A parent who was out with their kids accidentally stumbled into a 5-ha show, and their alter ego sho

Yunxuanju in Zhoushan was not located in the bustling city center, nor in the tourist-heavy Shenjiamen fishing port or Putuoshan wharf.

It is hidden in an unnamed alley at the end of West Street in Dinghai Ancient City.

Dinghai Ancient City is the only well-preserved ancient city with a history of over a thousand years on an island in China, and West Street is the quietest part of the ancient city—stone-paved roads, old houses, and mottled white walls, where time seems to slow down.

Most tourists are stopped by shops and food stalls on Zhongdajie and Dongdajie, and very few people will walk all the way to the end of Xidajie.

At the end of the alley is a narrow lane that can only accommodate two people walking side by side. There is no road sign at the entrance of the alley, and old houses are lined up on both sides, with bed sheets and clothes hanging out to dry.

Locals passing by wouldn't give it a second glance, assuming it's just an ordinary dead end.

But as you walk deeper into the alley, about fifty meters in, your view suddenly opens up – a high wall of blue bricks stands in front of you, covered with ivy. An old wooden door is embedded in the wall, with no sign or nameplate, only a bronze-colored animal-face door knocker.

This is Yunxuanju in Zhoushan.

From the outside, it looks like an old house forgotten by time, extremely understated, even giving the illusion of being somewhat dilapidated.

No passerby would have guessed that behind this door lies Zhoushan's most expensive private restaurant.

Deng Chao and the others found their way here based on the address given by Lu Han.

There are rumors about Yunxuanju online, but it's not a complete picture, and people don't know much about it.

"This is Yunxuan Residence in Zhoushan? It's quite different from the one in Shanghai." Deng Chao looked at the ordinary gate in front of him, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

In Shanghai, Yunxuan Residence appears extremely luxurious from the outside, and its area is enormous, unlike here which seems like a secluded paradise.

Huang Bo nodded slightly: "It's different from Yunxuanju in Qingdao. I guess there's more to it than meets the eye."

Wang Mian and some staff members remained silent, though their eyes held a hint of suspicion. Naturally, they had not dined at Yunxuanju.

"Oh, Chuanzi and the others will be here soon," Deng Chao said to Huang Bo after glancing at the message on his phone.

A few minutes later, the sharp-eyed Wang Mian spotted a group of people approaching and immediately exclaimed, "Brother Chao, Brother Bo, Brother Chuan are here!"

Deng Chao and Huang Bo looked over and spotted Xia Chuan and the others, so they went to greet them.

"Chuanzi, what brings you here?" Deng Chao asked.

Lu Han quickly came to his side and whispered something in his ear. The next second, Deng Chao's pupils suddenly shrank as he looked at Xia Chuan, who was smiling and nodding slightly, and was extremely shocked.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but after glancing at Huang Bo and Wang Mian, he swallowed his words, patted Xia Chuan's arm, and said with a wry smile, "Chuanzi, I really didn't expect that you could always manage to do something shocking, and each one is more frightening than the last. My heart is pounding..."

Chen He scoffed, "Your ignorant attitude is really embarrassing me."

He enjoyed teasing Deng Chao, who just rolled his eyes at him. He didn't think Chen He, who knew the news, would remain so calm.

Seeing this, Huang Bo frowned slightly, looked at Xia Chuan, then glanced at Chen He, who was shaking his head with a wry smile and wearing a smug smile, and an absurd idea came to his mind.

"No way, this is Yunxuan Residence! Nobody's ever known who the owner is!"

Clearly, Huang Bo had a vague idea, so he looked at Xia Chuan with a questioning gaze.

Seeing this, Xia Chuan secretly admired Huang Bo's quick thinking. He didn't hide anything and nodded with a smile: "Brother Bo is right. Let's go in and eat first."

When Huang Bo saw Xia Chuan nod, he was once again shocked, thinking to himself, "Holy crap! I never thought I, Huang Bo, would have the chance to meet such a big shot!"

Wang Mian, standing to the side, looked completely bewildered, but he knew one thing: don't interrupt when you shouldn't.

The less you say, the fewer mistakes you make.

Xia Nian, holding Lu Han's hand, said with a grin, "Little Lu, let me tell you, the seafood here is delicious, especially the Crab Fairy Burger!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Han's eyes lit up.

Wang Zhengyu suddenly asked, "Chuanzi, um, is this filming okay for us?"

This is a question that must be asked, because although there are some photos online, there are very few, and this time the audience will be extremely large when recording the program.

Xia Chuan shrugged and said indifferently, "Do as you please, but some of the guests here have 'identities' that you might not dare to post even if you take pictures. So I suggest you turn it off now and wait until we get to the Star-Picking Tower before taking pictures of us eating."

Hearing his words, everyone understood, and Wang Zhengyu nodded repeatedly. He didn't want to offend some big shots who could dine at Yunxuanju because of filming.

So he ordered the cameras to be turned off, and only took a dozen or so people inside, leaving the rest to wait in the car.

The first thing that catches the eye is not the courtyard, but a huge blue brick screen wall.

This is a classic technique in ancient Jiangnan architecture for "warding off evil spirits" and "concealing scenery." By going around the screen wall, the whole world suddenly becomes quiet.

The front yard is not large, about a hundred square meters, with old stone slabs on the ground and fine moss growing in the cracks.

A huge osmanthus tree grows in the courtyard, its canopy spreading out like a giant umbrella, covering most of the courtyard with shade.

There was an old well under the tree, its rim worn smooth. Beside the well was a pottery jar with a few unknown wildflowers stuck inside.

The courtyard is flanked by covered corridors, the wooden pillars of which are mottled with paint, exuding an air of age.

Several bamboo lanterns hung under the eaves, now lit up, their warm yellow light spilling onto the stone slabs, as gentle as an old dream.

Li Hai walked at the front, his pace neither too fast nor too slow, maintaining a distance that was just enough to lead the way without making anyone feel rushed.

"As per the boss's requirements," he reported in a low voice as he walked, just loud enough for Xia Chuan to hear, "Zhaixinglou is all set up. The menu is prepared according to the standards of the main store, and Chef Zhou has finished preparing the ingredients."

Xia Chuan nodded without saying anything, while the others curiously looked around.

Passing through the front yard and through a moon gate, the true appearance of Yunxuan Residence gradually unfolds.

If you walk straight from the front yard, you will see Tingzhu Pavilion directly in front of you.

The Tingzhuxuan restaurant in Zhoushan is smaller than the flagship store in Shanghai, with only eight tables, but its design leans more towards "island Zen".

The hall has windows on three sides, and slender bamboo is planted outside the windows, rustling in the wind.

Instead of a canopy, the roof has several skylights, allowing real moonlight and starlight to stream in directly—a unique feature of the Zhoushan store, since the night sky on the island is much clearer than in big cities.

In the very center of the hall, there is also a winding stream, but instead of running through the entire hall, it converges into a small pond with several koi fish in it and a guqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument) placed beside it.

The zither is real, and occasionally a resident zither player will play it, but tonight, because the venue is being cleared out, the zither lies there quietly, as if it is also resting.

At this moment, there were only three tables with guests in the hall, and they all saw Li Hai leading Xia Chuan and the others, and a look of surprise appeared in their eyes.

They clearly knew Li Hai, the store manager, and Deng Chao and the others also knew him. However, Xia Chuan's identity, who was in charge, aroused their curiosity. But they weren't stupid; they knew that it would be impolite to ask directly and would easily offend people.

Li Hai did not linger in the hall, but led everyone directly through the hall and into the deeper part of the hall.

They didn't linger at Qingfeng Pavilion and Mingyue Terrace, but Deng Chao and the others vaguely saw that people were having a meal inside. Among them, Wang Mian, who had sharp eyes, seemed to have spotted several middle-aged men in administrative jackets chatting with someone, and his heart tightened.

"Mom's kiss, don't tell me those people are leaders!"

Finally, cross the stone arch bridge and walk up a gravel path, where the terrain gradually rises.

At the end of the path, a two-story building is built against a natural rock; this is the Zhaixinglou (Star-Picking Tower) of the Zhoushan store.

Although it is called a "building", it is actually more like a pavilion built against the mountain.

The first floor is a tea room for receiving guests, with windows on all four sides overlooking a bamboo forest; the second floor is the main dining room, which has only one table and can accommodate a maximum of eight people.

The best thing about the second floor is that when you open the north window, you can see the outline of Mount Putuo in the distance.

By day, it's a silhouette of a Buddhist kingdom by the sea; by night, it's a distant, twinkling light.

This perspective is unique to the Zhoushan store; it's not available at the main store or any other branch.

It is said that when the site was initially chosen, the final decision was made here because of the view of "overlooking Putuo".

There's a telescope on the rooftop terrace, and it's not just for show; it's actually functional. On clear nights, you can look at the stars for a while before or after dinner.

Thus, we pluck the stars.

[District Chief Sun: Great! Stargazing is great! It's my favorite thing to do. If you had 'tested' me like this earlier, I would have already succumbed to it.]