Visiting a flower shop
Ever since she suffered a setback in the corridor, Ruan Qinghe had been trying her best to cause trouble for Ruan Yunsheng, and she didn't listen to Liu Ruyan's instructions at all. However, every time she rushed to Qingyi Garden, she either found Ruan Yunsheng fast asleep with his head covered, or she came to nothing.
After not being able to find even a piece of clothing for seven or eight days in a row, Ruan Qinghe was completely annoyed. At dawn that day, she blocked the gate of Qingyi Garden with murderous intent, like a door god.
“Squeak—”
Ruan Yunsheng rubbed his eyes and pushed the door open, nearly bumping into her livid face. He took a step back in shock: "Third sister, are you... doing morning exercises?"
Ruan Qinghe grabbed her arm, digging his nails into her sleeve. "Mother said your clothes are too shabby and bring shame to the Ruan family, so she asked me to go shopping with you."
She sneered, "Sister, don't let mother down."
Ruan Yunsheng tried to pull his hand away, but it tightened even more: "It's too early now. The shop isn't even open yet..."
"It's just right!"
Ruan Qinghe dragged her out, "Sister, I haven't had breakfast with you yet! I heard Zuixianlou has just released crab soup dumplings, shall we go try some?"
Sorry, I just ate.
But Ruan Qinghe did not give her a chance to refuse. He half-dragged and half-pulled her out of the mansion. The streets were empty, and only the early-rising peddlers looked in surprise at the two girls in gorgeous clothes pulling each other in the morning mist.
The two of them tugged and tugged as they reached the front of Zuixian Tower, only to find the vermilion lacquer door locked. Ruan Yunsheng raised an eyebrow helplessly, "I told you it wasn't time yet."
Ruan Qinghe was speechless. She usually just asked the servants to buy things, so how could she remember the shop's opening hours? Just as she was feeling frustrated, she suddenly smelled the rich aroma of bones wafting from the side.
There was a simple wonton stall on the corner of the street, with an old paulownia chopping board and a shiny copper pot on the stove. In the steam, an old man with white hair and beard was pinching wontons that looked like gold ingots with his calloused hands.
A few paint-chipped stools were scattered on the roadside, and coarse porcelain bowls were placed on the oil-stained table.
"Let's go over there and have a bite." Ruan Yunsheng walked straight to the stall.
"No!" Ruan Qinghe grabbed her sleeve, "This place, these tables and chairs."
She pointed at the old man's washed-out coarse shirt, "It's so dirty! How can I eat this!"
Ruan Yunsheng didn't care and sat down safely. No matter how Ruan Qinghe pulled, she didn't move at all. Ruan Qinghe was secretly shocked: Where does this wild girl get such strength?
Seeing Ruan Yunsheng holding up the hot wontons and blowing on them, the aroma went straight to her nose. Ruan Qinghe's stomach rumbled. She had been waiting there since before dawn and was already starving.
I wonder how this shop makes it? The aroma of this roadside stall is even more tempting than the chicken soup at home!
But the broken tables and chairs, stained with suspicious oil stains, made her feel nauseous again.
The maid Chun Xing was clever and saw what the young lady was thinking. She quickly took out an embroidered handkerchief and spread it on the stool.
Ruan Yunsheng snorted coldly: "Pretentious."
Ruan Qinghe then awkwardly sat down, muttering, "I'm just giving you face..."
As she took a bite of the wonton, her eyes widened. The skin was as thin as gauze, the meat filling was fresh and tender, and the broth was so rich that it made her mouth water! She ate so fast that she didn't care about her manners and even drank the soup to the bottom.
Finally, she patted her slightly bulging belly with satisfaction and said, "Not bad, not bad!" Then she tossed a silver ingot to the old man and said, "This is your reward!"
Ruan Yunsheng looked at her rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes, shook his head and chuckled. After all, she was just a child who had not grown up.
But later on, she wanted to slap herself twice. This was not childishness at all, it was clearly that of a scoundrel.
After the two finished their meal, Ruan Qinghe took Ruan Yunsheng into "Yunjinfang" and happened to meet Gu Wanqing, the daughter of the Minister of Rites.
When the two close friends met, they immediately held hands and started talking to each other in private.
"Qinghe! How come you have time to come today?"
Gu Wanqing smiled brightly, and when she glanced at Ruan Yunsheng, who was wearing plain clothes and a simple hairpin, she showed some doubt, "Who is this..."
Ruan Qinghe pretended to be kind and enthusiastic, "This is my second sister, Yunsheng. She was raised in the countryside of Chuzhou since she was a child. My mother asked me to bring her here to buy her some clothes."
She bowed slightly and said, "Sister, please don't be offended, Wanqing, because you don't know the rules of the capital."
Gu Wanqing immediately understood and looked at Ruan Yunsheng with contempt: "No wonder he is so... plain."
She suddenly remembered something and excitedly pulled Ruan Qinghe over. "Oh, by the way, the shopkeeper said they just got a Liuxian dress with floating luster brocade. I think it suits you perfectly!"
The waiter quickly brought a moon-colored long dress. The fabric shone with a faint pearly luster under the light, and the hem of the skirt was embroidered with a dark pattern of butterflies and flowers.
Ruan Qinghe couldn't let go and gestured on his body, his eyes full of amazement: "It's really beautiful..."
But she suddenly bit her lip, put down her skirt, and glanced at Ruan Yunsheng with grievance: "Forget it, I came here today to buy clothes with my second sister. If I bought this one, my mother would say I was ignorant..."
His tone was low, but his eyes were filled with gloating.
Gu Wanqing immediately became indignant: "How can a country girl wear nice clothes? I think this one suits her!"
As she spoke, she pulled out a bright red and green skirt from the corner. The fabric was rough and embroidered with tacky peony flowers, and the collar was decorated with dazzling gold tassels.
She shoved the clothes towards Ruan Yunsheng maliciously: "Go try it on! This color suits a simple person best."
Amidst the overt and covert ridicule from Ruan Qinghe and Gu Wanqing, Ruan Yunsheng lowered her eyes, took the eye-catching red and green skirt with tacky gold thread, and walked silently into the dressing room. From outside the door came the two people's suppressed but complacent laughter.
"Wanqing, look at her expression just now! Does she really think she can dress in a fancy way?"
"A country girl with country clothes is just the right match!"
The curtain of the dressing room was gently opened at this moment——
Ruan Yunsheng walked out slowly, and her once vulgar skirt seemed to have been transformed! The vibrant red on her body transformed into a blazing pomegranate fire, the dazzling green became the emerald waves against the backdrop of the newly planted lotus leaves, and even the crude gold tassels swayed with her steps, like a galaxy of stars.
The simple tailoring actually outlines her exquisite figure. The slightly open neckline reveals a part of her snow-white neck. Her black hair is loosely tied up, and a few strands of hair hang down on her cheeks, making her eyebrows and eyes even more beautiful and charming.
The shop suddenly became quiet. The shopkeeper forgot to use his abacus, the clerk threw the tea tray, and even passers-by on the street were staring through the window frames with wide eyes.
Ruan Qinghe dug his nails into his palms, a sour jealousy welling up in his heart. How could this woman look like she was wearing a phoenix robe even when she was wearing a piece of rag?
Gu Wanqing's face also turned pale. She originally wanted to see the other party make a fool of himself, but now it was like she was handing the phoenix crown and bridal bridal gown to her enemy with her own hands!
Ruan Qinghe forced a fake smile and stepped forward: "This material is rough, I'm afraid it will hurt my skin, so let's change back to our original clothes..."
Before he finished speaking, a clear sneer suddenly came from outside the store.
"Some people are so naturally beautiful that even coarse linen cannot hide their beauty."
The beaded curtain rustled, and a woman in a flowing palace dress walked in. Her eyes swept over Ruan Qinghe with a gleam of ridicule, "And some people, even if they're covered in gold and silver, can't hide the dirty thoughts beneath their skin!"
The person who came was tall, with a heroic look between his brows. The nine-dragon pendant on his waist showed his identity. It was none other than the eldest princess Murong Huanyun of the current emperor!
Everyone in the store hurriedly bowed and saluted. Ruan Yunsheng was about to kneel when Murong Huanyun grabbed his wrist and said, "No thanks."
She gently lifted Ruan Yunsheng's chin with her fingertips, her eyes full of amazement, "What a pretty sister, I like you!"
She turned to the shopkeeper and shouted, "Bring out all the best clothes in the store! Let this young lady try them on to her heart's content, and put them on my account today!"
Ruan Yunsheng's ears turned red: "Your Highness, this is against the rules..."
"rule?"
Murong Huanyun laughed out loud, his fingertips sliding across her blushing cheeks. "I'm a rule-abiding woman! Seeing a beauty brings me joy, and I'm happy to do so! A thousand gold coins cannot buy my happiness!"
She leaned in closer and lowered her voice, "It's better than some people using sour words as makeup."
Ruan Yunsheng's heartbeat accelerated due to this straight ball, and she screamed in her heart, "Mom, she is so good! I love it so much!"
So she pointed unceremoniously at a pile of brocade and embroidery, jade necklaces, and even picked out a peacock and gold-thread dress. Far from being annoyed, Murong Huanyun clapped his hands in praise, "Great! I love your straightforward nature!"
She glanced at Ruan Qinghe and Gu Wanqing, whose faces were ashen, and said, "It's much better than those two green tea girls who act pretentiously all day long!"
Seeing that the eldest princess favored Ruan Yunsheng so much, Ruan Qinghe felt jealous, but he didn't dare to show it.
She forced a sweet smile, straightened her dress, stepped forward, and said softly, "How could Your Highness the Princess have time to come to this small shop today? If I had known Your Highness was coming, Qinghe would have..."
Murong Huanyun didn't even raise his eyelids before he finished speaking. He just fiddled with the jade bracelet in his hand nonchalantly and sneered, "Do I need to report to you where I'm going?"
She finally glanced at Ruan Qinghe, her gaze as sharp as an icy blade. "But you, with nothing to do all day, specially brought people here to pick on people?"
Ruan Qinghe's face turned red and white, his fingers tightly clenched the cuffs of his sleeves, his voice trembling: "Your Highness has misunderstood, Qinghe is just accompanying my sister to choose clothes..."
"elder sister?"
Murong Huanyun suddenly interrupted, her laughter filled with sarcasm, "I didn't see any sisterly love at all. I only saw some people relying on their status as a legitimate daughter to mistreat others with coarse cloth and rags."
She approached slowly, looking down at Ruan Qinghe, "You'd better forget about your little tricks. No matter how expensive your clothes are, they can't hide your petty nature."
The store was completely silent. All the employees and customers held their breath and lowered their heads, wishing they could hide themselves in the clothes racks. Ruan Qinghe was so ashamed that tears welled up in his eyes, but he didn't dare let them fall.
Murong Huanyun had already turned around and took Ruan Yunsheng's hand affectionately: "My dear sister, ignore these idle people. Come on, I'll take you to Xiangfei Pavilion."
When passing by Ruan Qinghe, Murong Huanyun paused slightly and said lightly: "I advise you to restrain yourself in the future, otherwise..."
She sneered, "I don't mind letting the whole capital know how the general's daughter was outdone by a coarse cloth skirt."
Ruan Qinghe froze in place, his face ashen.
Murong Huanyun paid no attention to Ruan Qinghe's pale face behind him. He grabbed Ruan Yunsheng's wrist and hurried towards the magnificent building with carved beams and painted buildings at the end of the long street.
A golden plaque with three large characters "Xiangfei Pavilion" written in a flamboyant style hangs above the vermilion lacquer gate. In front of the gate, there are chirping sounds of birds and fragrant breezes. Girls in gorgeous clothes with beautiful faces and hair like clouds and flowers smile sweetly to attract passers-by.
Ruan Yunsheng paused, his eyes widening. "Your Highness! This... this place isn't suitable!"
She is a good young person of the new era with a good family background. Although she has traveled through time, the core socialist values are always in her heart and deeply rooted in her bones. How can she casually enter such a legendary place of entertainment!
Murong Huanyun chuckled and poked her tense cheek with his fingertips. "What are you afraid of? I'm not asking you to entertain guests. Today, I'm going to show you, a little old-fashioned person, what's going on inside the most wonderful 'gold-selling den' in the capital!"
"What a sin, what a sin..." Ruan Yunsheng muttered softly, but his eyes glanced inside uncontrollably.
In the hall, there was light gauze dancing gracefully, candlelight swaying red, and faint sounds of pipa and string instruments coming from behind the crystal curtain. It was both elegant and seductive.
Her sense of morality was screaming wildly, but her feet seemed to have their own thoughts, and she honestly followed Murong Huanyun across the gold-rimmed threshold.
Since I'm here, I might as well see it for myself... It shouldn't be a problem, right? Just for a little while! It's not like I'm a whore!
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