Chapter 112: Dining Together

Su Baizhi also understood the gravity of the situation and hurriedly replied, "Do not worry, Mother. Zhier will not act so foolishly again."

Seeing that she understood, Yao Ruoshui set aside her worries, and the mother and daughter returned to discussing the preparations for the wedding, the atmosphere once again harmonious.

Su Liluo visited her shop, Xuexiu, periodically to check on business. One day, as she stepped into the store accompanied by her maid, she saw a familiar man walk out to greet her. "Miss Su, I have finally waited for you."

"Manager Jiang? What are you doing here? If you had any business, you could have just sent a message through my shopkeeper. Please, come inside." Su Liluo was quite surprised. Once they were inside and the waiter had served tea, Jiang Nan took a stack of banknotes from his sleeve and placed them before her.

Su Liluo looked at him in confusion. "This is?"

"Miss Su, you truly have a poor memory. I have been waiting for you here for quite some time, but you never showed. This money is the dividend for this period. Please, count it." Jiang Nan said happily. He had doubled his earnings during this time, and while this sum might seem large to others, to him it was merely a small portion, hardly worth mentioning. He was deeply grateful for Su Liluo’s partnership, his tone tinged with a hint of playfulness.

After counting the money, Su Liluo asked in surprise, "Manager Jiang, it has only been a short time; how have you managed to give me such a large dividend?"

Jiang Nan briefly explained his business operations, and Su Liluo gave a thumbs-up in praise. "It is truly you who has the ability, Manager Jiang. Such exceptional talent for business—I admire you greatly." Having dealt with Jiang Nan a few times, she gradually found him to be a kindred spirit—sincere, straightforward, and far better than the crowd at the Prime Minister’s estate. Her attitude toward him had shifted accordingly.

"Not at all, Miss Su, you flatter me. I simply had a bit more luck than others," Jiang Nan said modestly, making Su Liluo burst into laughter.

"Manager Jiang, why be so humble? No matter how much luck one has, it cannot be attributed to heaven every single time. It is far more due to one's own capability, wouldn't you agree?" Her genuine praise caused Jiang Nan to blush, and he shifted the topic away from his own business acumen.

"I wonder, Miss Su, what plans do you have for the future?" Jiang Nan had some ideas of his own, and as someone who greatly admired Su Liluo, he was interested to hear if she had any long-term goals.

"It seems you already have some good ideas, Manager Jiang. Would you care to share them with me?" Su Liluo looked at the man before her, feeling as though she had found a soulmate. Jiang Nan’s following words only served to confirm her own inner thoughts.

"Miss Su, to be honest, there is an industry I am most eager to develop. I want to earn money as quickly as possible and become the richest person in the land. This small ambition of mine surely isn't worth mentioning in your presence."

"Oh, Manager Jiang, do not speak with such discouragement. That is a magnificent ambition. To tell you the truth, I have the same goal. Becoming the richest person was a target I had been striving for; I never imagined you would bring it up first." Su Liluo smiled shyly, and Jiang Nan said happily, "It seems you and I share common ground in this regard."

"Since that is the case, I hope you will look after me in the future, Manager Jiang. We may have many opportunities to collaborate, which would certainly honor our shared vision today." Su Liluo raised her teacup. Jiang Nan quickly raised his to clink against hers and said loudly, "Let us encourage one another, Miss Su. We will certainly collaborate more when the opportunity arises."

"To our mutual success." With a soft "ding," the two cups met.

As they were talking, the shopkeeper knocked on the door. "Miss, the County Princess of Anping has arrived."

Su Liluo bowed to Jiang Nan. "Please, sit for a moment. I will go and see."

Jiang Nan also rose. "It is getting late, I should return. Please attend to your guest; we shall chat again when there is time."

Su Liluo was anxious to attend to the County Princess and did not press him to stay. She gestured for him to leave first, following closely behind.

As Su Liluo walked out, she spotted the County Princess immediately and hurried to greet her. "Your Highness, what have you come to purchase today? Let us go inside and sit, and I will have someone pack it up for you shortly."

The County Princess of Anping was delighted to see Su Liluo. She took her hand and asked affectionately, "Sister Liluo, what a coincidence that you are here today! I will browse a bit first, and then we can sit down. Has there been anything new at Xuexiu these past few days?"

Su Liluo softly introduced the items. "Your Highness, while new items are nice, the products I recommended to you previously are best suited for your current skin. You may try the new ones to see if your skin accepts them, but what you have been using is already excellent."

"Sister Liluo, you really know how to do business. You make me want to buy everything! Have someone pack up everything I want and send it to the Prince's estate later," the County Princess said with a grand wave of her hand. Su Liluo grinned; she had made another big sale.

She praised the Princess repeatedly. "As expected of a County Princess. It is rare for Xuexiu to encounter such a generous patron. Would you like to keep browsing or go inside to sit for a while?"

"I'll look a little longer," the County Princess said, trying to stall for time, while internally urging, "Why hasn't my brother come yet?"

Seeing her distracted, Su Liluo waved a hand in front of her face and asked with concern, "Your Highness, what is the matter today? You seem a bit off. Did you not sleep well?"

"Brother? Why are you here too?" The County Princess did not answer, instead exclaiming as she saw a man enter the doorway.

Su Liluo’s attention was instantly diverted. She felt a slight flutter in her heart at the sight of the handsome and elegant Heir of Annan. He was truly a beautiful man—the kind that would make anyone tempted to commit a sin.

Su Liluo quickly regained her composure. She glanced at the County Princess, who leaned in to whisper a quick explanation: "Sister Liluo, I didn't summon him."

"I shall believe you for today," Su Liluo replied with half-doubt. She turned to bow to the man. "Liluo greets the Heir of Annan."

"Miss Su, please, rise. I heard my little sister wanted to come to Xuexiu to look at some things, and our mother was worried, so she insisted I come along. I hope you do not misunderstand, Miss Su." The Heir of Annan’s face was as refreshing as a spring breeze, a sight that greatly satisfied Su Liluo’s eyes. Since he had explained it himself, she could not say much more, so she merely smiled and said, "It is no trouble. The County Princess has already picked out a few items, and I was just about to invite her inside for tea. I wonder if the Heir would care to join us?"

The Heir of Annan shook his head, and Su Liluo felt a flicker of disappointment. However, he immediately continued, "It is almost time for a meal. Why don't we eat first and then look at Xuexiu? Miss Su, you should join us."

Su Liluo was just about to refuse when the County Princess tugged on her arm, begging, "Sister Liluo, please come with us. I am so hungry, please say yes!"

Unable to resist the County Princess’s pestering, Su Liluo conceded. "Your Highness, please let go, I'm getting dizzy. I agree, I agree."

Seeing how easily she had agreed, the County Princess excitedly turned to the Heir. "Brother, let's go! We must find a good place. This is the first time you are treating Sister Liluo to a meal."

"That goes without saying. Miss Su, please." The Heir of Annan extended a hand with a polite gesture.

Su Liluo looked at his gentlemanly demeanor and nodded. "Thank you, Heir." The County Princess and Su Liluo walked in front, while the Heir of Annan followed behind, watching Su Liluo’s back with a look of distraction.

Su Liluo felt a burning gaze fixed upon her from behind. She dared not turn around, fearing it was what she suspected. Upon reaching the restaurant, the three of them took a private room. The Heir of Annan asked Su Liluo if she liked every dish he ordered, which made the County Princess pout with envy. "Brother, you are truly so good to Sister Liluo. Do you even remember what I like to eat?"