Deliberately breaking
Gu Jinghong replied calmly, "Manager Liu, you've worked hard."
Liu Zhaowan gestured for the maid to come forward, while she slowly picked up the topmost set of exquisitely made brocade jacket and skirt with fine embroidery. She glanced at it casually and exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Oh dear! Look at my memory! This is for the master, but for the young lady's status... I'm afraid it's not in accordance with the rules."
As she spoke, she casually tossed the gorgeous dress to the maid behind her. Then, she picked up a few pieces of clothing from a tray held by another maid and, with undisguised contempt, threw them on the table in front of Gu Jinghong. "Here, the young lady's are."
Gu Jinghong glanced over the clothes and noticed that they were obviously too big, especially the waist, which was loose enough to fit two people inside.
She reached out and examined the fabric. She noticed that the clothes were made of coarse, dull, second-grade cotton silk. It felt stiff to the touch, had no luster, and even showed several uneven stains.
What's even more ridiculous are the colors. One of them is a faded, grayish-brown color, and the other is a dull, almost lifeless dark brownish-purple. Gu Jinghong is an eighteen-year-old girl with delicate, flawless skin, and these old-fashioned colors are really incompatible with her.
Liu Zhaowan crossed her arms, a malicious smile playing on her lips, her voice shrill and sharp: "Miss Gu, please don't be offended. Our Prince's manor's sewing room is so busy at the end of the year that the Prince is running around like crazy. The Prince is busy with countless affairs of state, how can he possibly think about the servants' measurements for everything? Besides, there are hundreds of people in this manor, and I, Liu Zhaowan, remember every single one of their measurements and clothing preferences perfectly well."
Chunxing, who sweeps the west courtyard, has a waist of 2.1 feet, not an inch more; Old Zhao, the stable boy, has shoulders 1.8 feet wide and has never made a mistake; even that little maid who just entered the mansion the other day and was learning manners from Consort Li's maid, Hongyu, what was her name again? Oh right, Cui'er! I could estimate her size at a glance, and the clothes I sent her yesterday fit her perfectly!
But the young lady is different from them. She is the prince's personal attendant, so the most important thing is that she is comfortable in her clothes. Otherwise, if it affects her mood and she doesn't serve the prince well, then we wouldn't be doing our duty..."
Gu Jinghong was initially angry at Liu Zhaowan's words, but then suddenly became interested and watched with a smile as Manager Liu spouted nonsense.
Liu Zhaowan was bewildered by Gu Jinghong's smiling face instead of anger, but she still put one hand on her hip, trying her best to maintain her composure, her eyes slicing across Gu Jinghong's exquisite figure like knives, filled with naked jealousy and contempt.
"Miss Gu is so beautiful, she must look good in anything... Why don't you try on these new clothes?"
By this time, several nosy cleaning maids from Chen'an Residence had already tiptoed inside to watch the spectacle.
Upon hearing this, Gu Jinghong nodded slightly, as if she had truly accepted the explanation, and casually picked up the washed gray outer garment and put it on...
Liu Zhaowan held her breath, a wicked pleasure in her eyes, waiting to see how this vixen would look, her face smug and disheveled by the ugly color.
Gu Jinghong raised her slender hand slightly and draped the large, rough, grayish-brown outer garment over her undergarment. The undergarment was made of plain white fine cotton, with the collar slightly open, revealing a section of her snow-white neck. The dull, shapeless fabric instantly engulfed her slender waist, making her look almost like a sack.
However, at that very moment, a ray of warm, golden morning light shone obliquely through the crack in the window frame, landing squarely on Gu Jinghong, especially on her face and neck.
The morning light, like the most precise sculptor's chisel, outlined her clear and beautiful jawline, illuminating her delicate, flawless, and almost translucent skin.
The rough fabric accentuated the whiteness and radiance of her exposed neck and collarbone. Far from appearing bulky or sloppy, the loose garments, in her casual posture, exuded a languid, unpretentious, and natural charm, like a goddess mistakenly draped in coarse cloth. Her inherent elegance and composure were something the rough fabric could not conceal.
The sneer and smugness on Liu Zhaowan's face froze instantly, as if he had been doused with a bucket of ice water, chilling him to the bone.
She finally realized a cruel truth: the person in front of her didn't need fancy clothes or accessories to adorn herself. Even if she were given the most tattered beggar's clothes, let alone the second-rate cotton silk of this royal palace, she could probably still exude a cold and aloof elegance.
The very act of deliberately making things difficult for oneself ultimately became the most ridiculous foil.
A surge of immense grievance and bitterness rushed to Liu Zhaowan's nose and eyes, making her throat tighten and almost bringing tears to her eyes.
She abruptly lowered her head, unable to bear the glaring scene any longer, and said hastily, almost in a disheveled state with a sob in her voice, "...Since you've accepted it, then...then this servant will take her leave!"
Watching the hasty departure, Gu Jinghong couldn't help but sigh in his heart—Xiao Chengyan, Xiao Chengyan, how much sin has your face committed!
...
Half an incense stick later, Gu Jinghong, dressed as a normal maid, knocked on the door of the sewing room.
Knock knock—
Liu Zhaowan removed her hands from her face, which she had been covering as she wept, and looked towards the door with a slightly hoarse voice: "Who is it—"
Looking against the light, Gu Jinghong was leaning against the threshold, smiling broadly: "Manager Liu—shall we chat?"
Liu Zhaowan's pupils contracted.
...
That evening, Chen Anju's side room
Gu Jinghong's hands were groping for the "Southern Wind Secret Box".
The cold, sharp edges of the sandalwood felt slightly cool to the touch. Just as she was about to tuck it into her sleeve, her ear suddenly twitched.
It was the sound of boots stepping on the stone slabs under the eaves, steady and clear, approaching step by step.
Xiao Chengyan is back!
Almost instinctively, Gu Jinghong shoved the secret box deep into the bed. Her movements were swift, and the box slid accurately into the hidden compartment she had carefully prepared earlier.
The folds of the brocade quilt were instantly smoothed out, concealing all traces. She quickly straightened up, her fingertips subconsciously smoothing out non-existent folds on the hem of her skirt.
Almost simultaneously, that tall and imposing figure appeared at the doorway, carrying with him the cool air of the night. The python patterns on his court robes shimmered with a majestic dark light under the candlelight.
Before long, Xiao Chengyan appeared before her in court attire.
Gu Jinghong lowered her eyelashes and curtsied, saying, "Your Highness."
Xiao Chengyan did not respond, but took two more steps forward, and the oppressive feeling emanating from him suddenly increased as the distance between them shortened.
Gu Jinghong instinctively wanted to back away, but before she could even move her heel, he had already closed in on her, his tall figure instantly enveloping her completely in shadow.
He casually raised one arm and braced it firmly against the carved door frame beside her. It seemed nonchalant, but it was like an invisible cage, cutting off all her escape routes.
The candlelight flickered in his deep eyes, and he leaned in slightly, so close that they could feel the warmth of each other's breath.
A deep, mellow voice sounded close to Gu Jinghong's ear, with a playful inquiry: "How did you use your 'quick wit' last night?"
quick wit
Gu Jinghong was forced to look up, only to meet his unfathomable gaze.
His overly close presence and his suggestive words caused a blush to rise suddenly to her fair cheeks, like rouge blooming on snow. "Your Highness, actually..."
Xiao Chengyan's gaze lingered on her face, not missing a single subtle change, a half-smile playing on his lips: "Since you dared to throw yourself into my arms, why are you hiding today?"
Gu Jinghong was speechless for a moment; her cherry lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.
Xiao Chengyan's gaze swept over her embarrassed appearance, his eyes darkening slightly. He then casually remarked, "I have already sent Changfeng to deal with that meddlesome maid."
Gu Jinghong suddenly looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Your Highness!"
She leaned forward almost instinctively, nearly touching his arm that was bracing against the doorframe. "Actually, Manager Liu... she didn't do anything excessive. It was Jinghong who wanted to wear that dress herself."
Xiao Chengyan raised an eyebrow, his gaze carrying the scrutiny and indifference typical of a superior. He suddenly released the hand on the door frame and instead grabbed Gu Jinghong's wrist. With a slight pull, Gu Jinghong fell into Xiao Chengyan's arms.
The two were very close, and Gu Jinghong could feel Xiao Chengyan's breath gently brushing against her ear.
Despite being in an extremely enchanting state, it didn't evoke any sense of ambiguity.
Gu Jinghong's body stiffened in his arms, and she instinctively tried to break free but was forced back down. Her back was pressed against his chest, and she could almost feel his wildly beating heart. A suffocating feeling, as if she were being locked on by a wild beast, quietly spread through her.
After a moment, Xiao Chengyan gave a cold laugh: "You're protecting her?"
Gu Jinghong's pupils contracted.
Xiao Chengyan lowered his voice again, so low that only Gu Jinghong could hear him: "...Is she useful to you?"
Gu Jinghong felt a chill run down her spine. She looked up and met his all-knowing gaze. In the end, she pursed her lips and chose to remain silent.
The last trace of a smile vanished from Xiao Chengyan's eyes, leaving only a deep, cold depth.
He didn't ask any further questions, but tightened his grip on Gu Jinghong's arm, his imposing aura making it almost impossible for Gu Jinghong to breathe.
"Gu Jinghong, remember, this is the Jinwang Mansion. Since you are here, you'd better... behave yourself."
After he finished speaking, Xiao Chengyan suddenly released his hand.
Gu Jinghong took a half step back from his embrace, lowered her eyes and bowed respectfully: "Yes, Your Highness, Jinghong will remember."
Xiao Chengyan's gaze, however, remained fixed on her, never wavering. A barely perceptible smile curved his lips, and then, with a seemingly casual flick of his arm—
A streak of dark green light slid out from his sleeve and landed lightly on the bed behind Gu Jinghong.
Gu Jinghong turned around and looked in that familiar dark color, her pupils contracting almost imperceptibly.
—It was the prince's everyday robe that he had personally ripped open with a dagger!
She quickly turned her head back, maintaining her bowed posture, her voice calm and even: "Your Highness, the embroidery workshop in the manor has exquisite needlework and skilled craftsmen; perhaps it would be better to entrust it to them..."
"Embroiderer?" Xiao Chengyan's deep voice interrupted her, and the faint curve of his lips seemed to deepen slightly.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his posture upright and imposing, his gaze fixed on her lowered eyelashes. Each word was clear and slow, “I know this, of course. But this robe… I want you to mend it yourself.”
Gu Jinghong's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly. In her lowered gaze, she seemed to see the glaring tear on the dark green brocade, and her heart churned silently.
The prestigious Prince Jin's mansion, with its overflowing treasury and countless new robes, why single out this one tattered garment? Besides, it wasn't even Gu Jinghong's doing...
However, on the surface, she simply lowered her head even further, concealing all her emotions, leaving only a docile profile, and softly replied, "Yes."
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