Taking her into his tent, he incurred the wrath of a powerful and mad minister, from which he could

The two partners run a seafood business. Mingyi is responsible for sourcing goods and coordinating business strategies, while Fanjing is responsible for execution and overseeing the store. Everything has been going smoothly for them.

Fan Jing thought they could work together for a long time and never imagined that Mingyi would suddenly leave Beijing.

Mingyi held the teacup and smiled faintly: "It's not far. If we follow the official road, we can arrive in three or four days."

"Why are you leaving so suddenly? Our business has just started to pick up."

Fan Jing sighed, then enthusiastically told her about their recent business, "Right now, the blue crabs are the most sought-after in the restaurant. The other day, a wealthy businessman from out of town came specifically to try them and booked five tables for a full crab feast. The turnover has increased several times over!"

"I estimate that Baixianglou will become truly popular soon, and I would like to witness it with you."

Upon hearing this, Mingyi felt a pang of regret, but there was nothing she could do; she couldn't stay any longer.

"Manager Fan, I have unavoidable reasons for leaving the capital this time, but it does not mean that our cooperation is over. Qingzhou is not far from the capital. In the future, if the restaurant encounters any troublesome matters, you can write to me. Besides, it's not like I'm never coming back."

"As for the profit sharing, we previously agreed on a 50/50 split, but now let's change it to a 30/70 split, you get 70% and I get 30%. After all, you put in more effort and worked very hard."

Fan Jing was taken aback upon hearing this, and quickly waved her hand to decline: "How can this be? You planned all the supply channels and business ideas yourself. Without you, Bai Xiang Lou wouldn't be able to maintain its current status. It should be split equally as before."

No matter what Mingyi said, Fan Jing refused to agree, and Mingyi stopped insisting, but felt a little warmer and more appreciative in her heart.

Most business people are driven by profit, so it's rare to find someone as open-minded as Fan Jing.

For the first time since they met, the two had an in-depth conversation, and their relationship grew closer.

Fan Jing said, "I always saw you alone before, but it turns out you have a younger brother."

Fan Jing only knew that Mingyi had come to the capital to stay with relatives, but she did not know that those relatives were from a top-tier family in the capital.

Seeing her struggling to raise her younger brother alone, Fan Jing felt a deep empathy for her. Since her husband passed away, she had been running the restaurant alone and raising her child, which was incredibly difficult.

In comparison, Mingyi's situation is even more difficult. Both her parents have passed away, she has no fixed abode, and the feeling of living under someone else's roof must be unbearable.

Looking back now, I realize that I suffered so much injustice at the hands of my relatives that I couldn't bear it any longer.

Feeling sorry for her, Fan Jing took Mingyi's hand and suggested, "Why go through all this trouble to seek refuge with someone else? Why not stay at my Baixiang Restaurant? Let's work together to run the restaurant well and make a fortune!"

Mingyi could tell that Fan Jing pitied them, and smiled, saying, "I appreciate Sister Fan's kindness, but I've already made an appointment to settle down in Qingzhou."

Fan Jing's eyes narrowed slightly: "Is that person the one you love?"

Mingyi smiled and nodded: "I have already made a marriage agreement with him, but he is still observing mourning, so the wedding has not been completed yet. Once we go to Qingzhou, we can hold the wedding ceremony by the end of the year at the latest."

"I see."

Fan Jing was still a little worried, afraid that she was too young to be deceived by a man, especially since she was so beautiful. If a woman is born into a poor family, her beauty can easily bring trouble.

He then asked, "What is his character like? Is he reliable?"

Mingyi didn't say much, only one sentence: "I believe him."

Fan Jing saw the light in her eyes; Mingyi wouldn't have said those words without a deep bond of affection.

"Sister Fan, when you have the chance to meet him in the future, you will know what kind of person he is."

"Okay, you're so smart, I'm sure you have good taste in men too."

It was getting late, so Fan Jing didn't bother them any longer and went back first.

That night, Mingyi had a hard time falling asleep.

She wasn't worried about not being able to get a travel permit and leave the city.

The thought of going to Qingzhou makes me inexplicably uneasy.

Unexpectedly, when I woke up the next day, I would see Zong Xian.

"Second Uncle! What brings you here?"

More than being confused, Mingyi was terrified. She even thought it was a nightmare she was having because she hadn't woken up properly!

She never expected that Zong Xian would find her here!

And when did he come in? How can the staff of a restaurant just let someone into the women's rooms?!

Zong Xian sat not far from the bed, his face calm, his phoenix eyes like a deep ancient well, peaceful yet containing danger.

Mingyi's breathing became slightly erratic, and she felt inexplicably guilty, as if she had been caught red-handed. She unconsciously gripped the blankets tightly and shrank back.

In the almost suffocating silence, Zong Xian tugged at the corners of his lips and finally spoke.

"If you're leaving, why didn't you say goodbye at all?"

In broad daylight, Ji Mingyi didn't believe he would dare to do anything reckless. Besides, if he really dared to force her, she would shout and attract everyone outside. He would eventually have to consider his reputation and image.

Thinking this, Mingyi calmed down a little, threw off the covers and got out of bed.

Without even putting on her shoes, she knelt barefoot on the ground, lowered her head, and said, "Your kindness is too much for me to bear!"

"My daughter comes from a humble background and is illiterate in all arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She is full of coarse manners. If she were to become a concubine in your household, I fear it would bring criticism upon you, sir. I do not wish to put you in a difficult position, which is why I have chosen to leave without saying goodbye."

"Are you afraid of making things difficult for me, or are you afraid that I will make things difficult for you?" Zong Xian asked bluntly.

Mingyi paused slightly, then slowly raised her head to look directly into his deep-set eyes, and softly asked, "So, did you come here today specifically to make things difficult for me?"

Zong Xian frowned slightly, a hint of confusion appearing in his eyes, and asked in return, "I'm offering you wealth and honor, a level of prestige and power that others could never give you in their entire lives. Is that making things difficult for you?"

"But what the master wants to give me is never what I want!"

The man leaned forward slightly, his eyes looking down at him with disdain, and said, "Then tell me, what do you want that I, Zong Xian, cannot give you?"

Mingyi quietly looked at the man in front of her who possessed immense power.

He could have everything in the world at his fingertips—gold, silver, mansions, and respectable status were all within his grasp—but there was one thing he could never produce.

She took a deep breath and said clearly and firmly, "I want to be with one person for life, to stay devoted to one person, and to spend my whole life with only one person."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zong Xian let out a low, cold laugh: "How naive it is!"

He slowly sat up straight, his slender fingers resting on his knees: "What you seek, a lifetime of one love, I truly cannot provide. But what makes you so certain that Xie Huaiyu can do it? After all, people's hearts are fickle, and who can say for sure?"

Ji Mingyi knelt on the ground, his back straight, and replied, "Because he dared to make this promise to me, and no one else can give it, and you, sir, cannot afford it either!"

"Moreover, I know him well and I know his character well. I believe he would never let me down."

When Zong Xian saw the undisguised light and certainty in her eyes as she spoke of Xie Huaiyu, and the way she completely trusted a man, a strange sense of unease welled up inside him, and he felt quite displeased.