NOVEL SIMPLE When the water is too clear, there are no fish. You should not demand absolute purity. You must allow the subordinates to gain some extra profit, or no one would work himself to the bone for you. “I really appreciate your hard work. You can leave now. I want to check the account book,” Mu Qianhua said. The bookkeeper stared at his boss and made a compliment, “It’s beyond my expectation that Miss Bai, at such a young age, is actually very experienced in account management. No wonder the Qian Jin Restaurant can gain a firm foothold in the capital city merely within a month.”
“You have overpraised me. I only know a little about doing business. There is nothing to brag about.” Mu Qianhua giggled. With the bookkeeper leaving the counting house, Mu Qianhua stayed there alone while checking the account book carefully.
The bookkeeper was not an honest man. Mu Qianhua didn’t expect him to be honest, neither. As she saw it, it was not suitable for an honest man to work at Qian Jin Restaurant. It was better for the bookkeeper to be smart and flexible enough. Only the one who had a great sense of propriety would not cause trouble for her.
After a short while, Mu Qianhua heard someone stepping in through the door. Guessing it must be the bookkeeper coming back after walking around the restaurant, she said without raising her head, “I haven’t finished reading the account book yet. Why do you return in a hurry?”
The man walked to her back and lowered his body. “Miss Bai is checking the account at such an early time. How hard you are working.”
Mu Qianhua turned in surprise, suddenly catching a pair of eyes as bright as twinkling stars. “Dong… Dongfang Lingyun?!”
Pressing his lips for an unclear reason, Dongfang Lingyun, with a glimmer of smile skimming across his eyes, stared at Mu Qianhua who was a little panic. “Please go on, Miss Bai. I just feel bored and want to have a walk.”
“You can go to the newly built backyard. This is count room…”
Given his identity as the patron of the Qian Jin Restaurant, Mu Qianhua couldn’t drive him out rudely.
An hour had passed…
Why didn’t he leave? Being a little fidgety, Mu Qianhua couldn’t concentrate on her calculation on the abacus, which leaded to a disorderly clanging noise.
“You made a mistake here.” Dongfang Lingyun’s low-pitched voice suddenly appeared behind her ears, producing a masculine aura around her sensitive earlobes, which made her jump up in astonishment.
“What are you doing, Dongfang Lingyun!?” Mu Qianhua gritted her teeth while glaring at him, looking like a wild kitten whose tail had been trampled.
Looking at her eyes filled with miff and guessing her veiled face had blushed already, Dongfang Lingyun, originally intending to remind her of the mistakes in the account book, was staring at her face in great interest.
“Why are you staring at me?” Mu Qianhua felt panic under his gaze.
“You are so cute that I can’t help approaching you…” Dongfang Lingyun, with a faint smile on his face, walked toward her.
His voice, melodious enough, was more enchanting when turning to a lower pitch.
Mu Qianhua, holding the account book fast in her arms, kept retreating upon his approach before getting stuck in the corner of the wall. Dongfang Lingyun, with one hand pressing against the wall, trapped her within his arms.
As nervous as she was, her heartbeat quickened once again. Dongfang Lingyun’s face got nearer and nearer…
Setting the account book vertically to cover her face, Mu Qianhua decided to resign herself to her fate. Dongfang Lingyun’s laughter passed through the account book and spread to her ears.
“Bai Xiao, I like you more and more each day. What should I do?” He left the count room with laugh on his face, leaving Mu Qianhua dumbfounded at the wall corner, who regained her consciousness after a long time.
“I like you more and more each day. What should I do?” …
There seemed to be a cracker bombing in Mu Qianhua’s head. What should you do? It was definitely none of my business! An evil gangster! Always annoyed me in a strange way.
Mu Qianhua threw the count book to the desk with all her strength and left.
As a result, she had been breathtakingly sullen for the whole day, while the Pingyan general, who had always kept a straight face, looked happy instead.
According to the servants at the general palace, Dongfang Lingyun was obviously less hostile than before, who even asked his servant to take a piece of cake to his room. Seeing his master was in good mood, Xue Sha approached him with curiosity.
“Master, what’s going on today?”
Dongfang Lingyun stared sidelong at him. “Xue Sha, do you know how to win a woman’s heart?”
“What?” Xue Sha looked baffled. “Master, you are the Prince Charming to all the girls in the Dark Night Empire. Only with a wave of your hand, the girls will flood to your side. Why bother yourself with that?”
“There is a woman keeping ignoring me for a long time. She would rather look at the flowers than catch a glimpse of me. Am I less attractive than those flowers?”
Why would he make flowers his rival in love? Xue Sha wiped the sweat on his forehead. “You are surely more handsome than the flowers.”
Dongfang Lingyun almost snatched the plate and knocked his head with it.
Xue Sha dodged nimbly. “Master, how do you know I am experienced in dealing with women?”
Dongfang Lingyun glanced at him. “By visiting Yingchun Brothel more often, you must have learned a lot.”
“…”
Master, I went there to investigate the assassins of Seven Stars Building. You couldn’t slander me at random!
However, to Dongfang Lingyun’s disappointment, Mu Qianhua ordered all the employees at the Qian Jin Restaurant next day that General Pingyan could only stay at the first floor. Whoever permitted him to go upstairs, he or she would be sacked unmercifully. What’s more, all the furnishings at the No.1 supreme room had been renovated overnight.
Dongfang Lingyun pulled a long face when being stopped down the stairs.
“Why does your boss prevent me going upstairs?”
Shuddering under Dongfang Lingyun’s frosty gaze, the servant repeated Mu Qianhua’s words in staccato, “According to Boss Bai, meeting general will do harm to her intelligence. Your highness, please go back.”
Dongfang Lingyun, much sullener than before, intended to get to the second floor by martial arts, but was stopped again by the servant.
“Miss Bai knows it clearly that as a talent in martial art, high walls mean nothing to general. However, the walls of the second floor are filled with plum blossom thorns set last night. It’s better for your honored to give up your plan…”
This time, Dongfang Lingyun was infuriated.
Bai Xiao. How Ruthless you are!
Atishoo! Mu Qianhua was cleaning the Zhubo at ease upstairs
Qing Ying glanced at her. “Lady, why do you decide not to meet General Pingyan again?”
“According to the fortune teller I met yesterday, Dongfang Lingyun may bring bad luck to me. It’s wise to get rid of him as soon as possible.” Mu Qianhua, staring at her maid, answered in dead earnest.
Admittedly, this was no more than an excuse. She did have a presentiment that if they got more intimate, it was very possible that she couldn’t leave The Dark Night Empire anymore.
It was because Mu Qianhua wanted to leave the Dark Night Empire forever that she went here instead. She definitely wouldn’t change her plan due to Dongfang Lingyun.
“But the general won’t give up so easily.” Qing Ying felt worried.
“What else can he do? Fly up here and bite me to vent his anger?” Mu Qianhua said carelessly while brushing Zhubo, “He made the acquaintance of me through Raoliang. It’s only a pity that he no longer has the chance to enjoy the heavenly music.”
Suddenly, there was a deafening knocking against the door, followed by Dongfang Lingyun’s howl in rage, “Bai Xiao, you actually set plum blossom thorns on the balustrades!!”
Mu Qianhua and Qing Ying froze at the same time.
“La… Lady, he is really coming…”
Mu Qianhua opened the door in panic. Dongfang Lingyun, clad in purple robe, was standing at the corridor upstairs, behind whom all of the plum blossom thorns had shot up, slicing through his arms.
Mu Qianhua, staring at him blankly, moved her lips in vain for such a long time before she uttered a sentence, “You’re really not afraid of death…”
Covering the gashes on his arm with his hand, Dongfang Lingyun stared at her bitterly. “What are you thinking? Go fetch some medicine for me!”
It was beyond Mu Qianhua’s expectation that he dared to climb up. The plum blossom thorns have been improved by the adding of barbs, sharp enough to slit the skin.
Since he had come up, Mu Qianhua had no choice but to let him in.
Given Dongfang Lingyun’s ferocious glare, Qing Ying, intending to apply medicine on him, finally gave up.
In order to appease his anger, Mu Qianhua had to do it by herself.
“Tell me if it hurts.”
As soon as she touched his skin, Dongfang Lingyun began to cry painfully. Though she tried her best to be gentle when rubbing the medicine on his arm, his scream kept floating to her ears.
“Is your skin as tender as Toufu?” Mu Qianhua glanced sidelong at him.
“Why do you avoid me all of a sudden?” Dongfang Lingyun stared at her.
“Because…” Mu Qianhua was wordless. How could she tell him the truth that she worried someday she would be as foolish as Murong Jingshan.
“I am willing to apologize for that day at the counting house.”
“You… apologize to me?” Mu Qianhua was stunned.
The Pingyan General of the Dark Night Empire, as bossy as him, actually said he would apologize to her?!
“But I won’t take my words back.” Dongfang Lingyun looked at her earnestly. “Bai Xiao, I have fallen in love with you.”
The tea, being made by Qing Ying, spilled out from the cup instantly.
Mu Qianhua held the gauze fast subconsciously, making Dongfang Lingyun scream for the sharp ache.
“It really hurts this time,” he said with a severe countenance. Mu Qianhua caught a glimpse of him in anger.
“…You deserve it.” Pretending to be calm, Mu Qianhua couldn’t help blushing.
How could the gangster be so self-confident in this situation…
Dongfang Lingyun took the chance to seize her hand all of a sudden. “Bai Xiao, do you love me?”
“Let go of prin… my lady’s hand!” Qing Ying shouted in rage.
Dongfang Lingyun held her hand more tightly. “It’s her hand I’m taking. Why are you so angry?”
“Qing Ying.” Mu Qianhua stopped her at once, in case she would draw her sword out of rage. “General is merely angry with me for my refusal to let him go upstairs and renovation of the No.1 supreme room. Don’t be rude to him.”
“I am serious.” As soon as she finished speaking, Dongfang Lingyun corrected her words.
“Dongfang Lingyun!” The blue veins on Mu Qianhua’s forehead began to swell.
She was obviously enraged, even calling his name directly.
“You can have a consideration in no hurry. I mean every word of it.” Dongfang Lingyun stood up and left in laugh.
Mu Qianhua’s heart was filled with abomination. “Lady…What should we do?” Qing Ying stared at her blankly.
“Who knows!” Suffering a headache, Mu Qianhua spitted the two words out.
The famous LiYang Temple was located at the Li Yang Mountain in the southern suburb area of the Dark Night Empire. Many devout men and women would have a visit to worship the Buddha or redeem a vow in the early spring, so the temple would always be prosperous at this time.
Standing before the shrine, Mu Qianhua ignited three incenses and inserted them to the burner before bowing low to the Buddha for three times
Following her lady’s example, Qing Ying put her two palms together and made a bow.
Stepping out of the Buddha prayer room, Qing Ying asked Mu Qianhua, “My lady, what wish did you make just then?”
Mu Qianhua glanced at her, saying helplessly, “I hope the Buddha will stop Dongfang Lingyun from meeting me on the mountain.”
Qing Ying, also bothered by his harassment, added, “General Pingyan is really annoying. You have refused to meet him from that day, but he still kept coming to Qian Jin Restaurant everyday. Does he intend to trouble you deliberately?”
“It’s in accordance with his character. I just have never thought he could be that shameless,” Mu Qianhua complained in frustration.
She remembered that a few days ago, she asked Qing Ying to send a delicate jade toad to Dongfang Lingyun, a symbol of his image as a disgusting toad filled with knobs. To her surprise, Qing Ying returned to the No.1 supreme room with the toad respectfully held in her hands, under which there were two words:
So lovely.
The editor has something to say: Since the author has quit writing this novel, we have to stop translating the following chapters, so there will be no more updates. Hereby I sincerely recommend some other excellent novels to you, for example, Becoming the Empress: Golden Finger Set Under My Bed. Miracle Doctor: The Wild Beast-Tamer Empress. We’ll spare no effort to translate more excellent novels for you. Thanks for your reading.