Chapter 179 -

Chapter 179: Chapter

That evening, Yimei sat in her newly cleaned office on the upper floor of the teahouse, quietly jotting down notes by the warm glow of the lantern.

The heavy oak doors creaked open as Qinqin stepped inside, carefully setting a wooden box filled with fresh paper and ink blocks onto the desk.

"Young Madame," Qinqin said with a bright, satisfied smile as she smoothed down her sleeves. "The entire building is looking so well put together now. The ground floor is clean, the tables are set, and the kitchen is fully scrubbed. We just need to hire a few more helpers for the kitchen and serving tables, and everything will be completely ready for our grand opening."

Yimei set her brush down, dipping a soft cloth into warm tea as she nodded thoughtfully. "Good. We will recruit two reliable servants from the town tomorrow." She glanced toward the door and added, "Go call Liu Feng up here for me."

"Yes, Young Madame," Qinqin replied obediently. She bowed slightly, turned around, and left the office, closing the door behind her to find Liu Feng.

A moment later, Liu Feng stepped into the quiet room, his hand resting casually on the pommel of his sword. He bowed respectfully toward the desk. "Young Madame, you summoned me?"

Yimei leaned back in her chair, resting her chin on her hand as a cool, calculating glint entered her dark eyes.

"Liu Feng," Yimei began, her voice calm and smooth. "I want you to go out tonight and keep a close eye on An Yulan. Make sure she gets home safely... or wherever else she decides to wander in the evening."

Liu Feng instantly understood the hidden meaning behind her words. It was her indirect way of ordering him to secretly trail An Yulan, spy on her every move, and discover who she was meeting.

"Understood, Young Madame," Liu Feng replied with a firm nod. "I will follow her discreetly and report back to you."

He turned on his heel and walked out of the office. As he descended the stairs, Liu Feng couldn’t help but reflect on the two women. Even though An Yulan and Yimei were sisters, they were completely different creatures. One was loud, arrogant, and recklessly foolish, while the other was sharp, calculating, and always five steps ahead of everyone else.

Back at An Yulan’s shop, the building was far from old or run-down. The newly painted wooden pillars gleamed, the stone steps were smoothly polished, and everything looked remarkably beautiful. Outside, delicate flakes of snow had begun to fall again, dusting the roof tiles with white. As evening drew near, the red paper lanterns hanging under the eaves were lit one by one.

Inside her private office, An Yulan sat near the window while Bai Shishi and Bai Wenxiu bickered nonstop.

"I’m telling you, silk embroidered cushions will look far more expensive!" Bai Shishi argued loudly, waving her arms. "Nobody wants plain velvet!"

"You know nothing about style, Shishi!" Bai Wenxiu snapped back. "Velvet is much richer for the winter!"

An Yulan barely paid attention to their chatter. Suddenly, her eyes caught a subtle shadow near the lattice window. A small piece of paper had been slipped quietly through the frame’s edge.

Quickly and smoothly, An Yulan reached over, using a porcelain vase on the sill to cleverly cover her movement as she snatched the paper. While the two sisters were completely absorbed in their fierce debate, An Yulan unfolded the note under the edge of the desk, scanning the contents with sharp eyes.

Once she finished reading, her lips curved slightly. She folded the letter into a tiny square, slipping it deep into the inner pocket of her robes.

Just as she hid the note, the two girls turned toward her simultaneously to demand a verdict.

"Yulan! Tell Shishi that she’s completely wrong and I’m right!" Bai Wenxiu demanded.

"No, tell her she’s wrong and I’m right!" Bai Shishi countered instantly, puffing out her cheeks.

An Yulan offered them a quick, awkward smile, waving her hand casually. "You are both right. Both ideas are wonderful, but I really have to get going right now."

The two girls narrowed their eyes, looking at her with deep suspicion.

"Where are you going?" Bai Shishi asked, frowning. "It’s getting late. We should all be heading back home together before dark."

An Yulan smiled smoothly, her voice soothing as she patted Shishi’s hand. "Yes, of course, and I will head home very soon. I just need to quickly go check on one of our main suppliers. We have to make sure every single detail of this shop is perfect enough to utterly defeat Yimei... Don’t you two want to teach her a lesson?"

Hearing the mention of Yimei, the two sisters immediately forgot their suspicion. Their faces lit up with eagerness, nodding in strong agreement.

"Of course we do!" Bai Wenxiu sneered. "I can’t wait to see her arrogant face when her shop fails completely!"

"We have to crush her ego once and for all!" Bai Shishi chimed in triumphantly.

Taking immediate advantage of their distraction, An Yulan stood up and pulled a heavy, fur-lined cloak tightly around her shoulders to keep warm against the falling snow.

"I won’t be long," An Yulan said, pulling the hood over her head to conceal her face. "I’ll be back at the estate long before dinner."

Without waiting for another word, she slipped out through the side doors into the snowy evening, completely unaware that from high atop a nearby roof, Liu Feng’s cold, watchful eyes were tracking her every single footstep.

Liu Feng moved through the dark streets like a quiet shadow, his footsteps silent on the snowy rooftops. Down below, An Yulan pulled her hood low, constantly looking over her shoulder to check if she was being followed.

She took a long, roundabout path through the narrow back alleys before finally stopping in front of a grand residence. A carved wooden sign above the gates read Baron Fu Mansion.

Liu Feng crept closer, surprised by the sheer size of the place. He had no idea such a massive, luxurious estate existed in the southeast district.

Leaping softly over the high brick wall, Liu Feng sneaked into the outer courtyard. He moved invisibly from shadow to shadow, carefully avoiding the patrolling guards until he traced An Yulan to a quiet, secluded inner courtyard.

Crouching beneath the carved window sill of the main room, Liu Feng held his breath and listened.

Inside the heated room, Baron Fu sat comfortably on a padded rosewood chair, spinning a smooth jade ring around his thumb. An Yulan stood near the tea table, trying to keep a polite smile on her face, though her eyes were glued to the heavy wooden chest sitting on the corner table.

"My sweet little flower," Baron Fu purred, his low, greasy voice thick with unwanted affection. He reached out his heavy hand, attempting to grab her waist and pull her closer. "Must you always stand so far away from me?"

An Yulan felt a surge of disgust, but she forced a delicate laugh and subtly took a step backward, pretending to pour a cup of warm wine. She was determined to drain every single silver coin out of this wealthy old fool’s pockets to build her shop, no matter how much his touch made her skin crawl.

"My Lord, please," An Yulan said sweetly, holding out the wine cup to keep his hands occupied. "I only came tonight to make sure our silver arrangement was settled."

Baron Fu chuckled, taking the cup while his lingering gaze swept over her figure. He clapped his hands twice, and two heavy-set guards stepped into the room, carrying an iron-bound chest. They set it down on the floor with a loud thud before bowing and stepping back outside.

"Here is the rest of the three hundred silver pieces for your new shop," Baron Fu said, resting his hand over the chest’s lock. "However... why go back to that cold, miserable home tonight? Stay here with me in my residence. You belong in luxury."

An Yulan’s heart leaped in panic, but she quickly put on a piteous, innocent face.

"Oh, My Lord, nothing would make me happier," she lied smoothly, letting out a soft sigh. "But I cannot stay tonight. My two poor sisters and sick parents are waiting for me at home! If I am not back before dinner, my strict family will beat them for letting me leave!"

Outside the window, Liu Feng silently scoffed in the cold night air. Sick parents? She doesn’t have a sick family, and Madame Chen would never beat Shishi or Wenxiu.

Baron Fu smirked, reaching out again to catch her wrist, his eyes glinting with a sharp, perverted gaze. "Is that the real reason, or are you hiding something from me? I heard rumors that you were already a married woman."

An Yulan’s expression froze for a split second before she shook her head frantically, squeezing out a couple of fake tears. "Nonsense! People in the market are just spreading malicious rumors to ruin my reputation! How could I possibly be married? I am completely unmarried, pure, and devoted only to supporting our business, My Lord!"

Baron Fu studied her crying face for a moment before letting out a boisterous laugh, clearly enjoying her helpless act. He had no idea she was actually married into the Bai family; he believed she came from a completely different household altogether.

He released her wrist and patted the silver chest. "Very well, my clever Mei-er," Baron Fu called out, using the fake name and identity she had given him. "Take your silver tonight. But remember who owns this shop, and who owns you."

Beneath the window sill, Liu Feng’s dark eyes narrowed instantly.

Mei-er? he thought, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. She completely hid her marriage to the Bai family and even changed her name to trick this old fool out of his silver.

An Yulan bowed deeply, quickly grabbing the heavy pouch of silver coins he handed her before wrapping her thick cloak tightly around her shoulders and slipping out the side doors into the snowy night.

Liu Feng waited until her footsteps vanished down the alley before leaping silently off the courtyard wall, tailing her through the dark streets to report every detail to Yimei.