Eavesdropping on Fu Bao's inner thoughts, emptying the stored grain and fleeing the famine

Hua Ling stood there somewhat embarrassed, never expecting such words to come from the mouth of a princess.

But what Lian Rongrong was thinking was: Get the hell away from me! Who calls you sister? How disgusting!

Faced with Princess Qi's unpredictable behavior, Hua Ling only panicked for a moment. She composed herself and spoke again:

"Does Your Highness dislike me? Or have you misunderstood due to the rumors circulating outside?"

Lian Rongrong looked at Hua Ling as if she were looking at a clown, her expression seeming to say:

Keep talking, I want to see what kind of nonsense you can spout.

However, Hua Ling was quite composed, after all, she came here to try and establish a relationship with Lian Rongrong.

Of course, getting involved with Lian Rongrong is not the main point. The main point is that now that Lian Rongrong's identity has been revealed, Li Yuanqi, who is rumored to dote on his wife, will definitely come here often.

Rather than waiting for that person to create an opportunity for her, she might as well take advantage of her proximity to the opportunity herself.

Once we have this "friendship" today, when Prince Qi comes in the future, won't I be able to visit him with a legitimate reason?

"Why are you so quiet? I'm waiting for Miss Hua to tell me about the rumors going around outside!"

Lian Rongrong glanced at Hua Ling, wondering if the little girl would reveal her engagement to Li Yuanqi.

After a moment, Hua Ling spoke softly, "Actually, it's not really gossip. My mother and the late Empress were very close friends."

I made a joke when I was young, but somehow someone overheard it. Since His Highness's return, people have brought it up again.

"Oh? What kind of joke was that people still remember it after all these years?" Lian Rongrong looked up at Hua Ling.

Hua Ling looked at Lian Rongrong with some difficulty, her fear and apprehension evident in her eyes.

If Lian Rongrong hadn't seen Hua Ling's true face before, she probably would have believed it.

"Is it hard to speak?" Lian Rongrong casually fiddled with the teacup on the table.

Hua Ling hesitated for a moment before replying to Lian Rongrong as if she had made up her mind:

"It would be better for me to say these words myself than for the princess to hear them from someone else."

Hua Ling took a deep breath, her face full of difficulty, but finally she whispered:

"The late Empress and my mother once said that if they had sons in the future, they would become sworn brothers."

If they are both female, they will become sworn sisters; if they are both male and female... then... then..."

Hua Ling hesitated, but Lian Rongrong readily chimed in, "You wouldn't be getting married, would you?"

Upon hearing this, Hua Ling immediately knelt down: "Your Highness, please forgive me. These are just rumors spread by those people outside."

It was just a joke between the late Empress and my mother when they were young, how could we take it seriously? Besides, a man like the Prince is only worthy of a remarkable woman like the Princess.

A woman as vulgar as myself should know my place.

"Miss Hua is really underestimating herself. Whether it is her appearance or her business acumen, Miss Hua is outstanding among people. How many men can surpass her?"

Besides, which prince doesn't have three wives and four concubines? If Miss Hua could really marry into the prince's mansion, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.

Hua Ling never expected that Lian Rongrong would say such a thing. Although it's not surprising that a prince's principal wife would have such thoughts.

But the problem is, she's Lian Rong, a well-known figure! Of course, this reputation isn't exactly a good one.

Hua Ling dared not take Lian Rongrong's words seriously, even though she had really been looking forward to it. But Hua Ling was not one of those short-sighted, vulgar women.

She understood perfectly well that if she wanted to enter the Prince Qi's mansion and win over Li Yuanqi, this woman in front of her was just one link in the chain.

The truly important person should be Li Yuanqi. However, judging from the way Li Yuanqi carried this woman out yesterday, the two are currently deeply in love.

Offering herself to Lian Rongrong at this moment would be like a moth drawn to a flame. Therefore, what Hua Ling needs to do is gradually get closer to Lian Rongrong, destroying their trust and relationship.

Once a rift develops between the two, wouldn't that be Hua Ling's chance?

"Your Highness is too kind. I would never presume to think so. You and His Highness are an enviable couple. I have no intention of joining in on this."

"This humble woman also dreams of one day finding a true love, like the princess, and spending her life with one person."

Lian Rongrong chuckled upon hearing this and said softly, "I was thinking of mentioning my sister to Your Highness."

Since that's the case, then I won't say any more. I wish Miss Hua all the best.

Lian Rongrong's expression was gentle, but there was no warmth in her eyes.

Seeing that Lian Rongrong clearly intended to get rid of her, Hua Ling wisely took her leave.

As soon as Hua Ling left, Lian Rongrong's mind went blank.

What's going on? What's going on here? This woman is so cunning! She didn't say that in the carriage last time!

That's a real dog! So dog-like! Even more dog-like than the Dog Prince!

"Wasn't he supposed to be a lowly prince? How did he become a dog prince?"

They're all the same, meaning the same thing!

Hua Ling's appearance was unexpected, yet it seemed perfectly reasonable. However, Yan Mingyue's arrival was something Lian Rongrong had never anticipated.

At noon, the restaurant is at its busiest. Lotus Hot Pot serves a diverse clientele, from high-ranking officials to ordinary people, with countless customers coming and going.

Even Rongrong, the boss, wouldn't pay attention to everyone.

When Yan Mingyue arrived at the shop, Lian Rongrong was hiding away in a corner, enjoying some peace and quiet.

It's not entirely true that they're seeking a peaceful retreat; the hot pot restaurant's business is booming. This two-story building is clearly no longer enough.

Lian Rongrong felt it was time to open a branch store. However, she hadn't found a suitable location yet.

Just as Lian Rongrong was studying the map of the capital, Shunzi's voice suddenly rang out.

"Boss, something bad has happened! The guests in the top-tier room upstairs are causing a disturbance."

"Are there still customers you can't handle?" Lian Rongrong raised her eyes slightly, not in a hurry.

"This little one is really hard to handle. The customer is making a fuss, saying he found a dead rat in our pot."

"Oh? A dead rat? Are you sure it wasn't your oversight?"

"Of course not. Our ingredients are all fresh, and there are people in the kitchen who specifically check them. This person is just deliberately trying to find fault."

However, I think that woman's identity is quite extraordinary; her attire is even more luxurious than that of the Hua family's young lady.

Lian Rongrong glanced at Shunzi's pathetic appearance, as if in his mind Miss Hua was the ceiling of everything.

"Let's go up and take a look!"

Room No. 1

"You shady establishment, how could you serve something like this?"

Before Lian Rongrong even entered the house, she could already hear the woman's shouts and curses inside. At this time, a large crowd of onlookers had gathered upstairs and downstairs.

Lian Rongrong glanced at Shunzi, who looked miserable and resentful, and said, "You can go down now. I can handle things here."

Shunzi nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. Lian Rongrong then stepped forward and knocked on the door twice.

"Hello, may I come in?"

"Come in!" The voice inside the room was very angry, but Lian Rongrong didn't take it seriously.

Lian Rongrong dusted off non-existent dust from her body and pushed the door open.

But the moment Lian Rongrong opened the door, scalding hot soup was suddenly splashed in her face.