She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 105 - 104 Coming for the Pretty Boys

Chapter 105: Chapter 104 Coming for the Pretty Boys

Following the young lady and her two maidens, another old woman servant and two daughters-in-law entered. These five servants, each one of them was dressed brightly and carried an extraordinary presence.

Looking at the young lady, who appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, she had delicate features and almond-shaped eyes, with a fair and gentle oval face. She was dressed in a light purple gauze dress embroidered with a pattern of butterflies and flowers of the same color. Her head was adorned with a vermillion gold, jade-dotted hairpin, and swinging ornaments. Indeed, she was ethereal in her grace, tender and delicate in her beauty.

It was just past the Chen Hour, and at such an early time on normal days, there wouldn’t be any customers visiting the small eatery, let alone a young lady of status gracing the establishment.

Could this be a groundbreaking moment? Ye Xinyan’s heart leaped with excitement. If that was the case, she could really rent the neighboring space as well and open it exclusively for female customers.

Before Ye Xinyan could continue envisioning the future, she noticed that Jinrong’s expression was off.

Jinrong saw this beautiful woman and remained unmoved, but what was more, the fried milk he was about to put in his mouth stopped in its tracks. He then put the spoon back into the bowl, looking as if he had lost his appetite for the food.

Afterward, he cast a disdainful glance at Jiang Yifan and called out to Nanny Jin, who was going to greet the guests, "Shopkeeper, since there’s a female guest in your establishment, it is inconvenient for us to stay in the front hall. Please tidy up the back hall for us; we will sit there for a while and also call Lady Qi over for a chat."

Nanny Jin was stunned for a moment. It wasn’t appropriate for the Sixth Master to command her in such a way, was it? What did he mean by calling Lady Qi over for a chat? Her own young lady was a woman too and it was also inconvenient, wasn’t it?

Jinrong frowned and asked, "What? Is that not possible?"

"Yes, yes, of course, Sixth Master. Please." Nanny Jin quickly replied.

They were nobility, and since he had made such a command, she could only obey and act accordingly. Prince Yu and Lord Jiang might not have brought many attendants with them, but each had a young servant by their side. Four grown men in this small shop with that delicate young lady—if they really did offend the young lady, Prince Yu and Lord Jiang would surely be fine, but it would spell trouble for her little eatery.

The shop wasn’t big, so Ye Xinyan could hear everything clearly. Seeing the young lady’s slightly embarrassed expression, she immediately understood. That young lady had come for Jinrong and the others, or at least for one of them.

Jinrong was truly being unreasonable. If it was inconvenient, then just leave; why insist on going to the back hall? Moreover, why require her to go there to talk? This was nothing short of looking for trouble.

Putting aside those damn rules about men and women keeping their distance, wouldn’t his actions make the young lady resent her, drawing hatred toward her? Was she expected to run her business under such conditions?

Nanny Jin was in a dilemma, unsure whether to attend to the guests first or to leave the guests behind and serve His Highness Prince Yu in the back hall. Although His Highness’s status was exalted, the young lady wasn’t aware of it; if she prioritized serving Prince Yu, the young lady would definitely feel neglected by the small eatery and would unquestionably be upset.

Ye Xinyan gestured to Nanny Jin to take care of the back hall while she herself would attend to the guests.

The young lady clearly did not come from an ordinary family, and it would be wise not to offend her. If she casually followed Jinrong to the back hall, it wouldn’t matter for her reputation, but she and her eatery would be hated by the young lady.

She had better be smart and bear the young lady’s resentment first. If the young lady vented her anger at her place, naturally there would be less irritation, and her eatery would avoid some trouble.

Jinrong cast an unsatisfied glance at Ye Xinyan but didn’t pay much more attention, simply leading the way with Jiang Yifan, one in front of the other, toward the back hall amidst the hopeful looks of the two pretty maids.

Ye Xinyan hurriedly approached the young women with a smile, greeting, "Welcome to our humble establishment, esteemed guests, please take a seat." While speaking, she gestured towards a table inside, "Please sit here, it’s a bit more secluded this way, less likely to be disturbed."

Even though she knew they had come for the attractive man, she played along as if they came just for dining and leisure.

In this group of six, the two maids clearly showed disappointment at Jinrong’s swift departure. The two daughters-in-law and one old woman servant seemed deep in thought and did not show much of their displeasure, though they too looked unhappy.

Seeing Ye Xinyan approaching, they naturally didn’t give her a warm reception.

The old woman servant surveyed the small food shop with a cold indifference, ignoring Ye Xinyan’s suggested table, and critically assessed the place.

After a long pause, she said arrogantly, "My mistress heard your little shop had a nice ambiance and some novel dishes, which is why we came to see for ourselves." She scanned the surroundings with an even more disdainful gaze, "But it seems the reputation was far from accurate; it’s merely a crude and simple place."

Ye Xinyan replied with an apologetic smile, "Nanny Jin speaks truly, our shop only has a few unique dishes to offer. As for the ambiance, we truly can’t boast of excellence—just a small business trying to make ends meet. We hope our guests will be considerate."

Shi Yu, who was walking at the back, looked back as he entered the back hall compartment.

The Ye Family Legitimate Granddaughter indeed had changed from the past, now striving for the livelihood of her family. Duke An’s Legitimate Granddaughter, a woman of such high status, had to smile and fawn over a woman of humble origin from a remote gentry family.

In Shi Yu’s eyes, Ye Xinyan had already been very modest, yet that old woman servant didn’t seem to acknowledge her efforts.

Once Jinrong and his party had all entered the shop, the old woman servant lost any pretense of restraint, revealing a cold sneer and said spitefully, "If it’s just a small business barely scraping by, you shouldn’t impersonate a grand restaurant, scaring people with high-priced food."

Although Ye Xinyan knew that as long as Jinrong and Jiang Yifan did not leave, this group of master and servants wouldn’t likely make too much trouble. But as a businesswoman, if she offended anyone, she couldn’t always expect Prince Yu to stand up for her, right? His Highness Prince Yu couldn’t possibly be in her small shop all the time.

Ye Xinyan maintained her composure with an apologetic smile, "Nanny Jin’s lesson is well received; in the future, our shop will certainly pay attention to these matters. However, the current cost of preparing our dishes is rather high, making it difficult to lower prices. Should our shop have the opportunity to conduct low-cost business, we will definitely set more affordable prices."

Qi Jia, a young child sitting on a small stool beside the counter, saw the old woman servant not giving his big sister a pleasant look, pressing her relentlessly while the others also wore unsympathetic expressions, staring at his sister like tigers eyeing their prey.

The little guy grew restless, wanting to go over and help speak up for her.

By this time, Qi Jia had become a likable child, his few months of care giving him rosy, tender cheeks. Although his eyes weren’t very big, they were clear and bright, giving off an aura of childlike innocence and purity.

The little fellow took small steps to Ye Xinyan’s side, took her hand, and then looked up at the old woman servant to say, "Old lady, the food in our shop is really good. Many young masters and young ladies have tried and praised it, no one was dissatisfied, and no one thought it was expensive either."