Chapter 139: Lord He’s Reward

Chapter 139: Lord He’s Reward

Liu Zhou was quick-witted and smooth-talking, quickly finding out the location of Changle Marquis Mansion and heading over. Just as he arrived, he encountered Aunt Gui carrying a rather large bamboo basket out the door.

Upon seeing Liu Zhou, Aunt Gui’s first reaction was to quickly avoid him, not wanting this bookstore clerk to discover her connection to Changle Marquis Mansion.

Unfortunately, Liu Zhou had sharp eyes: "Hey, aren’t you the auntie who came to the bookstore that day?"

Aunt Gui stiffly turned around, forcing herself to deny it: "You must be mistaken—"

"It’s impossible!" Liu Zhou said firmly, "That day, didn’t you buy a travelogue? Later, you even brought some pastries for our boss. The name of those pastries was quite lovely, called—yes, Su Huangdu!"

At this point, the young clerk smiled: "The bookstore gets many customers every day, so I might not have remembered. But the Su Huangdu made by the auntie must have been incredibly delicious. That day, our boss had two pieces left, and when a distinguished guest arrived, they wanted to try them too when I was clearing the table."

Aunt Gui felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her head. Clinging to the last shred of hope, she asked: "Who was that distinguished guest—"

Liu Zhou glanced at the plaque on the gate of Changle Marquis Mansion, thinking that since this auntie was part of Lord He’s family, there was no need to keep it a secret from him: "It was Lord He."

Aunt Gui: !

"Auntie, what’s wrong with you?"

Aunt Gui clutched her chest, forcing a difficult smile: "I’m fine, auntie is fine."

She was about to die. She had made countless delicious dishes for the marquis, but she never realized this child was such a glutton!

Every time Aunt Gui thought about Lord He asking Miss Kou for pastries, she felt unable to breathe.

"Auntie, you don’t seem fine. Are you really alright? You’re from Changle Marquis Mansion, right? I’ll take you back, and I happen to have something to discuss with Lord He—"

When Aunt Gui heard that the young clerk was looking for He Qingxiao, her breathing steadied immediately: "You’re looking for the marquis?"

"It’s our boss who needs to see Lord He for something. He asked Lord He to visit the bookstore. Do you know if Lord He is at home?" Liu Zhou felt lucky; encountering this auntie saved him from dealing with the marquis’s gatekeepers.

These high-ranking households’ gatekeepers might look down on people.

"He’s at home," Aunt Gui immediately replied.

Going out requires money, doesn’t it?

Liu Zhou immediately put on a broad smile: "Then could you please inform him? Our boss is waiting at the bookstore, and it’s quite urgent. Here, let me help you carry the basket."

"No, no, that’s not necessary."

"I insist, I’m strong—" Liu Zhou eagerly tried to take the bamboo basket from Aunt Gui, but it was so heavy that it almost fell.

Aunt Gui held it steady: "I told you, it’s not necessary."

She, who spent most of her time in the kitchen, was far stronger than this handsome young clerk.

Liu Zhou was extremely embarrassed.

This auntie looked well-dressed and had fair skin, how could she be so strong?

Thinking about her being from Changle Marquis Mansion, it didn’t seem so strange anymore. After all, Lord He didn’t exactly look like a marquis either.

Aunt Gui led Liu Zhou into the mansion, arranged for him to wait in the entrance hall, and then went to find He Qingxiao.

He Qingxiao was reading a letter in his study.

It was a confidential report from the south.

A soft knock came from the door: "My lord—"

He Qingxiao put away the report and walked over to open the door: "What is it, Aunt Gui?"

This study was where he handled official business at home, and usually, only Aunt Gui could enter directly.

"The clerk from Qingsong Bookstore is here. He says Miss Kou has something to discuss with you."

He Qingxiao asked while walking: "Where is he?"

"He’s waiting in the entrance hall."

Seeing He Qingxiao stride out, Aunt Gui hurried to follow: "My lord—"

"What is it, Aunt Gui?"

Looking at the composed and gentle young man, Aunt Gui kept her myriad thoughts to herself: "Nothing, my lord, go ahead."

How could she imagine that the marquis would act like that in front of Miss Kou!

Liu Zhou sat obediently in the entrance hall, not touching the tea in front of him. As soon as he saw He Qingxiao enter, he stood up immediately: "Lord He."

"Let’s go," He Qingxiao said succinctly, without any unnecessary words.

The two left the entrance hall one after the other, and Aunt Gui ignored the curious gazes of the gatekeepers as she picked up the basket and headed to the back.

The basket was covered with a cloth, and inside was a small jar of freshly brewed grape rice wine.

She had planned to bring the new wine to Qingsong Bookstore for Miss Kou to taste, but now she had to give up on that idea and pray that the marquis wouldn’t do anything outrageous again.

"Boss, Lord He is here."

Xin You walked out of the reception room and looked at the young man entering.

Since it was his day off, He Qingxiao, who usually wore red robes, was dressed in a plain blue robe today. The simplicity of the color only enhanced the beauty of his features.

A pearl shining brightly.

Xin You didn't consider herself someone who valued appearance, but every time she saw He Qingxiao, she couldn't help but feel this way. Then she realized that perhaps it wasn't that she didn't care about looks; it was just that no one she had met before was as handsome as Lord He.

"Miss Kou," He Qingxiao greeted with a calm expression, though his heart was not as tranquil as he appeared.

Xin You smiled in response and invited him into the guest room.

He Qingxiao glanced around; the furnishings and decorations hadn't changed much, but the food on the table seemed more abundant.

For a moment, he had the illusion that all these delicacies might have been prepared specifically for him by Miss Kou.

Suppressing this absurd thought, He Qingxiao asked gently, "What brings you to see me, Miss Kou?"

Xin You naturally pushed the food box over. "I need your help, Lord He. I wonder if you're available tomorrow?"

"Recently, the office has been dealing with routine matters, so I can spare some time. What kind of help do you need, Miss Kou?"

"I've closed a major deal, but I'm a bit worried about attracting unwanted attention. I'd like to ask Lord He to help me maintain order. Once it's done, I'll give you ten percent as a reward."

Ten percent of sixty thousand taels is six thousand taels, which is indeed a substantial sum, but Xin You felt it was appropriate.

Since she had known Lord He, she had received his help multiple times. Although the money belonged to Kou Qingqing and she was the one receiving the assistance, her smooth operations also benefited Kou Qingqing. She believed that if Miss Kou were aware, she would be willing to offer this reward.

Moreover—Xin You took a deep look at the young man sitting opposite her.

If Lord He received a generous reward, she could repay his kindness, making it a win-win situation.

He Qingxiao shook his head slightly after hearing Xin You's words. "Maintaining order for Miss Kou is no problem, but there's no need for a reward."

"If you insist, how can I possibly feel comfortable asking for your help again in the future?"

Seeing the determination in the young woman's eyes, He Qingxiao had no choice but to say, "If that's the case, I cannot refuse. However, ten percent is too much. One percent will suffice."

Miss Kou mentioned a major deal, which likely involved tens of thousands of taels. Ten percent would be thousands of taels, which he absolutely couldn't accept. One percent would be around a hundred taels. If accepting it would put Miss Kou at ease, then so be it.

"One percent—" Xin You hesitated.

"Any more, and Miss Kou would be treating me as less than a friend."

Xin You nodded reluctantly. "Alright."