The next morning.
"Boss, morning!"
"Morning."
"We brought back the newspaper!"
"Oh, the newspaper."
"Yeah yeah! It's free! The Millelith were standing at the street corner with a huge stack in their arms, handing them out to everyone they saw!"
"That so?"
"They said newspapers will be free for the whole week!"
"Miss Ningguang sure is generous. So, what's written in today's edition?"
"Boss, I'll read it to you!…"
Zhu Zi stood to the side, holding up the newspaper and reading it out loud.
She was from Inazuma, so her Liyuean wasn't perfectly fluent, but her voice was crisp, and her tone was full of youthful energy. As Xia Zhi listened to her pronounce every word one by one, he actually found it quite entertaining.
On the front page were stories like the restructuring of the Qixing's General Secretariat with the establishnt of a Secretariat unit, or how Inazuma had lifted the Sakoku Decree and would begin normal diplomatic exchanges with Liyue next year. Ordinary folks might only learn about such things upon reading the paper, but for everyone in the shop, none of this was really news. After all, Miss Ningguang and Miss Ganyu often ca by to hang out and had already ntioned these things during casual conversation.
"Zhu Zi, just read out the headline."
"Oh!…[Tianquan Becos a Regular! Juice Shop Turns Into Gossip Central — Is Love in Bloom?]"
"Hmm?"
Xia Zhi blinked in surprise.
"Wait, read that one more carefully."
"Okay!"
After Zhu Zi finished reading it through, Xia Zhi shook his head and chuckled.
Hah, clickbait, huh?
The entire piece hardly had any real substance related to the headline — it read more like a promotional fluff piece for the Sumr Shop.
Charlotte sure knows how to drive traffic.
Still, for Miss Ningguang to go so far as to risk her reputation to boost the paper's popularity… now that's dedication.
"Alright, put the groceries in the kitchen. I'm making breakfast."
"Got it!"
Zhu Zi placed the newspaper on the table.
A little later, Xia Ci ca downstairs after waking up.
She noticed the newspaper on the table, walked over, picked it up, and skimd through it.
"Oh? A scandal between Ningguang and Cousin? Stirred up on purpose… how interesting."
As she read, a knowing glint flashed through Xia Ci's eyes.
Thanks to the newspaper, there were noticeably more custors today than the day before — a long line had ford at the entrance.
Everyone wanted a taste of the juice that had apparently captivated Lady Ningguang herself.
That evening, Ningguang ca to the shop as usual.
And Xia Zhi gave her a massage, also as usual.
Neither of them brought up the gossip article in the newspaper.
As if it didn't matter.
The night passed peacefully.
The next morning, Zhu Zi and Diona went out to buy groceries again and returned with the latest edition of the newspaper.
This ti, the entertainnt section featured another explosive headline:
[Tianquan Spotted at Juice Shop Late at Night — Candid Photo Leaked!]
And there really was a photo — Ningguang delicately holding a cup of juice, sipping with a look of pure bliss.
The lighting was soft, the angle just right, capturing the curve of her lips in a subtly enchanting way.
Looking closer at the article, it was all about the moisturizing and nourishing benefits of lipstick and lip balm for won's lips.
Oh, so it was actually a lipstick ad.
Charlotte… you're good.
Over the next few days, the entertainnt section tirelessly continued spinning stories about the rumored romance between Ningguang and the juice shop owner. While the headlines always teased juicy gossip, the content inside was surprisingly proper.
A week later, once the newspapers were no longer free, the articles about Ningguang's "affair" ceased too, shifting focus to interesting happenings around the Xiao Market.
Still, plenty of visitors continued coming to the Sumr Shop, drawn by the fa.
Xia Zhi didn't pay it any mind.
His relationship with Miss Ningguang remained unaffected — just as clean and proper as ever.
anwhile, the assignnts he had given to Ying'er and Qiqi were now complete.
Xia Zhi picked them up and checked them over.
Qiqi's formula featured gentle dicinal properties, excellent for nurturing the skin.
Ying'er's balm was a snow-white cream, smooth and soft, with a pleasing fragrance.
Xia Zhi nodded and praised them, "Nicely done, both of you."
The two girls lit up with joy at his approval.
"Though there's a small issue — the ingredients are a bit pricey…"
After all, this was originally intended for struggling laborers who had to work even in the dead of winter.
No matter how effective it was, if it sold for too much, they likely wouldn't be able to afford it.
"Let's call this the premium version. I'll help you adjust it and make a more affordable, mass-market version."
"Okay!"
That evening, when Ningguang ca by, Xia Zhi took the item out to show her.
"This is a hand cream made by Ying'er and Qiqi. Would you be interested in collaborating, Miss Ningguang?"
"This is good stuff — of course I'm interested."
"Sa arrangent as before?"
"Yes."
"The formula's here, and I've detailed the preparation steps. One thing to note: the public version uses a few mild poisons, so please make sure to handle it safely during production."
"I understand."
In the blink of an eye, it was December 24th.
Little New Year's Eve in the old world.
And conveniently, a Saturday — a day off.
That morning, upon waking, Xia Zhi held Shenhe in his arms.
Shenhe had woken up too, but said nothing, simply accompanying him in silence.
Until the alarm clock by the bedside rang.
Xia Zhi ca back to his senses, lowered his head, and murmured softly, "It's Little New Year today."
"Mm."
"Ti really flies."
"Mm."
"Having you with … it's really nice."
"Mm."
"And it just so happens… tonight, we can finally resolve that issue with your constitution."
"Mm."
"Once it's resolved, you won't be so cold and distant anymore. You'll be able to smile."
"I can smile now too."
Shenhe lifted her head and gave him a faint, gentle smile.
And then… nothing more needed to be said.
If anything, just that morning workouts were good for the body.
And on Little New Year, of course, everyone should gather and celebrate properly.
Luckily, the cured at from a few days ago was now ready to eat.
Xia Zhi had already sent out invitations to everyone to co to the shop for a al.
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