Princess Sister Moves In

Shen Jingchuan's face showed a hint of pain, as if he had gone to great lengths to make a profit. He gritted his teeth and said, "Your Highness, I know your cultivation is not easy. I won't make money off you on this deal; I'll give it to you at cost price, one Spirit Stone per piece."

Xiao Mingshu raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, looking at him with a half-smile:

"You little rascal, don't think I don't know anything. I've heard of those glass mirrors in the mortal world. A large standing mirror only costs a little over a thousand taels of silver, so these small portable mirrors definitely won't retail for a thousand taels. Tell me one Spirit Stone per mirror; that's not cheap."

"What Your Highness is referring to is a regular one-way mirror, not this one."

Shen Jingchuan remained calm and composed, gently flipping the mirror with his fingertips to reveal the other side:

"Look, this is double-sided. This side is a normal mirror, and this side is magnified, so you can see even the smallest details when shaping your eyebrows or applying makeup. The craftsmanship of this magnifying mirror is several times more difficult than that of an ordinary flat mirror; it can't be made easily. I originally planned to sell it for 1,500 taels of silver in the mortal world, but I haven't even started stocking it yet."

Xiao Mingshu moved closer and looked at the magnifying glass. Sure enough, she could see the texture of even the individual strands of hair very clearly, making it much more useful than a regular one-way mirror.

She ran her fingertips along the edge of the mirror, already somewhat convinced—it wasn't an ordinary item after all; no wonder they dared to charge such a price. However, she was still pondering the pricing range in the market.

Seeing her expression, Shen Jingchuan added fuel to the fire, his tone solemn:

"Your Highness, since you intend to sell this mirror in the market, I will no longer sell a single one of these mirrors in the mortal realm. All supplies will be exclusively for you. Without the price comparison in the mortal realm, you can set whatever price you want in the market and earn more Spirit Stones to supplement your cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Mingshu was genuinely stunned. She hadn't expected Shen Jingchuan to completely cut off all his sales channels in the mortal realm for her sake, leaving the sole business opportunity to her.

Selling even one of these items in the mortal realm would be worth real money, and he said he'd give it up just like that; his sincerity is truly genuine.

She glanced up at Shen Jingchuan, a teasing smile playing on her lips, "Why are you being so nice to your older sister? Have you fallen for her?"

Shen Jingchuan hadn't expected her to be so direct, and was immediately embarrassed, quickly waving his hand:

"Your Highness, please don't tease me. I heard about you from Senior Sister Yan and know that your cultivation journey has been difficult. I'd like to help in any way I can. Anyway, the money earned from the Lineage business doesn't end up in my hands, and I still have this much authority. Just consider it making a friend."

Xiao Mingshu feigned reproach upon hearing this:

"That Yan Shuyao, she really has no self-control, she says everything."

Even so, she felt a genuine warmth in her heart. The cultivation world is known for its deceit and treachery; let alone offering any benefits, even half a Spirit Stone would be fought over fiercely.

She had initially thought Shen Jingchuan was a shrewd and cunning scion of a wealthy Aristocratic Clan who knew how to do business, but to her surprise, he didn't seem calculating at all, and didn't appear to be faking it.

As soon as she finished speaking, she quickly calculated the market price in her mind—this double-sided enlarged craftsmanship, if taken to the market, would fetch at least three Spirit Stones per side. In a large market where female cultivators gathered, it could sell for four or five spirit stones. Based on the purchase price of one Spirit Stone, the profit would directly increase two or three times, making it even easier than selling watches.

Just as he was pondering this, he heard Shen Jingchuan speak:

"Your Highness, if you were to sell all this goods in retail, it would be too conspicuous. It would be better to wholesale them to familiar shops in the market. This way, you would be less visible and the risk would be lower. Although you might earn less, the volume would be faster and it would be safer."

Xiao Mingshu suddenly looked up at him, a warm feeling welling up in her heart. She had considered this risk, but she was prepared to take it on for the sake of the Spirit Stones. She hadn't expected that this seemingly careless young man would be so thoughtful, even considering the concerns she hadn't voiced.

It was already commendable that they cut off her sales channels in the mortal realm and left her enough room for pricing; they even considered her safety. In the cultivation world, everyone is driven by profit, wanting to squeeze every last drop out of their opponent. This was truly the first time she had encountered someone so genuinely considerate of her.

Feeling comforted, a smile spread across her face.

"Well done, I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful. Here's the deal: from now on, stop calling me 'Your Highness,' it's too formal. Just call me 'Sister,' and I'll call you 'Little Brother.'"

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingchuan's face turned green, and the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably. This form of address sounded incredibly awkward in modern times, and he silently cursed inwardly, "How did you know? Who do you think you are?"

He dared not show it on his face, and quickly waved his hand to decline, saying, "Please don't, Your Highness is of noble status, how could I dare to overstep my bounds like this?"

Xiao Mingshu chuckled and waved her hand dismissively:

"What's with all this talk of nobility? Now that you've embarked on the path of cultivation, don't bring up those empty formalities of the mortal world. In the cultivation world, my status as a princess means nothing. That's settled."

Seeing her resolute attitude, Shen Jingchuan stopped pushing and instead used a pained expression to bargain:

"Calling Sister Mingshu' is no problem, but... could you please not call me 'little brother'? I'm really not young anymore. You look so young; if I didn't know you'd been cultivating for many years, I wouldn't dare call you 'sister'."

Xiao Mingshu's eyes crinkled with delight as she playfully tapped his arm with her finger.

"You've got a sweet tongue. Don't worry, I've been cultivating for over twenty years, I'm definitely older than you, you won't be at a disadvantage calling me 'little brother.' Alright, it's your way, from now on I won't call you 'little brother,' I'll call you 'Jingchuan little brother.'"

Having discussed this much, Xiao Mingshu's brows relaxed, and she smiled, nodding at him:

"Oh, right, little brother, there's something else I need to tell you. You know I'm a poor sister, and I don't have that much money to pay you right now."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingchuan quickly waved his hand. "What's the big deal? We're practically siblings now, there's no need to be so formal among family. Take all the goods, and pay me back when you've sold them all."

Upon hearing these words, Xiao Mingshu felt a warmth in her heart. She had originally planned to discuss with him about buying on credit or settling accounts in installments, but she didn't expect him to not hesitate at all, refusing even a single Spirit Stone and letting her take all the goods away directly.

In the cultivation world, dealings are usually done on a cash-on-delivery basis, with everyone afraid of being swindled out of their Spirit Stones. This kind of unguarded trust is truly rare for her.

"Alright, you little rascal, I won't stand on ceremony with you." She nodded earnestly. "I'll remember your kindness."

She paused, then continued:

"There's something else I want to discuss with you. From now on, I plan to stay at your residence. Your Yuxi Prefecture is close to the northern market, only a two or three-day journey away, which is much more convenient than my round trip from the Capital. It will also save me trouble in getting and restocking goods."

Shen Jingchuan's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he immediately replied:

"That's exactly what I wanted! With you, my great sister, here in the manor, things are much safer."

Xiao Mingshu chuckled softly upon hearing this, her tone carrying a hint of certainty:

"Of course. Don't worry, with your sister living here, there aren't many people in the entire Great Qian Kingdom who would dare to cause trouble at your residence."