Chapter 120

Two days later, at Jinyu Mantang Restaurant. Mei Gongxue arrived early, as she had arranged with Zhou Fu. The entire restaurant seemed to have been booked out for the day; the waiters in the main hall on the first floor were bustling about, and the tables had not even been set with plates and cups yet. Seeing her arrive so early, the manager apologized and asked her to wait for a moment. Mei Gongxue said nothing and headed upstairs to the first private room at the end of the hall. To her surprise, the room was already occupied. A man sat with his back to her, several empty wine jars scattered across the table. He reeked of alcohol, and an oppressive, somber atmosphere seemed to radiate from him. Initially, Mei Gongxue reflexively assumed it was Yuwen Shu. Remembering that he had helped her in the past, she stepped forward, intending to offer a greeting.