Chapter 93 -

Chapter 93: Chapter

Yimei met his cold gaze, her voice remaining calm and steady. "Xiao Jun is my business partner. He benefits from my work, so him helping me makes sense. You have to understand why I would ask."

Zhengyu sneered, turning his face away as his voice grew hard and sharp. "Don’t get the wrong idea. I am not doing this because I am fond of you, or because I care about you."

He turned back to look at her, his dark eyes cold and full of pride. "I am doing this because it will benefit me too. I need my own source of income, so we can be partners as well. You will run the pavilion, and I will profit from it. I do not plan on relying on the Bai family for the rest of my life, so I need my own money. You need a building, and I need a business. It is a win-win."

Yimei looked at the stubborn man sitting in front of her, catching the fierce pride hiding behind his cold words. A tiny, knowing smile touched her lips.

"A partner, then," Yimei said softly, stepping closer to his wheelchair. "If that is how you want to put it, partner... I accept."

Zhengyu looked at her smiling face, his jaw loosening slightly. He cleared his throat and looked away into the grand building. "Command number four. Go inspect your new pavilion and start planning what needs to be fixed."

...

Yimei walked deeper into the large hall. Her boots made soft tapping sounds against the dusty floor. She looked up, taking in the huge building. The floor was covered in dust, but the big wooden pillars were strong and made of good wood. The tall ceilings were great, and the second-floor balconies looked right down at the main stage. It was the perfect setup for a high-class tea house.

Qinqin followed close behind her, holding a small notebook and pencil.

"Shopkeeper," Yimei called out clearly.

The old shopkeeper rushed over, bowing low. "Yes, Young Madame! How can I help you?"

Yimei walked to the center of the hall. "Tell me about the air and moisture in this place. Tea leaves ruin easily if it gets damp. Is the basement dry?"

"The basement is built with heavy stone and lime, Young Madame," the shopkeeper answered quickly. "Even in rainy weather, it stays completely dry. It was built to store costly tea."

"Good," Yimei said. She took the notebook from Qinqin and quickly drew a simple map of the floor layout. "We will use the basement for tea storage. The main floor will have open tables for regular guests. But the second floor..."

She walked up the grand wooden stairs, checking the private rooms upstairs. "The second floor will have luxury private rooms. Each room will have wooden screens, private tea sets, and nice silk curtains."

She turned back to the shopkeeper, asking quick, simple questions about local carpenters, wood prices in the market, fresh water sources, and how many people walked past the shop every day. Every question she asked was smart and focused on making money.

Meanwhile, downstairs near the front door, Zhengyu sat quietly in his wheelchair.

He held a thin book in his hands, turning the pages slowly. Liu Feng stood right beside him, keeping a watchful eye on the room.

To anyone looking, Zhengyu seemed busy reading his book. But he wasn’t reading a single word.

His dark eyes secretly followed Yimei’s every move upstairs. He listened to her clear, confident voice as she talked to the shopkeeper. She didn’t act like a weak, scared daughter-in-law. She acted like a strong boss in charge of her own business.

A quiet, strange feeling filled Zhengyu’s chest. He had met many fake, greedy people in his life, but he had never met a woman as clever and fearless as her.

By the time Yimei finished her notes and organized her repair plans, the sun was starting to set. Cold orange light came through the wide windows, showing that late afternoon had arrived.

Yimei walked back down the stairs, her cheeks slightly pink from the cold air, her eyes shining with excitement. She stopped in front of Zhengyu and pulled her cloak tight.

"We need to go back to the Bai house before it gets dark," Yimei said. "If we stay out too late, the elders will start complaining again."

Zhengyu closed his book with a small snap and handed it to Liu Feng. He reached into his thick sleeve and pulled out a heavy metal ring holding the keys to the entire building.

He held them out to her.

Yimei looked down at the keys, then up into his dark, steady eyes. She slowly took the heavy key ring into her hand. The cold metal quickly felt warm in her palm.

"The building is officially yours to manage now," Zhengyu said, his deep voice calm and smooth. "This place is in the middle of the East Market. It is only three streets away from the Prime Minister’s son’s Wenlong Tea House."

Zhengyu leaned back in his wheelchair, looking at her quietly. "You won’t have to go far if you need to see your business partner."

Yimei felt a warm, happy feeling in her chest. She held the keys tightly in her hand and gave him a genuine smile.

"Thank you, Zhengyu," Yimei said softly.

Zhengyu’s ears turned a tiny bit red under his dark hair. He quickly turned his head away and cleared his throat.

"Command number five," Zhengyu muttered coldly, moving his wheelchair toward the waiting carriage. "Get in the carriage. It is freezing out here."

As they arrived back at the Bai estate, the sky had turned dark, and night was falling fast. They headed straight to the First Branch courtyard.

Yimei immediately went into the small kitchen corner to start making dinner and brew Zhengyu’s night medicine. Once the food was ready and the herbal medicine was boiled, she carried the wooden tray directly into his warm room.

She sat beside him and served him the hot porridge. After he finished eating, she held up the bowl of bitter dark medicine and made sure he drank every single drop.

With the empty bowl back on the tray, Yimei smoothed down her dress and turned to leave. "Get some rest now. I am heading back to my room."

Before she could take a single step toward the door, Zhengyu reached out. His strong hand gently caught her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

Yimei paused, turning her head to look at him in surprise. "Zhengyu? What is it?"

Zhengyu sat tall in his wheelchair, his dark eyes locked onto hers with a quiet, firm weight. The warm lantern light cast long shadows across his handsome face.

"Where do you think you are going?" Zhengyu asked smoothly, his deep voice carrying a quiet command.

Yimei blinked, tilting her head. "To my side chamber to sleep?"

Zhengyu slowly released her wrist, leaning back in his chair with a calm smirk.

"Command number six," Zhengyu said softly, his dark gaze burning into hers. "My twenty-four hours are not over yet, wife. Tonight, you sleep in my room."

Yimei’s eyes went wide. "Wait... what?!"

"No complaining, no bad attitude, and no sharp mouth," Zhengyu reminded her smoothly, his voice full of quiet satisfaction. "Those were your exact words, First Young Madame."