Kofi thanks to: Andy
Having tasted the lotus tea himself, Hwang Ran would know its effects better than anyone, and the same went for the other flower teas. Hwang Ran, being acquainted with wealthy customers, must have taken an interest in flower tea for that reason.
The people of Cheonghwa Town, especially those living near the apothecary, rarely spent money on flower tea or herbal decoctions. Just as Cheongyeon considered snacks a luxury, his products were luxuries to them. People struggling to live day by day wouldn’t think to brew herbal medicine for their health, let alone have the leisure to brew and enjoy tea.
Nonetheless, Cheonghwa Town was the land he loved.
It was where his beloved mother and nanny were buried and where precious memories resided. He had no intention of leaving the people like the lady from the Cheonghwa store or the seafood merchant behind for the 1st Continent. However, meeting a merchant who recognized his skills made him believe he shouldn’t let this opportunity pass.
“How about we negotiate a fair price for you periodically supplying me with flower tea and herbs?”
“…20,000 hwan.”
“What?”
“If you give me 20,000 hwan, I’ll supply you exclusively, Mr. Hwang Ran.”
Hwang Ran was taken aback as if he had heard something preposterous.
“Tsk, tsk, this is why you shouldn’t give a chance to those who have nothing. They always end up getting ahead of themselves.”
Forget it, forget it, Hwang Ran waved his hands dismissively. Cheongyeon continued to cut his steak as if he wasn’t bothered, but he couldn’t bring himself to eat it as the blood seeped out. He didn’t even feel like ordering anything else and just reached for the bill. That’s when Hwang Ran hastily grabbed the bill.
“Hey! What’s the rush? Give me some time to think!”
After that day, Hwang Ran could no longer achieve a proper erection. Unfortunately, among the teas he had purchased yesterday, there was no lotus tea. And he certainly didn’t have the courage to go to Saturn to ask for lotus tea.
“Is lotus tea… hard to make?”
“It’s not hard.”
Choosing the right lotus with significant effects was tricky, but the drying process was straightforward.
“But it was sold out yesterday?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“P vbc’a wjxf ibaer afj ecifrr atfgf’r jc bgvfg.”
“P- P’ii qijmf jc bgvfg atfc!”
Qf’gf ublcu ab wjxf j obgaecf, Lkjcu Ejc jiwbra yiegafv bea yfobgf delmxis mbggfmalcu tlwrfio. Coafg jii, wjxlcu j obgaecf kbeiv yf tlr vblcu, cba atflgr.
“Cvnjcmf qjswfca bo 20,000 tkjc. Yatfgklrf, P kbc’a vb la.”
Hwang Ran, who snatched the bill, pretended to ponder deeply, then slapped the table decisively.
“Fine! 20,000 hwan. I’ll pay it as an advance payment. But in return, we’ll have an exclusive contract for 10 years.”
“That’s too long.”
“Then 5 years.”
“That’s still too long.”
Faced with a surprisingly tough negotiator, Hwang Ran grew anxious. Naturally, to survive with that pretty face, Cheongyeon must have endured all sorts of hardships and had become savvy.
“3 years! I can’t compromise any further.”
“Okay, 3 years, but I’ll decide on the quantity.”
“The more, the better, as I’ll pay more.”
“Effective teas aren’t so easily produced.”
“… For now, since I have to set sail tomorrow, we’ll draft the exact contract later. Or maybe you could come with me and we can finalize the contract there?”
Would Peira really follow him all the way to the 1st Continent?
“You said you’re sailing tomorrow?”
“Yes, at noon.”
“Then I’ll give you my answer before 10 a.m. tomorrow.”
“I’ll be staying here, so even if you come at dawn, you’re welcome. To celebrate our successful deal, I’ll pay for tonight’s dinner.”
Hwang Ran waved the bill, showing off. Cheongyeon merely nodded and stood up from his seat. His mind was in turmoil. If he went to the 1st Continent with nothing but the clothes on his back, there was a chance Hwang Ran could just trap him and exploit him. Ideally, signing the contract in Cheonghwa Town would be easier, but the issue was the Boksu flower.
What if he added a condition to the contract tomorrow regarding the acquisition of the Boksu flower? It might take at least a fortnight for Hwang Ran to go to the 1st Continent and return, but he could hold out for that long.
Stepping outside, Cheongyeon reached for his bicycle lock. Searching for his bicycle at the rack, he found only the cut lock and the bicycle was nowhere to be seen. Someone had stolen it in the meantime. Since the inn managed the bicycle rack, it was their responsibility. Then he noticed a sign on the wall.
[Our Canal Inn is not responsible for lost bicycles.]
He let out a hollow laugh. The sign he hadn’t noticed before was now glaringly obvious. Cheongyeon looked around for those who might be surveilling him, but the ones with tattoos on their necks, who were openly visible before, were nowhere to be seen.
Had they finally given up on surveilling him?
Unable to let go of the bicycle he hadn’t had for long, Cheongyeon stood there, dumbfounded. His stomach growled, having not eaten properly.
***
Wearing a black hat, Muwon looked down from the second floor of the Canal Inn’s restaurant.
The first floor served general customers, while the second floor had private rooms for VIPs. He was dressed entirely in black, from head to toe, including the hat, a stark contrast to his usual flamboyant appearance, making him unrecognizable as Tae Muwon at a glance.
He lit a cigarette at the railing of the second floor, which was significantly higher than the first, offering a clear view below. The restaurant’s interior was square, allowing a clear view from the second floor to the first. Of course, he wasn’t just there to enjoy the view of the restaurant because he had nothing to do.
After a brief meal and drink with a guest, Muwon was about to go downstairs after smoking a cigarette when he saw something unusual. Cheongyeon hesitantly entered the first floor of the restaurant.
The Peira watchers following him quickly noticed Muwon’s gaze and looked up. With a silent gesture from Muwon to leave, they promptly exited the restaurant.
Meanwhile, Cheongyeon was left unattended at the restaurant entrance, patiently waiting to be seated without realizing he was being treated poorly. The waiter guided the customers who came in behind him first, and only after a while did he take Cheongyeon to his seat.
Leaning on the railing of the second floor, Muwon laughed.
“This is fucking nuts.”
The table assigned to Cheongyeon was in the most secluded and cornered spot. Muwon extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray and moved to a spot where he could better see Cheongyeon.
The waiter who quickly threw the menu at Cheongyeon urged him to order right away without giving him time to choose his food. Muwon couldn’t hear what Cheongyeon was saying. He considered calling Venus back in but then thought it unnecessary to bother.
After placing his order, Cheongyeon fiddled with his sleeve for a while before hanging his head. The only things on his table were a water bottle and a glass, which weren’t even provided by the waiter but were already there.
Watching Cheongyeon sip water a few times, Muwon thought about leaving, but he grew increasingly irritated. It had been a while since Cheongyeon ordered, yet he hadn’t received any soup or bread, continually being ignored. The responsible waiter was busy attending to other customers who arrived later.
“Am I also dead?”
Muwon sneered. It was absurd that Cheongyeon, rumored to be receiving his support, was treated so poorly.
Muwon swiftly grabbed the neck of a passing second-floor waiter. The quick-witted waiter immediately checked Muwon’s expression without making any noise.
“See the apothecary down there?”
Following Muwon’s direction, the waiter nodded emphatically.
“Yes, yes, I see him.”
“If his food doesn’t come out immediately, all of you will be dead to me today.”
“I’ll relay the message right away.”
The waiter didn’t question it. He was convinced by the rumor that Muwon cared for the apothecary. He immediately went downstairs and warned the waiter in charge of Cheongyeon’s table, mentioning that the VIP on the second floor was none other than Tae Muwon himself and he could die at his hands. Upon hearing this, the waiter turned pale and rushed to serve the steak meant for another table to Cheongyeon instead.
Cheongyeon, who had been looking sullenly at other tables, seemed to brighten up a bit when the steak arrived, a faint warmth spreading across his pale cheeks.
He was always so transparent.
It was amusing that his transparency was about food rather than sexual desire.
Just as Muwon was about to leave after watching Cheongyeon eat his meat, Hwang Ran burst out from the restaurant’s connected room. Muwon had already received reports of someone else watching Cheongyeon besides Peira, and it turned out to be Hwang Ran. He had instructed them to leave Hwang Ran be, curious about his intentions.
As expected, Hwang Ran took a seat opposite Cheongyeon.
Pr: Sasa
Thank you for the new chapter
Thank you coffee donater and author!!!
I’m so anxious I feel like something is bout to happen soon!
I need to borrow my partners credit card so we can get another chapter via coffee 🤫 I will try hehehe 😇
Mission accomplished 👍 with permission of course.
I’m reeeeallllly enjoying this novel! Thanks for all your hard work and for all those that donate. You’re definitely on my list of coffee rounds when I get my next paycheck. 😊
Me too I’m really into this novel
It’s kinda cute/sad seeing muwons perspective of Cheongyeon being treated poorly and wanting to help him 😭
Thx for the chapter <3