TSWPF -Chapter 227 Jealousy

The shopkeeper inwardly groaned. No matter how he thought about it, he never imagined that the young lady was actually Third Young Master’s friend. Now it was truly a case of “water washing away the dragon temple.”

He quietly drew a breath, forced a smile, and recounted everything that had happened from start to finish. Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to mention his act of helping Lin Zhishan—he had no desire to offend Third Young Master.

After listening, Zhao Yichen glanced at the shopkeeper, noticing that he had withheld part of the story. But he didn’t care to press the matter and simply let it go.

“Next time something like this happens, make sure it’s handled quickly. Don’t let it affect the reputation of the restaurant.”

If the shopkeeper weren’t even slightly related to the Madam, he would have already suggested that Big Brother replace him.

By his own abilities, he really wasn’t competent enough to run this restaurant.

Not to mention other things, just the way he handled this incident showed he wasn’t doing a good job.

Oh well—after all, this wasn’t his own business; it belonged to the family. He’d just pretend he hadn’t seen anything.

He didn’t want to say anything that might offend the Madam and make her unhappy.

“Yes, yes, I understand.” Seeing that Zhao Yichen showed no sign of anger, the shopkeeper breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “Third Young Master is here just to dine, right?”

Zhao Yichen gave a short hum and walked toward the second-floor private room assigned to him.

Passing by the shopkeeper, Lu Xiyun softly instructed him to prepare some dishes that Zhao Yichen liked.

Since this was the fiancée of Third Young Master giving the orders, the shopkeeper could only nod in acknowledgment.

Watching the two of them go upstairs, he hurried to the kitchen and told the chefs to prepare the dishes Zhao Yichen enjoyed.

“Zhishan, I never thought you’d hit a brick wall one day! Being bested by a mere young lady, how does it feel? Frustrating, isn’t it?”

“Damn it, if I see her again, she’ll regret offending me.”

When Zhao Yichen passed by Lin Zhishan’s private room, he overheard these words. His eyes darkened instantly, and he raised his hand, intending to push the door open.

Lu Xiyun noticed his intention, gritted her teeth in frustration, and, feeling a bit wronged, said, “Brother Chen, let’s go inside quickly. I’m starving.”

Just a village girl, was she really worth him standing up for her again and again?

If she liked someone stronger and more beautiful than herself, she could at least accept losing gracefully.

But she never imagined he would be defeated by a village girl. How could she swallow that pride?

Hearing Lu Xiyun’s voice reminded Zhao Yichen that she was with him. He immediately withdrew his hand, nodded to her, and strode toward his private room.

Once seated, Lu Xiyun cupped her face, curiosity shining in her eyes. “Brother Chen, where is your friend from? I’ve never heard you mention her before.”

“There’s nothing to mention—just a business acquaintance.”

“Wow! She does business with you? That’s amazing! Next time I meet her, she must teach me—I really know nothing about that stuff.”

Thinking of Li Qingling’s actions in business, Zhao Yichen couldn’t help but smile, feeling deeply impressed. “She’s very capable… even more capable than me.” He glanced at Lu Xiyun. “You’re different from her. She has to support her family. You only need to know how to read the accounts.”

Seeing the smile on Zhao Yichen’s face, Lu Xiyun felt a bit annoyed, but his last remark made her happy again.

He was right—she only needed to learn to read the accounts; the rest would be done by others.

She had really been foolish to compare herself with a village girl. They were worlds apart—what was there to compare?

That woman couldn’t even match her pinky toe.

Thinking of this, Lu Xiyun’s eyes curved into a smile. “I heard Miss Qingling is already married. How can she go out in public to earn money for her family? What about her husband?”

A rustic girl with no sense of propriety—how could a woman go out in public all the time?

Hearing this, Zhao Yichen felt a little displeased. What did she mean by “going out in public,” as if Li Qingling…

He glanced at Lu Xiyun with faint annoyance. This was exactly why he didn’t like the elite ladies of the capital—everything they said carried multiple hidden meanings.

It really was exhausting.

“She’s more like a strategist, planning things behind the scenes. She doesn’t deal with external matters.” His words served to explain Li Qingling’s situation; he didn’t want anyone to malign her. “She probably came along with her husband this time. He’s participating in the spring imperial examination.”

Lu Xiyun clenched her fists, her expression unchanged. “I see… Miss Qingling is even younger than me. Her husband can’t be very old, right?”

A rustic guy taking part in the spring examination? Surely his results wouldn’t be impressive.

She looked down on Li Qingling and others, but Zhao Yichen’s next words slapped her in the face.

“Her husband is the same age as you. Though young, he’s extremely knowledgeable—a top scorer in the preliminary exams. If nothing unexpected happens, he’ll pass the spring examination and become a jinshi.”

Thinking of the young but composed Liu Zhimou, Zhao Yichen’s eyes showed a trace of admiration.

He really was remarkable, worthy of Li Qingling.

Seeing Li Qingling’s expression today, he knew she was living well.

If she weren’t, her features wouldn’t look so gentle.

A top scorer at such a young age?

A rustic guy could be this amazing? That was truly unexpected.

“That’s really impressive.” Lu Xiyun quickly smiled, worried that Zhao Yichen would suspect something.

Zhao Yichen pursed his lips in a slight smile, poured a cup of tea, and sipped it without saying another word.

Words wasted on someone you can’t converse with—he had no intention of chatting with Lu Xiyun.

If his mother hadn’t repeatedly pressured him to go out with Lu Xiyun, he wouldn’t have come to meet her at all.

His eyes drifted toward the bustling street outside, and suddenly he felt a deep loneliness.

A loneliness of the soul.

Was he really going to spend his life with someone he didn’t love? Really?

Zhao Yichen kept asking himself, more intensely than ever before.

Could it be that meeting Li Qingling made him even more unsettled?

While Zhao Yichen wrestled with his thoughts, Li Qingling was completely unaware. She was strolling slowly with Zeng Tietou, completely unbothered by whether Lin Zhishan would send people after her.

She wasn’t worried, but Zeng Tietou certainly was.

He could tell Lin Zhishan wasn’t someone to mess with. Offending him might lead to unknown reprisals.

“Master, don’t go out alone from now on. At least bring someone with you.”

Li Qingling understood Zeng Tietou’s concern. She smiled and nodded. She always exercised caution and would never put herself in danger.

Better safe than sorry!

“If you go out during this period, bring someone along. I’m worried that if Lin Zhishan can’t get to me, he’ll vent his anger on you.”

“Okay…” Zeng Tietou agreed. Suddenly, a thought struck him: that man, Lin Zhishan, resembled the Second Young Master.

Even their names differed by just one character.

Could they be related? He knew that Liu Zhimou’s parents weren’t originally from Niutou Village—they had settled there later. Still, the aura of that couple resembled the capital elite’s exactly.

Zeng Tietou’s mind raced, and he couldn’t hold it in any longer. Hesitating, he asked, “Master… should I say something?”

He feared that asking directly might upset her. Better to ask first. If she allowed it, he’d speak; if not, he’d keep it to himself.

“Say it…”

“Well… Master, have you noticed that the man named Lin Zhishan resembles our Second Young Master? Even their names are similar.” Finally, he exhaled lightly.

Hearing this, Li Qingling’s brow twitched. Even Zeng Tietou had noticed it—any observant person would.

If someone who noticed their similarity had ill intentions, that could be dangerous.

Li Qingling thought for a long while before speaking. “There are many people in the world who look alike, even have similar names. There’s nothing strange about that.” She paused, then added a slight warning, “Just… don’t spread this around. Misunderstandings would be bad.”

Zeng Tietou felt a jolt and nodded repeatedly, promising he wouldn’t speak carelessly.

He wasn’t stupid enough to gossip about such things.

Li Qingling trusted him on this point. She gave a faint “hmph” and redirected the conversation toward their shop.

The mention of the shop immediately lifted Zeng Tietou’s spirits. He eagerly discussed it with Li Qingling.

She had told him before that if he did well, she’d give him a ten percent share of the profits.

For this ten percent, he was determined to excel. A successful business would make that ten percent quite substantial.

He could become wealthy purely from that share.

Li Qingling and Zeng Tietou continued their discussion until they encountered Liu Zhimou and the old man returning from the carriage. Only then did they pause.

“Old Master, Brother Zhimou, you’re back?” She hurried over. Seeing smiles on their faces, she knew this trip had been fruitful. “How was it? Did you meet the teacher?”

For the first time, Liu Zhimou showed such open emotion. He nodded with a smile. “Yes, and he asked me to go again tomorrow.” He hadn’t expected the teacher not only to guide him but to request another visit tomorrow. He was genuinely thrilled.

“Really?” Li Qingling’s eyes lit up as she gave Liu Zhimou a thumbs-up. “Brother Zhimou, you’re amazing!”