Chapter 91: Wishing to Become a Rich Woman

“Eh? Don’t cry. You don’t like it? If you don’t, I’ll have someone clear it away right now. Just stop crying.”

The sight of those few tears immediately sent Feng Ke into a panic. He hurried to the side to fetch a silk handkerchief and gently wiped Qiao Qingyun’s tears away.

“Thank you.”

Through tears, the woman smiled, made a wish before the candles, and blew them all out.

“I wish that by this time next year, I’ll be a fabulously rich woman!”

“A fabulously rich woman?”

They were momentarily baffled by this strange new expression, until the woman burst out laughing and explained, “Rich enough to rival a nation.”

“All right!”

Feng Ke clapped enthusiastically, looking at Qiao Qingyun with great admiration.

Since they had not once seen Yuan Zaichun along the way, and perhaps because of the silk handkerchief covering her eyes, Qiao Qingyun had been in an exceptionally cheerful mood all this time.

“Then I hope Miss Qiao finds a perfect husband soon!”

Qing Luo suddenly said something most ill-timed. The moment the words left her mouth, the air seemed to freeze.

Perhaps realizing she should not have said it, she pressed her lips together and lowered her head. “Miss...”

“Oh, that’s right! Qingyun, what about me? How do I compare? Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t force you. Marry me, and all my property will be yours.”

“Hahaha, and aren’t you afraid I won’t give you any money?”

Qiao Qingyun smiled at Feng Ke. Feng Ke froze, then waved a hand and said, “Of course I’m not afraid! What’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is still yours!”

“Hahaha.”

His words drew peals of laughter from everyone. Zhong Shi paused, thought it over, and then said, “Miss, then what about me? Do I have a chance?”

“Huh?”

Everyone turned in surprise to look at Zhong Shi, making him deeply uncomfortable. He forced himself to stay relaxed and asked, “What? Is that not allowed? I used the wages you gave me, Miss, to open a pawnshop. The income is still pretty good.”

“No way. When did that happen?”

Qiao Qingyun widened her eyes in disbelief. In truth, Zhong Shi was simply making it up.

Hong Ying knew this, because Zhong Shi had already found his roots as he sought to grow quickly; the two of them were both members of the royal family of the Kingdom of Lu.

Because Zhong Shi was exceptionally capable, the emperor valued him highly and granted him a great deal of silver and several shops.

“Only the shop isn’t here. It’s in another territory, so...”

“So Qingyun absolutely cannot go with you! If she leaves, what happens to the General’s Manor?”

Feng Ke immediately began to argue irrationally. Zhong Shi frowned. “Compared with me, you may not even measure up! I’ve taken a blade for the Miss before. What have you done?”

“I... I... I let Qingyun open a shop for free!”

“Wasn’t that just learning the trade while taking advantage of it?”

“You!”

“Come on, come on, stop arguing! Today is the Miss’s birthday, you two!”

Qing Luo hurried to smooth things over. Qiao Qingyun sat helplessly in her chair, resting her chin in her hand as she watched the two men behave like children.

“Oh dear, you two are making such a racket!”

The woman pinched the bridge of her nose. Zhong Shi frowned. “Can you protect the Miss?”

“Hmph, then why not try?”

As the words fell, the two of them suddenly began fighting, and Qiao Qingyun simply sat off to the side and drank tea.

“Sit down and have some tea.”

At Qiao Qingyun’s words, Hong Ying and Qing Luo cautiously sat down. The servants nearby rushed up to pull the two apart.

“Boss! Young Master Zhong! Stop fighting!”

But aside from the attendants being sent flying one after another, the two were locked in a struggle too fierce to break.

“Brother!”

Hong Ying cried anxiously, but Qiao Qingyun put a hand on her shoulder and pressed her back into her seat.

“Don’t worry. Neither of them can kill the other.”

“Huh?”

Qing Luo shuddered all over. From Qiao Qingyun’s tone, why did it sound as though she was a little disappointed they could not die?

“Relax.”

With that, Qiao Qingyun calmly brewed a pot of tea with practiced grace and took a sip.

Almost at the same moment her cup touched the table, the two of them stopped.

Both were gasping for breath, their bodies covered in cuts of varying size.

Only then did Qiao Qingyun finally stand. But the moment she turned around, she saw Yuan Zaichun staring at her without blinking.

That gaze seemed as though it might drag Qiao Qingyun straight into a vortex.

The woman paused, but did not stop. She took the folding fan beside her and walked to the middle of the two men in a few quick steps, first striking Feng Ke hard on the head.

“Ow!”

The man yelped and clutched his head as he scurried away, where had all his bewitching charm gone? He looked at Qiao Qingyun pitifully. “Why are you hitting me and not him?”

“Because you provoked him! He’s the one assigned to protect me. If you cripple him, are you going to take care of him?”

“Of course not!”

Feng Ke immediately denied it. Take care of a man? Impossible.

“Then why were you still fighting?”

Qiao Qingyun widened her clear eyes in obvious displeasure. She strode up to Zhong Shi and gave him another sharp knock on the head.

“Hiss!”

Zhong Shi had already expected he would be hit, but he did not dodge. Instead, he had been waiting for Qiao Qingyun to strike him.

“It’s my birthday today. If the two of you are still not satisfied with beating each other up, then go on, fight outside! If you’re not satisfied, don’t come back!”

“Miss... I know I was wrong...”

Zhong Shi lowered his head in grievance. The woman pinched the bridge of her nose.

“An honored guest like the crown prince has come, and the two of you hid it from me so thoroughly. If I hadn’t happened to turn and see him, I would never have known.”

At Qiao Qingyun’s words, the two of them froze almost at the same time. They exchanged a look.

This was bad.

Now Qiao Qingyun was bound to be angry.

Yet everything turned out far beyond their expectations. Qiao Qingyun walked up to Yuan Zaichun and Bu Shenglian with a faint smile.

“Greetings, Your Highness. I wonder how the crown prince finds the food here, together with Miss Bu?”

The moment she said that, Zhong Shi and Feng Ke both stiffened, while even Hong Ying and Qing Luo reacted the same way.

“It’s fine.”

The man answered a little hypocritically, though in truth he had been amazed from the very first bite.

The Hundred Flowers Pavilion was now completely transformed from before.

“And Miss Bu?”

Qiao Qingyun asked with a smile.

Bu Shenglian did not know what to say. Instead, she rose with an obedient air and said, “Since today is Sister’s birthday, I have nothing of my own to give. This bracelet was just bestowed on me by His Highness yesterday. I thought its green color was both beautiful and dignified, so today I shall present it to Sister.”

Qiao Qingyun could have laughed herself to death at that. What sort of gift was given like that, right in front of the person who had given it?

“There’s no need. My Hundred Flowers Pavilion is not lacking such things.”

The woman declined with a smile, but who would have thought Bu Shenglian would suddenly speak with teary eyes? “Is Sister still resenting me for stealing His Highness’s favor from you?”

“Not at all. What is mine cannot be taken away; what is not mine stays the same no matter who takes it. Please, enjoy your meal, both of you. We will not disturb you further.”

With that, the woman turned and glanced at the others nearby.

“Clear the table.”

“Yes.”