The Marquis doesn't support his beloved wife's ambitions, so I'll take the imperial e

Since finalizing the cooperation with Zhiweizhai, Qingyunge's business has expanded at a visible speed.

Jiang Zhenxue was not content with being just a supplier. Taking advantage of the success of Zhiweizhai, she took over two shops in the east and south of Yunyang County and opened two branches.

Instead of doing everything herself, she selected two of the most clever and reliable employees from among those she had promoted and appointed them directly as branch managers, delegating authority and responsibility and only looking at the final accounts and results.

"Sister Xue'er, the East City branch's revenue this month is almost half of the head office's last month!" The newly promoted manager, Lin Mu, was only seventeen or eighteen years old and was flushed with excitement. "As you said, we only serve VIP customers who pre-deposit more than three hundred taels, but I didn't expect... I didn't expect there to be even more customers!"

Jiang Zhenxue simply flipped through the account book and nodded: "As expected. Tell them to make sure the service is up to par, and not to tarnish Qingyun Pavilion's reputation."

What she wanted was never temporary glory, but a self-sustaining business empire that could continuously generate wealth and confidence for her.

Men may betray, power may change hands, but the money you hold in your own hands is the most reliable thing.

As her business flourished, Jiang Zhenxue became increasingly busy. She seemed to have endless accounts to handle, countless suppliers to meet, and a multitude of marketing strategies to refine.

This gave her an excellent excuse to avoid Xiao Qingyan.

That night, even after midnight, the bedroom in the backyard of Qingyun Pavilion was still brightly lit.

Jiang Zhenxue was hunched over her desk, holding an abacus, typing away rapidly.

A dark figure silently pushed open the door and entered, bringing with him a chilling aura, walking straight behind her.

"Still calculating?" Xiao Qingyan's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a hint of suppressed dissatisfaction.

Jiang Zhenxue didn't even turn her head, her hands still moving: "My lord, these branches have just opened, and the accounts are a mess. I'm afraid something will go wrong if I don't keep a close eye on them myself."

Xiao Qingyan reached out from behind her and grabbed her hand that was fiddling with the abacus beads.

"I said, that's enough."

His palms were burning hot, and the force was irresistible.

Jiang Zhenxue finally stopped moving. She slowly raised her head, her face showing just the right amount of fatigue, but her eyes remained clear.

"My lord, what are you doing? I was only halfway through calculating the accounts when you interrupted me. All my previous work has been for nothing." Her tone was somewhat reproachful, as if she were talking to an unreasonable husband.

Xiao Qingyan walked around to stand in front of her, looking down at her with a dark and unfathomable emotion churning in his deep phoenix eyes.

"Are the accounts more important than me, Marquis?"

"Of course we can't compare," Jiang Zhenxue immediately shook her head, then sighed and rubbed her temples. "But isn't this all for our future? Every extra penny we earn gives us more confidence in the future, right?"

She started spouting that twisted logic again, which he couldn't understand but found inexplicably helpful.

Xiao Qingyan stared at her, then suddenly leaned down, pinched her chin, and forced her to look at him.

"I don't like you like this," he said, enunciating each word clearly. "You weren't like this before."

Before, she only had eyes for him.

Now, all she cares about are account books and money.

Jiang Zhenxue met his probing gaze and sneered inwardly.

She's not the same person she used to be. The old her has been woken up by your slap.

She'll never forget that stinging slap. She'll get her revenge sooner or later, with interest.

Without making a sound, she raised her hand and gently touched the side of her cheek where he had hit her, frowning and showing a hint of pain.

"My lord, please don't do this." Her voice was very soft, with a hint of grievance. "When you get this close, I feel flustered. When I flustered, this half of my face started to ache, like it was being pricked with needles."

"It's probably a lingering effect from that day..."

Her words were spoken casually, yet each one was like a red-hot knife, precisely piercing Xiao Qingyan's heart.

His hand, which was gripping her chin, suddenly froze.

The scene from that day instantly replayed in my mind. Her resolute gaze, the clear five-finger mark on her face, and the burning sensation of his palm...

He thought she had forgotten, or rather, under his subsequent combination of kindness and severity, she dared not mention it again.

But she brought it up anyway.

Using this most innocent, yet most malicious, method.

Xiao Qingyan's face instantly darkened to a point where it could drip water. A mixture of anger at being offended as a superior and guilt surged within him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

"You..." He wanted to lash out, but found himself unable to utter a single word.

Should I say, "It's an honor for you that I'm beating you?" or "You deserve it?"

Looking at his face, as black as the bottom of a pot, yet unable to retaliate, Jiang Zhenxue felt a surge of vengeful pleasure.

This is exactly the effect she wanted.

She wanted him to remember at all times that he had laid a hand on her and that he owed her something.

She wanted to use this thorn to pierce his heart, so that whenever he wanted to force himself on her, he would remember her "violent acts" and thus have reservations.

"My lord, what's wrong? You look so pale?" Jiang Zhenxue looked at him with feigned concern. "Did I say something wrong?"

Xiao Qingyan abruptly released his grip and took a step back, as if he had been burned by something.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the violent emotions surging within him, his voice as cold as ice: "No."

Just then, a very faint bird chirped outside the window.

It's the Nighthawk's code.

Xiao Qingyan's expression hardened. He walked to the window and pushed it open a crack.

A moment later, he turned around and held a small bamboo tube in his hand.

He pulled a note from the bamboo tube, unfolded it, and his brows furrowed instantly, his murderous aura becoming impossible to conceal.

Something has happened in the capital.

Jiang Zhenxue saw all the changes in his expression, and the huge weight in her heart was finally lifted by half.

She knew that this wicked man was finally leaving.

Xiao Qingyan held the note up to the candlelight, watching it turn to ashes, before slowly speaking, her voice devoid of any emotion.

"There are some urgent matters in the capital, and I may need to return ahead of schedule."

As he spoke, he stared intently at Jiang Zhenxue's face, trying to catch even the slightest hint of reluctance or panic in her expression.

However, he was disappointed.

Jiang Zhenxue was taken aback at first, and then her clear eyes were quickly filled with an overwhelming sense of loss and worry.

"So soon?" She stood up, walked to him, looked up at him, her eyes full of reluctance. "Is...is something serious happened? Is it safe for you to go back alone? Should I send a few people..."