After flirting with the aloof prince, the concubine ran away pregnant.

Afu's heart skipped a beat.

She walked over discreetly, lowered her voice, and covered her face with a light veil, revealing only her eyes.

"How much is this?"

The man noticed that her clothes were made of fine material. Although he couldn't see her face clearly, he could tell from her young age that she was a head maid or a junior steward from some household. He immediately perked up.

"You have a good eye, young lady!" He chuckled, lowering his voice even further. "I can make any kind of document here. Land deeds, house deeds, shop seals, even government travel permits..."

As he spoke, he secretly observed Afu's reaction.

Afu's heart tightened with each word he uttered.

"...Also, indentures and household registration documents."

When the words "household registration documents" came out of his mouth, Afu could clearly feel her breath catch for a moment.

The man immediately noticed the fleeting surprise in her eyes.

"Does the young lady want a household registration?" He leaned closer, his voice laced with seduction. "I have two kinds here. One is fake, only good enough to fool the guards at the city gate, cheap, twenty taels of silver will do it for you. The other kind..."

He paused, then gestured: "One hundred taels. I guarantee it's real; it can be found in the official records. The only downside is that the girl will have to change her name, and from then on, she'll be a legitimate person."

One hundred taels.

This amount is manageable for Afu, but she won't have the capital to open a shop after leaving the mansion.

She had painstakingly saved up for so many years, but it was only a hundred or so taels of silver. Now, the price of freedom was laid out clearly before her.

"I was just asking out of curiosity," Afu smiled, her tone returning to its usual calm.

No matter how many tricks they have up their sleeves, you can't trust these street vendors. If it's a trap, she'll lose everything, and won't even know how she died.

"Don't disbelieve me, young lady!" The man cried out anxiously as she tried to leave. "If you really want it, come find me in Liutang Village, west of Beijing. Let me tell you the truth, my brother works in the government office, managing the household registers! Adding your name to the register will be a piece of cake! I guarantee it'll be done perfectly, without anyone noticing!"

Afu paused for a moment.

There are people in the government office.

That statement actually made sense, and Afu was genuinely moved.

She didn't look back, but simply kept the name "Liutang Village" in her heart.

She decided that once the shop opened and was on track, she would definitely find out more about the brothers.

The day of the opening was bright and clear.

Xie Yun invited the most famous lion dance troupe in the capital to perform a lively show of gongs and drums at the entrance of "Banxianju".

The brand-new shop immediately captivated the entire Zhuque Street upon its opening. The open kitchen and elegant reception desk on the first floor, along with the warm and comfortable private space on the second floor, became the talk of the town.

Song Yi, the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's mansion, arrived almost at the last minute. She had tasted Afu's cooking at the Marquis's banquet last time and had been longing for this day ever since.

"Sister Afu, I've been waiting for so long!" Song Yi greeted Afu warmly, taking her hand. "This place is so beautiful! Even better than my father's study!"

With a wave of her small hand, she declared with boundless enthusiasm, "Give me one of everything here that looks and tastes best! Oh, and what about the membership? I want one too!"

With Song Yi as a living advertisement, and with the support of a group of noble ladies invited by Xie Yun, Banxianju achieved a sales miracle on its first day of business, becoming the first pastry shop on Zhuque Street.

After seeing off the last group of guests that evening, Xie Yun pulled Afu upstairs to tally up the accounts. Looking at the astonishing number displayed on the abacus, Xie Yun was so excited that she almost jumped up.

"Ah Fu, we've struck it rich! We've struck it rich!" She hugged the account book, grinning from ear to ear. "All my silk shops combined don't even make as much in a single day as I do today! We must work hard and make it the number one pastry shop in the capital!"

"Mm." Afu nodded with a smile, looking at Xie Yun's bright and cheerful face, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

By the time they returned to Shian Temple, it was already completely dark.

Afu thought Xie Xun had already retired for the night, but when she entered the courtyard, she saw that the light in his study was still on.

She paused, hesitating whether to go and announce her arrival, when Changsong came out to greet her.

"Miss Afu, you're back. The young master is waiting for you."

Afu entered the study, and a faint scent of ink wafted towards her. Xie Xun was sitting behind his desk reading a book, and when he saw her enter, he only raised his eyes slightly.

He didn't ask about the shop or say anything else; he simply pushed a palm-sized brocade box toward her.

"Opening gift".

His voice remained as calm as ever.

Afu stepped forward and opened the brocade box.

Inside, lying quietly was a small Pixiu carved from the finest white jade. The jade was warm and lustrous, and the carving was exquisite. The little beast was endearing, with a round belly that seemed capable of swallowing all the treasures of heaven and earth.

It's a good omen that only money is coming in and not coming out.

Looking at the cute little Pixiu, Afu felt a gentle touch on the softest part of her heart.

She was somewhat flattered, and curtsied as she held the brocade box.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

He gave her the land deed, he gave her the token, and now he's giving her this precious congratulatory gift.

This man always managed to pull her back little by little, just when she was determined to escape.

Afu accepted the gift, but felt increasingly uneasy.

The candlelight in the study flickered slightly.

Afu held the small brocade box, her fingertips able to feel the coolness and smoothness of the white jade. This little Pixiu was quite heavy, just like Xie Xun himself, weighing heavily on her heart.

She increasingly felt like a moth caught in a spider's web. The web's owner, in a good mood, would sometimes shower her with a few drops of sweet dew, making her believe she had received a tremendous blessing. But a spider's web is still a spider's web. The more she struggled, the tighter she became entangled.

Seeing that she was just looking down without saying a word, Xie Xun raised his head from the book and looked at her slightly pale face.

"Don't you like it?" he asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

"No, no." Afu quickly shook her head and carefully closed the brocade box. "The gift is very precious, and I... am unworthy to accept it."

"You deserve it." Xie Xun's tone left no room for argument.

After he finished speaking, he stood up, his tall figure completely enveloping her in shadow. He walked around the desk to her, without saying another word, but simply raised his hand and gently stroked a stray strand of hair at her temple.

The movement, though not gentle and even somewhat casual, made Afu freeze.

"Settle down."

He left those three words and walked straight into the inner room.