The Female Lead is Quite Unusual - Episode 50

When Sheng Qian emerged again, it seemed as though she had undergone some intense exercise. The young girl’s face was noticeably flushed with a rosy hue.

This diminished much of her delicate, willow-like fragility, revealing a youthful vitality that suited her age.

“How was it?” Lin Wan was delighted to see Sheng Qian in this state.

Noticing that Sheng Qian had taken off her outer robe due to the heat and fearing she might catch a chill, Lin Wan quickly removed her own fox fur cloak and carefully draped it over her before asking.

Just as Lin Wan had anticipated, Sheng Qian’s reply was exactly what she expected.

“It was fine. Mr. Hu taught me a set of exercises to strengthen my body.”

The young girl took the handkerchief Lin Wan handed her and wiped the sweat from her temples. She glanced at Lin Wan, as if to prove she could truly handle it, and asked softly, “Sister, may I come visit Mr. Hu regularly from now on?”

“Of course, you may.”

Lin Wan smiled and led Sheng Qian outside. “But you’re still young, and it’s dangerous for you to come alone. Whenever you plan to visit Mr. Hu in the future, remember to let me know first. I’ll arrange for someone to accompany you.”

Though Lin Wan smiled on the surface, she secretly resolved to find an opportunity to discuss with Hu Yi, urging him to appropriately manage Sheng Qian’s exercise intensity.

After all, a delicate princess like Sheng Qian had her own pride. Even if she overexerted herself, she likely wouldn’t voice it outright, making her prone to overexertion and injury.

Sheng Qian was still young. They couldn’t rush her growth. Building physical strength wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight; it had to be done gradually.

For Lin Wan’s convenience, the security agency wasn’t far from the Lin residence. In less than a quarter of an hour, the two of them returned home.

Back at home, worried that Sheng Qian might not be accustomed to her new surroundings, Lin Wan assigned two maids specifically to attend to her. She moved some of her own interesting and beautiful items to Sheng Qian’s room and even hired several seamstresses to tailor many lovely dresses for Sheng Qian.

Lin Wan made no attempt to hide these arrangements from others.

As a result, everyone in the household knew that Lin Wan treated this adopted younger sister with great affection, and the servants also showed Sheng Qian more courtesy.

And so, Sheng Qian settled into life at the Lin residence.

Sheng Qian was exceptionally well-behaved and far less finicky than Lin Wan had imagined. Apart from visiting the security agency every few days to learn strengthening exercises from Hu Yi, Sheng Qian spent most of her time at home, rarely venturing out.

Despite her young age, she was highly skilled in needlework. Not long after arriving at the Lin residence, she personally sewed shoes and socks for Lin Wan’s parents and made a sachet for Lin Wan. She even exhausted herself to the point of fainting once in front of Lin Wan.

Lin Wan was greatly alarmed and admonished Sheng Qian, saying, “I took you in as a sister so you could live a good life with me, not to have you do strenuous work.” Regardless of whether Sheng Qian understood, Lin Wan firmly stated her position and forbade Sheng Qian from doing any more needlework from then on.

Sheng Qian was very obedient, and Lin Wan never saw her touch needle and thread again.

But true to her nature as the kind-hearted female protagonist favored by the world’s will, Sheng Qian remained deeply grateful. Since Lin Wan forbade her from doing needlework, she made it a daily routine to pay respects to Lin Wan’s parents. After several months, Lin’s mother even began to jest that Sheng Qian seemed more like their daughter than Lin Wan did.

Lin Wan didn’t mind much and was even somewhat grateful to Sheng Qian. After bringing Sheng Qian back, she had been busy with the escort agency and had somewhat neglected her parents. Sheng Qian was, in a way, helping her fulfill her filial duties.

Sheng Qian was gentle and never difficult with anyone, so everyone in the Lin residence liked her.

Moreover, Sheng Qian seemed to have taken Lin Wan’s earlier jest to heart. Lin Wan often saw her reading books on civil affairs, from the price of a single egg to official government documents. Sheng Qian even bought an abacus and practiced calculations with it all day long.

One day, a few months later, Sheng Qian stopped Lin Wan, blushing timidly, and asked if she could help with the accounts.

Sheng Qian was usually so timid. She must have prepared thoroughly to muster the courage to ask.

At the time, the escort agency was still small, and Lin Wan thought the accounting wouldn’t be too difficult. Having witnessed Sheng Qian’s efforts over the past months, and wanting to put her at ease, Lin Wan handed the account books over to her.

As the escort agency grew in scale and Lin Wan saw how Sheng Qian managed everything in an orderly manner without being overwhelmed, she eventually entrusted the task entirely to her.

Lin Wan had her own ambitions. She began pestering her father to give her business opportunities.

As the wealthiest man in the region, her father’s business spanned not only inns and teahouses but also jewelry shops. Previously, these shops had hired external escort agencies for transportation, but now that the family had its own agency, Lin Wan insisted her father stop outsourcing the work.

Unable to resist her persistence, her father gave her a few trial assignments. Seeing the positive results, he gradually handed over most of the orders.

For the first half-year, Lin Wan’s escort agency almost exclusively handled her father’s business.

Hu Yi was an extremely reliable man. Even though her father’s business spanned far and wide, often requiring long-distance trips, Hu Yi never refused any assignment that took him on the road.

However, whenever Hu Yi traveled, he would load a cart with his own goods.

He explained frankly that he wanted to start his own business, and some of the items were entrusted to him by former friends to sell, hoping to ride on the Lin family’s coattails.

Taxes were becoming increasingly burdensome, and doing business was growing more difficult. Every checkpoint required a travel permit and payment of fees.

Because Lin Wan’s father donated large sums to the national treasury each year, he was granted exemptions from certain taxes. By traveling with the Lin family’s caravans, Hu Yi could also avoid some of these levies.

For Lin Wan, this was a simple favor, and she saw no reason to object.

Hu Yi, perhaps out of gratitude, would visit the Lin residence every time he returned from a trip, bringing local specialties for Lin Wan.

He would also bring a gift for Sheng Qian.

Sheng Qian rarely accepted gifts from others in the Lin residence, but perhaps because Hu Yi was like a half-mentor to her, she always accepted his presents.

Lin Wan admired Hu Yi’s character and trusted him even more as a result.

Soon, half a year flew by.

Everything seemed to unfold just as Lin Wan had anticipated.

Perhaps the assassins sent by Huang Fu believed Sheng Qian had perished in that rare snowstorm, as their searches gradually dwindled.

Sheng Qian, gentle, obedient, meticulous, and exceptionally skilled at managing accounts, was being groomed into someone who could thrive in these turbulent times. A valuable asset for Lin Wan’s survival.

Hu Yi, capable and efficient, led the escort agency to grow stronger, and the agency now had thirty guards.

By mid-to-late June, the weather had reached the hottest point of the year, and Lin Wan celebrated her fourteenth birthday.

Lin Wan didn’t think there was anything particularly special about birthdays, but a month before her birthday, her mother approached her mysteriously and handed her a large stack of portraits.

“Wanwan, you’re not young anymore. Most people get engaged by the time they come of age.”

“Before, you were infatuated with your cousin Li, so we didn’t push you. Now that you’re no longer fixated on him, it’s time to look at other young men.”

“Take a look first. See if there’s anyone you like among them. If not, it’s fine! we’ll find more for you.”

Lin Wan was caught off guard by the stack of portraits and took a moment to realize her mother was trying to set her up for matchmaking.

Lin Wan’s mother had injured her body while giving birth to her and could no longer have children. As a result, she regarded Lin Wan as her lifeblood and never wanted her to suffer the slightest grievance.

The Lin family was wealthy and influential, and Lin Wan’s mother couldn’t bear the thought of her marrying into another family, so she had always planned to find Lin Wan a live-in son-in-law.

Lin Wan had thought her mother was merely entertaining the idea, but she hadn’t expected her to actually put it into practice. For a moment, she found it both amusing and exasperating.

A live-in marriage was out of the question. Too many people had their eyes on the Lin family, and a careless move could invite a wolf into the house.

Moreover, Lin Wan’s innate upbringing would not allow her to submit to an arranged marriage with a stranger.

Still, unable to refuse her mother, Lin Wan accepted the stack of portraits.

She just needed to employ a delaying tactic. If she could stall for two years, everything would be fine.

In two years, the emperor would pass away. During the national mourning period, commoners would be forbidden to marry. After that, war would break out, and her mother would likely be too preoccupied to continue arranging a marriage for her.

Having made up her mind, Lin Wan stopped refusing. Using the excuse of needing time to consider her options, she carried the portraits back to her room and casually tossed them onto a chair in her study before returning to managing the affairs of the escort agency.

Not long after, the door creaked softly.

Sheng Qian entered slowly, holding several account books.

Every time Lin Wan saw Sheng Qian, she felt as though she were admiring an exquisitely beautiful painting.

Especially in the past six months, Sheng Qian’s cheeks had filled out a bit, and she had grown taller, embodying a beauty that hovered between girlhood and adolescence, like a flower bud about to bloom.

Sheng Qian placed the account books in front of Lin Wan, a rare smile spreading across her face. “Sister, we’ve finally turned a profit this month!”

Two months earlier, it was rumored that the emperor wanted to build a magnificent pavilion in the palace. With the national treasury running low, he had ordered another increase in taxes.

The tax burden was so heavy that even the Lin family struggled to bear it, and the various shopkeepers were constantly complaining.

The common people, pushed to the brink with no means of survival, increasingly turned to banditry. The situation grew turbulent, and ordinary escort agencies couldn’t handle the endless stream of bandits along the roads.

Hu Yi was clever. Every time he escorted the Lin family’s trade caravans, he would fly the banner of Lin Wan’s escort agency and had even rescued several merchants from bandit attacks.

These merchants, having witnessed the agency’s capabilities, began placing orders with them. Word spread quickly, and the business of Lin Wan’s escort agency grew increasingly prosperous.

Lin Wan had originally prepared for the worst. If the agency failed to attract business, the Lin family would simply support it indefinitely.

She never expected the agency to start turning a profit so soon!

Lin Wan was overjoyed and couldn’t help but embrace Sheng Qian in front of her. “Thanks to Qianqian’s help, our escort agency has started turning a profit so quickly.”

When she finally let go of Sheng Qian, sure enough, Sheng Qian’s face had turned completely red.

Sheng Qian was perfect in every way, except for her inability to overcome her shyness. Moreover, she acted mature and sensible like a little adult every day.

Lin Wan wanted Sheng Qian to feel more at ease and not overthink things. During this time, she had tried various ways to tease her, occasionally saying exaggerated things to encourage her, often making Sheng Qian blush deeply.

Sheng Qian pursed her lips and shot Lin Wan a glare, seemingly extremely embarrassed, then turned away.

Her position was close to the desk chair, and with this movement, she accidentally knocked a scroll off the stool. The scroll unfurled.

Sheng Qian casually picked it up.

After seeing the contents of the painting clearly, her gaze froze.

She turned her head, her eyes falling on the other scrolls on the chair, and slightly pursed her lips.

“Sister.”

She slowly rolled up the scroll she had seen, turned around, her voice sounding calm and steady, but her eyes fixed intently on Lin Wan. “Are you thinking of finding me a brother-in-law?”