These past few days, the ice cream had repeatedly been bought out entirely by certain customers, leaving many people unable to purchase even a single stick.
As a result, Yun Zhiyue changed the rules to a purchase limit system.
Customers holding VIP cards could purchase up to ten ice creams per day.
Everyone else was limited to two per day.
“Apologies, Young Master, today’s ice cream is sold out.”
“What? I just got here and you’re telling me it’s gone already?”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“I don’t care! Tell your owner to start making more right now. I’m eating ice cream today no matter what!”
Chen Changsheng looked utterly helpless.
“Young Master, you may not know this, but the ingredients prepared for ice cream each day are limited. We genuinely cannot make more right now.”
The man looked unconvinced.
“You say you can’t make more, so that’s that?”
“Or is it that you simply don’t want to sell it to me?”
“Do you know who I am?”
“Do you know who my sister is?”
“Be careful, or I’ll make sure this teahouse can no longer stay open.”
Hearing those words, Chen Changsheng carefully observed the man’s face.
He might not know every noble young master in the capital, but he at least recognized the famous ones.
As for this man…
He truly had no idea who he was.
Much less who his sister was.
Chen Changsheng honestly shook his head.
“I genuinely do not know.”
Laughter immediately erupted all around them.
People from both upstairs and downstairs stretched their necks over to watch the excitement.
The man’s face flushed awkwardly.
The servant beside him quickly stepped forward and barked arrogantly:
“How dare you! Our young master is the Pingyang Marquis’s brother-in-law!”
“That’s right!” the man proudly added. “My sister is the Marchioness of Pingyang. I’m the Pingyang Marquis’s brother-in-law!”
“You people dare laugh at me? Truly ignorant.”
The Marchioness’s natal family was from Yu Prefecture, several hundred li away from the capital.
Yuan Zijin and his mother had only arrived in the capital two days ago.
The moment he heard rumors that Jade Delicacies Tea House sold delicious ice cream, he came immediately.
Yet by the time he arrived, it was already sold out.
Today, he absolutely had to eat ice cream.
“What’s going on here?”
Qi Yanqing walked out from behind the counter.
He had originally been busy recording accounts, but the commotion had become impossible to ignore.
Chen Changsheng cupped his fists respectfully.
“Second Young Master Qi, I explained to this young master that the ice cream is sold out, but he refuses to believe it and insists the teahouse make more immediately.”
“He also says he’s the Pingyang Marquis’s brother-in-law.”
Qi Yanqing looked toward the man.
The way Yuan Zijin puffed out his chest made him resemble a victorious rooster.
Yuan Zijin sneered arrogantly.
“And who are you supposed to be?”
“Don’t tell me this teahouse belongs to you?”
“Hurry up and bring me ice cream.”
Qi Yanqing calmly shook his head.
“I’m not the owner. I merely work here as an accountant.”
So he was only a lowly accountant.
Yuan Zijin’s expression grew even more disdainful.
“Hmph. Since when is it your turn—a mere accountant—to interrupt while I’m speaking to the manager?”
“Who do you think you are?”
Qi Yanqing froze slightly.
Since the day he was born, nobody had ever dared speak to him like this.
Even royal princes treated him politely.
After all—
His father was a first-rank Great General.
And his elder brother was a fourth-rank general.
Both wielded military authority.
Who in the capital wouldn’t give him some face?
Yet now someone was openly questioning whether he was worthy enough to speak?
What a rare experience indeed.
“Hahaha! This is killing me!”
A burst of laughter came from the entrance.
“So even you, Qi Yanqing, can get scolded by someone?”
“You lowered yourself to become a teahouse accountant, and now someone’s pointing at your nose insulting you. What a fascinating sight.”
Qi Yanqing looked toward the doorway.
A young man swaggered inside openly.
With a casual hook of his foot, he dragged over a nearby chair and sat down smoothly.
The grin on his face never faded.
“He’s right, you know. Qi Yanqing really is just a tiny little accountant. Hahaha.”
Chen Changsheng nearly broke into cold sweat.
When gods fought, little ghosts suffered.
He wisely chose not to speak and silently signaled the nearby waiter.
Yuan Zijin sized up the newcomer.
Seeing no guards beside him, he immediately assumed he wasn’t anyone important.
“Who are you?”
“How dare you sit in front of me?”
Xiao Xiao waved lazily with a cheerful smile.
“Continue cursing. Don’t mind me. I’m just here to watch the show.”
The servant beside Yuan Zijin immediately shouted:
“Move aside! Is our young master’s entertainment something you can casually watch?”
“Hurry and give your seat to our young master!”
“Our young master hasn’t even sat down yet!”
Xiao Xiao: “……”
They wanted him to give up his seat?
What audacity.
Seeing his expression, Qi Yanqing covered his mouth and chuckled softly.
“Hehe. Little Prince, how does it feel being scolded?”
Xiao Xiao: “……”
“Xuanfeng, grab him.”
“I’d really like to see whether he deserves this chair.”
Furious now, Xiao Xiao signaled outside.
A man dressed in black martial clothing flashed into the room with lightning speed.
He kicked the servant aside and instantly seized Yuan Zijin before kicking him sharply behind the knees.
Yuan Zijin crashed onto his knees in pain and immediately began cursing loudly.
“Ahhh! You filthy commoners, let me go!”
“How dare you touch me?!”
“I’m the Marquis’s brother-in-law! Once the Marquis arrives, all of you are dead!”
Hearing that, Xiao Xiao laughed instead of getting angry.
“Manager, send someone to notify the Marquis Household.”
“I’m genuinely curious how the Pingyang Marquis plans to make me ‘dead.’”
“Eldest Miss! Something terrible happened at the teahouse!”
The servant looked frantic.
“What happened?” Yun Zhiyue asked calmly.
“Someone came causing trouble—and even insulted the accountant!”
Now that was fresh news.
Someone had actually cursed at Second Young Master Qi.
Yun Zhiyue rose immediately.
“I’ll go take a look.”
“Madam! Something terrible has happened! Young Master Yuan was beaten and detained!”
A maid rushed in anxiously.
Madam Yuan shot to her feet in shock.
“What?! By whom? Where?”
“At Jade Delicacies Tea House. This servant doesn’t know who did it—the messenger didn’t say.”
“Hurry. Lead the way.”
Her own mother was still staying at the residence.
This matter absolutely could not reach her ears.
The moment Yun Zhiyue stepped inside, she heard furious shouting.
“Let me go! If you don’t release me right now, you’re all dead!”
Her gaze swept across the room.
Oh.
The little prince was here too.
Looks like this fool had offended even him.
Seeing her arrive, Xiao Xiao raised an eyebrow.
“Hey, fake daughter. Look—isn’t this your former uncle?”
Former uncle my foot.
What terrible manners.
Expressionless, Yun Zhiyue replied:
“No. Don’t know him.”
“Since he offended the little prince, then simply drag him away.”
“Otherwise his screaming will affect the teahouse business.”
Xiao Xiao waved lazily.
“That won’t do. This young master still wants to wait for someone from the Marquis Household to arrive.”
Yun Zhiyue shrugged indifferently.
“Oh. Then do whatever you want.”
Suit yourself.
“Stop! Release Zijin immediately!”
The Marchioness hurried inside, her face filled with worry.
“Zijin, are you all right?”
Yuan Zijin’s eyes lit up in joy.
“Elder Sister! You finally came! Hurry and make them let me go!”
The Marchioness looked up and froze when she noticed Yun Zhiyue standing nearby.
Subconsciously, she assumed Yun Zhiyue was responsible.
Her face instantly darkened with anger.
“Li Zhiyue, this is outrageous! Hurry and tell them to release Zijin!”
Yun Zhiyue: “…???”
“Marchioness, first—I’m not called Li Zhiyue. My name is Yun Zhiyue.”
“Second, I don’t possess the ability to order them to release him.”
“This matter has nothing to do with me.”
The Marchioness frowned deeply.
“Hey, hey, hey. The one he offended was me.”
Xiao Xiao casually picked up a teacup and took a sip.
“You’d better release—”
The Marchioness abruptly stopped mid-sentence after recognizing him.
Her tone instantly lowered respectfully.
“Little Prince, may I ask how my younger brother offended you?”
“Please release him first. I’ll make him apologize to you.”
Yuan Zijin immediately shouted in disbelief:
“Sister! I’m not apologizing!”
“Hehe.” Xiao Xiao smirked. “He’s got quite the courage.”
“Not only did he curse at me, he even cursed at the teahouse accountant.”
He pointed casually beside him.
Following his gaze, the Marchioness stared in shock.
“Isn’t this Second Young Master Qi?!”
Qi Yanqing nodded calmly.
“Yes. I work here as the teahouse accountant.”
“And because Young Master Yuan found my status lowly and insignificant, he insulted me a little.”
He deliberately emphasized the words lowly and insignificant.
The Marchioness hurriedly forced a smile.
“Second Young Master Qi, it’s all a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding.”
Xiao Xiao laughed mockingly.
“Marchioness of Pingyang, why hasn’t the Marquis himself come?”
“Your precious brother here just said I was as good as dead.”
“I’m so frightened that later I may need to enter the palace and ask His Majesty for some miraculous medicine to calm my nerves.”
The moment those words fell, the Marchioness felt her temples throbbing painfully.
She immediately forced another smile.
“Little Prince, this is all a misunderstanding.”
Then she glared furiously at the kneeling Yuan Zijin.
“Zijin, apologize immediately.”
Yuan Zijin looked utterly aggrieved as he stubbornly turned his head aside.