"It seems that I, the young master, must personally go and meet this extraordinary woman from the Eight Treasures Pavilion."

Helian Jue muttered to himself, his figure gliding silently from the treetops like a ghost, disappearing into the shadows of the rows of houses in a few leaps.

The air was filled with an indescribable excitement that the world was finally changing.

In this life, he is no longer just a detached observer.

*

The news of the scholar's debt spread like wildfire throughout the capital.

After all, the lively atmosphere of that group of aloof students is rarely seen.

"Have you heard? At the entrance of Bailu Academy..."

"Really? That scholar owed money to the female owner of Bazhenlou and didn't pay it back. He was chased for the debt in public and fainted from anger?"

"It's absolutely true! My cousin was there at the time! Apparently, there were several IOUs! And the reasons they gave were pretty bizarre! They were obviously trying to fool people!"

"Tsk tsk, you can never truly know a person's heart just by looking at their face! That Scholar Pei always puts on a respectable act, but it turns out he's a spineless coward who relies on swindling women out of money to get his education!"

"I heard he's recently gotten involved with Princess Jingle? This is going to be quite a show..."

"That Master Liu of Bazhenlou is quite a ruthless character! This move of cutting off the enemy's supply lines is truly brilliant!"

Pei Ziqing's carefully cultivated reputation as a talented scholar was completely ruined overnight.

Those few flimsy IOUs have recently become a sharp blade hanging over his head, a mark of shame that he cannot wash away in the short term.

The gift Zi Xi gave had an effect far exceeding expectations.

Just as she said, this is only the beginning. With Zi Xi's arrival, Pei Ziqing's path to success is destined to be full of thorns.

The rumors made Pei Ziqing so angry at home that she smashed another teacup.

Out of respect for Princess Jingle, the headmaster of the academy told him to pay back the money before he could enroll; otherwise, Bailu Academy would not accept such a shameless person.

Pei Ziqing stared fiercely in the direction of Bazhenlou, the hatred in his eyes almost solidifying.

Since sending someone over doesn't work, let's ruin Bazhenlou's reputation with rumors!

When the Eight Treasures Restaurant has no customers, let's see how that bitch can make him pay back the money!

Soon, some negative rumors about Bazhenlou began to quietly circulate in the streets and alleys of the capital.

"Have you heard? Bazhenlou claims to be open to inspection, but its kitchen is actually filthy! Snakes, insects, and rats crawl all over the place!"

"That's not all! I heard they're using pork from pigs that died of disease! Cheap things can't be good!"

"Tsk tsk, no wonder someone got food poisoning there the other day! I wouldn't dare go to that kind of shady restaurant!"

The rumors spread with great detail, and Pei Ziqing secretly spent money to have other teahouses and taverns add fuel to the fire, so the reputation of Bazhenlou seemed to be genuinely affected.

Some uninformed people actually believed it, and even the regular customers looked a little hesitant, their steps faltering as they entered the door.

The waiters were so anxious that they had blisters on their lips, but Zi Xi remained calm and composed.

"What's the panic?"

"Come on, let's polish these glass walls until they're sparkling clean. From now on, this will be our transparent kitchen!"

She directed several quick-witted servants to erect a huge glass panel in the most conspicuous position in the lobby, directly facing the kitchen.

She mixed the quartz sand she found with alkali, fired it in a kiln to make a clear glass liquid, blew it into thin sheets while it was hot, and then used mineral pigments to carefully outline the intertwined floral patterns.

After cooling, light will pass through the red and blue painted decorations, casting colorful shadows on the floor of their Eight Treasures Pavilion.

Such a rare item indeed attracted more people to Bazhenlou for tea.

Furthermore, Zixi also launched a half-day tour of the kitchen.

Reservations are required each day, and only three slots are available.