"Li Shuchen, put me down quickly! It's inappropriate for a man and woman to be in such close contact!"
"The roads are slippery in the snow. This is just a temporary measure."
"But... you're flying too fast, and it's freezing cold. My nose is running from the cold!"
Qi Huan struggled a bit but failed to get Li Shuchen to release her.
Instead, Li Shuchen pulled her closer to his chest. "This should keep you warmer."
"...It does seem warmer." She sniffed.
Listening to Li Shuchen's strong heartbeat, she indeed felt warmer, though her entire body was burning with embarrassment.
Looking up, she saw his chiseled jawline. Looking down, his solid chest. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his slim waist...
In this life and the previous one, was this her first time embracing Li Shuchen?
"Host, this is also Li Shuchen's first time embracing a woman. Please, for heaven's sake, don't let your runny nose drip on him. Otherwise, Li Shuchen might develop a complex!" the system chimed in.
"But it's so cold... Achoo!"
Li Shuchen's expression darkened.
He took out a clean old cotton handkerchief from his robe, his movements gentle despite his impatient look, and wiped Qi Huan's face. Then he slowed down and held her more securely.
He meant no ill intent. She was the little fairy who came for him, and he should take good care of her.
It's not like he was slowly falling for her because of her lovely, adorable, lively, cheerful, and kind nature... or so he told himself.
While he pondered, the system spoke to Qi Huan again.
"You did a good deed today +516, earned 516 points."
"In other words, you had 516 customers today."
After the initial surprise, Qi Huan felt a tinge of worry. "I wonder if we'll have half as many returning customers tomorrow?"
"You want to know, Host?"
"Yes!"
"Well, that's a different price! Would you like to pay 10,000 points for me to analyze it for you?"
"Nevermind! Forget it!"
Back in reality, after arriving home...
Qi Huan thanked Li Shuchen and went to boil water for washing up.
Lying in the soft, warm bed, the day's fatigue melted away.
Qi Huan stretched out lazily, recalling Li Shuchen's unusual behavior today.
"System, do you think there's a chance Li Shuchen likes me?"
"Sorry, I don't have mind-reading abilities."
"Then how do you read my thoughts?"
"You're an exception, Host."
"How flattering."
As she chatted with the system, Qi Huan drifted into sleep.
When she awoke, the morning light had already filled the room.
Today was the second day of the noodle shop's opening, so Qi Huan went early to prepare.
She ordered more ingredients from the system for those running low.
She wiped down the tables that weren't cleaned thoroughly.
She kept herself busy, not leaving any time to let her mind wander.
Around noon, Qi Huan couldn't help but glance towards the entrance.
Finally, the first customers of the day arrived.
Two elderly men chatted as they entered and sat at a table in the middle.
Nuan Dong promptly greeted them. "What would you gentlemen like to order?"
"I'll have the beef noodles I had yesterday," one elder said.
The other chimed in with a different idea. "I'll try something new today. I'll have the Yangchun noodles."
As they spoke, Qi Huan had already returned to the kitchen to cook the noodles.
Soon, one bowl after another, more customers arrived.
After the lunch rush, Qi Huan hurriedly cooked a meal for her staff, and they all ate together.
She had barely taken a few bites when Shopkeeper Chen barged in, fuming with rage.
"Little Qi, you have no business ethics!"
"What benefit do you get from this? Ten cents for a bowl of Yangchun noodles is fine, but you're only charging twenty-five cents for a bowl of beef noodles!"
Shopkeeper Chen grew more agitated as he spoke. "Beef is so expensive. At my Ruyi Inn, two taels of beef costs two taels of silver. Yet you're selling it so cheaply. Where does that leave me?"
"People are calling me a profiteer. Did you know that?"
Qi Huan put down her chopsticks and replied innocently, "I didn't know."
"Well, now you do! Change your prices immediately!"
Facing Shopkeeper Chen's unreasonable demands, Qi Huan's expression hardened. "Shopkeeper Chen, look outside. What's the name of this noodle shop?"
"Qi's Noodle Shop."
Shopkeeper Chen answered instinctively, then waved his hand impatiently. "Don't change the subject. I'm talking about the prices."
"Since you know this is Qi's Noodle Shop, not Chen's Noodle Shop, you should understand that I make the decisions here."
"If you want to lecture me, go back to your Ruyi Inn."
Infuriated by her response, Shopkeeper Chen pointed at her and said viciously, "Don't make me discipline you on behalf of your parents."
"Oh, since you're so concerned, I'll have my parents visit you at your bedside tonight and say, 'Thank you, kind sir.'"
Recalling that Qi Huan's parents had passed away, Shopkeeper Chen felt a chill run down his spine.
He left in a huff, leaving a parting threat, "Just you wait."
The big bad wolf always told the little lamb to wait, but did he ever get to eat mutton? Qi Huan wasn't afraid of Shopkeeper Chen at all.
Truly formidable people acted, not talked big.
Those who spouted empty threats like Shopkeeper Chen usually had no real power.
She would confront any trouble that came her way.
A few days later...
Qi Huan was diligently cooking noodles in the kitchen when she suddenly heard Nuan Dong's panicked cries.
"Miss Qi, come out quickly! There's trouble!"
Qi Huan immediately thought: It must be Shopkeeper Chen's doing!
She put down her ladle and hurried into the dining area to see customers gathered around a middle-aged man lying on the floor, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
A woman beside him was wailing, "Husband, what's wrong with you?"
Catching a glimpse of Qi Huan parting the crowd, the woman pointed accusingly at her. "My husband was poisoned by the noodles from your shop!"
"Impossible!"
First, all her ingredients came from reputable delivery sources bound by food safety laws, so there couldn't be any issue.
Second, apart from the blood at the corner of his mouth, the middle-aged man showed no other abnormalities.
His breathing was steady, his complexion ruddy - he looked like he was just sleeping.
Wouldn't he be writhing in pain if he was poisoned?
Wouldn't his face be contorted?
Seeing Qi Huan's scrutiny, the woman causing the commotion became uneasy.
She had told her husband to take a mild poison to make it look convincing.
But that fool was afraid of suffering and the cost, insisting that coughing up chicken blood and pretending to be dead would be enough to intimidate this young girl.
The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, lashing out at Qi Huan.
"You wicked girl! Your father, Doctor Qi, saved lives by healing the sick. But you not only failed to follow in his footsteps, you're poisoning people with your food!"
With that, she lunged forward, trying to grab Qi Huan's hair.
Before she could reach Qi Huan, a kick sent her sprawling.
Li Shuchen said coldly, "I don't hit women, except for shameless ones."
Anyone who tried to harm Qi Huan would have to answer to his fists.
However, the onlookers only saw that Qi's Noodle Shop had poisoned the woman's husband and assaulted a helpless woman, deeming it too excessive as they voiced their criticisms.
The woman on the floor also clutched her chest, wailing, "He almost kicked me to death! My chest hurts so much, I can barely breathe!"
"These wretched people are trying to kill me to avoid me seeking justice for my husband."
"Shut up, I kicked your arm," Li Shuchen retorted.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the woman clutching her chest froze, then shifted to holding her arm instead.
She cried even more dramatically, "You all heard him, he tried to break my arm!"
"Quiet!" Qi Huan finally couldn't stand the woman's unreasonable tantrum any longer and cut her off.
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