Meng Yanran didn't sleep through the night as she considered Tang Moyu's words. It had been weeks since she came to this town and she knew that she cannot stay any longer. There was no telling if there won't be a repeat of what happened at the bar earlier.

  Next time, there wouldn't be a Tang Moyu to save her. Hadn't she troubled the old couple enough by hiding here? How long would she be able to ignore her mother and refuse to accept the reality of her life?

  If only her father hadn't died too soon, she wouldn't have to suffer like this.

  When morning came, she found that Tang Moyu and Mr. Qin were already up and having a conversation with the old couple. They were talking about what happened the day before and how the old couple contemplated if they should sell the bar.

  "You'll sell the bar? But didn't you say you built it through persistence and hard work?" Meng Yanran chimed in, taking a seat next to the empress.

  The old couple looked at each other.

  "That's true, but we also know that we aren't getting any younger, Miss Meng. As much as we want to keep it running, our sons refuse to take over the business." Madam Rong replied with a smile while she served breakfast.

  "Pity. The bar seems to be thriving well. Plus, it's in a favorable location to garner everyone's attention, especially travelers like us." Tang Moyu commented. "But the amount you're expecting from the sales should be enough to support your living, right?"

  "It should be." Mister Rong replied. "We think it's more than enough, but we are also worried about what would happen to our employees if we sell the bar."

  Tang Moyu remained silent as she gave it a good thought. She ate breakfast with them and considered the old couple's options. Once they were done eating, she confronted Madam Rong.

  "Madam, do you mind if I take a look at your bar's account books?"

  The old woman looked at her with surprise then looked at her husband.

  "Sure…… but why would you need to see it?" She couldn't help but ask Tang Moyu.

  "Ah, Madam Rong might not know, but my Moyu here runs a company. I think she would be able to give a good quote for you to get the best price for the bar if you ever sell it to others." Feng Tianyi was the one who responded for the empress.

  The old couple was shocked then turned to Meng Yanran.

  "Is it true, Miss Meng?" Madam Rong asked her.

  "Yes. As I said earlier, Miss Tang is quite popular from the city we came from. That's why." Meng Yanran confirmed. Within their social circle, who hadn't heard about the empress's business prowess?

  Madam Rong didn't waste time and took the account books she was keeping and gave them to Tang Moyu.

  "Please. If you can go through this and tell us what you think…" She told the empress.

  Tang Moyu took the account books and started to flip through them, one by one.

  "Don't worry, Madam Rong. My Moyu is the best when it comes to running businesses." Feng Tianyi assured them.

  He watched as his woman placed her spectacles on her face and started reading the account books of the bar owned by the couple. Tang Moyu took a seat in the sitting area, her eyes scanning the numbers.

  He really liked seeing Tang Moyu's serious expression whenever she was working. There was something enthralling in the way she worked. As a perfectionist, Tang Moyu didn't want to miss a single detail as she worked.

  "Miss Meng, you don't have to apologize to us for leaving. We know you'll eventually leave this place. Like Miss Tang said, you don't belong here. You still have a life out there, waiting for you to return." Madam Rong took Meng Yanran's hand and gave it a pat. This was something Meng Yanran never heard or felt from her own mother.

  How come she was able to find solace in a stranger than from the woman who gave birth to her? Meng Yanran couldn't understand. The old couple had willingly helped a stranger like her without asking anything in return.

  Anyway, it was time for her to return and figure out what to do with her life. She had already spent enough time hiding here, avoiding the confrontation with her own mother. However, before that, she also needed to repay the old couple's kindness to her.

  Meng Yanran considered selling some of her remaining jewelries to help pay the damages she caused them yesterday. Although those men had paid up, it was obvious that the money they gave wasn't enough to cover the cost of the damages they left behind.

  There was nothing else she could do to help them other than this. They had helped her enough and it was time for her to return to where she came from.

  "At least visit us whenever you can, okay? You are always welcome to come back here if you want to." Madam Rong patted the younger woman's head. "If you need a break, you can come here. You can take a break once in a while, but you cannot keep running from your problems forever."

  Meng Yanran's eyes were stung with tears as she nodded in agreement. She would cherish the time she had spent with them in her heart. They were the few people who accepted her, not the she who was an heiress, but as herself.

  "Thank you, Madam Rong. You don't know how much you've helped me these past few weeks." She sniffed. "You are right. I have ran enough this time."