three steps without their legs trembling.

The main line of the Cui family now only had Cui Ji left, so he usually ate alone.

Cheng Ge wasn’t completely oblivious to the world; he had vaguely heard about the great disaster that befell the Cui family ten years ago.

Seeing Cui Ji sitting there alone now, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity.

Sigh… not even a dining companion.

With that thought, he peeled a shrimp and placed it in Cui Ji’s bowl. “Try this.”

Cui Ji looked at the shrimp in his bowl, startled for a moment, then raised his eyes to Cheng Ge.

The candlelight flickered, casting a glow on Cheng Ge’s face, making him seem as if he were bathed in light.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?” Cheng Ge asked, puzzled, seeing Cui Ji hadn’t moved.

Cui Ji snapped back to reality, his gaze falling on the bowl, and he picked up the shrimp to eat.

It had to be said, the Prince’s Manor was something else—the chef’s skill was superb, leaving Cheng Ge almost intoxicated by the food.

The noble families valued elegance, and at meals, one generally shouldn’t take more than three bites from any dish.

Cheng Ge wasn’t used to such customs; he usually ate alone and had never paid attention to this.

Cui Ji was alone too and wasn’t one for strict rules.

In the borderlands for so many years, the conditions were harsh, and there were few formalities.

Sometimes, during critical moments in battle, the best they could do was grab a flatbread to get by, or they’d go without food.

If they had to adhere to such empty formalities, they’d probably starve.

Cheng Ge had a big appetite and ate quickly, but his table manners weren’t unpleasant; in fact, they made the food look appetizing.

Watching him, Cui Ji, who hadn’t felt particularly hungry, ended up eating quite a bit as well.

Seeing their Prince enjoying his meal, the steward smiled so much his eyes nearly disappeared.

"Your manor's nanny brewed quite a lot of plum wine. It should be just right to drink now."

Cheng Ge's eyes lit up. He hadn't had any wine here since arriving, and he wondered if it would be top-shelf or swill. Now he was really craving it.

Cui Ji glanced sideways and nodded to the steward.

The steward rushed off to fetch the wine, and soon returned with several pots of plum wine and two cups.

He filled both cups, and the wine's aroma mixed with the sweet scent of plums filled the air.

Cheng Ge picked up his cup and took a light sip. Besides the wine flavor, it was sour with a hint of sweetness, but not at all harsh on the throat.

Not bad, actually—it was pretty good...

Cui Ji watched his enthusiastic demeanor and also raised his cup to drink. Used to hard liquor, this light wine had its own unique appeal.

They drank cup after cup, and Cheng Ge's face gradually flushed.

When Cheng Ge drank, he didn't go wild, but when he got tipsy, he turned into a chatty extrovert, getting super talkative.