Zhang Yingxue was immediately struck by Su Yuanyuan's pitiful yet adorable look. She stepped forward at once and said, "After the Qin Appreciation Banquet, we're all in the same boat. Yuanbao trusted you all enough to share this secret. You must keep it for her!"
Zhuo Shu came to her senses and nodded seriously. "I will."
Qin Wanrong also said, "Your Highness, rest assured. Wanrong will surely keep her mouth shut."
Su Yuanyuan beamed a brilliant smile. "Thank you, sisters. From now on, Yuanbao will take care of all your jewelry."
Qin Wanrong smiled faintly. "In that case, thank you, Sister Yuanbao."
After clearing things up, their address for Su Yuanyuan changed from "Your Highness" to "Sister Yuanbao" naturally.
Su Yuanyuan invited the three back to the table and sat down. She said with a smile, "Today is a great day for me. I invited you sisters here not only to witness the opening of Tianbao Zhai but also to have a little gathering with you."
"I really didn't expect, Sister Yuanbao, that at such a young age, you'd be so shrewd and brave to open such a big shop. The shopkeeper almost convinced me just now. I can't wait to go into the shop and pick some. With your abilities, Sister Yuanbao, this shop will surely have a steady stream of customers and make a fortune in the future." Zhuo Shu sighed sincerely.
Zhang Yingxue praised, "The signboard of Tianbao Zhai is so well - written. Sister Yuanbao, whose calligraphy is this?"
Su Yuanyuan blinked. "Sisters, you can take a guess."
Zhuo Shu stroked her chin and thought thoughtfully. "I guess it's His Highness, the Prince of Xuan."
Zhang Yingxue argued, "No, no, no. I've seen His Highness, the Prince of Xuan's calligraphy. It's a bit delicate. It's not his. I've also seen His Highness, the Prince of Jin's calligraphy. I heard that the signboard of Hanyu Zhai was written by His Highness, the Prince of Jin. It's different from this one. One without a certain breadth of mind and scheming can't write such calligraphy. Could it be written by His Highness, the Prince of Qing?"
Su Yuanyuan said, "My father only knows how to wield swords and guns. His calligraphy is really not good."
Zhang Yingxue reached out and gently pinched her in annoyance. She said coquettishly, "There are so many people with good calligraphy in Shengjing City. How can I guess? Good sister, please be kind and tell me."
"Presumably, it's His Highness, the Prince of Cang," came Qin Wanrong's soft voice like a mosquito's buzz.
Su Yuanyuan looked up at Qin Wanrong and met her gentle yet wise eyes. Su Yuanyuan smiled and said, "Sister Wanrong is really perceptive. You guessed it right at once!"
"It's actually His Highness, the Prince of Cang!" Zhang Yingxue covered her mouth in surprise. "I didn't expect his calligraphy to be so good. It outshines many famous calligraphers in Shengjing City!"
Zhuo Shu was also surprised. Then she said, "It seems that His Highness, the Prince of Cang, is a bit different from the rumors."
As children of official families, they often heard about things in the court. Before the Qin Appreciation Banquet, their impression of Cang Xuan was that of a scheming courtier, and they would never have any contact with him.
But after the Qin Appreciation Banquet, when they saw Su Yuanyuan being unjustly harassed by the Crown Prince and Su Qingyu, and Cang Xuan appeared to protect Su Yuanyuan and turn the situation around, they couldn't help but feel relieved.
In comparison, the Crown Prince was really shocking. Before he even ascended the throne, he already showed the potential of a tyrant.
Naturally, the topic of the young girls' discussion shifted from the opening of Tianbao Zhai to Cang Xuan.
"Looking at the entire Great Chu, there hasn't been a person as talented and outstanding as Lord Cang in generations. At such a young age, he holds the position of the Chief Minister of the Cabinet and is deeply trusted by His Majesty. Even His Highness, the Crown Prince, has to give in to him. I wonder what kind of woman such a man will marry in the end?" Zhuo Shu asked curiously.
Su Yuanyuan's heart skipped a beat. She remembered that clingy night and his overwhelming strength.
Zhang Yingxue said, "My father said that Lord Cang himself said that people like them who cultivate the Tao should be pure - hearted and ascetic. He won't get married."
Pure - hearted and ascetic? That night, he even bit her lips. Where was the purity and asceticism?
Su Yuanyuan's ears burned. She lowered her head and pretended to drink tea to cover her uneasiness.
The topic about Cang Xuan didn't last long because Zhang Yingxue mentioned the hairpin named "Heavy Snow" that Su Yuanyuan gave her. She kept praising how exquisite Su Yuanyuan's jewelry designs were to Qin Wanrong and Zhuo Shu, which piqued Zhuo Shu's interest.
As if thinking of something, Zhuo Shu's cheeks instantly turned red. She whispered to Su Yuanyuan, "Sister Yuanbao, can I ask you for a favor?"
Seeing Zhuo Shu in such a state, Su Yuanyuan and Zhang Yingxue were very curious. Su Yuanyuan asked, "Sister, just say what you want. As long as Yuanbao can help, I won't refuse."
"I'll get married in half a year. I had ordered a phoenix crown from Hanyu Zhai before, but after the incident of Hanyu Zhai selling fake goods, I went there to cancel the order."
"At the Qin Appreciation Banquet, I noticed the jewelry in Yingxue's and your hair, Sister Yuanbao. They're much more exquisite than those in Hanyu Zhai. I wanted to find an opportunity to ask about it, but I didn't get the chance. Just when I was worried, you came, Sister Yuanbao."
Hanyu Zhai? Su Yuanyuan raised her eyebrows, and the smile on her face deepened. "Of course. No matter what style you want, Tianbao Zhai can make it. As long as you list your requirements one by one, the phoenix crown will be delivered to you, Sister Zhuo, within two months."
Zhuo Shu's face turned red with joy. "That's really great! Thank you, Sister Yuanbao!"
Zhang Yingxue leaned forward curiously and nudged Zhuo Shu with her elbow. "You're getting married so soon? Who's the young master you're marrying? Why didn't I hear any news before?"
Zhuo Shu said, "It's not a family in Shengjing City. I'm marrying my cousin in Suzhou."
"Suzhou? That's a wonderful place!"
Zhang Yingxue and Su Yuanyuan surrounded Zhuo Shu and asked her a lot of questions, making Zhuo Shu blush.
Qin Wanrong didn't say a word on the side, but the envy on her face was very obvious. She envied that the three of them had a healthy body. She envied that they could walk freely outside, had so much energy to do what they wanted, marry the people they wanted, and go to farther places.
Unlike her...
Due to the emotional upheaval, Qin Wanrong couldn't help but raise her hand to cover her lips and coughed violently.
"Cough, cough, cough... Cough, cough, cough, cough..."
Her commotion startled Su Yuanyuan and the other two. Zhang Yingxue stepped forward to pat her on the back, and Zhuo Shu poured her hot water. After drinking some hot water, she finally caught her breath, but she seemed to be in a worse state than before.
It had only been a few days. Why did she seem to be getting worse?
Su Yuanyuan blinked, and she saw the halos on the foreheads of Zhang Yingxue, Zhuo Shu, and Qin Wanrong. The halo between Zhang Yingxue's eyebrows was white with a touch of gold, which was a bit similar to that of her family members. As for Zhuo Shu, it was simply white, indicating that her later life would be ordinary, neither bad nor good.
As for Qin Wanrong -
Although she had been granted the title of County Lady, the halo between her eyebrows was even thicker than when they first met in the Prince of Xuan's Mansion. The white aura in the halo was almost invisible.
Obviously, in these few days, the poison in Qin Wanrong's body had gotten worse, and it was almost taking her life!
Su Yuanyuan felt a chill in her heart, and her gaze became solemn.