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"You're not getting something for nothing," Ye Xiaohan laughed. "What you receive is what you deserve. What's there to refuse? Besides, if you don't accept, how can I feel comfortable letting you work for me without compensation?"
No matter how much Ye Xiaohan persuaded, Li Yi remained adamant about not accepting the proposal to split the profits. With no other option, Ye Xiaohan proposed a new idea.
"Continuing to argue like this won't lead us anywhere," Ye Xiaohan said. "How about this: since you insist on not cooperating, let me hire you as the Shopkeeper for my new store. You will manage all the front-end operations, and I won't shortchange you. You can consider it a one-tenth stake in the business, as a form of technical investment."
Li Yi wanted to decline again, insisting that he should only receive the pay of a regular worker and nothing more. "As an old man, what use do I have for so much silver?"
Ye Xiaohan chuckled, "Even if you can't use it all yourself, you can save some for Round as a dowry!"
Round was Li Yi's pride and joy; her future happiness was his only wish in life. Ye Xiaohan's words struck a chord with him.
Seeing Li Yi soften, Ye Xiaohan made the decision final. "Then it's settled! Li the Shopkeeper, I will need your help to look after the store!"
"Well... sigh, fine. Since Boss Ye thinks highly of this old man, I shall do my best."
Li Yi finally relented. Ye Xiaohan's gesture was both timely and skillfully done; it didn't come off as charity.
With the major decision made, Ye Xiaohan moved quickly on her next steps. She had Li Yi give Hui a sum of silver as thanks for her previous work at Peach Blossom Studio and as compensation for her sudden unemployment.
Hui was saddened to learn that Peach Blossom Studio would be closing down completely. Having worked there since its opening until it was destroyed, her experiences were precious to her.
Whether it was being envied by other girls during the studio's peak or facing scorn when it was framed, those moments had made her stronger.
After settling the employees and clearing the rent for the shop, the matter of Peach Blossom Studio was finally resolved. Ye Xiaohan stood at the entrance one last time; the shop's sign had already been taken down, and she held it in her hands, preparing to take it back home.
Li Yi felt a wave of emotions as he reflected on this troubled establishment. If it could have continued, perhaps it would have become a legendary tale in the business world.
"Let's go; there's nothing left to see," Ye Xiaohan said, shaking off any lingering regret or dissatisfaction. "What's past is gone; no matter how precious it was, it's already lost. The days ahead are what truly matter. As long as we're alive, we needn't fear not making money."
She quickly returned to her usual energetic self; any setbacks she had faced seemed not to leave a mark on her. She radiated positivity.
It was as if just seeing her made others realize that their own setbacks were trivial and insignificant.
"Let's go!" Liu Yang said as he hoisted the sign and led the way. The previous gloom had vanished from him entirely; now he only wanted to work harder for the new shop.
Three people walked briskly toward the house, their shadows stretching long behind them as they returned to the residence at No. 6.
Having resolved the matters at the shop, Ye Xiaohan could now focus on investigating news about Liu Bei.
These places were ones she usually kept an eye on, but there hadn't been much to report previously.
The sudden emergence of a lead felt too strange.
After checking out the places Liu Bei frequently visited, she began exploring locations he had been to but didn't often frequent. While the clues found in these spots might be scarce, any that did appear would likely be significant.
For instance, there was the unexpected mention of Gu Da that Liu Bei had brought up before.
Unfortunately, Ye Xiaohan found nothing of note.
She had investigated Gu Da previously and had come up empty then as well, so she didn’t feel particularly disappointed this time. Mainly, it was because Liu Bei would return soon.
He was not someone who would break his word; he would definitely come back. Thus, Ye Xiaohan wasn't overly anxious.
What occupied her mind more was confusion and curiosity. She truly wanted to know what Liu Bei's true identity was. Where had he gone this time? What had he been doing?
And what was his relationship with the Flying Dragon General? Why would a high-ranking general rush to help at the request of a simple villager?
The unanswered questions were what troubled Ye Xiaohan the most.
After walking for quite a while, her legs grew tired. Just then, she passed by her favorite place, Fortune Restaurant, and decided to treat herself to something delicious.
She ordered a feast and began to enjoy her meal with great delight.
While she was savoring her food, Er approached her.
"Boss Ye, just now a man at the door asked me to bring you a message. Liu Bei is waiting for you at Pleasant Tea House."
The news Er brought surprised Ye Xiaohan.
Ye Xiaohan held a chicken foot, having taken a bite before pausing. "Who are you? Is Liu Bei meeting me at the tea house?"
This was too unbelievable; Liu Bei didn't even like tea.
Er repeated, "That's right, that person is like that, at the hour of Shen, at Pleasant Tea House."
"Who is that person?" Ye Xiaohan asked.
Er replied, "I don't know."
He thought for a moment and described the person's appearance. "It's something like this—very ordinary, someone you'd forget after seeing."
"I see, thank you." Ye Xiaohan expressed her gratitude and continued gnawing on the chicken foot.
This tea house seemed to be a trap. If Liu Bei really had returned, why not go home directly instead of making it so complicated by meeting at a tea house that was usually hard to get into?
The messenger was also strange—ordinary and without any distinguishing features. Such people were best suited for these kinds of tasks; they could blend into a crowd without being noticed.
This person, or this group of people, was clearly targeting her. They had timed it perfectly, waiting until she finished eating, which was just around the hour of Shen.
As Ye Xiaohan ate and pondered, she finished a table full of delicious food. Rubbing her belly, she slowly made her way to Pleasant Tea House.
She didn't plan to tell her family about this. First, they were elderly and she couldn't bear to involve them. Second, she didn't want to alert anyone unnecessarily.
Upon arriving at Pleasant Tea House, she found it quite busy with only a few empty tables left. Er led Ye Xiaohan to one of the tables and served a pot of clear tea.
She casually surveyed the tea house. In such a public setting, even if the other party had ulterior motives, it would be impossible for them to act in front of so many people.
Inside the tea house, groups of patrons chatted casually while some sat alone, humming tunes as they savored their tea. Ye Xiaohan blended in without drawing attention.
She kept track of time while waiting for the other party to arrive. However, as the hour of Shen passed, no one showed up.
What was going on? Had she been stood up?
Ye Xiaohan calmly surveyed the surroundings, finding no suspicious individuals, which left her feeling somewhat puzzled.
After waiting for another moment without anyone appearing, Ye Xiaohan decided she could not wait any longer. Since the other party had not shown up for so long, they likely would not come at all today.
She poured the tea from the teapot into her cup, preparing to finish the last sip before heading back. A cup of plain water at Pleasant Tea House was much more expensive than outside, and she had spent her own money on it.
Finish it off; even if she didn't like it, she would drink it all before leaving!
At that moment, a few people at a nearby table somehow began discussing the Peach Blossom Studio Blush Case. Ye Xiaohan's ears perked up as she heard her name mentioned, and she couldn't help but be slightly distracted.
"That Ye Xiaohan is truly vicious; she actually poisoned the blush. Those women who used her products ended up with their faces ruined—just a glance at them could give you nightmares!"
One tea patron shivered as if recalling the victims.
Another patron corrected him, "Your information is outdated. The Yamen has already posted a notice stating that someone else was responsible for the poisoning. Ye Xiaohan was framed. She's just unfortunate to have such relatives, causing her shop to shut down."
"So there’s more to this story," the first patron said, looking enlightened. "I saw her once before; she didn’t seem like such a malicious person. Turns out she was framed."
Their conversation caught the attention of several tables around them, and soon everyone leaned in to join the discussion, each person acting as if they had been present during the events.
Meanwhile, Ye Xiaohan had already turned her back, trying to minimize her presence as she secretly listened from her corner, eager to hear how they were spreading the news about her situation.
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