“This…” Her sudden action left both the passersby and Sun Fengyu utterly shocked. Sun Fengyu’s handsome face even turned pale with fright. After all, while the young master seemed to have an unusual attitude toward this girl, it was well known that he detested anyone daring to approach him without permission.
Yet this reckless little fool not only clung to the arm of that cold, elegant, and domineering man but also fearlessly shook it while speaking, her sweet smile making her look like a lovestruck idiot.
Sun Fengyu lowered his head nervously, thinking that if the man got angry, he would pretend he saw nothing to avoid trouble.
The onlookers were equally horrified, watching as she fearlessly looped her arm around the man’s and even dared to shake it while talking.
But the scene they feared never came to pass. The notoriously temperamental man merely furrowed his thick brows, a hint of displeasure flashing in his phoenix-like eyes as he subtly withdrew his hand before addressing the girl.
“Little fool, you’re out shopping too?”
Wanqing took in everyone’s expressions but simply smiled faintly at the man who had pulled away. Only then did she notice the young lady by his side.
Upon seeing the girl’s face, she was utterly stunned.
This was none other than Princess Qingyang, one of the two great beauties of Daqi’s capital, alongside Mu Wanxia—Wu Qingyang.
Wu Qingyang was not only stunningly beautiful, with peach-blossom-like features, but also exuded an air of noble elegance and charm. No wonder—as the granddaughter of the Grand Princess, she carried the innate grace and beauty of royalty.
Though Wu Qingyang and Mu Wanxia were both hailed as the two great beauties of Daqi, seeing her in person made Wanqing feel that if this woman were a phoenix, then Mu Wanxia was nothing more than a fox spirit—pretending to be pitiful and delicate to win sympathy.
Seeing that her attempt to ingratiate herself had earned her not gratitude but a disdainful glance, Wu Qingyang lifted her chin like a proud peacock and scoffed.
Feeling snubbed, Wanqing awkwardly turned to the cold and aloof Leng Mingye beside her.
“Yes, Brother Sun and I came to buy jewelry. Who is this sister? She’s so beautiful! Brother Leng, I’m so happy to run into you here.”
Noticing the disappointment on the girl’s face, Leng Mingye responded lightly, allowing her to tug at his sleeve as they stepped inside. As they entered, he even greeted the visibly awkward Sun Fengyu beside Wanqing.
“Oh? Buying jewelry? I’m curious what kind of trinkets a little fool like you would pick. Master Sun, it’s been a while.”
“Greetings to the Young Master and Princess Qingyang.” Seeing Leng Mingye’s rare amiable expression—thanks to the girl—Sun Fengyu felt a weight lift off his shoulders and respectfully bowed to them.
“Hmph, cousin, didn’t you promise to accompany me shopping? Why are we going into a jewelry store now?”
Wu Qingyang had expected this reckless, pockmarked girl to anger her cousin with her boldness—perhaps even earn herself a severed hand. After all, the last time she had dared to pull at his sleeve, he had nearly ordered her hand cut off on the spot.
Seeing the man she adored tolerate a girl who was beneath her in both status and appearance filled her with resentment. As Leng Mingye walked inside with the girl, even his attendants Qingfeng and Baiyu followed. Pouting, she trailed behind, complaining to him.
“If you want to shop, go ahead. I’ll accompany this little fool to pick some jewelry. Sun Fengyu, weren’t you buying things for her? Shopkeeper, hurry up and bring out your best pieces for her to choose from.”
Wu Qingyang’s haughty demeanor and her mix of flattery and complaints inexplicably irritated Leng Mingye. He stopped and turned to her, speaking coolly before leading Wanqing inside, with Sun Fengyu following.
The shopkeeper, seeing them return, looked at Sun Fengyu with unease. Leng Mingye tapped the counter lightly with his slender fingers and ordered:
“Master Sun…”
The shopkeeper broke into a cold sweat at Leng Mingye’s interference. Both of these troublesome figures were people he couldn’t afford to offend. Helpless, he turned to Sun Fengyu for guidance.
“These look decent enough, Qing’er…” Sun Fengyu hadn’t expected Leng Mingye to join them in picking jewelry. Though inwardly groaning, he pointed to the mediocre pieces on the counter for Wanqing.
“Brother Sun, these aren’t the best or most expensive items in the store! They’re only slightly better than the ones before.”
Wanqing didn’t spare his feelings, openly criticizing his choice with a pout.
“This…” Sun Fengyu’s handsome face flushed with embarrassment at her bluntness.
“These really aren’t anything special. Shopkeeper, bring out your finest jewelry for this little fool to pick from. Hurry up.”
Recalling Sun Fengyu’s reaction when he and Prince Ning had visited the girl last time, Leng Mingye sided with Wanqing and instructed the shopkeeper.
“Of course, Young Master! Just a moment—this old man will fetch the finest pieces for the young lady to choose from.”
Relieved to have an excuse to avoid offending either party, the shopkeeper hurried to the back to retrieve his most precious stock.
“These are beautiful! Truly exquisite—nothing like the earlier ones. Brother Sun, I like this one, this one, and this one! I want all of these. Can I?”
Delighted by the high-quality pieces the shopkeeper brought out, Wanqing eagerly picked up several items—about six or seven in total—and looked expectantly at Sun Fengyu.
“Uh… Shopkeeper, how much for all of these?”
Knowing these were top-tier items—each hairpin alone costing hundreds of taels—Sun Fengyu felt a pang of distress. The girl had chosen large, elaborate pieces, including head ornaments and phoenix hairpins, none of which were cheap.
But with Leng Mingye present, he couldn’t refuse. Reluctantly, he asked the shopkeeper for the total.
“The young lady has excellent taste! These are our finest pieces. Let me calculate… With a 20% discount, the total comes to 2,100 taels. For you, Master Sun, I’ll round it down to 2,000 taels.”
The shopkeeper beamed as Wanqing gathered the jewelry in front of her, eagerly tallying the price before flashing an ingratiating smile at Sun Fengyu.
“Two thousand taels? This…” Sun Fengyu’s face darkened at the exorbitant sum, falling silent.
“If Master Sun is short on funds, I can lend you the money. What’s 2,000 taels to see this little fool smile? If you like them, I’ll buy them for you.”
Leng Mingye gave Sun Fengyu a cool glance before turning to Wanqing with a brotherly tone.
“No need to trouble yourself, Young Master. I can afford this. It’s just 2,000 taels—here’s the silver note. Wrap them up. Let’s go.”
Sun Fengyu had balked at spending so much on this insignificant girl, but when Leng Mingye offered to pay, alarm bells rang in his head. He hastily refused, pulling out a 2,000-tael note and handing it to the shopkeeper before turning to leave.
The thought of spending such a fortune on her made his heart ache.
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