Compared to the smug satisfaction of Miss Yi Ling, Ji Xinhe’s mood was evidently not so elevated.
Upon leaving Hua Manlou, he had barely set foot on the horse carriage when his jovial smile disappeared in an instant.
Xiaoyu carefully attended to him at the side, "Young master, did the conversation with Miss Yi Ling not go well?"
Given Ji Xinhe’s current demeanor, it was clear that his mood was poor. As a closely attendant servant, how could she not notice?
With an indifferent voice, Xinhe responded, "The conversation was not particularly unsuccessful, everything is going according to plan."
"But, Young Master, you seem ... "
With a hint of self-mockery, Xinhe forced a smile, "There’s nothing wrong, it’s just disheartening."
During the conversation that just passed, although the exchange of words seemed intimate and heartfelt, both sides clearly concealed their thoughts. Every word and phrase deeply calculated before being uttered.
The probing and scrutinizing behind Yi Ling’s words were quite clear to Xinhe.
However, amid Xin He’s words of trust and deliberate guidance, she may not fully understand the extent of it.
Upon hearing Ji Xinhe’s words, Xiaoyu remained silent—she could sense his disappointment.
Shulan didn’t mince words in voicing her frustration, "This Yi Ling truly doesn’t know what’s good for her! After all Young Master has done for her development! When she was suppressed by Qiao Qiao, she not only could not reach the top spot, she was reduced to being a tea-serving servant. Isn’t it Young Master’s wisdom and guidance that gave her a comeback? The fame she enjoys today is due to Young Master teaching her the grace of every smile and gesture, isn’t it?
And yet, this ungrateful wretch, she denies the very one who helped her rise!"
Shulan was in a frenzy of indignation, but was stopped by Xiaoyu. With hesitance, she shut her mouth, "This servant talks too much."
Xinhe forced a faint smile, "It’s not that big of a deal, it won’t be the first betrayal and it likely won’t be the last. It would be good to get used to it sooner rather than later."
Xiaoyu didn’t respond, but she knew in her heart how much effort Young Master had put into Yi Ling. The current Yi Ling was a product of Young Master’s heart-felt training and meticulous cultivation. Naturally, this incident had upset him deeply.
However, the disappointment in Xinhe’s face was fleeting. He coldly said, "Whatever, I have done what needed to be done. If she will change her mind and behave properly, all the promises I made to her today will be fulfilled some day without any omission. But if she doesn’t value this opportunity and insists on taking the wrong path, she can’t blame me."
Xiaoyu responded with a solemn affirmation.
"Are the arrangements with Wang Ya Po in place?"
"Everything has been arranged, Young Master, do not worry."
"Hmm, let’s go then."
"Yes sir."
——
No sooner had Ji Xinhe left than Yi Ling stepped out. She was wearing a large veil hat, claiming that she felt stifled and wanted to go out for some air. As the top performer of the Hua Manlou, she was treated like a princess. Who would dare to refuse her?
Xiaohong immediately prepared a carriage for her.
Yi Ling arrived at a silverware store, dismissed the coachman to have a drink somewhere, and then went on her own.
Receiving a generous tip, the coachman happily went off to drink. But Yi Ling quietly slipped out after a stroll in the silverware store and headed directly to the Sun family’s residence.
Now, holding a token given by Sun Yaowen, she easily gained entry into the Sun family through the back door.
Having just recovered from illness, Sun Yaowen was still weak. When he saw Yi Ling, he looked lost, even forgetting his lecherous intentions.
Seeing his condition, Yi Ling looked at him with disdain and began, "Why are you still idling around? There’s a fantastic opportunity at hand."
Upon hearing this, Sun Yaowen’s eyes suddenly lit up, "What opportunity? Did you get some more secrets from Hua Manlou?"
Moving closer to him, Yi Ling whispered, "Our boss is planning to train a group of new girls. The girls have been selected but not formally bought yet. They are currently in the hands of Wang Ya Po. You must act quickly before our boss purchases them."
Sun Yaowen frowned, "Just some newly bought girls. The girls at Yihong Courtyard are not bad. Why should I go and snatch these newbies from him?"
Yi Ling hastened to respond, "Are these just ordinary new girls? These are the ones our boss has selected. You should know that our boss always has an eye for talent. If she wants to train newcomers, they are definitely the best in terms of temperament and beauty. Haven’t you noticed, why did the imitation of Miss Hua Rao by Yihong Courtyard’s girls fall flat? It’s simply because Yihong Courtyard’s girls are not suitable for the path Miss Hua Rao took. The ones our boss chooses, must be good!"
Upon hearing these words, Sun Yaowen immediately became excited, "Yes, Yes! These girls must be seized!"
Otherwise, even if he knew the other secrets of talent of Hua Manlou, showcasing it with unsuitable girls would just diminish the final result.
This is when Yi Ling stated, "You must move quickly on this matter. Our boss has selected the people and was planning to buy them soon, but all was delayed due to the incident at Yihong Courtyard. She is expected to finalize the purchase in the next few days. You must act before that."
"Good!"
"As for how to train these girls, I will seek advice from Madam Chen. Now that our boss has included me in this group of trainees, I will certainly have access to a lot of information. Later," Yi Ling paused, a smile curling at the corner of her lips, "the day you lift my bridal veil, I will tell you everything."
Sun Yaowen was so excited that he slapped his thigh, "Deal!" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
He couldn’t wait any longer. Sun Yaowen immediately sent people to Wang Ya Po to fetch the girls. But on second thought, he decided to go himself to ensure everything went well.
At once, his sickness was gone, his spirit returned, and he was full of energy.
——
In the evening, Xinhe was writing diligently and organizing plans for the next few days when Xiao Chaihuo arrived to report.
"Sun Yaowen has personally gone to Wang Ya Po and brought back all the ten girls that Madam had reserved," Xiao Chaihuo reported.
Xinhe didn’t look up, but simply acknowledged with a casual "Hmm."
"Wang Ya Po played her part well, initially refusing to release the girls, stating that Madam had already paid a deposit and it wouldn’t be right to go back on the deal. In his desperation, Sun Yaowen offered five times the price for the girls. Only then did Wang Ya Po relent and release them."
Xinhe gave a faint smile, "Wang Ya Po certainly made a fortune this time."
"Of course she did. Those ten girls were first sold to Madam, and then again at five times the price to Sun Yaowen. This one deal probably covers her living expenses for several years."
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