Chapter 498

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Protagonist:

Yan Qianqian

Ouyang Chengren asked, "Are there any private rooms left?" The waiter hurriedly nodded and bowed, saying, "Yes, yes, you two, come with me." Saying this, he led the two upstairs to the second floor.

On both sides of the second-floor corridor were private rooms one after another. The waiter pushed open the door of one, and the environment inside was eye-catching.

The room was decorated in a quiet and elegant style, with several antique calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, and exquisite vases and tea sets placed on the table. The whole atmosphere seemed especially peaceful and comfortable.

Ouyang Chengren walked to the table first, gently pulled out a chair, and then, like a gentleman, said to Qianqian, "Please sit." Qianqian smiled slightly, said thanks, and then sat down gracefully. Ouyang Chengren then sat down beside Qianqian.

At this moment, the waiter came over with a menu and respectfully handed it to Ouyang Chengren.

Ouyang Chengren took the menu and handed it to Qianqian, gently saying, "You order." Qianqian took the menu, flipped through it casually, and said, "I have no dietary restrictions, and I don't know what to eat, so you decide.",

Ouyang Chengren smiled and said softly to the waiter standing beside them, "Bring us a few of your restaurant's signature dishes, and two cold appetizers as well."

The waiter hurriedly replied, "Got it!" Then he quickly hugged the menu and turned to leave.

Ouyang Chengren secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Actually, he had been suppressing his curiosity all the way, wanting to know Qianqian's true identity.

However, since there were other people around, he had never found a suitable moment to ask.

At this moment, there were no outsiders around anymore; only he and Qianqian sat opposite each other.

Ouyang Chengren took a deep breath, hesitated slightly, and finally mustered the courage to slowly say to Qianqian, "Qianqian, can you tell me your true identity this time?"

Qianqian nodded slightly, indicating agreement. Her gaze met Ouyang Chengren's, her eyes revealing a kind of determination and frankness. Then she nodded lightly and said, "Mm, I came back this time precisely to tell you."

Seeing this, Ouyang Chengren hurriedly poured a cup of water for Qianqian, then looked at her attentively, waiting for her to continue.

Qianqian picked up the cup, took a light sip, moistened her throat a little, and then began to speak of her origins unhurriedly.

"I am actually from Dongying Guo," Qianqian's voice was clear and gentle, "My father is a merchant. I followed him around since I was young, seeing many different places and cultures. This time I came to Xishang Kingdom mainly to do the ink stick business."

Saying this, Qianqian paused slightly, as if thinking about how to explain better. Ouyang Chengren listened quietly without interrupting her.

After a while, Qianqian continued, "Chunhua Ink from Xishang Kingdom is very famous in several countries, known by almost everyone. But this kind of ink stick exists only in Xishang Kingdom, and they do not sell it to outsiders."

My father loved painting very much. He once said that if he could paint with Chunhua Ink in this lifetime, his life would be complete. The reason I came to Xishang Kingdom was actually to fulfill his wish. I entered this country with a merchant caravan, after all, that would be safer.

After some inquiry, I found that Chunhua Ink can be bought here. However, I thought that if I just bought a few boxes to take back, although it could satisfy the need for the moment, it was not a long-term plan.

After all, once Chunhua Ink is used up, it's gone, and one would have to come to Xishang Kingdom to buy it again. And there must be many people like my father who love using Chunhua Ink.

So I thought of a better idea—open a shop in Dongying Guo! That way, my father could buy his beloved Chunhua Ink anytime, anywhere, and also sell it to others.

However, when I came to Xishang Kingdom last time, I had asked several shops that sell Chunhua Ink.

They told me that this ink is made by Xie Zhiyi of the Xie family. So I decided to find him to see if it was possible to introduce Chunhua Ink to Dongying Guo.

However, when I found Xie Zhiyi, he clearly stated that Chunhua Ink would only be sold in Xishang Kingdom and absolutely would not be sold to other countries. Although somewhat disappointed, I still bought some ink sticks and brought them back to Dongying.

Sure enough, when my father saw these Chunhua Inks, he was very happy. And when I left last time, I mentioned to you that a batch of goods had a problem.

Actually, that was a restaurant I opened. The original supplier suddenly passed away, causing the restaurant to have no ingredient supply and unable to operate normally.

I was very anxious at the time and had to hurry back to find a new supplier. Fortunately, everything has been resolved now, and the restaurant has resumed normal operation.

Hearing me finish all this, Ouyang Chengren couldn't help but ask curiously, "Since you've solved all the problems, why did you come back to Xishang Kingdom? Is it for Chunshan Ink again?"

Qianqian said softly, "No, Chunshan Ink is what my father likes. I'll just buy a few more pieces to take back for him. As for coming this time... it's actually because of you."

Hearing this, Ouyang Chengren's heart tightened suddenly, as if time stopped at this moment. Could it be that she really had special feelings for him? Could it be that she, like him, had developed affection for each other?

Ouyang Chengren suppressed the excitement in his heart, took a deep breath, and tried to keep his voice calm: "Oh? Because of me? Then... what is it for me?"

Qianqian seemed a little hesitant. She was silent for a moment, as if thinking about how to phrase it.

Finally, she slowly said, "Mm... it's because I promised you before that I would tell you my identity when we meet again. I didn't want you to wait too long, so I specially came over."

Hearing this, Ouyang Chengren couldn't help but feel a trace of disappointment in his heart.

It turned out that she came here not because she had special feelings for him, but simply to fulfill a promise.

However, he still quickly adjusted his mindset and continued to ask: "Is that so? Then you have no business to do in Xishang Kingdom, so why are you still staying here?"

Hearing his words, Qianqian suddenly felt speechless. She secretly muttered in her heart: "How can this man be so bad at talking! If it were another girl, she would probably have slapped him and turned to leave already! Only someone like him would remain single until now!",

However, although she was constantly complaining in her heart, her face still put on a look of shy indignation, and she said coquettishly, "I told my father that the person I have feelings for is here, so I must come back."