Yaner shuddered, feeling like her life was hanging by a thread.

The mighty Regent Prince… was actually a love-struck fool? Who would believe that if it were told?

“Fine! I promise not to provoke her. Is that good enough?”

Yaner raised both hands in surrender, quickly admitting defeat.

…

Lin Yuxin was holding onto Xiao Hao’s hand, following along with the little stool, stopping and strolling as they played joyfully.

At every stop, Lin Yuxin had to check things out.

“If the osmanthus cake at Xiangsu Pavilion is delicious, buy some.”

“If the clothes at Cuiya House are pretty, go have a look.”

“If the crispy chicken at Fuman Tower is tasty, have a bite?”

But reality was:

【Wow! The lady boss of Xiangsu Pavilion is fooling around with the head chef in the backyard while the owner is away. Good timing—some juicy gossip to enjoy!】

Lin Yuxin immediately turned on her heels and headed straight for Xiangsu Pavilion.

Half an hour later, the affair between the lady boss and the chef was exposed.

The owner happened to return and caught them in the act, leading to a huge fight between him and his wife.

Lin Yuxin simply took a step back and enjoyed the drama from the sidelines.

【Oh, what an intense battle! A textbook example! Learn from this! Alright, onto the next location!】

After watching the commotion for a while, Lin Yuxin turned and left Xiangsu Pavilion, leading Xiao Hao to the next stop.

Xiao Hao had just experienced his first full dose of gossip, leaving him completely numb.

He was only five years old—why did he have to witness all this???

For the first time, Xiao Hao felt like his entire worldview had been turned upside down. Being able to hear his sister’s thoughts wasn’t necessarily a good thing; he felt like his innocent little heart had taken a tiny bit of damage!

【Oh! The shopkeeper of Cuiya House is stealing silver to gamble. This isn’t even his first time, yet the owner still hasn’t noticed. In the end, he’ll lose everything because a servant will rob him blind. Should I help? Let’s go take a look first!】

Lin Yuxin paused for a moment before turning straight into Cuiya House.

Xiao Hao suddenly had a bad feeling.

He reached out to stop his sister, but it was too late—Lin Yuxin had already stepped inside.

Left with no choice, Xiao Hao followed, hoping that things wouldn’t spiral out of control. If a fight really broke out, he would just do his best to protect his sister.

As Lin Yuxin entered Cuiya House, she found that there were no customers inside. A shifty-looking shopkeeper was hunched over the counter.

She walked up and knocked on the counter.

“Knock, knock!”

“How much did you steal today?”

Lin Yuxin leaned in slightly, lowering her voice to ask.

“Not much today, just fifty…! You—you’re talking nonsense! I was just organizing! And who are you? Mind your own business!”

The shopkeeper, busy counting money, answered absentmindedly. But halfway through, he realized something was wrong. His head snapped up, looking at Lin Yuxin with nervous eyes.

“Me? I’m a messenger of justice. Where’s your boss? I need to see him.”

Lin Yuxin raised an eyebrow as she glanced at his tightly clenched sleeve and asked.

“Our boss isn’t someone you can just see! Get out of here and stop being a nuisance!”

The shopkeeper, guilty as a thief, panicked upon realizing he had been caught. Hearing that Lin Yuxin wanted to see the boss, he immediately became defensive. Was this woman here to report him?

“Bang!”

Lin Yuxin slammed her palm onto the counter and said sharply:

“What? Cuiya House doesn’t serve customers anymore? I said I want to see your boss!”

“Our boss isn’t here. Stop making a scene and leave! We’re not selling to you!”

The shopkeeper was determined to chase her out before the boss appeared, fearing she might actually report him. His tone was particularly arrogant.

【Trying to drive me away? Hmph! Today, I’ll show you the power of silver!】

“Bang!”

A ten-tael silver ingot suddenly appeared on the counter.

“Now can you call your boss?”

Lin Yuxin leaned on the counter, looking at him provocatively.

The shopkeeper stared at the silver, blinking. He was about to refuse when—

“You…!”

“Bang!”

Another ingot hit the counter, even larger this time—fifty taels.

“What about now?”

Lin Yuxin raised an eyebrow at him.

“I… I…!”

The shopkeeper stammered, his eyes glued to the silver, sparkling with greed.

“Bang!”

Another ingot was placed on the counter. Lin Yuxin pointed at the silver and said:

“As long as you bring your boss here, all of this is yours.”

The shopkeeper, now staring at a total of 160 taels, was utterly tempted. With this money, he could pay off his gambling debts.

After thinking it over, he no longer cared why Lin Yuxin wanted to meet the boss. Putting on a fawning smile, he nodded and bowed.

“Miss, please wait a moment. Our boss is napping in the backyard. I’ll go wake him now.”

With that, he scurried off to the backyard.

Lin Yuxin raised an eyebrow. This boss sure was lazy! There was hardly any business, yet he was still napping? He was even lazier than her!

Before long, a middle-aged man emerged. He was dressed in a dark robe, strikingly handsome despite his age. Though he had a beard, he looked refined and nowhere near as old as one might expect.

“I heard from my shopkeeper that you were looking for me?”

A deep, mellow voice rang out, making Lin Yuxin’s ears tingle. She couldn’t help but glance at the man a few more times.

【This man doesn’t look like the type to slack off. So how did he end up being robbed into bankruptcy? Is there more to the story that I don’t know?】

A flicker of doubt crossed Lin Yuxin’s eyes, but she didn’t let it show.

“Yes, I’d like to propose a business partnership.”

Lin Yuxin adjusted her demeanor, speaking politely.

“A partnership? What kind?”

The boss was puzzled. His clothing store had been running for two years—not very successful but still reputable.

He wasn’t short on money, so he didn’t see the need for any collaboration.

“I want to work with you on fashion design. I’ve looked at your clothes, and the styles are too outdated. That’s why business isn’t great. However, your shop’s location is excellent—situated in the west of Xibao Street.”

“When customers arrive, your stores are the first ones they see. Plus, Xibao Street is a famous shopping district in the capital, where wealthy and influential people come to show off their status. That’s why your business, though not thriving, still survives.”

“I’ll provide the clothing designs, and you’ll handle production and sales. I only ask for a 20% share of the profits per garment.”

Lin Yuxin got straight to the point.

The boss sized her up, amused.

“Heh! Miss, what makes you think I would agree to this? Do you really believe that just a few sketches entitle you to a stake in Cuiya House?”

Was he still dreaming, or was this girl out of her mind? Was she here just to stir up trouble?

“Don’t be too quick to refuse. Let me draw a design first, and you can decide after seeing it.”

Lin Yuxin didn’t make any empty promises, instead suggesting a trial design.

The boss considered it for a moment and saw no harm in taking a look. As for the partnership, he highly doubted this young woman had the skills.

“Fine, follow me to the backyard.”

He agreed and motioned for Lin Yuxin to enter.