Chapter 10
The next day, just as she was doing her first shopping of the month, someone came to call Ning Qingxi before noon to tell her that her order had arrived.
Ning Qingxi excitedly put down her pen, went back into the house to call her younger brother and sister, and together they went to get the cloak.
The weather was perfect today, sunny and bright, but so cold that we couldn't bring our hands out. The two kids each had a hot water bottle.
Ning Qingyuan asked, "Sister, what did we buy?"
“Cloaks,” Ning Qingxi said, “When we go out to play, we can wear cloaks. They’ll keep us warm. There’s still some time before spring arrives, so it’s perfect.”
She was in a good mood and walked with a light step. When they arrived at their destination, the servant took out a large package and said, "Miss, look, I've brought everything back for you."
Ning Qingxi took the package and, together with the two children, stood in a circle, heads close together, unpacking it.
"Now, it's time to witness a miracle!" Ning Qingxi took a deep breath, opened the box with anticipation, and was immediately dazzled by the clothes inside.
A small bright red cloak, a small dark red cloak, and a larger light pink cloak.
Ning Qingxi: "..."
She stood up, turned around, and asked, "Excuse me, do you not have any other colors?"
The servant turned to look at the pile of brightly colored clothes, then seemed to remember something and said, "Oh, no, there are other colors, but these colors are so vibrant, they really make people look good... What's wrong? Don't you like them?"
Ning Qingxi put the package away expressionlessly: "No, I like it quite a bit, it's just a little unexpected."
She really couldn't believe that she could choose such a strikingly colored outfit, especially since she only had two dresses, one pale yellow and one light green, and this light pink cloak didn't seem to match either of them very well.
However, there's no way around it; you can tell they really put a lot of thought into choosing the clothes. The styles and patterns are all very fashionable, and the quality is impeccable.
Ning Qingxi didn't dwell on it much. The three of them put on their clothes on the spot, which barely kept them from the cold wind, and then said no more.
The next day, the whole world knew that she had a new dress.
Ning Qingxi, who had suddenly become rich from a poor background, immediately went to the reception room to paint, wearing a cloak. Even though the ink stains were difficult to wash off, she couldn't bear to take it off until she was too hot to continue, at which point she hung it up to the side.
Zhang Fuhu came in for a stroll and casually asked, "Oh, you bought new clothes? How are they? Are they warm enough?"
Ning Qingxi slowly put down her pen: "Of course it's very warm, the outer ring is made of rabbit fur!"
Zhang Fuhu: "..."
He lowered his head and fell into deep thought.
Because he remembered that this person was not like this at the beginning. It was also possible that his first impression of Ning Qingxi was wrong. In any case, she was calm and composed at that time. Although she was obviously poor, her eyes had a kind of determination that others did not have.
Looking at it now...
Calm? Composed?
No, this person is becoming more and more like a peacock, always trying to display its plumage whenever it catches someone.
She wasn't like this when she bought her new clothes...
While Zhang Fuhu was deep in thought, Ning Qingxi clicked her tongue impatiently: "Didn't you notice something wrong with these clothes?"
Zhang Fuhu: "..."
There was nothing he could do. He stared at the garment for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out.
Ning Qingxi, standing nearby, subtly suggested, "Look at its color."
“Isn’t this great?” Zhang Fuhu said seriously. “Pink suits people well, and it’s pleasing to the eye from a distance.”
Ning Qingxi: "..."
She was convinced.
So the people here have a problem with their aesthetic sense, and the problem lies here.
Too.
She looked Zhang Fuhu up and down for a long time.
Today, the man was wearing a dark purple robe with large, gold-embroidered flowers on the chest, the flowers spreading outwards, making the whole garment ostentatious and luxurious.
Ning Qingxi waved her hand: "It's okay. I just wanted you to confirm my aesthetic sense. No problem."
Having stayed here for over a month, Zhang Fuhu had become her toy. No one thought there was anything wrong with this domineering and worshipful way of getting along, and the two of them were having quite a good time.
Besides painting and buying things for her younger siblings, Ning Qingxi spent her days playing with Zhang Fuhu. This man was simple-minded but physically strong, but fortunately, he could take a beating and wouldn't get angry. Ning Qingxi lived a comfortable life, eating, sleeping, and playing games for a month. Then, the third round of competition began.
This was the first time Ning Qingxi had seen Huo Yanci in the past month.
He looks taller, Ning Qingxi thought to herself.
Huo Yanci, unusually, tied her hair up in a high ponytail on top of her head. Dressed in a close-fitting outfit, she entered with a snowy aura that seemed to come from nowhere, making her look much more fierce.
Huo Yanci had barely entered the room, his hands not even warmed up, when he saw Ning Qingxi sitting there lazily with her hands in her pockets, wearing that green silk dress and a pink cloak, her eyes slightly narrowed as if she were sizing him up.
Huo Yanci looked down at herself, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Ning Qingxi said, "It's nothing. It's just that it's rare to see His Highness Prince Jing dressed like this. It's quite a novel sight."
This is no exaggeration. Huo Yanci had been dressing flamboyantly for a long time. While he looked beautiful, it lacked originality. Suddenly changing his outfit made him look tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He looked like a slender sword, and just standing there was a sight to behold.
Ning Qingxi looked at the red mole at the corner of his eye and thought it was a good thing; it didn't look gaudy, but rather added a touch of solemnity.
Huo Yanci felt uneasy and her ears burned under her gaze. She could only mutter to herself, "What's wrong with me?"
Zhang Fuhu hadn't arrived yet, so everyone was chatting amongst themselves. Huo Yanci moved a stool and sat down next to Ning Qingxi, who then clicked her tongue in disapproval.
Ning Qingxi said, "Your Highness, please be careful. If you sit here, people will think that I'm only where I am now because of you."
Huo Yanci: "..."
He felt a little uneasy, as if he was being disliked.
Fortunately, Ning Qingxi was just grumbling and didn't actually kick him out. She took out a few green dates from her pocket: "Want some?"
Huo Yanci took one and put it in her mouth, her thumb brushing against Ning Qingxi's hand as she did so.
Fruits are scarce in the dead of winter, with only persimmons and oranges available, and they all have to be transported from other places. Therefore, being able to eat fruit in winter is a very happy thing, especially when you are dizzy from being roasted by a fire pit.
Ning Qingxi paused for a moment, feeling that the spot he had brushed against suddenly became exceptionally noticeable and impossible to ignore.
Huo Yanci casually replied, "It's not very sweet."
"...You've spoiled me."
Ning Qingxi also popped a date into her mouth and immediately felt refreshed. The two of them sat down to one side, and before long, all the dates had turned into date pits, which Huo Yanci wrapped in a handkerchief. Just as they finished eating, Zhang Fuhu came in. As usual, the first thing he did was to look for Huo Yanci, and the second thing he did was to exchange pleasantries with her.
As soon as he entered, his small eyes on his chubby face were as sharp as an eagle's, instantly locking onto Huo Yanci's location. Then, Ning Qingxi saw his gaze shift to her face, followed by a look that said, "I knew it."
Ning Qingxi: "..."
How should I put it? I really admire her. If she ever doesn't want to live anymore, she should live like Zhang Fuhu, without a care in the world.
His arrival signifies the official start of the third round of voting.
This step doesn't require the designer to explain the design concept; it's enough for onlookers to experience it for themselves.
The paintings by the two old antiques, when placed there, create a bright and clear world, a comfortable and homely atmosphere. The paintings are clean and tidy, with a clear distinction between the main subject and the background. In the background is a house, and in the middle of the open space, there is suddenly a piece of land with a pine tree of a special shape.
The images are largely the same, but with just a few lines, you can see that the artist has considerable skill.
Although her competitors were formidable, Ning Qingxi was no pushover either.
Ning Qingxi calmly unfolded her painting, and a gust of evil wind swept over her.
If the first two are upright and righteous, then Ning Qingxi's painting goes to the other extreme.
Even Huo Yanci, who had never criticized her before, couldn't help but whisper, "Shouldn't you practice your calligraphy?"
"..." Ning Qingxi: "Shut up!"
Although Ning Qingxi's work was inferior in quality, it was superior in quantity. She laid out the pictures one by one, and at a glance, they were quite spectacular, with details in every place, pavilions, towers, mountains, rocks and lakes. The most special one was the rock in the lake.
It was exceptionally long and thin, almost as tall as a three-story building, but it had several incomprehensible holes drawn on it.
Zhang Fuhu stroked his chin for a long time, but still couldn't understand. Fortunately, he wasn't one to be overly concerned with saving face, so he asked on the spot, pointing to this spot and saying, "What is this?"
Ning Qingxi feigned profundity: "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. This is just my little trick. If you want to know what it is, of course you have to vote for me first."
Huo Yanci and Zhang Fuhu had no objections, but Qiao Yuan disapproved of this mercenary behavior the most, and scoffed, "Trying to be clever."
Huo Yanci: "..."
He rolled up his sleeves, ready to discuss life with Qiao Yuan, but Ning Qingxi stopped him.
Ning Qingxi laughed and said, "Everyone has different opinions, and it's natural for a hundred flowers to bloom. How can it be considered being clever? This is my original idea. I don't want to talk about my ideas in front of others, lest they become common knowledge. So it can't be considered clever, can it?"
Her tone was quite tactful, but her words were extremely harsh, leaving the three people present, except for Huo Yanci and Zhang Fuhu, looking as if they had swallowed a fly.
Ning Qingxi was deliberately trying to annoy them; after saying that, she rolled up her sleeves and continued acting like a quail.
Zhang Fuhu pretended not to notice: "If you have no objections, let's vote, everyone."
As usual, Huo Yanci gave Ning Qingxi a vote, and even paid special attention to the vote given by Qiao Yuan. Zhang Fuhu, on the other hand, seemed to have a deep understanding of things and also gave his vote to Ning Qingxi in the end. Thus, Qiao Yuan's vote became insignificant.
After everyone left, Zhang Fu couldn't resist taking out the picture he had praised for its clever design and asking, "Besides this broken rock, what other clever design is there in this picture of yours?"
Ning Qingxi snapped her fingers: "You guessed right, this stone is exactly my ingenious idea!"
After saying that, under the two people's "Are you kidding me?" gazes, Ning Qingxi pointed at the stone and said, "Look closely, what's different?"
Huo Yanci pondered for a moment: "Extremely ugly."
"..." Ning Qingxi tapped the paper: "Have you ever seen this kind of stone in the capital?"
After being reminded by her, Huo Yanci suddenly realized that she had indeed never seen him before.
In the gardens of the capital, a rockery is often made by stacking up a few round stones.
Seeing his expression, Ning Qingxi said with satisfaction, "This kind of stone is mostly found in the south. Its characteristics are that it is thin, wrinkled, porous, and translucent. The transportation cost is high, but the shape is unique. Mr. Zhang, you are so concerned about even a stone. If you are not generous, who is?"
Zhang Fuhu suddenly understood!
His constant pursuit has always been this subtle way of showing off, but he only has one question: "Isn't this too obvious?"
Ning Qingxi waved his hand dismissively: "That's easy. Just find someone to write a poem that specifically emphasizes this stone. That way, who in the capital won't know that you, Boss Zhang, are incredibly wealthy?"
Seeing Zhang Fuhu's enlightened expression, Huo Yanci was speechless, but she couldn't stop him from being so happy. Zhang Fuhu immediately praised Ning Qingxi for winning his heart and said that he would definitely set up two tables and become sworn brothers with her tomorrow! After saying that, he hurriedly went out to call the small kitchen to prepare the meal.
It was obvious that Zhang Fuhu would have to set up two more tables. After everyone left, Huo Yanci sat opposite Ning Qingxi and said, "I didn't realize you were so good at bluffing."
Ning Qingxi slammed her hand on the table: "What do you mean by 'deceiving'? I clearly reasoned with you and appealed to your emotions!"
"Yes, yes, yes," Huo Yanci said, coaxing a child. "Rest for a few days, and we'll go see the place another day."
Ning Qingxi: "Where?"
“The garden,” Huo Yanci said, “you must know that the winner of the design competition is also responsible for overseeing the construction, don’t you know that?”
It was like being struck by lightning!
Ning Qingxi hates going to construction sites the most. It's hot in the summer and bitterly cold in the winter. These big projects can't be completed in a year or two, which means she has to be out in the wind and sun for a year or two.
Huo Yanci spoke from a position of privilege: "To be honest, I was also quite surprised that Miss Ning would participate in this kind of competition. In a place where men gather, I can't help but worry about Miss Ning's safety."
Ning Qingxi: "..."
Huo Yanci had scared her enough, and seeing her frozen in shock, she finally spoke slowly: "Or, if you say a nice word to me, I'll accompany you to supervise the construction, that's fine too."
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