Chapter 143 Nailpins

After Xie Qi finished bathing, he saw Shen Yuanzhu and Luo Shi sitting on a stool, fiddling with a pile of bottles and jars.

He was curious and went closer to take a look.

"What are you doing?"

Shen Yuanzhu extended ten white fingers and gently shook them: "Make nail polish."

Luo was holding a bamboo basket filled with carefully selected balsam petals. She was fiddling with something when Xie Qi said, "Let me do it."

He took the basket from her: "How do I do it?"

Madam Luo said, "Young Master, first crush these balsam flowers..."

Xie Qi held the stone mortar and let Luo pour some powder into it from a porcelain bottle.

"What is this? Is it harmful to people?"

Chen Yuanzhu rested her chin on her hand, watching Xie Qi's serious movements, and said, "It's alum, used to fix the color."

She stretched out her finger and tapped some bottles and jars: "Add some madder juice, it will make the color brighter."

Seeing that the young couple were engrossed in their conversation, Luo tiptoed out, leaving the room to the two of them.

Xie Qi was meticulous in his work, pounding the balsam flowers into a paste before pouring it onto fine gauze to squeeze out the juice.

He asked, "What else needs to be done?"

Shen Yuanzhu stretched out her hands, revealing her neatly manicured, rounded, and pink nails: "Wash your nails clean, and after they dry, apply this juice to them little by little."

Seeing that he was listening attentively, Shen Yuanzhu threatened Xie Qi with a serious expression: "Make sure to apply it evenly. If you smudge it, it will look terrible."

"It won't do if it gets outside; it will take quite a few days to wash off. If a young lady gets ugly nail polish, she'll be laughed at."

She then pointed to the castor bean leaves beside her: "Once the dye is applied, cut them into pieces the size of a fingernail, cover them with the dye, and then gently wrap them with a soft cloth strip..."

Xie Qi listened attentively, and after Shen Yuanzhu finished speaking, he reached out and carefully wiped her fingernails clean bit by bit with a soft towel, his movements meticulous and gentle.

Perhaps he was too focused, for his brows furrowed slightly.

When he held the paintbrush, his hand paused in mid-air for a moment, as if he was considering how to begin.

Seeing his expression, Shen Yuanzhu smiled and said, "Husband, please do as you please. No matter how you dye it, it will be the most beautiful as long as it is dyed by you."

Xie Qi couldn't suppress the smile on his lips as she coaxed him, and said in a soft voice, "Then I'll begin."

He extended two fingers and gently lifted Shen Yuanzhu's index finger, then couldn't help but pinch it when he touched the knuckle.

Perhaps it was because Xie Qi had too many wounds on his hands, but his fingertips seemed to have a thin layer of calluses. When he pinched the delicate, dark areas, Shen Yuanzhu felt a little itchy.

She looked down at the person whose nails were neatly trimmed, then raised her other hand and started making a mess.

She would tug at Xie Qi's hair one moment and stroke his cheek the next.

Xie Qi did not feel disturbed; on the contrary, he enjoyed it very much.

After he finished wrapping all ten of Shen Yuanzhu's fingers, he was so nervous that sweat beaded on his forehead.

Looking at Chen Yuanzhu, who was awkwardly holding up her hands, Xie Qi frowned: "How long will this wrap? Are you going to keep holding it up like this the whole time? Won't your arms get sore?"

Shen Yuanzhu said, "About four or five hours."

"This has taken far too long."

Shen Yuanzhu smiled faintly and remained silent, instead admiring her ten fingers with great pleasure.

Tomorrow is a special day; she's not only going to dye her nails, but also choose a bright and eye-catching dress and hairstyle...

The wet nurse was instructed to dress her up to look pitiful and frail.

Shen Yuanzhu made a face at the bronze mirror, then smiled brightly.

She slept soundly through the night, but Xie Qi didn't sleep well. He got up in the middle of the night to remove the dye from her hands and clean them carefully again.

Hearing from Mrs. Luo that I should also apply some lard to my nails, I did that carefully as well.

After finishing, he couldn't help but gently knead Chen Yuanzhu's hand, looking very happy.

"Miss, Miss..."

Xie Qi had gone to bed late yesterday, and Shen Yuanzhu was also very sleepy, so the two of them were still asleep when Ling'er exclaimed in surprise.

Ling'er stood outside the canopy bed and called out softly twice, then turned her head and said, "Isn't it a bit too early? Should we let Miss rest a little longer?"

Madam Luo shook her head: "It's getting late. If it gets any later, the Xie family will all be out. How can we get everyone together like this? It's alright, call them."

As she spoke, Madam Luo stepped forward and called out twice, then turned to Ling'er and said, "Go."

Ling'er pinched her throat, coughed lightly twice, and then tried to strain her voice a couple of times.

"Ah, ah..."

She first tentatively called out twice, and when Luo nodded encouragingly, she suddenly let out a howl.

The sound startled Xie Qi, who sat bolt upright.

Ling'er ran outside crying and shouting, "Oh no! There's a thief in the house! My young lady's dyeing manual has been stolen!"

Seeing Xie Qi stand up, Madam Luo also looked grave: "Young Master, something terrible has happened! Miss's dyeing manual is missing."

Xie Qi slowly raised his eyes, his expression icy: "The Shen Family Dyeing Manual"

This was the first time Luo had ever seen such chilling ferocity in Xie Qi's eyes.

He paused for a moment, then gently patted Shen Yuanzhu, who was huddled under the covers: "You may leave now, I will speak with her."

Luo was startled and remained stunned for a moment before nodding and leaving.

The son-in-law just now...

“Yuanzhu…”

When Shen Yuanzhu opened her eyes, she saw Xie Qi's calm expression, but his eyes seemed to be filled with icy coldness.

"Did anyone come into the house yesterday? Mother Luo said the dyeing kit was stolen."

"What?"

Shen Yuanzhu anxiously got out of bed and went to the dressing table to look through it carefully. After a while, she said in a tearful voice, "It's really gone."

"It's alright, I'll help you find it."

Xie Qi picked up the embroidered shoes from the bedside and walked to Shen Yuanzhu's side. He half-squatted down, held her ankles, and helped her put them on.

Who came into the house yesterday?

"Cotton Lotus".

"What are you here for?"

Shen Yuanzhu sniffed: "She said she was begging for my protection, that you were sadistic, and that you even sent Wei Hu to torment her every day. She had no way to survive, so she came to beg for my grace."

Upon hearing this, Xie Qi frowned deeply.

He remained half-squatting without standing up, so Shen Yuanzhu couldn't see his expression.

Xie Qi's fingers unconsciously caressed her ankle, the thin calluses formed by the repeatedly healing wounds on his fingertips making her shiver involuntarily.

He seemed to be thinking about something, but his hands didn't stop moving.

After a long silence, Xie Qi said, "Why didn't you tell me when I came back yesterday?"

Shen Yuanzhu cried and said, "I thought she was just trying to sow discord between my husband and me and being jealous. My husband treats me so well, and I only have eyes for him. How could I easily believe her attempts to drive a wedge between us?"

“I didn’t take it to heart, and naturally I won’t tell my husband…”

With just a few words, Shen Yuanzhu saw the sharp edge of Xie Qi's bare back, half-squatting at her feet, faded, and a faint blush spread from the tips of his ears to his neck.

His tone was much gentler than before as he looked up at Shen Yuanzhu: "Don't listen to her nonsense. What are you talking about? What are you jealous of..."

“In the past, I hardly ever spoke a word to her at Jiucaiju. It was always Wei Hu who ordered her to do things.”

After thinking for a moment, Xie Qi lowered his eyes, his voice hoarse, with a barely perceptible plea: "The loss of the dyeing manual has nothing to do with me. Please don't fall for other people's schemes and doubt me."

After a moment, he said again, "Those who are after the dyeing chart are just a few people. Put on your clothes, I'll bring you back."

He kept his head down and didn't see that Shen Yuanzhu was admiring her perfectly dyed nail polish.

Upon hearing this, her eyes lit up: "I need to get my clothes dyed!"