Li Yundong hurried Zhou Qin toward the exit, just as Ziyuan emerged from the apartment across the hall. Li Yundong grinned, "Well, what a coincidence! You're leaving the palace too?"

Zhou Qin had been stifling a laugh, and hearing Li Yundong’s words, she couldn't hold it in any longer, bursting into another fit of giggles.

Li Yundong turned and shot Zhou Qin a mock-angry glare. "Be serious. We're about to leave the compound."

Zhou Qin pursed her lips and smiled, "Which 'palace' are you leaving, exactly? The latrine palace or the grand palace?"

Li Yundong couldn't help but laugh too. "Whichever one you want it to be."

Their momentary stop at the door prompted a small maidservant to call someone to open it. She burst out like a gust of wind and threw herself onto Li Yundong's back, clinging to him like an octopus, pinching and nibbling. "You're mean! You actually tricked me!"

Li Yundong twisted his head, laughing heartily at Su Chan. "Oh, are you done with your business?"

Su Chan stuck out her tongue at Li Yundong. "Hmph! You’re the one who needs to go! You stink!"

Amidst their playful banter, Ziyuan watched them, utterly confused. "What—what are you all doing? What's this about leaving the palace? Who needs to leave?"

Su Chan and Zhou Qin pointed at Li Yundong in unison. "He—he needs to go to the latrine!"

Li Yundong quickly waved his hands, laughing. "No, no, I’m not going to the latrine. If anyone goes, we all go together."

Zhou Qin and Su Chan simultaneously spat out a breath, laughing and scolding, "So smelly, so smelly!"

Li Yundong roared with laughter, waving his hand grandly. "Damn it all, today I'm taking three beautiful ladies out of the compound!"

Su Chan nibbled Li Yundong's ear, giggling, "Who wants to go with you? Shameless!"

Zhou Qin covered her mouth and chuckled too. "Go by yourself if you want to go. I’m not going out to relieve myself with a man."

Ziyuan was starting to catch on. She looked helplessly at Li Yundong and sighed, "Sigh, you're the sect leader, how can you be so playful? Like a child."

Li Yundong wasn't offended at all; instead, he put on a playful grin and offered Ziyuan a deep bow. "Your Majesty, since I’m going out with the two ladies, why don't you join us?"

Seeing Li Yundong’s shameless demeanor, Ziyuan couldn't suppress a smile. "I need to go to the shop. Where are you headed?"

Li Yundong was overjoyed and laughed. "We're going to the shop too! I was just about to ask you to come along. Perfect, let’s go together."

The three of them departed amidst cheerful chatter. Back in the room, Cao Yi, Zhuang Yating, and Liu Yuehong stood by the doorway, watching the backs of the three figures receding. Cao Yi clasped his hands together. "Since the sect leader arrived at our Fox Charm Gate, our lives have been filled with laughter and joy. I truly hope these days can continue forever; it would be the greatest fortune for the Fox Charm Gate."

Liu Yuehong nodded and sighed deeply. "Indeed. Hearing the laughter of the younger generation brightens my spirits considerably. It would be wonderful if Changsun Hong were still here."

Zhuang Yating remained somewhat silent. She quietly watched the departing figures of Li Yundong and the others, then said, "Let's go. We need to intensify our own cultivation."

Li Yundong, Su Chan, Ziyuan, and Zhou Qin arrived at the pedestrian street and headed straight for the shop. Before they even reached it, they saw several craftsmen outside the storefront, holding a design blueprint and pointing animatedly toward the building.

Li Yundong wondered aloud, "Who are these people?"

Zhou Qin smiled. "Oh, these must be the renovation contractors I called."

Li Yundong grew even more curious. "The contractors you contacted? And they have a design blueprint in their hands?"

Zhou Qin chuckled. "Of course."

Li Yundong was both surprised and delighted. "What kind of renovation company is so amazing that they can produce blueprints in a day or two? They’re like the Ultraman of the construction world!"

Zhou Qin looked at Ziyuan, speaking with genuine admiration. "This blueprint was designed by Ziyuan, who worked overtime to finish it. If you want to thank someone, thank her."

Li Yundong was stunned and turned to look at Ziyuan, exclaiming in amazement, "Is there anything in this world you cannot do?"

Ziyuan stated calmly, "It’s just trivial craftsmanship, hardly worth mentioning."

Li Yundong laughed. "If you said that to a professional interior designer, they'd probably die of frustration. Come on, let's go see Ziyuan's masterpiece."

The group approached the shop entrance. The leading man, clad in a jacket, spotted Zhou Qin immediately and walked over to greet her warmly. "Miss Zhou, we meet again."

Zhou Qin smiled and stepped forward. "Manager Han, you brought the team personally? That’s very generous of you."

Li Yundong observed that this 'Manager Han' was a man in his forties, with a slight stubble and an ordinary appearance, yet his eyes were strikingly bright and shrewd. As Li Yundong was sizing him up, Han’s gaze swept over him quickly—clearly a result of long years navigating the marketplace, giving him an almost fiery insight.

Manager Han glanced at Li Yundong. He noticed that while the man wore a calm smile, there was an inherent, almost forbidding dignity emanating from his distinguished bearing. Han’s heart tightened instantly. Who could this young master be? I, Han Yongchang, have met countless people, yet I’ve never encountered a youth with such extraordinary presence!

Manager Han’s gaze then tracked past Li Yundong to Ziyuan. He took only one look before his mind seemed to explode; he felt as if an immortal fairy had descended before him, so beautiful that he dared not look for too long, lest he profane the purest celestial being on earth.

Han swiftly averted his gaze, then looked at Su Chan. With that glance, his heart began to pound uncontrollably. His eyes fixed on Su Chan, glued to her, unable to look away. He cried out internally, Is there truly a woman in this world so charmingly delightful and soul-stirring?

Li Yundong noticed that the manager was staring blankly at Su Chan, looking utterly lost. The two young men behind him looked as if their eyeballs were about to pop out, staring fixedly at Su Chan, their expressions suggesting they wished they could swallow her whole in one gulp.

Li Yundong felt a flicker of displeasure. He coughed loudly, startling Han Yongchang back to reality. He offered an awkward smile to Zhou Qin and Li Yundong, immediately launching into a flawless Beijing accent. "Oh, my apologies everyone, I lost my composure. My apologies."

Han Yongchang proactively extended his hand to Li Yundong for a shake. "I haven't yet had the honor of your name, sir."

Li Yundong smiled slightly and took his hand. "My name is Li Yundong."

Han Yongchang’s face registered surprise, as if hearing a thunderclap. "Ah, a pleasure, a pleasure to meet you." But internally he mused: Li Yundong? I haven't heard that name. There aren't any prominent Li families in Tiannan City, are there? Perhaps he's from another province?

Li Yundong's name was currently quite renowned in the cultivation world, but in the secular realm, it was as common as could be.

Li Yundong was well aware of this fact. He didn't mind the superficial pleasantries and merely said with a smile, "Manager Han, you brought your team personally so early to start work—that shows great dedication. On behalf of all the employees of the Earthly Three Immortals, I thank you."

Han Yongchang frowned slightly. "Earthly Three Immortals? Mr. Li, are you planning to open a restaurant?"

Li Yundong laughed heartily. "No, the Immortal as in gods and deities."

Han Yongchang had already decided Li Yundong was an extraordinarily well-connected second-generation heir, and he was determined to curry favor. He chimed in smoothly, "Earthly Three Immortals? What a wonderful name! Looking at the three stunning beauties beside you, Mr. Li, they certainly look like three fairies descended to earth!"

Li Yundong’s mood instantly brightened. He looked at Su Chan, Ziyuan, and Zhou Qin. Their beauty was distinct in each woman, yet all were unparalleled earthly beauties. The name 'Earthly Three Immortals' fit them perfectly and coincidentally.

Li Yundong nodded and smiled. "Indeed, I hadn't considered that interpretation of Earthly Three Immortals. Interesting, very interesting."

Su Chan was delighted to hear her beauty compared to an immortal's. She hugged Li Yundong's arm, tilting her head back to act spoiled and infatuated. Ziyuan smiled faintly, offering no comment. Zhou Qin smiled slightly, but thought to herself: Ziyuan truly deserves to be called a fairy. Su Chan, though possessing a demon body, with Li Yundong’s help, she will eventually cultivate into an immortal. But what about me? When will I reach the true realm of the gods?

Li Yundong caught the faint, fleeting shadow of sadness in Zhou Qin's eyes. He noticed it, stored it in his heart, but said nothing.

Han Yongchang, eager to flatter Li Yundong, turned to Zhou Qin and smiled. "Miss Zhou, did Mr. Li design this blueprint? The quality is incredibly high. I’ve been in renovations for over a decade and spent years mixing in Beijing circles, but I’ve never seen such an elegant and refined design."

Zhou Qin snapped back to attention and chuckled. "You guessed wrong about that."

Li Yundong also laughed. "Manager Han, you misaimed your flattery! This drawing wasn't done by me; it was Ziyuan’s work."

Saying this, he drew Ziyuan close to his side. Ziyuan nodded faintly toward Han Yongchang but remained silent.

Han Yongchang realized his flattery had missed its mark, but he wasn't embarrassed and quickly recovered. "Oh, so it was Miss Ziyuan! This blueprint is truly ingenious and magnificent. If you decided to go into design professionally, the rest of us would have to go starve in the wilderness!"

His flowery praise made Li Yundong and the others laugh heartily, and Ziyuan even gave a slight, gentle smile.

Li Yundong laughed. "Don't waste time flattering us. Let's discuss the price first. No matter how much you flatter me, I won't pay more. I’m an absolute pauper, you see."

Han Yongchang smiled broadly. "Mr. Li, every woman beside you is a rare beauty, the kind of good fortune ordinary men dream of achieving over several lifetimes. Yet here you are, gathering three at once. Even more remarkable is that each beauty possesses extraordinary skills; they are certainly not mere pretty faces. If you call yourself a pauper, I must object! Aren't you subtly insulting someone?"

Li Yundong asked curiously, "How am I insulting you?"

Han Yongchang laughed. "Think about it, Mr. Li. If it were an average man, would any of these fairies stay with him? What would they gain? Surely not just a simple life of wife, children, and warm fireside, or the daily grind of rice and firewood? Even if they stayed, they couldn't hold onto them! Only someone with your extraordinary bearing could keep these three fairies and hold down a shop called the Earthly Three Immortals! To my mind, judging just by the women beside you, it's clear you are either rich or noble—a truly formidable figure!" As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeve and gave a high, enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Li Yundong laughed loudly. "Your flattery is making me a bit dizzy. Be careful you don't praise me too high and send me falling to my death; then you won't get paid."

This statement from Li Yundong carried multiple hidden meanings, one of which was a quiet acceptance of the renovation collaboration with Han Yongchang. Han Yongchang was thrilled. He continued, "That couldn't happen, sir. Your countenance suggests a long, healthy life, and certainly brilliant success in your career. In ancient times, you would have been a general or a prime minister; in modern times, you must be a titan of industry!"

Li Yundong smiled. "Enough with the flattery. I repeat: I am truly just a pauper. I don't actually have much money on hand. Just name your price. If you think you can do it, do it; if not, I won't pressure you. No matter how beautifully you praise me, I can't conjure money out of thin air. If I were truly rich, would I bother fixing up such a small shop?"

Han Yongchang also laughed warmly. He spoke sincerely, "Mr. Li, you just spoke a reliable truth, so let me offer one in return. I see your bearing, Mr. Li; you are definitely no common fish in a small pond. Even if you are currently constrained here, the day will surely come when you soar. As the saying goes, never scorn a young man because he is poor. I, Han Yongchang, am not someone who is blind to money, but I judge character first. I state this here and now: whatever price you offer, Mr. Li, I will take this job!"

Li Yundong was overjoyed. "Excellent! With your word, I consider us friends! But you absolutely cannot cut corners on materials or labor."

With that, both men burst into laughter.

Zhou Qin, seeing how well they were getting along, smiled at Han Yongchang. "Manager Han, let's step inside, and you can check the specific design details."

Li Yundong smiled at Zhou Qin. "You take Ziyuan and Manager Han inside to look around. Su Chan and I need a quick word."

After ensuring the others had entered the shop, Li Yundong gently stroked Su Chan's silky black hair and spoke with deep emotion. "What that man said about never scorning a poor young man just now reminded me of the days we were chased out of the rented room and left to wander the streets. And since meeting you, it feels like I haven't allowed you a single day of true peace; there’s always some worry troubling your heart. Sometimes I wonder, if this shop we’re opening doesn't turn a profit, what then? We’d really be reduced to begging. In that scenario, could I still keep you, my earthly fairy?"

Su Chan clung affectionately to Li Yundong's arm, leaning against him like a small bird, gazing at her lover with devoted eyes. She said softly, "Master, this little one is already very content! We got through the poorest times; things will definitely be better later! Besides, we can't be poorer than begging, and as long as we don't die, we will eventually rise! I believe the man I chose is a man who can support the sky—a great hero and magnate who will command respect in the future. How could trivial matters like daily necessities trouble him? Furthermore, when you are truly magnificent, will you still remember this little fox spirit of mine?"

Li Yundong was deeply moved, recalling their previous conversations in the tiny rental room. He couldn't help but say, "If you do not leave, I will not abandon you. Heaven and earth bear witness to these words!"

"You're being silly, why the sudden declaration? It's odd!" Though Su Chan pretended to pout, her heart swelled with sweetness. The young woman reached out, her five fingers interlocking tightly with his, as if they would never let go even across three lifetimes. They leaned closely together, as if trying to merge into one being.

Standing there on the street, gazing into each other's eyes, they seemed utterly oblivious to the world, lost in their mutual adoration.

It was during this rapturous moment of connection that a piercing, grating voice suddenly cut through the air: "Oh, it's you two? You still haven't broken up?"

Hearing this, Li Yundong's anger flared instantly, a vicious resolve rising in his gut. Damn it, who was tired of living enough to curse him and Su Chan into separation?

He turned his head and saw a stout, middle-aged woman standing not far away, scrutinizing them. The moment Li Yundong saw this woman, he let out a laugh born of pure fury.

This woman was none other than the landlady who had evicted them from the rented room, forcing them onto the streets before!