The view from upstairs was not particularly wide, faintly permeated with the scent of medicinal herbs.
Qin Yuehan sat by the wooden table, carefully listening to the commotion downstairs the entire time.
It wasn’t until a dragging sound echoed from below that Yuan Guihua began pleading for mercy once more.
“Young master, I was wrong. Please, for the sake of my many years of service to the Qin family, ask the head of the family to spare my life,” Yuan Guihua cried out loudly, her voice filled with anguish.
Hearing this, Qin Yuehan instinctively peered down through the railing and met Jiang Lan’s gaze as she looked up at him.
Jiang Lan’s eyes held a complexity he couldn’t quite decipher.
“Thank you for your trouble,” Jiang Lan said to the officials in a gentle and respectful tone.
The lead official was well aware of Jiang Lan’s status.
After all, although they were officials, in Azure Capital City, even a falling brick could hit several dignitaries.
Naturally, they had to thoroughly investigate the backgrounds of various merchants.
Though Jiang Lan came from a humble background, her status as the new Number one scholar earned her deep admiration from these officials.
Seeing her now so humble and courteous, they couldn’t help but take her request even more seriously.
Moreover, the banknote Jiang Lan discreetly slipped to them while greeting the lead official was more than enough to ensure their utmost diligence.
Thus, Yuan Guihua was gagged and dragged away in full view of everyone.
The apprentice kneeling on the ground was now left alone, trembling with fear until he fainted.
Jiang Lan looked at the apprentice, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips.
How could she let someone from the same nest of snakes and rats live comfortably alone?
With a slight gesture from Jiang Lan, the lead official ordered the apprentice to be hauled away as well.
“Hey, if you send all the people from Moonfrost Apothecary to prison, what will happen to the pharmacy? Surely you can’t let your husband run it alone,” a plump woman from the neighboring wine shop spoke up.
Jiang Lan had been waiting for someone in the crowd to give in to curiosity and ask.
“Of course not. My husband is delicate and precious—how could he manage such a large pharmacy alone? It’s just that the shopkeeper was truly audacious, and keeping him here would only delay many patients. Now that things have come to this, do you have any suggestions?” Jiang Lan replied, her smile humble.
Seeing Jiang Lan’s gentle demeanor, the plump woman felt a sense of respect.
She enthusiastically replied, “I don’t have any grand ideas, but if you’re looking for loyal servants, Jiang Number one scholar, go see People Broker Pu Suanzi. Just tell him Wei Er Pang from the wine shop sent you.”
Hearing this, Jiang Lan paused, a slow smile spreading in her eyes.
She had already planned this in her mind but had used the neighbors’ words to bring it up.
She hadn’t expected the plump woman’s thoughts to align so perfectly with her own.
“In that case, thank you. I’ll visit Pu Suanzi another day,” Jiang Lan said.
The onlookers, seeing Jiang Lan—a scholar—treat them, mere merchants, with such courtesy and respect, felt their goodwill toward her grow.
After all, Qin Yuehan was a man, and although they had been neighbors, they had rarely exchanged more than a few words with him.
“Alright, alright, let’s disperse now. Head of the Jiang family, you go ahead with your work. Come visit my shop another day, and I’ll treat you to tea,” the plump woman said, her eyes filled with sincerity.
Jiang Lan gave a slight bow before escorting the curious neighbors out of the pharmacy’s main entrance.
When the pharmacy had returned to silence, Qin Yuehan slowly descended from the attic.
He saw Jiang Lan already sweeping away the stains left by the apprentice alone with a broom.
“Wife, let me do it!” Qin Yuehan quickly approached Jiang Lan, his brow slightly tense with nervousness.
Seeing this, Jiang Lan didn’t stop him and handed the broom over to Qin Yuehan.
Qin Zhong stood nearby—how could he possibly let Qin Yuehan do the work himself?
“Will you resent me for sending them all away?” Jiang Lan lifted her gaze to Qin Yuehan standing beside her, her voice exceptionally gentle.
Qin Yuehan froze at her words, a complex expression crossing his handsome, refined face.
“How does Wife know so many details?” Qin Yuehan asked, his voice slightly hoarse.
Jiang Lan stiffened upon hearing this. Damn it—she had been so consumed by anger, focused on removing a tumor like Yuan Guihua from Qin Yuehan’s side as soon as possible, that she had forgotten the original host and Qin Yuehan were merely a couple in name only.
As Jiang Lan racked her brains for a reasonable explanation, she heard Qin Yuehan speak again:
“I don’t resent Wife. I’m very happy that you handled these trivial matters for me… very happy that you stood up for me.”
Qin Yuehan’s tone was utterly sincere, his dark peach blossom eyes now shining like black pearls illuminated by starlight, radiant and bright.
In that moment, Jiang Lan felt everything she had done was worth it.
“As your Wife, it’s only natural that I handle these matters for you. However, Moonfrost Apothecary will likely have to close for a few days,” Jiang Lan said, reaching out to hold Qin Yuehan’s hand.
Qin Yuehan’s body stiffened, and he looked up at Jiang Lan with confusion, yet he compliantly placed his hand in hers.
[Congratulations, Host, for successfully moving the male lead Qin Yuehan. Darkening Level reduced to 10%. Favorability option unlocked. The male lead’s current favorability is 90%.] System 009’s voice sounded again, accompanied by celebratory background music.
The tacky music shattered all the emotional buildup Jiang Lan had felt.
“What is favorability?” Jiang Lan asked doubtfully in her mind.
[Favorability represents the world’s male lead’s trust in the Host. The higher the favorability, the higher the task completion score, allowing the Host to return to their own world sooner.] System 009 replied, its tone unusually serious, devoid of its usual casualness.
Jiang Lan fell silent, lifting her gaze to Qin Yuehan standing before her. She noticed his lingering attention remained fixed on her.
So, is the world’s male lead this easy to win over?
“Then why has he never mentioned it before?” Jiang Lan murmured in her mind, her tone tinged with faint heartache.
[Host, don’t you also dislike speaking up? Please do not forget the punishment you agreed to undergo in exchange for Yuan Guihua’s evidence of crimes.] System 009 reminded.
Jiang Lan felt an indescribable sense of helplessness upon hearing this.
“009, are you sure you’re a salvation system and not a study system? Otherwise, why would I have to study for seven days and nights in the system space just to exchange for some criminal evidence?” Jiang Lan questioned.
Her system had too many flaws, leaving Jiang Lan with an overwhelming sense of frustration she couldn’t articulate.
“Wife.” Qin Yuehan called out in confusion.
During the time Jiang Lan had been speaking with her system, she had already accompanied Qin Yuehan upstairs.
“Hmm.” Jiang Lan responded, her tone somewhat absentminded as she casually flipped through the books on the shelf.
Thud!
A heavy book was accidentally knocked over by Jiang Lan, falling to the ground and scattering an exquisitely crafted letter from within.