Zhang Mingxuan and Wu Yiming agreed on a time, and that was the end of it.

Regarding Wu Yiming's suggestion of earning extra money, Liu Jiangqing wasn't short of cash, so he wasn't very interested, but Zhang Mingxuan was quite interested.

His studies required money, and although his family supported him without complaint, he still felt uneasy. So he mentioned it to Wu Yiming, who naturally had no objection.

Liu Jiangqing agreed to accompany his brother.

Wu Yiming wasn't the type to mistreat people. After things were settled, she thought of treating the two to a meal and introducing them to each other. After all, she was very busy on weekdays. Although the study class was important, it wasn't the most urgent matter, and she didn't need to personally oversee everything for the time being.

Wu Yiming had someone book a table at a well-regarded restaurant in the capital. After the group had a meal together, their relationship improved considerably.

When Wu Yiming was leaving the private room after finishing his meal, he happened to run into a drunk man. Wu Yiming didn't notice and bumped into the man when he opened the door. The man then became aggressive and, fueled by alcohol, pretended to hit Wu Yiming.

Wu Yiming couldn't dodge in time, and his hat was knocked off. Liu Jiangqing was walking behind Wu Yiming and naturally saw this scene.

To be fair, Wu Yiming is not bad-looking; otherwise, she wouldn't have had the idea of ​​trying to gain wealth and status in the palace. She does have the capital to back it up.

It's easy to imagine the shock Liu Jiangqing felt upon witnessing this scene. Liu Jiangqing's father was a scholar who taught at the academy and was extremely strict about rules and regulations. As his son, Liu Jiangqing naturally followed the same strict rules and regulations.

But after all, it was youthful impetuosity. Rules are rules, but some "unruly" thoughts still lingered in the young man's heart.

So Liu Jiangqing stared blankly, forgetting everything she had learned in her daily life. As for the saying in the book that women should be good wives and mothers, please forgive Liu Jiangqing for not remembering it for a moment.

Zhang Mingxuan, who was walking behind, came out when he heard the noise. Liu Jiangqing was blocking the doorway. Zhang Mingxuan muttered, "Why aren't you moving?"

Then, when he looked up, he saw that Young Master Wu had turned into Miss Wu, and he was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

"...What's going on?"

No one answered Zhang Mingxuan's question, so the restaurant manager came over. Since Wu Yiming had brought people to this restaurant, he must be a regular customer. Besides, they were all businessmen on the same street, and doing business was all about making money through harmony, so he had dealt with Wu Yiming quite a bit.

When the shopkeeper came over and saw Wu Yiming, his face was still the same, except that he had half a head of hair, which transformed his originally delicate and scholarly face into that of a delicate young lady.

The innkeeper was quite knowledgeable and experienced. The most important thing was to have the drunkard in front of him removed: "This gentleman has drunk too much. Find out which family he belongs to and send him back immediately. He's disturbing your meal."

The waiter following behind the shopkeeper said, "Yes, sir, I'll take this person away right away."

As the waiter led the man downstairs, the drunkard was still muttering, "...Don't touch me...don't touch me, I can walk by myself...I can walk..."

The innkeeper, being very perceptive, said, "Today's incident was due to the restaurant's poor hospitality. You gentlemen don't need to pay for your meal; consider it an apology from the restaurant."

Wu Yiming knew that his situation was not good, so he said, "It's not the innkeeper's fault." After saying that, Wu Yiming instructed his companions to pay for the food and wine.

The shopkeeper exchanged a few words with Wu Yiming and then left, showing no outward expression, but inwardly he was quite shocked. Everyone in the capital who did business had heard of Wu Yiming; he was a shrewd and mysterious businessman, and no one knew whose powerful backer he was.

There are many stories about Wu Yiming, most of which are mysterious and bizarre, but no one has ever thought that Wu Yiming would be a woman.

After the shopkeeper left, Wu Yiming returned to the private room. She couldn't just walk out like that in her current state. Once inside, she quickly tidied her hair, put on a headband, and looked exactly the same as when she came. However, in Liu Jiangqing's eyes, Wu Yiming seemed a bit more fragile.

Liu Jiangqing and Zhang Mingxuan only came to their senses after Wu Yiming changed his clothes again.

Liu Jiangqing was a few years older than Zhang Mingxuan, so she said, "Miss Wu."

Wu Yiming was not one to mince words, and generously said, "Being a woman makes it inconvenient to travel outside, so I disguised myself as a man. I hope you two gentlemen will not mind."

Liu Jiangqing had many questions in her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to ask them, so she simply said, "Of course I don't mind."

Wu Yiming smiled and said, "If the two gentlemen don't mind, please treat me as a man. What happened before will remain the same in the future."

Liu Jiangqing felt that it was probably impossible, so she didn't reply. Zhang Mingxuan was born into a farming family and didn't think there was anything wrong with women showing their faces in public. He had older and younger sisters who had also often shown their faces in public to work and earn money.

So Zhang Mingxuan said, "Of course."

Liu Jiangqing belatedly added, "Of course."

Wu Yiming spoke with the two men for a while, and then, mindful of the difference between men and women, he bid them farewell and left the restaurant.

Wu Yiming knew that after today, her gender would no longer be a secret. Restaurants are places with a lot of people coming and going, and if the restaurant manager found out, his family would find out too.

Furthermore, since someone would inevitably see her even in the shadows, the news would spread like wildfire, and her gender would no longer be a secret.

Fortunately, Wu Yiming was quite open-minded. At worst, she would just show her face less in the future, and the business would continue. She knew that her backing was very solid, and she figured no one would be so tactless as to bring it up openly.

After Wu Yiming left, Zhang Mingxuan and Liu Jiangqing also left. The two went to the academy, because most academies are relatively remote, and most students live in the academy.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!