Yan Yuege and Baoxiangfang are only separated by an alley, not far apart, but their businesses are worlds apart.
Before even getting close, you could see many carriages parked on the street in front of Yan Yue Pavilion, which clearly indicated that business was good.
Jiang Yimian glanced around and found that Yan Yuege was not small either. Although it couldn't compare to Baoxiangfang, it was still a large shop.
The lobby on the first floor is now packed with people, many of whom are picking out various incense pills from the shelves. There are also quite a few people on the second floor, a stark contrast to the deserted scene at Baoxiangfang.
In particular, there were several luxurious carriages parked in front of Yan Yue Pavilion, which clearly indicated that they were not from an ordinary family.
Jiang Yimian glanced at them casually and then looked away. No wonder Xiaochun and the others were listless. Looking at the booming business of Yan Yuege and then at Baoxiangfang, it was no wonder they were so dispirited.
However, Yan Yue Ge's business is too good. Even if Xiang Wan is famous, it shouldn't be so packed for months on end.
There are also these exceptionally luxurious carriages.
According to those young ladies, many ladies and young women in the capital have recently come to support Yan Yue Ge, even more so than Bao Xiang Fang in the past.
That statement really makes some sense.
Baoxiangfang had stood in the capital for many years, and it was impossible that no lady wanted to befriend it. However, after Qiu Niang left, the business not only plummeted, but even the old customers disappeared.
You could say those people were after the incense balls, but they wouldn't go to such lengths to support Yan Yue Pavilion. In the eyes of these ladies and young women, Qiu Niang was still just someone who made incense balls.
They would only treat the other party as a servant who was decent enough, and would never use themselves to support Yan Yuege, unless these ladies were instructed by someone.
Thinking about it this way, everything makes sense. Why Xie Yu let Qiu Niang leave, and why Yan Yue Ge became so popular in the capital in just a few months, is entirely because of the person behind Qiu Niang.
How interesting! It seems that behind every sizable shop in the capital lies a huge amount of profit.
However, these things are not relevant to her for the time being; she should focus on figuring out how to improve Baoxiangfang's business.
Jiang Yimian sighed silently for a few moments, and was about to turn and leave when she heard a dissatisfied and insulting voice coming from not far away, accompanied by the sound of tables and chairs breaking.
Jiang Yimian looked in the direction of the sound and saw a large crowd gathered in front of a brothel in the street.
Those people were pointing and gesturing towards the brothel.
Upstairs, several girls dressed in their finest attire were waving handkerchiefs and talking to the people below, clearly indicating that something interesting had happened.
Jiang Yimian wasn't particularly interested in this. She glanced at it casually and was about to leave when she suddenly saw a familiar, tall figure hidden in the crowd.
The young man was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe. He was tall and slender, and his cold aura made him stand out in the crowd. Many girls in the brothel threw their handkerchiefs and purses at him, but they all missed and were caught by others.
Jiang Yimian was stunned. She was somewhat surprised that Lu Cijian would be standing in front of the brothel watching the commotion. When her gaze fell on the purse that had been thrown at the other person, she felt a subtle discomfort.
This guy really knows how to attract attention.
Without further hesitation, she walked straight over.
As soon as they squeezed into the crowd, several men dressed as servants came out of the brothel. They were all bruised and swollen, and they limped out of the brothel.
At the very back was a guard in tight-fitting clothes carrying a young master whose face was swollen like a pig's head, who was still shouting into the brothel.
"Chen Yi, let me tell you, you just wait and see. Don't think you can get away with this today. I will definitely not let you off the hook."
Lu Lin was so angry that he gritted his teeth. If he hadn't been carried by someone and was seriously injured, he would have gone down to continue fighting with the other person.
If that bastard hadn't suddenly appeared, he would have taken advantage of that girl, and none of this would have happened.
The dignified man named Chen Yi simply smiled and said, "I, Chen, will wait for Young Master Lu to continue to spar with me. However, next time I hope Young Master Lu can choose a different place."
After all, fighting here would damage my reputation if word got out.
Lu Lin was about to continue cursing when he heard a cold voice come from outside the crowd, "Why aren't you going home? Do you want to continue making a fool of yourself here?"
The middle-aged man in the carriage glared at him angrily, but quickly lowered the curtain, as if he were ashamed.
Lu Lin trembled with fright, staring at the carriage in disbelief. After a long while, he asked the person beneath him, "Why...why is my father here?"
The guard did not answer.
Lu Lin was quite frightened. His arrogant demeanor vanished instantly, and he dared not utter another sound.
The thought of the beating he would suffer when he got home terrified him so much that he quickly clung to the guard's back, closed his eyes, and pretended to faint.
The Marquis's carriage quickly took Lu Lin away, and the people in front of the brothel dispersed.
Lu Cijian stared at the carriage until it was completely out of sight before turning his gaze away. His face was expressionless, but Jiang Yimian knew he was angry.
Was it because of that Marquis's carriage? No, it should be the middle-aged man in the carriage.
Thinking of what the upright man had mentioned about Young Master Lu, and Lu Cijian also had the surname Lu, could it be that Lu Cijian was connected to the Marquis's family that made him pay special attention to the person in the carriage?
After hesitating for a moment, she stepped forward and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Lu Cijian was startled when he heard the voice. He turned around and met a pair of worried eyes. He felt his heartache lessen a little. He reached out and pulled the person into his arms, hugging him tightly.
His strong arms held the other person's slender waist tightly, as if he wanted to meld the whole person into his bones and blood.
Jiang Yimian was startled and looked around a few times. Fortunately, the two of them were in a small alley next to the brothel, and no one noticed them.
Lu Cijian held the person in his arms tightly, resting his chin on Jiang Yimian's head, his voice slightly hoarse as he called out "Mianmian" several times.
"Mianmian".
Sensing that something was wrong with him, Jiang Yimian reached out and hugged him, saying gently, "Aci, I'm here."
Feeling the warmth of the person in his arms, Lu Cijian felt his cold body gradually warming up.
Yes, he has Mianmian now, he's not alone anymore.
The two hugged for a while before Lu Cijian let go of her. His eyes still held a hint of coldness that was hard to detect, but he quickly returned to normal and said with a smirk, "I'm sorry to have worried Mianmian. It's getting late, let's find a place to eat."
Jiang Yimian nodded, not asking any further questions about what had just happened, and followed Lu Cijian to a restaurant.
They found a corner seat and sat down. Soon, a waiter came to ask them what they wanted to eat.
After ordering a few dishes, Jiang Yimian looked at Lu Cijian and said with a smile, "Aci is right. I really regretted visiting Baoxiangfang."
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