After a moment, Meng Yuxiu's voice rang out: "It's not that it's ugly, it's just...it looks very..."
He laughed as he spoke, and then couldn't continue.
Chang Lili stamped her feet in frustration: "Is it that funny? You're still laughing! I just think you're ugly. I'm really not good-looking. I'm not from a wealthy family. So many girls in the capital dream of marrying you. They're all rich heiresses. You can take your time choosing..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was pulled forward and her body crashed uncontrollably into a solid chest. The man's familiar scent wafted over her, and even though she covered her face with her hands, his breath still forcefully entered her nostrils.
A slightly deep voice sounded above my head, and warm breath sprayed onto my forehead, making me feel itchy, even my heart felt itchy.
Chang Lili fell into Meng Yuxiu's arms, her hands, which she had been unwilling to let go of, finally pressed against Meng Yuxiu's body.
Before she could react, she felt a warm, soft touch on her forehead. Realizing that Meng Yuxiu had kissed her forehead, she felt her mind go blank and simply let Meng Yuxiu hold her like that.
A soft laugh came from above her head, and Chang Lili immediately felt weak and powerless, as if all her strength had been drained away.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Of all the beautiful women in the world, I only want a drink from one. The other women are none of my business." Meng Yuxiu's voice was filled with joy.
This inexplicable joy made Chang Lili blush and her heart race. She subconsciously reached out to push Meng Yuxiu away, but to no avail.
Meng Yuxiu held her hand tightly without moving, and said affectionately, "Be good, don't move."
Chang Lili was frozen in place, unable to move. Meng Yuxiu, whose towel had somehow become wet and cool, began to wipe Chang Lili's face.
Chang Lili immediately thought of the innocent Mo Ding that had suffered in prison, which Meng Yuxiu had ground in half. Watching Meng Yuxiu holding a towel and trying to wipe her face, she wondered in horror what would happen to her face.
Meng Yuxiu's movements were unusually gentle, as if she were a priceless jewel that could not be damaged in the slightest.
The towel was soft, and the touch was gentle. From her forehead to the corner of her eye, from the corner of her eye to her cheek, and from her cheek to her lips, the gaudy colors were wiped away little by little, leaving behind a clean and lively face. Without any makeup, she was stunningly beautiful.
“You’re perfect as you are.” Meng Yuxiu lowered his eyelids and looked at her.
His eyes reflected everything, yet only her face remained.
A few days later, Chang Lili went to the Military Manufacturing Department and naturally had a good chat with Lu Ming.
She didn't have many peers, and Lu Ming was her closest friend. After exchanging pleasantries, they began to confide in each other, and naturally, she told Lu Ming about this matter.
When Lu Ming heard the words "You're fine the way you are," she showed a disdainful expression: "Ha, men!"
"What?" Chang Lili couldn't help but wonder.
Such mature and straightforward words coming from the simple and single-minded Lu Ming only made people feel amused, but Chang Lili had no intention of joking at the moment.
Lu Ming said with a rather mature air, "Most men who say this are lying. What do you mean by 'you're just fine as you are'? Tell me, what man doesn't like a pretty girl? If I looked like..." Lu Ming pointed at Master Liu, "...would you still want to be my sister?"
Chang Lili hesitated and said, "But Master Liu is a man...it's different!"
Lu Ming raised a finger and shook it: "No, no, when it comes to looks, there's only good or bad. Everyone is the same when it comes to this. Everyone loves beauty, and it's perfectly understandable to like good-looking people!"
Chang Lili looked at Lu Ming in shock: "Where...did you learn all this?"
Lu Ming said smugly, "Sister Lili, you didn't expect this, did you? Although you have more experience than me, there are some things you still don't know as much as I do." As she spoke, she leaned close to Chang Lili's ear with a mysterious look, "I heard it from the soldiers in the military camp. They like to talk about girls all the time."
Chang Lili's face darkened, wondering if Vice Minister Lu would think there was any problem with letting Lu Ming stay in the military camp.
"Is that so?" Chang Lili thought about Meng Yuxiu's appearance and couldn't imagine him being captivated by good looks.
But it's a fact that everyone loves beauty. Who doesn't like pretty girls? It's understandable to take a second look simply out of admiration!
So, when Chang Lili went to the military manufacturing department to start working, Meng Yuxiu found that she was still very busy, even busier than before, but it seemed that she was not entirely busy with the matter of forging weapons.
She didn't leave early and return late; instead, she left early and returned early. Once back at the General's Mansion, she would stay in her room, busy with something, no one knew.
Meng Yuxiu asked her several times, but Chang Lili either answered that it was nothing or that it was a girl's private matter. In short, she was unwilling to tell him. The more she did this, the more Meng Yuxiu felt that she was hiding something.
It was clearly a trivial matter, but Meng Yuxiu always felt uneasy about it, and over time he began to feel anxious.
He pondered this for a long time, and finally had no choice but to seek out Jingmei.
The general's mansion was peaceful and harmonious. Rumors about the general's upcoming marriage were spreading like wildfire, but the woman rumored to be the general's wife remained calm and composed, as if she had not heard a word of the rumors.
In order to serve the general's wife well in the future, the cooks in the general's mansion were sent by the general to the palace to learn how to make walnut shortbread, and then they were also sent to learn how to make almond Buddha's hand, He Yi cake, crispy apple and other pastries. They even learned the palace's winemaking method.
So every time Meng Yuxiu went to the military workshop to find Chang Lili with his weapon, he would bring her exquisite pastries in the evening and go to the courtyard to find her, hoping to use the delicious pastries to open her heart and find out what she had been busy with lately.
Chang Lili, however, remained secretive and refused to reveal a single word.
In the end, Meng Yuxiu learned from Jingmei what Chang Lili was up to.
"What? Rouge and face powder?" Meng Yuxiu asked in surprise.
Jingmei nodded affirmatively. Chang Lili and she were about the same age and had a very close relationship before. Chang Lili naturally trusted her. Now that she couldn't find anyone to talk to, Jingmei offered her concern, so she naturally asked Jingmei for help.
"Miss Chang said that the two rouge and face powders she had before were not pretty, so she asked me to buy her some nicer colors. She also asked for lip rouge," Jingmei said enthusiastically.
Meng Yuxiu suddenly remembered that morning when Chang Lili, dressed in a pink and white dress embroidered with peach blossoms and wearing heavy, comical makeup, pushed open the door to the house.
The phrase "Women adorn themselves for those who appreciate them" popped into his mind. He paused for a moment, then a captivating smile suddenly bloomed on his face.
“Then you should buy some for her, some top-quality stuff, and give it to her at the cheapest price on the market. I’ll give you the difference in my monthly allowance.” Meng Yuxiu smiled happily and contentedly.
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