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When Hua Muzhi woke up, the sky was just beginning to show the faint light of dawn.
He seemed to have heard something.
The summer night breeze, as if soaked in sandalwood, blew gently, mixed with the rich scent of grass and trees.
The young man sat up, slowly got out of bed, and drew open the curtains.
Across from him, the lanterns of Xiqing Pavilion were lit, and there were six or seven carriages lined up in a long queue, stretching beyond sight.
Hua Muzhi blinked, obviously awake now, and his first reaction was to look at the clock beside him.
It was 5:20 AM.
Although the attendants had lightened their steps as much as possible, making no sound while moving boxes in and out, the buzzing flies annoyed the horses, and the faint sounds of their hooves on the long steps sounded like scattered raindrops.
He quickly saw a familiar figure, wobbling around in wooden clogs, giving instructions and arranging the placement of various items with hand gestures.
Eight crimson lanterns were lit, and the pale yellow light floated in the Xiqing Pavilion like a sunset.
Only he would follow along and do these things in the middle of the night.
Hua Muzhi rubbed his forehead and turned the emerald silver ring on his ring finger.
Since Yue Yiwan had moved in yesterday, the ring, usually worn on his index finger, had been shifted to signify an engaged status.
The two waiting royal attendants downstairs immediately received the signal. They hurried upstairs, bowed slightly at the door, and began assisting him in changing his robes.
After positioning the five mannequins, Yue Yiwan quickly and quietly instructed the attendants to check the quantity and arrangement of the fabrics against the list.
The four chief attendants by his side were clearly insufficient, so other well-trained attendants of lower ranks gathered to help move things.
A total of fourteen oversized boxes, enough to pack an entire football team, were there.
The scattered footsteps suddenly stopped in unison, and even the sound of breathing disappeared.
Without turning around, Yue Yiwan knew who had arrived. He placed the cotton hanger in his hand properly and turned to face his fiancé, who was also the crown prince of the country.
The red and gold robe was adorned with embroidered phoenixes pecking at branches, and the hibiscus tree’s flowers and leaves looked lifelike. The intricate embroidery was flawless, and the fine silk fit perfectly, accentuating the young man’s noble and elegant appearance.
Yue Yiwan, still wearing his loose-fitting pajamas, suddenly felt a bit embarrassed and looked at him apologetically. “Did we wake you?”
Before going to bed, he had heard from the chief attendant responsible for lighting the jasmine candles that most of the palace’s tasks were completed during the night and early morning to avoid disturbing the residents.
However, the items in the boxes were quite valuable, many of which were his own manuscripts and notebooks, so he felt it necessary to take care of them personally.
That’s why he had set an alarm for 4:30 a.m. and quietly snuck downstairs to help.
—Obviously, he had carried his wooden clogs and gone barefoot down the stairs.
Otherwise, the sound of him tumbling down would probably be as loud as fireworks, and even the guards at the front gate of Suoming Palace might hear it.
“I went to bed early, so I’m not too sleepy,” Hua Muzhi glanced at the servants quickly lining up in three rows, slightly surprised. “So many things?”
Due to their high efficiency, six or seven boxes were already emptied.
The bookshelves in the upstairs study were almost filled, and the space downstairs seemed insufficient.
Yue Yiwan, noticing he really didn’t seem tired, suddenly asked, “Do you want to take a look at these?”
“Hmm?” Hua Muzhi smiled, “Sure.”
All the extra tables and chairs on the first floor had already been cleared, dividing the space into front, middle, and rear halls.
Two sewing machines, five mannequins covered with velvet and stuffed with sponge, and several measuring tapes, scissors, and needles were placed in enamel fruit trays.
This place looked just like a room for seamstresses and weavers.
Yue Yiwan explained each item to him, and Hua Muzhi was evidently quite surprised.
“You know how to use a sewing machine?”
“Yep, I’m really skilled.”
“What about these needles—why are there so many kinds?”
“Some are for punching holes in leather, others are for embroidery,” Yue Yiwan glanced at his robe, speaking familiarly, “This robe is a bit big on you; I can alter it for you later.”
Hua Muzhi couldn’t help but laugh.
“The Yue family is a giant in the tourism and hotel industry of the neighboring country, with countless subsidiary businesses. I never expected you to be like this.”
The royal family’s economic sources partly come from tax revenues, but they rely more on investments and shares in various industries.
With over a hundred people serving four generations in Suoming Palace, and the considerable expenses of their daily travels and visits, a bit of tax revenue is naturally not enough.
The relationship between the royal family and the Yue family has long been intricately intertwined, though to outsiders, it appears unrelated.
When he received that list, he initially thought he would meet a vulgar, money-obsessed person. Who would have guessed he’d encounter someone like Yue Yiwan, a skilled little tailor?
“Yeah… didn’t expect that, did you?” Yue Yiwan led him to the newly cleared storeroom, speaking slowly. “My dad and older brother are businessmen. I’m terrible at math and can’t scheme, so I stay out of their way.”
The storeroom didn’t resemble a typical storage area; it looked as if countless colors were floating between the shelves.
With the ceiling’s gold-inlaid crystal lights illuminating the space, the fabrics and satin were all bathed in a warm glow.
“Are all these for making clothes?”
There must be thousands of them.
Bolts of various materials were organized by color on one shelf after another. The place was like a study room, with nearly every visible surface piled high. The gradient of hues looked as if someone had meticulously painted several parallel stripes of vibrant colors.
Hua Muzhi was genuinely amazed, turning to look at Yue Yiwan. “Can you really tell all these apart?”
Yue Yiwan nodded, not feeling like he was showing off at all. “I bought a villa next to my dad’s house, and all three floors are workspaces.”
He stepped forward and pulled out a piece of sky-blue fabric halfway. “This is a jacquard striped crêpe de Chine made from silk. It’s soft and pleated, requiring minimal stitching.”
With a light push from his pale palm, the fabric slid back into place.
He casually picked out another piece of black-and-white checkered fabric with his left hand, speaking familiarly as if greeting an old friend. “This is boucle knit, which has a fluffy looped texture but is difficult to iron and heavy to wear.”
“Boucle?” Hua Muzhi placed his hand on the fabric, which seemed suitable for making coats, and asked uncertainly, “Is it a wool blend?”
“Yep, it’s a blend of wool and mohair.”
“And what about this?” Hua Muzhi walked a bit farther away, seeming to genuinely want to test him.
Yue Yiwan leaned closer, reaching out to touch and confirm his memory.
“This is chiffon—specifically, it’s shimmer chiffon.” Yue Yiwan tried to reach for the fabric on tiptoes, but struggled a bit due to his height.
Standing at a passable 1.73 meters, or around five foot eight, wasn’t too bad, but in winter, it seemed shorter.
Yet standing in front of Hua Muzhi, his eyes only reached his chin, sometimes having to tilt his head up to speak.
This guy must be about five foot ten… Unfair!
Hua Muzhi suppressed a smile as he helped Yue Yiwan pull out the long piece of tea-white fabric and spread it out to examine its effect under the light.
With changes in angle and manipulation, there were indeed very subtle shifts in shimmer.
“Is it the silver threads mixed in that make it shimmer like this?”
“No,” Yue Yiwan gestured for him to come closer, explaining seriously, “It actually blends different colors of warp and weft yarns—more twist in the yarn makes the fabric more expensive.”
The sheer, transparent chiffon resembled fine mist in the warm light, with a slight texture when touched.
Yue Yiwan glanced at the clock and felt a slight pang of conscience. “It’s still early. Why don’t you go back and catch a nap, and then we can go together to pay our respects?”
“Hua Muzhi helped him put the fabric the back, casually patting his head :‘It’s okay I’ll accompany you.’
Yue Yiwan was used to having his head rubbed by his older brother and college roommates. Today when his head was rubbed, he subconsciously rubbed his palms against his.
The two smiled at each other and returned to the front hall to look at his works and unfinished products.
Fifteen minutes ago, he a handwrote a list and had his two personal attendants help put away different clothes.
Cashmere clothes should not be folded but rolled up to minimize crease.
Leather needs another round of protective spray and should be hung on wide hangers in rows.
Wool garments use cedarwood hangers and several coats are quite trends.
“The list was quite thoughtful, noting which types of clothing should be kept cool and dry, and which ones needed spacious storage. It also explained the meanings of different labels.
This time, only Yue Yiwan’s summer and autumn clothes were delivered, as they would be staying from late July to late October.
If they were really going to get married, the convoy would probably be even more grand.
Hua Muzhi watched as rows of clothes and shoes were pushed around by attendants like a long dragon. Suddenly, he felt that at least in terms of dressing, they were more meticulous than the royal family.
“A total of ninety days, exactly ninety different outfits,” Yue Yiwan clearly also felt the situation here was exaggerated, attempting to explain, “Some of them are my graduation designs, so I just patched them up to wear.”
“He is currently in a temporary unemployed state. The YHY competition will have to wait until next year, but at least he can try to adapt to the life of a royal great-grandson’s daughter-in-law before Chinese New Year.
Watching two personal attendants carrying silver small boxes, Yue Yiwan instinctively called out, ‘Wait—this one can be opened directly.
’‘What’s inside?’ Hua Muzhi stepped back, vaguely seeing a rather beautiful rose-red silver-trimmed long skirt.
‘It’s… a gift prepared for you all,’ Yue Yiwan suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed. ‘I made them myself.’
Hua Muzhi (stunned): So skilled and thoughtful…”
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Author’s note:
This excerpt seems to be part of a narrative involving characters Yue Yiwan and Hua Muzhi, with a touch of romantic and gift-giving elements.
This setting is based on the British butler system:
**Female Officials/Male Attendants:** Summoned by bell ringing, with four levels:
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