Chapter 492: Chapter 492: Neither Initiating Nor Refusing

He didn’t dare to look up, afraid that his distaste might unintentionally show in his eyes and hurt Wu Na.

Gu Ruinian didn’t expect that after hearing his words, Wu Na’s gaze would become even more intense and fiery.

Oh no, it seemed Wu Na’s feelings for him were even more passionate than he had thought.

Forget it, a young girl in love wouldn’t give up even in the face of rejection.

Gu Ruinian didn’t like Wu Na, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t pleased by her affection.

Wu Na, like her aunt Gu Honglian, was spoiled and foolish. If she caused a scene, he wouldn’t be able to stay at Wu Ji.

Since it wasn’t him who provoked the girl, he decided to neither actively pursue her nor blatantly reject her.

Gu Ruinian thought that Wu Na’s behavior today wasn’t entirely a bad thing. At least it gave him hope for the Second Miss Lian.

If he could make Wu Na obsessed with him, he could also make the Second Miss Lian fall for him.

A smile appeared on Gu Ruinian’s face, which to Wu Na looked like a signal that he liked her too.

Wu Na made up her mind; she was determined to marry Gu Ruinian, even if her parents opposed it. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

...

Gu Ruinian, though chased away by the gatekeepers, was still unwilling to give up on courting the Second Miss Lian.

He wandered near the Lian family home every day.

Hoping to encounter the Second Miss Lian’s maids or old servants.

Women are generally easier to deal with than men.

After several days of waiting without success, he unexpectedly encountered the Second Miss Lian’s carriage at Jufu again.

Unfortunately, the carriage drove straight to the back courtyard of Jufu, and he couldn’t even catch a glimpse of the Second Miss Lian, which made him curse Gu Taohua and Tong Huaqiong for their cunningness.

Tong Huaqiong and the Second Miss Lian were discussing a partnership to sell pearls.

Initially, due to the scandal caused by Huang Jingshan breaking off her engagement with the Second Young Master Lian, Tong Huaqiong had no favorable feelings toward the Lian family.

The Second Miss Lian also carried the Lian surname, and since she had been proposed as a match to Gu Ruinian before, Tong Huaqiong was even less inclined to separate her from the Lian family.

Therefore, when the Second Miss Lian first came to discuss a partnership with Tong Huaqiong, she didn’t even meet her and refused outright.

The Second Miss Lian was persistent and returned to propose again.

Tong Huaqiong met with her once and, using her keen judgment from two lifetimes, discovered that the Second Miss Lian was different from the rumored Lian family members.

She had ideas, decisiveness, and principles.

When Tong Huaqiong learned that the pearls of the Second Miss Lian were not purchased elsewhere but cultivated from raising mussels, she saw her in a new light.

The Second Miss Lian valued the customer flow of Tong Huaqiong’s Jufu, and wanted to set up a pearl stall there.

All the products at Tong Huaqiong’s supermarket were self-managed, and she had never planned to host stalls for other products, but the Second Miss Lian came to discuss cooperation and advantages multiple times, making it hard for her to refuse.

The Second Miss Lian was willing to give Tong Huaqiong a 40% profit share, and Tong Huaqiong calculated that this business deal was quite worthwhile.

Jufula Supermarket opened in Pingchuan County, and due to its wide variety of goods, it impacted other shops. Many shopkeepers considered Jufu as market competition, yet only the Second Miss Lian saw new business opportunities and was willing to collaborate for mutual success.

Opening her own pearl stall in someone else’s shop, Tong Huaqiong admired such a visionary person.

Allowing other merchants to settle in her shop fit into Tong Huaqiong’s future mall planning, not in the current Jufu Supermarket but in her long-term vision.

The Second Miss Lian’s request prompted Tong Huaqiong to decide to practice the mall model ahead of time.

"As I know, the Lian family has their shops not just in Pingchuan County but also in Government City. Why do you want to place a pearl stall in my supermarket?" Tong Huaqiong asked.

Doing business in Pingchuan County, Tong Huaqiong naturally had a clear understanding of all the major commercial players.

The Lian family was the largest pearl merchant in Pingchuan County.

The Second Miss Lian smiled, "I’m respected as the Second Miss Lian outside, but in reality, many people privately scorn me as illegitimate. No matter how capable a young lady is, the family will not entrust their shop to her, let alone an illegitimate daughter like me."

Tong Huaqiong understood; no matter how many shops the Lian family had, they had nothing to do with the Second Miss Lian ultimately.

The Lian family had three legitimate sons, so no matter what the Second Miss Lian did, it was nothing but making wedding clothes for her half-brothers. Even though Mr. Lian adored her, at most, he would prepare a dowry for her when she married, but wouldn’t hand over the pearl business to her.

If Tong Huaqiong were the Second Miss Lian, would she be content? Definitely not.

The Second Miss Lian was the same.

Starting anew outside might not necessarily compete successfully with the existing shops of the Lian family.

Partnering with Jufu, leveraging its customer flow and reputation, offered a chance to open a new path.

This was also why the Second Miss Lian was willing to give up 40% of the profit to Tong Huaqiong.

It had to be said that the Second Miss Lian indeed had the skill and determination, which Tong Huaqiong admired, prompting her willingness to collaborate.

Tong Huaqiong said, "Miss, I can give you a stall, but I’m concerned that it might bring trouble for Jufu. We’ve always maintained a peaceful distance from the Lian family, and if a pearl stall causes them to target us, it would be a loss-making deal."

Just as the Second Miss Lian mentioned, there were three legitimate sons in the Lian family, and their family business would never be hers. She didn’t want to be the foil to her half-brothers. Although she seemed favored in the Lian family, there were unseen dangers everywhere, and she didn’t want to be the background to her brothers’ ambitions.

Her starting anew at Jufu would certainly provoke dissatisfaction from her brothers.

If the three brothers came to cause trouble at Jufu, Tong Huaqiong believed she had the capability to handle it.

But she wanted to hear the Second Miss Lian’s thoughts since she only intended to do business with her and had no obligation to clean up after her.

The Second Miss Lian smiled brightly; Tong Huaqiong was even smarter than she had thought.

Both being intelligent, the Second Miss Lian understood Tong Huaqiong’s intentions.

"Aunt Tong." The Second Miss Lian changed her address from Manager Tong to Aunt Tong, "We’ve already collaborated once before we even met."

Tong Huaqiong squinted slightly, feeling a stir in her heart. Could it be related to the broken engagement between Huang Jingshan and the Lian family?

The Second Miss Lian did not bother with riddles and directly said, "I heard it was you who mediated between Miss Huang and the Government City Lu Family."

Tong Huaqiong laughed; she had guessed correctly.

"My second brother is worthless; all he does is indulge in eating, drinking, womanizing, and causing trouble for me and my young mom. How could I let him marry well into the Yue family?"

The Second Miss Lian’s eyes sparkled, unconcerned about admitting how she thwarted the marriage between the Lian and Huang families.

"Initially, I just wanted to deal with my useless second brother, but inadvertently, it resulted in a good match between the Huang and Lu families."

Tong Huaqiong was left speechless, smiling.

She had thought Huang Jingshan and Lu Zhaoyang’s match was a destiny ordained by heaven, but it turned out to be the Second Miss Lian’s doing.

Because of her actions, the news of the Second Young Master Lian forcing a maid to her death could not be concealed. The Huang family broke off the engagement, and through Lu Zhaoyang’s further cunning design, the Second Young Master Lian was abandoned by the family.

An abandoned young master, practically cast aside by the family.

It had to be admitted, the Second Miss Lian was ruthless enough.

How old was the Second Miss Lian?

At most two years older than Gu Taohua; her shrewdness and skill made Gu Taohua seem somewhat immature in comparison.

Unintentionally, Tong Huaqiong asked, "The maid Qiu Yu, driven to death by your brother, was from our neighboring village, such a pity for her."

The Second Miss Lian said, "Yes, a pity for Qiu Yu. Aunt Tong, you might suspect I set up Qiu Yu and my brother, but whether you believe it or not, I didn’t interfere. My young mom was my father’s personal maid, and I find any dealings with gentlemen taking personal maids absolutely revolting."

Tong Huaqiong said, "I believe you."

Eventually, the conversation returned to the pearl stall.

The Second Miss Lian, having reached an agreement with Tong Huaqiong, left Jufu.