End of article
The new rouge shop is named Zhu Yan Ge.
On the opening day, Fu Zhi Qiao did not go to see it in person. Her current status was not ordinary, and many eyes were watching her, both openly and secretly. Under her deliberate concealment, no one knew that Zhu Yan Ge was a property under her name.
Even before Zhu Yan Ge opened, Fu Yun Ge used Zhu Yan Ge's rouge and face powder to teach makeup. With the prior publicity, Zhu Yan Ge had already accumulated a group of loyal customers before it even opened.
In mid-to-late November, Fu Zhidao chose an ordinary day to visit the store.
The cold weather did not dampen the women's enthusiasm for cosmetics; the Zhu Yan Ge store was always bustling with customers, which put Fu Zhi Qiao at ease.
She then visited Taibai Tower and Fuyun Pavilion. Since the beef and mutton hadn't arrived yet, Taibai Tower wasn't operating at its peak. Fuyun Pavilion, on the other hand, was doing very well; its nourishing soups and pastries were selling very well, and they had even opened two more makeup classes. After touring the shops and spending most of the day there, Fu Zhi Qiao returned home satisfied.
However, she didn't return to the Prince's Mansion, but to the Fu Mansion.
Yu Roulan was both surprised and delighted to see Fu Zhi Qiao suddenly appear before her: "Qiao? Why are you back?"
"I missed my mother, so I came back."
Yu Roulan smiled from ear to ear, and a few slight wrinkles appeared at the corners of her eyes.
"It's been so long since I've had my mother's chicken soup."
Yu Roulan gently stroked Fu Zhiqiao's head and softly replied, "Okay, Mother will go and stew it for you right away."
When she returned from instructing the kitchen to make chicken soup, she saw Fu Zhi Qiao eating pastries, her cheeks bulging.
"How can someone so grown up still act like a child? What will she do when she becomes a mother?"
Yu Roulan's gaze lingered on Fu Zhiqiao. Her skin was as white as snow, her beauty as striking as a begonia, and her features were distinct and three-dimensional. She was gradually shedding her girlish naiveté, and her body curves were becoming more and more shapely. Even in a plain dress, her stunning beauty was undeniable.
"I would never have a child so early."
Yu Roulan glared at her, "Nonsense, you've been married for almost half a year now, won't the prince and princess have something to say if you don't get pregnant soon?"
The old prince is getting on in years, and the entire manor is definitely counting on Fu Zhi Qiao to have children. However, more than half a year has passed, and there is still no news of Fu Zhi Qiao being pregnant. Yu Rou Lan is filled with worry that she might suffer injustice in the manor because of this, and she has no way to support her.
Fu Zhiqiao scoffed, "What complaints could there be? This isn't something I can decide on my own."
With the news that Xie Zhuo was poisoned and unlikely to have children, no matter what happened, she wouldn't be blamed. If the sky were to fall, Xie Zhuo would be there to hold it up, so Fu Zhi Qiao wasn't worried at all. She glanced around and asked, "Where's Dou Dou?"
"You're always trying to fool me!" Yu Roulan scolded her daughter for changing the subject, but her brows gradually relaxed.
DouDou is a tabby cat.
Since Fu Zhi Qiao got married, the Fu residence has become much less lively. Fearing that Yu Rou Lan would be lonely living alone, Fu Zhi Qiao sent a cat over to keep her company.
Yu Roulan knew that Fu Zhiqiao had brought the cat over to make her happy, so she named the cat "Dou Dou". Dou Dou was well-fed by Yu Roulan and became very chubby. Its round and plump figure was very endearing. Fu Zhiqiao and Dou Dou had a lot of fun playing together.
The house was warm and cozy, with charcoal burning inside.
Fu Zhi Qiao got tired of playing with the cat and fell asleep on the chaise lounge.
Yu Roulan covered her with a blanket. Seeing that she was sleeping peacefully, she instructed the servants to stand guard at the door so as not to wake her up. She then went to the kitchen to prepare the dishes that Fu Zhi Qiao liked to eat.
Fu Zhi Qiao slept straight through until evening.
Ginkgo gently shook her awake: "Girl! It's snowing outside!"
Fu Zhiqiao raised her head blankly, slowly got up and walked to the window. Sure enough, it was snowing. Perhaps it had just started snowing, as there was no snow left on the ground.
Dinner time.
After getting married, the mother and daughter never ate a meal together alone. They were both in a good mood and even opened a jar of plum wine to drink, most of which was drunk by Fu Zhi Qiao.
Not long after the mother and daughter finished their dinner, Xie Zhuo arrived.
"Ah Qiao was in a good mood and drank a couple more glasses of wine in the evening. Will going back now disturb the Prince and Princess?"
Yu Roulan originally wanted Fu Zhiqiao to stay at her house for one night, but since Xie Zhuo had come to pick her up, she had no choice but to let her go. "The kitchen is making hangover soup. Have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up before you leave."
Xie Zhuo nodded in agreement.
Fu Zhiqiao sat at the table, sipping her hangover soup, while Xie Zhuo sat opposite her, drinking hot tea with refined and elegant movements. Yu Roulan watched the harmonious atmosphere between the young couple and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.
After drinking the hangover soup, Yu Roulan handed Fu Zhiqiao a hand warmer and saw the two of them out of the mansion.
The snow was getting heavier, and Xie Zhuo draped his cloak over Fu Zhi Qiao and held an umbrella for her.
After escorting them to the gate of the Fu residence, Yu Roulan instructed them, "The wind and snow may intensify on the way, so please don't delay us."
"Mother, please rest assured." Xie Zhuo helped Fu Zhi Qiao bow and then got into the carriage.
The hangover soup didn't work. As soon as Fu Zhi Qiao got into the carriage, she felt dizzy. There were mattresses and soft pillows on the carriage, and she leaned against them and fell asleep soon after.
Fu Zhi Qiao placed the mattress under her, and Xie Zhuo, afraid that she would get cold, pulled over a cloak from the side and covered her with it.
It was dark and snowing. The snowflakes melted into water as they hit the ground, and the carriage was not as smooth as usual. With the bumps of the carriage, the cloak that was originally covering her face slipped down and covered half of her face. Xie Zhuo was afraid that she would suffocate, so he hurriedly lifted the cloak. After thinking for a moment, he still pulled her into his arms.
Xie Zhuo has abundant blood and energy and a high body temperature. As soon as he came into contact with the heat source, Fu Zhi Qiao took the initiative to stick close to him and snuggled comfortably into his arms.
Xie Zhuo smiled slightly, in a good mood, and even helped her tidy up the stray hairs by her ears.
With Xie Zhuo present, Yinxing didn't get into the carriage. She sat next to the coachman, and although the carriage eaves provided some shelter, her cloak was still covered in snowflakes when they returned to the palace.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Fu Zhiqiao, who had been fast asleep, seemed to sense something and slowly opened her eyes.
"woke up?"
"Mmm," Fu Zhi Qiao said, her voice still slightly nasal.
In order not to alert Xie Chi and Zuo Murui, the carriage stopped at the side gate of the Prince's Mansion.
After getting off the carriage, the soft sound of footsteps on snow reached her ears. Fu Zhi Qiao exclaimed "Eh!" The journey from the Fu residence to the Prince's residence was only about half an hour, but the ground was already covered with a thick layer of snow.
Looking up, snowflakes fluttered down, swirling in the air like a celestial maiden scattering flowers.
Fu Zhi Qiao suddenly felt like walking in the snow.
She walked ahead with her arms outstretched, skipping and hopping, her steps erratic and unsteady. She almost fell over with each step, but Xie Zhuo, who was behind her, caught her quickly and picked her up in his arms.
Fu Zhi Qiao chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her face against his chest.
Only after they reached the steps of the Prince's mansion did he feel at ease enough to put the person down.
But his gaze couldn't bear to leave her face.
Fu Zhi Qiao tiptoed and brushed the snow off his shoulder, a smile gradually appearing on her face.
Do you remember the first time we met?
Before Xie Zhuo could answer, she continued, "Back then, my mother and I had just moved from Yuzhou to Qingzhou. When we went out for a stroll, we encountered a spoiled young master harassing a woman in the street."
She said with a hint of pride, "How could I just stand by and watch them bully others? Of course, I chose to step in and help. But then that person tried to bully me instead. Luckily, you were there for me in this crisis."
"You appeared out of nowhere, kicked that spoiled young master away, and chased away his entourage in no time."
As Fu Zhi Qiao spoke, her face flushed slightly. Her eyes sparkled, and she reached out to touch Xie Zhuo's face with her fingertips, saying, "I was thinking at the time, how could there be such a handsome person in the world?"
"no."
"Hmm?" Fu Zhiqiao looked at him suspiciously.
"It's not the first time we've met, it's the second time."
Fu Zhiqiao was confused.
"Where is this the second time? It's clearly the first time!"
I first met you in a teahouse.
"In a teahouse?" A bad feeling welled up inside me.
Xie Zhuo gazed at her, his eyes so tender they seemed to overflow with tenderness, and reminded her, "You were arguing with a group of scholars back then."
Fu Zhiqiao paused for a few seconds. Wait, when it comes to arguing with the scholar, she seems to have some recollection of it.
Xie Zhuo, who was standing to the side, was lost in his memories. "I still remember you arguing about the issue of men being able to have three wives and four concubines, while women are not allowed to marry three times."
It was common for men to have three wives and four concubines, but I had never heard of a woman marrying three husbands. Fu Zhiqiao's words at the time had a great impact on him.
As Xie Zhuo narrated, Fu Zhi Qiao gradually became lost in thought...
“They couldn’t argue with you, not even a group of them.” Xie Zhuo’s eyes lit up with a smile as he cast a teasing glance at her. “I was thinking to myself, what kind of young lady is so eloquent that even the court officials might not be able to out-argue you?”
After regaining her composure, Fu Zhiqiao remained silent for a moment before asking, "Were you there at the time?"
Xie Zhuo nodded.
"Did you hear me swear?"
Not only did I hear it, I also kept it in my heart.
On that very day, Xie Zhuo learned that in Fu Zhi Qiao's heart, a man's chastity was also very important, and a man without a sense of chastity was worthless.
From then on, he kept himself clean and virtuous, not wanting to become the "worthless dirty man" that Fu Zhi Qiao spoke of.
Xie Zhuo raised his eyelids and met her gaze.
Fu Zhiqiao's ears burned, and she avoided his gaze.
Xie Zhuo's lips curled up slightly, and he let out a deep chuckle, pulling the person closer.
A thought suddenly flashed through Fu Zhiqiao's mind, and she quickly asked, "So, you liked me back then?"
Xie Zhuo's smile deepened as he stroked the top of her head with his chin. "I don't know, maybe."
"How could I not know? How could I not know if you like someone or not..." Fu Zhi Qiao complained indignantly.
Xie Zhuo held her hand. She tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go. She snorted, shook off his hand, and took two quick steps, deliberately ignoring him.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess were talking, and the servants on night duty dared not disturb them. Only the lamplight under the corridor enveloped the two of them. Xie Zhuo stared blankly at Fu Zhi Qiao's back in front of him. The light and shadow blurred her outline, making her look almost unreal.
Xie Zhuo caught up and gently shook Fu Zhi Qiao's hand, sometimes squeezing and sometimes shaking it. Fu Zhi Qiao couldn't stand it anymore. She looked up and saw him smiling, his gaze fixed on her. She asked, "Why are you staring at me like that?"
Xie Zhuo sighed dramatically, "I think you're good-looking, but what about you? Why are you looking at me?"
Fu Zhi Qiao: "..."
"I think you're good-looking too, okay?"
A hint of doting smile spread across Xie Zhuo's eyes as he leaned down and kissed her forehead: "Thank you for the compliment, Madam!"
As night deepened and the wind picked up again, Xie Zhuo pulled her into his arms. Fu Zhi Qiao obediently leaned into his embrace, and the warmth from him completely dispelled the chill from her body.
The two walked towards Qinghui Courtyard, their figures gradually shrinking until they disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
