Chapter 488: Chapter 358: His Wife?
The delegation from Daxia arrived at Emperor City, and Emperor Beiqing hosted a banquet at the Imperial Palace to entertain everyone.
Ye Lingyue was excluded from the delegation and naturally was not invited.
She stood outside the study, hesitating to move forward, thinking that she might as well head back.
"Teacher, let’s send it back," Feng Xun flatly refused.
"But Prince, regarding Emperor Qing and the Heavenly Maiden..." Housekeeper Mu was in a difficult position.
"I just don’t want to go." Feng Xun’s voice carried a hint of childish wilfulness.
Ye Lingyue was slightly surprised; she rarely saw Feng Xun like this.
In her memory, Feng Xun was always cool and composed, even when suffering from Cold Syndrome, frowning tightly and clenching his teeth, without saying a word.
That Feng Xun was enduring, but today’s Feng Xun was capricious yet extraordinarily vivid.
"Just say that this Prince is not feeling well," Feng Xun helplessly tilted his head, his handsome face looking pitifully out the door, where he had glimpsed someone standing, someone whose sight he could not bear to shift his gaze from.
Housekeeper Mu looked outside the room and suddenly realized.
"Miss Ye, what brings you here? The Prince was just mentioning he’s not feeling well."
Ye Lingyue glanced at Feng Xun.
"I see that your Prince looks quite well, not sick at all."
"Sick, seriously sick. The doctor at the residence said it’s a stifling illness that can only be cured by going out for a stroll," Feng Xun said, laughing heartily, revealing teeth white as rice grains, a smile that could charm all creatures.
Just before dusk, two people emerged from a side door of the Feng Residence.
One of them wore a broad smile, while the other had a face wrapped up like a rice dumpling.
"Ling Yue, I’ll take you to explore the city’s night market." When Feng Xun’s hand grabbed hers, Ye Lingyue’s hand involuntarily stiffened, wanting to pull back.
This fellow seemed to have become addicted to holding hands.
But Feng Xun’s response was quick; his large and slightly cool hand firmly grasped her soft, boneless hand, gripping it tightly as if afraid she would get lost, all the while talking as they walked.
"I heard that Emperor City’s night market is bustling with people and very lively. We’d better hold on tightly, so you don’t get lost."
As one of the few super metropolises on the Qing Province Continent, Emperor City’s night life was no less lively than during the day, with all kinds of stalls and bustling crowds.
However, standing on the busy street with people coming and going, Feng Xun was full of interest, looking here and there. While he said he was taking Ye Lingyue to explore the night market, it turned out she was accompanying him instead.
"Have you never been to the night market?" Ye Lingyue asked absentmindedly, but as soon as she asked, she already knew the answer.
This afternoon, while tidying up in the courtyard, it was an old nanny from the residence who was arranging Ye Lingyue’s courtyard, one who had once served as the personal nanny of the former Princess Consort Feng.
From her, Ye Lingyue learned quite a bit about Feng Xun’s childhood.
From a child to his teenage years, Feng Xun was frail and frequently ill; when he was saved and brought back by Emperor Beiqing, he spent his time before the age of ten in the Beiqing Imperial Palace recuperating.
After he turned ten and his health improved slightly, he returned to the Feng Residence and took on the responsibility of inheriting the vast family wealth.
Although he was exceptionally intelligent, it still took him a full four years to learn all the business-related knowledge he needed, transforming from a child who couldn’t even read a ledger into the Family Head of the Beiqing Feng Mansion.
For Feng Xun, childhood was nothing more than a room filled with the smell of medicine.
Youth was nothing more than a room filled with ledgers.
For over four years, Feng Xun, who grew from child to youth, spent his days in the Feng Residence’s account room, study, and its various industries.
His entire world was confined to the Feng Residence, carriages, and various shops.
No wonder there was such an excited expression on his face, Ye Lingyue’s lips couldn’t help but curl up. Her hand, which had been stiff in Feng Xun’s grasp, softened a bit, allowing him to lead her.
"Rouge, the finest rouge and face powder, the unique Emperor’s Blush from Emperor City."
Ye Lingyue’s steps halted as she stood in front of a rouge and face powder shop.
It was a shop that sold rouge, jewelry, and trinkets. It wasn’t very large, but the array of items inside was dazzlingly diverse.
The northerners are forthright; there were piles of various colored face and scented powders, enough to dazzle anyone at first glance.
Ye Lingyue rarely used rouge or face powders, but Lan Cai’er had always said that the colors of Beiqing’s powders were more vivid than those of Daxia, and had intended to buy several boxes when there was time.
Thinking of her, who had left her behind and went off somewhere with Little Wuya and Little Zhiyo, Ye Lingyue felt a bit of minor resentment and originally did not intend to buy anything.
However, the shopkeeper, who had keen eyesight, enthusiastically offered her several boxes of rouge and face powder.
"Dear customer, these are new rouges and powders that just arrived in our shop, unique in the whole Emperor City. They’re not even available in the Imperial Palace. Would you like to buy a few boxes for your wife?"
Ye Lingyue was embarrassed, thinking, what an eye this shop owner has.
Who is his wife? Besides, with my face wrapped up like this, who would use rouge and powder? Is she suggesting I don’t stand out enough already?
But to Feng Xun’s ears, the word "wife" deepened the smile on his already smiling face, making it all the more lively.
"Alright, let’s take a few boxes to try out the colors."
The shopkeeper, seeing a business opportunity, was overjoyed. She was about to show Ye Lingyue the products, but when she saw her face turn sour, she turned to ask Feng Xun.
Under the dim lights, the shopkeeper finally got a clear view of Feng Xun’s face and was startled, staring in astonishment, thinking to herself.
"Goodness, I’ve lived for decades and have never seen such a good-looking person. How could such an angelic person marry such an ’ugly’ wife?"
"Feng Xun, if someone has to try, it should be you, my wounds have not healed yet." Ye Lingyue saw the look in the shopkeeper’s eyes and guessed what she was thinking, feeling somewhat annoyed.
She had long known about Feng Xun’s looks that could topple cities, but this was the first time she had been directly scorned.
Feeling displeased, Ye Lingyue suddenly had the urge to play a prank. She thought that with Feng Xun’s skin being as white as jade and his unparalleled beauty, if he dressed up, he might even outshine Bo Qing of the Jueqing Sect.
She picked up a box at random and dabbed it towards Feng Xun’s face.
"Shopkeeper, let him try it."
Feng Xun chuckled bitterly and dodged, but the crowd pressed from behind, and Ye Lingyue had already smeared it onto his face.
Right then, someone behind them pushed, and Ye Lingyue, losing her balance, plunged onto Feng Xun along with the rouge box, embracing him fully.
Ye Lingyue stiffened, but Feng Xun protected her in his arms, and she heard his mellow, wine-like voice float above her head.
"Shopkeeper, sorry for knocking over your merchandise. I’ll take all the powders in your shop. Just close your stall and see Housekeeper Mu at the Feng Residence for the payment."
Fearing that Ye Lingyue might get squeezed again, Feng Xun simply wrapped his arms around her and led her forward.