Hearing him say that the process was so troublesome! Stroking the crystal-clear green bracelet, Su Yushan pondered, "It must have been very expensive, right? How much silver did it cost?"
Hongli said it wasn't expensive, and only held up five fingers. Su Yushan guessed, "Five hundred taels?"
Hongli shook his head. "Five thousand taels."
"..." Upon hearing this, Su Yushan gasped, her starry eyes widening in disbelief. Five thousand taels? That's a million? A bracelet costs a million?
Her monthly allowance was only six taels of silver. After she was promoted to concubine, it increased to ten taels. Although Hongli would often give her extra silver notes, if calculated according to the monthly allowance, it would take decades to save up five thousand taels!
After doing the math, she suddenly felt a pang of heartache. "This is too expensive! Five thousand taels could buy so much jewelry! I don't like it, you should return it immediately."
He didn't believe that at all. "When you saw this bracelet just now, your eyes clearly lit up. You must have liked it."
"I can't like it anymore just thinking about the price. It's too expensive. I don't want it." Su Yushan quickly put the bracelet back in the box, closed the lid, and looked away, no longer wanting to look at it.
Hongli walked to the table, sat down beside her, and took off the bracelet from her left wrist. Su Yushan exclaimed softly:
"Don't take it. My bracelet is perfectly fine. I'm used to wearing it and I like it very much."
However, he said, "I've worn it for two years already, and even if it's good, I should change it. This fruit green jadeite has a refreshing color, but it's not valuable enough."
As he spoke, he opened the box again, took out the emerald jade, and slipped it onto her fingertip.
"I said I don't want it, I don't really like it, please take it back!" She struggled to pull her hand away, and Hongli reminded her:
"Don't move it. If it breaks, we'll lose five thousand taels."
These words frightened her so much that she dared not struggle anymore and could only watch helplessly as he put the cord on for her.
A vibrant emerald green ring encircled her wrist, further accentuating her fair skin, slender wrist, and long, delicate fingers.
Hongli examined it and smiled with satisfaction. "Not too big, not too small, just right. This bracelet was made for you. No one else has ever worn it. It belongs only to you. Do you like it?"
This time, she didn't deny it. She nodded and said softly, "I like it, but it's too expensive. I feel pressured wearing it."
Hongli gently stroked her lips with his thumb and said softly, "My money should be spent on the woman I love. Do you want me to give it to someone else for you to be happy?"
Upon hearing this, Su Yushan suddenly felt reluctant and muttered softly, "Didn't you say this was made for me? Others might not be able to fit into it!"
With a loud laugh, Hongli nodded. "I secretly measured your wrist, and the size is just right for you. It can only be yours; no one else has the right to covet it."
Hongli spoke gently and persuasively for a long time before finally coaxing her into accepting the bracelet.
As noon approached, the servants began serving the dishes. However, during the luncheon, he frequently seemed lost in thought. Although he wore a smile, his brow remained furrowed, and he appeared hesitant to speak, as if he had something difficult to say. Su Yushan asked curiously:
"What's wrong? Is something on your mind? Tell me, it might make you feel better."
Hongli wanted to tell her about what happened at Lanzhao Courtyard last night, but today is her birthday and she is in a good mood. If he told her about those things, wouldn't that spoil her mood?
But if I don't tell her, she'll probably feel even worse when she finds out later.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
