Chapter 58: Grand Opening!

Qi Yue looked at his weeping and miserable daughter, a wave of melancholy washing over him.

It was all because he had spoiled her too much, always wanting to protect her and shield her from the cruel realities of the outside world.

Yet he never expected that it would result in raising such a silly and foolish daughter!

After Cheng Yuan left, although he did not believe everything, he still sent people to investigate this person named Lu Bai.

He thought that if his appearance and talent were passable, even if he was merely trying to climb social ladders, though unworthy of his daughter, he could still serve as a useful tool.

He had planned to have someone secretly observe the two of them to keep the young man from crossing any lines, and then arrange a few situations to teach Yun Yue a lesson, helping her see the person before her clearly, which would ultimately benefit her future growth.

Yet who would have thought! His investigator actually found Lu Bai in a gambling den!

Not only had he gambled away a pile of debts, but he was also a sore loser who threw a massive tantrum.

It was simply exasperating!

What on earth did his daughter see in this man!

"Father, you don't understand. Lu Bai was definitely forced into gambling. His family background is poor; perhaps he was desperate for money and too embarrassed to ask me, which is why he resorted to such desperate measures..."

Qi Yun Yue clutched her handkerchief tightly, her eyes red from crying, making her look like a little rabbit.

The more Qi Yue looked at her, the more his heart ached. It was truly a flower stuck in cow dung!

Suppressing the urge to curse out loud, he said, "Father has given you a dozen years of good days, have you not been comfortable? Do you want to live a life where you never know where your next meal is coming from? If you marry him, what will you do if he becomes addicted to gambling in the future? What will Father do if he ends up selling you off as well?!"

Qi Yun Yue was frightened by his outburst, staring at him in a daze, before a boundless sense of sorrow welled up in her heart, and another flood of tears fell.

"Father, I—I want to be alone."

Qi Yun Yue knew that no matter how much more he said, it would be useless. "You are my daughter; even if you are foolish, you cannot be entirely stupid. I trust that given some time, you will figure out the pros and cons on your own."

Watching her father leave, Qi Yun Yue finally could not help but bury herself in the arms of her personal maid and burst into loud sobs.

"What should I do? What should I do? I know Brother Lu is poor, and perhaps he has some flaws, but, but I truly love him..."

"Miss, does Young Master Lu love you?" The maid stroked her back with a heart full of pity.

Qi Yun Yue replied in a daze, "Of course."

"Then if he loved you, surely even if he encountered a woman richer and more powerful than you, he would have rejected her for your sake." The maid said no more.

---

The morning light had just broken. At the tail end of a sparsely populated street, a new shop quietly unveiled its mysterious veil.

Red silks and lanterns hung high, swaying gently in the wind. In front of the door, firecrackers crackled and sparked, drawing countless curious passersby to stop and watch.

The interior of the shop was festooned with colorful decorations, with all kinds of cakes displayed in a dazzling array. Cheng Yuan stood at the entrance, beaming with radiant smiles, enthusiastically and patiently greeting every single customer.

"It's a cake shop, which means desserts, but the ones we make cannot be found anywhere else. Anyone interested is welcome to come and take a look."

"Yes, yes, this is the tasting station. Just let me know which style you like."

"Prices range from high to low, depending on what you need. They are all sold individually, and while it's primarily for dine-in, you can take them to go if you wish."

Xie Changzhi had gone out early in the morning, but by the time he left, congratulatory gifts from various households had already been delivered by pages.

Uncle Wang was inside the shop greeting customers and seating them, his face glowing with joy.

"A twenty-five percent discount for the first one hundred people entering the shop—meaning something that costs one hundred wen only costs seventy-five wen. Also, because it's our first day of business, we haven't prepared a large quantity of ingredients, so everything is limited. Everyone, please make up your minds quickly."

A figure cast a shadow before her. Cheng Yuan sliced a small plate of chocolate cake and hurriedly looked up with a smile, "Welcome, welcome! Would you like to try a piece?"

"Lady Shen?" Cheng Yuan was slightly startled, then her face bloomed into a smile, "What a coincidence. I just sliced a plate of chocolate cake. Care to try some? I even added some nuts inside."

Shen Youli pressed her lips tightly together, looking extremely conflicted on the surface, yet desperately trying to appear indifferent.

"A opening gift. Don't overthink it; it's not like I like you. Since you already sent the new products over, I must return the courtesy. I have no wish to take advantage of anyone. I only came by because it happened to be on my way."

Cheng Yuan looked at the dead end right next to them, suppressed the corners of her lips that kept wanting to curl upward, and refrained from exposing her. "Many thanks. If there is anything Lady Shen would like to buy, feel free to go inside and take a look."

Shen Youli cast a sideways glance at her, and finding no trace of mockery, finally relaxed inwardly as she stepped inside.

"Magistrate Lord? Why would the Magistrate Lord come here?"

"Eh? Isn't the direction the Magistrate Lord heading toward the newly opened shop, Rising Steps?"

The crowd made way for Qi Yue. He had not brought any attendants, his expression was gentle, and he was clearly carrying a gift in his hands.

"I thought it was just a small shop, but it actually managed to attract the Magistrate Lord to come and congratulate them. I should go take a look too!"

Influenced by Qi Yue's presence, Cheng Yuan was cutting a cake when she raised her head and saw a surging crowd walking toward them.

In the center was the Magistrate Lord she had seen only yesterday.

Her eyes widened slightly. Surely not? Could it be that on the very first day of business, someone ate a cake, got poisoned, and reported it to the authorities?

Fortunately, Qi Yue reached her in just a couple of steps, smiling and cupping his hands in greeting, "I wish Boss Cheng vast financial resources, a thriving business, and crowds of customers!"

With that, he handed over a gift box, which Cheng Yuan accepted, feeling flattered and overwhelmed.

She truly had not expected the magistrate to come in person.

"Many thanks, Magistrate Lord. Please come inside, please come inside. I'll have them serve you some durian cake."

Qi Yue waved his hand. "I won't eat. I need to head to the yamen shortly; there is a troublemaker."

He glanced around the surroundings and continued, "If you need any help, don't hesitate to come to me. My girl made it a point to tell me that I must protect her good friend well."

Cheng Yuan smiled faintly.

Qi Yue's words were exquisitely phrased. Not only did they announce that this shop had his backing, but they also clarified that it was because she was on good terms with Yun Yue and that he treated her like a daughter, dispelling any malicious thoughts from people who might see Cheng Yuan's beauty and suspect some improper shenanigans between the two of them.

Once Qi Yue left, customers who could no longer contain their curiosity began to stir, scrambling and fighting for a taste. Upon tasting something that made their eyes light up, they immediately rushed into the shop.

Come on! The proprietress had said the supply was limited and discounted!

Guests who had initially lingered at the entrance merely for the tastings, hesitating because of the slightly higher prices, finally could not resist walking inside after hearing the continuous gasps of astonishment coming from within.

Cheng Yuan watched with a gentle smile as everyone wore expressions of shock, her mood growing more and more cheerful.

It was well worth staying up late for so long to craft a batch of exquisite display samples.

As for the prices, those for the items sent to various estates remained unchanged, but the dine-in cakes were priced from low to high according to size, ingredients, and appearance.

Thus, even ordinary commoners could grit their teeth and treat themselves to one every once in a while.

More and more guests arrived at the entrance, but the shop was inherently small and could no longer seat anyone else.

Cheng Yuan asked the customers to remain calm and patient while she went inside first to coordinate with the patrons who had already finished dining.

"Hey! Young man! You're only supposed to take one piece of each tasting item at most. What is the meaning of eating them all?"