Transmigrated into a seven-year-old child, my fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens.

Last time, Zhao Lian brought Qiao Feng over. After learning that Li Chunhua had died, Qiao Feng asked Qiao Dun to go back with him.

However, Qiao Dun doesn't want to return to the Qiao family mansion now because he has learned that his father is dead and the Qiao family mansion is not the same as before.

With his parents dead, he has no one to rely on. If he were to go back, he might as well stay here, since Zhao Feng has treated him quite well.

Song Wenjie was still shaken: "It seems I need to arrange for a few people to protect you. Otherwise, if something like this happens again, it will be too late to regret it."

Zhao Feng chuckled: "Don't exaggerate, Su Ma and the others are enough!"

Song Wenjie shook his head with a serious expression: "No! Look at tonight, Su Ma and the others can't help at all. You're due to give birth in two months, and this is a crucial time. Leave this to me, you don't need to worry about it."

Zhao Feng felt a warmth in her heart. To be honest, she didn't really like Song Wenjie back then. She just wanted to find a backer and take the opportunity to suppress Zhao Lian's arrogance.

He gambled his future happiness on this, and although he used some underhanded tactics, he didn't expect that his gamble would actually pay off.

Right now, she doesn't think about anything else but living a peaceful life, having a son or daughter with Song Wenjie, and staying with them. That's enough for her.

Song Wenjie still wanted the sisters to reconcile, so he casually added, "Wife, if you feel bored, I can take you to the Liu residence. It'll be good for the sisters to look after each other."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Feng interrupted, "Master, I know what you're trying to say. Stop talking. I will not forgive her."

Zhao Feng could never forgive Zhao Lian and blamed Zhao Lian for He Mu's death.

They believed that if Zhao Lian hadn't been so intolerant of her father and stepmother, they wouldn't have separated, and her father and stepmother wouldn't have died so young.

Seeing Zhao Feng's sudden change in expression and agitation, Song Wenjie quickly and wisely shut his mouth.

Forget it! We can talk about this later. There's no rush. Zhao Feng is pregnant now, so let's not upset her any further.

……

At the same time, Tong Lian felt extremely wronged. She had come all the way to find her senior brother, but he actually spoke ill of her and even wanted to beat her for the sake of a lowly servant girl.

She couldn't believe it. Was this still the senior brother who used to dote on her? Running out of the gate, Tong Lian felt lost. She didn't know where to go.

The Song family already has a mistress, and I've offended both of them; it seems I can't go back now.

She didn't want to bother Song Ting either.

It was lunchtime, and I had eaten a steamed bun early in the morning before leaving home, but now my stomach was growling loudly.

Suddenly, Tong Lian smelled the aroma of food. Following the aroma, Tong Lian arrived at the entrance of a restaurant.

The restaurant looked quite large, and it was already lunchtime; the main hall was almost full. Looking up, the signboard prominently displayed the three large characters "Zui Chun Lou" (Drunken Spring Pavilion). Tong Lian stepped inside.

Seeing her walk in, the waiter greeted her with a beaming smile: "Miss, are you here for a meal?"

Tong Lian rolled her eyes: "Nonsense, why would I come in if I wasn't going to eat?"

Wow~ Looks like this girl has quite a temper!

The waiter immediately asked cautiously, "Miss, how many of you are there? Are you alone?"

Tong Lian said impatiently, "A person! Can't a person eat alone?"

The waiter breathed a sigh of relief and pointed to a seat nearby: "One person is fine, there's still a seat here, miss, please come with me~"

Seeing the lobby packed with people, many of whom were men, Tong Lian frowned: "You expect me, a young woman, to eat with all these stinky men? Don't you have a private room? Find me a private room!"

The waiter smiled obsequiously and said, "Miss, I'm so sorry, but all the private rooms upstairs are full. If you're alone, why don't you sit in the main hall?"

Tong Lian plopped down on a stool next to the counter, glanced at the waiter sideways, and raised her voice: "Stop talking nonsense! Hurry up and make a private room for this lady."

This girl seems like someone to mess with! The waiter was at a loss for what to do.

"Waiter, what's going on?"

Qiao Feng came downstairs and saw a bright-looking woman sitting on her own stool at the counter. She looked young, but she wasn't reserved at all. Qiao Feng frowned.

Upon seeing Qiao Feng, the waiter breathed a sigh of relief: "Second Manager, this young lady wants a private room. But all the private rooms upstairs are already full."

Upon seeing Qiao Feng, Tong Lian's eyes lit up. She hadn't expected that the manager of this restaurant would look so young and have such a decent appearance.

Not only was he not greasy, but he also had striking features, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, a tall and straight figure, broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Tong Lian couldn't help but take a second look.

However, no matter what, he was still far inferior to his senior brother. In Tong Lian's heart, Song Wenjie was incomparable.

Thinking of Song Wenjie, Tong Lian's heart sank again: "I don't care, I'm not leaving today!" After saying that, Tong Lian leaned back in her chair nonchalantly.

He then took out a silver ingot and placed it on the counter, looking impatient: "Hurry up and find me a private room, and quickly, and bring two more jugs of good wine."

"Shopkeeper, this..." The waiter had no choice but to look at Qiao Feng.

"What about my room? If no one's here, I'll make it available for this girl."

The waiter couldn't believe his ears. The restaurant had been open for so long, and he had never seen the manager open his private rooms to the public.

Fearing he might have misheard, the waiter quickly asked again, "Manager, didn't you say that room wasn't open to the public?"

Qiao Feng's face hardened: "Nonsense, just go when I tell you to! What's with the fuss?"

"Okay~"

The waiter bowed to Tong Lian and said with a smile, "Miss, please come with me."

"You know what's going on!"

Tong Lian glanced at Qiao Feng, put away the silver ingot, and swaggered upstairs with the waiter.

This girl looks pretty good, but she doesn't have any of the reserve a young lady should have. Her personality is quite similar to Zhao Lian's. Qiao Feng smiled and shook his head.

Thinking of Zhao Lian, Qiao Feng felt somewhat helpless. He had heard that the Emperor intended to marry Zhao Lian, but Zhao Lian made excuses, saying that she was not yet sixteen.

As the New Year approached, Zhaolian would turn sixteen, and he knew he couldn't compete with the Emperor.

I used to work with Zhao Lian and treated her like a younger sister, always showing her concern openly.

Unbeknownst to him, as Zhao Lian grew up, his feelings for her began to slowly change. But Zhao Lian remained completely oblivious.

She had never confessed her feelings to Zhaolian, and now that the Emperor had interfered, she was filled with resentment.

"Shopkeeper, the bill please!"

A shout pulled Qiao Feng back to reality.

"Hey~ I'm here!"

Qiao Feng didn't have time to think much before he quickly walked to the counter.

After Tong Lian entered the private room, she ordered four or five of the restaurant's signature dishes and also had two jugs of fine wine served.

About fifteen minutes later, the dishes were served.

These are all the restaurant's signature dishes, including steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce, boiled pork trotters with sand ginger, stir-fried pork intestines, chicken stew with mushrooms, stir-fried bok choy, and tomato and egg soup.

These dishes are plentiful, enough for three or four people, and they look and smell delicious.

The aroma of the dish whetted Tong Lian's appetite. She picked up a piece of pork rib with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. The rib was perfectly seasoned, tender, and flavorful. It tasted really good.

And then there's the ginger-braised pig's trotters, fatty but not greasy, crisp and chewy—every dish suited Tong Lian's taste perfectly.

Tong Lian poured herself a glass of wine, ate the food, and drank it, one glass after another.