Chapter 168: Chapter 168: "He Never Forced Me.

After a moment of thought, Ming Lingyi said, "He didn’t force me."

Ming Chengyu had wanted to ask something else, but seeing the look on Ming Lingyi’s face, he thought better of it and changed the subject.

After Ming Chengyu escorted Ming Lingyi back to the restaurant, he said, "Later, I’ll have the inn’s attendant send over the things Grandpa and Grandma brought for you. I’ll come see you again in a few days."

’With his current status and his relationship to Lingyi, it was inconvenient for them to be together constantly as they had been in the past.’

Hearing this, Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but grab Ming Chengyu’s arm. "Brother, how long are you planning to stay in Shangjing City?"

Ming Chengyu replied, "For quite some time, probably. After all, you’re here in Shangjing City now, and someone from the family needs to be here to look after you. But don’t worry, I’ll write to Grandpa today and tell him I’ve found you so he won’t be anxious. In a while, whenever you have the time, we can travel to Jiangnan together."

Before coming to Shangjing, Ming Chengyu had already made up his mind.

If the information he received had turned out to be false and he hadn’t found Ming Lingyi, he would have set off for the south that very day. But if his little sister was truly in Shangjing City... with the rest of their family having moved away and her being all alone, how could he possibly be at ease leaving her by herself in the Capital City? Of course, he had to stay by her side.

As for when to leave, that would depend on what Ming Lingyi wanted.

Ming Lingyi said, "Brother, why don’t you just stay at the restaurant?"

She didn’t want to be separated from Ming Chengyu so soon.

Ming Chengyu replied, "That wouldn’t be proper."

’What would outsiders think?’

’To everyone else, he was just an unrelated man, even if they both knew they were brother and sister.’

Ming Lingyi smiled, looking like a smug little kitten. "I’ve got it! We’ll just say you’re a reviewer hired by our restaurant! Besides, you can help out here, Brother!"

Of course, Ming Lingyi wasn’t suggesting Ming Chengyu help with things like cooking or cleaning the dining hall. This brother of hers had once seen a candy artist blowing sugar figures at the market and had immediately wanted to go home and try making one for himself in their kitchen.

That one "little incident" nearly burned their family’s kitchen to the ground.

After that, her brother had engaged in several "kitchen experiments," all of which had ended in utter chaos. Lingyi didn’t dare let him wander freely into her restaurant’s kitchen, especially since she had spent so much effort having everything custom-built. ’If my brother has one clumsy moment, won’t I have to do it all over again?’

"If you still don’t think that’s proper, Brother, we can tell people we felt an instant connection, so we became sworn siblings. How about that?" Ming Lingyi asked, looking up with a smile.

’In any case, she’d made up her mind. Now that her brother was in Shangjing City, there was no way she was going to let him stay at an inn.’

’How could he stay elsewhere when he had a home to come to? It just wasn’t right.’

"Well..." Ming Chengyu’s expression showed he was clearly tempted.

Seeing her chance, Ming Lingyi wasted no more words and pulled him straight into the restaurant.

"Starting today, you are our restaurant’s resident reviewer!" As if she would give Ming Chengyu any chance to refuse.

As Ming Lingyi pulled Ming Chengyu through the door, Wu Zhao Yu and the others came out from the back kitchen, having heard the commotion. They had just finished preparing the Dragon Boat Festival gift boxes according to Lingyi’s instructions and were about to ask for her opinion on the final product. But as they emerged, they saw their Young Miss... grappling with a dashingly handsome young gentleman?

Wu Zhao Yu: "?"

’Huh? What’s this?’

’Does her master have another powerful rival?’

’Should I report this to His Lordship as soon as possible?’

Xiao Chun, meanwhile, mulled it over, counting on her fingers to figure out which number "lover" this particularly composed-looking gentleman was for her Young Miss.

But then, a question popped into Xiao Chun’s head.

’She’d heard of the Emperor having a vast harem with countless consorts, but could one of the Emperor’s women also have a man on each arm?’

’Her Young Miss already had Lord Jiang wrapped around one finger and the Emperor around the other. Now it looked like her "harem" could accommodate one more?’

’Her Young Miss really was one of a kind. So impressive!’

After pulling her brother inside, Ming Lingyi was met with the stunned faces of her employees.

Ming Lingyi was so filled with the excitement of her reunion that she didn’t have the presence of mind to analyze the meaning behind her employees’ expressions.

She excitedly introduced him to everyone. "This gentleman shares my family name, Ming. From now on, he will be our restaurant’s resident reviewer, and he’ll be living in the back courtyard with you and Wu Zhao Yi. Just call him Mr. Ming. When I’m not around, you can go to him if you’re ever unsure about something. He’s like a brother to me, so please don’t be too formal."

As soon as Ming Lingyi finished speaking, several people in the room let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.

The Wu siblings, of course, were relieved that their master didn’t have another "love rival" to contend with, and they lowered their guard against Ming Chengyu.

’On one hand, Xiao Chun thought her Young Miss was incredible, but on the other, she was a bit worried for her. What if the Emperor one day held her accountable for keeping so many men on the side? What would she do then? Now that she knew the man was just the restaurant’s resident reviewer, Xiao Chun breathed a sigh of relief. There was, after all, a small difference between keeping one man on the side and keeping two.’

Ming Chengyu knew that while these people were officially employees his sister had purchased, their contributions had been indispensable in helping her get established in the Capital City so quickly.

"I am Fei. A pleasure to meet you all."

He clasped his hands in salute, his bearing modest and polite.

Ming Lingyi explained from the side, "My brother’s style name is Fei."

The restaurant staff returned the salute.

"Alright, you can all get back to work," Ming Lingyi said. "I’m going to take my brother to the back courtyard and see if he needs anything. We can go buy it later."

In addition to tidying up the courtyard, she also had to go with Ming Chengyu to the inn to get his luggage.

When Ming Lingyi and Ming Chengyu returned to the restaurant from the inn, they froze at the entrance. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

’There were so many people outside their restaurant...’

Before Lingyi could even get close, she heard the voices of the crowd at the door, each person trying to out-shout the other—

"Where’s Boss Ming? Isn’t she here? When is Ming’s Restaurant going to hold the second poetry event? It’s been days, and there’s still no word!"

"Exactly! Are you holding another event or not? I’ve already written ten poems, but your restaurant still hasn’t announced anything!"

"I heard that if you win and place in the top three at Ming’s Restaurant, your work gets published in the official gazette. Is that true? I want to sign up! I missed it last time, so this time—hmph—I’ll be waiting right here at your door."

Inside, Xiao Chun and the others were already rushed off their feet. The people who came to inquire, of course, didn’t just ask a question and leave; they also stayed to eat.

After all, everyone knew that Ming’s Restaurant was a place whose food the Holy Emperor himself had personally praised. If they could eat at Ming’s Restaurant, then by extension, wasn’t that almost like dining with the Emperor?

’What an incredible thought!’