Actually, Ruan Jiu didn't care at all whether she was the shopkeeper or the owner of the silk store.
It was just that now the first and the third branches of the Xie family were determined to deal with her. She was no soft - boiled egg to be kneaded at will.
"So, what's your idea, Uncle Xie?" Ruan Jiu asked.
"I can send the apprentices from my own shops to help at the silk store first. They'll rush to finish the Ruanyanluo silk ordered by customers," Xie Jing said, raising his head proudly as he spoke.
It seemed as if his idea had solved a major problem for the silk store.
In this way, once his men got into the silk store, it would sooner or later fall into his hands.
Moreover, he had already bribed Li Deming. As long as he took charge of the silk store, Li Deming would lead the apprentices back.
"It's a good idea, but..." Ruan Jiu paused. "The craftsmanship of Ruanyanluo is so complicated. How could just anyone make it?"
This question seemed to hit Xie Jing right in the heart.
Xie Jing immediately said confidently, "Uncle Li has been working hard for the Xie family for decades. He and I are on good terms. As long as I have a good talk with him, he will surely be willing to return to the silk store."
Hearing this, Xie Chong frowned deeply.
The day when Li Deming had an argument with Ruan Jiu and then led everyone away had been a big deal.
It was obvious that as long as Ruan Jiu was in the silk store, Li Deming would never come back.
This had become a difficult problem.
Just then, a glint of cunning flashed in Ruan Jiu's eyes.
"Uncle Xie may not know this, but Uncle Li has embezzled quite a lot of money from the silk store over the years. The government officers just arrested him this afternoon. He's probably in prison by now."
"What?!"
Xie Jing's exclamation was probably audible even outside the yard.
Ruan Jiu rubbed her ears.
No wonder Xie Qinghuan was so loud - mouthed. She must have inherited it from her father.
Then, Xie Jingchu took out an arrest warrant from his bosom and handed it over.
"Brother, since you're on good terms with Li Deming, do you know that he embezzled so much money?" Xie Jingchu raised his eyebrows and looked at Xie Jing playfully.
Xie Chong took the warrant and examined it carefully.
"Bang!"
He slapped the table hard.
"Outrageous!"
His heavy breathing showed his anger.
Xie Jing was so scared that he knelt down on the ground with a thud.
"Father, I absolutely had no idea about this!"
He buried his head on the ground and shrank his body.
He was afraid that the old master would take his anger out on him.
"Ajiu, what exactly happened?" Xie Chong asked in a cold voice.
"Grandfather, I accidentally found that Li Deming had bought several private mansions, so I investigated secretly. Sure enough, I found something fishy.
But Grandfather, please rest assured. All the embezzled money can be recovered, and it won't cause much loss."
After hearing this, Xie Chong nodded meaningfully.
Then he asked again, "Is he related to the fake brocade incident this time?"
After thinking for a while, Ruan Jiu shook her head.
At this time, Xie Xiu's eyes flickered.
He nervously grasped the armrest of the chair, and his fingertips turned white.
All these actions were clearly seen by Xie Jingchu.
Although he said nothing, his eyes were full of mystery.
"Since that's the case, the silk store will be handed over to Ajiu to manage from now on."
The old master Xie had always seen Ruan Jiu's ability. Moreover, now that she had dug out Li Deming, the cancer of the silk store, it was only natural to hand the silk store over to her.
Moreover, with the silk store in Ruan Jiu's hands, it could also avoid the scramble between the first and the fourth branches.
This was also an idea he had thought about for a long time.
"Grandfather, actually I..."
Seeing that Ruan Jiu was about to refuse, Xie Chong immediately waved his hand and said, "Consider this as the dowry I'm giving you for marrying Yan'er."
After hearing this, Ruan Jiu bit her lip.
Sure enough, the head of the Xie family was really shrewd.
In this way, the silk store still belonged to the Xie family.
Moreover, given her relationship with Xie Jingchu, even if she married Xie Yanchuan, she wouldn't let the silk store favor either side.
It seemed like a gift, but in fact, it was a cage to confine her.
The old master Xie's non - negotiable decision also made everyone present have their own hidden agendas.
At night, Ruan Jiu tossed and turned in her room.
This was the first time she had suffered from insomnia in recent days.
Suddenly, she heard a faint sound by the window.
Just as she lifted the curtain, by the moonlight, she vaguely saw a familiar figure standing beside the bed.
"Fourth Master?" she asked softly.
"It's me."
Getting a positive answer, she let out a sigh of relief.
Then she looked at him suspiciously. "Why do you climb in through the window again?"
Xie Jingchu stood beside the bed, frowning tightly.
Just thinking about Ruan Jiu marrying Xie Yanchuan made him inexplicably irritated.
He didn't want to wait any longer.
Given Ruan Jiu's slow - wittedness, if he wasn't direct, she might never feel his affection in her whole life.
Tonight, he must get a clear answer.
"Do you like me?"
"Wh... what?!" Ruan Jiu seemed to have heard clearly, but also seemed not to have heard clearly.
"Do you like me?" Xie Jingchu repeated again.
Ruan Jiu realized that it wasn't her hallucination just now.
But what did his words mean?
Was it what she had in mind?
She was so scared that she quickly put down the curtain and nervously swallowed her saliva.
Her fair and slender fingers tightly grabbed the quilt. "I... Since I was brought back by the Fourth Master, the Fourth Master has been like my family. I... Of course, Ajiu likes you."
Xie Jingchu frowned even deeper.
Naturally, he was not satisfied with this answer.
So he asked, "I'm talking about the kind of liking between a man and a woman."
These words seemed to open something that had been sealed in her heart for a long time. Her heart tightened.
She stared at the man in front of her through the curtain.
At this moment, she seemed to forget how to breathe.
In the silence, she could clearly hear the sound of her accelerating heartbeat.
Her throat was dry, and she couldn't say a single word.
For a moment, she felt secretly happy.
But soon, she suppressed the thought in her heart.
She lowered her head, and a trace of sadness flashed in her eyes.
"The Fourth Master is joking."
Yes, for her, this was simply a big joke.
Hearing this answer, a bitter smile appeared on Xie Jingchu's face.
Then he shook his head, his eyes firm. "I don't believe you don't like me!"
She clenched her fists, allowing her nails to dig into her palms.
It seemed that only in this way could she keep herself awake.
She was just a pawn for the old master Xie to balance the first and the fourth branches. How could she even think about liking or not liking?
Moreover, Xie Jingchu was like an unattainable mountain and a distant moon to her.
She was as insignificant as dust and didn't dare to have the slightest fancy.
It's not that she couldn't, but that she dared not!
Thinking of this, a tear involuntarily slid down from the corner of her eye.
"Fourth Master, do you also want my dowry?"
Xie Jingchu couldn't believe his ears.
A chill emanated from his body, and he asked hoarsely, "What did you say?"
"If you want the silk store, you can just take it. You don't need to come and flirt with me in the middle of the night."
There was a hint of mockery in Ruan Jiu's tone.
But her heart seemed to be broken into pieces.
And it was she herself who had torn it into pieces bit by bit.
"You actually think of me like this?!"
Xie Jingchu's voice trembled. He suddenly felt a little unsteady on his feet and took a half - step back.
Proud as he was, this was the first time he had revealed his feelings, but they had been trampled on the ground mercilessly.
Before Ruan Jiu could say anything else.
Xie Jingchu left angrily.
The room returned to silence again, as if nothing had happened just now.
Only Ruan Jiu's tears kept flowing, and her heart ached sharply.
She bit her lips tightly and didn't even dare to make a sound while crying.