There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 337 I Just Want to Protect You

This statement was made with firmness and solemnity.

Li Shuchen sensed Gu Ziying's determination to protect her, and his eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Changning said you've been staying home and refusing to go out, all because of me.

Gu Ziying stroked Li Shuchen's long hair: "Shuchen, my dear, I will protect you from now on."

Princess Changning: "I'll protect Shu Chen too."

Ye Bingli didn't speak, but she swore in her heart that whoever hurt Shu Chen would die.

"I was busy with official duties, that's why I'm late."

Liang Yuying strode over

Gu Ziying stood up and said with a smile, "It's not late. This is the perfect time to use you. All these vegetables need to be washed."

"Okay, okay, I'll wash it."

Liang Yuying rolled up her sleeves and reached out to help Li Shuchen wash the vegetables.

Li Shuchen looked up, bewildered, and asked, "Yuying, there's a pile of vegetables to wash over there. Why are you washing the vegetables in my basin?"

Is he trying to steal her credit?

Ye Bingli rarely teased, saying, "It must be because the food in Shu Chen's bowl smelled so good that Yu Ying couldn't help but want to go."

Princess Changning burst into laughter

Gu Ziying covered her lips and chuckled softly.

Liang Yuying blushed: "Then I'll wash other vegetables."

Li Shuchen stood up and said, "Since Yuying is washing the vegetables, I'll start preparing the dishes. You can order now, Ziying, you go first."

Gu Ziying: "I want to eat Shu Chen's sweet and sour pork ribs, tomato beef brisket, and..."

She suddenly stopped talking.

Li Shuchen asked urgently

"Talk to what? Tell me!"

Gu Ziying: "It's impossible to do it here, let's forget about it."

Li Shuchen: "Why can't I make it? There's nothing I can't make. Just tell me, and I can definitely make it. You're the star of the night, so I have to make whatever you want to eat."

Upon hearing this, Gu Ziying confidently stated the dish she wanted to eat: "Roast Duck with Delight."

Li Shuchen chuckled upon hearing this: "Oh, is that so? It's nothing. We don't have an oven here, I'll have Grape go back to the inn to get one. Changning, what would you like to eat?"

Princess Changning immediately ordered, "Spicy fried chicken, spicy blood curd, and golden fried chicken wings."

Li Shuchen, having received the answer, turned his gaze to Liang Yuying.

Liang Yuying, quite self-aware, immediately said, "I want to eat anything Shu Chen makes."

"No, we have to name the dishes; everyone wants to order."

Li Shuchen stretched out her finger and waved it from side to side in refusal.

Liang Yuying had no choice but to order again: "Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, shredded pork with garlic sauce, and black-boned chicken soup."

Li Shuchen was slightly taken aback upon hearing this: "This is the first dish I've prepared for you."

Liang Yuying smiled as she recalled that warm day, "Yes, those three dishes were my favorite back then, and I still love them now."

Li Shuchen nodded emphatically: "Alright, today I will definitely let you eat these three dishes made by me personally. What about Bingli? What would you like to eat?"

Ye Bingli smiled gently and said, "Fried sweet potato fries, chrysanthemum-patterned sea bass, and fresh flower rolls."

After listening, Li Shuchen said, "I'm not very good at 'flowers and clouds'."

Ye Bingli smiled and said, "It's alright, I'll help Shu Chen."

Li Shuchen: "Okay, I'll add a few more vegetable dishes to ensure a balanced diet. Let's get started."

Everyone got busy. Li Shuchen directed the washing and chopping of vegetables. It seemed like she had to cook a lot of dishes, but actually she only needed to stir-fry them a couple of times with a spatula. The rest of the steps were done by them, so it wasn't tiring at all.

Everyone had a clear division of labor, and they prepared most of the vegetables before dusk, leaving only a few vegetarian dishes that needed to be stir-fried.

Li Shuchen flipped his hands and said, "Grapes, go back to the inn and get the roast duck."

"Yes, miss"

Grape was about to leave when Purple Pearl stopped her, saying, "Wait."

He then bowed to Liang Yuying and said, "General, Zizhu wants to accompany Putao to retrieve the Happiness Roast Duck. It's getting late, and it's dangerous for Putao to walk alone. I'll take her on horseback; it'll be faster and safer."

Upon hearing this, Liang Yuying smiled and said, "I agree."

Zizhu smiled shamelessly: "Thank you for your permission, General."

"Grapes, let's go."

Zizhu pulled Grape out of the kitchen

Li Shuchen stood up straight, watching their retreating figures, puzzled, and muttered to himself.

"No one should dare to stop me by carriage; everyone knows Wanbai, and Wanbai isn't slow either."

Seeing that Li Shuchen was racking her brains but couldn't find an answer, Ye Bingli walked over to her side and said...

"Zizhu naturally loves grapes, which is why she's so worried about her safety."

Li Shuchen nodded upon hearing this: "Bingli, you're right. I often worry about your safety, afraid that you might encounter danger. I imagine Zizhu feels the same way."

Ye Bingli sighed silently. She couldn't help Shu Chen. How foolish of her!

"Shu Chen, the food is almost burnt."

Upon hearing this, Li Shuchen immediately flipped the dishes, thus saving one dish.

Night falls

The round table was laden with sixteen dishes, with an empty plate in the center reserved for the roast duck.

Li Shuchen: "Everything's ready, just waiting for the Purple Pearl Grapes to return."

Princess Changning: "Let's sit down first, standing is tiring."

Gu Ziying: "Sit, everyone sit."

Everyone took their seats.

Purple grapes have also arrived.

"Miss, the roast duck is here!"

Li Shuchen took the roast duck and placed it on the empty plate in the center.

"Alright, let's begin our meal."

The servants filled everyone's cups with wine, and they all raised their glasses to toast Gu Ziying.

"Congratulations to Ziying on her promotion to Township Head" *4

"Thank you all. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today."

"Dry" *5

After downing a glass of wine, Li Shuchen let out a long burp.

Gu Ziying, who was closest, heard the most clearly and smiled as she placed a piece of roast duck on Li Shuchen's plate.

"Shu Chen's stomach is starting to protest. It's my fault for not taking good care of him and letting him go hungry. I apologize to Shu Chen. Here, have some duck meat."

Ye Bingli asked in confusion, "Don't you only burp when you're full? Why does Shu Chen burp when he's hungry?"

Li Shuchen scratched his head and said, "I don't know either, but I'll definitely fight."

Princess Changning: "Li Shuchen is different from others, extremely special. We can't treat her like an ordinary person. Everyone, please start eating!"

Liang Yuying: Okay

The bowl in front of Li Shuchen was never empty; they always kept piling food onto her plate.

She kept eating, one bite after another, but she couldn't finish it.

Finally, she stopped eating and started toasting everyone, one cup after another, round after round, until everyone was dizzy and swaying.

Finally, no one was putting food on her plate anymore, and she quickly finished the food in her bowl, feeling very content.

Wow, she's such a good girl, participating in the "Clean Plate Campaign"!

"Shu Chen, every step I take has been made possible by you. This is all thanks to you. I'd like to propose a toast to you."

Gu Ziying, her face flushed and eyes glazed from drinking, tugged at Li Shuchen's sleeve and struggled to her feet to offer him a toast.

Li Shuchen took the glass of wine from Gu Ziying and downed it in one gulp.

"Okay, I'll drink it. Ziying, go to sleep now."

Gu Ziying was the first to collapse on the table, while the others continued eating and toasting.

In the end, everyone was completely drunk and unconscious, even Li Shuchen was drunk.

The five of them ended up spending the night at Gu Ziying's house.

The next day, after everyone woke up, had breakfast, said goodbye, and went about their own business.

Li Shuchen strolled back to the courtyard to look at her fringe tree.

"Long time no see, my fringe tree."

Grape stood in front of the vine and gestured happily: "Miss, this vine is growing so fast! It's already as tall as a grapevine. I'm sure it will bloom soon."

Li Shuchen nodded with a smile: "Yes, it will be beautiful then. We can enjoy the flowers and the moon under the trees, have tea and wine, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Grape nodded with sparkling eyes: "Beautiful, Grape thinks it's beautiful~"