CHAPTER 406: 391 CONFUSED HAPPINESS

Afterwards, Jiang Jinghuai sat at the head of the bed smoking a cigarette, while Tian Sangsang lay on the bed, refusing to move.

After a long while, she finally spoke, "You..."

With their farewell imminent, Tian Sangsang didn’t want to hurt his abundant confidence anymore—even his smoking, she chose to ignore.

In a soft voice, she said, "Stay safe." By now, she had more or less become accustomed to seeing him only once every one or two months. One thing had improved: Jiang Jinghuai could now come home every Sunday unless there was a special mission. She should be glad, she thought, nothing worth mourning.

He responded with a low, hoarse voice.

Extinguishing his cigarette, he flipped open the blanket, pulled her into his arms, and said, "Sleep. Tomorrow I’ll take you somewhere."

"You don’t have to leave early tomorrow morning?"

"Nine o’clock," he replied. "We’ll get up early."

Tian Sangsang was rather curious. Could it be that this guy had finally learned to be romantic and was going to take her to a Michelin restaurant?? Full of happiness, she fell asleep in his arms. She even had a dream, straight out of a TV drama. The male lead covered the female lead’s eyes with one hand while holding her with the other, guiding her forward slowly. Then he let go, revealing a sky full of descending roses, candlelit dinner, wine glasses, violin music... indulgent and enchanting.

The dream was beautiful; reality was baffling.

Early in the morning, she was taken along dumbfoundedly, walking farther and farther, feeling increasingly clueless.

Tian Sangsang thought this road seemed somewhat familiar.

She cast him a gloomy sideways glance: "Don’t tell me—you’re taking me to my factory?"

Jiang Jinghuai didn’t look at her. His gaze was fixed straight ahead, his dark eyes particularly solemn and earnest: "Correct."

"My factory doesn’t have a five-star red flag flying, you really don’t have to be so serious."

Jiang Jinghuai chuckled meaningfully: "There may not be a five-star red flag, but it does have the workers you need."

Tian Sangsang froze in place, a mix of joy and disbelief: "Are you saying—"

"Weren’t you looking for workers?" Jiang Jinghuai said unhurriedly, "I found some locals for you. Their backgrounds are clean; they’re honest and reliable. But character doesn’t stay fixed forever; that part will be up to you in the future. They’ve all worked in the cosmetics industry before, so they have at least some understanding, which should make training them easier for you."

Tian Sangsang suddenly stopped, standing still in her tracks, her eyes misty.

"What’s wrong?" Jiang Jinghuai turned his head, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. Walking along, he realized someone was suddenly missing.

She pretended to wipe nonexistent tears: "What should I do? I’m so moved, I want to offer myself to you wholeheartedly."

"Sounds good!" Jiang Jinghuai smirked, "No rush, you can owe me for now. When I get back Sunday, we can do it a few more times."

"..." So could she perhaps take back what she just said?

"You disagree? Should I take it to mean you want to get straight to the point now?"

Tian Sangsang shook her head twice: "No!" She quickly resorted to her shield, "Don’t forget, I’m pregnant now. Don’t do anything to harm the baby."

Jiang Jinghuai gave her belly a long look, seriously nodding: "That was my oversight."

Dizzy... Tian Sangsang couldn’t bear to tell him that Confucius had once said: excessive confidence leads to humiliation.

**

Farewell wasn’t only about sadness; it also carried the anticipation of reunion.

Thinking this, Tian Sangsang set aside her reluctant feelings. After inspecting the workers, she felt pretty satisfied. On the way back, she passed by a small eatery, the aroma of fried dough sticks and soybean milk wafting through the air.

The soybean milk from back then had a richer and more fragrant taste compared to later times.

The shop had only a boss and one cleaner. Tian Sangsang said to the boss, "Two fried dough sticks and one cup of soybean milk." She planned to take them back for her son.

"Alright." The boss carefully packed up the items in a bag, smiling as he said, "Three cents."

Tian Sangsang took the bag while pulling out her wallet to hand over the money. Since she was carrying things, a bill slipped out from her wallet unnoticed.

She walked out with the items, but soon someone called after her: "Comrade!"

She turned her head and saw the cleaner from the store. She looked quite young, probably not over thirty. Her face was small and her figure delicate, her eyes gentle, though her sallow skin indicated malnutrition.

"You dropped some money." She extended her hand, on which lay a ten-yuan note.

Tian Sangsang, surprised, checked her wallet and then took the money. She laughed brightly: "Thank you so much! Look how careless I am!"

Her overly polite attitude flustered the cleaner: "No, no, it was nothing."

This encounter left Tian Sangsang in an especially good mood. She could tell the cleaner’s circumstances weren’t great. If it had been someone else, perhaps they might have kept the money, but she had chased her down to return it.

What Tian Sangsang didn’t know was that the cleaner had indeed hesitated about pocketing the money when she first picked it up. Her child wasn’t even getting enough to eat. But a person’s poverty doesn’t mean they should abandon their principles. She refused to do something so dishonorable.

Money earned with dignity is the only kind worth spending.

**

The shop Tian Sangsang bought had three floors, and it was located on West City Road. This was a relatively bustling street frequented by office workers, college students, upper-class women, and others who enjoyed shopping here.

Three floors. The ground floor was for selling products; the second floor housed the VIP experience area and reception room; the third floor served as storage. Having done renovations before in East Sea, she now had some experience, so Tian Sangsang simply drew a basic floor plan herself before hiring workers for the remodeling.

Naturally, she kept the design in a classic style.

She even hung a large sign out front: "For great skin, choose Yan’s!"

The advertisement worked wonders; everyone who saw those eight words was particularly excited.

The grand opening was bustling with activity. Tian Sangsang had planned to call Guan Kunling over to help, but after hearing Li Qiong’er mention that Lu Chi would be returning to the capital, she hesitated. She needed to think it over carefully.

When Hua Zifeng arrived at Yi Pin Xiang Ju with a few classmates, they were struck with awe.

"This place is so classic, yet it has a touch of European charm!"

"Yeah, walking in, you can smell a hint of floral fragrance—it’s mesmerizing."

"My mom uses the products here. They’re super expensive. Even a bottle of essential oil can cost hundreds!"

Tian Sangsang had no desire to see Hua Zifeng but was forced to greet him with a smile: "Young Master Hua. Feel free to look around." This guy always made her uneasy.

Business partners—good enough. Friends—not worth discussing.

He sighed, pretending to complain, "Sangsang, why do I feel like you’re avoiding me? Are you afraid I’ll eat you up?"

Tian Sangsang kept her expression neutral: "If there’s nothing else, I need to go attend to other guests."

"Don’t be like that," he said with a mischievous smile. "I’m a guest too. I just came to ask—can men use your products here?"