On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, the full moon, like a jade plate, slowly rose into the sky. The blue sky was adorned with countless stars, their light shining brightly and scattering across the earth.
Second Prince's Residence
Gu Qianxue rested her head on her hands, leaning against the intricately carved mahogany couch.
Looking up and down at the two large chests of treasure on the ground, the Second Prince's gentle voice echoed in his mind.
"Xue'er, tonight I'll take you out of the manor to stroll through the night market. I've specially sent someone to deliver some exquisite silk skirts and pearl hairpins to you."
"Take a look and see what you like. Keep the ones you don't. Give the rest to the servants."
"Miss, the young master sent so many gifts over; he truly dotes on you!"
"Yes, I just casually mentioned that I was feeling a bit down, and he thought he'd take me out for a walk to cheer me up, but unfortunately, he's still blind..."
Gu Qianxue slowly stood up and picked through the treasure chest. When she saw a long, flowing dress with gold and silver embroidery of a hundred birds, a smug smile flashed across her lips.
She excitedly changed into a gorgeous dress and waved the elegant hem of the skirt in front of the bronze mirror.
The maid Su Dong's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed in surprise, "..."
"Miss, isn't this... isn't this the gorgeous dress that the eldest young lady wore when she returned to her parents' home?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianxue frowned and said angrily, "Su Dong, are you blind? Take a closer look at this for me, this is an upgraded version of hers."
Upon hearing this, Su Dong immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness, "Miss, please forgive me. I was blind. Miss is so beautiful, only you can complement this gorgeous dress. The eldest young lady is not even a tenth as beautiful as you."
Gu Qianxue and her mother, Madam Lu, both enjoyed hearing flattery, even if it was untrue.
Hearing these pleasant words, Gu Qianxue's smile deepened. "Su Dong, tell me, which kind of perfume should I use today?"
"Miss, the Second Prince suffers from an eye disease and cannot see your beauty, but the fragrance can evoke his endless imagination."
This servant believes that the rich and refreshing scent of rose perfume is perfectly suited to your exquisite beauty, Miss.
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianxue nodded in satisfaction. She instructed Su Dong to apply the perfume, then carefully do her makeup and comb her hair. After a flurry of activity, Su Dong helped her slowly walk out of the house.
As soon as she stepped out of the palace, her gaze fell upon the pavilion ahead, where the handsome figure of a man came into view.
The Second Prince was dressed in white, his long hair as black as ink flowing down his back. He stood tall and straight. Although his face was covered by a light veil, his features were still strikingly handsome, as if he were born with a noble air of royalty.
A hint of smugness flashed in her eyes. She couldn't help but recall her past with Chen Jinheng in her previous life, and felt a pang of self-contempt, thinking to herself, "..."
"Gu Qianluo, in your previous life, you enjoyed all the riches and honors of the world, while I was neglected and abandoned by Chen Jinheng. Hmph, in this life, I must seize the Second Prince's position and use his status to become the most noble woman in the world."
Although the second prince was blind, his hearing was very sharp.
He had already sensed her presence the moment Gu Qianxue stepped out of the room.
He thought she would come over to greet him, so he waited patiently under the tree.
Seeing that she was taking a long time to arrive, his patience and affection were finite, and his burning gaze suddenly turned cold.
"Is that Xue'er? If we don't leave soon, we'll miss the best part of the night market."
Hearing the sound, Gu Qianxue snapped out of her thoughts, gathered her skirts, and ran towards the Second Prince.
"Your Highness, thank you for the clothes you gave Xue'er. However, I am used to wearing plain clothes, so I am not quite used to wearing such fine clothes."
Then I called to Su Dong to help me tidy up a bit more, so that I wouldn't be inappropriate when I went out and embarrass Your Highness.
Upon hearing this, the Second Prince said indifferently, "I have been physically weak since childhood and am used to being 'shameful'. I don't care about this time."
Xue'er, you don't need to worry about these things too much in the future. Just make sure your clothes are comfortable.
Two days before the Lantern Festival, Chen Jinheng had already booked a room at Qingfang Residence a few days prior.
Taking advantage of some free time, he brought Gu Qianluo out to experience the everyday life of ordinary people.
"Madam, do you like the food at Qingfangju?"
Chen Jinheng ate little and quickly during the meal. After he was full, he began to feed Gu Qianluo.
Gu Qianluo had a big appetite, but seeing bowl after bowl of food being served, her brows suddenly furrowed, she let out a long sigh, and complained.
"Husband, if you keep putting food on my plate, I'll be twice as big tomorrow as I am today."
"Haha! Madam is too thin, she should eat more."
"Jinheng, why didn't you tell me beforehand that you would be taking me out for a trip today? You took me away as soon as you came back from the military camp, so I didn't have time to dress up properly."
Seeing the self-pitying look on the woman's face, he couldn't help but raise his hand and gently flick her forehead, saying in a cold tone,
"As the saying goes, a woman dresses up for the man who appreciates her. In my eyes, my wife is already a beauty even without makeup, so why should she need to dress up?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianlu silently cursed him in her heart, "Hey, are you a terminally straight man?"
Chen Jinheng's eyes flashed, as if he could see through Gu Qianluo's little scheme. His expression softened slightly, and he emphasized, "..."
"Madam, could it be that you're still thinking about your childhood sweetheart? After all, there's a lantern auction today. Perhaps your younger sister and your old flame are enjoying a romantic evening under the moon and flowers amidst this dazzling spectacle!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianluo's eyes lit up, and she looked towards the lantern vendors not far away, exclaiming in surprise,
“Jinheng, do you know that you shouldn’t talk about people at night? Look, as soon as you did, they appeared.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Jinheng felt a little depressed. He had only wanted to tease Gu Qianluo.
Unexpectedly, this woman actually dared to admit that the Second Prince was her old flame. A pang of jealousy rose in her heart, but she smiled faintly and teased, "..."
"That's exactly what you wanted!"
Gu Qianlu frowned, too lazy to pay attention to the jealous man, and looked at the lantern Gu Qianxue was holding, saying regretfully...
"Oh no! My favorite lantern is going to fall into her hands."
Upon hearing this, the man's expression suddenly turned cold.
"Hmm? What makes you say that?"
"That lamp was ordered from the lamp vendor a few days ago. It was made according to the drawing I made. I also told the vendor that I would pick it up in three days."
"It must have been because Gu Qianxue used the Second Prince's name that the shopkeeper sold her the lantern."
"Ah, since you like it, Madam, you can't let it go!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Jinheng suddenly stood up, intending to walk towards the lantern vendor, but his wrist was grabbed by Gu Qianluo.
"Jinheng, you are about to go to war. You should not make enemies with the Second Prince, lest it cause trouble."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jinheng's eyes darkened, and he looked in the direction she was referring to.
"Silly girl, if you like it, I'll snatch it back for you even if it means taking it from you!"
Before she could react, Chen Jinheng had already used his lightness skill to fly in front of the Second Prince and Gu Qianxue.
"Sister Qianxue, please wait! The lantern in your hand has already been reserved by my mistress. Please do not take what belongs to someone else."
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