Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 45: I Want to Be the Richest Person in Ling’an City

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: I Want to Be the Richest Person in Ling’an City

Ah Yu raised his eyes, glanced in their direction, then silently lowered his head and took another bite. Surprisingly, it didn’t taste sour anymore.

"Miss~ Miss..." Shuang Ye tugged gently at her sleeve from the side, lowering her voice. "...This isn’t appropriate."

Propriety demanded a strict separation between men and women, forbidding any direct physical contact.

No matter how unconventional Song Lianhe usually was, she was still an unmarried young lady with a betrothal. When interacting with men outside her family, she was naturally expected to observe etiquette and propriety.

Hearing this, Huai Xu also lowered his gaze. "Er, thank you, Second Miss, but I’m not fond of sour foods either."

"Is that so? I’ll treat you to sweet fruits next time, then."

Song Lianhe couldn’t care less about propriety, but if the man didn’t like sour things, she wasn’t going to force him.

On the veranda, a tall, slender figure in black stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze icy.

Behind him, a Shadow Guard was muttering under his breath, "The old folks always say, ’sour for a boy, spicy for a girl’... Second Miss can handle so much sourness... Oh! Could the one in her belly be... a little master?!"

The man’s pale, glass-like eyes narrowed slightly. Without a word, he walked straight down.

Shuang Ye and Ah Yu were the first to see him. They immediately stopped their teasing and stepped forward to bow.

Song Lianhe turned her head. With a piece of candy filling her mouth, she mumbled a "Prince" and immediately invited him to sit in the empty seat beside her.

Zhou Cangyan’s gaze involuntarily swept over her abdomen before he shifted it away without a trace. After taking his seat, he said, "You’ve performed a great service this time. Whatever you desire, this prince will grant it."

"Really?"

Song Lianhe’s eyes lit up. She quickly said, "I do have one matter I’d like to trouble the Prince with."

Seeing that the two were about to talk, Huai Xu stood up. "Your Highness, I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave first."

"Huai Xu," Zhou Cangyan stopped him. "Later, take her pulse and check on her condition."

"Er, I’m in perfectly good health. There’s no need to trouble Young Master Zhun."

’The original owner of this body lived a pampered life. Even if her family didn’t care about her, her food, clothing, and daily necessities were surely the best, so she was naturally in good health.’

Zhou Cangyan glanced back at her and said coolly, "A physician cannot heal themself."

"..."

Huai Xu agreed, "Yes."

After he left, Song Lianhe instructed Shuang Ye to lay out the pastries again and warmly invited, "Your Highness, have some sweets? They’re all from Wangyue Restaurant. Shuang Ye went to queue for them early this morning, buying them especially for you."

"Especially for this prince?"

"Of course!"

Zhou Cangyan didn’t expose her lie, but a slight smile touched the corners of his lips.

After arranging the pastries, Song Lianhe poured him some tea. "Freshly brewed Maojian. You’re in for a treat~"

Zhou Cangyan simply raised his eyes and said, "You have a favor to ask of this prince?"

"Er... well, there is a small matter... For Prince Qing, it would be as easy as lifting a finger..."

She pulled a chair closer. "I want to open a shop and start a business."

He raised an eyebrow, looking her up and down. "You?"

"Yes, me!"

Song Lianhe blinked her big, dark eyes and said, "I’ve thought it over. It’s because I’m not powerful enough that I get pushed around by everyone! So I’m going to open a shop, I’m going to do business, and I’m going to become the richest person in Ling’an City! With money comes confidence! Of course, money alone isn’t enough. You also need connections..."

She looked at Zhou Cangyan with a grin. "Is Your Highness willing to partner with me?"

Zhou Cangyan looked at her, his expression unchanging, as if to ask, ’Do you think this prince has nothing better to do?’

Song Lianhe put on an apologetic smile and said at once, "You don’t have to put up a single copper coin. I’ll take care of the initial start-up capital and manpower. I just hope that you... could lend a hand at critical moments."

Zhou Cangyan lowered his gaze and reached for the teacup, only to find it placed steadily into his hand.

"You know my current situation. Forget my father, even Zhou Junlin—as long as this marriage contract isn’t resolved, he can make trouble for me every single day."

The more she spoke, the tighter her brows furrowed. ’What rotten luck!’

He took a sip of tea, and after setting the cup down, he said in a cold voice, "You shouldn’t overexert yourself."

"Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine! Don’t underestimate me, Your Highness. I can endure a lot of hardship!"

Zhou Cangyan frowned, his tone somewhat stiff. "Not right now."

"Er, so the Prince means... I should wait a bit?"

’That makes sense. Business is all about timing; it really can’t be rushed.’

So, she said with a smile, "In that case, we’ll start with market research and preliminary planning. Once we have a proposal, we can choose a location, and then there are the other things for opening a shop..."

Zhou Cangyan was already impatient. His gaze sharpened. "Do you not understand what this prince is saying?"