Chu Qi, who was helping Ji'er pick out the bones from her fish, suddenly froze. He lifted his eyes to glance at Long Xuan, suddenly feeling that this husband and wife talked too much and made too much noise.

"Did you drink last night, Lil Qi?" Ji'er asked curiously.

"Yes," Chu Qi replied. He placed the deboned fish onto the plate in front of her. "Eat up."

Ji'er took a bite and asked curiously, "Does it taste nice?"

"Not at all." Chu Qi was worried she would be interested to try alcohol when he saw a flash of curiosity in her eyes. He added, "It's very bitter and tastes bad."

Ji'er took a look at Long Xuan and the others, who were drinking happily, and said with slight surprise, "If it tastes that bad, why are they drinking so happily? Besides, my father likes drinking too."

"Their palettes are different from normal people," Chu Qi replied.historical

"Oh, does that mean they can't tell if something tastes bitter?" Ji'er pressed.

"Yes."

Long Xuan, Zhao Qian, and Chu Yi, the men with abnormal palettes, ".."

Yaoyao took her plate of fish and placed it in front of Chu Qi. "Help me pick out the bones from my fish too, Big Bro Lil Qi."

Chu Qi glanced at her and summoned Steward Chen. "Help Second Princess debone her fish."

"Yes, General." Steward Chen immediately picked up a pair of clean chopsticks and helped Yaoyao debone her fish.

Yaoyao sighed. "Big Bro Lil Qi is playing favorites. I'm your guest today too, aren't I?"

Lin Qingyuan could not help looking at Chu Qi. His head was lowered as he kept his focus on deboning Ji'er's fish. A thought suddenly crossed her mind and she asked, "By the way, Chu Qi, I heard that His Majesty is preparing to bestow a marriage on you. Is there a lady you've already had your eyes on?"

Chu Qi did not raise his head. "Nope."

Lin Qingyuan said with great enthusiasm when she heard this, "What sort of girl do you like? I can help keep a lookout for you."

"That's not necessary." Chu Qi noticed Ji'er was eating slower after she heard Lin Qingyuan's words. He frowned and rejected her offer coldly.

Lin Qingyuan was about to say more when Long Xuan held her back. He leaned in close to her ear and said, "Can't you see he's getting upset? You'll be kicked out of here if you continue this conversation."

Lin Qingyuan shut her mouth awkwardly when she heard this.

She just felt that since they were neighbors and Chu Qi was getting older, she thought she would help him out if she could. However, she had not expected him to feel so adverse about the topic.

"Come on, let's drink." Chu Yi picked up his wine cup and encouraged everyone to drink when he noticed the atmosphere getting tense.

His actions smoothened things over.

Just as everyone was prepared to leave, Steward Chen came in reporting to Chu Qi, "General, the Southern Xinjiang Princess is here."

Chu Qi frowned. He was about to say he did not want to see her when Man Li's voice was heard before they could see her.

"It isn't very nice of you to be drinking without inviting me, General Chu Qi."

She spoke quite freely and those who were not aware would have mistakenly assumed they were well-acquainted.

Everyone turned to look at Chu Qi.

Chu Qi glared darkly at Steward Chen.

Steward Chen felt a chill. No matter how slow he was on the uptake, even he could sense the general's unhappiness. He said shame-facedly, "I have been negligent in my duties and failed to put a stop to this.."

Man Li appeared in front of everyone very soon.

She did not feel embarrassed despite overhearing Steward Chen's words. Instead, she looked at Chu Qi without reservation. "Would General Chu Qi throw me out when I'm a guest here? This is a country of etiquette. If General Chu Qi chased me out now, it would be quite an embarrassment to your country."

Everyone looked at her with slight disdain when they heard her arrogant words.

No one would have taken someone as beautiful as Princess Man Li to be such a thick-skinned person.

She had already caused an awkward situation by inviting herself in. Now, she using the matter of etiquette to corner the owner of the mansion.