Gold Digger

Morning mist curled over the cobbled streets, dissolving as the rising sun spilled morning light upon the city.

Street vendors were already setting up their stalls, the sizzling of fresh scallion pancakes mingling with the enticing aroma of brewing tea. The rhythm of creaking wooden wheels and the uniform clatter of hooves on cobblestone filled the streets. 

The city was awake.

The scent of freshly baked sesame buns mingled with the tang of ink and parchment from roadside scholars, as Chen Luwei walked past, her boots patting softly against the stone.

"Xiao gege, you need to pace yourself." She exhaled, shaking her head at the man beside her. "More than 15,000 taels for a woman you barely know?"

Chen Xiao smirked as he adjusted the folds of his deep blue robe. "Meimei, you're not going back on your word, are you? I promised I'd work towards paying it back for you."

Luwei rolled her eyes, adjusting the jade hairpin in her dark, flowing locks. "I'm not a god of wealth, you know, but I'll see what I can do. Just know that there will be repercussions for this."

A slow smile curled at the corners of his lips. "I knew I could count on you."

"I knew I could count on you."

Luwei's gaze flickered toward him.

Silence stretched between them as they walked before Luwei spoke again, her voice quieter. "Are you really not going to check on Yu Ya today?"

Chen Xiao's jaw tightened. He averted his gaze, focusing on the morning haze drifting over the Dongxi River. "She's one of the strongest warriors in the city. Besides, with her demeanor, she wouldn't want to see me."

Luwei clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "And yet you wonder why she's barely doing her job these days. If it weren't for her promise to Xia Qingluo, I doubt she would still be with the Chens."

Chen Xiao flinched at the mention of his wife's name. "...I haven't forgotten about my wife, Chen Luwei."

Chen Luwei stopped mid-step, the fabric of her robes swaying as she turned to fully face him.

"I know," she murmured, "but you have to understand—this doesn't look good to her. To Yu Ya, you are disregarding the memory of a master she was fiercely loyal to."

"Miss Shen may be interesting and fun to be around, but I see her as nothing more than a friend. The love I have for my wife is still as strong as ever."

Luwei folded her arms across her chest. "I don't know… your words and actions seem to contradict each other."

Chen Xiao chuckled. "It's a facade. You should know by now that our gege doesn't play nice."

She shook her head, stepping forward. "If you say so. But you should remember where we're headed right now."

"I just want to check up on her. She seemed so down and in despair yesterday… and then those assailants—"

Just as they turned the corner after crossing the Dongxi River, their steps faltered. A sight caught both their eyes—a man and a woman stepping out of Yin Lian.

"Mo Yan gege…" Luwei whispered, her forehead creasing as her eyes landed on Mo Yan and Mingyao walking side by side.

Luwei stiffened, her fingers curling at her sides before she surged forward, the silk of her sleeves billowing, but a firm grip on her wrist stopped her.

"Meimei, don't be rash."

Luwei wrenched her arm back, scowling. "Xiao gege, isn't that your favored Lady Shen? Why is she with Mo Yan gege?"

Xiao hesitated, his mind working quickly. "I… don't know. He was the one who saved and took her yesterday."

"He was?"

"They must have a history we don't know about. Maybe childhood friends?"

"Or she's just a slimy seductress?" Luwei bit out, her nails digging into her palm.

Chen Xiao shot her a look. "Don't jump to conclusions. Let's follow them in secret and see where they go."

Slipping into the sea of bustling vendors and rattling carriages, they moved like shadows, trailing the pair through winding streets. They traced Mingyao and Mo Yan to a newly set up building.

A gleaming plaque read: Hidden Gold Alliance Bank.

A long line had already formed, a testament to yet another stunt by the so-called Hidden Gold Alliance.

"What do you think they're doing here, gege?" Luwei asked.

"I don't know… maybe she's hoping to get some money to pay off her debt?"

"Are you sure about that? I thought you already took her debt in your name."

"I did."

"Then that couldn't possibly be the reason she's here, could it?"

Chen Xiao hesitated. "... I didn't tell her that the debt she accrued was in my name—just that I would pay it for her."

Luwei let out a slow breath. "And you say you're not in love with this woman?"

"Let's just go and see what all the commotion is about."

At the entrance, a notice was pinned onto a grand pillar outlining the bank's policies.

The siblings exchanged a glance before scanning the posted notice.

It offered an 8% interest loan, a stark contrast to the other bank's 15% monthly interest. Even more shocking was the 3% monthly return on deposits, whereas the other bank only offered 3% per year.

However, what truly made people scramble for a place in line was the promise written underneath:

The first 20 businesses to take out a loan would do so without incurring any interest. The first 50 customers to deposit money would see their savings increase by 20% immediately.

Luwei's eyes narrowed, her instincts prickling. "This can't possibly be true, can it?"

"Meimei, if we deposit here as one of the first customers, wouldn't we make great profits?"

Luwei tapped her chin, her eyes anlyzing the fine details. "Theoretically, yes. But something doesn't feel right."

"What are we waiting for then? We could use the money right now!"

Luwei let out a dry chuckle. "Don't be greedy, dear Gege. In business, you need to understand profits and losses. This simply seems too good to be true. There must be a scheme behind this."

"Even if it's a scheme, it's probably just a way to push the other bank out of business. What does that have to do with us?"

"Everything," Luwei said sharply. "A new bank shouldn't have this much money to give away unless—"

Xiao leaned in."Unless what?"

She exhaled sharply."Unless they're backed by a high noble or even royalty."

Chen Xiao frowned. "I see… then this must be a move to gain economic power?"

"Most probably. There's a high probability that one of the princes is trying to solidify their standing now that the Crown Prince title is vacant."

Their conversation was interrupted as they spotted Mo Yan and Mingyao nearing the counter. Luwei's hands balled into fists.

"Xiao gege… they're not taking out a loan, are they?"

"Of course not… are they?"

Luwei's voice turned sharp. "That seductress must be trying to trick money out of my Mo Yan gege!"

Xiao sighed. "She's not like that, meimei."

She scoffed. "And how would you know? She's already tricked you out of fifteen thousand taels, hasn't she? Now she must be planning to do the same to my Mo Yan gege!"

"But—"

"Shut up, gege." Luwei's voice was low her eyes glinting dangerously . "I'm already dealing with your debt—I won't let Mo Yan be fooled too."

"What are you going to do?"

She smirked, her fingers dancing over the silk of her sleeves, a plan already forming in her mind.

"It's time for our Moonlit Golden Overture."