Since returning from Qixia Mountain, Shen Xiling had vaguely felt that something was… not quite right between her and Qi Ying.

She didn’t know if she was being overly sensitive. After all, he still treated her very well, continuing to dine with her every day as before, and when he had leisure time, he would still chat with her a few sentences. There wasn’t any difference from the past.

Yet she inexplicably felt that things were not quite the same as a few days ago.

Actually, she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was different. She just felt that the atmosphere had changed. In the past few days, when they faced each other, there would be some subtle differences in his expression that gave her an indescribable flutter of excitement. But now this feeling had suddenly faded. It seemed as if he had imperceptibly taken a step backward.

Shen Xiling felt a faint sense of loss because of this, while at the same time reproaching herself for being too greedy.

Three years ago, she had originally only planned to secretly admire him in silence from the sidelines. But three years of daily companionship had gradually made her increasingly insatiable. She began to think that perhaps her infatuation with him could receive a response, and his recent different treatment of her had unconsciously deepened her delusions.

She shouldn’t be so anxious. She had already obtained enough. Even if he stepped back, she shouldn’t feel disappointed.

Besides, perhaps things weren’t so bad. Perhaps he was just too busy. After all, he had to face so many troublesome matters every day, so it was inevitable that he would neglect her somewhat. This was quite normal.

Having consoled herself in this manner, Shen Xiling’s heart became more settled. Later, troublesome business matters also began to find her, making her busier. Busyness seemed to be the panacea for curing most ailments of the heart. Once she became busy, she temporarily set aside the melancholy that had weighed on her heart these past few days.

The so-called troublesome matters were still the entanglements with the Weaving Guild.

Ever since the incident of Shopkeeper Feng’s fabric shop being smashed, Shen Xiling had begun to pay attention to the guild. In the past, she had been secretly protected by Qi Ying and had never dealt with the guild. Now that she had decided to handle this matter herself, she first needed to understand the guild’s background.

Song Haotang had wide social connections and had a close friend working at the guild. He roughly inquired about some things from this friend.

The person in charge behind the Weaving Guild was Fu Hong, the third uncle of Fu Bi, the head of the Fu family, who was also the half-brother of Old Lady Qi. Speaking of it, he was quite similar to his sister—both were people with strong and forceful styles. It seemed that when they were young, the Fu family was at its peak, which cultivated their somewhat domineering temperament that had persisted into old age.

Fu Hong was getting on in years and rarely managed the guild personally anymore. He had three stewards under him who handled all the weaving affairs of Jiangzuo for him.

Among them, the steward Fu Hong trusted most was named Yang Dong.

This Yang Dong was a person of rather mysterious background. He rarely appeared in person now. According to Song Haotang’s friend, he seemed to have changed his name and surname at some point—his original name was not Yang Dong. He probably had some legal troubles, but Fu Hong had personally intervened in his affairs back then and handled them very cleanly, so no one could trace Yang Dong’s past anymore.

Everyone only knew that Yang Dong was extremely loyal to Fu Hong and was someone who handled affairs reliably. He held all the weaving business of Jiangzuo firmly in his grasp for the Fu family. To reward him, Fu Hong had already handed over all the most profitable weaving business in Jiankang to him.

After hearing Song Haotang’s words, Shen Xiling pondered for a moment, then asked, “So the incident with Shopkeeper Feng was mostly the handiwork of this Steward Yang?”

Song Haotang nodded and replied, “White ramie weaving is currently the biggest variable in this trade. Yang Dong couldn’t possibly not handle it personally. This matter must be connected to him.”

Shen Xiling thought the same.

For the Weaving Guild to establish such a foundation, their methods certainly wouldn’t be clean. But Shen Xiling was still willing to sit down and have a proper talk with this steward. In the past, she had never dealt with the guild, so naturally neither side could understand the other’s demands, and disputes arose from this. She was willing to be the first to speak up. If this matter could be resolved amicably, that would be best.

So Shen Xiling set a date, with her hosting and Song Haotang personally inviting Yang Dong for a talk. Steward Yang hadn’t been seeing people much in recent years, so the other side declined twice. But Shen Xiling insisted, and the matter was finally settled.

The meeting place was a restaurant that Shen Xiling had recently taken over.

This restaurant had been open for less than two years, located in an excellent area on the left bank of the Qinhuai River. However, due to poor cash flow, the original owner gave up, and it eventually came into Shen Xiling’s hands.

The restaurant was originally called “Today’s Intoxication.” Shen Xiling felt this name was somewhat inauspicious—”drink today while there’s wine today”—it didn’t sound like something lasting, which probably explained why it couldn’t sustain itself for even two years after opening.

She was somewhat superstitious, but had no particular talent for naming things, so making a complete change was quite difficult. Later, she simply took the easy way out, thinking that if a three-character name was hard to come up with, why not change it to two characters, which would be more convenient? She also thought that restaurant business, after all, was about catering to guests’ preferences and being pleasing in every way. So she simply renamed it “Yilou” (Pleasant Building).

Though the name was chosen rather carelessly, she personally crafted a plaque with great care, which somewhat made up for this regret.

Her calligraphy was most similar to Qi Ying’s—it had his foundation but was slightly more gentle and graceful, not as imposing as his, making it perfect for inscriptions. Because the plaque was beautifully written, she heard that people were inquiring everywhere about whose handiwork it was, which made Shen Xiling feel a small sense of pride.

She was conscientious in her work—when she did something, she did it well. Although her main attention was still focused on the weaving business and farms, she didn’t neglect the management of Yilou.

She was clever and understood that this restaurant was different from her fabric shop. Her fabric shop had been located on Shunnan Street, surrounded mostly by common people, so naturally she had to take the route of good quality at reasonable prices. But Yilou was in an extremely valuable location on the left bank of the Qinhuai River, very close to the neighborhoods where the nobles of Jiankang City lived, so the business had to be conducted differently.

When nobles drank, they valued ambiance over aftertaste; when nobles dined, they valued refinement over flavor—this was the key principle. Having spent three years by Qi Ying’s side, no matter how dull or slow she might be, she had absorbed some things by osmosis. She had come to understand the refinement and grandeur within noble families, which sometimes didn’t focus solely on luxury but emphasized elegance instead.

So she arranged Yilou according to the style of Fenghe Court, from large items like windows, doors, tables, and chairs to small details like cups, plates, and ornaments—she carefully considered everything. Although she didn’t understand the tastes of other Jiankang nobles, she understood Qi Ying. So she mentally reviewed all these things, wondering if Qi Ying would like them. If they could pass even Second Young Master Qi’s standards, then… there probably wouldn’t be any major problems, right?

Who would have thought that not only were there no major problems, but there were absolutely no problems at all.

Since Yilou reopened, it had been filled with distinguished guests for two consecutive months, with so many diners each day that the staff couldn’t manage them all. Moreover, since most of these diners were of noble birth and could write poetry, when they gathered at Yilou to drink and meet friends, they would often compose poems together, creating poetry collections. Although most of these poems were mediocre works, the writers were distinguished people who would properly record the date and location when signing their names. Thus, the words “Yilou” appeared on the final pages of many literary collections, making it a famous elegant destination throughout Jiankang City.

Shen Xiling hadn’t expected such good fortune to fall from the sky. She was both bewildered and delighted, and her purse became increasingly full as a result.

Yilou had three floors in total: the first floor was the main hall, the third floor had private rooms, and the second floor had individual compartments separated by curtains and screens. These compartments didn’t disturb each other yet allowed guests to observe the first floor’s scenery from above. They were always the most sought-after seats. Even during non-holiday periods, it was very difficult to reserve such a spot on Yilou’s second floor.

Since Shen Xiling was the owner, she conveniently reserved one compartment for herself to use for business discussions. She had even generously told Qi Ying some time ago that if he wanted to host guests, he could certainly use the compartment she had reserved for herself, as long as he gave her advance notice. The bill could be charged to her account as if she were the host.

At that time, Qi Ying looked at the subtle pride in the young woman’s eyes and was momentarily speechless. After a long pause, he replied with an amused “alright.” However, Young Master Qi held too high an official position and came from too distinguished a background—even when others invited him, he might not necessarily honor them with his presence, so naturally he wouldn’t actively host gatherings. Therefore, Boss Shen’s generous offer had never been taken advantage of by Second Young Master Qi.

Nevertheless, this compartment was quite useful for Shen Xiling herself. This meeting with Yang Dong was arranged here.

Since she was the host, she naturally arrived early. Shuipei and Fengshang stood at her left and right to serve her, with Song Haotang also accompanying her.

The other party was also punctual, arriving precisely on time.

A group of three men, all dressed as servants, with the leading man presumably being Yang Dong.

He was tall and robust, with dark skin. He seemed to frown frequently, leaving deep wrinkles between his brows that gave him a very sharp demeanor. He wore a jade thumb ring on his right thumb, which matched the rumors. It was said he was obsessed with jade objects and particularly loved this jade thumb ring, wearing it for many years without ever removing it.

After both parties exchanged greetings, the other side took their seats.

A server from Yilou served tea to Yang Dong. He took a sip from his cup, then looked up and smiled at Shen Xiling, saying, “I had heard early on that Miss was quite young, but I didn’t expect her to be this young. Truly, the younger generation is to be feared.”

Shen Xiling politely nodded at him, then smiled faintly and said, “I also didn’t expect Steward Yang to be such a cautious person.”

Upon hearing this, Yang Dong raised his eyebrows, turned his eyes, and asked, “What does Miss mean by this?”

Shen Xiling glanced at him and said calmly and quietly, “Today I invited the steward here with sincere intentions to discuss matters, yet the steward sent someone to meet in his place. I wonder if you doubt my sincerity or think that because I’m young and inexperienced, I’m easy to fool?”

Three years had changed Shen Xiling greatly.

She was still gentle and delicate, but having walked the path of commerce for three years, she had gained experience, and her manner of speaking had become increasingly steady. Especially having spent increasingly longer periods with Qi Ying, she had unconsciously become more like that man. He was a person of high position, and his actions always carried an indescribable nobility and dignity that others couldn’t imitate. But over time, she had learned several aspects of this, and her glance at the other party now showed considerable force.

Though it contained no anger, it inexplicably conveyed a sense of nobility that made people dare not stare back.

As soon as she spoke these words, Shuipei, Fengshang, and Song Haotang were all somewhat stunned, not understanding what their mistress meant. The “Yang Dong” sitting across from them was also clearly startled, but he still remained stubborn, frowning as he asked, “What does Miss mean by this?”

Shen Xiling no longer looked at him, her tone suddenly becoming indifferent: “Please tell Steward Yang that I sincerely wish to establish relations with the guild. If the steward is too busy with important matters and cannot meet today, then so be it.”

After she spoke these cold words, the robust man sitting across from her changed expression, lowered his head in silence for a long time, then cupped his hands toward Shen Xiling and said, “…Please wait a moment, Miss.”

After speaking, he got up and left with the two servants. Shen Xiling’s expression remained unchanged as she continued sitting in her original position, looking up and down at her impressive restaurant with an air of composure.

Shuipei and Fengshang exchanged glances, both somewhat confused. But Song Haotang understood and quietly asked Shen Xiling, “Miss, was that Yang Dong fake?”

Shen Xiling turned to look at Song Haotang with a faint smile and said, “No matter, the real one will come soon.”

Author’s Note: What should I do when my wife keeps hinting that I should take advantage of her generosity after she became wealthy? Waiting online, quite urgent.

Also: After going to Shangjing, Wenwen built many things there that were identical to those in Jiankang. Wangyuan and Yilou were two of them. Unfortunately, the only person she wanted to see could not be replicated.