Watching how Chen Qingsheng conducted business with the manager just now, Bai Qingyan was increasingly satisfied with him. When Third Sister entered commerce in the future… Chen Qingsheng would surely become her right-hand man.

She turned her head to Lu Ping and the accompanying guards: “Uncle Ping, just stay downstairs without making any rash moves. Act according to my instructions.”

Lu Ping clasped his fists in acknowledgment.

“First Miss, the manager has already arranged the private room! Manjiang Restaurant is newly opened, and though it’s not as famous as the neighboring Yanque Restaurant, it’s quieter.” Chen Qingsheng led Bai Qingyan toward the staircase. “First Miss, watch your step.”

“Yes, yes, yes! The best private room was cleaned out for First Miss early this morning! When the sun sets, if First Miss opens the partition and leans against the beauty rest by the corridor to watch the red lantern night scene along the entire street, it’s the perfect spot! It’s no worse than the best viewing position in the neighboring Yanque Restaurant’s private rooms!” The head manager followed behind with a beaming smile.

“The manager is thoughtful! Please go attend to your business… We’ll take care of First Miss.” Chun Tao smiled sweetly.

“Yes, yes, yes!” The manager stood downstairs nodding repeatedly.

Chen Qingsheng pushed open the private room door for Bai Qingyan. Knowing she was sensitive to cold, he quickly entered first to close the front-facing window, saying: “First Miss, though this private room’s location is good, this window is too close to Yanque Restaurant’s private room windows. I’ll close it for you first.”

Chen Qingsheng’s arrangements were extremely meticulous. Perhaps fearing Bai Qingyan would be bored sitting alone in the private room, he had placed a chess set beneath the carved wooden window with a chess manual on the small table.

Bai Qingyan untied her cloak and walked directly to the chessboard, her gaze briefly scanning it. She didn’t know where Chen Qingsheng had found this endgame puzzle, but it was her first time seeing it, and she found it quite interesting.

The private room’s candlelight was bright, with five braziers burning vigorously. Even though the windows had just been opened, one felt warm upon entering.

Seeing the tea-serving assistant standing at the door, Chen Qingsheng quickly stepped forward to receive the tea and gave the assistant a tip.

While pouring tea for her, he said, “The manager of Manjiang Restaurant only took over this establishment half a month ago. About half a year ago, the owner of the neighboring Yanque Restaurant became in-laws with an official from the street supervision office. Later, when Yanque Restaurant expanded, it occupied half of the small alley adjacent to Manjiang Restaurant, blocking the light from these windows! The original owner of Manjiang Restaurant got into a lawsuit with Yanque Restaurant over this matter. Later, after exhausting his family fortune without resolving it, he returned to his ancestral home in anger.”

Chen Qingsheng indeed knew all the major and minor affairs of the capital city.

“First Miss, please sit for a moment. I’ll keep watch downstairs… as soon as the carriage enters the city, I’ll immediately come report to First Miss.” Chen Qingsheng bowed deeply to Bai Qingyan.

“Chun Tao, when we got out of the carriage just now, I saw someone making dough figurines by the roadside. You and Chen Qingsheng go buy some for the young ladies in the mansion to take back later.” She picked up her teacup and took a sip, smiling warmly.

Usually, Chen Qingsheng worked in the outer courtyard while Chun Tao worked in the inner courtyard, so they rarely had opportunities to meet. Bai Qingyan understood this and wanted to give them a chance to spend time alone together, hoping they could truly know and cherish each other in this lifetime, not missing each other and regretting it for life as in the previous one.

Both Chen Qingsheng and Chun Tao blushed deeply, quickly lowering their heads and hurrying out of the private room.

With only Bai Qingyan and Chun Yan left in the spacious private room, she didn’t look at Chun Yan’s expression of being wronged, simply saying, “Go guard the entrance.”

Chun Yan’s eyes immediately reddened. She curtsied and sniffled as she left.

The braziers inside were too hot. After sitting briefly, Bai Qingyan already had a light sweat. She pushed open the two window panels, and her gaze immediately met the deep, well-like eyes of the man in the opposite window.

She looked completely stunned.

Xiao Rongyan, who was standing by the opposite window, was also quite surprised, his hand unconsciously pausing as he fingered his jade cicada.

Dressed in white robes with an upright and tall figure, Xiao Rongyan stood against the light, his gaze calm as water. Though he appeared gentle and noble, in that instant when their eyes met, she saw the steady, profound scheming in his eyes.

In a flash, Xiao Rongyan’s eyes were replaced by gentleness, and he nodded slightly to her with a light, carefree manner, completely different from the intimidating and cold authority figure of moments before.

The two windows were only three feet apart. In her previous and current life, she had never been this close to Xiao Rongyan. Her heart immediately jumped with alarm, her palms breaking out in a clammy sweat.

Hastily closing the windows would seem too timid and lacking in composure, so she stiffened her spine and slightly curtsied.

From the private room in Yanque Restaurant came Lu Yuanpeng’s voice arguing hotly with someone: “Everything I said is true! If you don’t believe me, ask Brother Xiao whether the Bai family’s eldest daughter truly has unparalleled beauty. That Miss Bai is far more stunning than Liu Ruofu, the Nandu Princess, who’s called the greatest beauty, isn’t that right, Brother Xiao?!”

Xiao Rongyan didn’t turn around, maintaining his calm composure as he gazed at Bai Qingyan’s exquisite, painting-like features. An extremely faint smile almost disappeared into his dark eyes as he responded: “Indeed… devastatingly beautiful.”

His steady, mellow, gentle murmur made her face instantly burn, her heart violently pounding against her chest, making even breathing feel laborious.

This man… how could he be so unrestrained?!

“See! See!” Lu Yuanpeng slapped the table excitedly. “You said my words were exaggerated! Now you should believe Brother Xiao’s words! You don’t know – under the white snow and red lanterns, Miss Bai stood in the corridor wearing white fox fur, like stepping out of a painting…”

She hastily closed the two windows in panic, her sleeves sweeping chess pieces to the floor with crackling sounds throughout the room.

Chun Yan quickly pushed the door open and saw Bai Qingyan, her ears and neck bright red, bending down to pick up chess pieces. She hurried forward: “Miss, let this servant collect them!”

Bai Qingyan nodded, wiping her sweaty hands with a handkerchief. Unconsciously, she turned toward the now-closed window, where she could still vaguely see Xiao Rongyan’s shadow outside. Her heartbeat became even more chaotic.

Chun Yan collected the chess pieces and saw Bai Qingyan sitting on the stool with a flushed face. As she placed the pieces back in the chess box, she smiled: “Miss, your face is all red – are you hot? Shall this servant open the window for some air?”

Her heart pounded like drums as she grabbed Chun Yan’s hand that was reaching for the window, her voice inevitably stern: “No need!”

“Miss?!” This was the first time Chun Yan had seen their miss lose her composure so completely, and she was startled.

Her throat tightened as she withdrew the hand that had been gripping Chun Yan’s arm. Concealing the unease in her heart, she said with a stern face: “Go stand guard outside!”

Thinking of how Bai Qingyan had been harsh and distant toward her these past few days, Chun Yan felt even more wronged. She choked up as she curtsied and withdrew to stand outside the door.

Once again alone in the private room, Bai Qingyan finally looked back toward the window, noticing that the person at the opposite window was no longer there. Only then did she calm down slightly.

But the opposite window remained open, and the continuous sounds of Lu Yuanpeng and that group of capital city dandies’ revelry kept drifting over. Every occasional “Brother Xiao…” that reached her ears somehow made Bai Qingyan feel restless.