Chapter 13

In the afternoon, Xu Lianqiao had originally thought that Jiang Huai would take her home after treating her to drunken crabs, but to her surprise, he actually took her out onto the street.

When she asked him where they were going, he didn’t give an answer. He simply said they were just going for a walk.

“…”

Xu Lianqiao was puzzled. Jiang Huai was usually impatient, even when she spoke.

But now, she saw him happily sitting on the carriage stool, leaning half of his body against the carriage window and raising his hand to lift half of the curtain.

Xu Lianqiao glanced outside without thinking and saw a busy street filled with pedestrians, while various stall owners and shopkeepers called out their goods.

It was so lively.

“What are you afraid of? I brought you out here. It’s not good for your health to stay indoors all the time.”

“As for me… my mother, you don’t have to worry. I’ll tell you when it’s time. If I made you come out, that’s on me,” Jiang Huai said with a carefree expression.

Seeing his relaxed demeanor, Xu Lianqiao glanced at him, secretly cursing him for being so shameless. He was the one who brought her out, so why should she listen to him? Such people didn’t deserve any respect.

She turned her head away from him, feeling frustrated when she saw his smiling face.

“Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding…”

The wheels of the carriage clattered over the curb, and the bell hanging from the carriage door rang with a crisp sound.

Xu Lianqiao felt a little dizzy and leaned against the window eaves, closing her eyes. She wasn’t sure if it was from the swaying of the carriage or because she was still a little drunk, but after a while, Xu Lianqiao fell into a light sleep.

_

Suddenly, a soft breeze blew through, lifting the green cloth curtain. It sounded like Ning Yuan’s controlled breathing in that moment.

Looking at the girl who had fallen asleep peacefully in front of him, her cheeks rosy and her delicate eyelashes fluttering slightly, Ning Yuan suddenly felt a twinge of jealousy.

Ah Qiao could sleep so peacefully in front of him… Would she do the same with the real Jiang Huai?

He knew this was an unfounded worry, but his feelings had grown like vines, slowly overtaking his heart.

He let out a silent sigh.

He had never struggled like this before in his entire life.

He wanted Ah Qiao to be close to him and rely on him, but he didn’t want her to trust him too much.

It would be nice if Ah Qiao knew it was him in front of her now.

Just as he was thinking this, the carriage suddenly stopped. He saw Xu Lianqiao’s head sway, about to fall.

Ning Yuan, quick as lightning, caught her face with one hand.

Her face was so small that his hand could hold it completely.

If it were his own hand…

Would Ah Qiao feel like it was piercing her face?

Afraid that the uneven road ahead would make the situation worse, Ning Yuan stood next to Xu Lianqiao, hesitated for a moment, and then carefully rested her head on his shoulder.

The most important thing was for Ah Qiao to be comfortable.

She slept soundly, her breathing steady and calm as her head rested on his shoulder.

Looking down, his gaze fell on her hand resting on her knee, partially hidden under her moon-white floral skirt.

A light sensation of something soft and ticklish brushed through Ning Yuan’s heart, making it feel numb.

He wanted to reach out and hold her hand.

But…

He couldn’t let Jiang Huai’s body take advantage of the situation. Who knew how many other women had held this hand?

And so, beneath the warm sunlight, in the somewhat cramped carriage, a quiet stream of emotions flowed unnoticed.

_

When Xu Lianqiao slowly woke up, she found that the carriage was still moving smoothly.

Xu Lianqiao, who felt she had been asleep for a long time, blurted out: “Are we there yet?”

Her neck was sore from sleeping, so Xu Lianqiao quickly straightened her head, which had been tilted to the side. She raised her hands to massage her neck and shoulders.

Without realizing it, the man who was supposed to be sitting across from her had quietly moved next to her.

Her head had been resting on his shoulder just moments before.

Xu Lianqiao, still dazed from sleep, blinked as she saw Ning Yuan sitting upright, a guilty look on his face. He didn’t dare to move.

He was afraid that Ah Qiao would misunderstand and think he was taking advantage of her.

When she didn’t hear anyone answer, Xu Lianqiao instinctively raised her head to see why Jiang Huai hadn’t responded, only to notice that half of his figure was missing from the cushion across from her.

Instead, there was another warm arm resting against her left arm.

“Ah.”

She let out a soft exclamation in surprise.

When she tried to stand up, she found her legs numb from sitting too long, causing her to lose balance and fall backward.

Ning Yuan immediately jumped up, not caring whether he might touch Ah Qiao. He grabbed her waist and steadied her so they could both sit properly again.

Before Xu Lianqiao could catch her breath, she suddenly saw Jiang Huai’s face loom close in front of her.

At that moment, the carriage swayed, and their noses accidentally brushed against each other.

A brief tingling sensation ran through her fingertips. She realized she had instinctively grabbed Jiang Huai’s sleeve while trying to steady herself, and his hand had been holding her waist.

For a long time, her mind was blank, and she didn’t know how to react. She unconsciously licked her dry lips.

Unbeknownst to her, Ning Yuan found this action… quite irresistible.

He wanted… to kiss her, to help her feel better.

It was a shame that all of this was happening at such an inconvenient moment.

But before he could act, Xu Lianqiao had already cleared her mind and pushed him away with her hands.

Ning Yuan, feeling frustrated, pulled his hand back sharply.

At that moment, the carriage finally came to a stop, and the coachman called out from outside:

“Your Majesty, the Jinxiu Clothes Shop has arrived.”

The Jinxiu Clothes Shop?

Xu Lianqiao opened the curtain and looked outside. It was true.

She couldn’t help but wonder. Qianyue Restaurant was only a few blocks away from Jinxiu Clothes Shop, and it only took about a quarter of an hour by carriage. Why did it feel like she had slept much longer?

But before she could ask, Jiang Huai had already gotten off the carriage. He raised the car curtain and waited for her to get out.

Is this really Jiang Huai?

The Jiang Huai in her memory never waited for her to get off a carriage…

Not only that, the real Jiang Huai would never take her to eat crabs or apologize to her.

“…”

Xu Lianqiao decided that once she got hold of He Lishu, she would ask him all about it.

“What are we doing here?”

Though she had followed Jiang Huai out of the carriage, Xu Lianqiao still didn’t understand why he had brought her here.

As soon as she asked, she saw the “Jiang Huai” beside her stop and looked at her with an obvious smile on his lips.

“What can I do in a clothing store?”

“Make clothes.”

After thinking that he had answered her question, Ning Yuan walked over and called the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper was a man nearly fifty years old.

He had just exchanged a few words when the shopkeeper walked over to her with enthusiasm.

“Madam, please come this way.”

Xu Lianqiao was full of questions and frowned slightly. She glanced sideways and saw that the man she had come with was already sitting leisurely, drinking tea.

At that moment, she thought Jiang Huai had come here to buy clothes.

Following the shopkeeper, she was led to an inner room.

“Please wait a moment, madam. I will have someone measure your clothes,” the shopkeeper said.

Xu Lianqiao nodded and waited in the cubicle.

She had never been to Jinxiu Clothes Shop before.

But she knew that it was the most expensive clothing store in the capital.

The measuring rooms inside the store were incredibly spacious, around ninety square feet, with round tables and couches.

Since it was the most expensive, then…

Xu Lianqiao looked at the mung bean cake and tea placed on the table. She felt a little hungry and thirsty…

So she sat down, picked up a piece of cake, and ate it.

The mung beans were refreshing and not sticky, which was delightful.

While eating, she overheard two women talking nearby.

She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but the soundproofing wasn’t very good.

“Miss, your waist is really thin.”

“Really? But I think my waist could be a little thinner…”

“It would be great if it could be less than one foot seven^[1]which is 19 inches..”

Xu Lianqiao looked down at her own waist. It seemed to be at least two feet long^[2]which is 24 inches.…

She decided to finish the cake first.

Just as she took a sip of water, she heard the conversation continue:

“Miss Wei is being humble. Looking at the whole capital, I’ve never seen anyone with a better figure than Miss Wei.”

“Really…”

Wei…?

Xu Lianqiao suddenly felt that the half-drunk Longjing tea was no longer as fragrant.

But before she could think too much, the door to her compartment opened, and a woman entered holding a measuring stick.

Nearly two hours later, the woman finished measuring and put the ruler away.

Finally, it was over…

Xu Lianqiao’s arms were sore from holding them up for so long. She had never spent so much time on a fitting.

But she didn’t want to interrupt since everything here cost money.

_

When she walked out, Xu Lianqiao found Jiang Huai still sitting in the same spot, drinking tea.

It seemed he really was willing to wait for her…

When he saw her, Jiang Huai stood up and walked toward her without hesitation.

Just like… eight years ago.

Which one of them was the real Jiang Huai?

But she didn’t have time to think about it further, because Xu Lianqiao heard the shopkeeper greeting Wei Jue from the corner.

For some reason, she felt the urge to hide.

But there was no place to hide in the shop.

She quickly turned around to face away from them, but she was too late to tell Jiang Huai to hide as well.

Wei Jue had already seen Jiang Huai.

Not only that,

Before her, the Jiang family and the Wei family had already discussed a marriage arrangement between their children.

Xu Lianqiao turned her back to Wei Jue, and her fingers began to nervously twist the hem of her skirt again.

Listening to Wei Jue’s footsteps drawing closer, she cursed Jiang Huai in her heart. Why had he dragged her out here? She would rather have been copying scriptures in the ancestral hall.

Sure enough, a moment later, Wei Jue’s voice came from behind her:

“I have met Prince Jiang.”

Ning Yuan frowned slightly when he realized Jiang Huai had been recognized.

After thinking about it for a moment, and seeing Ah Qiao so uncomfortable, he suddenly recalled something.

“Miss Wei..”

No wonder Ah Qiao had reacted like this.

He wanted to reassure her that as long as he was here, she didn’t need to worry.

Jiang Huai’s tone was calm, even a little impatient, but Wei Jue didn’t mind.

She was only interested in seeing who the woman was that Jiang Huai had hurriedly brought out of the shop when he woke up. She also wanted to tell others and enjoy watching Xu Lianqiao’s embarrassment.

“Who is this?” Wei Jue asked.

Ning Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, refusing to answer.

He simply replied, still polite but distant:

“Miss Wei, won’t you leave?”

It was clearly a way of sending her away.

“Then I’ll leave first and say goodbye.”

She said, before pulling Xu Lianqiao away without looking back.

He deliberately walked between Xu Lianqiao and Wei Jue, blocking her view.

Xu Lianqiao only fully realized what was happening once they were back in the carriage.

She looked at “Jiang Huai,” who had a serious expression, and said aggrievedly, for some reason:

“Have I even selected the fabric yet…?”