[Sister Yi is awesome! Clean and efficient.]

[Sister Yi, a force to be reckoned with, quells all dissent!]

After dealing with the shameless adulterous couple, He Yi finally felt relieved and her anger subsided. She then calmly returned to the Tianxiangfang shop.

Because she was busy making a sale, she had already switched to a professional, gentle smile, as if the ruthless methods she had just used in the back alley were not her doing, and that she was just a soft and adorable new shopkeeper, as sweet as a pastry.

Sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, casting an even more enticing hue on the various exquisite pastries displayed in the shop. The wonderful aroma of the pastries permeated the shop, making one's mouth water.

"Princess!" The second shopkeeper, seeing He Yi return, hurriedly wiped away his sweat before cheerfully greeting her.

In fact, He Yi handled everything just now. The second manager still had a look of gratitude and lingering fear on his face, and he let out a long sigh.

"Thanks to Your Highness's timely arrival today, otherwise I really wouldn't know how to handle this situation. With these troublemakers causing such a ruckus, our business has suffered."

At this point, the second manager spat towards the door.

He Yi smiled slightly and waved her hand, "Don't worry, it's nothing."

Her gaze swept over the neatly arranged display shelves in the store, and the sweaty shop assistants coming and going.

"If you encounter such scoundrels again in the future, don't bother with them, just report it to the authorities! Our Tianxiangfang has always acted uprightly and honestly, and we will let the upright and just judge everything!"

The second manager followed behind, nodding hurriedly.

He Yi glanced back at the trembling second manager and knew that he was actually an honest and simple person who looked slick on the outside.

He continued, "If something truly urgent happens, you can control the person first and then come to me. Remember! Tianxiangfang's reputation cannot be tarnished. We don't invite trouble, but if something does happen, there's no need to be afraid. Even if the sky falls, I, Zheng Heyi, am here for you."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper beamed and nodded eagerly.

"Yes, yes, yes! I will remember the princess's teachings!"

Seeing the shopkeeper nod repeatedly, He Yi finally smiled with satisfaction.

Now that the shop has been handed over to He Yi, Minister Zheng is terminally ill, and for a time it is difficult for him to even go out for a stroll, let alone manage the business.

Recently, Zheng Yu has to take the imperial examination again, and there are many things to do. This heavy burden has not all fallen on He Yi's shoulders. As for those cosmetic shops, there is really no point in paying attention to them.

However, judging from the accounting records, Tianxiangfang's pastries are better than those of several other shops.

The second manager greatly admired He Yi, and found that although He Yi was young, he was decisive and knew how to use both kindness and severity, which made him someone not to be underestimated.

He Yi walked excitedly to the freshly steamed pastries and carefully examined several of them. She picked up a modified horseshoe pastry and slowly brought it close to her nose to smell the aroma.

Only then did they break it open to check the color and baking effect inside. After the inspection was completed, the second shopkeeper's expression changed; he was clearly terrified.

He Yi tossed him a piece, saying, "You should eat some too. Don't be shy, it's your own." The second shopkeeper didn't dare to eat it, but when he noticed the smile on He Yi's lips, he slowly put the cake into his mouth and savored it.

He Yi nodded slightly.

"This one is quite good. It seems the heat was just right, and the aroma is rich and lingering. However, this horseshoe pastry naturally has some shortcomings. The sweetness could be reduced a bit, and adding some dried osmanthus flowers would be even better. Also, the lotus seed paste in the red bean pastry is too coarse and lacks a delicate texture. This is something we must pay attention to improving."

He Yi made the arrangement, and the second manager followed behind like a chick pecking at rice, nodding incessantly.

[Foodie here!]

[The villainous female supporting character is so professional!]

[Second Manager: Suggestion received! Immediate improvement!]

He Yi browsed the shelves, slowly tasting the food while offering clear and logical suggestions for improvement. The shopkeeper and several cooks followed behind, listening attentively as they watched He Yi speak with great enthusiasm.

And they quickly memorize the shortcomings.

As she was pointing things out, footsteps sounded at the shop entrance, indicating that another customer had entered. A young woman went to greet them with a smile, but He Yi paid no attention.

After all, their shop was incredibly popular, with customers coming almost all the time.

She continued to look down at another plate of cakes that had just been brought to her from the kitchen. However, just as He Yi picked it up to taste it, she heard a familiar voice.

The voice carried a strange flirtatious tone, like a needle piercing Zheng Heyi's ear. Heyi dropped the pastries, leaned against the shelf, and peeked behind her, then heard the following conversation.

"Chunqin, this is the best pastry shop in the city. I've tried their pastries before, and they're really good. Especially the new horseshoe pastries, which have made many people in the capital linger. If you like them, let's buy some more."

That sound...

How come it looks exactly like Gao Dekai? He Yi was extremely surprised. Could it be that Jiang Shu has come? But in her memory, Jiang Shu didn't like to eat pastries. He Yi turned her head slightly.

She subtly turned her head slightly to look in that direction, and saw that the man who had just walked in was indeed Gao Dekai. Today, the third-ranked scholar was wearing brand-new white clothes and looked like a courtesan.

He Yi had met Gao Dekai, the third-ranked scholar, at a banquet in the palace before. She learned that he was the son-in-law favored by the Princess Consort of Ning, and He Yi had also observed him carefully.

After all, Gao Dekai is going to spend his life with Jiang Shu in the future, so she has to help Jiang Shu choose the right candidate. But the third-ranked scholar back then is completely different from the one now.

At that moment, He Yi turned around and saw the third-ranked scholar wearing a jade hairpin and smiling. At that moment, Gao Dekai was accompanying a girl wearing a pale yellow silk dress.

The girl was about sixteen or seventeen years old, and her appearance was quite pretty. At this moment, the girl named Chunqin was pointing at the pastries in the counter with great interest and talking to Gao Dekai.

He Yi's heart was racing. What... was going on?

Chunqin kept complaining, "My lord, why have you been going to the Jiang family so often lately? Have you been seeing that wooden beauty Jiang Shu again?"

Although Chunqin's voice wasn't very loud, it was enough for someone with a discerning ear to hear it in the spacious and quiet shop.

In fact, Chunqin was convinced that no one here knew the two of them, so she acted without restraint. As she spoke, she grabbed Gao Dekai's arm and shook it back and forth as if no one else was around.

Chunqin leaned most of her body against Gao Dekai, their posture extremely intimate; from this angle, the two looked just like a married couple.

In fact, people who didn't know the specifics often mistakenly assumed that the two were a married couple, or at least lovers.