VIP room on the first floor.
Chen Qing sat upright, clutching the gold-edged wooden plaque in his palm, and mentally rehearsed his opening remarks a hundred times.
"If the visitor is a staff member, first praise the scenery and customs of Yi Prefecture. If the visitor is a manager, first discuss business. If the visitor is a woman..."
He paused, then exchanged a glance with Zheng Hao.
The women would praise his beauty to try and get closer to him.
Zheng Hao nodded, feeling that everything was foolproof.
Footsteps came from the stairwell.
Heavy. Regular.
Each step brought a tremor.
Chen Qing put down his teacup, straightened his back, and turned his gaze to the corner of the stairs.
A hand reached out first.
That hand was a size larger than Chen Qing's head, with thick knuckles, well-defined bones, and neatly trimmed nails.
Then the forearm, arm, and shoulder.
Batuer emerged from the corner of the stairs, holding a glass of iced goat's milk in one hand.
The basin was made of copper and was quite heavy, but she held it like a teacup.
Chen Qing's mind went blank.
Sunlight shone on Batuer's face, highlighting his strong features, high cheekbones, and tiger-like eyes beneath thick eyebrows. His jawline was so sharp it could cut paper.
The navy blue Shu brocade stretched across his broad shoulders and thick chest. Although his waist was cinched with a belt, his powerful presence was impossible to conceal.
The teacup in Chen Qing's hand clattered against the edge of the table.
Tea spilled across half the table.
Zheng Hao was startled and turned to look at him.
Brother Chen?
The Chen Qing was not heard.
His gaze was fixed on Batuer, sweeping from head to toe and back again.
Batuer placed the copper basin on the table, and the crushed ice made a crisp sound as it collided.
She glanced at Chen Qing, and Gu Moran's instructions, remained silent.
Chen Qing's Adam's apple bobbed twice.
His lips were slightly parted.
His breathing became heavy.
Zheng Hao was still preparing his lines, about to probe the background of this "boss".
"Snap."
Chen Qing slapped Zheng Hao on the shoulder, sending him flying to the other end of the bench.
"Get out of my way!"
Zheng Hao swayed to the side and almost fell off the stool.
Brother Chen, you...?
Chen Qing had already stood up.
He rushed around to the other side of the table, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, and bent down to wipe the dust off the bench again and again.
Batuer's thick eyebrows furrowed as he watched him do this.
After wiping the stool, Chen Qing raised her head, lowered her voice, and spoke in a soft, gentle tone.
"Shopkeeper... what is your surname?"
Batuer took a half step back.
"His surname is Ba."
"Ba..." Chen Qing repeated the word three times, his eyes shining, "What a surname. Powerful. Grand."
Batuer took another half step back.
Chen Qing took half a step forward.
" Brother Ba, are you... married?"
Batuer clenched his fists.
The knuckles cracked.
She wanted to hit someone. She really wanted to.
But the prince said we mustn't take action.
Just glare at him.
Batuer glared at him.
Instead of retreating, Chen Qing trembled and clutched his chest with both hands.
"That gaze... so heroic!"
Zheng Hao watched in stunned silence.
He has known Chen Qing for seven years.
The top spy of Prince An's Residence, he infiltrated three prefectures and six counties, and successfully turned two imperial envoys against their cause.
Is the person clutching his chest at this moment, in front of a burly man, really the same person Chen Qing"?
Second-floor private rooms.
Gu Moran leaned out the window and looked down.
Su Yao stood beside him, her folding fan pressed against her lips, her shoulders trembling.
From below came Chen Qing's distorted voice. " Brother Ba, would you do me the honor of sharing a bowl of wine?"
Then came Batuer's low voice. "... Not thirsty."
Then came Chen Qing's mournful cry, "Even if you're not thirsty, please sit down. I sincerely wish to be your friend."
Gu Moran leaned against the window frame, her shoulders trembling.
He held the mouthful of tea in his mouth for a long time without swallowing it.
Su Yao turned her head to look at him.
Are you alright?
Gu Moran forced the tea down her throat.
"Good. Excellent. Top-tier secret agents trained by Prince An at great expense..."
He paused.
"A fondness for handsome men."
Su Yao snapped her folding fan shut and tapped him on the back of the head.
"You knew all along?"
"How should I know?" Gu Moran rubbed the back of his head. "The personnel records of the Prince An's Residence don't include this entry."
A loud crash came from under the window; the copper basin had been overturned.
Gu Moran and Su Yao both peeked out at the same time.
Chen Qing was kneeling on one knee, eagerly helping Batuer pick up the broken ice.
Batuer stood frozen in place, as stiff as a stone.
Gu Moran slowly pulled her head back.
"You tell me... isn't this fate?"
Su Yao glanced at him.
"What destiny?"
" Prince An spent money to send a spy to work for our family."
Batuer stood motionless beside the copper basin.
Chen Qing knelt on the ground to pick up the broken ice, then took out a handkerchief to wipe the water stains on the ground.
" Brother Ba, don't move, it's slippery."
Batuer's lips twitched twice.
She took a large step back.
Chen Qing immediately stood up and took a step forward.
" Brother Ba, are you feeling cold? I'll go borrow an outer garment."
"Need not."
Batuer lowered his voice to a minimum.
Chen Qing paused for a moment, then grinned.
" Brother Ba has a really nice voice."
This was the first time in Batuer's life that someone had praised his voice.
Her face contorted for a moment, then she let out a heavy exhale.
Zheng Hao climbed over from the other end of the bench, tugged at Chen Qing's sleeve, and lowered his voice, "Brother Chen, it's important..."
Chen Qing didn't even turn his head.
"What important matter is more important than Brother Ba?"
Zheng Hao opened his mouth, then closed it.
He resigned himself to his fate, sat back down, put down his folding fan, and decided to complete the intelligence mission alone.
" Shopkeeper Ba," Zheng Hao coughed lightly, "My name is Lady Zheng, and I deal in silk. May I ask who owns your shop?"
"I don't know," Batuer replied, just as Gu Moran had instructed.
Zheng Hao wanted to ask more questions.
Chen Qing had already taken out a silver ingot from his pocket.
Fifty taels.
Neatly arranged official silver.
He held it in both hands and presented it to Batuer.
" Brother Ba," Chen Qing's eyes were slightly red, his voice frighteningly sincere, "In my entire life, I've traveled far and wide, and I've never seen such a... dashing figure. This fifty taels is a token of my heart. From now on, I'll come to Mixue Ice City every day."
Batuer looked down at the silver ingot.
Fifty taels.
She receives two taels of silver per month at the Prince's residence.
Fifty taels would be enough for her to save for two years.
But this money... its origin is too strange.
Batuer didn't answer.
Chen Qing directly stuffed the silver into her sleeve.
The movement was so fast that Batuer didn't have time to react.
"Don't refuse." Chen Qing took a step back and bowed to Batuer. " Brother Ba, please remember, my surname is Chen, and my given name is Qing. The character 'Qing' is the 'Qing' with the heart."
Batuer looked down at the bulging silver ingot in his sleeve.
My temples throbbed twice.
Second floor.
Gu Moran finally couldn't hold back and spat out a mouthful of tea onto the window frame.
Su Yao had already taken three steps back, so her skirt wasn't affected.
"Cough... cough cough."
Gu Moran leaned against the window and coughed a few times.
Footsteps sounded at the door.
Shen Ling'er saw Gu Moran coughing so hard his shoulders were shaking as he leaned against the windowsill, so she raised her hand and patted him on the back twice.
"What's wrong? Did you choke?"
"N-nothing..."
Gu Moran pointed downstairs.
Shen Ling'er leaned closer to the window and glanced down.
Chen Qing was bending down to help Batuer wipe the water stains off the stool.
Zheng Hao sat alone in the corner, drinking tea with a blank expression.
Shen Ling'er looked at it for five seconds, then looked away and calmly placed the medicine tray on the table.
I took out the pill and placed it on the tip of his tongue, then flicked his forehead with my fingertip.
"Swallow it. Then tell me what you plan to do with the Prince An's spies."
Gu Moran let the pill dissolve in his mouth, the cool minty taste going down his throat.
"No."
Shen Ling'er raised an eyebrow.
"Let him stay." Gu Moran closed the window halfway. "A male-obsessed intelligence chief has fallen for someone in our family. As long as he stays in the shop, he'll spontaneously protect Mixue Ice City."
Su Yao opened the ledger from the side.
Are you sure he won't find out too much?
"His mind is completely Batuer right now." Gu Moran wiped the tea stains from the corner of his mouth. "A spy who's deeply involved is ten times more useful than a bribed one. He doesn't even realize he's working for me."
Shen Ling'er put the medicine tray away.
"You're taking advantage of Batuer."
Gu Moran looked at her.
"Sister Ba didn't lose out. She got fifty taels."
Shen Ling'er didn't reply, she just glanced at him.
Half an hour later.
Batuer went back upstairs and plopped down on a low stool by the threshold, his thick eyebrows furrowed into a knot.
Murong Xue squatted down in front of her.
" Xiao Ba, what's wrong?"
Batuer remained silent for a long time before taking out the fifty-tael silver ingot from his sleeve and placing it on his lap.
This is the first time a man... has said he likes me.
Murong Xue's expression froze.
"He said I was dashing and had a nice voice," Batuer's voice grew increasingly muffled, "But he... called me Brother Ba."
Murong Xue opened her mouth.
Batuer looked up, something churning in his tiger-like eyes.
"But I'm a woman."
[Thanks to Yuwen for the update reminder charm, Shijie for the milk tea, Xiangnian for the flowers, Longdi for the capsules, thank you all for your love and support, and thank you Chen Qing for your sacrifice, haha...]