Hua Miao Miao looked at him so calm and composed. At first, she had only intended to be polite, but his straightforward agreement had caught her off guard, and she now felt too embarrassed to retract her offer.
So she placed her clothes on the folding screen and began helping him undress. Last night had been rushed—they had slept together hurriedly—but she had taken full advantage of the fact that he couldn’t see and made sure to undress properly.
Xiao Jinyan, however, was different. He was still wearing the wedding robes from yesterday, only having removed the outermost layer of the long robe.
This clearly showed that the Third Prince was a true gentleman. They had shared the same bed last night, yet he had not done anything inappropriate.
Although, honestly, even if he could see her face, he probably still wouldn’t have. After all, she really was extraordinarily “ugly” by any standard.
Thinking of this, she felt even more at ease in facing her newlywed husband, the Third Prince.
As she helped him remove his robes, Xiao Jinyan cooperated, extending his arms and attentively observing her every movement, especially her facial expressions.
Hua Miao Miao, in turn, took full advantage of this rare opportunity. For someone as physically perfect as him, she wanted to indulge her eyes.
Even during her training with her male comrades in the team, none of them—handsome and strong though they were—could compare to even a fraction of the perfection before her.
Seizing the moment, she efficiently removed his wedding robes, sneaking glances at his flawless physique. Her burning gaze even made Xiao Jinyan suppress a smile.
She draped the wedding robes over the folding screen and picked up the plain-colored outfit she had prepared for him earlier. Using her intuition, she dressed him in it.
Although she wasn’t completely sure if she did it correctly, the process gave her another chance to feast her eyes on him.
What puzzled her most was how this guy had developed those eight-pack abs and the “mermaid lines.” Even blind, did he still persist in working out? If so, he really was dedicated!
Lost in her thoughts, Hua Miao Miao didn’t notice the gaze coming from above. Xiao Jinyan had been watching her for quite a while.
He stared at her dazed, infatuated expression. Her face, though, remained discordant; the closer he looked, the more unnatural it seemed. Only her eyes were truly alive, bright and spirited.
Confident that he couldn’t see her, Hua Miao Miao’s gaze lingered on his body—bold and unabashed.
Not only that, while helping him into his clothes, she had inadvertently touched him a couple of times.
Xiao Jinyan, for his part, was impressed. The daughter of a general was indeed extraordinary. She showed no embarrassment, boldly examining his body. Judging by her expression, she was probably critiquing him in her head as well.
Such a bride was certainly unique. Still, Hua Miao Miao was undeniably interesting. Xiao Jinyan thought to himself that uncovering her disguise would be even more entertaining.
Finally, with her somewhat clumsy technique, she had dressed the Third Prince correctly—at least she hadn’t messed it up. For her first attempt at dressing someone, she was quite satisfied.
Having successfully dressed him, she felt a surge of confidence. Originally planning to have a maid help her, she now decided to dress herself instead.
In front of Xiao Jinyan, she began removing her clothes. Once down to her undergarments, she followed the same sequence she had used on him.
Unlike his simple two-layer outfit, hers was a six-piece ensemble: three layers inside, three layers outside. Only when her patience was nearly exhausted did she finally finish dressing herself.
She couldn’t help but mutter in her mind, “These ancient clothes are way too complicated—putting them on is exhausting!”
After a long sigh, she suddenly remembered that a real person was standing right next to her!
Though startled, she quickly composed herself and waved at him. Seeing no reaction at all, she finally relaxed.
Since he couldn’t see, Hua Miaomiao grabbed his hand without restraint and led him forward.
What she didn’t realize was that everything she had done had already been thoroughly observed—he was just excellent at keeping his calm and revealing nothing, maintaining a composed, serene facade.
Holding his hand as they walked, she said, “Your Highness, let’s wash up quickly. Are you hungry? I’m starving.”
Listening, Xiao Jinyan called to the hallway, “Leng Feng, prepare breakfast!”
“Yes, Your Highness!” Leng Feng left immediately, while Chunhua and Qiuyue promptly took their positions at the door, ready to follow their mistress’s instructions.
Hua Miaomiao dutifully helped Xiao Jinyan wash up. Though she still wasn’t used to the local washing methods, she was determined to keep her little secret in front of others.
When no one was around, she preferred using her magical space to handle such tasks, sticking to the modern way of doing things.
Xiao Jinyan, watching her frown slightly, couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Could she be unhappy about having to wash me?
Before he could overthink, Hua Miaomiao suddenly said, “Later, I’ll show you a completely different way to wash!”
Xiao Jinyan was caught off guard. Different way to wash…? What does she mean by that?!
Despite his curiosity, he still replied politely, “Alright. Thank you, Princess, for now.”
Hua Miaomiao smiled, looking at this man who responded to everything she said, feeling surprisingly lucky. Though he was not favored by the royal family, she could spoil him from now on!
Xiao Jinyan almost couldn’t hold back a laugh at her smiling, ‘ugly’ face.
Even though he was certain that his bride had disguised her appearance, looking at her face alone made it hard to read her emotions accurately.
It seemed he’d have to observe her eyes from now on. Watching his newlywed bride, he thought the coming days would be very interesting.
Hua Miaomiao held his hand as they left the chambers, instructing the two maids to lead the way, with the household steward, Fugui, walking in front.
Though the steward had been shocked by the bride’s appearance, he quickly suppressed his thoughts. Considering his master’s situation, he could only hope that the princess would have good character and treat the prince well.
Walking ahead, the old steward felt a pang of sorrow for his master. Yet he had to accept this harsh reality—after all, the current predicament was entirely the Empress’s doing.
Suddenly, Hua Miaomiao’s voice came from behind: “Your Highness, I’m actually very good at cooking. From now on, whatever you want to eat, I’ll make it for you!”
Though soft, the voice was unmistakably beautiful—he was genuinely surprised that his new bride sounded so pleasant.
And to hear that she was skilled in the kitchen! That astonished him even more.
After all, daughters from noble families usually excelled at embroidery and other feminine arts—not cooking.
But a bride from a military family, skilled in both martial arts and cooking? That was truly impressive.