Qing Feng wore a respectful smile on his face.
"The Prince says he heard that the Eldest Miss's shop has launched a membership card. He wishes to be the first customer."
He paused, then added.
"The Prince also said that a Gold Card is not enough to reflect his sincerity. This one is a unique Supreme Card; all future consumption at 'Qingcheng' will be charged to the Prince's account."
Bi Tao, standing nearby, gasped in shock.
This isn't just signing up for a card; this is clearly offering his entire self!
Qing Feng took a folded note from his sleeve and handed it over.
"This is a letter from the Prince to the Eldest Miss."
Xue Tingxue took the note and unrolled it.
There was only one line of text on it, the strokes of the pen vigorous and powerful, piercing through the paper.
"My Princess Consort should be the woman who knows how to earn money the best in the whole world."
Xue Tingxue pinched the black card with gold threads, her fingertips feeling the intricate patterns on it.
"Supreme Card?" she whispered, finding it somewhat amusing.
Bi Tao, standing to the side, had her eyes almost glued to the card, whispering in surprise: "Miss, this Prince Ning'an is too generous! This isn't just signing up for a card; he clearly wants to book the entire shop for you!"
Xue Tingxue placed the card casually on the Account Book and smiled at Qing Feng.
"Please thank the Prince for his kindness on my behalf; I will accept this card."
Qing Feng completed his task, bowed, and took his leave.
Bi Tao immediately leaned in, picked up the note, and read the words on it again, her smile impossible to hide.
"Miss! Did you see? The Prince said his Princess Consort... he is confessing to you!"
Xue Tingxue took the note back from her hand, folded it, and tucked it into her sleeve.
"You little girl, what do you know."
"How do I not know!" Bi Tao puffed out her cheeks in defiance. "Prince Ning'an is handsome, powerful, and wealthy, and he cares so much about you! He is ten thousand times better than that Prince Yu!"
Xue Tingxue did not respond, simply picking up the Account Book to continue reviewing the day's revenue.
Seeing her unmoved, Bi Tao stomped her feet in frustration.
"Miss, are you not moved at all?"
Xue Tingxue turned a page of the Account Book without looking up.
"Can being moved put food on the table? If a man is reliable, a sow can climb a tree. Earning silver is the only serious business."
Just as she finished speaking, a small commotion suddenly broke out at the shop entrance.
A shop assistant hurried in from the front hall with a strange expression on his face.
"Eldest Miss, Your Highness... Prince Yu has arrived."
The abacus in Bi Tao's hand clattered as it fell on the ground.
Xue Tingxue's hand, which was turning the pages of the Account Book, paused for a moment before returning to normal.
"What is he here for?"
"I don't know, he just said... he just said he wanted to look around."
Xue Tingxue closed the Account Book, stood up, and smoothed her sleeves.
"Let's go, let's see. A guest is a guest; we cannot drive them away."
In the front hall of 'Qingcheng', the appearance of Fu Nanli caused the once lively shop to fall silent in an instant.
He was wearing a moon white brocade robe today, his body tall and straight, his face handsome, yet he wore a sullen expression that made the noble ladies nearby want to approach but not dare to.
He stood in front of a shelf of lip rouge, his gaze sweeping over the exquisite small porcelain boxes, his eyes filled with a trace of restlessness and confusion he hadn't even noticed himself.
How did Xue Tingxue come up with these things?
How did the woman who used to only follow behind him, not even daring to speak loudly, become the person she is now?
He was lost in thought when a crisp, distant voice sounded beside him.
"I did not know Your Highness Prince Yu was coming; I failed to welcome you properly."
Fu Nanli turned his head abruptly and saw Xue Tingxue.
She was wearing a lotus-root pink dress today, with a proper and standard smile on her face, just as she would treat any ordinary customer.
This smile made him feel inexplicably stifled.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Xue Tingxue took another step forward, her gaze falling on the lip rouge in front of him, her smile deepening.
"Is the Prince looking to pick something out for Miss Xue Manman?"
Fu Nanli's pupils contracted.
Miss Xue Manman.
This form of address was like a tiny needle, piercing his heart.
Xue Tingxue, as if she didn't see his stiff expression, extended her slender fingers and picked up a small red porcelain box from the shelf.
"This lip rouge is called 'Heart-Stealer Red', and it is the best-selling item in our shop."
She opened the box and showed the brilliant red to Fu Nanli.
"The color is bright and suits fair skin best. Miss Xue Manman is gentle and lovely; wearing this will surely please the Prince even more."
Her tone was so polite, and every word was spoken so considerately.
Yet, to Fu Nanli's ears, it was more painful than any vicious insult.
The surrounding customers pricked up their ears, watching this side quietly, their eyes filled with gossip.
Fu Nanli's cheeks felt hot; he felt everyone's gaze falling on him, as if they were watching a joke.
His hands were clenched tightly inside his sleeves.
A breath was stuck in his chest, neither going up nor down.
He looked at Xue Tingxue's face with its formulaic smile, looked at her calm eyes, and, as if possessed, a sentence blurted out.
"I am buying it for you."
The air seemed to freeze.
The noble ladies watching the excitement nearby gasped.
Bi Tao was so shocked her mouth hung wide open.
The smile on Xue Tingxue's face froze for a split second.
But soon, she smiled again, though this time the smile did not reach her eyes.
She gently placed the lip rouge box back on the shelf, making a crisp, light sound.
Then, she took a step back, distancing herself from Fu Nanli, and curtsied slightly to him.
"Apologies, Your Highness."
Her voice remained calm, yet carried a chill.
"Since I own this shop, I will not disturb the Prince further; self-service is simpler and saves the middle steps." She was resolute yet polite.
Fu Nanli's complexion turned deathly pale in an instant.
Xue Tingxue stood up straight, didn't even look at him again, and turned to instruct the steward nearby.
"Watch the shop; I am going to the backyard to check the accounts."
After she finished speaking, she added a sentence in the direction of Fu Nanli without turning her head.
"Walk slowly, I will not see you out."
Then, she just walked away.
Her steps were calm, her back resolute.
The entire front hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Fu Nanli stood alone in place, like an abandoned statue.
He could feel the gazes cast from all directions—some sympathetic, some mocking, some gloating.
Those gazes were like countless ants crawling all over his body, gnawing at the last of his dignity as a Prince.
He wanted to lose his temper, wanted to smash this shop.
But he couldn't.
He could only turn around stiffly and, under everyone's gaze, walk out of the doors of 'Qingcheng' step by step, in a sorry state.
The sunlight was dazzling, making him feel a bit dizzy.
He stood in the crowded human tide of Vermilion Bird Street, feeling for the first time such helplessness and... humiliation.
The woman he had pushed away with his own hands would now not even give him a chance to turn his head back.
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