CHAPTER 52: SOLD OUT

Still, before anything could get awkward, Huaijin’s words cut in again. "You’re from one of the schools here, right? Are there many students from your school at this fair?"

He nodded once. "Three schools combined. So, mine too."

"Then tell your friends to come buy my mooncakes! They’ll love them!" she said brightly.

Something flickered in his gaze, half amusement, half reluctant fondness.

He wasn’t used to being ordered around by anyone, much less a tiny girl half his height. But when she looked up at him with those pleading, hopeful eyes, all logic quietly stepped aside.

"...Fine," he said simply.

"Yay! Thank you, little brother!" she said, clapping her hands together.

Then, like the cherry on top, she reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a small candy, pressing it into his hand. "For being such a nice person again!"

The small wrapped candy was pink and heart-shaped.

Yun Jue froze, staring at it for a long moment, before slowly pocketing it.

"Don’t throw it away!" she said sternly. "It’s special!"

"I won’t."

Good thing she didn’t see his ears turn faintly pink.

When he left the stall a few moments later, Huaijin waved enthusiastically after him, calling, "Bye-bye, little brother!"

He gave a small wave in return, before feeling another sharp, watchful gaze burning into his back. He turned slightly and saw Yuanfeng, still under the tree, his smile perfectly pleasant.

But his eyes said:

"Don’t even think about it."

Yun Jue: "..."

He turned away silently.

Still, true to his word, he didn’t walk far before a group of girls, his classmates, caught sight of him. "Young Master Yun! You came here too?"

"Yeah," he said simply, then added, "There’s a stall over there selling really good mooncakes. You should try them."

"Oooh? You recommended something? It must be really good then!" one of the girls giggled. "Where, where?"

He pointed casually. "The small stall under the lantern tree."

Within minutes, the group of girls descended on Huaijin’s stall, cooing at how cute she looked and buying mooncakes left and right.

"Wow, these are adorable!"

"Did you really make them yourself, sweetheart?"

"They taste amazing!"

Huaijin was absolutely glowing with happiness. She had no idea that the "little brother" from earlier had quietly orchestrated the entire crowd.

Meanwhile, a few meters away, Yun Jue’s friends were watching him with faces full of disbelief.

"...Bro, since when do you promote food stalls?" Jia Rui muttered, eyebrows raised.

Yun Jue gave him a flat look. "I was just helping someone."

"Helping? You mean you helped her by... buying all her mooncakes?"

"I didn’t."

"Then why do you have—" He stopped mid-sentence as Yun Jue reached into his bag and pulled out several neatly wrapped boxes of mooncakes.

"..."

Jia Rui blinked. "You took them all?"

"They were good."

"You don’t even like sweets!"

"...They were good," he repeated calmly, as though that explained everything.

The other boys exchanged looks of utter confusion.

Was this really their cold, stoic Young Master Yun, the same guy who once lectured them for eating candy during study break?

Jia Rui whispered, "You’ve been possessed, haven’t you?"

Yun Jue ignored him entirely, glancing down instead at the small pink candy still in his pocket.

His fingers brushed over the wrapper absently, and for a moment, his expression softened in a way none of his friends had ever seen before.

Behind him, the moon began to rise, glowing silver above the festival lights.

And across the fair, little Huaijin, her stall now nearly empty, was humming to herself, counting her earnings with a grin.

To her, it was a perfect day. She didn’t know that somewhere nearby, a certain "little brother" was pocketing sweets he claimed to hate, quietly watching her from a distance with an expression even he couldn’t explain.

Nor did she notice her father, whose sharp eyes followed that same boy with a dangerous, protective gleam that clearly said:

"Try anything, and I’ll feed you to the moon rabbits."

Chi Huaijin didn’t expect her mooncakes and desserts to sell out that quickly. The rush of students, the flurry of curious faces, and the glittering smiles of those savoring her pastries left her pleasantly stunned.

Just an hour ago, she had been worried that nobody would even come near her stall. Now, trays that were once full stood empty, save for a few crumbs and the faint, sweet scent of osmanthus and red bean lingering in the air.

Her small hands carefully gathered the crumpled bills and coins, arranging them in neat piles.

With the focus of a seasoned accountant, she jotted down every sale and every coin exchanged. After all, she needed to show her math teacher later, as it was part of the festival’s "entrepreneurship activity" rule.

But Huaijin took the task seriously, not just because it was a school assignment, but because this was her first real business.

Her eyes sparkled as she wrote down the total. "One thousand three hundred and fifty yuan!" she whispered to herself in disbelief.

Her lips stretched into a broad grin, dimples popping on her cheeks. "I actually made this much! Daddy, look!"

Yuanfeng, who stood behind her with his hands in his pockets and a calm expression that barely concealed his pride, leaned down to glance at her notes.

His little daughter’s enthusiasm was contagious. "Not bad," he said, smiling faintly. "You’ve earned your first fortune. Looks like my daughter has a knack for business."

Huaijin puffed up her chest, eyes gleaming. "Of course! After all, I’m your daughter!"

The confidence in her tone made Yuanfeng chuckle. He ruffled her soft hair gently. "En, my little boss."

She giggled, swatting at his hand. "Father, don’t mess my hair! I have to look pretty in case there’s a picture for the school magazine later."

Yuanfeng raised a brow, feigning seriousness as he asked. "Oh? You mean for that boy you called ’little brother’ earlier?"

At the mention of Yun Jue, Huaijin instantly flushed, her cheeks turning rosy.