As she approached the carriage, Tao Su came over with a box of pastries, her face beaming with a smile.
"Miss, would you like to try some tao su pastries?" she asked.
Qi Huan smiled gently and replied, "Let's get in the carriage first."
"Alright~"
The lilt in Tao Su's voice made her happiness evident. After Qi Huan got into the carriage, she ate a piece of tao su under Tao Su's eager gaze.
"Not bad," she remarked.
"Miss, what's not bad?" Tao Su inquired.
"The tao su is not bad."
Getting the answer she wanted, Tao Su's smile grew even brighter. The young miss had praised her!
Recalling what had happened earlier, Tao Su's smile faltered, and she said to Qi Huan in a serious tone, "Miss, I just met a very strange person."
"How strange?"
"I met an old woman at the pastry shop. She said she wanted to have a word with me in private. I refused."
"My mother told me not to talk to strangers. I think she might have been a kidnapper. I'm as beautiful as a flower; she wasn't planning to sell me to a brothel, was she?"
Tao Su began to imagine the worst, feeling a wave of fear.
Amused by her frightened demeanor, Qi Huan patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Next time you go out alone, call a guard to accompany you."
"After all, our Tao Su is as beautiful as a flower~"
Her words successfully made Tao Su blush, and her previous nervousness instantly dissipated.
Amid their cheerful conversation, they arrived at the busiest street in the Capital City, Vermilion Bird Avenue.
The carriage driver suggested, "Miss, the most famous restaurant in the Capital City is the Jinyu Building. Would you like to have lunch there?"
Qi Huan thought for a moment, then gave an affirmative "Mm" to indicate her agreement.
She came out to eat to get a feel for things, in preparation for returning to her old trade.
She had thought it through carefully. To open a bookstore, she would need to wage a price war to capture the market, improving printing technology while lowering book prices to promote the spread of knowledge. This move could easily invite resentment, so it wasn't suitable to involve her maternal grandfather's family, who held a sixth-rank official position.
Otherwise, they might earn money but not live to spend it.
However, with restaurants and eateries abundant in the Capital City, she could open an ordinary eatery, bring in the Song family as partners, exaggerate the profits, and secretly subsidize them.
This way, she could fulfill her agreement with "Song Jingche," help the Song family improve their lives, and earn some money for herself.
Having sorted out her thoughts, Qi Huan led Tao Su and Yan Qing into the grand and imposing Jinyu Building.
A waiter approached them, saying apologetically, "I'm sorry, honored guests, but all our private rooms are full today. We only have seats available in the main hall. Would that be acceptable?"
Li Yuanxiu happened to be coming down the stairs at that moment. Recognizing Yan Qing beside her, he quickened his pace and walked over.
He greeted her politely, "Miss Qi, it's been a long time since we parted in Yunzhou."
Qi Huan thought for a while before finally remembering who he was.
She quickly equated him with ten taels of gold in her mind.
Feeling indebted, she returned the courtesy, "Hello, Young Master Li."
"Miss Qi, are you here for lunch?"
Qi Huan thought to herself, what else would one do at a restaurant in the middle of the day besides having lunch?
However, she politely responded, "Yes."
Li Yuanxiu wasn't bothered by her brevity. He turned to instruct the waiter, "Prepare the Orchid Room."
The waiter immediately looked at Qi Huan with newfound respect. This was the first time their young master had invited a young lady for a meal.
However, Qi Huan didn't want to be treated.
Li Yuanxiu was the son of Prince Shun, not from their faction. She didn't want to become too close to him.
So, she politely declined, "Thank you for your kind offer, Young Master Li, but it's not necessary. I just remembered I have some matters to attend to at home, so I won't be dining out."
Seeing her about to leave, Li Yuanxiu quickly said, "Miss Qi, please wait. There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"It will only take a moment, if you don't mind?"
With things having come to this point, and considering the ten taels of gold, Qi Huan followed him to the private room.
"Young Master Li, please speak plainly."
"There's no rush." Li Yuanxiu invited her to sit down, poured her a cup of tea, and ordered the waiter to bring all their signature dishes.
"Let's eat first, then we'll talk after we're full."
When the food arrived, it was a feast for the senses – visually appealing, fragrant, and delicious.
As expected of the Capital City's top restaurant, it was no worse than the restaurants she had been to in her previous life.
Of course, she hadn't been to many good restaurants then.
But after tasting the food, her confidence was completely shattered. She all but abandoned the idea of opening a restaurant in the Capital City and decided to explore other avenues.
After finishing lunch, Li Yuanxiu carefully began, "I know Miss Qi is still in mourning, so what I'm about to say might be inappropriate, but I wanted to ask for your thoughts in advance."
"Miss Qi, would you be willing to become my honored concubine?"
Qi Huan's status wasn't high enough for him to marry her as his main wife.
But their few encounters in Yunzhou had left her image lingering in his mind.
She was different from the reserved young ladies of the Capital City. Life with her would surely bring much more joy.
His father, the prince, had arranged a suitable marriage for him. His future wife was the eldest granddaughter of the Minister of Personnel. He had met her a few times; she was proper but lacked spirit.
He could already envision their married life, predictable to the end. But he couldn't not marry her, as her family could provide support for his father.
When Li Yuanxiu was feeling frustrated, he had come out for a walk and unexpectedly encountered Qi Huan again.
This must be fate, he thought.
In an instant, an idea grew wild like weeds in his mind.
He wanted to take her as his concubine.
Li Yuanxiu spoke in a gentle tone, still maintaining his image of a perfect gentleman: "Don't worry, Miss Qi, you'll be the only one. The main wife my father has chosen for me is virtuous and proper. She will surely get along well with you. If you follow me, you won't have to worry about conflicts between wives and concubines."
"I truly admire you, and I can give you everything you want. If you agree, after I get married, I'll ask my mother to speak with your family."
Qi Huan's expression turned cold, and she replied without hesitation, "First, I will not be a concubine. Second, I don't like you. Finally, we weren't close to begin with, so let's pretend we don't know each other from now on. I hope Young Master Li will show some self-respect and stay away from me."
During the drought and plague in Yunzhou, Li Yuanxiu's actions could be considered upright.
But when it came to relationships, he was like most men in feudal society, accepting the idea of multiple wives and concubines.
Qi Huan had no intention of changing his deeply ingrained traditional mindset, but she was very unhappy about being considered as a potential concubine.
She stood up and put down some banknotes, saying, "Consider this meal my treat. Goodbye."
And hopefully never see you again, she thought.
Li Yuanxiu was stunned. Why had she rejected him?
He had a knack for making money and came from a wealthy family. As the second legitimate son of Prince Shun, he possessed both power and influence. Moreover, he had promised her that apart from his official wife, she would be his only concubine.
Compared to his father and elder brother, who each had over a dozen concubines and mistresses, wasn't what he offered more than enough?
Li Yuanxiu couldn't understand. Given her status as an orphaned girl and the descendant of a disgraced official, could she possibly find a better match than him?
He had his pride too, and her outright rejection stung his ego a bit.
But his good upbringing allowed him to suppress his anger: "Miss Qi, please don't be hasty. I'm just giving you advance notice. You still have over half a year before your mourning period ends, and you're free to change your mind anytime."
"When you come to your senses, just send word to the Jinyu Building, and I'll ask my royal mother to pay you a formal visit."
Normally, taking a concubine only required the wife's consent, but he favored her and was willing to give her the respect of having his mother personally visit.
Li Yuanxiu believed that, given time, Miss Qi would surely come to understand.
Qi Huan could hardly bear to hear another word from him. She pushed open the door and left the restaurant without looking back.
Even after getting into the carriage, her expression remained displeased.
Tao Su's eyes sparkled as she looked at her.
"Miss, this young master seems to be either rich or noble. Becoming his concubine would be many girls' dream."
"But you refused him. I admire you!"
"My mother used to say, 'Better to be the wife of a poor man than the concubine of a noble.'"
"You've lived up to that. You truly are the mistress I've chosen to follow."
Tao Su grinned foolishly, basking in the joy that her miss shared the same values as her mother.
Yan Qing sat silently beside them, her face tense.
If Sister Qi wasn't happy, she wasn't happy either. And if she wasn't happy, she had to make sure the person who made them unhappy would be unhappy too.
Yan Qing made an excuse about needing to use the toilet and sneaked back to the Tea Essence Teahouse. She found Xiu Yuan and said angrily, "You must tell Brother Li! There's someone called Li Yuanxiu who wants to take Sister Qi as his concubine!"
