The second floor of the shop had been cleverly designed by Bu Yunyan. From the inside, one could see the entire street clearly, but from the street, the scene inside was invisible. The two were speaking softly when suddenly, Qin Li, who had been resting with his eyes narrowed, snapped them open. Staring at a group of people approaching, he said, "Looks like... trouble’s brewing, huh?"

Bu Yunyan glanced up, her brows furrowing slightly. She said with a touch of resignation, "That’s Du Ziteng, the third son of the Imperial Left General, Du Wei. He’s a complete dandy. His family has two Elixir Shops on this very street. Ever since we opened, their business has suffered, so he’s already been here twice in the last two weeks. He’s arrogant and never mentions his identity, thinking I’m clueless. Heh, he even pretends he’s pursuing me, but it’s his underlings who are so good at stirring up trouble."

"Why don’t you just refuse to see him? Huh? Du Ziteng? That’s a pretty name!" Qin Li’s eyes widened, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. His expression then turned cold. "Scions of powerful families. They receive the finest education from a young age, eat the best food, wear the best clothes, and learn from the best, but in the end, plenty of them still turn out to be scum."

"Hehe, are you jealous?" Bu Yunyan placed her soft, slender hands on Qin Li’s shoulders and gave them a light squeeze, a smile on her face.

"I am not!" Qin Li closed his eyes, not bothering to look at the presumptuous woman.

Bu Yunyan giggled, then let out a soft sigh. "That’s why you need to make a name for yourself in Cyan Dragon City as soon as possible, so you can shelter us from the storm."

Her words softened Qin Li’s heart, touching the most tender spot within him. He said softly, "Don’t worry. If anyone doesn’t submit, I’ll beat them until they do!"

"Where’s your lady boss? Tell her to get out here! Can’t you see our Little General Du has come to grace her with his business?" a rather shrill voice shouted upon entering the shop.

Seeing the newcomers’ attire and aggressive posture, the few customers browsing in the shop immediately lowered their heads and left. In Cyan Dragon City, the only ones who dared to act so brazenly were the children of high officials and powerful families—people no ordinary person could afford to provoke.

The young man in the center, surrounded by his entourage like the moon by stars, saw this and a faint, mocking smile touched his lips. His charming, almond-shaped eyes swept over the faces of the pretty female staff. ’This proprietress, surnamed Bu, is surprisingly shrewd and capable to have thought of this,’ he thought. He had wanted his family’s two Elixir Shops to do the same, but his father had chewed him out so thoroughly that he never dared mention it again.

But he still had a measure of admiration for the business acumen of this proprietress named Bu Yunyan. ’A woman like her...’ he mused, ’if I could have her and keep her on the side as a mistress, that wouldn’t be bad at all! Not only would she not spend my money, she’d actually earn money for me! Where else could you find a woman like that?’

To avoid trouble, Bu Yunyan had slightly altered her name, telling everyone that she was called Bu Yunyan.

"I’m sorry, Little General Du, but our boss is not in at the moment. If there’s something you wish to buy, you can tell me. The boss has instructed that whatever Little General Du fancies will be twenty percent off," a tall girl with bright eyes and pearly teeth said in a soft voice.

This was precisely the shop manager Bu Yunyan had chosen. She was extremely tactful and knew that the young man liked to be called Little General instead of Young Master Du. Moreover, Bu Yunyan had never said anything about giving Little General Du a twenty-percent discount on elixirs. The Du Family controlled two large elixir shops of their own; why would they possibly buy from someone else?

"You? Who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to speak to our Little General? Hmph! A woman who shows her face in public, how are you any nobler than a common prostitute? Get lost!" The middle-aged man with the shrill voice glared at the tall girl with contempt and said coldly, "I’ll give you fifteen minutes. Get your boss here, now. So... improper!"

By now, the guards Du Ziteng had brought with him had already blocked the entrance to the Elixir Shop, preventing anyone else from entering. Soon, a crowd of onlookers gathered outside, chattering amongst themselves.

"Heh, see? I told you Little General Du’s patience was limited! What did I say? It’s happening just like I predicted, right? The first two times were just warnings, to see if that foxy-looking woman knew her place. This time, he’s not going to be so easygoing!"

"Exactly. I said from the start this shop wouldn’t last long! The previous pharmacy here didn’t even affect the Du Family’s business, and didn’t they still get harassed constantly? They claimed they were retiring back in the Great Chu Kingdom, but really they left because they couldn’t stay in business. The Du Family wanted this location! They were planning to drive the price way down. But then this woman swooped in and bought it right out from under them. If they’re not going to make trouble for her, who else would they bother?"

"Heh, so what do you guys think? Are we going to see a good show today?"

"Are you an idiot? Why else do you think we’re all waiting around? Just watch and we’ll see if there’s a show."

...

"I’m sorry..." The pretty, tall girl in the shop started to say more, but the middle-aged man with the shrill voice brutally slapped her across the face.

SLAP!

A crisp crack!

Outside, many of the onlookers saw it happen crystal clear through the bright glass. The clamorous discussion instantly died down. Everyone held their breath, their expressions excited as they watched.

It seemed Little General Du’s patience had well and truly run out!