Yan Yunting, inside the shop, was horrified. He hurriedly picked up the unconscious Tantai Rou. Seeing the blood on Tantai Rou's forehead, Yan Yunting was heartbroken. He looked up, his eyes filled with disappointment: "Princess Zhao Yang, how could you treat her like this? Did you intend to kill Rou'er in public?"
Zhao Yang was also baffled. She replied, "I had no intention of killing her!"
But Yan Yunting was no longer listening. Cradling the unconscious Tantai Rou, he boarded the Yan family carriage and rushed to the medical clinic.
Zhao Yang stood frozen for a moment, tears slowly welling up in her eyes. Crying in public would surely damage her dignity. She covered her face and stepped into the luxurious princess's carriage, sitting in silence on the main seat.
Shen Wei followed closely and sat beside her. The luxurious carriage began to move, gently swaying as it traveled. The carriage, a gift from the emperor, was naturally extravagant inside, with a tiger-skin carpet and jade cooling mats, exuding opulence from every corner.
"Your Highness, have some tea," Shen Wei offered a cup of clear tea.
Zhao Yang tightly gripped the jade teacup, her eyes moist, her delicate face showing confusion.
She seemed to be talking to herself, or perhaps confiding in Shen Wei: "I know... I'm ridiculous. I'm the laughingstock of Yanjing. But, Shen Wei, I truly love Yan Yunting."
"I don't know why, but the moment I see him, I want to marry him. When he's happy, I'm happy too; when he's sad, I feel even worse. His every word and action affects my emotions. I can't help but love him."
Seeing him entangled with other women made Zhao Yang's heart ache unbearably.
Love comes without reason, yet it grows deeper with time.
"Shen Wei, is there any way I can stop loving him?" Zhao Yang held Shen Wei's hand and asked softly.
In the past, Shen Wei might not have offered advice. After all, their statuses were vastly different. As a mere concubine from a prince's household, giving advice to a noble princess would be overstepping boundaries and inviting criticism.
But after several incidents, Shen Wei and the princess had grown closer, almost becoming "friends." As a friend, some words could naturally be spoken. After a moment of thought, Shen Wei said, "Your Highness, you might be physically weak and suffering from kidney deficiency."
Zhao Yang had only asked out of curiosity, but she hadn't expected Shen Wei to actually give her an answer.
What... kidney deficiency?
How could a woman have such a condition!
Shen Wei explained calmly, "Physical weakness leads to emotional dependence, and kidney and spleen deficiencies. If you strengthen your body and maintain a healthy diet, you can break free from this self-neglecting affection."
Shen Wei wasn't lying. Princess Zhao Yang's condition was a classic case of "love obsession." The cause of love obsession is—overthinking, internal imbalance, and insufficient qi and blood.
If you're obsessed with a man, desperately wanting to marry him and have children, it means there's something wrong with your body. You need to focus on your health.
Exercise regularly, eat healthy meals, and maintain a balanced diet to replenish the qi and blood your body lacks. The terrifying love obsession will naturally fade away over time.
"Strengthening my body and eating healthily... will that really work?" Princess Zhao Yang's beautiful eyes showed doubt.
Shen Wei nodded, "It will have some effect. I'll prepare a health and exercise plan for you later. If Your Highness follows the plan, you'll see results."
After all, Shen Wei wasn't a love-obsessed person and couldn't understand their mindset.
In her previous life, there was a female employee in her company who cried uncontrollably in the office after a breakup. No one could console her. So, Shen Wei simply turned off the office air conditioning.
Some people are always caught up in love, but they calm down when the air conditioning is turned off; when rent increases; when food delivery coupons stop working; or when they have too much homework.
But to cure Zhao Yang's love obsession, there was no air conditioning to turn off. Shen Wei had to find another approach—health and wellness.
Zhao Yang seemed to understand but still had doubts.
She pursed her red lips and hesitated, "I love Yan Yunting. My love might never change. He's perfect, flawless."
Shen Wei raised an eyebrow and spoke bluntly, "Even the most flawless man doesn't produce fragrant feces."
Zhao Yang: ...
Shen Wei continued, "If Yan Yunting fell into a cesspool one day, his mouth filled with filth, would you still risk your life to save him? Would you still want to kiss him?"
Zhao Yang: ...
Imagining that scene, Zhao Yang suddenly felt that her love might not be as indestructible as she thought.
The luxurious princess's carriage continued to move. Shen Wei watched Zhao Yang, who kept drifting off in thought, and sighed inwardly, feeling exasperated.
You're the most noble princess! How could you let a petty official's daughter bully you like this?
That Tantai Rou was just a low-level schemer. If Shen Wei were the princess, she could crush Tantai Rou with a single finger, leaving no trace of her.
It's true that those involved in the situation are often blinded. Zhao Yang, because of her feelings for Yan Yunting, had become hesitant and overly cautious.
Love makes people humble.
Fortunately, Shen Wei didn't care for pure love. She only cared for pure gold.
...
As the princess's carriage slowly departed, news of Princess Zhao Yang visiting the "Wei Xue Ice City" shop spread like wildfire.
If even Princess Zhao Yang enjoyed their desserts, how delicious must they be!
In no time, customers flocked to the shop.
After tasting the unique brown sugar jelly and mint sago pudding, customers marveled at how such extraordinary desserts existed. They were delicious!
With more customers came more carriages. The street wasn't very wide, and too many carriages would normally cause a traffic jam. But the "parking area" next to the dessert shop proved its worth.
Under the guidance of the shop assistants, carriages parked orderly in the parking area, preventing any street congestion.
"Boss Zhang, most of our customers have gone to the opposite shop. Our business has halved," an old employee of Zhang Fu Ji said enviously.
Who would have thought that Wei Xue Ice City, which was on the verge of closing just a few days ago, would now be so famous!
It was said that the desserts for Princess Zhao Yang's birthday banquet would also be prepared by Wei Xue Ice City.
What an immense honor!
Boss Zhang clenched his fists. Fortune had turned, and he never expected to find himself in such a situation. He looked at the opposite shop and ordered his employee, "Go and buy a bowl of their dessert. I want to taste what makes it so heavenly."
The employee was quick. In less than half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he returned with a bowl of [mint sago pudding].
Boss Zhang stared at the bowl, filled with green mint balls, tiny sago pearls, and white milk. The ingredients were strange, something he had never seen before.
He tentatively took a bite, and his eyes widened in surprise!
It was incredibly delicious!
Boss Zhang carefully examined the ingredients. He could identify the mint flavor, but the small white pearls were a mystery.
Competition in Yanjing was fierce, and merchants often tried to outdo each other. He couldn't just sit back and watch Shopkeeper Ye's business thrive.
Boss Zhang looked back at his own shop. A dozen old employees were busy—some wiping tables, some sweeping the floor, and the aging chef in the kitchen working tirelessly. Some had gray hair, some had retired, but their sons continued to work in the shop.
Zhang Fu Ji had been open for ten years. The dozen employees had been with the shop since the beginning, and each was a friend to Boss Zhang.
If Zhang Fu Ji went under, how would these employees make a living? How would his young children continue to live comfortably?
Boss Zhang gritted his teeth, a plan forming in his mind...
