Her cheek was lightly patted as the young girl looked at him expectantly.
“Wei Zhao, where’s my Liuguang Brocade? I still need it for something important.”
Her dudou had been washed so many times it was practically falling apart into threads. She urgently needed to make a new one.
“…Liuguang Brocade? Keep dreaming!” Wei Zhao gritted through clenched teeth.
“Huh? But you just said you’d give it to me.”
Jiang Yihuan leaned closer, studying his face intently.
“…Wei Zhao, you’re really handsome.”
Wei Zhao raised a hand, intending to push away the noisy, shamelessly flirtatious girl.
His hand went up, but he still hadn’t regained much strength. The push was light.
Instead, his palm landed on something incredibly soft and silky.
His mind went completely blank.
The strap of Jiang Yihuan’s dudou snapped.
Freed from its restraint, the soft curves it had been holding immediately bounced out from beneath her clothes.
She hurriedly covered her chest, her face burning crimson.
“…My… my straps came undone. Y-you… go back to sleep. I… I’m leaving…”
She fled in panic.
Only after she disappeared did Wei Zhao realize what he had just touched.
When his strength finally returned, he ground his teeth and shoved open the door.
“Zhu Xian! Zhu Xian! Are you dead?”
Zhu Xian certainly wasn’t dead.
But she needed to clear herself of the charge of failing to protect her master, so she decided the best defense was a bold offense.
Putting on a deeply pained expression, she declared,
“Master, after getting drunk, you forced yourself on Miss Jiang. She’s so ashamed she’s practically dying and won’t even speak to me anymore. Even if she’s your enemy’s sister, she’s still an innocent young lady. You have to take responsibility!”
After saying it, she suddenly felt much taller.
So this was what it felt like to scold her master—it was surprisingly satisfying!
Wei Zhao clasped his hands behind his back.
“Zhu Xian… do you think you’re very clever?”
“Liang Jian! Liang Jian!”
Having just finished dealing with the assassins, Liang Jian hurried over.
“Master, your orders?”
“From now on, Zhu Xian is in charge of cleaning the stables. And have her scrub the chamber pots too.”
“For three full months.”
Zhu Xian repeatedly slapped herself across the face.
Serves you right for trying to be smart. Serves you right!
The next morning, Wei Zhao woke with a dark expression.
As he passed Jiang Yihuan’s room, the little girl pushed open the carved wooden window.
“Wei Zhao! Wei Zhao…”
“What?”
“Come a little closer. I need to tell you something.”
Wei Zhao had absolutely no intention of getting close to her.
Growing anxious, Jiang Yihuan raised her voice.
“You tore my dudou yesterday. I can’t even leave my room now! You—”
Wei Zhao rushed over in a panic and covered her mouth.
“Keep your voice down! Go ask Zhu Xian for one!”
“That won’t work. Everyone’s size is different. It has to be made to fit me. Just give me some fabric instead.”
Only then did Wei Zhao finally understand.
So the beautiful fabric she wanted was for making undergarments.
Why hadn’t she simply said so?
He casually waved a hand.
Six bolts of Liuguang Brocade were carried over and stacked beneath Jiang Yihuan’s window, filling several boxes.
Her cheeks flushed with excitement.
“So beautiful! It’s like moonlight flowing over the fabric. It’s so smooth… so soft.”
It even felt nicer than Wei Zhao’s skin.
“Are these all for me?”
“Yes. I’ve given you the fabric. In return, behave yourself.”
Jiang Yihuan liked Wei Zhao even more now.
“Wei Zhao… next time, don’t drink so much.”
Wei Zhao wanted to twist her head right off.
“…How dare you? You actually think you can tell me what to do?”
“Back in Wuzhou, a man got drunk and passed out by the roadside. A woman passing by took advantage of him. It traumatized him so badly that he became a cut-sleeve and could never be with women again.”
Wei Zhao snorted.
“The man you’re talking about… don’t tell me it was your brother?”
“Of course not. My brother would’ve happily let people take advantage of him. He could’ve charged them money.”
“Wei Zhao, come home early tonight. Let’s have dinner together.”
Wei Zhao turned and walked away.
Who ever had dinner with a hostage?
He arrived at the Wei Residence and went to see his mother, Madam Heng.
“Where’s Wei Zhilan? Tell her to come.”
Madam Heng forced herself to appear energetic.
Knowing exactly why her son had come, she summoned her daughter.
Wei Zhilan was nervous.
“…Big Brother, why didn’t you bring Miss Jiang with you today?”
Wei Zhao’s voice turned icy.
“I know you haven’t reflected on your mistakes at all. Stop pretending in front of me.”
“She’s not someone you’re allowed to bully.”
Wei Zhilan looked heartbroken.
“Brother, I was only thinking of you. She may act slow-witted, but she’s actually very troublesome. I’m your own sister. Why would I ever hurt you?”
“Really?”
Wei Zhao looked at her indifferently.
“As far as I remember…”
“I don’t have a sister.”
Wei Zhilan’s face burned with humiliation, tears welling up.
When they were children, their grandmother had constantly stirred up trouble, making her believe her older brother was an illegitimate child.
She had refused to play with him.
Whenever others mocked or bullied him, she joined in, even throwing stones at him.
Their mother had held her while crying, begging her to treat her brother better.
But back then, she couldn’t distinguish right from wrong and only became worse.
By the time her brother had become increasingly outstanding and the family’s pride, she had wanted to repair their relationship.
But it was already too late.
Madam Heng sighed helplessly.
The relationship between these two children gave her endless headaches.
“Xiguang, I’ve already scolded Lan’er. Don’t keep blaming her.”
After hesitating for a moment, she cautiously asked,
“You’re this protective of Miss Jiang… do you like her?”
“You misunderstand.”
“If Jiang Qianli lives, he’s troublesome. If he dies, he’s equally troublesome.”
“I’m keeping his sister as leverage.”
“She’s my hostage.”
Madam Heng nearly choked.
“From what I’ve seen, the girl’s not particularly bright. If you keep locking her up, sooner or later you’ll make her lose her mind.”
Wei Zhao fell silent.
Jiang Yihuan was a little slow.
She herself had said that she had often been bullied in the countryside and could only hide.
Seeing him hesitate, Madam Heng quickly pressed on.
“Leave her with me.”
“I’ll take care of her for you.”
“…We’ll discuss it another time.”
Wei Zhao was genuinely wavering.
After he left, Wei Zhilan buried herself against Madam Heng’s knees.
“Mother, you’re really going to take care of her? I don’t like her.”
Madam Heng coughed a few times.
“When has your brother ever paid attention to a woman?”
“Wouldn’t it be a good thing if the girl he cares about stayed by our side?”
She understood her son’s temperament.
If he truly disliked Jiang Yihuan, he would never have defended her.
“So you mean…”
“We should use her to mend the relationship between Brother and me?”
“You silly girl.”
“In the future, you’ll still have to rely on your brother.”
As they were speaking quietly, Wei Zhao’s cousin’s wife, Madam Lin, arrived with a smile.
“Greetings, Aunt.”
“I heard Eldest Cousin brought you some Liuguang Brocade. May I have a look?”
Madam Heng looked bewildered.
“What Liuguang Brocade?”
“You didn’t know?”
“Princess Shouchun said His Majesty rewarded Eldest Cousin with six bolts of Liuguang Brocade yesterday. He didn’t give them to you?”
Wei Zhilan answered awkwardly,
“Brother did mention it just now. He said he’d send it over in a few days.”
…
Meanwhile, Jiang Yihuan hummed happily as she sewed herself a new dudou from the Liuguang Brocade.
For the moment, she was wearing Zhu Xian’s.
Zhu Xian secretly glanced at her.
She had assumed her own dudou would be too large for Jiang Yihuan.
Who would’ve thought…
It was actually a little tight.
How was that even possible?
Jiang Yihuan yawned.
“Sister Zhu Xian, would you like some Liuguang Brocade?”
Zhu Xian blinked.
“…Huh?”
“I’ll give you half a bolt. That’s enough to make several outfits. How about it?”
Zhu Xian couldn’t suppress her excitement.
“…Really?”
What young woman wouldn’t want Liuguang Brocade?
Just selling two feet of it would fetch enough gold to make anyone envious.
As repayment, she allowed Jiang Yihuan to wait by the entrance to welcome Wei Zhao home.
But she waited until the sun had set.
Wei Zhao still hadn’t returned.
Jiang Yihuan pouted pitifully.
“If he doesn’t come back soon, I’m going to have to make him wear a green hat. I already told him to come home early.”
Zhu Xian absentmindedly held the shimmering brocade against herself, replying casually,
“Don’t rush to put the green hat on him. Wait a little longer.”