freenovelworld Chapter 871 [Splendid Heart 10]
Chapter 871 [Splendid Heart 10]
Xiu Yuan followed the servant with light steps all the way to the door. She saw that the vermilion door was open, and the sunlight shone brightly on the bluestone steps in front of the door.
When she reached the door, Xiu Li stopped, bent her knees slightly, performed a standard salute towards Xu Lingyi, and said in a soft voice, "Your servant greets the Marquis." Her voice was clear and pleasant, as beautiful as an oriole singing out of a valley.
Xu Lingyi looked up and down at the clever and well-behaved maid in front of him and asked, "Is your young lady here?" His tone was steady and gentle, revealing an innate majesty.
Xiu Li hurriedly replied, "My lord, it's a pity that the young lady is not at home today. You can come another day." As she said this, a hint of apology flashed in her eyes.
After hearing this, Xu Lingyi hesitated for a moment and then said: "Well, in that case, please tell your young lady that the situation outside is a bit chaotic now, and ask her to be extra careful when going out." His words were full of concern.
Xiu Li quickly responded, "Yes, Lord. Thank you for your concern. I will definitely convey your words to Miss."
After explaining these things, Xu Lingyi turned around and prepared to leave. Seeing this, Qingfeng, who was following him, couldn't help but ask, "Master, are you leaving just like that? Don't you want to come in and sit down?"
Xu Lingyi looked back at Qingfeng and explained with a smile, "It's really not appropriate today. Let's visit again another day. Anyway, we are staying in Beijing and Hangzhou, so one or two days won't be a big deal."
Qing Feng nodded and replied respectfully: "Yes, master. Everything is up to you." Then, the master and servant left together. Their figures gradually went farther and farther away, and finally disappeared at the corner of the street.
Xiu Yuan hurried back to the house with light steps and walked straight to where You You was. When she finally came to You You, she saw You You sitting there quietly, holding a book in her hand, but her eyes looked towards the door from time to time.
Youyou raised her eyes and glanced at Xiuli calmly, then asked, "Did you send the person away?"
Xiu Yuan bowed slightly and replied softly, "Miss, the Marquis has left. However, I have some doubts in my heart, and I hope you can help me solve them. Why didn't you let the Marquis enter the mansion?"
Youyou put down the book in her hand, sighed softly, and explained: "If we were still in the capital, it would not be a big problem for the Marquis to visit us. However, the situation is different now. This is an old house, and I am the only one living here with you servants. If you allow a man of a different surname like the Marquis to enter the house at will, even if no one sees it at the time, rumors will inevitably spread over time. By then, your master's reputation will be ruined. In this case, there are only two options left for me: either enter the Yongping Marquis's mansion as a concubine and lose my freedom from then on; or I can only accompany the green lamp and ancient Buddha for the rest of my life and never marry again."
When Xiu Yuan heard this, she immediately showed a look of panic on her face. She knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Miss, it's all my fault. I was not thoughtful enough and almost hurt you. Please punish me. I will be more careful in the future and will never make the same mistake again!"
Upon seeing this, Youyou hurriedly reached out to help Xiuli up, and said softly: "Get up quickly, it's not your fault. After all, you are still young, and have not experienced many things. It's just that this world is too harsh for women. If you are not careful, you may be doomed..." As she said this, Youyou couldn't help but sigh heavily again.
In the following days, Xu Lingyi was so busy and entangled with various affairs that he could not find the free time to go to the Qiao family's old house again.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the grand banquet carefully prepared by Xu Lingyi arrived. On this day, the whole venue was decorated with lights and was very lively. Just as everyone was chatting and laughing, a mysterious and charming figure appeared at the door - Qiu Shuang walked slowly wearing the half butterfly mask. Her graceful figure and light steps instantly attracted the attention of everyone present.
Xu Lingyi saw Qiu Shuang at a glance, and couldn't help but feel a surge of joy in his heart. He hurriedly stepped forward, bowed slightly and said: "Oh my, I am honored to have you, Yunniang, here today. It really brings honor to my humble home!"
Qiu Shuang raised the corner of her mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile, and responded softly: "Master Xu is too polite."
Xu Lingyi smiled and gestured, "Yunniang, please come in and take a seat."
Qiu Shuang nodded slightly and followed Xu Lingyi into the banquet hall gracefully.
After the guests and hosts were seated, the atmosphere of the banquet gradually became heated. Everyone began to talk about various matters in the business field. All the guests present knew that this woman named Yunniang was the head of the famous Fanyin Chamber of Commerce. Therefore, many people could not suppress their inner desire and expressed their hope to cooperate with the Fanyin Chamber of Commerce and get a share of it.
Facing the eager gazes and eager expectations of the crowd, Qiu Shuang always maintained a calm and composed smile. She gently picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea, then slowly said: "I appreciate the kindness of all my friends. However, our Fanyin Chamber of Commerce has always only done business that is sure to make a profit. If the matter in question is indeed of sufficient value, then cooperation will naturally come naturally; but if it is worthless, or it cannot meet the conditions of our Fanyin Chamber of Commerce, then such cooperation is probably out of the question." After that, she smiled again, but her eyes were extremely sharp, as if she could see through everyone's thoughts.
"Of course, yes. I wonder if Yunniang can discuss a business deal with me? If this deal can be concluded, I dare say that the Fanyin Chamber of Commerce will definitely be able to move to a higher level!" Xu Lingyi said with a smile and a confident tone.
Qiu Shuang raised her eyebrows slightly and responded with interest: "Oh? I wonder what kind of business it is? Mr. Xu, please feel free to tell me. I would like to see if it is worth cooperating with him." She wondered in her heart what Mr. Xu was up to.
Xu Lingyi coughed lightly, then continued, "But I don't know if Yunniang can make the decision." He stared at Qiu Shuang, as if trying to see some clues through her expression.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Shuang couldn't help but sneer: "Huh, Master Xu, do you think I can't make the decision? Then may I ask, who else in the Fanyin Chamber of Commerce can make the decision?" She straightened her back and asked back with sharp eyes.
Xu Lingyi replied calmly: "This is naturally the person behind you, Yunniang." After that, he picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea, but his eyes never left Qiu Shuang's face.
Qiu Shuang's face changed slightly, but she quickly returned to normal. She said in a cold voice, "Everyone knows that I, Yunniang, am the president of the Fanyin Chamber of Commerce. How did Master Xu know that there is someone backing me up? Could it be that it is just your conjecture?"
Xu Lingyi put down the teacup in his hand, smiled and said, "Haha, don't worry, Yunniang. To be honest, this is just my intuition. I always feel that with your ability and means, Yunniang, you may not be able to control the entire Fanyin Chamber of Commerce. I guess there must be an expert behind this, right? I wonder if I'm right, Yunniang?"
Qiu Shuang was silent for a moment, and then slowly said: "Since Master Xu is so frank, I will not beat around the bush. Yes, I am indeed not the only decision maker of the Fanyin Chamber of Commerce. However... some things cannot be explained clearly in a few words. If Master Xu is really interested in cooperation, please tell me the specific matters in detail."
"I want to meet the master behind you." Xu Lingyi stared at Qiu Shuang in front of him with sharp eyes and said in a firm and unquestionable tone.
Qiu Shuang was slightly startled when she heard this, and said with difficulty: "This... I'm afraid it's not possible, Mr. Xu. My master is not here." She was secretly thinking about how to deal with this sudden request.
However, Xu Lingyi did not give up. He stared at Qiu Shuang closely and said in a deep voice: "Yun Niang, I believe that with your ability, you can definitely contact your master. This matter is very important to me, and I hope you can help me."
Qiu Shuang couldn't help but feel a little flustered, but she still managed to stay calm and answered, "My master's whereabouts are always elusive, like a wandering cloud or a wild crane. It is really hard to figure out her whereabouts, so there is no way to get in touch with her."
Xu Lingyi was obviously not satisfied with this statement. He snorted coldly and questioned, "I don't believe it, Yunniang. There must be some special way of communication or token between you and your master. If you really want to help me, you won't refuse like this."
Facing Xu Lingyi's relentless pressure, Qiu Shuang's forehead gradually broke out into a thin layer of sweat. She gritted her teeth and said, "Okay, Master Xu, since you insist so much, I will try to report it to my superiors. But in the end, whether the master is willing to see you or not is not something I can control."
Hearing this, Xu Lingyi breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in response: "Okay, then I'll wait for your good news, Yunniang. I hope you can give me an answer as soon as possible." After that, he turned and left, leaving Qiu Shuang standing there, looking at his receding back with mixed feelings.