The boxes were neither very big nor very small. Ten of them were laid out in two rows since one wouldn’t fit in the tent. Zhao mama was smiling like a lovestruck fool as Han Yunxi arched her brow at her, her heart shaking like a leaf. She soothed her impatience and asked, “Zhao mama, enough with the smiling. Just tell me what’s going on?”
“Heehee…” Ever since coming to the military camp, Zhao mama had been nothing but smiles when facing the princess. “Haha….naturally, His Highness bought these. As for what they are, princess should open them up for a look herself to know.”
Han Yunxi looked at Zhao mama’s grin and gave up on getting any information from her. She nodded. “Alright, I understand.” After that, she didn’t move, but waited for Zhao mama to leave. But Zhao mama didn’t budge and only kept smiling. Actually, she had no idea what was in those ten boxes either. Last time, His Highness had given the princess a big box of jewelry at Leisurely Cloud Pavilion, but she only found out after asking around. The shadow guards had been instructed to buy the things then–without any directions except to “buy the very best” for the princess to pick and choose.
This time, Zhao mama’s inquiries had yielded the answer that His Highness had left General Baili waiting while spending half his day personally shopping in the streets. He had bought ten chests’ worth of things without any shadow guards in attendance. Why would he dismiss them, unless he was buying something private and personal? Zhao mama couldn’t help but be curious as thoughts raced through her mind. Han Yunxi didn’t really want her to leave either. With so many things, it’d be easier if Zhao mama was around to help her organize. But seeing the old woman’s brilliant, harmless smile made her heart fluster.
She was about to speak when Zhao mama cheerily beat her to it. “Princess, how about this old servant help you open the boxes?”
“No–” Han Yunxi had no chance to refuse before Zhao mama moved to open the frontmost box. The contents were filled to the brim with shoes of all patterns, makes, and models. Naturally, all of them leaned towards the conservative style.
A little disappointed, Zhao mama nevertheless kept her spirits up. “Aiya, eh? When did His Highness turn so intimate? He even knows to buy shoes now? Tsk, tsk, it’s really different once one gets a wife!”
Han Yunxi was currently browsing through the shoes when she heard Zhao mama’s comment. She couldn’t help but wonder, because something about it sounded off.
It’s really different once one gets a wife…
This phrase is usually used to praise an amiable and understanding wife for bringing her husband happiness, right?
But even now, she’d never bothered thinking about Long Feiye’s clothes or outfits. Instead, it was Long Feiye buying shoes for her. Was Zhao mama mocking her with these words? She knitted her brows at the old woman, who looked over and realized she’d said the wrong thing.
“Princess, this old servant…this old servant didn’t mean it that way! This old servant… This old servant was simply too happy and said whatever came to mind!” Zhao mama hastened to explain.
Han Yunxi seemed pensive, which made Zhao mama panic. “Esteemed wangfei, this old servant really didn’t mean anything by that, this old servant…”
“Zhao mama, he…what size shoes and clothes does he wear?” Han Yunxi asked seriously. Truthfully speaking, she really wasn’t on par as a wife. Zhao mama was about to answer when she suddenly changed her tune.
“Aya, this old servant put the tailor’s measurements at the estate. Princess should measure His Highness personally. Recently, he’s gotten thinner, so the old measurements don’t fit him anymore.”
“Actually…” Han Yunxi’s words stopped on the tip of her tongue. Although Long Feiye had gotten skinnier, it was only in his face. His body was quite strong and hadn’t thinned much. She not only saw it herself, but experienced it personally as well…
“Alright, help me find a tape measure later,” Han Yunxi said as she opened the second box.
It was also full of shoes. Like the first box, they were famous handicrafts of exquisite make. A single pair was already expensive, to say nothing of an entire chest. Han Yunxi broke into a wry smile. Long Feiye’s ways of gifting her presents was unparalleled. He really left a deep impression! Zhao mama only looked disappointed again. Daily necessities like these? Why doesn’t His Highness know that scarcity increases the value of a gift? Isn’t he worried that the princess will turn numb after seeing so many of the same things?
Han Yunxi felt much calmer after looking at the two boxes of shoes. She immediately glided off towards the other eight boxes. As expected, Long Feiye had giving her nothing but clothing and accessories. She picked up a dress and examined it with interest. It was of very pretty make but also extremely conservation. The collar was high enough to reach her chin. Zhao mama was utterly crestfallen at the sight. She really wanted to cy, but her mouth pursed before it finally broke into a smile. “Aiya! Oh my! Ah!”
Han Yunxi turned towards her. “Does your stomach hurt?”
Zhao mama’s smile looked ghastlier than her crying face. “Nothing like that! Princess, this old servant is simply touched! Say now, why does His Highness dote on you so much? I heard the shadow guards say that His Highness spent half the day browsing through the shops before he bought all these. Ten chests are so much. In the future, everything the princess wears will all be gifts from His Highness!” Zhao mama chuckled before lowering her voice. “His Highness has been like this since he was young–domineering! Princess, this old servant is willing to bet that if you don’t wear His Highness’s gifted clothes and shoes in the future, he’ll be unhappy.”
“Cough, cough!” Han Yunxi choked in the middle of drinking her water as goosebumps rose on her skin. But her lips couldn’t help curving up into a grin–a quiet and sweet smile. As long as it was something Long Feiye picked personally, she felt happy no matter how much or how little he gave her.
Seeing the princess’s sweet smile finally settled Zhao mama’s cares a little. She felt she needed to discuss the matter of gift-giving with His Highness, but she didn’t have the courage to match her intentions.
All women with new clothes shared the same thought: to try them on! Han Yunxi was no exception. “Zhao mama, help me hang up all these clothes. I want to try them on one by one!”
There was going to be a bonfire banquet that night, so everyone would be dressed splendidly. When she was dressed from head to toe in Long Feiye’s gifts, she’d like to see anyone bar her from attending when she walked out.
“Yes!” Zhao mama loved things like this the most.
Since the inside of the tent was too narrow, Zhao mama could only move everything outside the inner partition to organize. The shoes were all set on the ground and the clothes hung up. Soon enough, the outer room was half taken up by the new wardrobe items. Han Yunxi tried on different clothes inside and found that all of them fit very well. She walked out and asked offhandedly, “Zhao mama, did you tell His Highness my measurements?”
Zhao mama examined her before breaking out into compliments. “His Highness has good eyes. The clothes are beautiful, making the person even lovelier!”
“Did you tell His Highness my measurements?” Han Yunxi asked again.
“I didn’t, ah. His Highness must have measured you himself. What, did the princess not know?” Zhao mama chuckled.
“Did he measure me while we were together? Where did he get the measuring tape?” Han Yunxi asked seriously. From the moment she was rescued until today, his time with her was limited. Even if he did it was she was asleep, he would have needed some type of tool. Something that fit this well was possible to estimate by eye along. You needed rulers or the like to make it accurate.
“That’s right, ah. Why would a military camp have things like measuring tapes?” Zhao mama smiled craftily. “Princess, this old servant has no methods to find you a tape measure. But I can teach you a way to get the right measurements without erring by a hair’s breadth!”
Han Yunxi looked at herself in the mirror, loving the pinkish-purple silk skirt on her form. “What kind of method?” she tossed out.
Zhao mama immediately scooted closer and stretched out her thumb and index finger. “See, this is one zha (拃), or handspan.” As she spoke, she began to demonstrate on Han Yunxi’s body. “Princess, His Highness must have measured you this way. If you don’t understand it, have him teach you. His Highness will definitely be happy to know that you want to make him clothes.”
When did Long Feiye measure me like this? Was it when I was unconscious in the hot springs?
When she imagined Long Feiye carrying her out of the springs, then wiping her body dry and dressing her again, she couldn’t go on. Imagining him measuring her entire body with his fingers was also impossible. That fellow! Did he dress me first and then measure, or measure me first and then dress me? I had no idea!
If she hadn’t brought up the measurements with Zhao mama, she would have been ignorant that this happened at all. That bastard Long Feiye, what else did he do while I was asleep?
Thinking up to here, Han Yunxi’s face begin to burn. Even the ever vigilant Zhao mama didn’t notice her change in expression, because she had taken out a long brocade box from the very bottom of a chest.
“Princess, what is this?” Zhao mama asked doubtfully.
Han Yunxi recognized the brocade box at first sight. It was the same as the one where Long Feiye had stored her torn purple muslin robe. That box and that robe were still in Ning Cheng’s camp, but she had kept his nine letters on her person.
Don’t tell me, Long Feiye gave me a special gift for Qiqiao as well?
Zhao mama didn’t dare to open it casually, so she quickly presented the box to Han Yunxi, who carefully lifted the lid. Inside she saw a pair of extremely exquisite earrings!
They were pinkish purple in hue and shaped like phoenix wings with tassels at the end. The feathers of each bird were covered in fine, delicated crystals that shimmered with a pinkish-purple light. At a glance, these earrings resembled angel wings, but a closer examination revealed that the design was an exact replica of the winged birthmark on her back.
Han Yunxi was too delighted with the gift. She carefully studied them and suddenly discovered that the backs of the wings were engraved with a single character: Ye (夜).
Long Feiye, for every world and lifetime, Han Yunxi will never let you down!
She was still wrapped up in the feelings brought from the phoenix wing earrings when Zhao mama fiddled with the box and took out a wine-red dudou from its bottom layer.
“Princess, His Highness also…gifted you this,” Zhao mama said before she couldn’t help smiling. “Princess, these are underclothes.”
Han Yunxi looked over and saw that the dudou was of very conservative style that covered her up completely. It was similar to the tank tops of modern day, so it really could count as underclothes. It was impossible to be embarrassed at something like this. Instead, she ended up laughing out loud. He gave me something like this but still hid it in the bottom layer of the brocade box!
If she hadn’t experienced his wickedness firsthand, she would definitely think he was someone who didn’t know anything about amorous love. How in the world did he buy something like this from the shops?
Zhao mama only sighed internally a hundred times before she spoke. “Princess, try it on. Don’t let His Highness’s efforts be in vain.”
