Spring flowers

Chapter 33 is not a kind person.
Ye Mingzhen was somewhat bewildered.

Past life? What past life?
But since they're rivals in love, let's wait and see.

He followed Wei Yishang into the beverage shop, glancing at the prices as he entered.

It's just a drink, but it costs a hundred coins.

Moreover, the drinks here are very limited, with only a few types of tea.

Ye Mingzhen nodded and smiled.

"Lord Ye, you find this funny too?"

When Wei Yishang saw Ye Mingzhen laughing at the price list, she couldn't help but ask.

"I'm laughing at the merchants for overestimating the strength of our people."

"Well, what Lord Ye and I are laughing at are different..."

Wei Yishang pointed to the brand, "From a businessman's perspective, high pricing is fine, as the target customer group is different. But tea drinks, if they are so homogeneous and there are so many easy substitutes, it's hard not to close down."

"Miss Wei is so insightful, I wonder why she is so precocious?" Ye Mingzhen smiled again and continued walking inside.

They ordered a pot of Pu'er tea and took their seats.

"Lord Ye, please speak." Wei Yishang's expression was calm, appearing nonchalant.

“Miss Wei, according to my investigation, my father may have passed away. The reason may be related to Miss Wei.”

Ye Mingzhen spoke with unusual indifference, devoid of any emotion.

"Does Lord Ye mean that I harmed your father?" Wei Yishang took a sip of tea and asked him intently.

"You can say that."

Ye Mingzhen felt a pang of pain in her heart when she thought of her father. Although her father was a rough man, he loved her very much, and the family was generally harmonious.

And so, a perfectly good family was destroyed by an accident, by an unrelated person, and by an unrelated event.

"So, Lord Ye has come to question me? And then take my life?" Wei Yishang glanced out the window; pedestrians were hurrying along the road.

At such a time, only the wives, daughters, and sons of officials would have the leisure to sit here and drink tea.

"Lord Ye, why don't you just take action?" Wei Yishang noticed that Ye Mingzhen carried a small knife with him.

"My bodyguards were all sent by Lord Ye. It would be easy for Lord Ye to kill me."

"You think I don't want to?" Ye Mingzhen approached Wei Yishang, pulled out the knife with its sheath, and held it to her throat.

"Oh my, what are you doing?" Suddenly, the shop owner Zeng Chenyi's voice came.

Ye Mingzhen turned around and saw a sharp face.

Unlike Ye Mingzhen's feminine features, Zeng Chenyi has a naturally masculine appearance, with a clear jawline, a handsome face, and sharp features.

Such a person, born with pride, yet of lowly status, may act with sharp edges and become extreme.

Ye Mingzhen thought to himself: Is this my rival in love from my past life?

"Who are you?" Ye Mingzhen asked.

"I am the owner of this shop, Zeng Chenyi. Just call me Boss Zeng."

Zeng Chenyi pointed to the small knife in Ye Mingzhen's hand.

"Lord Ye, this thing should not be allowed to appear."

"Boss Zeng actually recognizes me." Ye Mingzhen looked at the person in front of him. He was wearing a light frost-colored coat, with a dark belt around his waist and a fine jade pendant hanging from it. He looked very wealthy.

"Ye Tanhua's reputation is widespread, how could anyone not recognize him?"

Zeng Chenyi knew that the Fourth Miss Wei and Ye Mingzhen were already engaged. He couldn't understand why someone who was the daughter of a fourth-rank official's family, who seemed to offer no benefit to his career, would marry such a woman.
It would be better to choose the eldest princess or the Princess of Anping County; that would ensure lasting wealth and prosperity.

Just then, a voice came from the side, "Boss Zeng~"

Several people turned around and saw that it was Princess Anping. The princess was wearing a white dress and a gold hairpin with diamonds and beads, looking ethereal. "Bring me a pot of Biluochun tea." Princess Anping sat at a distance, clearly wanting to distance herself from Ye Mingzhen and Wei Yishang.

"I'll go prepare right away." Zeng Chenyi looked at the expression on the county princess's face, which resembled that of a sycophant meeting a high-ranking leader, with a self-conscious sense of inferiority and obsequiousness.

Seeing Boss Zeng's humble demeanor, Ye Mingzhen's previous goodwill diminished considerably. However, he knew that different people had different experiences and made different choices, and there was no inherent superiority or inferiority among them.

I am lucky, I have a sense of pride, and I can maintain inner peace and not be disturbed by the outside world.

But not everyone is so lucky.

Ultimately, everyone needs to make a living.

When Wei Yishang saw the Princess of Anping arrive, she smiled slightly.

This county princess, knowing that the two of them were engaged, still showed up, so she must still haven't given up.

But sitting so far away suggests that one still has reason and knows that openly vying for attention would be detrimental to one's reputation.

Although the Princess of Anping was sitting far away, her gaze kept drifting towards Wei Yishang and the others.

"Lord Ye, so, does this alliance still stand?" Wei Yishang asked Ye Mingzhen with a smile.

Ye Mingzhen placed the small knife on the table.

“Miss Wei, if this is the truth, I will make you pay for it with a lifetime of suffering.”

"I love money and food and drink, but I don't love men at all. Do you think I'll be in pain, Lord Ye?"

Upon hearing the word "pain," Wei Yishang laughed. Now, what could possibly hurt her, Wei Yishang?

Unless his modern-day relatives travel through time, then he would still have something to hold him back.

Unless, of course, his path back to the modern world is completely blocked.

Otherwise, I would truly live a cool and carefree life.

"Ye knew that the girl had no feelings for him, but being forced into a relationship like this was what was painful."

"Especially since Ye is not a kind person..."

A strange smile appeared on Ye Mingzhen's face.

His usual refined and gentle demeanor is not him; the real Ye Mingzhen is ruthless and vicious, devoid of any emotion.

Wei Yishang, however, did not feel afraid.

In her mind, Ye Mingzhen was that kind of person—appearing gentle and approachable on the outside, but actually aloof and ruthless.

"I, Ye, can stab you at any time. The timing is entirely up to me. Since you've agreed to protect me from unwanted suitors, please keep your promise. Whether it's a stab or a silver note, it's up to you what you do."

Wei Yishang understood that Ye Mingzhen was emphasizing their mutually exploitative relationship.

At this moment, the magistrate of Anping County sent someone to invite Ye Mingzhen to a small gathering.

The person who came was Aunt Jin Sui, who served the county princess.

Aunt Jin Sui didn't even glance at Wei Yishang, but only explained her purpose to Ye Mingzhen.

Seeing Ye Mingzhen's indifferent expression, Wei Yishang knew that it was time for her to make her move.

She didn't originally intend to compete for someone's fiancé, but to snatch someone's fiancé right there in the street like that was going too far.

"Aunt, I wonder what the county princess invited Lord Ye to discuss?" Wei Yishang asked Aunt Jinsui with a smile, showing no sign of anger.

Jin Sui was surprised that Wei Yishang would ask such a question. His expression froze for a moment before he gave a condescending reply.

"The affairs of the county princess are not something you, a concubine's daughter of a fourth-rank official, can concern yourself with. Please understand your place, young lady."

Ye Mingzhen's lips curled up slightly, wanting to see how Wei Yishang would respond.

If she's a complete fool, utterly powerless to fight back, then I'll finish her off myself.

(End of this chapter)