Chapter 116 A Scholar Defends Me in Debate!

After returning to her room, Miao Yunyou collapsed onto her pillow and was almost asleep in an instant. Before going to bed, she had deliberately set her alarm for eight in the morning, planning to get up early to lend a hand, but the days of constant busyness had completely drained her energy. The moment the alarm went “ding-ding-ding,” she groggily reached out to turn it off, then her head tilted, and she sank back into dreamland.

When she woke again, sunlight was already streaming through the gaps in the curtains, warmly spilling over the bed.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she picked up her phone and saw—it was 10:07 a.m.

Miao Yunyou: “……”

Her phone screen was perfectly clean: no missed calls, no urgent messages. It seemed Xie Dingnian and the others had arranged everything properly; nothing major had gone wrong.

Well, it was fine—there weren’t really people on this mountain actually depending on her to help.

After a quick wash, she splashed her cheeks with cold water to fully shake off her drowsiness. Habitually, she headed toward the cafeteria. Before she even reached it, a rich aroma of food drifted on the wind, filling her nose and instantly whetting her appetite.

Usually it smelled good, but today… was it a bit too fragrant?

As she got closer, she noticed that next to the kitchen, an open-air shed had somehow been set up. Its frame was built from thick, sturdy wood, covered with a layer of neatly trimmed thatch. The rustic charm blended perfectly with the surrounding forest and wooden cabins, making it seem as if it had always belonged there.

Under the shed were five wood-fired stoves made of red bricks, lined up in a row. Flames roared inside, painting the faces of nearby people with a rosy glow.

Several temporary workers in coarse cloth clothing, each with an embroidered “auspicious cloud” patch on their chest, were busy around the stoves. Some waved spatulas, stirring dishes in the pans with quick, skillful movements—the sizzling sounds rising and falling rhythmically; some squatted by the stove, feeding the fire, with flames crackling and sparks shooting up; others washed and chopped vegetables nearby, the chopping on the boards falling into a brisk “thud-thud-thud” rhythm—a scene full of bustling energy.

Seeing Miao Yunyou approach, they immediately paused their work, slightly nodding, faces showing a hint of restraint but voices extremely respectful: “Good morning, Sect Leader Miao.”

“Good morning, everyone!” Miao Yunyou waved cheerfully, her tone light and friendly.

Because it was an open-air kitchen, many visitors found it novel, gathering around the shed, snapping photos with their phones and chatting excitedly.

Watching the scene, Miao Yunyou couldn’t help thinking: “Ah, no wonder it smells so good—it’s being cooked right out in the open. But… this really looks like some rural banquet, doesn’t it?”

She overheard a nearby visitor excitedly exclaim:
“Wow, look at this open-air kitchen! This is amazing! The owner must really trust the quality of their ingredients, otherwise who’d dare have such a visible kitchen, not afraid of visitors seeing everything?”

“Exactly! Look at the chefs’ outfits, and these wood-fired stoves—it feels so authentically ancient. The attention to detail is incredible!”

Miao Yunyou: “……”

What is this called?

This is exactly what it means: a scholar defending me in debate!

As she stepped into the cafeteria, Miao Yunyou was even more surprised. It was just past ten in the morning, but the cafeteria was already full, every seat taken. The air was thick with the aroma of food and filled with the cheerful chatter of visitors—it was lively to the extreme.

Following the crowd with her eyes, she spotted two striking figures sitting at the table in the farthest corner—it was Jiu’er and Hua Yuezan.

Jiu’er had changed her outfit today: a pink-and-white gradient Hehuan dress, embroidered along the hem with intertwining lotus and Hehuan flowers, perfectly matching the surroundings.

Miao Yunyou: “……”

And about the fact that the other party hadn’t even brought a suitcase, yet had somehow changed clothes…

Mmm… whatever, better not overthink it. After all, science didn’t exist here anyway.

Jiu’er and Hua Yuezan huddled together, whispering about something, their conversation seemingly centered around the bottles of fine wine on the table.

The two beauties sat together—one alluring and enchanting, the other gentle and graceful—complementing each other perfectly. Just looking at them was a visual delight. The air seemed to carry the faint scent of wine mixed with their personal fragrance, pleasantly uplifting everyone’s mood.

No wonder the cafeteria was so crowded at this hour—it all made sense now.

At that moment, a young visitor wearing glasses recognized Miao Yunyou and leaned over, whispering: “Boss Miao, you specifically invited Teacher Jiu’er here—is it to promote the wine here? So, when will it actually go on sale? I want to try it too!”

Miao Yunyou gave a nervous chuckle and replied vaguely: “…Hehehe, soon, soon. It’ll be available, don’t worry. We’ll definitely let everyone know when the time comes.”

In fact, what she said wasn’t entirely untrue.

Previously, there were too few staff, and everyone had to handle various chores every day.

If these tasks were fully handled by temporary workers, someone like Hua Yuezan could focus entirely on her own work—say, opening a small shop just to sell wine. The sales would definitely do well.

Time passed quickly, and by noon, as the sun climbed higher, the number of visitors to the resort surged.

Long queues formed at the mountain gate, and all four self-service ticket machines were crowded, clearly insufficient. The lines moved slowly, and many visitors began whispering complaints:
“Why is this so slow?”
“How long until we can get in?”
“Can’t you open more lanes?”

Seeing this, Miao Yunyou quickly called Hua Yuezan, who had experience with ticket checking, to go out and help.

Hua Yuezan didn’t hesitate. She picked up her phone and skillfully began scanning tickets for visitors. Her movements were swift, her smile gentle, soothing everyone’s impatience: “Don’t worry, everyone. Take it easy, you’ll all get in.”

The two of them worked for a while before finally clearing the lines at the gate. According to the backend data, the visitor count that day reached ten thousand—exactly as Zhang Mo had predicted.

The matchmaking event in the afternoon was a huge success.

As the special guest, Jiu’er spoke occasionally, her words witty and incisive, drawing bursts of applause from the audience.

The host was Su Wangkui, a seasoned veteran who had been mingling in the royal palace for decades. He had vast experience with people, eloquence to match, and a sharp sense of humor. His speech was structured, engaging, and perfectly capable of energizing the crowd.

He and Jiu’er were in perfect sync.

Whenever Su Wangkui threw out a clever line, Jiu’er would respond just right, their banter sparkling with humor, sending the audience into fits of laughter. The atmosphere on stage was electrifying.

For a matchmaking event, the results exceeded expectations.

Through several interactive games and self-introduction sessions, the afternoon successfully paired three couples!

…And also casually broke up five others.

Of course, although more were convinced to split than paired up, that wasn’t important. Overall, the event was extremely successful!