Chapter 57: Lin Lian

— Huh? Selling beast hides? That means you want me to buy them?

This really did sound a bit strange. In a fur shop, customers either came to buy furs or sell beast hides — there were only those two options, right? It wasn’t like he had come here just to mess with her, was it?

But strangely enough, when this sunny girl said it that way, it somehow felt completely natural, as if coming to her to sell beast hides really was something bizarre… Hearing this, Luo Pei felt even more embarrassed and didn’t know what to say for a moment!

But at that moment, Jenny jumped out again!

“Huh? What do you mean ‘huh’? A fur shop is for buying furs or selling beast hides — what’s so surprising about that, Sister Lian? Is selling beast hides at a fur shop really that strange?”

Jenny was indeed worthy of being the front desk receptionist of the Mages Guild — she had a sharp tongue. Once she started talking like that, even the most ordinary words came out with a very particular rhythm, and it made the sunny girl look embarrassed too.

“Ah~~ah~~ no, that’s not what I meant!” The sunny girl quickly waved her hands and said awkwardly to Luo Pei and the others, “You want to sell beast hides? Then let me take a look. Since you’re friends of Jenny, I’ll give you a fair price.”

Hearing this, Luo Pei and the others felt sweat forming on their foreheads. Something about the way this sunny girl spoke just gave people a chill — when she said the price wouldn’t let them lose out, it really didn’t sound convincing at all.

But since she was a friend Jenny had introduced, Luo Pei naturally couldn’t disrespect her, so he still smiled and handed over the sample they had brought. After taking it, the sunny girl flashed another brilliant smile and nodded, saying, “Wait a moment, the workroom is in the back. I’ll take it in for appraisal and then tell you the price… Oh~~ Jenny, you handle pouring water and preparing some tea and snacks for everyone. You know where everything is anyway.”

After saying this, the sunny girl walked off toward the back room on her own, leaving Luo Pei and the others a bit stunned… From this, you could see how straightforward this sunny girl was. She didn’t even consider whether people might think she was going to swap out their goods while she left them like that.

But as the saying goes, people with dark personalities see darkness in everything, while people with sunny personalities see everything in a sunny light. Perhaps it was precisely because this girl was open and aboveboard herself that she didn’t have that kind of small-minded behavior.

Of course, Luo Pei and the others didn’t actually think she would pull any tricks. Jenny went to busy herself with preparing tea and snacks, while the others exchanged smiles and took their seats. However, Ray Allen, whether intentionally or not, sat down next to Luo Pei.

As for this young man Ray Allen, Luo Pei had a pretty good impression of him. His first impression was that of a “gentleman” — the kind of refined, calm, and mild-mannered gentleman. And he truly appeared very peaceful, without the faint coldness that Annia had, nor the strong presence of Simons Pia. He just sat there with a light smile, giving people a feeling of wanting to get closer.

Seeing Ray Allen sit down beside him, Luo Pei smiled and took the initiative to say, “Your Excellency, Mr. Allen? We’ve really troubled you today.” It was actually Ray Allen who had helped them out of a tight spot at the end earlier, and Luo Pei was well aware of that. He had also noticed that Ray Allen was a third-rank Magicist, and since any Magic Professional would definitely hold a noble title from the Empire, that was why he addressed him as “Your Excellency” and thanked him.

Hearing this, Ray Allen revealed his signature smile and shook his head, saying, “Mr. Luo, you’re too kind. Your Young Master is a junior that our Branch President, Wes Anseld, thinks very highly of. We were just following his instructions and doing some small things within our ability. You don’t need to take it to heart.”

Ray Allen spoke politely, but his words left Luo Pei speechless. He really couldn’t figure out what earth-shattering thing his own son had done to catch the eye and earn the respect of the Branch President of the Lons Pompey City Mages Guild.

With that, Luo Pei naturally started thinking all sorts of things, and Ray Allen seemed to be thinking about something too and didn’t speak. The two of them fell into silence for a while. But the silence didn’t last long before Ray Allen suddenly took the initiative to say, “Hmm~~ Jenny is a warm-hearted girl who likes helping her friends. But Mr. Luo, you don’t need to worry. Although this Lin Leather Shop looks run-down, Lin Lian is a person with strong business ethics. I believe the price she offers won’t let you and your companions lose out.”

Luo Pei was somewhat surprised that Ray Allen would suddenly bring this up with him, but out of politeness he still nodded and said, “Thank you, Your Excellency Allen. I can tell that Miss Lin Lian is very sincere.”

Actually, that was just a polite remark from Luo Pei. He had only just confirmed that the sunny girl’s name was Lin Lian. But to his surprise, Ray Allen actually shook his head and continued, “Heh heh, you don’t understand, Mr. Luo. Lin Lian, Jenny, and I all grew up together as childhood friends. This Lin Leather Shop is a century-old establishment with over three hundred years of history. It used to be the most famous fur shop in Lons Pompey City. Unfortunately, later on, Lin Lian’s father fell into a gambling addiction. Not only did he lose the family’s signboard, he even lost his own life. The only thing worth being grateful for is that he still remembered to leave his daughter enough money to live on.”

A gambler who actually remembered to leave his daughter money to live on? Luo Pei had to admit a certain degree of respect for that father. But Ray Allen didn’t pay attention to his reaction and simply continued, “But her father probably never imagined that his daughter would be just as stubborn. She spent almost all the family fortune to buy back the family shop and insisted on continuing the business. But of course, after that, she had no money to hire assistants. She had to handle everything inside and outside by herself, and she had no money for advertising either. So the business gradually declined. Now she’s just barely keeping it going with some old regular customers. But even so, Lin Lian has never thought about giving up. Instead, she’s sworn to restore the family’s honor.”

Hearing this, Luo Pei suddenly looked at that sunny girl in a completely new light. Who would have thought that behind such a sunny smile, she was carrying such pressure?

Looking toward the back room, Luo Pei said sincerely, “Miss Lin Lian is truly a woman worthy of admiration!”

Luo Pei’s words came from the bottom of his heart. But who would have thought that Ray Allen would actually smile sheepishly at this? He said awkwardly, “Ah~~ Mr. Luo, I hope you don’t misunderstand. I only said these things because I was moved by the situation. I didn’t mean to influence your decision. Um~~ in fact, Lin Lian certainly wouldn’t want you to do business with her out of sympathy either.”

Seeing Ray Allen hurriedly trying to explain himself, Luo Pei smiled and said, “It’s fine, Your Excellency Allen. I understand what you mean. Don’t worry… I won’t lower my standards because of this. That would be an insult to Miss Lin as well.”

Only then did Ray Allen nod and smile, and Luo Pei also showed a knowing smile. But neither of them noticed that Luo Yan, sitting across from them, also revealed a thoughtful expression at that moment.

[If what Ray Allen said is true, then this Lin Lian seems to be a choice just as good as that Simons…]