As the carriage reached the intersection on East Street, Yu Xinruo asked to get out and walk. She needed to make sure the Third Young Master of the Du family spent plenty, and how else could she make him “suffer” if she stayed in the carriage?
Du Qiuluan didn’t insist. He instructed Xiao Ye to take the carriage to the Du family’s inn and wait there, while he leisurely walked alongside Yu Xinruo. Along the way, they attracted many jealous glances, with infatuated young women secretly following them, just to catch a glimpse of Du Qiuluan’s charm. Du Qiuluan remained composed and smiled, while Yu Xinruo occasionally rolled her eyes, but she was also surprised by how popular he was.
Soon, they arrived in front of an antique shop marked with the character “Du.” Seeing Yu Xinruo stop and look inside, Du Qiuluan said with a smile, “Shall we go in and take a look together?”
“Sure,” Yu Xinruo agreed and strode inside. She saw the shopkeeper and staff bowing and greeting Du Qiuluan respectfully. She snorted disdainfully and slapped the counter, loudly declaring, “Owner, bring out your best and most expensive items for me to see.”
The shopkeeper glanced at Du Qiuluan, who shot him a stern look. “Didn’t you hear the future Third Madam speak? Hurry up and get them!”
“Y-Yes!” The shopkeeper’s face changed upon hearing “future Third Madam” and hurriedly went inside to fetch the shop’s treasures.
Yu Xinruo gave Du Qiuluan a sideways glance and pouted, “What’s with this ‘Third Madam’ business? It sounds like a concubine’s title. Let me tell you, I’m not impressed by that.”
Du Qiuluan leaned in close, his breath warm and fragrant against her ear. With an ambiguous smile, he said, “I’m the third child in my family, so naturally, they would call you Third Madam. If you don’t like the title, when I become the head of the Du family, I’ll make you the main lady.”
Yu Xinruo felt a tickle from his breath and a pleasant scent from him that stirred a flutter in her heart. She quickly pushed him away and said disdainfully, “Go away. I wouldn’t even want to be the empress, let alone your so-called main lady!” She glanced at the expensive jade items and instructed, “I want all of these. Pack them up for me.”
As they passed through a dozen or so Du family shops, Yu Xinruo picked out the most valuable items from each one. By the time they left the last shop, Du Qiuluan couldn’t help but tug at her sleeve and said pitifully, “My dear young lady, you’ve already taken enough. Please, no more.”
Yu Xinruo’s expression darkened, and she pouted, “You’re being stingy! It’s just a few things from your family, and you’re already complaining.”
Du Qiuluan sighed, “That’s not what I meant. Look at how much stuff I’m carrying. If you keep taking, I’m going to collapse from exhaustion.”
Yu Xinruo glanced at him and saw him with a苦 face, an ornate fan tucked in his waist, his hands holding several brocade boxes, and his arms full of more boxes stacked almost up to his face. He looked quite comical.
Unable to hold back her laughter, she patted his shoulder and said with a smile, “Alright, since you’re working so hard, we won’t buy any more. Let’s go to that teahouse up ahead and have some tea.”
Du Qiuluan finally relaxed. He thought about the items she had picked; they must be worth at least three to four hundred thousand. For the past few days, he had been chasing her, getting rebuffed, and spending a considerable amount of gold and silver. It was indeed painful to think about. But then he considered that if he could win over this sharp and clever woman and marry her, she would be like a money-making machine, creating value far beyond this amount. Thinking this way, he felt better and cheerfully followed her forward.
They soon arrived at a Du family teahouse. They found an empty table and sat down.
Du Qiuluan placed all the items he was carrying on the table and finally took a breather. The staff at the teahouse quickly brought two cups of fine tea and greeted Du Qiuluan warmly.
Du Qiuluan waved them away casually and handed one cup to Yu Xinruo, saying with a smile, “This tea is called ‘Yao Lan.’ It’s a secret blend of mine. Try it and see how you like it.”
Yu Xinruo took the cup, surprised. “You can blend tea?”
Come to think of it, Zhong Shuwen had mentioned that all the signature teas in the Du family’s teahouses were blended by Du Qiuluan.
“Of course. Don’t underestimate me. If you like this tea, I’ll make it for you every day,” Du Qiuluan said proudly.
Yu Xinruo pursed her lips but genuinely marveled, “The Du family’s business is truly impressive.”
After a brief stroll through the street, Yu Xinruo realized the vastness of the Du family’s empire. From inns and teahouses to restaurants, antique shops, and brothels, almost every sign had the prominent character “Du.” Nearly every shop they passed had someone coming out to greet Du Qiuluan with respect and sincerity. It was clear that no frivolous playboy could command such loyalty and admiration from everyone. This changed Yu Xinruo’s impression of Du Qiuluan significantly. For someone so young to achieve this was truly remarkable.
As she lifted the tea lid, a pleasant fragrance wafted up, and she thought to herself: This is indeed fine tea. Just as she was about to taste it, a sound from the door caught her attention. She glanced up and her eyes widened, her hand holding the teacup freezing mid-air.
Noticing her reaction, Du Qiuluan followed her gaze and was also taken aback. His narrow phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and a knowing smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
A strikingly handsome young man and a beautiful young woman entered through the door, immediately capturing the attention of the patrons in the shop. The pair were close together, with the girl’s hand linked with the boy’s arm, her pretty face radiating a happy smile.
The young man, about seventeen or eighteen years old, was exceptionally handsome, with a cold and distant demeanor. His face was expressionless as he allowed the girl to cling to him, seemingly detached.
The young woman was around fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in vibrant, exotic attire. She was as beautiful as a blooming flower, with large, bright eyes, red lips, and a stunningly perfect appearance.
Du Qiuluan was surprised to see that the aloof young man was Qu Yang!
“Qu Yang, let’s sit over here. After wandering around for so long, I’m almost dying of thirst,” the stunning girl said, choosing an empty table and pulling Qu Yang over to sit down. She then raised her hand to call for tea.
Du Qiuluan noticed Yu Xinruo’s gaze fixed on Qu Yang. Her face gradually grew cold. He couldn’t help but smile slightly and said softly, “Qu Yang is over there. Do you want to go and greet him?”
Yu Xinruo slammed her tea cup onto the table and replied coldly, “No need!”
He had claimed to be busy with state affairs recently, but now he was leisurely accompanying a woman for shopping! Is this his so-called “state affairs”?
Men are always so good at making excuses and so easily swayed. Yu Xinruo sneered.
Her heart ached as if pricked by needles, a surge of anger brewing in her chest, ready to erupt at any moment.
Qu Yang and the girl immediately looked over at the sound. Seeing Yu Xinruo’s angry expression, Qu Yang was taken aback and immediately started to rise. However, upon seeing Du Qiuluan, who was sitting intimately next to Yu Xinruo, his movement faltered, and his gaze turned icy.
The girl looked at him with confusion, then turned to Yu Xinruo and sneered, “Miss, if you want to enjoy your tea, please sit quietly and don’t make a scene. If you don’t want to enjoy your tea, then go cause a ruckus outside, and don’t disturb us here.”
Yu Xinruo spat in disdain and retorted coldly, “I’ll do whatever I please, and it’s none of your business!” She deliberately grabbed the tea cup from the table and smashed it onto the floor with a loud crash.
“Such a temper,” Du Qiuluan thought with a hint of amusement. Since Qu Yang didn’t move, he was content to watch the situation unfold.
The girl, who had never been treated this way before and with someone she admired watching, was enraged and stood up, shouting, “Where did this shrew come from? How dare you cause a scene in front of this princess! Do you believe I won’t take your life right now?”
Yu Xinruo snorted and also stood up, coldly saying, “Call yourself a princess? I don’t care about you at all! If you have the guts, crawl around the store; if you don’t, get out of here so you don’t spoil my mood!”
“You! Looking for death, you wretch!” The girl was infuriated, drawing her sword from her waist and aiming a swift thrust at Yu Xinruo with a fierce look in her eyes.
“Stop!” Both men shouted simultaneously. Qu Yang grabbed the girl’s arm firmly, while Du Qiuluan pulled Yu Xinruo behind him.
“Qu Yang, what are you doing?” The girl looked at him in shock and stomped her foot anxiously. “Let go of me; I need to teach that uncultured shrew a lesson!”
“She is not a shrew, Princess Yinglan,” Qu Yang said with cold eyes lingering on Du Qiuluan for a moment, then turned his gaze to Yu Xinruo. He spoke淡淡ly, “She is my fiancée. I hope Princess Yinglan will treat her with respect.”
“What? Did you say she is your fiancée?” Princess Yinglan exclaimed, her face changing color. “Didn’t everyone in the palace say you weren’t engaged?”
Yu Xinruo bit her lip, feeling her anger subside somewhat. However, seeing him so close to that girl still unsettled her.
She looked at Qu Yang with a resentful expression, but his gaze remained so cold.
At that moment, Du Qiuluan’s voice came to her ear: “Qu Yang, if you truly consider Xinruo your fiancée, how can you be so close to this girl in front of her?”
Qu Yang immediately released his grip and looked at Du Qiuluan coldly. “Young Master Du, please keep your distance from my fiancée. I do not wish to see any so-called dandy near her, as it tarnishes her reputation.”
Princess Yinglan pouted in displeasure and shot Yu Xinruo a jealous glare. Her clever eyes darted around before she linked her arm with Qu Yang’s and smiled sweetly. “Qu Yang, who is that man next to your fiancée? They really do look like a perfect match!”
Du Qiuluan glanced at her and replied with an indifferent smile, “Thank you for your kind words, Princess. However, I’m afraid that I like this young lady, but she does not feel the same about me. It’s merely unrequited love.”
Although he wanted to win Yu Xinruo away from Qu Yang, he refused to be a pawn in someone else’s schemes.
Princess Yinglan smiled and said, “That doesn’t matter. For someone you love, you should do everything you can to hold onto them, or else it will be a regret for a lifetime.” She gazed deeply at Qu Yang, “That’s how I feel about you, Qu Yang.”
Qu Yang frowned and pushed her hand away firmly. “Princess, my fiancée is right here. Please conduct yourself with some dignity.”
Yu Xinruo felt a surge of anger, thinking, What a shameless girl! Even knowing his fiancée is present, she still dares to flirt. How thick-skinned can one be?
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152