The next morning, I woke up early. I didn't even bother with breakfast. Today, I had to meet the Yun family.
Yan Mei insisted on following me, but I refused. The Bai family may have already started monitoring me one way or the other, and I didn't want her to get mixed up in all this drama.
I packed a bowl of my braised meat and went straight to the Yun Pavilion. The restaurant was big, with red pillars and golden signs. It looked richer than any place I had been to.
At the front desk, I said, "I want to meet Master Yun."
The man there frowned. "Master Yun doesn't just see anyone."
I leaned closer and said, "Tell him Lin Xu is here. The same Lin Xu that the Bai family tried to get a recipe from yesterday."
That caught his attention. He hurried upstairs. A few minutes later, I was led to a private room.
Inside, Master Yun sat behind a table. He looked to be in his fifties, calm but sharp.
"So you are Lin Xu," he said. "Sit."
I bowed slightly and sat. "Yes."
