The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

Finally, after watching for what seemed like an eternity, Qinglan spoke up, "Next time we meet, let's have tea, chat, and drink together."

As for the rest... Qinglan's eyes darkened, but her resolve remained unchanged. She thought to herself: Anmi, I will not let you out of my sight for too long. The day when we can drink tea, chat, and enjoy each other's company will come as soon as possible, even if it means doing everything in my power.

He gave An Mi a deep look, then his tall figure abruptly turned and walked towards the door.

But after taking only a few steps, she heard a peaceful voice coming from behind her...

"Qinglan..." Anmi looked at his back and finally called out his name. Some things were swirling in her mind and she couldn't shake them off.

Qinglan didn't turn around; he was afraid that turning around would only deepen his reluctance. So he just stood there, waiting for the gentle, serene voice to come again...

"Qinglan, be careful on your return journey, and don't trust those around you too much." Anmi thought about what happened two years later in her previous life, and felt more worried. She thought that if she reminded her like this, Qinglan, who was smart, would definitely take more precautions and perhaps be able to avoid that great calamity.

A smile appeared on Qinglan's lips, but she didn't say anything. She continued walking out, her mind filled with Anmi's last words. Because Anmi had rejected her, she felt less disappointed and lost, and instead felt more determined and resolute.

After Qinglan left, only Anmi and Baiyi remained in the room. The silence made the atmosphere somewhat eerie.

An Mi continued to look in the direction of the door, sometimes frowning, sometimes sighing, her mind still on the matter of Qing Lan from her past life. Bai Yi, standing beside her, frowned because of An Mi's actions.

"If you're reluctant to give up, it might still be too late to catch up now."

For some reason, the words spoken by Bai Yi at this moment carried a hint of sourness. Of course, An Mi glanced at Bai Yi, paused slightly, and took it as the man teasing her.

An Mi had no intention of arguing with Bai Yi. She withdrew her thoughts, sat on the couch, and as soon as she sat down, she heard Bai Yi's voice again.

"He's the eldest prince. If you go with him, you might even become his consort. And who knows, if he ascends the throne, you'll be the Empress of our Great Jin Dynasty, the mother of the nation, envied by all." Bai Yi stroked his teacup, his deep gaze fixed on An Mi, thinking about what had just happened. His face no longer held its usual ambiguous smile; instead, he was focused intently on An Mi.

An Mi gave a slight smirk. "An Mi is just an ordinary woman."

The title of Empress? It held no allure for her; on the contrary, it was an even greater shackle. Sitting on the Empress's throne, she would be the target of countless women's schemes every day. She had no interest in such a restless existence.

Bai Yi's eyes flickered. He took a small sip of tea, and as if thinking of something, he said, "What is it that you want? Something that even the dignified First Prince cannot give you?"

Bai Yi looked at An Mi and found himself increasingly unable to understand this woman. Just now, when she said those words to Qing Lan, she clearly seemed somewhat helpless, but what was the reason for her helplessness?

He sipped his tea quietly, remaining silent, showing no sense of obligation to answer the King of Bohai just because the person sitting before him was none other than Anmi.

What does she want? She wants a devoted partner to grow old with, a lifelong commitment and sincerity. In this life, she doesn't want to share a husband with other women, and she won't let the scheming and infighting of other wives and concubines disrupt her life.

What she wants is respect, not dependence and following, but to stand shoulder to shoulder with someone.

The room remained silent for a long time. Bai Yi waited for an answer but received no response. He was somewhat disappointed, but soon a bright smile appeared on his face. He picked up the teapot and added some tea to An Mi's cup. His tone was as nonchalant as ever, "Then you see, if Qing Lan can't give it to me, can I?"

An Mi was slightly taken aback, her brows furrowing unconsciously. When she looked up, she saw Bai Yi's dazzling smile, which almost blinded her. Her lips twitched involuntarily, but she said calmly, "Your Highness, don't you think that as a business partner, your curiosity is a bit too intense? An Mi didn't know that the dignified Prince of Bohai was so gossipy!"

Bai Yi was nervously waiting for the result of his test, while refilling his own tea. Upon hearing An Mi's words, his hand suddenly trembled, and the tea spilled onto the table, wetting the area.

Upon seeing this, An Mi laughed, raising an eyebrow at Bai Yi, her eyes revealing undisguised mockery and smugness.

She had a better understanding of Bai Yi. Before, she had only heard that the King of Bohai was unpredictable, eccentric, and even violent and cruel. However, she felt that the King of Bohai was tolerant. At least, he had not blamed her for her rudeness many times. And this time, she believed that the King of Bohai would not hold it against her either.

Sure enough, Bai Yi also burst into laughter, but beneath the smile, his dark eyes held a different kind of emotion.

Thinking about what had just happened, and recalling the open and honest vows he and Qinglan had made that day, his gaze fell on Anmi, becoming even more profound.

He didn't think that Qinglan's departure meant she had completely given up on Anmi. On the contrary, Anmi's rejection today probably made Qinglan even more determined. It seems he needs to step up his efforts!

He was adept at seizing opportunities, which had always been one of his strengths. The conversation between Qinglan and Anmi just now echoed in his mind...

Does Qinglan forbid anyone from living in her heart? Hehe... Taking a small sip of tea, Bai Yi's smile deepened.

Eldest brother, oh eldest brother, next time we meet, we'll have tea and chat, drink and make merry, but I'm afraid that's all we'll ever do!

That night, in the main hall of the An family mansion, the patriarch An Yuefeng sat with a gloomy face and a livid complexion. The entire hall was filled with the sharp aura emanating from him, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

In the hall, besides An Yuefeng, Yu Fangfei, Jin Qiaoyu, An Mi and others were present.

Even Feng Xianglan, who had never shown her face in public since her injury and had been locking herself in her room all day, was now sitting next to Jin Qiaoyu. Her face was covered by a veil, and her hands were also covered by a light veil, but her eyes, which were visible outside the veil, were red and slightly swollen, and her expression was full of pain.

Yu Fangfei sat in an ordinary seat, her expression sorrowful, her face pale, and her eyes vacant, as if she was still immersed in the blow brought to her by An Xinhe's death and could not extricate herself.

The scene of her drowning in the river kept flashing before her eyes, and tears flowed involuntarily.

An Xinlian, who had already woken up, sat there calmly and motionless, making it impossible to discern her current mood.