Lin Xiao had wanted to persuade the Prince to secretly execute the cook, but Xiao Wangye said, "Execute him in front of everyone, as a warning to others. Let them know that they entered the Prince's mansion and who they are loyal to."
Lin Xiao received the order: "Yes."
Ye Qingcheng, groggy from sleep, suddenly heard pig-like screams and crying, which startled her. She leaped out of bed like a carp and called out to Bi Xi by the door several times.
Bi Xi arrived.
"What's going on outside? So noisy."
Bi Xi entered with water for washing. As the weather had turned cold, she saw Ye Qingcheng sitting by the bed in her underclothes and quickly fetched clothes to put on her. "The Prince discovered who poisoned him today and is punishing them severely!"
Ye Qingcheng's hand, which was putting on clothes, paused. She looked at Bi Xi and asked, "Who is it?"
Bi Xi, wringing out a cloth, replied, "It's the cook."
Ye Qingcheng frowned. Could this cook have such great ability? He managed to obtain poison and drug the Prince in the mansion without anyone noticing. There must be someone else behind him. But based on Xiao Wangye's personality, he didn't investigate further and instead killed a chicken to scare the monkeys. There were only two possibilities: either he already knew who the culprit was, or the culprit was from the palace...
Ye Qingcheng was chilled by this assumption.
But then she thought it through, and something felt not quite right. It seemed she had overlooked some details.
There were only three people living in the palace: the Emperor, who was still young and in his formative years; the Empress Dowager, who certainly had the motive to do this, but she wasn't foolish. She understood that if the Regent Prince died, it would not benefit her. As a woman, she couldn't contend with all the ministers in the court. Currently, she could only rely on the Regent Prince to live. Then there was the Grand Empress Dowager, but she had been spoiled and neglected by the Emperor, lacking any cunning, and was incapable of this. However, she truly couldn't think of anyone who would be the biggest winner if Xiao Wangye were to be in trouble in this situation.
Bi Xi turned around and saw the Consort lost in thought. She called out to the Consort several times before she came back to her senses.
Ye Qingcheng hadn't quite registered: "Ah?"
Bi Xi handed the cloth to the Consort. "Consort, what are we doing today? Are we staying home or going out for a stroll?"
Ye Qingcheng washed her face and said, "Let's go to the restaurant today! And while we're there, we can check the accounts. It's almost the end of the month, and it's time to distribute the wages."
Bi Xi was envious again. "Ah! The employees at the restaurant get paid so much."
Ye Qingcheng handed the cloth to her to wash her hands. "Don't be silly. I actually gave you a raise last month."
Bi Xi chuckled and said no more.
After breakfast, the two of them drove to the restaurant. The shopkeeper, knowing it was the scheduled time for the Consort to check the accounts, smilingly presented the ledgers with both hands.
Ye Qingcheng still didn't know how to use an abacus after all this time. The shopkeeper understood and found some paper, asking the Consort to verify the calculations.
On the bustling street, a carriage stopped at "Seemingly Like Flowing Water."
The maid following outside the carriage saw that they had arrived and reminded her mistress inside: "Miss, we're here."
A pair of slender, long hands slowly lifted the curtain, looking at the restaurant's signboard. "Seemingly Like Flowing Water. The owner of this place is quite a witty person!"
The accompanying coachman, being perceptive and understanding that his mistress was about to alight, had already prepared a stepstool.
The woman lifted the carriage door and was helped down from the carriage by her maid.
The woman wore a long veiled hat, but it couldn't completely hide the hint of her exceptional elegance.
As soon as the woman entered the restaurant, she was astonished by its decor.
"The architectural style of this restaurant is truly unique!"
Xiao Wangye was in his study reviewing memorial documents when Lin Xiao burst in.
Xiao Wangye glanced at him displeasantly and continued to dip his ink and write.
"When did you become so impolite?"
Lin Xiao, realizing his oversight belatedly, bowed. "Reporting to Your Highness, our informant reports that Miss Murong has returned."
Xiao Wangye's hand, holding the brush, paused. He looked up sharply at Lin Xiao, his tone mixed with disbelief. "Yun'er is back?"
Lin Xiao nodded. "Yes. The informant said that as soon as Miss Murong returned to the capital, she went to the Consort's restaurant."
He actually understood that with Murong Yun's return, the Prince's heart would no longer be with the Consort, and thus the Consort would be in an awkward position.
Ye Qingcheng had just finished reviewing the ledgers and had the money prepared for distribution to the employees. She finally stretched, moving her neck.
She called out to Bi Xi, who had accompanied her all morning. "Bi Xi, do you want to eat something? I'll ask the chef to make it."
Bi Xi was, of course, willing! She nodded repeatedly. "Okay, okay! Consort, we've been to the restaurant so many times, but we've never really explored it properly. Last time I heard Miss Li say that the restaurant you designed has many small mechanisms, so..."
Ye Qingcheng smiled. "So you want to see them?"
Bi Xi nodded happily.
Ye Qingcheng was naturally magnanimous.
"Alright, since the meal will take a while, I'll take you for a tour."
Bi Xi was even happier.
Ye Qingcheng intended to lead her to search for small mechanisms on the first floor, but she bumped into that young lady at the staircase.
Ye Qingcheng was a little puzzled as to why someone would wear a long veiled hat inside the restaurant, but she didn't say anything. Perhaps it was a personal preference. As it turned out, the other woman called out to her first.
"Miss, please stop."
Ye Qingcheng instinctively stopped and looked back at her, pointing at herself. "Are you calling me?"
Ye Qingcheng couldn't see her face clearly but felt that she was smiling.
She nodded. "Yes! May I know your name, Miss?"
Just as Ye Qingcheng was about to speak, she suddenly heard the sound of a wheelchair and turned to see Xiao Wangye being pushed by Lin Xiao.
Ye Qingcheng was confused. "Why are you here?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a voice came from behind her. "Brother Xiao."
Ye Qingcheng turned to look. The woman had lifted her veil. She was an incomparable beauty. Wearing the veil enhanced her mysteriousness, and taking it off gave her a transcendent, ethereal beauty, rising above herself. Every movement she made carried an elegant and charming demeanor.
Ye Qingcheng also noticed a tenderness in Xiao Wangye's eyes that she had never seen before. "Yun'er, you're back."
Ye Qingcheng couldn't help but widen her eyes, shocked beyond her own understanding, her pupils trembling.
She was... Murong Yun.
The female protagonist of this novel had finally appeared.
Her appearance could only signify... the story had reached its main plot.
Indeed, with Murong Yun's appearance, others seemed unremarkable.
The male and female leads had finally met.
Murong Yun's address of "Brother Xiao" pulled Xiao Wangye's thoughts back to his childhood, and her repeated calls: "Brother Xiao."
After many years, he heard the girl in his heart call him "Brother Xiao" once more.
For some reason, this scene caused a sharp pain in Ye Qingcheng's heart.
Her body also trembled uncontrollably for a moment.
Murong Yun covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes sparkling. "I shouldn't call you Brother Xiao now. I should pay my respects to Your Highness."
Xiao Wangye smiled gently. "You can use my childhood address."
Murong Yun looked at him with a smile. "Brother Xiao, do you know how much I missed you?"