Chapter Forty-Eight: The Ladies Discuss the Twin Heroes

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In the southern city, at the Zhao family residence, Zhao Xiaowan, the cherished daughter of the family head Zhao Mingchen, was gathered with several of her closest friends.

Zhao Xiaowan pointed to a pile of items, displaying them one by one for her companions. “This is an exotic sofa—it's so comfortable to sit on. Come, you should try it. Just be careful, it's quite precious. From now on, I’ll never kneel or sit on the floor again. The aches and pains from that—just thinking about it makes me uncomfortable.”

“Look at this golden thread pattern. You won’t find anything like this in our country of Flowing Clouds. Master Yang was inspired to create this while traveling in distant lands.”

“And this—this is called a ‘cushion.’ It’s so soft! They say it’s filled with feathers from some rare bird. I absolutely love it; whenever I sit down, I can’t help but hold it in my arms.”

Her friends gazed at her treasures with envy. “Wow, they’re truly beautiful!”

“Sitting here is so soft!”

Zhao Xiaowan basked in their admiration.

“Wan, where did you buy these? I’ll ask my father to get some for me too.”

“Yes, I want to buy them as well.”

Zhao Xiaowan was nearly melting under the tide of their envy, filled with immense satisfaction. She said with pride, “Even if you have the money, you can’t buy these right now.”

“Why not?” her friends asked, a bit disappointed.

“They’re not for sale yet. I heard it’ll be about another month before they’re available, and there’s only one shop in the whole country of Flowing Clouds. Supposedly, these things are incredibly valuable.”

“Then how did you get them?”

“All thanks to my dear friend, Su Yunxue. She’s really something now—a factory director with hundreds of people working under her. These sofas all come from her. She gave them to me. She said even just one of these is worth over three hundred spirit coins.”

As Zhao Xiaowan spoke, she felt a little embarrassed.

Back then, when Su Yunxue’s family fell into ruin and she wandered the streets with her son, she once sought help from Zhao Xiaowan. Following her father’s instructions, Zhao Xiaowan deliberately avoided her.

But just a few days ago, she ran into Su Yunxue on the street, dressed in splendor, surrounded by attendants shopping for goods.

She had been afraid it would be awkward and pretended not to see her. But Su Yunxue spotted her instantly and greeted her warmly, calling her “dear friend” as if nothing had ever happened. When they parted, Su Yunxue even sent someone to deliver a set called a “sofa” to her home.

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Apparently, she’d been overthinking things. Su Yunxue had climbed high and had no memory of the past—she still considered Zhao Xiaowan a close friend.

The young man who delivered the furniture was eloquent, giving a thorough introduction. It turned out these were all personally designed by the top master artisan in the country, and not only were the items rare, their prices were astonishingly high.

Zhao Xiaowan was deeply moved, thinking she must get closer to Sister Yunxue in the future.

The group of girls chirped and fluttered, each eager to try the sofa.

One girl said, “Wan, when your friend opens her shop, take us with you. If we go early, we can pick the best ones.”

“Yes, count us in,” the others chimed in.

Zhao Xiaowan thought, Why didn’t I consider this? If I take more friends to support Yunxue’s business, she’ll surely be grateful to me.

She immediately agreed, “It’s settled then. When the time comes, everyone bring your own friends, and we’ll all go together.”

The girls were delighted, chattering on before the conversation drifted elsewhere.

“By the way, do you think the Bai family head will win at the Wuzhou grand event this time?” one girl asked.

“Of course he’ll win! The Bai family head’s talent is unparalleled—how could that brute Liu Changqing compare?” another girl stood up, declaring proudly.

“Oh, listen to you! Every time someone mentions the Bai family head, you get all worked up. You can’t deny you have a crush on him,” the others teased.

The girl retorted, “Hmph, be honest, with the Bai family head being such an extraordinary man and so handsome, which of you doesn’t dream of marrying him? Besides, which family head doesn’t have a household full of wives and concubines? The Bai family head is over thirty and still single. Is there a girl in Wuzhou who doesn’t wish for his favor? At least I’m not as fake as you all.”

“Oho, listen to this shameless flirt!” the group laughed and scolded.

“There’s no doubt Liu Changqing will lose. If he so much as scratches the Bai family head, the girls of Wuzhou will probably pelt him with rotten eggs!” they joked, then added with excitement, “The Bai family head is so reclusive. He rarely appears in public. This is a rare chance to see him in person.”

One girl spoke timidly, “But I heard Liu Changqing is quite a remarkable man too. I’d like to see him for myself.”

“You just might get your wish. If Liu Changqing can stand against the Bai family head, I bet many noble families will be eager to draw him in. He might even end up settling in Wuzhou.”

“Yes, my father said the other four great families are all preparing to offer a fortune to win Liu Changqing over—they’re determined to have him. Even the city lord is said to be interested.”

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Zhao Xiaowan sighed, “Unfortunately, for small families like ours, he probably wouldn’t even look at us.”

Another girl echoed, “Yes, if only we could bring Liu Changqing into our family.”

The others teased, “If your family marries you off to him, maybe that would work.”

“Why not? So many noble young ladies dream of marrying the Bai family head. I have no hope for that, but if I could marry someone equally outstanding, it wouldn’t be so bad.”

Zhao Xiaowan replied, “You wish! Liu Changqing may never have been to Wuzhou, but he’s already famous. Don’t you think the great clans of the big city-states haven’t tried to win him over? Yet he’s still an independent cultivator. What does that tell you? He’s got his own confidence and won’t be easily swayed.”

“You’re right, Sister Wan. Now that you mention it, Liu Changqing does seem to have some pride. I’m starting to admire him a little.”

“Stop dreaming, all of you. Besides the Bai family and us girls, every major power in the city is hoping the two of them will fight to the death. Even if Liu Changqing can't defeat the Bai family head, the families hope he’ll at least injure him. I bet they’re all secretly preparing for what to do if the Bai family head gets seriously hurt.”

“True, all that fighting and scheming is beyond us. But it’s certain that one of them won’t come out unscathed.”

“...”

By one chance encounter after another, Su Yunxue had already gifted seven or eight sets of furniture.

Naturally, her heart was unwilling. When it came to friendship, she’d long since seen through the false affections of those so-called friends. But after some advice from the young master, she understood that these small gestures were for the sake of bigger business. As a competent businesswoman, she could navigate such social games with ease.

Every delivery was made by Xiao Wu, who was quick-witted and persuasive. His introductions made the items seem exceedingly rare, elevating “Master Yang’s” design philosophy to the highest heights, moving listeners to tears and making them yearn for more. Everyone looked up to the master with admiration.

Meanwhile, Zhu Buhuo had given away ten sets, specially selecting the most luxurious one to present to Madam Li.

Both Li Qingfeng and Madam Li were deeply grateful to Zhu Buhuo.