It wasn't an apple that hit Newton.

Mrs. Hudson nodded with a smile and said, "If things go that smoothly, I will consider reducing your rent."

Only a portion of the rent?

Li Cheng felt a little numb, and holding the lunchbox, he turned around to go back to his room to eat.

However, as a matter of routine, he checked the mailbox at the entrance of the courtyard before going back. To his surprise, the mailbox, which had been silent for a long time, actually received a letter, and when it did, it came all at once.

"It's finally here."

Looking at the few rectangular letters lying quietly in the mailbox, Li Cheng smiled. He then tucked the letters into his pocket, along with his lunchbox, and took them inside, intending to read and eat at the same time.

There were four letters, which Li Cheng opened one by one.

The first letter came from Newton.

On the third day after arriving in Paris, Li Cheng wrote a letter that sounded like he was safe and sound, to reassure the little boy who was left behind. In fact, the castle was quite lively now, and although he was going to be away for a while, Newton probably wouldn't be too lonely.

Even if something serious happens, Mayor Smith and Mayor David, being local strongmen, will probably help out out of consideration for past relations.

Therefore, this letter could only be a reply. As expected, upon opening it, Newton first gave a report in a very personal style and with a scientific spirit on the costs and profits of the coal mine acquisition she was in charge of, accurate to the last two decimal places.

The letter makes almost no mention of Li Cheng, and it is only at the very end that Newton casually adds, "Be careful in Paris, don't get lost again and make me look for you."

Although he seemed rather aloof on the surface, Li Cheng, who was used to this style of expression, found it quite endearing.

He could almost see through the letter a petite, adorable blonde girl sitting at her desk, wanting to write something caring but too shy to do so. After pondering for a long time, she finally left behind this deeply hidden concern, and even gave a rather smug "humph" after writing it.

With a faint smile on his face, Li Cheng picked up the second letter.

The second letter came from Lavoisier.

Speaking of which, Paris is Lavoisier's hometown, and her family still lives there today. If Li Cheng hadn't used the excuse of territory development to keep Lavoisier in Lincoln, she would probably have come to Paris with him, and in a triumphant return.

Incidentally, a few days before heading to Paris, Li Cheng took the opportunity to go to a hotel with Lavoisier for a very memorable farewell, thus putting an end to a matter on his mind.

In the letter, Lavoisier earnestly expressed his longing for his girlfriend, urging him to take care of himself while he was away, and mentioning that he hoped to visit her parents when he had time... Of course, he also gave an update on the progress of the crucible iron smelting and his interactions with the rest of the people in the castle.

Through the content, one can see a silver-haired girl with worry and longing in her eyes, as if a newlywed wife is meticulously explaining the details of life to her husband who has to go on a business trip right after their marriage—how the neighbors are, how work is…

Thinking about it this way, I feel so awful, abandoning my (fake) newlywed wife because I accidentally got another woman pregnant... Wait! I'm just a victim (probably) too! Forget it—

In conclusion, after comparing the contents of the two letters, Li Cheng couldn't help but sigh that Lavoisier still possessed more of a wifely quality, while Newton, in a sense, resembled a daughter who needed care...

Wait, stop!

That loli-like figure was already criminal enough! Adding a daughter attribute on top of that is just ridiculous! Is he some kind of demon?! Don't add these increasingly criminal attributes! The 17th century isn't a lawless place!

Li Cheng stopped the random thoughts wandering in his mind and began reading the third letter.

The third letter came from Veronique.

The princess was unaware that Li Cheng had already reached Paris. Her letter was sent directly to Lincoln, and then forwarded to Paris along with Newton's letter—luckily, no one was curious enough to open it and take a look.

The letter's content... to summarize, was something like "I have my own plans," "The child has nothing to do with you," and "I don't need you to do anything," while also calmly and meticulously listing the pros and cons of the marriage, providing both the advantages and the excuses—perfect content for a scumbag...

However, the matter that she originally intended to keep secret was leaked by her trusted personal maid. Veronica, who thought she could handle it, must have been very angry. Perhaps she was writing this letter at her desk with a mix of embarrassment and resentment, while her belly was beginning to sway.

As for that green grasshopper maid who leaked the secret... Amitabha, Christ above, immeasurable celestial beings.

With prayers for the warriors in his heart, Li Cheng silently turned his gaze to the last letter.

The last letter came from Roy, the hardworking worker in London who managed the textile factory and United Textile for Li Cheng. He was also the person who could offer the most help at the moment.

Chapter 272 Easy Questions & Life-or-Death Questions

Roy's letter was very honest, without any fluff or pretense; it was all work-related.

To summarize: "Boss, rest assured, all the professionals are in place. A group of professional tailors and their support staff will travel to Paris along with this letter. We've also managed to get a few letters of introduction from some acquaintances, which will allow us to contact some influential people in Paris and get some assistance."

After reading through the four letters, I finished my lunch.

Li Cheng then tossed the leftover lunchbox aside and began writing four replies earnestly.

Reply to Newton:

The approach was mainly praise and comfort. On one hand, she was praised for doing a great job and encouraged to keep up the good work, which was like coaxing a little girl. On the other hand, she was comforted and told not to be lonely and to chat with other people like Lavoisier...

We must not give up on "Bestie Project v2.0 Enhanced Edition". On the contrary, Li Cheng's absence is a good opportunity, as the two have more time to spend together.

Lavoisier's reply:

The letter was essentially a replica of Lavoisier's. While it would theoretically be excellent to say something romantic, Li Cheng was genuinely not good at it, so he could only report on his recent life. For example, his stingy, older landlady, and how he almost became a painter... Finally, he promised to visit his parents-in-law when he had time, so she wouldn't worry.

Reply to Veronique:

Prioritizing stability, Li Cheng did not refute her line of thinking. Instead, he obediently stated that he was merely trying his luck and there was no need to worry too much. His main purpose was to avoid upsetting the princess and preventing her from impulsively having an abortion.

Although the princesses of the past have always possessed excellent mental fortitude, hormonal changes during pregnancy often lead to unstable emotional states. What if, under hormonal influences, she suddenly had a change of heart and felt that giving birth to Li Cheng's child out of nowhere was a huge loss and posed a significant risk...?

Oh, and by the way, I also pleaded for a maid who might have to go to Siberia (Scotland isn't enough anymore) to grow potatoes.

Roy replied:

slightly.

Knock knock knock—

Just as I finished writing the last reply, there was a knock on the door.

Li Cheng thought Mrs. Hudson had finally come to collect the lunchbox from his hands, but when he opened the door, he found that it was indeed Mrs. Hudson, but she was also holding three different dresses in her arms.

"Excuse me, may I ask you a favor?" Mrs. Hudson said.

“I don’t take tailoring jobs.” Li Cheng pointed to the sign that was still standing at the door, with the two lines of rejection still clearly printed on it.

No, that's not it.

Mrs. Hudson quickly shook her head and said, "Actually, after taking your advice, I went home to choose a long dress suitable for visiting the wealthy gentleman across the street, but I can't make a decision yet..."

The landlady's quick action made Li Cheng feel ashamed. He twitched at the corner of his mouth: "You want me to help you choose?"

"Yes, Mr. Orenki."

Mrs. Hudson affirmed, "I remember you are a professional fashion designer. Could you give me some advice on which of these three dresses would be most suitable for me to wear when I visit that new wealthy gentleman across the street?"

She then showed off three long dresses.

"Which one do you think looks best on me?" Mrs. Hudson asked expectantly after the presentation.

? !

Upon hearing this question, Li Cheng immediately became alert.

Women are cunning creatures. When she changes into different dresses and asks you if she looks good in one or the other, and which one looks best, you'd be wrong to think you can only answer "good" or "bad" and point out what's wrong with it.

In fact, whether you answer "good-looking" or "not good-looking", it is the wrong answer.

As the saying goes... what appears to be a multiple-choice question is actually an essay question; what seems like an easy question turns out to be a death trap.

"I think all three dresses would suit you very well."

Li Cheng quickly adopted a professional and serious attitude, offering a response completely unrelated to his profession: "Why don't you try on all three skirts? As your neighbor across the street, it's only natural to visit you a few more times."

There has to be a sequence.

Mrs. Hudson said with a mixture of satisfaction and distress, "After all, this is our first visit, and first impressions are very important."

"Then I recommend this light purple one."

Li Cheng decisively followed up on the conversation, saying, "Since it's the first time we've met, we can't appear too anxious. We need to give that unknown tycoon a sense of composure first. A tycoon has certainly seen many young and beautiful girls; he needs a reliable (older) and capable (frugal) life partner."

Mrs. Hudson listened and felt more and more that this was talking about her. She exclaimed, "No wonder you are a professional fashion designer. You are very insightful. In fact, I think so too. Purple suits me best."

Then why the hell did you come to ask me?

"Hehe, what a coincidence..."

Li Cheng's lips twitched, and he began to think of ways to send the landlady back: "By the way, you must hurry up. A wealthy gentleman should have many guests to entertain. The sooner you visit, the sooner you can leave a deep impression on him."

"You're right."

Mrs. Hudson was immediately jolted awake. Forgetting all her casual conversation, she quickly grabbed her three dresses and went back inside, almost forgetting to take her lunchbox with her.

......

After seeing Mrs. Hudson off in a hurry, Li Cheng put his coat back on, took four letters and design drawings, locked the door and went out.

He first went to the nearby post office to mail a letter—as the first city to establish a public post office system, mailing letters in Paris was very easy. As for Britain, it had established a national post office much earlier. The only problem was that the prices were relatively expensive.

After doing all this, Li Cheng walked to the nearby Purple Rose Street, following the location in Roy's letter.

Under the expectant gaze of the tailor shop owner who outsourced clothing, I walked straight into a newly opened tailor shop across the street corner, which was not open to the public.

boss:?!

The middle-aged boss, who had originally planned to greet and welcome his old customer Li Cheng, was stunned by the situation and his outstretched right hand froze in mid-air.

why?

I was here first!

The middle-aged boss cried out in his heart.

Li Cheng had no time to care about the tailor shop owner he was using as an outsourced worker. He stepped into the tailor shop, which was not yet open to the public, and quickly found the young man who seemed to be the shop manager.

"Sorry, we are not open to the public here. Please leave."

The young man's first words were to refuse the customer.

“My name is Orenki Lee, you should already know that, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t.”

Li Cheng glanced at him dismissively and said in an unyielding tone, "Anyway, go to the back and inform them that I'm looking for your supervisor."

Chapter 273 Fake Lily Street

The young shop manager remembered the name Orenki Lee because he had been specifically instructed before leaving London that a Mr. Orenki Lee would come to him after arriving in Paris, and that he should then do everything according to the other party's instructions.

"Understood, sir. Please follow me."

The young store manager agreed and walked out of the store first.

Although the tailor shop is connected to a courtyard with several rooms for living and working, the person in charge does not live there. Instead, he lives on Xianggen Iris Street, which is a bit far from Rose Street but closer to the street where Li Cheng lives.

The iris is the national flower of France. Its flowers are large and beautiful, and are purple in color. It is worth mentioning that this is a flower that looks very similar to a lily and is often mistaken for a lily.

Therefore, to some extent, Iris tectorum can be considered a "fake lily" disguised as a "lily".

Following behind the young store manager, after a winding and circuitous route, Li Cheng successfully arrived at the person in charge's residence.