Chapter 538 - 0320 Graceful Red Lotus (2-in-1)_2

Yun Qian didn’t concern herself with these things.

As long as it could make her husband like her more, she’d eat either the regular or the potent Red Lotus rouge without hesitation.

Additionally, she had an advantage: while someone like Li Zhibai needed to seal their cultivation for the Red Lotus to work, she only needed to take it with her husband nearby for it to be effective.

That’s why she was curious.

"Ms. Yun... you..." The young maiden heard this and stared blankly at Yun Qian for a while before cautiously asking, "Ms. Yun, doesn’t the young master treat you well?"

"What do you mean?" Yun Qian looked at her.

During this period, how could Xu Chang’an treat her poorly?

"Oh... oh." The young maiden didn’t explain.

Hearing Yun Qian’s words just now, she momentarily thought Yun Qian had been neglected by Xu Chang’an... hence the desire to use these alluring items to win back Xu Chang’an’s heart, but it was clear she misunderstood.

How could someone as beautiful as Ms. Yun be neglected?

If she were a man, spending time with Miss Yun would definitely mean sticking by her side all twelve hours a day, how could she neglect her?

Even she felt this way, let alone the young master’s high standards.

Indeed.

In a sense, she wasn’t wrong.

When Xu Chang’an first started seeing Yun Qian, he was so infatuated that he wore her out, which is why he now restrains himself sharply, feeling embarrassed by his past immaturity.

"Ms. Yun..." The young maiden lowered her voice: "The young master is part of an Immortal Sect and might be busy, which is why he doesn’t have time to... that with you..."

"???"

Yun Qian blinked, her moist eyes filled with confusion.

"In short, it’s customary for the people at Flower Moon Building to eat Red Lotus rouge, but you’re so pristine, it’s best not to," the Rowing Maiden said all at once.

Yun Qian was just asking, not intending to listen to opinions, but she liked the girl in front of her, so she was very patient.

"I just want to know if, after eating it, he’ll like me more?"

"Young Master Xu? I... don’t know." The young maiden thought to herself that most men would obviously like it a lot, but it depended on the person, and she didn’t understand Xu Chang’an, so she couldn’t answer.

"I understand," Yun Qian nodded.

What other men liked, Xu Chang’an might not necessarily like, but as long as there was a slight chance, she was willing to try it.

Anyway, the item from Qinling had been given to Xu Chang’an. Yun Qian felt that she would eventually taste it, but her husband’s cautious nature would surely prevent her from eating the Immortal Sect object from Qinling at first, so she could only focus on the common Red Lotus rouge found in Beisang City.

It definitely wouldn’t be as effective as the one from Qinling, but the advantage was that it was readily available.

"How does it taste?" Yun Qian asked.

"Uh..." The Rowing Maiden tightly clutched her clothes: "I-I haven’t tried it."

After lying to Yun Qian, she carefully looked up, only to find Yun Qian quietly staring at her.

Her body shivered violently, biting her lips and turning white at the knuckles.

Only after a long while did she avert her gaze, her face flushed, "I lied, I actually... have tried it."

"How does it taste?"

"Sweet, like taro, with some rouge shops adding plum powder."

The girl was resigned, looking up and saying, "Every rouge shop’s Red Lotus has a different taste, but it’s generally sweet and sour, fitting the taste of girls, like... candied fruits."

"Candied fruits?" Yun Qian blinked.

The young maiden looked up, seeing Yun Qian’s eyes sparkle, then quickly lowered her head again.

It wasn’t her business.

It was Miss Yun persistently asking; she couldn’t not answer...

If Liu Qingluo was still in Beisang City, and knew she was explaining such things to Yun Qian—

The maiden felt a burning pain all over her body.

Even gentle Sister Liu would surely angrily scold her.

But having told a little lie just now, she felt about to be engulfed by guilt, and there was no other way.

But this was a difference between her and Liu Qingluo; she didn’t think someone like Yun Qian required "protection" from others, so answering Yun Qian was just her own shame, never considering it would have a bad influence on Yun Qian.

In her heart, Ms. Yun had her considerations.

After all, the Rowing Maiden was herself a self-reliant girl striving for life.

"The things you talked about, do rouge shops sell them?" Yun Qian recalled something, asking: "Can Emei Square get them?"

"Emei Square has them." The young maiden instinctively said: "But the best-selling rouge at Emei Square is the Tear Mole rouge..."

As she spoke, she suddenly realized something and looked at Yun Qian’s eyes.

Unlike Liu Qingluo, Yun Qian’s face had no extra embellishments.

"I want to try the tear mole," Yun Qian said.

"Uh... uh-huh." The Rowing Maiden blinked: "Is it also to make the young master like you more?"

She found herself able to follow some of Yun Qian’s thoughts now.

"Yes." Yun Qian looked at the young maiden, finding her to be clever.

The young maiden laughed.

She finally realized that she had been unknowingly showered with affection by Yun Qian.

"You really like the young master."

"I do like him."

"Ms. Yun, actually, if you smiled more often, it’d work better than using any rouge," the Rowing Maiden suggested.

"Smile?" Yun Qian tilted her head: "There’s nothing to be happy about, so why smile."

"Because... it would make the young master like you more?" The maiden said, thinking she was just some silly advisor, not knowing what she was suggesting to Miss Yun.

"Smiling would make him like me more? No one has ever told me that," Yun Qian mused, "I’ll try it."

Yun Qian grew fonder of the young maiden before her.

Clever, brave, and thoughtful.

She helped her, and she should return the favor.

"Is there nothing you want... I don’t know what to do." Yun Qian leaned on the long couch, stating calmly: "If you think of anything you want in the future, just tell me."

She would fulfill her wish.

"?"

The Rowing Maiden blinked but quickly said, "Ms. Yun, please don’t tell anyone... that I told you about the Red Lotus, or the sisters at the building will chastise me severely."

Yun Qian nodded, indicating she understood her request.

But does this count as a wish?

Miss Yun wasn’t quite sure.

"That’s good." The young maiden sighed with relief, then lay on the table, burying her head in her arms, refusing to rise again.

Calming down, she felt like fainting when she recalled what she’d shared with Yun Qian.

Meanwhile, Yun Qian suddenly remembered something.

Many years ago, when she first got together with Xu Chang’an, though he didn’t know how to cherish her, making her feel tired every day... in Yun Qian’s heart, the unrestrained Xu Chang’an was more reassuring than the present cautious "restraint" constantly on his lips.

The river of time is irreversible, at least not in Xu Chang’an’s presence now.

At this moment, Yun Qian discovered an object that could let her revisit those days.

She asked with interest, a hint of nostalgia on her face.

"By the way, where can you buy those intense items mentioned in books?"

If she ate this, Xu Chang’an would have no reason to hold back, right?

Perhaps she could find that feeling from back then.

The Rowing Maiden: "..."

She covered her ears, burying her head deeper.

She just wanted to die now.

Young Master Xu... why haven’t you come back yet.

——

Light rain covered the streets.

Xu Chang’an left the Flower Moon Building, knowing where Yun Qian was resting now, but he didn’t hurry back.

He couldn’t just go back empty-handed after being apart for a while.

Why not just continue their little habit, like before, bringing back some gifts for her. It’s one of their rare small customs.

Xu Chang’an was always torn when choosing gifts for her, but since she never showed whether she liked his gifts or not, he kept trying different ones each time.

Now, Xu Chang’an was not so puzzled.

Because during his time on the mountain, Yun Qian had showed a clear preference, whether through her frequent make-up or her ties with Li Zhibai, all pointing to—

[Rouge].

Yun Qian recently liked enhancing her appearance.

Xu Chang’an then went in search of a rouge shop.