Lord of the Desert

Chapter 541 Review
"Once you have established yourself in the Northern Frontier, I plan to set up a trading company to specialize in trade between Liang and He prefectures. Today, I am giving you this 20,000 strings of cash. In the future, all logistics under your command should be entrusted to my trading company as a priority!"

As she spoke, she pushed the banknote over.

“Hong Fan, this is a legitimate business collaboration, but it doesn’t need to be in writing. A gentleman’s agreement between us will suffice.”

Hong Fan hesitated somewhat.

On the one hand, Shen Tiexin's plan coincided with his own intentions.

Once the situation in Fengsui City eases down, Hong Fan will definitely vigorously develop inter-state trade, because this is not only profitable, but also the best way to help outsiders gain a foothold in Zhenbeiwei. Considering his busy schedule, a partner with a strong financial background and outstanding abilities is exactly what he needs at that time.

On the other hand, building an army is a bottomless pit; no amount of money is ever enough.

"How about it?"

Shen Tiexin looked steadily at Hong Fan, disguising his unease beneath a calm exterior.

Love and hate are the most personal things.

In her view, this matter was not for profit.

In his view, deliberately distancing oneself and refusing under the pretext of "not causing any delay" is far too arrogant.

"it is good."

After a long silence, Hong Fan finally nodded.

"I will do my best in this matter and live up to your trust."

"Then it's settled!"

Shen Tiexin tried hard to suppress his heartbeat, but his voice trembled slightly.

"Knowing you have something to do tonight, I won't keep you any longer."

With the major matter settled, she melted the ice from the door and, with a sense of satisfaction at having made her move, saw her guests off.

Before long, Hong Fan's carriage disappeared around the street corner.

"Miss, Young Master Hong has left."

Lingxi withdrew her gaze from the window.

"Lingxi, how did I do today?"

Shen Tiexin, who had been trying to maintain his composure for a long time, suddenly straightened his waist and almost jumped up from his chair.

"I could tell he was in a hurry to leave, isn't that much better than before?"

"It's definitely better than before..."

Lingxi hesitated and stammered.

Shen Tiexin has never needed to read anyone's face in his life, nor does he know what flattery or fawning is. Before meeting Hong Fan, he acted entirely on a whim, and his ability to read the room was almost negative.

Now that she has a sweetheart and a rival, Miss Shen naturally wants to change, but this is much more difficult for her than practicing martial arts.

"Miss has made great progress."

Lingxi's eyes darted away.

"Just tell me what's missing, and I won't get angry."

Shen Tiexin frowned slightly.

[You're already angry just by saying that.]

Lingxi thought to herself, and had no choice but to speak.

"From the perspective of general etiquette, a young lady should not eat so much herself when entertaining guests; when Young Master Hong praises your rapid cultivation, you should be humble or grateful, rather than asking questions in return."

"You're right, I was careless at the time."

Shen Tiexin barely managed to keep his composure.

"Any more?"

“It’s the height of summer now. Although Young Master Hong doesn’t need to do this with his cultivation level, Miss can use the Ice Soul Force to cool down the room.”

Lingxi added.

"Why didn't I think of that?"

In the past, Shen Tiexin would use ice to cool down wherever she went in the summer, but now that her ice-walking technique has reached a state of perfection, she is no longer aware of the heat.

Hong Fan certainly doesn't need it, but it's a matter of attitude.

"Any more?"

Frustrated, she asked again coldly.

"besides……"

Lingxi tapped her cheek with her finger.

"There really is one?!"

Shen Tiexin's eyebrows shot up.

“This servant was just thinking wildly, but Manager Hong Sheng is a direct subordinate of Director Hong Fu. Although Miss means well, it might be seen as targeting Director Hong Fu—after all, he is Young Master Hong’s closest younger brother.”

Lingxi said cautiously.

"Yeah, maybe Hongfu took all that money too. How come I didn't think of that?"

Shen Tiexin belatedly realized this and was quite annoyed. She looked down on people like Bai Taiping and Jiang Wenbai, so naturally she looked down on Hong Fu even more, but he was, after all, her future brother-in-law.

"Why didn't you give me a signal, you silly girl?"

Shen Tie was getting anxious.

"It's all my fault for being so stupid and slow to react..."

Lingxi could only admit her mistake—she couldn't very well say, "When Hong Fan was still around, did you even notice me?"

As dusk fell, the western capital turned a hazy yellow.

The setting sun lingered on the eaves, unwilling to fall.

The master and servant spent two quarters of an hour reviewing the events, finished most of the remaining food on the table, and finally went downstairs.

······
A day later, the Shen residence felt as if spring had arrived.

The gauze curtains swayed and fluttered, outlining the gentle breeze that swept through the corridor.

The brass furnace chamber is filled with carefully selected, uniform white charcoal.

Shen Tiexin knelt with her legs together, her delicate hands picking up freshly picked purplish-red rose petals and placing them one by one on the stove.

"The last time I saw you in such a leisurely mood was two years ago."

An old voice suddenly rang out.

"Ah, Ancestor?"

Shen Tiexin looked in the direction of the sound and saw Shen Moye descending from the sky and walking on water. He quickly got up to greet her.

It was as if the heavy veils of spring had parted on their own before the old man, and Lingxi, having received a signal, bowed and silently withdrew.

"You're going to lend him money?"

Shen Moye entered the waterside pavilion with his hands behind his back and asked first.

Shen Tiexin blushed upon hearing this, feeling both ashamed and annoyed.

"How could our ancestor eavesdrop?"

She was furious.

"Nonsense, what eavesdropping?"

Shen Moye was so angry that he kept blowing on his beard.

"Although our ancestor wasn't exactly a respectable person, he certainly wouldn't be the type to eavesdrop on a young girl's conversation."

He casually conjured an ice chair and sat down.

"It was that brat Hong Fan who sent someone to secretly deliver the invitation to me today!"

Shen Moye said this to ruin his image, but to his surprise, his little darling wasn't angry at all.

"Ah, that's it. He's always been meticulous in his work."

Shen Tiexin nodded slightly.

What do you mean by "this is it"?

What is it?

Shen Moye only felt a headache.

"Why bother, Tie Xin? You know perfectly well that Xiao Chu and that young lady from the Tang family are both interested in him!"

He sighed.

"You haven't seen him for two years, you've already lost the initiative!"

"There's no order to these things."

Shen Tiexin simply shook his head.

"So what if they want to snatch it? They can't expect me to do them a favor, can they? Our ancestors always said that the means to achieve one's goal are not limited to any means. When Uncle Yu was competing with Jiang Wensong for the title of courtesan last time, he made some kind of gentleman's agreement. Didn't you laugh at him for being old-fashioned?"

Of course I don't care about stealing; it's not that I'm worried you can't out-rob me...

Shen Moye thought to himself.

Family members know their own situation. His granddaughter is beautiful, but she is arrogant and domineering, and is hardly a suitable wife and mother.

"Does it have to be this person?"

Shen Moye tried to persuade her again.

"There are plenty of fish in the sea, no need to hang yourself on one tree; if you're not satisfied with the previous ones, our ancestors can introduce you to others."

"Ancestor, in all of China, is there any man who can compare to him?"

Shen Tiexin curled his lip and asked a question in return.

Before the battle with Yi She at the Heavenly Terrace, Shen Moye could confidently say that he had something to say, but now he could only nod in agreement.

“Hong Fan is indeed a top talent, but our ancestors do not want you to suppress your own nature.”

He calmed down for a moment and then lowered his stance further.

This kind of comforting talk has been given more than two or three times in the past two years.

(End of this chapter)