The waiter first served two pots of Biluochun tea and a plate of lotus flower pastries.

"Quickly try some lotus flower pastries. I wonder how skilled the chef at Duhuanlou is. Let me have a taste." Wang Xueru picked up a lotus flower pastry, examined it in her hand for a moment, and said, "It looks alright."

Wei Jingnian closed his folding fan. Although he knew in his heart that a gentleman like him should not come to a place like Duhuanlou, the singing and dancing downstairs was so captivating that he watched for a while longer, as if possessed.

It wasn't until he heard Wang Xueru's comments on the lotus flower pastry that he came to his senses and laughed, "You guys don't know, do you? It's a custom among the nobles of the capital to enjoy pastries and tea before a main meal. It seems that Manager Hu of Duhuanlou is indeed quite capable."

"Young master, you flatter me. These are just some pretentious things." Hu Tingzhi heard the comments from inside the house from outside the door. He appeared modest, but he was secretly very proud. You see, Duhuanlou was his most outstanding work. Compared to those casinos and shops, Duhuanlou was the culmination of almost all his efforts.

Sun Miao'er turned around abruptly, and the first thing she noticed was the jade thumb ring on Hu Tingzhi's hand. It was so green that it shone brightly, and this one thumb ring was probably enough to buy a fairly large shop in Pingnan City.

Wei Jingnian then realized who the newcomer was and politely said, "I've heard my father mention Manager Hu's name before, but I never expected..."

"I never expected him to be so young and accomplished." Wei Jingnian was ashamed.

He had never liked the renowned Hu Tingzhi before, especially after hearing about his glorious deeds of making a scene at the yamen for Dongli Xiaoxiao.

Unexpectedly, upon meeting him today, he was not only younger than he had imagined, but also had a refined air about him. He had thought that the legendary Manager Hu must be at least as old as his grandfather!

Hu Tingzhi poured a pot of tea, handed it to Wei Jingnian, and asked with a smile, "May I ask who your father is?"

“Jingnian comes from the Wei family in Dahuai Village,” Wei Jingnian said.

Hu Tingzhi nodded, took a sip of tea, and said, "Master Wei is a man of integrity and loyalty, a model for us businessmen. Like father, like son!"

The two exchanged a lot of pleasantries, and almost finished a pot of tea. Finally, Sun Miao'er couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted, "Manager Hu, your lotus flower pastries are quite good."

"I'm glad Miss Sun likes it. They're all experienced chefs from the palace; their skills can't be that bad." Hu Tingzhi's attitude was completely different from before. He was just being polite to Wei Jingnian, but he was genuinely respectful to Sun Miao'er.

Sun Miao'er knew perfectly well that Hu Tingzhi was treating her this way only because of his master; his master's influence was still very useful.

Grateful for Hu Tingzhi's help in getting back the house that Jin had seized, she said gently, "It's too kind of you, Manager Hu, to come and entertain me personally."

"Not at all! It's my great honor to be able to entertain Miss Sun." Hu Tingzhi was secretly sweating. Luckily, her master hadn't come along, otherwise his little temple really couldn't accommodate her.

Suddenly, cheers erupted from all around, and a commotion broke out in the private room. All the footsteps were almost perfectly synchronized, and the guests poked their heads out of the room, some even running out and squeezing into the aisle outside.

The noise was so loud that Sun Miao'er couldn't hear Hu Tingzhi's voice. She frowned and asked, "What's going on, Manager Hu?"

Hu Tingzhi was already used to the commotion outside and remained unmoved. He then gave the servant a wink, and the servant closed the door from the inside, immediately lowering the volume of noise.

"Shopkeeper, when Miss Xiaoxiao walked down the corridor of Tingyue Pavilion, everyone outside heard about it and squeezed through to try and catch a glimpse of her!"

Hu Ting knew: "If you want to see her, you have to pay money. If you keep trying to get her like this, you'll never see Xiaoxiao in eight lifetimes."

After saying that, he smiled helplessly at Sun Miao'er, spread his hands and said, "There's nothing I can do. Xiaoxiao is very popular right now, but unfortunately I only have one Xiaoxiao, and I really can't handle her."

The unprecedented success of the lantern festival that day had already left Sun Miao'er speechless, but she didn't expect the adoration from Duhuan Tower to be even greater. She couldn't help but ask, "Is Miss Xiaoxiao feeling any better?"

"She's much better now. Later, I heard Xiaoxiao say that she was very fortunate to have Miss Sun's timely treatment in the woods that day. If it weren't for Miss Sun's prompt intervention, Xiaoxiao's leg might have been permanently damaged." Hu Tingzhi said, a hint of heartache on his face.

For a wealthy tycoon like him to go so far as to cause trouble at the yamen for Dongli Xiaoxiao that day, it seems that he didn't just see Dongli Xiaoxiao as a cash cow. Their relationship must be much more complicated than it appears.

Sun Miao'er said modestly, "Manager Hu, you are too kind. A beauty like Miss Xiaoxiao is so lovely that I feel sorry for her. How could I not help her when she is injured?"

"Hahahaha!" Hu Tingzhi laughed loudly, "To be honest, Xiaoxiao and I have been inseparable since childhood. I cherish her more than I cherish myself!"

The commotion outside subsided, but the chatter grew louder, reaching the private room where it could be heard very clearly.

"Did you hear? Miss Xiaoxiao just threw a huge tantrum and smashed a priceless glass pot!"

Where did you fall?

"Right in the corridor! In front of so many people, it was smashed to pieces!"

"What? Sigh, even if I can't see a beauty smile, I'd be happy to see her angry. I didn't see one, it's truly a great regret in my life!"

"You know what, even when she's angry, Xiaoxiao is breathtakingly beautiful!"

Even when Dongli Xiaoxiao is angry, there are still a bunch of people vying to see her; if you arrive late, the shorter ones might not even get a chance to see her.

Upon hearing this, Hu Tingzhi's face darkened. He waved to his servant and whispered, "Go and find out what's going on."

After the servant left the private room, Hu Tingzhi pursed his lips and muttered to himself, "What's wrong with my lady today? I've never seen her so angry before!"

Sun Miao'er sensed a slight awkwardness in the atmosphere and teased, "Manager Hu, you don't need to worry. After all, women have their days every month."

"Oh, Miss Sun, you don't know, my Xiaoxiao is known for her good temper. Today, some scoundrel must have provoked her!" Hu Tingzhi was quite certain of his guess, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He simply slammed his teacup on the table. "Don't let me catch him! I'll definitely make him pay!"

Sun Miao'er had figured out that Hu Tingzhi was a doting brother, so she had no choice but to go along with him. "Beauties often have tempers, and a peerless beauty like Miss Xiaoxiao should have a unique personality."

Before long, the servant returned with the news and whispered something in Hu Tingzhi's ear.

Upon hearing this, Hu Tingzhi's face darkened like the sky before a July thunderstorm, and he roared, "Shanqiu, you bastard! Are you planning to shit on my head?! This is outrageous!"