Zhu Siyu happily went back to her room, intending to meet new friends.

She had an indescribable admiration for Dong Changyang.

When it comes to art students, many people think they turned to art because their academic grades were poor. Admittedly, some people do choose art for this reason, but it’s definitely a sweeping generalization!

However, Zhu Siyu’s own grades were only average, so she didn’t have the confidence to refute this prejudice. But the appearance of Dong Changyang undoubtedly slapped those who said such things in the face.

So what if they are art students? There are art students with good academic grades too.

Because of this, Zhu Siyu felt she could get along well with Dong Changyang. Of course, if he was willing to teach her, that would be even better.

This was her thought, but when Zhu Siyu returned to her room to put away her things, she didn’t see Dong Changyang.

“Huh, did he go out first?”

After organizing his things and changing clothes, Dong Changyang went out.

This place was unfamiliar to him, but since he would be staying for quite a few days, he needed to observe the area well before the gathering.

One characteristic of summer is the abundance of mosquitoes.

Dong Changyang saw many small stalls by the roadside, selling all kinds of mosquito coils in various styles, even offering buy-two-get-one-free and buy-three-get-two-free deals!Should he buy one?

Maybe he should.

She didn’t want to see Chen Huanzhi; it was purely because there were so many mosquitoes in the hotel room that she needed to buy some mosquito coils. Even if she couldn’t use them all now, she could keep them for next year.

Feeling her reason for buying mosquito coils was entirely justified, Dong Changyang took out some money and bought two boxes.

On her way back, she saw someone selling ice cream bars. To bolster her courage, she splurged and bought herself a two-yuan chocolate ice cream bar.

So sweet!

“Hello, Dong, I’m Zhu Siyu, your roommate, also from Experimental High School.”

Just as she entered the room with the mosquito coils, she saw a girl with braided hair extending her hand toward her.

Oh, right.

I don’t live alone in a single room; I have a roommate.

“Hello,” Dong Changyang said, shaking Zhu Siyu’s hand. “I’m Dong Changyang, nice to meet you.”

“It’s me who should be saying that,” Zhu Siyu said excitedly. She quickly noticed the mosquito coils in Dong Changyang’s hand and paused, “You bought mosquito coils?”

“I’m quite attractive to mosquitoes,” Dong Changyang replied without changing her expression.

Zhu Siyu scratched her head and looked apologetically at Dong Changyang. “I’m sorry, Dong. I have rhinitis and am sensitive to mosquito coils. But I brought an electric mosquito repellent, which works very well.”

“No problem, no problem,” Dong Changyang said, feeling a strange sense of “maybe it’s fate.” “Let’s use yours. I’ll take these home when I leave.”

“Sorry about that.”

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” Dong Changyang said, patting Zhu Siyu on the shoulder. “Maybe it’s fate not letting me use them?”

Zhu Siyu thought Dong Changyang’s tone was a bit strange.

Does Dong care that much about the mosquito coils? Actually, there aren’t that many mosquitoes in the hotel.

Meanwhile, with Chen Huanzhi.

With the arrival of the Empress Dowager and the Empress, their Jinjiang Pavilion became famous throughout the capital.

Moreover, this noblewoman not only praised the Sparrow brand highly but also personally wrote a couplet.

The first line was, “Plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo, all are elegant throughout the seasons,” and the second line was, “East, south, west, and north, great joy at the third watch.”

From the couplet, it was evident that the Empress Dowager was also an expert in this field.

Throughout history, it has always been the case that whatever the upper class favors, the lower class will pursue fervently.

Nowadays, with the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and the Crown Princess all praising the Sparrow brand in front of so many noblewomen at Jinjiang Pavilion, it can no longer be considered an inferior game.

After the Empress Dowager left, although the noblewomen couldn’t stay much longer, they rushed to book the private rooms at Jinjiang Pavilion for the coming days as if someone was chasing them.

Bringing just one favored young family member wasn’t enough; they needed to bring several more so they could all learn how to play this Sparrow game.

Otherwise, if they went out to socialize and couldn’t say a word when others mentioned the Sparrow brand, wouldn’t that be embarrassing?

People in the capital, regardless of whether they liked the Sparrow brand or not, didn’t want to fall behind in terms of “seeing the world.” They could develop different styles just for a new fabric, let alone such a popular game among the upper-class nobility.

Mahjong had truly become popular.

That evening, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess also summoned Chen Huanzhi.

“Today, I went to the palace to see the Emperor. He even talked to me about this Mahjong and praised you and Jinjiang Pavilion,” the Crown Prince said with visible joy, not hiding his emotions at all. “In this way, you have left a good impression on the Emperor. He praised you as both filial and capable. Such a compliment is rare.”

“His Majesty flatters me,” Chen Huanzhi said modestly. “I didn’t expect the Sparrow brand to become so popular.”

“It’s more than just popular. I played a couple of rounds with the Empress Dowager and now I feel a bit hooked,” the Crown Princess said with a smile. “The harem is now very peaceful. The concubines get along well and no longer compete with each other. You can hear the sound of Mahjong everywhere.”

Whether the concubines truly enjoyed playing Mahjong or were just doing it to gain favor with the Empress Dowager and the Empress, their actions quickly influenced the women in their families.

Nowadays, any noblewoman in the capital who couldn’t play Mahjong or hadn’t booked a private room at Jinjiang Pavilion with a few close friends found it hard to find common topics at social gatherings.

Among them, those who were skilled at Mahjong were particularly sought after.

In the words of Mrs. Chen, “To play Mahjong well, one must first have good mental arithmetic skills, making them excellent at managing household affairs. Secondly, they need to be bold yet meticulous and thorough, otherwise, they can easily fall into someone else’s trap. Lastly, luck is also crucial for those who play Mahjong. Those who win consistently either have superior mental arithmetic or exceptional luck. Either trait is admirable.”

Particularly, some women who are superstitious about so-called “prosperous husband fate” might see a noblewoman who can win with a self-drawn tile from the start or frequently gets rare hands like Thirteen Orphans or Big Four Winds and wish they could immediately propose marriage and bring her home as their daughter-in-law.

This behavior is similar to the modern practices of “sharing koi for good luck” or “borrowing luck from someone blessed.”

“Ah Heng, the income from Jinjiang Pavilion alone now offsets those loss-making enterprises, not to mention the Emperor’s praise and the extensive network of information. You’ve achieved a great success. Is there any reward you desire?” The Crown Prince wasn’t a harsh person, and now that the matter was temporarily settled, he naturally wanted to reward merit.

Initially, he handed over the business to Chen Huanzhi merely to train him a bit. He didn’t expect a turnaround in profits; just preventing further losses would have sufficed. Unexpectedly, Chen Huanzhi came up with such a brilliant strategy that not only reversed their disadvantage in one fell swoop but also strengthened their previously weak intelligence network.

This was not something that could be brushed off with a simple “surprise.”

“I don’t have anything in mind at the moment. May I leave the reward with Your Highness and claim it later when I think of something?” Chen Huanzhi replied.

“You’re taking advantage a bit,” the Crown Prince laughed. “But since you put it that way, I can’t refuse.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Chen Huanzhi no longer had to worry about the business of Jinjiang Pavilion.

Even if they did nothing further, Jinjiang Pavilion could develop steadily. All of this was thanks to Dong Changyang’s suggestion.

Chen Huanzhi couldn’t wait to share his joy with Changyang.

After all, the creation of Mahjong was something he and Changyang started together. Later, it was Changyang who helped him win at cards to enlist Li Wuwei’s assistance.

Both emotionally and logically, he had to share this with Changyang.

As he rode his horse home after leaving the Crown Prince, he happened to pass by an old jewelry shop.

He saw a golden hairpin.

Long ago, Changyang had mentioned that she didn’t care much for anything else, being quite a common person who simply loved gold. She believed in its value retention and found joy in its sparkling brilliance.

Chen Huanzhi dismounted from his horse and handed the reins to his servant before walking into the shop.

The style of this golden hairpin was exquisite, adorned with auspicious clouds and a red sun, exuding a unique antique and majestic beauty.

While gold hairpins might be commonplace, this particular one did not evoke such thoughts.

“Young sir, you have excellent taste. This golden hairpin is the first piece our master craftsman has made in years, saved for his daughter’s dowry. Look at the craftsmanship, the intricacy of the winding threads…”

The shopkeeper could tell from Chen Huanzhi’s demeanor that he was a valued customer.

Families of ordinary wealth would never produce a young man of such demeanor and appearance.

“What’s the price? I’ll take it. Please wrap it up for me.”

“Of course.”

……..

Chen Huanzhi walked out with the golden hairpin.

“Sir, whom are you planning to give this hairpin to?” The servant asked boldly, “Could it be for a young lady?”

“It’s for…” Chen Huanzhi was about to respond when his smile froze on his face, and his grip on the box tightened.

Of course, he intended to give it to Dong Changyang.

Firstly, as a token of gratitude for her help, and secondly, to congratulate her on completing her studies. Besides, attending any summer camp with a piece of jewelry wouldn’t make her look down upon.

But just thinking about it briefly, Chen Huanzhi realized something was wrong.

Changyang didn’t care for such things.

Whether she was socializing or studying, she never paid attention to what she wore.

More importantly, he had no way of sending it to her.

They were people from two different worlds, unable even to touch each other, let alone exchange gifts.

Chen Huanzhi had always consciously ignored this fact, but now he felt the divide keenly.

“Sir, sir, what’s wrong?” The servant was startled by Chen Huanzhi’s sudden sadness.

Why did the young master suddenly look so sorrowful?

“It’s nothing. Hold onto this for me,” Chen Huanzhi said, handing the box containing the golden hairpin to the servant.

“Sir, the horse!”

“It’s not too late, let’s walk back,” Chen Huanzhi murmured, “The evening breeze is refreshing. It might clear my mind.”