The Vicious Female Supporting Character Just Wants to Cuddle with the Heroine - Chapter 16

The woman sat down first and said, “I heard that Miss Ning is hiring a manager. I’ve read some books and would like to give it a try. Is that possible?”

“Of course, but first, you have to tell me who you are and why you want to be a manager.”

Ning Xin looked at the woman across from her unhurriedly. Although she was in a hurry, she believed in quality over quantity.

The woman looked at Ning Xin with a hint of nervousness and then said, “My name is Sun Jingzhu, and I’m 32 years old this year. My family used to run a private school, but my husband fell ill at the beginning of the year. We spent all our savings, but he hasn’t gotten better, and the school couldn’t be sustained.”

“So you have to take care of a large family?”

“My husband and I moved out of the family long ago. My in-laws live with his younger brother, and we just give them a fixed amount of money every year.”

“How many children do you have?”

“Two, a boy and a girl. The boy is thirteen, and the girl is eight.”

Ning Xin nodded and said, “Then come and try tomorrow. If it works out, you can stay and be a manager. As a manager here, you’ll get at least ten taels of silver a month.”

“That’s wonderful! Thank you, thank you, Miss Ning!”

“You should head home now. I need to eat.”

“Okay.”

After Sun Jingzhu left, Ning Xin began her meal. She was actually a person with strong boundaries and disliked eating with strangers. Aside from Shen Qingzhi, she didn’t need to please anyone else here. She wasn’t one to put on airs as a master, so being a little distant was just a way to maintain distance and make management easier.

The food at this inn was quite delicious. As Ning Xin ate, she thought of Shen Qingzhi. Shen Qingzhi must have found out she left by now and was probably very angry. It looked like she would have to coax her back into favor when she returned.

Sun Jingzhu was a quick study and picked up on everything Ning Xin taught her. Ning Xin was very satisfied with her, as the faster things were set up here, the sooner she could go back.

Sun Jingzhu cherished this opportunity. For a woman like her, having to support a sick husband and two young children was incredibly difficult. If it weren’t for Ning Xin, she wouldn’t even know how she would survive. Ning Xin had given her a chance to live.

When Ning Xin felt that Sun Jingzhu was ready to take over, she went to lease a small shop and, at the same time, took over two rice shops that were about to close down. She didn’t expect the rice shops to make a profit; she just wanted a legitimate way to hoard rice.

After a month of this, the rice shops were acquired, and the soap and rouge shop also opened. The soap and rouge shop here was positioned as a mid-range brand. The products were priced higher than others but were of superior quality. Ning Xin believed that over time, this place would generate a steady stream of income.

As for the shop itself, she understood the saying “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.” Without a powerful backer here, an overly large shop would attract unwanted attention, while a small one wouldn’t be profitable. This moderate size was just right.

After temporarily handing things over to Sun Jingzhu, Ning Xin set off for home. She hadn’t expected to be delayed for so long. She wondered how angry Shen Qingzhi must be in the imperial city.

Shen Qingzhi was indeed angry at first, but as time went on, her anger turned into worry. She now worried about Ning Xin every day, wondering if she was being mistreated, if she was eating well, sleeping well, or even… if she missed her just a little bit. Shen Qingzhi was just about to find some time to visit the estate when a maid came to tell her that the Third Prince, Huangfu Yi, had arrived and wanted to see her.

Shen Qingzhi used to have a good impression of Huangfu Yi, but now that she had someone in her heart, her impression of him was naturally different.

Huangfu Yi was very happy to see Shen Qingzhi. “Qingzhi, long time no see.”

“Does Your Highness need something from me?”

“Since our marriage has been arranged for so long, I was thinking we could get married sooner rather than later.”

Shen Qingzhi frowned slightly and then refused, “Now is not the right time to get married. Let’s wait a bit longer.”

“Qingzhi, do you… have someone else you like? I heard you and Tan…”

“Stop! Your Highness is so quick to believe baseless rumors. We are not yet married, and meeting like this is ultimately inappropriate. I won’t see Your Highness out.”

After saying this, Shen Qingzhi turned and left.

This Huangfu Yi was indeed not a good match. Ning Xin was completely right. It seemed that the most important thing for her now was to dissolve the engagement as soon as possible.

Huangfu Yi had originally thought that Shen Qingzhi would agree to marry him soon to save her reputation, but now, Shen Qingzhi was completely unswayed. It was all Zhang Ruyu’s fault! If it weren’t for the information she gave him, why would he have come to see Shen Qingzhi so rashly? He wouldn’t do anything to Shen Qingzhi, but Zhang Ruyu… he could find a way to deal with her!

Shen Qingzhi returned to her room, so angry that she drank two cups of water. After drinking, she took out the pouch that Ning Xin had embroidered and looked at it for a while before her anger subsided.

At this moment, Ning Xin had already returned to the estate. The long journey had left her exhausted, so she washed up and went to sleep as soon as she got back. Before she slept, she didn’t forget to send a message to Shen Qingzhi.

The next day, as soon as Shen Qingzhi received the message, she rode out of the city to find Ning Xin.

Shen Qingzhi rode quickly and arrived at the estate in the afternoon. The moment she saw Ning Xin, she really wanted to rush over and hug her, but she held back. She was afraid of scaring Ning Xin. Ning Xin wouldn’t be able to accept her feelings.

The moment Ning Xin saw Shen Qingzhi, she realized that she had actually missed her during this time. It seemed she had become used to her presence. “Sister Shen, I’ve missed you.”

After saying this, Ning Xin walked over and hugged Shen Qingzhi’s waist. Shen Qingzhi’s waist was very slender, and her familiar scent was just as she remembered.

Shen Qingzhi’s eyes widened instantly. She hadn’t expected Ning Xin to hug her. The desire she had struggled to suppress was once again broken by Ning Xin’s simple action. She knew in her heart that she should push Ning Xin away at this moment, but she couldn’t. Her hands had already followed her heart’s desire and hugged Ning Xin back.

“Sister, let’s eat together later. I have so much to tell you.”

“Okay.”

When Ning Xin was about to let go, she realized Shen Qingzhi was holding her very tightly. A pang of guilt rose in her heart. “I was willful and left on a trip, which must have worried you. I’m sorry.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingzhi seemed to snap out of a trance and loosened her grip on Ning Xin. “So you know you worried me? Can an apology fix everything you did?”

“Then what do you want me to do, Sister? Just say it, and I’ll see if I can do it.”

Ning Xin looked at Shen Qingzhi with a playful smile. She could feel that Shen Qingzhi’s concern for her outweighed her blame, so she wasn’t scared at all.

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