Zhu Yanyan bit her lip tightly, her face turning from red to white, almost swaying unsteadily. If not for the nanny supporting her, she probably wouldn’t have been able to stand.

“I saw it.” In the silence, Shi Fa Ke spoke.

“Shi Fa Ke!!” He Ketian stared at her in disbelief, saying furiously, “I’m the friend who grew up with you since childhood!”

Zhu Yanyan looked up at Shi Fa Ke with tears in her eyes.

Shi Fa Ke seemed to sense her gaze. She simply removed her veil hat, gave Zhu Yanyan a reassuring look, then turned to He Ketian and said, “We are friends, that’s true, but you can’t bully people like this.”

“Ha, so you’re helping the righteous rather than your own?” He Ketian sneered.

“If you want to think of it that way, then yes.” Shi Fa Ke looked at her calmly.

He Ketian glared at her hatefully, so angry she was almost bleeding. She suddenly turned around and shouted at the shopkeeper who was standing aside in confusion, “How much money?”

“Ah… three hundred taels of silver.” The shopkeeper snapped back to attention and quickly replied.

He Ketian arrogantly threw out several banknotes, saying furiously, “It’s just money, isn’t it? Money is the one thing I lack least!”

What ladylike image – she was nearly mad with anger now, where was there room to care about such things?

She was going to go home and practice calligraphy, write ten sheets! No, one hundred sheets! Nobody should try to stop her!

In the midst of He Ketian’s rage, a light laugh rang out somewhat abruptly. A young lady in a crimson silk dress walked out, bent down to pick up the banknotes from the ground, and gently tucked them back into He Ketian’s hands, chiding, “Alright, I know you have money, but having money doesn’t mean you should spend it like this. Your money doesn’t come from thin air either. Your brother works hard traveling around all year – it’s not easy for him. Yet you just keep squandering it.”

The newcomer was none other than Shen Tongyun.

The shopkeeper at the side called out, “Young Miss of the proprietor.”

Shen Tongyun hummed in acknowledgment, took He Ketian’s hand and patted it consolingly, then leisurely looked toward Zhu Yanyan who was leaning in the nanny’s embrace, “Miss Zhu, your Zhu family isn’t short of money either. It’s merely three hundred taels of silver – why make such an ugly scene?”

Zhu Yanyan steadied herself with the nanny’s support. Merely three hundred taels… this was almost half of the silver she had painstakingly saved over the years, and clearly it wasn’t entirely her fault…

“If that’s the case, then let’s consider both Miss He and I responsible, half each. How about that?” Zhu Yanyan steadied her breathing, looked toward Shen Tongyun, took a step back, and proposed.

Shen Tongyun hesitated. She didn’t want to offend Zhu Yanyan too severely either, after all, Madam Zhu loved her daughter dearly and wasn’t someone easy to get along with. But thinking of He Ketian being wronged made her feel indignant, and she fundamentally had no good feelings toward this delicate Miss Zhu. Although this was only their second meeting, the first encounter hadn’t been pleasant at all.

Everyone said this eldest Miss Zhu had been raised in the inner chambers since childhood, rarely saw outsiders, and was timid and shy. When she came to Jin Man Tower to buy gold silk and jade pendants last time, Madam Zhu had specifically requested to find a good-tempered young lady to accompany her. For the sake of the Zhu family’s face, she had personally attended to her, only to be thoroughly scolded by this eldest miss.

Although the incident was caused by rumors about Scholar Lu forcing He Ketian into marriage, the reprimanding words at that time had included her in the scolding too. What had she said then?

She had said with a stern face: “Can marriage matters be used as gossip material? Does Miss He’s reputation matter or not? I used to hear that merchants value profit above all, and that there’s no merchant without trickery. I once thought such assessments were unfairly biased against merchant families, but now I see it’s just self-inflicted humiliation.”

Ha, merchants value profit, self-inflicted humiliation.

Didn’t that include her in the scolding too, just short of calling her money-grubbing? She had always known that these young ladies from scholarly families looked down on merchant households like theirs. Now wasn’t she right in her hands?

Everyone said money was vulgar, but who could live without this vulgar thing?

“I’m afraid that wouldn’t be appropriate.” Shen Tongyun smiled slightly, with some malice, “If Miss Zhu doesn’t have enough silver with her, putting it on account is also possible.”

“No need.” Zhu Yanyan lowered her eyes, her fingertips trembling slightly, “Nanny, pay the money.”

If it were put on account, it might reach father’s ears, and she didn’t want mother to have another argument with father because of her affairs.

Seeing this, Shi Fa Ke stepped forward and held back the nanny. She naturally saw Zhu Yanyan’s difficulty, and this Shen Tongyun was truly being excessive. Just as she was about to speak, she was interrupted by a somewhat low male voice.

“Miss Shen’s conduct seems rather unfair.” A tall man slowly walked out and said, “Your desire to protect your friend is commendable, but you cannot disregard the facts. If you insist on protecting this Miss He, why not simply write off this matter as an accident.”

Hearing this, Shen Tongyun became angry, glaring at the tall man who had suddenly appeared to meddle, “Who are you? Three hundred taels of silver, and you casually say to write it off – aren’t you speaking rather wildly?”

For some reason, Zhu Yanyan’s heart suddenly jumped, and she quietly looked over.

It was an extremely tall man, wearing a dark cyan short jacket, his face carved as if by knife and axe with sharp angles, exuding a distinctive handsomeness.

The man seemed impatient with entangling with Shen Tongyun. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out an object, tossing it to the shopkeeper who stood aside in a dilemma. The shopkeeper instinctively caught it, and when he saw what was in his hand, he was stunned. He looked up at the man uncertainly, then down at the object again.

This was…

“Record this bracelet as accidental damage.” The man said.

“Yes.” The shopkeeper quickly responded.

“Uncle Liu!” Shen Tongyun shrieked, “How dare you conspire with an outsider to do this in front of me!”

A jade bracelet worth three hundred taels was to be recorded as accidental damage because of one inexplicable statement from this inexplicable man?! This was absolutely ridiculous!

The shopkeeper hurriedly approached and whispered in her ear, “Miss, don’t make a scene. This might be the proprietor.”

Shen Tongyun was completely shocked. If this man who appeared out of nowhere was the proprietor of Jin Man Tower, then who was she?

“Nonsense, quickly go report to the authorities and arrest this fraud!” Shen Tongyun raged.

“He has the proprietor’s token.” The shopkeeper quickly showed her what was in his hand.

Shen Tongyun looked once and was stunned. It was an extremely simple small jade plaque – clearly her father’s token! She glared viciously at the tall man, “Why do you have my father’s token! Who exactly are you?!”

Lu Zhuxi frowned. When he met with Uncle Shen at the inn earlier, Uncle Shen had said he only had one daughter who was very obedient and sensible… Was this really Uncle Shen’s daughter?

Obedient and sensible?

Despite his inner complaints, Lu Zhuxi knew that the Shen Tongyun before him was definitely Shen Qing’s only daughter. For the sake of Shen Qing’s friendship with his parents, and the years of loyal service managing the Lu family’s shops, he didn’t want to make things difficult for his only daughter. But with all this commotion, he had no mind to look at other things anymore. He simply handed a list to the shopkeeper, “Please prepare all these items for me.”

The shopkeeper looked down at the long list and was stunned, somewhat troubled, “This…”

The amount was too large…

“I’m using these as betrothal gifts, so please be careful not to make any mistakes.” Lu Zhuxi seemed not to notice his troubled expression and simply instructed thus.

“You must be crazy from poverty!” Shen Tongyun glanced at the list and jumped up, “I don’t know why you have my father’s token, but these items are impossible to give to you! Even I couldn’t remove such a large quantity of goods from the shop!”

“This is not for you to decide.” Lu Zhuxi glanced at her indifferently, already extremely impatient.

“Ha? What big words! I can’t decide – can you decide then?!” Shen Tongyun laughed in anger.

“Shopkeeper, I entrust this matter to you. If you have doubts, you can ask Shen Qing before preparing.” Lu Zhuxi ignored her and only addressed the shopkeeper.

He called Shen Qing by name directly, clearly extremely displeased.

The shopkeeper’s heart shuddered, and he quickly responded, “Yes.”