Seeing Qin Junxing adopt such an attitude, even though Xie Fengran was itching with hatred, there was nothing she could do.
After enjoying Xie Fengran's expressions to his heart's content, the prince leisurely began, "Ranran..."
"My lord, the people from the Zhang family are here!"
Lao Cheng rushed in, opening the door without ceremony and blurting out this sentence.
Qin Junxing had no choice but to swallow back the words he was about to say. He said irritably, "So what if they're here? Can't you handle such a trivial matter?"
"The people from the Zhang family want to see you!"
"Do you think just anyone can see me?" Qin Junxing felt like throwing a teacup at him. "Get out!"
"Alright, this subordinate will leave!"
Lao Cheng quickly backed out.
Qin Junxing turned around impatiently and met Xie Fengran's surprised look. His heart skipped a beat, and he had a bad feeling!
Sure enough, he heard Xie Fengran ask, "This Lingfeng Teahouse belongs to you?"
For the first time, the thick - skinned prince found himself at a loss for words. He opened his mouth and said, "No, I..."
Xie Fengran didn't care what he was going to say. Instead, she quickly recalled whether she had revealed anything in front of him!
Sun Jiming always took care of the business negotiations with the shopkeeper, and it was all in the name of the Sun Mansion. She only came here occasionally to have some tea.
Only the Sun siblings knew about her writing under a pen name. Even her personal maid only had a vague understanding, and the Sun siblings would never betray her!
So, this man in front of her probably didn't know!
Thinking of this, Xie Fengran felt a bit relieved. However, she still decided to test him. "So you're the boss behind this! I really like the stories told by the storytellers here. I wonder who the writer is. Do I have the honor to meet this person?"
Qin Junxing squinted his eyes and almost didn't understand what she was saying.
Looking at the girl's cautious probe, he immediately understood - this silly girl thought he didn't know it was her writing under a pen name!
Just now, he was worried that if the girl knew it was him behind the teahouse, she might not continue writing.
This was truly a pleasant surprise.
Qin Junxing hooked the corner of his mouth. "Ranran, the writer doesn't want to reveal his real identity. I'm helpless. But if you marry me and we become a family, it won't matter if you know."
Xie Fengran pouted and straightened up. "Suddenly, I don't want to know anymore."
"Don't say that!" Qin Junxing was getting more and more interested in teasing her. He kept pressing, "You really don't want to know? If you marry me, this teahouse will all be yours!"
Xie Fengran secretly rolled her eyes and thought to herself, Who would want it!
Anyway, she also got a share of the profits from her stories, so she had money too!
However, it really surprised her that the teahouse was Qin Junxing's property.
But this also explained why the Lingfeng Teahouse dared to tell the story she wrote, which satirized the Zhang Mansion and even him.
It seemed that this prince was not only thick - skinned but also had a bit of tolerance!
Thinking of this, Xie Fengran偷偷 glanced at him and felt that her impression of him had changed a bit.
Qin Junxing was looking out of the window at the lobby. Lao Cheng was dealing with the steward from the Zhang family.
Xie Fengran followed his gaze and saw the steward from the Zhang family gesturing wildly. She didn't know what he was saying, while Lao Cheng kept his head down and bowed, as if making the other person's anger hit nothing but cotton.
Xie Fengran suddenly remembered Sun Jiming's evaluation of Lao Cheng - stingy!
A real miser!
The three of them had once discussed in private that the current scale of the Lingfeng Teahouse was inseparable from Lao Cheng's stinginess.
She had been associated with the Lingfeng Teahouse for two years. In these two years, she had become a little rich woman thanks to the dividends. It was needless to say how rich Qin Junxing, the behind - the - scenes boss, was.
Moreover, he had a shopkeeper like Lao Cheng who could hold onto the money.
Thinking of this, she suddenly felt a bit jealous.
Downstairs, the steward from the Zhang family had been sent away by Lao Cheng. Qin Junxing turned around and just met Xie Fengran's envious little look.
He was stunned for a moment. "What's wrong?"
Xie Fengran quickly averted her gaze and shook her head. "It's nothing. I think it's time for me to leave!"
This time, Qin Junxing didn't stop her. Xie Fengran thought it wasn't that he didn't want to but that he probably had something to do!
Sure enough, before Qin Junxing could escort her downstairs, he was stopped by Lao Cheng.
So, the task of sending Xie Fengran fell on Qingye again.
After being seen through by Xie Fengran, Qingye no longer dared to think of Xie Fengran as an easy - to - deceive girl.
He very eagerly led Xie Fengran onto the carriage. He looked as obsequious as could be.
Xie Fengran curled the corner of her mouth and suddenly asked, "How much monthly salary does your lord give you that makes you work so hard?"
Qingye's face stiffened, and he replied sullenly, "We subordinates don't follow the lord for money. We are all the lord's personal guards. We can just ask the lord for money if we need it."
Qin Junxing had always been very generous to the people he trusted. Not to mention, the personal guards with names starting with "Qing" had fought on the battlefield with him and had shared life - and - death experiences!
Xie Fengran also understood that these people were the ones truly trusted by Qin Junxing.
While Qingye was still immersed in the thought of how good his lord was to him, Xie Fengran suddenly spoke again.
"Is Shopkeeper Cheng also a person valued by your lord?"
"No, Shopkeeper Cheng is from the Princess Mansion!" As soon as Qingye said this, he felt something was wrong. He quickly shook his head. "No, how could Shopkeeper Cheng be the lord's person? I..."
Xie Fengran sighed, glanced at Qingye, and said sympathetically, "If I were you, I definitely wouldn't tell your lord about this question."
It would save him from getting a heavier punishment.
Qingye was about to cry. "Miss, can't you pray for someone else?"
"Um, it's not impossible, but I'm not familiar with others!"
Qingye fell completely silent and drove the carriage sullenly. He vowed never to underestimate girls again in his life.
However, thinking that this girl was the one his lord was determined to marry and would be his mistress in the future, he suddenly felt that his future days would be bleak.
The lord was already so shrewd, and if there was another mistress who seemed innocent on the surface but was actually shrewd, would he still have a good life!
It was a pity that neither Xie Fengran nor Qin Junxing heard Qingye's inner thoughts!
Qin Junxing was listening to Lao Cheng's report!
"My lord, this subordinate has found out that the Zhang family seems to be almost done dealing with Lady Li and her son. Lady Li and her son will leave the capital soon!"
"This was inevitable. Old Fox Zhang, the prime minister, would never marry his daughter to such a person."
"My lord, should we do something?"
Qin Junxing turned around and looked at him. "Do what? Rob Zhang Yao?"
"How could that be? Of course, we should make Prime Minister Zhang marry off his daughter! Then it would fit the ending of the new story. By then, the reputation of the Lingfeng Teahouse in the capital would rise to a new level!"
Speaking of this, Lao Cheng got a bit excited, as if he could already see the silver coins rolling in!