Delicate and Delicious

[Blurb subject to change]

Food streamer Yuan Wangshu opens her eyes and finds herself a lowly palace maid in the imperial kitchen.

Palace rules say that maids who reach the age of twenty-two may apply to leave the palace.

Yuan Wangshu rolls up her sleeves and sets herself a goal: save as much money as she can and open a restaurant once she leaves the palace!

With her excellent cooking skills, she becomes a court chef at a young age.

Shuiming Jiao, Xuexia Geng, and Lianfang Yubao fill the air with their delicious aromas.

Golden Chicken, Shanhai Dou, and Tangyu Xiu Wan bubble away in their pots.

The emperor and the rest of the palace's masters eat until their mouths are greasy, praising every dish to the skies.

Only Crown Prince's Heir Gu Xihe finds fault now and then.

Looking at the crown prince's heir, with his striking, flamboyant youthful features, Yuan Wangshu sighs. Never mind. A face this handsome would be such a shame to hit.

*

But palace intrigue is as real as it gets.

One dish of crab-stuffed oranges drags the entire imperial kitchen into the mess, and they are all sent to the Office of Careful Punishment.

Yuan Wangshu never expected that the crown prince's heir, who had never liked her, would be willing to help.

After the imperial kitchen is cleared of blame and Yuan Wangshu escapes the turmoil, she thanks the crown prince's heir, then asks the empress dowager for permission to leave the palace.

The imperial city loses a court chef named Yuan, while the capital gains a restaurant called Yuan's Eatery.

But on the day she leaves the palace, Yuan Wangshu looks back and sees Gu Xihe's pale, stunned face.

She laughs to herself: the crown prince's heir is kindhearted, just too picky.

Hmph. This old lady is done serving him.

Yuan Wangshu puts the whole affair out of her mind and focuses on running her restaurant.

Delicate wontons, delicious taro dumplings, and shrimp floss tea porridge.

Crispy sausages, spicy chicken, pepper-salt ribs, and crispy rice with mandarin fish soup.

Everyone in the capital says that the food at Yuan's Eatery is not only novel and fun, but also a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate. It's worth waiting in line for days!

And the owner, Yuan, is as beautiful as Xi Shi!

One day, Yuan Wangshu is trading sharp words with someone who has come looking for trouble.

Her voice is as clear as an oriole's, and her clever retorts come one after another. She doesn't use a single curse word, yet the other person is so angry their face and neck turn red.

Yuan Wangshu wins decisively, then turns around and meets a pair of peach-blossom eyes: three parts hurt, three parts shocked, and four parts disbelieving.

...Why is Gu Xihe here?

Well, it seems the fine reputation of Yuan's Eatery has spread far and wide, even reaching the palace.

Theme: You can have both a career and love!