With the Crown Prince deposed, people’s hearts were in turmoil, yet Lin Hao’s heart had settled, allowing her to devote more energy to making fragrances, blending scents, and preparing for the shop’s opening.

Young Commandery Princess Qi Qiong showed tremendous interest in her friend opening a floral water shop. Particularly after learning that the floral water shop was meant to provide shelter for homeless girls, she thrust a generous amount of pocket money at Lin Hao, refusing to take no for an answer, as if the silver might bite her hand.

Directly across from Lin’s Fragrance Powder Shop, Flower Countenance had launched a new floral water. The two agreed on a time to “scout the enemy.”

“They call it a new fragrance, but there’s nothing special about it—just prettier colored bottles.” Sitting in the back hall of Lin’s Fragrance Powder Shop, Qi Qiong rubbed the pale blue glass bottle and shook her head.

For a young commandery princess who had seen countless fine things, this new fragrant water that Flower Countenance was vigorously promoting to customers didn’t even qualify as eye-catching.

A delicate young girl entered carrying a tray, placing two small bowls before them.

Qi Qiong glanced down and couldn’t help but freeze. “What kind of food is this?”

The translucent glass bowls contained something resembling cream yet not cream, jade yet not jade—a congealed whiteness dotted with bright red cherries.

“Is this—sweet cheese?” After examining it for a while, Qi Qiong ventured a guess.

Sweet cheese was made from refined cow’s milk, having spread from the northern regions. Because cow’s milk was rare, it was considered a delicacy among common folk—though naturally not rare for a young commandery princess.

Lin Hao smiled and nodded. “That’s right. This dessert is called Sugar Cheese Drizzled Cherries. It’s made by drizzling sweet cheese over cherries and adding cane syrup. Try it and see how you like the taste, Commandery Princess.”

Qi Qiong scooped a spoonful of the dessert into her mouth. The cheese was cool and sweetly fresh, the cherries tart and refreshing—woven together, they became the most enchanting delicacy of summer.

“This is delicious!” Qi Qiong finished the entire bowl of sweet cheese and sighed with satisfaction. “If it were me, even if I couldn’t buy my favorite floral water, I’d still come just for this bowl of Sugar Cheese Drizzled Cherries.”

Lin Hao’s heart stirred, and she murmured, “That’s actually a good idea.”

“What good idea?” Qi Qiong wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief, still somewhat wanting more. Unfortunately, the sugar cheese had been iced—she didn’t dare indulge too much.

“What if we gave every customer who bought floral water a bowl of Sugar Cheese Drizzled Cherries? What do you think, Commandery Princess?”

Looking at her friend’s expectant expression, Qi Qiong felt somewhat conflicted.

Whether sweet cheese or cherries, neither was cheap. Giving away a bowl with each purchase of floral water—wouldn’t that bankrupt the shop?

It wasn’t that she felt sorry about the silver she’d contributed. Rather, if the shop couldn’t last more than a few days before collapsing, those girls would have nowhere to go.

“Won’t that cause losses?” Qi Qiong couldn’t help but caution.

Lin Hao smiled slightly. “No, we’ll sell our floral water at a premium.”

This was called taking wool from the sheep—no, this was called robbing the rich to help the poor.

The young commandery princess stared blankly.

Ah Hao was being remarkably direct.

“Right now we have few staff, so production is naturally low anyway. We might as well take the boutique route. Later, when we have more people with capacity to spare, we can launch floral waters suitable for ordinary women.”

This was also experience Lin Hao had specifically sought from the steward in charge of managing the General’s Mansion shops. With Lin’s Fragrance Powder Shop and Flower Countenance separated by only one street, the less their merchandise overlapped, the easier it would be to coexist peacefully.

Though the floral water shop had the General’s Mansion as its backing, harmony in business brought prosperity after all.

“True.” Qi Qiong nodded, not forgetting to make her request. “Remember to call me on opening day.”

Lin Hao readily agreed, and the two walked out of Lin’s Fragrance Powder Shop.

On the way back, Qi Qiong remained thoroughly interested in the soon-to-open floral water shop. “Is the staff all assembled? How many kinds of floral water will you launch? That one you gave me last time will be available, right?”

“For now we’re only launching two types—one rose water, one jasmine water. The staff is mostly assembled, but we’re still considering who should be the shop manager.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Qiong again felt the shop was doomed.

Flower Countenance had four or five varieties of rose water alone, not to mention other floral waters. And that wasn’t even the issue—with the opening imminent, they didn’t even have a shop manager!

“Ah Hao.” The young commandery princess’s expression turned solemn. “Money is just a worldly possession. We’re not in a hurry—take it slow.”

Lin Hao: ?

Qi Qiong suddenly stopped walking and gently tugged Lin Hao. “Ah Hao, look over there.”

The two had been strolling in the direction of home. Lin Hao looked where Qi Qiong pointed and unexpectedly saw a familiar face.

No, two faces—Princess Yi’an and the top scholar Yang Zhe.

From their position, it was obvious that Princess Yi’an had deliberately intercepted Yang Zhe and was saying something with an agitated expression.

Qi Qiong was greatly shocked. “Has Princess Yi’an’s infatuation not wavered? Isn’t she afraid word will reach Princess Lingque’s ears?”

Supposedly, the deposed Crown Prince had jumped into the lake naked after quarreling with Princess Lingque. That foreign princess was truly someone not to be trifled with—her destructive power was too great.

“Let’s go—better not be seen.” Lin Hao had no interest in the romantic entanglements between the top scholar and the two princesses, and even less desire to invite trouble. She pulled Qi Qiong along and quickened her pace.

As the two walked home, a woman with a panicked expression knocked on the doors of Prince Jing’s mansion.

“Who is it?” The mansion’s gatekeeper stuck his head out, then started in surprise upon seeing the woman. “Cousin Miss?”

The woman was none other than Sun Xiuhua. Though after arriving in the capital she had only lived at the prince’s mansion briefly before going to the Eastern Palace, everyone at the mansion still habitually called her Cousin Miss.

Sun Xiuhua’s eyes were rimmed with red as she forced a smile for the gatekeeper. “Please announce me—I need to see Aunt.”

The gatekeeper recovered himself and resumed his expressionless demeanor. “I’m sorry, but the Princess Consort is unwell and has said she won’t receive visitors.”

Those above had already given instructions that Cousin Miss was not to be admitted in future. Though he didn’t know the reason, naturally one in this position had to do the job properly.

Seeing the gatekeeper about to close the door, Sun Xiuhua quickly blocked it, her expression alarmed. “I have urgent business with Aunt. Please just pass along a message—”

The gatekeeper remained unmoved. “The Princess Consort truly isn’t receiving visitors. Cousin Miss, please don’t make things difficult for a mere servant.”

“If Aunt knew it was me, she would certainly see me—”

The jarring sound of the door closing was Sun Xiuhua’s only answer.

She stared blankly at the tightly shut vermilion door, completely unable to believe her eyes.

Aunt was unwell and not receiving visitors? This was clearly the excuse people always used when they didn’t want to see someone.

Just because the Crown Prince had been deposed and moved to Prince Liang’s mansion, Prince Jing’s mansion now avoided her—someone from the Crown Prince’s circle—as if she carried the plague?

Sun Xiuhua refused to believe it. She stepped forward and pounded hard on the door, but even after her hands turned red from striking, the vermilion door didn’t budge an inch.

She had thought Prince Jing’s mansion was her final refuge, never imagining she would be turned away at the door.

Sun Xiuhua had left Prince Liang’s mansion with the heart of someone making a desperate gamble. Now that heart brimmed with despair. She retreated step by step until she reached the shadows behind a nearby tree, staring at the tightly closed side door with eyes full of resentment.

She never wanted to return to Prince Liang’s mansion. Prince Liang was violent and deranged, beating her in a frenzy of fists and kicks for no reason at all. If she continued to stay by that madman’s side, sooner or later she would be beaten to death.

Sun Xiuhua stood motionless in the shadows, not knowing how long she had been there, when she heard the sound of laughter and conversation.