Chapter 101: A Moment of Embarrassment

Jiang Nan nodded without hesitation. "Of course. Boss Su is a heroine among women; I truly admire her."

Su Liluo smiled shyly, feeling no sense of having made an exorbitant demand. Anyone with insight could see that Xue Xiu's prospects were bright, and collaborating with her was no loss for Boss Jiang.

Several exquisite pastries and a pot of hot tea were arranged on the table. Jiang Nan warmly invited, "Boss Su, since we're partners now, let's toast with tea instead of wine. How about a cup?"

Unrestrained, Su Liluo raised her cup immediately. With a gentle "clink," the two cups met, producing a delicate and charming sound.

She half-covered her mouth with her sleeve, sipped the tea, then smiled at Jiang Nan. "Boss Jiang certainly knows how to enjoy good tea."

Jiang Nan chuckled, producing a small wooden token from his sleeve and pushing it toward Su Liluo. "Boss Su, please accept this token. Wherever you open a shop under the Jiang family, you will be honored as a distinguished guest."

Su Liluo examined the token carefully. A special emblem was engraved on it. "Is this the Jiang family’s insignia?"

"Miss Su, you are indeed perceptive. With this token, no one will dare to slight you," Jiang Nan said proudly. Su Liluo nodded lightly, her face breaking into a soft smile. "Thank you, Boss Jiang, for your generous gift. I shall accept it without hesitation."

"Miss Su, it’s yours to keep. This is a small token of goodwill from Jiang Nan for our cooperation," Jiang Nan said casually.

They did not pursue the topic further but moved on to discuss other matters. Once everything was settled, Jiang Nan drafted a contract, and both signed and sealed it with their fingerprints.

"Boss Jiang, I look forward to your continued support."

"Naturally. I was about to say the same to Boss Su." Su Liluo extended her hand. Jiang Nan looked at her in surprise. "Miss Su, what do you mean?"

Seeing his bewildered gaze, as though she were some strange creature, Su Liluo smiled awkwardly and explained, "I just wanted to shake hands with you to express our pleasant cooperation. Surely you don't mind?"

Though puzzled, Jiang Nan did not embarrass her. He lightly touched her hand, then immediately withdrew it. "Miss Su, I can't refuse your kind gesture, but you must remember not to do this with others; it may cause misunderstandings."

Jiang Nan’s considerate advice made Su Liluo even more fond of him. She realized she had been a bit foolish, unwittingly transplanting modern etiquette to ancient times. Shaking hands with a man would indeed invite gossip. She quickly thanked him, "I understand. Thank you for your kindness, Boss Jiang. I will be careful in the future."

They exchanged smiles. Su Liluo glanced at the wooden token and thought, "Since Boss Jiang gave me such a generous gift, I naturally must pay for the tea. Boss Jiang, don’t argue with me, or it will seem like you look down on me."

Jiang Nan smiled gently. "Very well, Miss Su. Since you insist, I will accept your treat. I bid you farewell."

"Please, Boss Jiang," Su Liluo cupped her hands politely. Jiang Nan smiled at her gesture and left the private room without another word.

Su Liluo remained seated a while longer, staring at the untouched delicate pastries. Thinking about the upcoming payment, she felt a pang of reluctance. "I must negotiate a better price."

She went downstairs with her maids and approached the counter. The shopkeeper put down his abacus. "Miss, ready to settle the bill?"

"Yes. The private room upstairs—how much in total?" Su Liluo leaned on the counter with one hand, pulling out her money pouch hanging at her waist.

The shopkeeper called over a clerk, who quickly counted on the abacus before answering, "Miss, it's twenty taels of silver."

"Shopkeeper, we hardly touched the pastries. Could you make it a bit cheaper?" Su Liluo nearly burst out. This felt like robbery—just a few small pastries and a pot of tea, surely not worth so much.

"Miss, are you joking? We use the finest tea leaves—over dozens of taels per tael—and those pastries were made by a specialized southern pastry chef. Twenty taels is not expensive at all," the shopkeeper insisted.

Su Liluo lowered her voice. "Shopkeeper, twenty taels is a year's expenses for an ordinary family. This is far too high. Could you reduce it, just a little?"

The shopkeeper shook his head. "Miss, look around. Those who can afford a private room here are not ordinary folk. Are you truly joking?" His gaze shifted, and Su Liluo sensed the change. Being treated like a freeloader made her blush.

A light laugh came from the doorway. Already upset, Su Liluo turned sharply at the mocking sound. "Prince Yi, Heir An Nan, what are you both doing here?"

She wished she could sink through the floor. She had no idea how long they had been standing there. Had they witnessed everything? Her humiliation was complete.

"Miss Su, you don’t need to pay for today’s tea," Heir An Nan stepped up to the counter. The shopkeeper immediately greeted with respect, "Your Highness, Prince, would you like a private room?"

"I’ll settle Miss Su’s tea bill," Heir An Nan said, fanning himself open, revealing a graceful young gentleman before Su Liluo’s eyes.

Embarrassed, she dared not look at him again. Her dignity was surely lost beyond recovery.

Yun Yan Yi watched An Nan’s gallant rescue coldly and snorted, but his voice was clear enough for Su Liluo to hear. Her cheeks flamed with shame.

Without delay, she placed twenty taels of silver on the counter and hurried away with her maids.

Watching her leave in haste, An Nan muttered, "Why leave so quickly? I wanted to say a few words."

"Your Highness, it’s a trivial matter. Let’s focus on more important affairs," Yun Yan Yi urged. An Nan glanced back, but Su Liluo had vanished. Resigned, he followed Yun Yan Yi upstairs.

Seeing An Nan distracted, Yun Yan Yi cleared his throat. An Nan looked at him in confusion.

"I advise Your Highness not to trust Miss Su. She’s always lost in thought and prone to nonsense. It’s best to keep your distance," Yun Yan Yi said.

"Are you close with Miss Su?" An Nan raised an eyebrow.

Yun Yan Yi kept his eyes forward and shook his head. "How could I be close with her? Just a friendly warning—such a woman is not suitable for marriage."

With that, Yun Yan Yi strode ahead. An Nan was unperturbed but wondered why the usually indifferent Prince Yi had bothered to warn him.

Yun Yan Yi felt no guilt for his fabricated words, smiling faintly. In his heart, he convinced himself he was only protecting Su Liluo by warding off an unnecessary suitor.

Just as Su Liluo entered the Prime Minister’s mansion, the stern old steward greeted her, "Miss, you’ve finally returned. Please come to the ancestral hall. The old madam wishes to speak with you."

Su Liluo had anticipated this and remained calm, leading her maids toward the hall.

Upon arrival, the old madam stood with attendants, glaring at Su Liluo. "Su Liluo, show some respect to your elders and kneel!"

Su Liluo stood firm. Yao Ruoshui gave a signal to the servants, and two maids forced Su Liluo’s knees to the ground.

"There is no fault in me. Why must I kneel?" Su Liluo knew exactly why this was a pretext to reprimand her, but she refused to admit any disrespect toward her elders.