"Who is this young lady, and what brings you here?" Brother Liubao hesitated for a moment, feeling that he vaguely recognised the girl but couldn’t recall where he had seen her before.
At that moment, the girl revealed her identity, "Brother Liubao, my surname is Dong, and Phoenix Blood is my fiancé."
Brother Liubao suddenly remembered, it seemed like half a year ago, when Gao Jian picked a fight with Phoenix Blood, a young lady visited Sky Blue Building, and later Brother Liubao learned that she was the mysterious fiancée from Phoenix Blood’s family. Afterwards, this young lady came to investigate a case with Officer Fang from the Yamen, and their paths had crossed.
However, Brother Liubao looked at the stunningly beautiful girl once again, and couldn’t help feeling a bit skeptical.
The girl resembled the person from before, but there were also some differences, could he be mistaken?
Brother Liubao’s face broke into a smile, and he warmly greeted the young lady. "So it is Miss Dong. Where is Phoenix Blood? Why hasn’t he come with you?"
Brother Liubao glanced behind the girl and saw a man in black clothing with an expressionless face leading a horse.
Huiying felt a sourness in her heart, "Phoenix Blood is tied up with something and can’t come back for now. And the reason for my visit to your Sky Blue Building, Brother Liubao, is to discuss a business proposal."
Brother Liubao chuckled, "Your entrance is my hospitality, please come in."
He didn’t take the business talk seriously, but out of respect for Phoenix Blood, he dared not treat her with negligence or disrespect.
Huiying and Brother Liubao walked together towards a round wooden table.
After both were seated, Huiying looked around and then casually remarked with a smile, "Brother Bao, it seems that business isn’t going too well here, is it?"
Brother Liubao felt embarrassed for a moment, "Hey, the wealth and fortune of one’s life are predestined. My building has been prosperous for a few years, and now I fear its good fortune has run out."
He sighed, and then again started to beat around the bush asking about Phoenix Blood’s whereabouts, truly anxious in his heart.
With Choo Pavilion snatching nearly all the business from Sky Blue Building, Brother Liubao worried that his own establishment would soon deplete its resources. He thought if Phoenix Blood could return sooner, there might be a chance for a revival. But if Phoenix Blood kept delaying, his own situation would likely turn grim.
Huiying was tight-lipped, despite Brother Liubao’s brainstorming for indirect ways to inquire, she revealed nothing.
Huiying placed a cloth bag on the table, and then she studied Brother Liubao’s face.
In his youth, Brother Liubao was a man whose beauty outshone all others, but alas, as years passed, his appearance declined, and his face now showed many wrinkles.
"Brother Liubao, to be honest, I recently took a long trip and passed through several prosperous places. I saw that men there are fond of applying make-up, and it just so happens that I have some knowledge of the perfume making technique. My visit today is firstly to thank you for your past kindness to Phoenix Blood and secondly to hopefully secure this business deal."
She opened the bag to reveal various bottles and jars.
She opened a few lids and pulled out a small mirror she had prepared earlier, then proceeded to demonstrate in front of Brother Liubao.
She applied some white cream to her face, patted it evenly, then used a small brush to sweep from the arch to the tail of her eyebrows. Next, she drew a few strokes on her eyelashes with a black pencil, and lastly, she painted her cherry lips with some bright lip rouge and brushed on a bit of blush.
Her already stunning face, now enhanced by make-up, took on an even more ravishing allure.
Brother Liubao was astounded, this...