Chapter 82 The Shameless One Is Else – That Feudal Father Has a Big Face…

After receiving the order, the restaurant worked through the night. The chefs were practically wielding their spatulas until they were smoking. The large pots burned for a day and a night, and two hundred lamb legs were delivered to Xu Village one after another. Jin Suiqing called on the villagers to line up to pick them up.

Jin Suiqing, holding a hand warmer, sat casually at the entrance of the courtyard and smiled at the villagers, saying, "Take it without worry, eat with confidence. It comes from the most famous restaurant in Jinling. I've tried it myself, and I guarantee it's delicious. I brought it especially for everyone!"

"Thank you, Mr. Jin!"

"Mr. Jin is so generous!"

"May Mr. Jin make a fortune!"

Hearing the auspicious words, Jin Suiqing's face glowed red, and he smiled with his hands in his sleeves and his eyes narrowed, looking just like an old man from the capital.

Turning his head to do the math, he realized that the best restaurants in Jinling charged ten taels for a single roasted lamb leg. Two hundred lamb legs had only cost Huangfu Li two thousand taels, which was not much compared to the Crown Prince's wealth. He clicked his tongue and slumped back onto his stool, bored.

Ji Saiyu, standing beside her, asked worriedly, "Is it really alright to tease the Crown Prince like this?"

Jin Suiqing shrank his neck, burying his face completely in his fur collar, revealing a pair of big, bright eyes, and muttered, "Boss Ji wants to ask me if there will be any danger in exposing my identity and the mine like this, right?"

Ji Saiyu hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Jin Suiqing sighed quietly, "Since he has already come to us through the government office, there is no need to hide it. Given Huangfu Li's abilities, it's only a matter of time before he finds out about Xu Village, not to mention that I bought this mine from him."

Ji Saiyu asked in confusion, "Then the administrative center..."

“The administrative office is unreliable,” Jin Suiqing rubbed the hand warmer with both hands. “It’s better to dredge than to block. Only by dredging can things get through. I have already sent a message to Sister Yin, asking the Marquis of Huai’an’s residence to take some time to investigate the Jiangnan Circuit administrative office. There should be bedbugs in there.”

Ji Saiyu was taken aback. In just two days, Jin Suiqing had already taken care of this aspect, so he must have a plan in mind. Ji Saiyu asked, "Are you planning to go back to the capital?"

Jin Suiqing blinked and smiled, "Actually, I didn't expect Zhisuo to keep the news under wraps for so long. After three years away, it's time to go back. If it goes on any longer, some people will be unhappy."

She didn't need to say who it was.

Jin Suiqing thought of him and the piles of underwear in the room, and her ears unconsciously turned red.

Over the past three years, Jin Suiqing had considered going back to visit, but she was slightly afraid that Jin Shiyu's last words would come true, and even more afraid that if she saw Jin Shiyu, she would turn into a lustful ghost on the spot, and with the beauty in her arms, she would be reluctant to leave.

In the event of an accident where one is unable to leave the house, both parties are at fault.

No, no, Jin Suiqing shook his head, trying to shake the cinnabar mole between Jin Shiyu's eyebrows out of his brain.

Ji Saiyu silently looked away. After a long while, she lowered her eyes and hesitated, saying, "I've wanted to ask this for a long time, and today is a good opportunity. We've only known each other for a short time. We don't have a pact like Big Dog and Little Sheep, nor do we have the deep friendship of Huihong. Why do you trust me so much?"

Jin Suiqing looked at her and said seriously, "Boss Ji, you don't know, the first time I saw you, your eyes were filled with the words 'doing great things.' I liked you very much and cherished your talent. At that time, I thought to myself, 'I must win over this woman! I must make sure she can get things done and accomplish things.' Of course, the result was as I expected. She can manage the mine in an orderly manner. Boss Ji is a master at doing great things."

Ji Saiyu's neck stiffened, and she slowly said, "Don't you think I'm a woman?"

Jin Suiqing's lips twitched. "What did you say?"

Ji Saiyu was somewhat intimidated.

"What's with all this talk about gender? Great undertakings have absolutely nothing to do with men or women." Jin Suiqing chuckled, jumped up, put her arm around Ji Saiyu's neck, and pointed at Xu Village, saying, "Xu Village isn't tainted by gender at all. It's thriving and full of life right before our eyes. What's there to doubt?"

Seeing Ji Saiyu's eyes grow brighter, Jin Suiqing continued, "After I leave, we'll still need you to take care of things here. Thank you for your hard work, Boss Ji."

"It's my pleasure to thank you for your trust, it's nothing," Ji Saiyu shook her head. "But can you guarantee that Huangfu Li won't bother Xu Village again after you leave?"

“I will take him with me. Once we return to the capital, the Jiangnan Circuit should be thoroughly cleaned up. With Huangfu Feng and Sister Yin protecting us, there shouldn’t be any trouble. We just need to be careful around him these next few days.”

"Will he go with you?"

Jin Suiqing analyzed, "Huangfu Li, that kind of 'heavenly dragon,' is extremely arrogant. If you go along with him, he will only think it's his due and will take advantage of you, going further and further astray; if you manipulate him and go against him, he will find you interesting and will naturally be reluctant to move, and will even follow you."

Ji Saiyu frowned. "How is this any different from being sick?"

“You’ve hit the nail on the head. He is indeed sick, and quite seriously so.” Jin Suiqing nodded solemnly. “This illness has a name: the Domineering CEO Syndrome.”

Ji Saiyu looked completely bewildered.

I can't understand it at all.

*

But things turned out exactly as Jin Suiqing had predicted.

The lamb leg had just been prepared when Huangfu Li, before it got completely dark, dressed in black and yellow, ventured into the mountains against the wind and snow.

Jin Suiqing warned every household to lock their doors in advance to prevent evil spirits from entering.

In Xu Village, the local tyrant Jin Suiqing's words carry the sway. Every household keeps their doors and windows shut, and some even hang peach wood charms on their doors to ward off evil spirits.

Huangfu Li was unfamiliar with the customs and conditions of Jiangnan, so he pointed to the peach wood charms on the door and asked the official who was leading the way, "What are these?"

The official looked troubled until Jin Suiqing pushed open the courtyard gate and said coldly, "Your Highness, it's almost the New Year, we just need to put up peach wood charms to ward off evil spirits."

Huangfu Li asked in confusion, "Isn't it the New Year yet?"

Jin Suiqing grinned, pulled out a peach wood charm from under his cloak, and hung it on the door in front of him, saying, "Because the ghost came early."

After saying that, she blinked innocently.

Huangfu Li felt his blood surge, clutched his chest, took a step back, and almost fell to the ground.

Jin Suiqing didn't take it seriously, snorted, knocked on the courtyard gate, and said coldly, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and come inside. Are you going to stand outside making popsicles?"

Huangfu Li straightened up and felt better. He calmly followed Jin Suiqing. Just before entering the door, he glared fiercely at the peach charm on the door, tore it off, and threw it on the snow.

Jin Suiqing led the man into the main house, took off his cloak, and without any regard for etiquette, sat down by the stove with his legs crossed in front of him, warming his hands by the fire. He glanced at Huangfu Li from head to toe and said, "Sit down."

She treated him with such care and concern, as if he were riding in a tiger-drawn carriage; and as if a cat were scratching at the tip of her heart.

It made Huangfu Li's heart itch with desire.

Jin Suiqing sneered inwardly. The best way to deal with such a feudal father was to use both soft and hard tactics. She picked up the hand warmer beside her pillow, turned it on, and tossed it to Huangfu Li.

"To warm your hands."

Although Huangfu Li did not show it on his face, he was very happy. Especially after he opened up some key points, he was no longer so annoyed with Jin Suiqing. So he took off his black cloak, hung it on the rack like Jin Suiqing, and sat down by the stove with his hand warmer in his arms. Only then did he carefully examine the room.

The house isn't large, but its charm lies in its exquisite design.

Unlike the large mahogany furniture found in wealthy households, the furniture in this room is all natural wood color, simply painted with a layer of lacquer, and its design is not complicated, simply meeting basic needs.

The striking feature lies in the neatly arranged small ornaments scattered throughout, along with a variety of vibrant flowers and plants. Combined with the natural wood accents, this creates a sense of rustic beauty.

The fashion in Kyushu is extravagant, with bright reds and purples. Although it is very beautiful, it can become irritating after a while. In this unique room, Xiao Mei is pleasant and Huangfu Li finds it novel. Pointing to the orchids on the wall, he said, "You grow these orchids? I've never seen you have such a hobby."

Jin Suiqing thought to himself, "You bastard, there's a ton of stuff you don't know." He mumbled a couple of random "uh-huhs" and nodded.

Seeing her perfunctory attitude, Huangfu Li's temper flared up again, and he said sarcastically, "This mine is quite well-managed. Now, Sister Suiqing is a big boss. Why don't you show your former cousin around your factory?"

"Stop shopping," Jin Suiqing said rudely. "It's the dead of winter, and we're still celebrating the New Year. Workers need rest too, you know."

Before Huangfu Li could throw a tantrum, Jin Suiqing added, "No one here will indulge you, Your Highness."

Huangfu Li jumped up, and just as he was about to shout something about slashing and killing, Jin Suiqing reacted quickly, grabbing his belt and pulling him back onto the stool. "Please stop fussing around. You're constantly flashing the cold air; it's freezing."

The officials waiting behind the two men kept wiping the sweat from their foreheads.

After a moment of silence, Huangfu Li could no longer sit still and sternly ordered the officials behind him, "You, get out."

The official breathed a sigh of relief; being outside in the cold was better than watching the two men exchange sharp glances inside. He decisively opened the door and slipped out.

Leaving only the two of them alone in the room, Huangfu Li looked at Jin Suiqing, raised his chin, and said arrogantly, "Do you still remember what you did in Yaoguang Palace three years ago?"

I remember, how could I not remember? Making Huangfu Li suffer was incredibly satisfying.

Jin Suiqing, unconcerned, asked, "What, is Crown Prince planning to bring up old grievances?"

Huangfu Li's brows twitched violently, and he forced himself to say, "Sister Suiqing, do you know how much trouble your antics caused me that time?"

Huangfu Li actually defined the matter of the Hehuan Powder in Yaoguang Palace as nonsense.

Jin Suiqing lowered her eyes and pondered. To describe that night as fooling around was actually too lenient for Huangfu Li. Judging from his words, he wanted to turn the page on what happened three years ago and reconcile their old relationship.

Thinking that the two of them had nothing to do with each other and what could possibly be repaired, Jin Suiqing couldn't help but feel wary. Her intuition told her that Huangfu Li was about to say something outrageous.

Huangfu Li: "You have ruined the reputation of the Eastern Palace, spreading rumors that I am a homosexual and prefer strong men... It is truly unbearable to hear."

Jin Suiqing: "So?"

“I am now twenty-five years old, an age when I should have been married and a father long ago. But because of your foolishness, all the noble ladies of the Nine Provinces are avoiding me. This is your responsibility, Jin Suiqing.”

Jin Suiqing's eyebrows were already furrowed.

Huangfu Li's expression was arrogant yet serious, not like he was joking. "I will marry you and give you the position of Crown Princess. As long as you can help me ascend the throne, the position of Empress, second only to the Emperor, will be yours."

Finally, he concluded: "As for what you did, I will forgive and forget."

Jin Suiqing suddenly felt a headache and closed her eyes.

I guessed he was going to say something outrageous, but I never expected it to be this outrageous.

And yet he can say it so shamelessly and without any burden.

Author's note: A certain lewd and eccentric man is on his way and is expected to appear in the next chapter.