Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Opening Day Competition
"This time, it’s all thanks to Sister Fulan; otherwise, even if I were to die to apologize, it would..."
Xiao Ying stopped halfway, some words, she feared, could never be uttered even in death.
The Third Miss was standing on her toes to collect morning dew when she heard the maid’s words. Her expression remained calm, having already weathered the storm in her heart when she awoke last night.
She had woken up from a nightmare, where what she experienced was too cruel and terrifying. In her half-awake state, she thought it was real and almost collapsed upon waking.
It was her mother and Xiao Ying’s repeated explanations and comfort that made her understand it was just a dream, a horrible dream.
And in reality, she was fine.
Relieved at that moment, the Third Miss also secretly blamed herself for her carelessness, almost causing a big mistake. If things had been as in the dream, how could she have faced living in the world?
"The morning dew in the mountains is nice; I’ll collect more to take back and make tea. I’ll send some to Sister Fulan," said the Third Miss.
Xiao Ying nodded in agreement, helping the young lady collect the dew. When they had collected enough, they both felt a bit sweaty, and before they could speak, someone arrived.
"Third Miss, Mr. Wen heard that you were not feeling well and came early to visit. Now he’s speaking with Madam in the front."
The incident of the Third Miss fainting yesterday had somewhat leaked out, but others didn’t know what had happened. Qu Fulan had instructed that if anyone asked, they should say the Third Miss fainted due to unwellness.
That’s why Mr. Wen came today to check on her.
"Mr. Wen is so considerate to come early in the morning," Xiao Ying said with a smile. "Let’s hurry back so we don’t keep Mr. Wen waiting."
In the end, the Third Miss didn’t go to see anyone in the front. She had misunderstood Mr. Wen the previous day, almost making a mistake, and was now ashamed and self-blaming, too embarrassed to see anyone.
She only sent Xiao Ying to explain that she was fine. The Third Miss remained in the backyard, standing under the osmanthus tree, breathing in its rich fragrance.
When she heard footsteps behind her, she thought Xiao Ying had returned.
"I’ve heard the osmanthus here is sweeter than in the city. Let’s pick some to make osmanthus cake and share it with everyone. What do you think?"
"Will there be a share for me?"
With a buzzing sound in her head, the Third Miss instinctively turned around.
Standing a few yards away was none other than Wen Sichen, who had only recently become her fiancé.
The Third Miss was somewhat dazed, staring stunned at the young man not far away, unable to say a word.
Wen Sichen also felt a bit awkward at the lack of response.
Unable to suppress his concern, he had boldly pleaded with the second Madam, granting him permission to see her.
After the second Madam allowed it, she had a maid lead him to her. They were about to pass through a half-moon gate when the maid needing to return for something left him waiting in the front pavilion, where he saw her in the courtyard.
She must have assumed her personal maid had returned, asking without turning around, and he instinctively asked that question.
After a brief stalemate between the two, it was Wen Sichen who spoke first, clearing his throat lightly and softly asking, "Do you like osmanthus cake a lot?"
The Third Miss finally came to her senses, her cheeks slightly warm, quickly shifting her gaze to the stone table nearby, nodding hastily.
After nodding, feeling it was rude not to say anything, she summoned her courage to look back at him and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Wen Sichen looked at her, and somehow those hard-to-say words slipped out, "I heard you were unwell, so I wanted to come and see."
These words turned the Third Miss’s ears red. The two stood quietly for a while, neither saying anything.
A breeze blew through, making the mountain air cooler. Wen Sichen noticed her thin clothing and said, "It’s getting windy; you should go inside. Don’t catch a chill. I’ll come see you again when I have the chance."
Even though they were engaged, it wasn’t proper for them to spend too much time alone, or it would harm her reputation if word got out.
The Third Miss looked at the gentlemanly figure before her, realizing Mr. Wen was indeed such a refined gentleman. She suddenly broke into a smile, giving him a slight bow, "Then, I’ll go back first."
With that, she stepped back a couple of steps, then turned and left with light steps that matched her mood.
Wen Sichen stood behind, only retracting his gaze and turning away when her figure disappeared.
*
On the way back, the Third Miss sat in the carriage, resting her chin in her hand, lost in thought.
Cheng Ru, arm in arm with Fang Yuan, gestured in the Third Miss’s direction with her eyes, "Look at her lost-in-thought look; she’s here in body, but her mind is elsewhere."
Fang Yuan, mindful of how Third Sister had always looked out for her, didn’t want to make fun of her, but being close to Cheng Ru, she joked, "When you find a good husband one day, you might be even more distracted than Third Sister."
With that, she laughed merrily.
Cheng Ru, feeling both embarrassed and shy, stood up to tickle the other, "You wicked girl, making fun of me with something that hasn’t even happened, see how I’ll deal with you."
The two started playfully wrestling again.
The Third Miss, absorbed in her thoughts, paid no mind to their antics throughout the journey.
On the return trip, Qu Fulan didn’t share a carriage with these three but rode with Heir Pei instead.
At that moment, Heir Pei sat with one leg bent and the other stretched, resting against the carriage wall, his head slightly tilted back in rest.
After all, he had been out on a mission for several days, lying in ambush to catch someone. Saying he wasn’t tired would be a lie.
Qu Fulan didn’t disturb him, as she took several scrolls out of a nearby chest and checked them repeatedly.
During her time at the temple, she hadn’t been idle either, completing the paintings.
She believed that her other plans had also progressed well, and once the new shop opened, a few familiar friends should attend as guests, and with the fireworks set off, everything would be stable.
After returning to the Pei Mansion, Qu Fulan immediately summoned the appropriate shopkeeper.
"Originally, the Xiao family planned to open their store in ten days, but perhaps they heard our store would open in five days and changed the date accordingly. Generally, this wouldn’t be an issue, as many places open and close daily in the Capital City, but since their store is next to ours, it complicates matters."
If both stores opened on the same day, where would the customers go?
If the opening turned into a loss, who would visit their milk tea shop thereafter?
It’s not that this shopkeeper overestimates others and underestimates his own, but the fact is that Tingya Building’s milk tea business was better than Flower Garden Ode’s. If customers shifted over, they would certainly lag behind.
"How come it’s only today you discovered that Xiao’s Milk Tea Shop is our neighbor?" Qu Fulan took a sip of tea from her saucer before asking the key question.
The shopkeeper sighed, "When we first started renovations, we tried to inquire about it, but they were secretive, only saying they were doing another business, not milk tea."
Qu Fulan set down her teacup, "I see. It’s no big deal; just follow what I’ve instructed on the opening day."
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was five days later.
Today was also the day Ji Nishang was released. Although her cousin had managed to smooth things over, being in jail was not pleasant, and the grievances she had suffered during these days drove her to crush the Pei Family on the opening day to wash away the past shame.