Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Bound by his relentless persistence, Qing Luan sighed helplessly, "I am a Merchant's Daughter. Although I don't know what you're up to, your demeanor suggests you are someone of status. I don't want you to be ridiculed." For her, being a Merchant's Daughter was inconsequential, but for others, it was a blow.
She would rather be heartless now than feel sorrow later.
"What of being a Merchant's Daughter?" Black Eyes replied, his gaze filled with depth and a hint of sarcasm playing at the corners of his mouth. "Everyone looks down on merchants, yet when something happens, who steps forward first? In times of disaster, merchants provide funds; in times of war, when silver is needed, it's the merchants who come forward first. Yet those cultured scoundrels claim that merchants are calculating and full of greed. Isn't that self-deception?"
Seeing him analyze the situation so thoroughly, a gentle smile crept onto Qing Luan's lips as she agreed, "Exactly! When they need money, they say nothing; but when they don't need it, they criticize merchants for this and that. It's simply outrageous!" She hadn't expected him to understand so deeply.
" Luan'er, I knew from the beginning that you were a merchant," Xuanyuan Rui stated directly. "Ever since you mentioned buying that mountain, I found it puzzling. To fishermen, that mountain has no value; they'd rather have no land than cultivate it. So I looked into it... and learned everything about the Zheng Family."
This guy was acting like he was conducting a census!
When Qing Luan heard him mention the Zheng Family, her brow furrowed with unease— the downfall of the Zheng Family was due to their provocation of the Hu Family, yet she had directly caused their destruction. If the Huang Family found out, her safety would be in jeopardy.
"I only guessed," he quickly explained upon seeing her change in expression at the mention of the Zheng Family. "Hu Lingyun isn't that formidable; they conduct business honestly and never..."
"Resort to tricks," Qing Luan interjected boldly. "Merchants are already viewed as despicable and filthy in the eyes of the world. So employing a few tricks is merely polite. I never claim to be noble; business is like warfare—those who win survive. If I want to live, I must climb over others' backs to rise up, even if it means stepping over countless corpses. I wouldn't regret it!"
"A fine statement about stepping over corpses," Xuanyuan Rui nodded in agreement. "In business as in war, those who win can laugh triumphantly while those who lose... might not even find their bones!" He understood this principle well because each time he returned from the battlefield, it was amidst a sea of corpses.
"Do you really not care about my identity or my cunning? Aren't you afraid of the troubles I might bring?" Seeing that he agreed with everything she said and offered another perspective filled her with surprise—Qin'er often reminded her of the pain and helplessness faced by the Zhu Clan. Her original plan was to avoid men for life.
"You have many troubles, but Luan'er, who doesn't have troubles in life?" Finally seeing her open up a bit made Xuanyuan Rui want to laugh heartily; however, fearing it might scare her away, he said earnestly, "Even walking down the street could lead to being innocently killed. So don’t put pressure on yourself; I will always be by your side!"
Although her heart stirred slightly, she did not give him any direct promises. Instead, she reined in her joy and said calmly, "It doesn't matter if you accompany me, but I don't want you to interfere in my affairs." She disliked being directed by others, so it was important to set this straight.
"Don't worry, I don't like meddling either. I prefer to chat with you like this," he replied, enjoying the pride that emanated from her strong demeanor and unwilling to dull her sharpness.
"Hmph!" There was no joyful smile, only a haughty cold snort. Yet the light in her eyes betrayed her true feelings.
After Xuanyuan Rui emerged from the secret chamber and left Ruyi Tower, he quickly vanished into a narrow alley upon realizing he was being followed.
"Damn it, what's wrong with Lin Ya?" After hearing about the incident on the street, the Young Marquis's eyes were filled with murderous intent.
"She probably likes you," Zhuang Youlan said softly as she noticed he had lost his composure. "Young Marquis, you should go persuade Chen Qingluan. If that doesn't work, you could marry her first..."
"No way," the Young Marquis rejected outright, his expression darkening. "She doesn't have that qualification. Hmph! I only considered taking her as a concubine because I thought highly of her. I didn't expect her to be so self-sufficient and even want to be Madam Marquis—it's simply courting death!" He had no interest in a woman who had been looked down upon by others; if it weren't for knowing her ability to amass wealth, he wouldn't even want to see her.
"Young Marquis," seeing his anger and unwillingness to compromise, a happy smile crept onto her lips. She blinked innocently and urged him, "Young Marquis, listen to me..." Leaning closer to his ear, she shared her plan and gazed at him intently, waiting for his response.
After hearing her words, surprise flickered in the Young Marquis's eyes, but he hesitated. "Isn't that quite unfair to you?"
"This is a temporary measure. Once she marries in, whether as wife or concubine will still be up to you," she said dismissively of his hesitation. "I won't let myself be wronged; you can rest assured!" With his protection, what was there to fear about being wronged?
"Even so, what about your parents...?" If someone had already devised a plan for themselves, it would be too ungrateful of him not to comply.
"I can persuade my parents. Right now, your main task is to convince the Chen family members to bring Chen Qingluan back; otherwise, no matter what plans we come up with, they will be futile!" Without the Chen family members' support, marrying her would yield little benefit.
"I know that the Chen Family Member will help me," he said confidently. "The Jade Pavilion has already caught Prime Minister Huang's eye, and I believe it will change hands soon. Once the Jade Pavilion falls, Chen Qingluan will have nowhere to go. At that point, she won't be able to avoid returning to the Chen Residence!"
"That's true, but it's better to act first. Haven't you heard? A man publicly declaring that Chen Qingluan is his woman on the street could lead to complications down the line..." She didn't want to make things difficult for herself, but letting someone her brother despised marry the man she liked felt worse than killing her. However, if she didn't do this, all her efforts would be in vain.
So, she had to endure, waiting until Chen Qingluan was no longer of any use. Then, she would repay all the grievances she had suffered at Chen Qingluan's expense.
In fact, it wasn't just the Young Marquis who was anxious; both the Chen Family and the Huang Family were feeling the pressure as well. People were talking about how different Chen Qingluan was from the obedient and docile girl they knew from the Chen Family.
Comment 0 Comment Count