After the class, Headmistress Chu invited Shen Cui to stay for lunch at the girls’ school.

Since there weren’t many people in the academy, they only set up two tables.

The meals were prepared by the academy’s dedicated cook, with six dishes and a soup, both light and plentiful.

After lunch, Shen Cui didn’t stay long and was about to return to Cuiwei.

Headmistress Chu wanted to personally escort her, but Shen Cui was about to decline the offer, suggesting that the coachman could suffice, when she noticed Liu Muyue eagerly standing nearby.

Sensing Shen Cui’s gaze, Liu Muyue drooped her almond-shaped eyes and clasped her hands together in front of her chest, giving a small bow.

At that moment, she didn’t seem like a fawn anymore but rather resembled a kitten begging its owner for treats.

Shen Cui’s heart softened, and she changed the subject, “Since Zhong Ling has been busy all morning, why not let Muyue escort me?”

The pitiful look on Liu Muyue’s face vanished instantly.

She was about to step forward eagerly, but then remembered she hadn’t received permission from her own mother, so she turned to look at Headmistress Chu.

Shen Cui had only met Liu Muyue today and couldn’t resist her ‘charm,’ so Headmaster Chu, as her mother, didn’t say much and just sighed, “Since Headmistress Shen likes you and is willing to let you escort her, then go ahead.”

As she said this, she lowered her voice and added, “But don’t stay too long, make sure to come back before evening!”

Both Headmistress Chu and her husband came from humble backgrounds and were commoners.

Moreover, with the open-minded atmosphere of the capital, they didn’t usually restrict Liu Muyue from going out during the day, as long as she had enough company to ensure her safety.

So Liu Muyue wasn’t the kind of girl who was confined to the depths of the inner chambers, rarely given the chance to go out.

Her enthusiasm today was purely out of curiosity about Cuiwei Academy and a desire to see it for herself.

After Chu Zhongling had visited last time and was bombarded with questions by Liu Muyue, she finally agreed to let her go today when she found out that Shen Cui also liked her and was willing to take her.

Headmistress Chu was aware of Cuiwei’s situation – all the graduated students had already entered officialdom, so during the day, there was only a new student in the academy who was a few years old.

There was no need to worry about the issues of male-female interaction.

“Alright, alright, I’ll go and be back soon. I promise not to cause any trouble for Headmistress Shen,” Liu Muyue answered quietly, then eagerly approached Shen Cui.

When Chu Zhongling had gone to pick up Shen Cui earlier, besides the coachman, there was also a teenage maid accompanying them, who was still with them now.

Once they got on the carriage, Shen Cui suggested, “Since we have some time to spare, why don’t we go directly to the pastry shop you mentioned? I’ll buy some pastries to take back for everyone else at the academy to enjoy.”

Liu Muyue’s eyes lit up, nodding eagerly like a little chick pecking at grains.

But after nodding, she tactfully added, “I know you’ve noticed that I want to eat, so you suggested this. You’ve also been busy all day, no need to go through more trouble. Besides, that shop is usually crowded, with long lines. We’ll have to wait for quite a while. I can eat there next time, it’ll be the same.”

Shen Cui found this girl both endearing and considerate, so she said, “It’s really no trouble. There’s a young student in our academy who also loves these pastries, so it’s perfect to buy some to treat him.”

In the past few months, Shen Cui’s energy had mainly been focused on Xiaoci.

It was only because he had been behaving recently that she felt comfortable leaving Cuiwei.

But when Xiaoci found out Shen Cui was going out today, he insisted on going along as well.

Having only undergone transformation for a few months, Shen Cui wouldn’t feel at ease letting him out. Of course, she flatly refused.

He pouted, wearing a sullen expression, and kept repeating, “If you won’t let me out, I’ll go out on my own. Shen Cui, you’re so mean!”

His constant complaining, like Tang Sanzang reciting scriptures, forced Shen Cui to gave him a few pieces of pastries and then leave.

If she didn’t buy something to appease him, she didn’t know how much more of his ‘complaints’ she would have to endure when she got back.

Despite his protests, Liu Muyue didn’t push back against Shen Cui’s kindness anymore.

She smiled and said, “Thank you for your kindness. Although I’m usually not allowed to go out before five, now that we’ve all left the academy… sigh, I’ve gotten used to it. My mother always tells the maid to watch me closely and not let me eat too much. Today, I’ll take the responsibility of buying some pastries, and I guarantee that after you taste the pastries from that shop, you’ll love them just like I do!”

After saying this, she told the coachman the approximate location, then went to the pastry shop with Shen Cui.

Liu Muyue was right.

The pastry shop was located in a residential area, without even a storefront, making it difficult to find.

And since it was early afternoon, while other pastry shops with storefronts might not have much business, this one was bustling.

Not only were there many people inside waiting, but there was also no room to stand outside.

There was even a line stretching several meters outside the shop.

Liu Muyue suggested that she and her maid could wait in line alone, but since Headmistress Chu had entrusted such a beautiful daughter to her, Shen Cui wouldn’t let her go alone.

So, she insisted on accompanying her.

As the two of them got in line, they heard a clear call from inside: “Pastries are out of the oven!”

Liu Muyue exclaimed, “We’ve come at just the right time. Xu Jiejie— the owner of the pastry shop— uses particularly large steamers, so she makes a lot in one batch. We should be good to go after the next batch.”

Shen Cui, observing the long line of people, curiously asked, “It seems like everyone has been waiting for a long time. Aren’t they afraid that some people will buy too many?”

“No, they’re not afraid,” Liu Muyue explained. “Because Aunt Xu has a rule. She sells pastries based on the number of people. Each person can only buy five pieces. She won’t sell more than that.”

“Is there such a rule?” Shen Cui, smelling the freshly baked pastries, wondered.

It seemed that nowadays businesses found all sorts of ways to encourage customers to spend more, but she had never heard of controlling portions like this before.

This approach was somewhat similar to future hunger marketing tactics.

This Mrs. Xu seemed to have some business acumen.

However, upon further thought, it didn’t seem right. If she were truly business savvy, she shouldn’t be working in a small workshop like this in a residential area.

As she pondered, she noticed several people coming out of the shop with pastries in hand.

Shen Cui and Liu Muyue moved forward with the line.

Just as they reached the entrance, they heard someone shouting from inside, “I came here specifically because I heard your pastries are delicious. I’ve been waiting in line for half an hour. Why should I only be allowed to buy five pieces? I have money to spare. I’ll take the rest of the pastries!”

Following the voice, they saw a young man in a round-collared silk shirt, looking impatient and making a scene.

Standing next to the steamer, responsible for sales, was a little girl of around ten years old.

The little maid didn’t panic; apparently, she was accustomed to such scenes. She turned and shouted, “Sister, troublemaker here!”

In no time, a woman in her twenties emerged from the kitchen. She wore a headscarf, an apron tied around her waist, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, looking both practical and refreshing.

Despite her simple attire, her extraordinary beauty couldn’t be concealed—her skin might not have been fair, but her features were stunning.

Even Shen Cui, a modern person, felt a bit stunned upon seeing such a beauty for the first time.

The man who was causing a scene seemed to be taking care of the business at the pastry shop for the first time.

When he saw her, he hesitated for a moment, lowering his voice involuntarily, but still said, “You’re the owner, right? A business should welcome customers. How can you turn them away?”

The lady named Xu remained calm and composed. “A business should indeed welcome customers. I didn’t turn you away, but this is the rule at Xu’s Pastry Shop. If you think my rule is unreasonable, then don’t buy from my shop.”

Even when speaking bluntly, a beautiful woman like her made it sound pleasant.

The man stared at her, then continued, “I won’t come again next time, but I’ve been waiting in line for so long today…”

Xu raised her eyebrows slightly, somewhat impatiently. “It’s just me running this pastry shop, just me and my two hands. I can only make so much in a day. If the people ahead buy everything, what about the others?”

“Why do you, a pastry maker, care about those things? Selling to anyone is selling. I’ll give you extra money!”

Xu took off her apron and threw it on the table, addressing the little maid, “Xiao Yuan, I’ve had enough today. Let’s close the shop.”

“Okay!” Xiao Yuan responded cheerfully, skillfully taking out a wooden sign that said “Closed” and preparing to hang it on the door.

The customers who hadn’t bought pastries yet exclaimed anxiously, “What’s wrong with you? Madam Xu has her rules, and we follow them. Why should you break them?”

“Yeah, Madam Xu’s skills are as good as the head chef at the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. If she wanted money, would she bother with this small business?”

“Get lost! If Madam Xu gets upset and stops doing business, we won’t let you off!”

The man who had been shouting loudly earlier dared not say a word after angering everyone.

He muttered, “Fine, if you’re not selling, I’m not buying! Just a few pieces of pastry, I can eat elsewhere!”

After he left, Madam Xu didn’t actually close the shop.

She let Xiao Yuan continue selling pastries while she herself picked up her apron and headed back to the kitchen.

When Madam Xu glanced up and saw Liu Muyue standing at the door, her displeased expression immediately turned into a smile.

She asked, “Why are you still queuing with everyone else?”

Liu Muyue waved and smiled back at her, replying, “I know your rules, Madam Xu. I can’t break them just because I’m a regular customer.”

Madam Xu smiled at her and then went back to the kitchen.

By this time, the crowd that had gathered earlier had slowly dispersed.

Shen Cui listened to what people were saying and realized that Madam Xu ran her business as she pleased.

Today, someone had caused trouble, so she was probably going to close soon.

Some people, realizing they probably wouldn’t get their turn, left directly.

However, in less than fifteen minutes, Madam Xu quickly brought out a new batch of pastries.

Since many customers had left, there were still quite a few left in the steamer after Shen Cui and Liu Muyue made their purchases.

The fact that there were leftovers from the pastries at Xu’s Pastry Shop was like missing out on money right in front of them.

Liu Muyue felt both tempted and regretful.

Madam Xu took off her apron and came out of the kitchen, wrapping up the last few pieces and saying to Liu Muyue, “Rules are rules, and one person can only buy five pieces. So I can’t sell these to you.”

With a wink, she added, “I guess I’ll just have to give them to you.”