The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

This woman is too reserved, too mysterious, as if everything is under her control. She gives him an irresistible urge to do something mischievous, and he can't help but want to see the smile on her face crack, just like now...

An Mi's lips twitched involuntarily. Most distinctive? Most exquisite? Heaven knows how clumsy the purse she handed in was; even a beggar wouldn't have bothered with it. How could he have the ability to lie through his teeth!

But after a moment, her eyes regained their previous calm. Under everyone's gaze, she walked step by step onto the stage, but instead of standing with the other four women, she walked up to Bai Yi and met his gaze.

Everyone was watching the two of them, especially those who had previously guessed that the second young lady of the An family had a close relationship with the King of Bohai. They were full of speculation: what was the second young lady of the An family up to?

"I thank Your Highness for your appreciation." After a long eye contact, An Mi curtsied and spoke in a loud voice that everyone could hear, but suddenly her voice changed abruptly, becoming so low that only Bai Yi could probably hear it, "Is it fun for Your Highness to deliberately play tricks like this?"

Bai Yi raised his handsome eyebrows slightly, stroking the purse in his hand. His shrewd eyes darted around, casually moving between the purse and An Mi. In front of everyone present, he suddenly leaned close to An Mi and breathed softly into her ear, "Since you want to make a deal with me, I will naturally see your abilities and whether you are qualified."

Mischievous? He liked the word, especially the feeling of putting it into practice on her—it was incredibly satisfying!

An Mi lowered her brows slightly, and when she looked up again, the light in her eyes was even more dazzling. "So, Your Highness was testing An Mi. What if An Mi disappoints Your Highness?"

"Disappointed?" Bai Yi's faint smile was harmless. "I have a feeling that the Second Miss will not disappoint me!"

As they spoke, Bai Yi raised his hand and gently stroked An Mi's hair behind her ear. To everyone's surprise, he tucked it behind her ear. His gesture and demeanor were as if he were facing the woman he loved, which immediately caused gasps from those around them. The expressions on the two of them became increasingly ambiguous.

They couldn't hear the conversation between the two, but this action confirmed all their speculations. They had already felt that the second young lady of the An family had a close relationship with the Prince of Bohai, and now, their guesses were even stronger. Such intimacy was clearly something only lovers would do!

Qinglan, standing to the side, frowned slightly. Bai Yi's hand beside An Mi's ear was particularly irritating to him, and An Mi... the smile on her face made him feel as if something was blocking his heart. She hadn't rejected Bai Yi's intimate gesture, could it be...?

Pushing aside her thoughts, Qinglan refused to think about the relationship between Anmi and Baiyi, but the growing displeasure in her heart just wouldn't dissipate.

"Madam An, congratulations! It seems your second young lady is about to marry into a wealthy family." In the crowd, a noblewoman fawned over Yu Fangfei beside her, "Although the second young lady is not Madam An's biological daughter, she will still have to call Madam An 'Auntie'. If the second young lady wins the Prince's favor, who knows, Madam An might become the Prince's mother-in-law one day. Our Rongjin City has never had a Prince's mother-in-law before!"

Madam An forced a smile, maintaining her elegant demeanor as a noblewoman. The fawning of the women beside her only made her more displeased. The prince's mother-in-law? If it were her own daughter, she would naturally be happy, but if it were An Mi… She snorted heavily in her heart. She would rather An Mi marry a beggar!

Looking at the two people on the stage, Madam An's eyes were filled with a turbulent emotion. This tranquility... she would absolutely not allow her to climb any "high branch"!

An Mi had already reached marriageable age, and the fact that she was deliberately kept in the An family and ignored in her marriage was intended to let her waste her life. In a few more years, no matter how beautiful she was, she would definitely have difficulty getting married. But now... it seems that she has no choice but to do something!

Madam An sneered, "Our An family should have something to celebrate."

"Huh?" The woman was taken aback for a moment, then realized what she meant and quickly echoed, "Congratulations, congratulations!"

The woman continued to whisper sweet nothings in Madam An's ear, while the two on the stage remained locked in a stalemate. An Mi, feeling the gazes of the crowd, did not shy away from the Bohai King's suggestive actions, and said pointedly, "Is Your Highness making enemies for An Mi? How wicked! Now, I'm afraid many people are jealous of An Mi and wish they could tear her to pieces!"

Bai Yi raised an eyebrow and smiled, his eyes showing approval. A smart woman!

Women's jealousy is always terrifying, but he didn't believe those women had the ability to tear Anmi apart. And those who wanted to make deals with him and gain his support were certainly not so simple!

"Don't worry, I can't bear to see you torn to pieces by them. You still have to prove that you have the ability to deserve my support! Don't you think so, Second Miss?" Bai Yi blinked, and his smile, besides being shrewd and reserved, also had a hint of mischief.

An Mi smiled but remained silent. She took a step back, gave a slight curtsy, and turned to walk towards the other four chosen people. As she turned, she met the various gazes of the four people. An Xinlian's displeasure was hidden, An Xinhe's jealousy was outwardly expressed, Feng Xianglan's jealousy was mixed with inquiry and resentment, and even Yi Zhuxuan was looking at her with a frown, as if questioning when she had become so close to the King of Bohai, yet had not told her.

An Mi saw this and had just stood next to Yi Zhuxuan when she heard Yi Zhuxuan's voice, "An Mi, what is your relationship with the King of Bohai?"

The questioning tone sent a chill down An Mi's spine. She gave a sarcastic smirk. "You should call me Second Miss! Servants don't need to ask about their masters' affairs. Haven't you learned that yet? So ignorant of etiquette, one day you won't even know how you died!"

Back when she and Yi Zhuxuan were both in the An Mansion, Yi Zhuxuan was more like the mistress in their relationship.

But in this life, she will let Yi Zhuxuan know what it means to be dutiful!

Yi Zhuxuan was taken aback and froze, "You..."

An Mi's gaze swept over her, and the words Yi Zhuxuan was about to say froze in her throat. Under that gaze, she felt an invisible pressure that made it hard for her to breathe.

In her eyes, An Mi was always easy to control, but at this moment, she felt that An Mi in front of her was like a different person, making her impossible to grasp.

An Mi took in her reaction, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. Meanwhile, Bai Yi, after watching An Mi leave, sat back down. Just as he sat down, a cold voice reached his ears…

"She's not right for you!" Qinglan's voice was devoid of its usual gentleness, instead carrying a chilling coldness, and even her usual smile was gone.