Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Four: Joining Forces

The person before them was none other than Ning Zhiyuan, the legitimate eldest grandson of the Ning family and a close friend of Liu Cheng.

That day, Liu Qin had secretly observed him and felt that he was not as disreputable as others claimed. His outward recklessness seemed more like a facade performed for others. She never expected to see him here with Wan Yue, who even counted him as a close friend.

Her guess had been somewhat accurate—after all, very few in Wucheng had truly earned Wan Yue’s favor.

Without waiting for Wan Yue’s introduction, she smiled brightly like a blooming flower and approached him. “Brother Ning, how have you been lately?”

Ning Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow in curiosity, glancing at Wan Yue. He assumed Wan Yue must have mentioned him to these children, and a warm, sweet feeling blossomed in his heart.

But before that sweetness could reach his heart, he heard Wan Yue ask in surprise, “Qin’er, how do you know him?”

Then she smiled knowingly. Of course—it must be because of Qiongjiang. After all, it was Ning Zhiyuan who arranged for her to collaborate with Qiongjiang.

Since they already knew each other, there was no need for further introduction. Wan Yue turned to Ning Zhiyuan and said, “This is Jiang Li, this is Fang Nuo, and this is…”

When it came to Liu Qin, she hesitated. As a young lady of the Liu family, she was unsure whether to mention her identity. If she did, Ning Zhiyuan would surely grow suspicious. Because of how much he valued Liu Qin, Wan Yue wanted to introduce them, but she did not want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

Seeing Wan Yue’s dilemma, Liu Qin quickly said, “My surname is Liu, and although Brother Ning doesn’t know me, he’s very close to my elder brother.”

Liu? Close to her brother?

Liu Cheng?

Ning Zhiyuan’s mind raced. That couldn’t be right. Liu Cheng’s only younger brother was already married, and the household only had a little sister whose age matched. But the gender?

Could it be a girl disguised as a boy?

His eyes lit up, carefully examining the girl before him. The more he looked, the more certain he became. But to confirm, he asked, “Could you be Liu Cheng’s… little sister?”

Ning Zhiyuan was indeed sharp-minded, his gaze piercing—completely unlike the carefree, reckless image he portrayed to the outside world.

“Yes, yes, Brother Ning, you’re very clever,” Liu Qin nodded eagerly like a little chick pecking rice.

Being praised as smart by a child made Ning Zhiyuan smile amusedly. He turned to Wan Yue and noticed her covering her mouth to stifle a laugh. Her curved brows, delicate fingers paired with red lips, and leisurely posture were truly breathtaking.

He stared dumbly at Wan Yue, which oddly matched his roguish image. But Liu Qin keenly sensed that his gaze was neither lascivious nor obsessed—it was filled with deep affection.

It seemed there was a story between the two.

Awakened by Liu Qin’s curious looks, Ning Zhiyuan felt slightly embarrassed that a child had seen through his thoughts. He cleared his throat and changed the subject. “I am a close friend of your elder brother. May I call you little sister?”

“Of course, of course,” Liu Qin nodded enthusiastically again.

“I heard from Madam Yue that Qiongjiang is your venture?”

Since growing close to Wan Yue and Hong Jing, Liu Qin had not concealed the matter of Qiongjiang.

When Ning Zhiyuan first heard Wan Yue say that Qiongjiang was founded by a group of children, he was shocked. He simply could not imagine what kind of children possessed such wisdom.

Having been in business for many years with considerable achievements, he was still impressed by some of Qiongjiang’s unconventional ideas and approaches. He had assumed the owner must be an experienced veteran of the market. To his surprise, it was just a group of kids, which made him eager to have Wan Yue introduce them.

Since Wan Yue had already mentioned it, Liu Qin did not hide anything. She trusted Wan Yue’s judgment. So she replied frankly, “Sort of, but it’s not just me. My cousins,” she gestured to Jiang Li and Fang Nuo, “and many others handle most of it. I just do the talking.”

“Just do the talking,” Ning Zhiyuan muttered with a twitch at the corner of his mouth. Could anyone who merely “did the talking” get things done properly? Truly capable people didn’t need to do everything themselves—they strategized, directed from behind the scenes. Such people achieved great things.

His interest in the girl before him deepened. His eyes were like searchlights, wishing he could delve into her mind and study it thoroughly.

Meanwhile, he silently scolded Liu Cheng in his heart for keeping such a treasure hidden. “You call yourself a good brother, yet you never introduced your precious little sister to me. When I asked you about Qiongjiang before, you kept it all under wraps. Let’s see if I still treat you as a friend.”

What he didn’t realize was that, given his reputation and being an outsider, Liu Cheng would never allow his little sister to have any contact with him. Even if she was still young, it was unacceptable—what if someone as unscrupulous as him set his sights on her? That would be disastrous.

Ning Zhiyuan was completely unaware of how he was perceived in Liu Cheng’s mind.

“You, Brother Ning, also run some shops?” Wan Yue winked at Liu Qin, hinting, “If you have any related matters, you could discuss them with him.”

Oh, so that was the meaning.

This was networking—the most useful resource. Naturally, Liu Qin would not disappoint Wan Yue’s goodwill. Her mind raced, and an idea arose.

“Brother Ning, I do have something to ask. I want to build a brewery. Would you be interested?”

“A brewery?”

“Yes. Qiongjiang’s space is too small. I want to brew more and expand the variety, so we can sell to other towns. But I haven’t found a suitable place yet, nor a sales channel, so it’s been on hold.”

Upon hearing this, Ning Zhiyuan suddenly understood. He slapped his thigh excitedly. “I have a place and sales channels. That’s no problem for me. I just bought a manor outside the Northern City and hadn’t decided what to do with it. This is perfect. As for sales, don’t worry—I’ll handle everything and guarantee it sells well all the way to the capital.”

“Really? That’s wonderful, Brother Ning. Then it’s settled.”

The two immediately ignored the others and began secretly discussing the details of building the brewery. They agreed Liu Qin would provide the secret recipes and personnel, while Ning Zhiyuan would provide the location and handle sales. Investment and profits would be split fifty-fifty.

Ning Zhiyuan was efficient and decisive. He asked Wan Yue for brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, drafted the cooperation agreement, and both signed on the spot, each keeping a copy pressed to their chests.

Patting the document, Ning Zhiyuan laughed heartily, “Little sister, if you could drink, Brother Ning would definitely have a toast with you.”

Liu Qin was excited too. This important matter she had been concerned about had finally found a solution, filling her with a deep sense of accomplishment. She smiled brightly and replied, “Next time when I drink with my elder brother, I’ll have him toast to you on my behalf.”

“Hmph, you’re lucky you didn’t mention him just now. Now that you have, I’m full of anger. I’m going to settle accounts with him later,” Ning Zhiyuan grumbled, then resumed his usual slightly rogue demeanor.

“Eh? How did my elder brother offend Brother Ning?”

“Is that even a question? He has such a precious little sister, yet he never told me. And to think I even brought him two jars of good wine last time. Hmph.”

He spoke with righteous indignation, while the others could only respond with an exasperated glare. Who would casually mention their own little sister in front of friends? Unless they intended to establish a marriage alliance, no one would talk about private family matters so openly—it was simply foolish.

(To be continued.)