A Close Relationship?

"Spirit Hall intends to acquire this establishment. What do you think?"

Ya Wen directly revealed her identity and stated her intentions.

Lin Wei's eyes immediately lit up when she heard "Spirit Hall," but they soon dimmed again.

"Auntie, what's wrong? Is something troubling you?"

Qian Renxue, who was closest to her, was the first to notice Lin Wei's expression and asked directly.

Little Xue, Little Xue, when you see a young, pretty lady, you should call her big sister, understand?

Calling her auntie just makes her sound old.

Shen Nuonuo wanted to laugh when she heard Qian Renxue call a girl who looked to be in her twenties "auntie."

Still, she knew it was not technically wrong.

Qian Renxue looked at Shen Nuonuo in confusion.

Ghostly Douluo, Moon Guan, and Ya Wen remained expressionless. After what had just happened, they were already used to it.

Lin Wei was silent for a long while before she finally said, "True Flavor Pavilion can actually be considered part of Spirit Hall."

Everyone was startled.

How could that be?

Seeing their surprised expressions, Lin Wei explained, "My mother once said that the owner of True Flavor Pavilion had a very close relationship with Spirit Hall's master."

Bang!

A surge of anger rose in Qian Renxue's heart. She stood up, lifted her chin, planted her hands on her hips, and slammed the table. "You're lying!"

Seeing Qian Renxue get angry, Shen Nuonuo hurriedly soothed her. "Little Xue, sit down first. It's not what you think."

Qian Renxue puffed out her cheeks and sat back down indignantly.

Ya Wen, Ghostly Douluo, and Moon Guan all understood why their Young Master was so angry.

The owner had had a close relationship with her father—it sounded like they had once been lovers.

Naturally, they assumed that the master of Spirit Hall Lin Wei referred to was the current Pope, Qian Xunji.

Lin Wei looked utterly baffled. She had no idea why this exquisitely pretty child had suddenly become angry.

"Ahem. Shopkeeper Lin, the one before you is Spirit Hall's Young Master. Explain yourself clearly first."

Cold sweat had appeared on Moon Guan's forehead.

Lin Wei suddenly understood and apologized, "Your Highness, I'm sorry. I did not explain myself clearly. The master my mother referred to was the previous Pope."

"The previous Pope was my Grandpa. How could this shop owner have had such a close relationship with her?"

Once Qian Renxue heard that it was not her father, she also breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Shen Nuonuo had a guess.

She remembered Qian Daoliu telling her that his wife was named Lin Jing. This shop had most likely been opened by her.

Ya Wen also seemed to realize something as she looked at Lin Wei. "What is the name of the owner you mentioned?"

"Her name is Lin Jing."

Lin Wei hurriedly explained.

Only now did she belatedly realize that the child who had questioned her was Spirit Hall's Young Master!

The people accompanying Spirit Hall's Young Master could not possibly be ordinary people.

"This shop's owner is my grandmother?"

Qian Renxue's pupils abruptly widened, and her mouth fell slightly open in shock.

Well, wasn't this a case of fighting first and getting acquainted afterward?

Shen Nuonuo and Ya Wen exchanged a glance, both seeing the realization in each other's eyes.

Lin Wei's eyes shone as she revealed a bright smile. "Then our shop owner should indeed be your grandmother."

"Do you have proof?"

Ghostly Douluo, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly spoke, his tone carrying barely perceptible caution.

"Yes, yes. Please wait a moment." Lin Wei quickly left after saying that.

Soon, Lin Wei returned with a semicircular Jade Pendant about half the size of a palm and handed it to Qian Renxue.

"Your Highness, the owner entrusted this to my mother for safekeeping. She said that if True Flavor Pavilion encountered difficulties in the future, we could seek help from Spirit Hall."

Qian Renxue accepted the Jade Pendant and examined it carefully.

The semicircular pendant was smooth and delicate, emitting a faint glow. The moment she held it, she felt a cool sensation that seemed capable of easing the body and mind's exhaustion and pressure.

The front bore the character Jing, while the back bore the character Tian.

There was a tiny mark in the upper-left corner. Without close inspection, it would have been difficult to make out that it was an angel emblem.

"This Jade Pendant belongs to our Angel Clan. It should have been personally carved by Grandpa. The other half should be with him. Once the two pieces are joined together, they will form a complete Jade Pendant."

Qian Renxue spoke with certainty.

Although she had never seen the other half, this pendant had definitely come from her Grandpa's hands.

Once Ghostly Douluo and Moon Guan heard Qian Renxue confirm that it was a token of Spirit Hall, their wariness finally eased.

Shen Nuonuo examined the extraordinary Jade Pendant.

Damn, I never expected Old Qian to have a token like this—and he even carved it himself. He really is a fashionable hunk, no less stylish than those pretty young idols on Little Blue Star.

Old Qian truly is something else.

Ya Wen pressed down the corners of her lips, struggling not to laugh.

Ghostly Douluo and Moon Guan also looked like they wanted to laugh but did not dare to.

Qian Renxue, however, did not think much of it and burst out laughing.

"Hm? Little Xue, what are you laughing at?"

Shen Nuonuo looked at the grinning Qian Renxue in confusion.

Qian Renxue had wanted to say that she was laughing because of what Shen Nuonuo had said in her heart, but she could not force out a single word.

Shen Nuonuo watched Qian Renxue's mouth open and close, yet she could not say anything coherent.

Ghostly Douluo immediately noticed Qian Renxue's helplessness and sent her a voice transmission. "Young Master, as long as you do not mention those things, you can speak normally."

Hearing this, Qian Renxue nodded at Ghostly Douluo. She took a deep breath, relaxed, and said, "Big Sister, I'm fine. I just thought of something funny."

"Oh, I see."

Lin Wei looked even more bewildered as she watched the group.

What are they doing? Communicating with their minds?

"Auntie Lin Wei, do you know where my grandmother is? You're also surnamed Lin. Could we actually be relatives?"

Curiosity sparkled in Qian Renxue's eyes.

Grandpa had always been thinking about Grandma. It would be wonderful if this auntie knew where Grandma was.

Lin Wei shook her head. "I don't know where the owner is, and I am not related to her by blood."

"This shop was actually opened because the owner pitied my mother and me for having no means of livelihood. She helped us establish it so that we would have a place to stay."

"The Food System Spirit Master in our shop is still here because of the owner as well. Otherwise, he would have left long ago."

When Lin Wei spoke of the owner, her voice was filled with gratitude and respect.

Qian Renxue felt somewhat downcast when she learned that Lin Wei did not know where her grandmother was.

Ya Wen comforted her from the side.

Shen Nuonuo sighed softly after hearing this. "It can't have been easy for this shop to keep going until now, right?"

True Flavor Pavilion was located on a bustling street in Spirit City, and its premises were not small. The rent alone was probably no small sum.

Lin Wei shook her head again. "Before the owner left, she paid thirty years' worth of rent, so we had no worries."

"It is only a matter of whether business is good or bad, and whether we earn more or less."

"You have a rather open-minded nature."

Ya Wen raised her eyes and glanced at Lin Wei.

Lin Wei merely smiled without speaking.

The owner had said that the first things one must learn in life were gratitude and contentment.