Chapter 76: The Capital
Reflecting on the past few months, from their initial disdain, exploitation, and scheming against her, to the current situation, they finally realized that this woman was definitely not simple.
No one took Jin Yifei's praise to heart; they only saw her as someone to put out fires or even take the blame.
As Yu Wan came out of Madam Jin's room, she saw Jin Yifei, who had rushed over upon hearing the news.
The young man excitedly tried to step forward, but was stopped three steps away by two guards beside Yu Wan.
"Brothers, Young Master Jin is my friend. Please invite him over," Yu Wan said, and the two men then let her through.
Jin Yifei hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Awan, I heard you're leaving tomorrow? Why didn't you tell me? I wanted to go with you."
“Young Master Jin, you should stay. If you don’t want to stay in the Jin family, you can go wherever you want, just don’t come with me. You know I have other business to attend to in the capital this time.”
“I know, and that’s why I want to be with you even more,” Jin Yifei said eagerly.
"You don't need to do this." Yu Wan couldn't imagine what would happen if Jin Yifei had an accident because of her; she would never have peace of mind for the rest of her life.
Not only Jin Yifei, but also He Suzhi, Xue Xiujun, and Zhu Zhifeng. They had known each other for a long time and had become very good friends.
These people are all kind and lovely.
I hope they can all live happily, not because she is in danger.
“Since you said I can go wherever I want, then you can’t stop me from going with you,” Jin Yifei said firmly.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhu Zhifeng and Xue Xiujun arrived.
"Me too!"
Yu Wan sighed, "Why are you doing this?"
Zhu Zhifeng asked, "Awan, are we really friends?"
Xue Xiujun snorted, "We agreed to go to the capital together, why the sudden change of heart? You didn't even tell us the departure date. Boss lady, I don't think you've climbed the social ladder and don't want to talk to us poor friends anymore."
Jin Yifei asked, "So, Awan, you came back today just to see us?"
Yu Wan sighed softly.
A few days ago, she received a letter from Sui County.
In his letter, Lord Zhu said that the food court was being targeted. He deduced that it was likely related to the capital.
Recently, strange things have started happening in Sui County, and there have been disturbances at the food court every day.
Those causing trouble were all unfamiliar faces. Lord Zhu also received a threatening letter, which said that Yu Wan should come to the capital, but did not specify who she should meet, only that someone would come to see her as soon as she arrived in the capital.
If she doesn't go to the capital, she won't let the food court survive.
Yu Wan didn't mention the letter to anyone.
Several people were pestering her to come along, so she had no choice but to explain the whole story and let them analyze the pros and cons themselves.
When Yu Wan built the food court, nobody took it seriously, and nobody was optimistic about it.
Since the food court opened, more and more people have come to visit it.
Someone spread the news to the capital. According to Lord Zhu's guess, those people weren't targeting the food court, but rather her.
I don't know how it's being spread in the capital, but anyway, Yu Wan has become a walking money-making machine.
"Bang!" Xue Xiujun slammed his hand on the table. "Sure enough, people are afraid of becoming famous, just as pigs are afraid of getting fat. The proprietress's fame has spread all the way to the capital. Those greedy scoundrels want to control her as a cash cow. No wonder those two spoiled brats sent men who followed us all the way without harming us. They must have been after this as well as revenge."
"Bang!" Zhu Zhifeng slammed her hand on the table, angrily questioning Yu Wan, "Wan, such a big thing happened, why are you only telling us now? I really thought we went to the capital just to deal with two villains, I didn't expect there was such a big thing behind it. You didn't say anything and were planning to leave us behind. You've gone too far! You clearly promised me that you would take me with you."
She looked fierce, but tears of grievance fell as she hugged Yu Wan with heartache.
"Do you even consider us good friends? You didn't tell us something so important! I'm so angry!"
Yu Wan gently patted her back to comfort her, "It's precisely because I consider you all friends that I'm thinking of you. Each of you has your own life goals, and I can't let my actions disrupt your plans."
"Nonsense! Absolutely nonsense!" Zhu Zhifeng glared at her angrily. "I'm punishing you by making you cook delicious food for me every day from now on!"
In short, no one could persuade anyone else, and in the end, they could only stick to the original plan and go together.
Yu Wan went back to her room to pack her things, while two guards stood watch in the courtyard.
He Jing finally waited for her to appear.
Yu Wan noticed that he had lost weight.
"Didn't I leave you food in the kitchen every day? Didn't you eat it?"
He Jing asked in a deep voice, "It's one thing for you to keep it from them, but why did you keep it from me too?"
As Yu Wan packed her bags, she laughed and said, "Don't you have connections in Sui County? I thought you knew more than I did. I wanted to ask you if you knew who wrote the letter to Lord Zhu."
He Jing said with a dark face, "My men haven't found many clues either. This time, the opponent is unusual, but I will find out."
Yu Wan smiled as she packed the package. The Jin family had given her many gifts, and the Third Princess had also bestowed upon her a great deal of gold and silver jewelry.
She tucked it into the boy's arms, saying, "Keep it safe for me."
"Okay." He Jing pursed his lips. "What are your plans after we arrive in the capital?"
Yu Wan replied, "Someone will come looking for me. I'll see who it is before I think about my next plan."
"You should stay by the Third Princess's side; no one will dare to provoke her," He Jing advised.
"That won't do. I can't stay by her side forever, can I? Although the Third Princess is a very kind person, I don't want to be a palace maid for the rest of my life." The thought of that possibility made her feel uncomfortable all over.
He Jing said, "I'll help you solve this. You just need to stay by the Third Princess's side and not put yourself in danger."
“No,” Yu Wan insisted. “The person who threatened me must be someone of a much higher status than Lord Zhu. How can I hide away with so many lives at stake?”
He Jing was silent for a moment, then suddenly gave a bitter laugh, realizing he couldn't argue with her at all.
Yu Wan looked up and saw the boy with handsome features and a bitter smile, who seemed to be looking at her as well.
After staring at each other for an unknown amount of time, the two of them came to their senses at the same time and immediately looked away.
He Jing's ears turned bright red. "I know I can't argue with you. Whatever decision you make, you must tell me, and I will do everything I can to help you."
Yu Wan secretly touched her flushed cheeks, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
This boy is really handsome, especially when he smiles.
She gave a perfunctory reply, "Okay, okay. You should go pack your things too. By the way, were you planning to hide in the shadows the whole way?"
He Jing nodded. "Yes."
Yu Wan pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, you don't need to hide. There are many ways to avoid being recognized. For example, you can disguise yourself."
He Jing frowned. "No matter how well you disguise yourself, there's still a risk of being recognized by an expert."
Not showing your face is the safest option.
"Isn't there some kind of disguise technique? You haven't learned it while traveling the world?" Yu Wan asked curiously.
He Jing smiled and said, "Disguise can only fool ordinary people. Anyone who knows what they're doing can see through it at a glance. Don't think of it as something too magical."
Yu Wan blinked, almost losing herself in that bright smile again.
It's so beautiful!
The convoy traveled north for half a month before finally arriving in the capital.
The Third Princess strongly urged Yu Wan to move into the palace, but she politely declined.
The third princess looked regretful. "Then I won't be able to eat your cooking for a while. I can't live without you now, what am I going to do?"
Yu Wan smiled and said, "The food in the Imperial Kitchen is definitely better than what I can cook. Your Highness, I have some other matters to attend to in the capital, so it's not very convenient for me to stay in the palace."
The third princess didn't insist. Before leaving, she gave her a jade pendant, saying that if she wanted to see her, she should take the jade pendant and someone would let her through.
The Jin family also had businesses in the capital, so Jin Yifei took them to live in a house in the west of the city.
It is the capital city after all; its prosperity is unmatched by any other city.
That evening, Yu Wan received a letter asking her to go to Fugui Restaurant for an appointment.
Zhu Zhifeng, with a look of grim determination, declared, "Let's go together! Let's fight him to the death!"
“No need,” Yu Wan said. “You can stay at home; He Suzhi will be fine.”
Zhu Zhifeng wanted to go with them, but Jin Yifei dissuaded her.
“Cousin, you don’t know martial arts. What if a fight breaks out? Let’s not cause trouble. Let’s all stay at home. Young Master He is highly skilled in martial arts. Ordinary people can’t hurt them.”
Xue Xiujun agreed with him, "Yes, don't worry, they'll be fine. I've come all this way to the capital, I need to go out and have some fun, I might not have the chance again."
He Jing gave him a warning look.
Xue Xiujun gave a guilty smile.
In the evening, Yu Wan boarded a carriage and headed to Fugui Tower.
He Jing sat in the carriage and saw that the girl seemed normal.
Aren't you afraid?
"Of course I'm scared, but I have to face it. I can't just scare myself to death, can I? You too, don't be too nervous. I believe in your abilities and I'm sure you can protect me."
"You trust me that much?" He Jing asked.
“Of course. Without you, I would definitely feel uneasy. With you, I feel so at ease,” Yu Wan replied.
He Jing smiled, his joy clearly visible to the naked eye.
Yu Wan instructed, "Act according to the situation. Don't be too impulsive. I have some self-defense methods myself. Let me handle it first. If I really can't handle it, then you can take action. By the way, remember to disguise yourself so that no one recognizes you."
He Jing nodded. "Okay, I'll do whatever you say."
Upon arriving at Fugui Tower, she was personally greeted. Yu Wan didn't recognize the person at all, but the person recognized her immediately.
The person behind this must have conducted a thorough investigation into her.
Upon entering the private room, they saw the two spoiled young men.
"So it's you guys." Yu Wan smiled and sat down. "To be honest, I'm a little disappointed."
"What do you mean?" Li Yuande sensed the contempt in her eyes and looked at her smugly. "Madam Yu, we meet again. Have you missed us?"
"Madam Yu, do you still remember what you did to us in Sui County? You dared to poison us!" Han Chifu glared and angrily rebuked.
Yu Wan smiled and said, "Young masters, please don't wrong an innocent person. That was just a calming medicine, and it worked very well, didn't it?"
"You! You vile woman, what a vicious heart you have! We will not be fooled again!" Li Yuande roared.
"Then why did you call me here?" Yu Wan asked.
“Give us the formula for your tranquilizer, and we’ll spare you today,” Han Chifu said.
"So that's what it was for?" Yu Wan asked with a smile.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
