Chen Yu stood there, watching Lin Yun's carriage gradually disappear into the distance. The cold smile on his face gradually froze, eventually turning into a gloomy expression.
He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force, his heart churning with resentment and anger.
"Lin Yun...you're quite the sharp-tongued one," he muttered to himself, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.
He originally thought that with the power of the Chen family, a mere Lin family girl was nothing more than a plaything in his hands, to be manipulated at will.
But now, she not only cooperates with Xie Yu, but also dares to mock him in public! What's even more hateful is that the guards are eyeing him covetously, preventing him from retaliating on the spot.
"Xie Yu..." Chen Yu gritted his teeth as he uttered the name.
He had long heard that the Xie family and the Lin family were close, but he never expected Xie Yu to protect Lin Yun so openly.
Not only did they add 30% to the cost of his goods, but they also injured his men. Today, they blocked his road, intending to warn him not to be too smug, but instead they were publicly humiliated and ridiculed by passersby.
He will never swallow this humiliation easily!
"Guards!" he shouted coldly.
An attendant immediately stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "What are your orders, young master?"
Chen Yu narrowed his eyes, his tone chilling: "Find out exactly how far Lin Yun and Xie Yu's cooperation has progressed. Also, keep a close eye on Linglong Pavilion, especially the jewelry designs she sent over. I need to know what she designed."
The attendant nodded in agreement and hurriedly left.
Chen Yu stood there, his gaze dark as he stared at the distant street, pondering his next move.
"Lin Yun, do you think you can rest easy just because you've hooked up with Xie Yu? Ha, let's see how long you can be so smug!"
After Xie Yu received Lin Yun's design drafts, he immediately summoned the most skilled craftsmen from Linglong Pavilion. He unfolded the drawings one by one, and the craftsmen gathered around, their eyes gleaming with amazement.
"The curve of the butterfly wings must be outlined with extremely fine gold wire, and the enamel must be fired to create a gradient color."
Xie Yu pointed to the details on the drawing, his tone leaving no room for doubt, "Every joint must be flexible, and the draping of the pearl must be natural, like a real butterfly flapping its wings."
The craftsmen nodded repeatedly. One of the master craftsmen stroked the design of the lotus-patterned armlet and couldn't help but exclaim, "The combination of rubies and jade is simply a stroke of genius! Young Master Xie, who is this designer? How could he have such ingenious ideas?"
Xie Yu smiled slightly and gently waved her folding fan: "Keep this a secret for now. Just remember that only one set of each piece of jewelry should be made, and it must never be duplicated."
---
A few days later, Linglong Pavilion's booth was completely renovated.
Sunlight streamed through the stained glass window onto the display stand, and the wings of the gold butterfly hairpin reflected a gradient of dark blue and lake blue under the light, as if it were about to fly away from the branch at any moment.
The lotus armlet next to it is even more eye-catching, with its pigeon blood ruby shimmering and its jade-green lotus leaves as thin as cicada wings, with clearly visible veins.
As soon as the store opened, several wealthy young ladies entered together. They had been browsing casually, but they held their breath the moment they saw the jewelry.
"This...this is your new product?" Miss Li's eyes widened, her fingertips trembling slightly as she pointed to the butterfly hairpin.
The shopkeeper smiled and introduced, "This is an exclusive design of our store, and each style is one of a kind."
"I want this!" Miss Wang exclaimed, pulling out a banknote and slapping it on the counter. "Wrap it up now!"
"Wait!" Second Madam Zhao walked in, fanning herself with a round fan. Her eyes swept across the room and immediately fell on the lotus-patterned armlet. "I've got my eye on this armlet. Name your price."
The scene became incredibly lively. Several young ladies and wives nearly came to blows over the jewelry.
The shopkeeper quickly smoothed things over: "Ladies and young ladies, please don't be in a hurry. These pieces of jewelry are made to order, and today is just for display. If you are interested, you can pay a deposit in advance and pick up the goods in ten days."
For a time, Linglong Pavilion's business was booming, and it also sold a lot of other styles.
In just a few days, news of Linglong Pavilion's groundbreaking new design spread rapidly throughout the capital's high society. The threshold of Linglong Pavilion was practically worn down by the crowds.
That evening, in the accounting office of Linglong Pavilion, the manager stared at the abacus, his mouth agape in a wide smile.
The abacus beads clicked and clattered as the shopkeeper, holding the ledger, smiled broadly, his eyes crinkling into folds: "Boss, this batch of new jewelry is a huge success! Not to mention our old styles, we've already sold over twenty of those butterfly-wing gold hairpins, and ladies and young women are still asking if we have any other pieces in the same style."
Xie Yu took the ledger and ran her finger over the last column of numbers—it had more than doubled compared to last month.
He smiled slightly; this Miss Lin was indeed a treasure.
"Not bad, not bad," Xie Yu nodded as he pondered.
At that moment, he had the idea of marrying her.
After all, if the two were to marry, it would be a powerful alliance, and their business would definitely take off.
By then, the Xie family will be a prominent family in Shangyang County, and even in the entire Henan Province.
With this in mind, he began to think about it seriously.
The Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City
Emperor Yongzheng was reviewing memorials, his brows furrowed with weariness. The candlelight on the desk flickered, illuminating his stern profile.
A guard silently entered the hall, knelt on one knee, and presented a secret letter with both hands: "Your Majesty, this is a message sent from the Lin family today."
Without even raising his head, Yongzheng said indifferently, "Put it there."
The guard gently placed the secret letter on a corner of the table and then withdrew.
Yongzheng continued reviewing memorials until late at night before putting down his pen. He rubbed his temples, his gaze sweeping over a long-neglected secret letter, which he casually picked up and opened.
The letter detailed the Lin family's recent activities: purchasing a new house, preparing to move, Lin Yan's preparations for the scientific expedition, Lin Yun's cooperation with Xie Yu, and Chen Yu's roadblock warning.
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