Chapter Fifty-Eight: Contrary to Etiquette!

Page 1

Chen Fenglei scrutinized Tang Fei, the man before him, his primary subject of attention.

Tall and slender, his gaze was bright; his spirit and energy seemed decent enough...

This was the first impression Tang Fei left on Chen Fenglei.

Alongside that first impression, however, came others: filthy, unkempt, rustic, hair in disarray, clothes in tatters, a pungent odor wafting from him...

Damn it, when those scoundrels "invited" him over, could they not have let him bathe and change into clean clothes first?

It was said that Old Earth was short on water, and bathing was hardly a simple matter.

As for the clothes, these must be their best set.

After all, one cannot measure the refugees from Old Earth by the living standards and resources of New Star.

Beyond that, there was nothing particularly remarkable.

Oh, he was fairly good-looking.

Yet in Phoenix City, handsome young talents were as common as fish in the river...

With technological progress, genetic optimization, and a booming beauty industry, who could be ugly nowadays?

Only those truly penniless or who cherished natural looks would accept mediocrity or ugliness.

The wealthy, more or less, all had a touch-up.

Appearance was the least of Chen Fenglei's concerns.

Furthermore, with those negative factors dragging him down, it was hard for Chen Fenglei to see Tang Fei as a "charming" young man.

From what he knew of Princess Xuexue, such a man was entirely outside her taste, practically a death sentence.

"Is it truly for gratitude?" Chen Fenglei wondered to himself.

But that was just as well, allowing him to breathe easier.

Had there been any secret affections between him and Princess Xuexue, it would be bad for both...

Even Princess Xuexue herself would suffer some loss of reputation.

Quite serious!

And then there was the little fat one...

Since those trays of pastries had been brought out, his gaze had never left them.

A foodie, clearly!

Foodies generally have simple minds, dedicating all their energy to eating. For him, eating was the most important thing in the world.

Such people could almost be disregarded entirely.

This outcome pleased Chen Fenglei greatly. It seemed his worries were unfounded.

These two brothers were very safe.

There had originally been another invitee, but it was said he had vanished without a trace...

Chen Fenglei cared little for such matters; in a vast empire, one person, or even a group, could not change anything.

Every day, countless people in the empire clamored for change, yet nothing ever changed.

Especially not a refugee from distant Old Earth...

Hadn't the sovereign said so?

If all else failed, he allowed the princess to be heartbroken for a while.

That was a golden promise, a pardon. It left Chen Fenglei with plenty of room to maneuver.

Smiling broadly, Chen Fenglei looked at the little fat one and asked, "Hungry, aren't you?"

"No," the little fat one shook his head.

He'd already eaten plenty aboard the New Star's spacecraft.

But seeing these pastries, he wanted to eat again.

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He felt that not drooling would be disrespectful to them...

"Go ahead," Chen Fenglei said with a cheerful grin. "If you're hungry, eat. Don't stand on ceremony. You're honored guests invited by Her Highness the Princess. We'll do our best to provide every convenience."

"Then...," the little fat one swallowed, thinking the pastries in this gorgeous house looked far tastier than the bread cubes on the spacecraft—colorful and appetizing. "Really eat?"

"Go on," Chen Fenglei nodded, unable to suppress a smile.

He found himself rather liking this chubby boy, whose desires were written plainly on his face.

Such people were rare in the court.

So, the little fat one picked up a piece and stuffed it in his mouth.

One bite at a time.

He savored it carefully—sweet, glutinous, melting instantly.

Eyes squinting, his face radiated happiness.

Then he grabbed another and popped it in.

The speed at which he fed himself increased, faster and faster.

One after another, he finished a plate of pastries in no time.

Then he moved on to attack the next plate...

Chen Fenglei was dumbfounded—at this rate, the kitchen’s daily desserts wouldn’t be enough for him alone.

Others usually took just a taste; most times, a tray of pastries would sit untouched.

But this boy was going all out.

"Ahem..." Tang Fei coughed lightly, reminding the little fat one to mind his manners.

After all, this was New Star, Phoenix Empire, a royal palace. As newcomers, they needed to appear poised and graceful, to present a good image of Old Earth.

Hearing the cough, the little fat one picked up a piece and handed it to Tang Fei. "Brother, you try it too. It's so good... I've never eaten anything this delicious."

Seeing his brother's honest, joyful smile nearly overflowing, Tang Fei suddenly felt that nothing else mattered.

They were just two refugees from Old Earth—windswept, bloodied, hunters and fighters, who’d urinated from trees and spat on the ground. Who needed manners? Who needed a good image?

Were they going to become stars? Would anyone want them as brand ambassadors?

His brother’s happiness was most important!

He took the pastry and mimicked his brother, chewing the whole piece at once.

"Mmm, delicious," Tang Fei said with a smile.

Hearing Tang Fei’s praise, the little fat one felt as if he’d been complimented himself. He handed over another piece, saying, "Brother, try this one... not as sweet, but very refreshing, not greasy at all..."

"Alright, I'll try it," Tang Fei replied.

"And this one, and this one..."

"Okay."

Thus, the brothers, as if in competition, polished off four plates of pastries on the table in a single breath.

"All gone?" The little fat one reached for more, only to find the plates empty.

"All gone," Tang Fei nodded. "Let's work hard and earn well. There’ll be plenty of good food in the future."

"Mm," the little fat one agreed, wiping his greasy hands on his clothes.

Remembering his brother liked cleanliness, he offered his sleeve to Tang Fei. "Brother, you wipe too."

Tang Fei instead drew a napkin from the table. "I'll use this... Little Fatty, use this from now on. Don't wipe your hands on your clothes; it's dirty."

"Oh," the little fat one nodded, thinking, Didn’t we always use clothes to wipe our hands before? You were always using my clothes...

Chen Fenglei had been smiling throughout, saying nothing as the brothers ate. Not interrupting was his best display of grace.

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Once the brothers had finished eating, Chen Fenglei finally spoke. "Would you like more? I can have the kitchen make some."

If you’re not full, I can order more, though when they’ll be ready is uncertain...

"We're full," Tang Fei said to Chen Fenglei with a smile. "Thank you, sir."

"..."

Chen Fenglei disliked being called that.

The little fat one thought he could eat more, but since his brother said he was full, he was full as well...

Tang Fei looked at Chen Fenglei and asked, "Where’s Phoenix?"

Chen Fenglei’s eyelid twitched. "Mr. Tang, you and your brother are honored guests invited by Princess Xuexue, her friends. So, I’ll be frank..."

"We people from Old Earth say what’s on our minds, straightforwardly. What we hate most are those who smile on the surface but stab you in the back," Tang Fei replied.

"..."

Chen Fenglei felt he was being insulted.

"Go ahead," Tang Fei said.

Chen Fenglei took a sip of tea, mostly to soothe the frustration in his chest.

Once his heart settled a bit, he looked at Tang Fei and said, "I know you and His Highness Xuexue have a good relationship. She cares about you both quite a lot—ever since her return, she's wanted to bring you here... You know, New Star’s nations have closed migration routes for Old Earth refugees. It wasn’t easy for Princess Xuexue to accomplish this."

"I know," Tang Fei nodded. "I’ll treat her to barbecue sometime."

"But there are some matters to be mindful of," Chen Fenglei interjected. "For example, how you address her... You can call her Princess Xuexue, Her Highness, or Miss Xuexue... Best not to use that name."

"Which name? Phoenix?"

"Yes," Chen Fenglei replied.

"But she told me herself—that’s her name..."

"That’s Princess Xuexue’s childhood name," Chen Fenglei explained. "The Queen gave it to her personally... In the palace, only the sovereign and a very few relatives call her that..."

"Oh," Tang Fei nodded. "Friends can’t call her that?"

"Best not to. It’s bad for both you and her."

"How so?" Tang Fei asked.

"..."

Chen Fenglei felt weary.

He’d thought this would be an easy task—receiving two refugees from Old Earth, ignorant and inexperienced...

Yet even answering a few questions had proven so difficult.

"It’s like this, sir: If you call her Phoenix, it violates court etiquette... You know, the palace has its own system. Of course, you’ll have etiquette lessons later, with someone assigned to instruct you," Chen Fenglei said, looking at Tang Fei. "But if you insist, you might invite trouble upon yourself."

"You plan to cause me trouble?"

"Not me, others."

"Why would others cause me trouble?"

"..."

"Of course, I trust you won’t harm me," Tang Fei said earnestly to Chen Fenglei. "Whatever you say she should be called, I’ll call her that. I’ll listen to you."

"I’m just afraid Phoenix will be upset that, after only a few days apart, I no longer call her by her name but start calling her Your Highness... I worry she’ll think I’m deliberately distancing myself, or unwilling to be friends anymore."

"..."