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墨書 Inktalez
"Don't," Qing Luan scoffed coldly. "I will never set foot in this Tianxiang Restaurant again. If you have something to say, just say it. I have important matters to attend to. And by the way, my surname is not Chen; it's Zhu!"
Seeing her so dismissive and direct in her refusal made Fu Tianlin feel a bit uncomfortable, but he still maintained a smile as he said, "I just wanted to ask Miss Zhu how Tianxiang Restaurant can be revived." The current state of Tianxiang Restaurant was nothing compared to its former glory, especially after the establishment of Ruyi Tower, which had caused business to decline day by day, leaving him quite worried.
If Tianxiang Restaurant were to close down, his younger sister would have to be sent to the Prime Minister's Residence as a concubine.
"Why come to me?" Qing Luan asked curiously. Weren't they supposed to be rivals? Why would he approach her with such a request? This man seemed rather strange.
"Only you can save Tianxiang Restaurant," Fu Tianlin lowered his stance and said sincerely, "I beg you, whatever conditions you have, I will agree as long as it can save Tianxiang Restaurant!"
Seeing Fu Tianlin's humble demeanor struck Qing Luan as odd. According to her information, Fu Tianlin was proud and had integrity; otherwise, Tianxiang Restaurant wouldn't have been so prosperous in the past. Yet here he was, pleading before her, which felt very peculiar.
"Tianlin is not doing this for himself," Bai Feiyang interjected when he could no longer bear the sight of Fu Tianlin's desperate expression. "He's doing it for his sister. If Tianxiang Restaurant can't be saved, his sister will be given to Prime Minister Huang's son as a concubine."
"Let's go sit at Ruyi Tower for a bit," Qing Luan said, sensing there was more to the story and that it involved the Prime Minister's Residence piqued her interest.
Qing Luan walked ahead while Fu Tianlin and Bai Feiyang closely followed behind. They exchanged excited glances; if Zhu Qingluan could truly save Tianxiang Restaurant, it would be a life-saving grace for Fu Tianlin.
"Private room," Qing Luan said as soon as she entered, spotting A-Song coming over to greet her. She tossed him two words and then ascended the stairs—there was a room prepared specifically for her upstairs that no one else could use. "Bring tea!"
"Yes," A-Song replied respectfully. However, upon seeing Fu Tianlin and Bai Feiyang following behind her, he frowned slightly in displeasure but said nothing as he turned and went into the back.
"They're thinking about you," Fu Tianlin noted A-Song's expression and reminded Bai Feiyang of what happened last time.
"I did it for you," Bai Feiyang retorted inwardly frustrated at his glee.
"Hehe..." Fu Tianlin merely chuckled lightly before heading upstairs.
"The young lady is inside," Qin'er said upon seeing them at the door and led them into the private room before taking a seat next to Qing Luan.
As soon as a maid sat down beside her, Fu Tianlin and Bai Feiyang exchanged strange glances, unsure of how to inquire further, fearing that the girl might have some other identity that could lead to trouble.
"This is Qin'er, my maid and also my lifesaver," Qing Luan introduced directly. If it weren't for Qin'er accompanying her back then, she truly didn't know if she could have endured.
Today's introduction was intentional; she wanted Fu Tianlin to understand that she was someone who clearly distinguished between gratitude and grievances.
This move genuinely left Fu Tianlin and the others stunned. In their minds, no matter what a servant had done, they were never qualified to sit at the same table as their master. Yet Zhu Qingluan remained unfazed, as if this was perfectly natural, which made them feel somewhat embarrassed—if it were them, they certainly couldn't do the same.
If they knew that Qing Luan and Qin'er had gone through life-and-death trials together and supported each other through the toughest times, they would realize it wasn't about capability but rather about circumstances.
"Now tell me, what connection does Tianxiang Restaurant have with the Prime Minister's Residence?" Seeing their odd looks directed at her, she was pleased with the effect she had created and spoke up proactively.
Fu Tianlin, seeing that she had asked, directly explained the current situation of the Fu Family. "The Fu Family used to stand strong in the capital, but the Zhu Family... your uncle's methods have become formidable, and the Zhou Family is even more ruthless, eager to swallow the Fu Family whole. It’s Tianxiang Restaurant that is barely holding up the entire Fu Family. If Tianxiang Restaurant falls, the Fu Family will soon be on the brink of collapse... My father fears that if the Fu Family collapses without support, he wants to send my younger sister into the Prime Minister's Residence as a concubine for the Prime Minister's son..."
"Then why are you looking for me?" What did this have to do with her?
"I know your connection with the Prime Minister's Residence. Madam Chen is Prime Minister Huang's illegitimate daughter. Her entanglement with you is all for Prime Minister Huang..." He wasn't foolish; some things were obvious to anyone with eyes. "Five years ago, for some reason, the Zheng Family that supported Prime Minister Huang fell from grace. Although Prime Minister Huang has held power these years, he lacks financial resources and has been suppressed..."
"The Zheng Family was brought down by me," she said without fear of Fu Tianlin spilling her secret. Even if he knew, there was nothing they could do about it. If they wanted revenge, they would have to see if they had the capability.
"What?" Fu Tianlin and Bai Feiyang gasped in shock, staring at the young girl filled with audacity. They truly didn't know what to say.
"I spent a year consuming all of Zheng Family's businesses," Qing Luan said openly, a faint smile on her lips as she continued lightly, "The Zheng Family wanted to take over my elder brother's business, so I helped myself to everything from them." It was also because Zheng Family had ties with the Prime Minister's Residence that she managed to sever Prime Minister Huang's right-hand man in such a short time.
"Does Prime Minister Huang know?" After a long pause, Fu Tianlin asked hesitantly.
The Tianxiang Restaurant had offended her; if she truly wanted to destroy the Fu Family, it wouldn't be difficult at all... Just thinking about it made him feel a bit terrified.
"He doesn't know; you can go tell him," Qing Luan said with a cheerful smile.
"We won't say a word," Fu Tianlin and Bai Feiyang assured in unison, fearing that she might not believe them.
"You don't need to assure me; I really don't mind if you choose to speak," she replied. As for how they would be treated afterward, that was up to her.
"...," the two stared at her in silence, unsure of what to say.
"Fu Tianlin, how do you want me to help you? What do I stand to gain from this?" Business is all about profit; without benefits, it loses its meaning.
Qing Luan's straightforward attitude made Fu Tianlin hesitate for a moment. After pondering for a while, he said, "As long as it can save my sister, I will agree to anything!"
Years later, Fu Tianlin would be grateful for his decision today because he had allied himself with Qing Luan; otherwise, the Fu Family would have vanished completely from the capital.
"Alright, the harvest from Tianxiang Restaurant will be given to the Fu Family at eighty percent of last year's yield. In reality, it's all mine," she stated. This was similar to how she had dealt with the Hu Family before, but now the significance was different; she had no ties with Fu Tianlin and didn't need to show loyalty.
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