For a moment, Shen Mingzhu didn't understand what Xie Lang meant. Seeing his gaze, she followed it, with a hint of confusion in her eyes. When she looked back at Xie Lang, she saw the smile in his eyes, gentle yet teasing. Combined with his superior features, it didn't seem frivolous at all. Instead, it had a touch of a charming rogue. Shen Mingzhu stared at him for a few moments, her ear tips turning slightly red, but she still stared straight at Xie Lang and said, "I didn't know whether Young Master Xie is truly frivolous or just pretending. If someone else had said such things to me, they would have been dragged out and beheaded long ago."
Hearing this, the smile in Xie Lang's eyes deepened. He said, "Fortunately, it was me who said this to Your Highness. If there's anyone else who dares to say such things, Your Highness can just behead that person."
Shen Mingzhu: "..."
Xie Lang really could say anything.
"As for being flirtatious?"
Xie Lang's lips curled slightly. Although he had a pair of affectionate fox-like eyes, there was a hint of seriousness in them, making it seem as if Shen Mingzhu was bullying him. "But I only talk to Your Highness like this."
As he spoke, Xie Lang gently placed his hand on the forehead of the person in front of him. His fingertips brushed the wisp of broken hair behind her ear, then he stared intently at Shen Mingzhu, waiting for her reply.
Shen Mingzhu was silent for a moment because she heard Xie Lang's somewhat gritted - teeth thoughts.
[Humph, she sleeps with me and then acts as if nothing happened. I've never been with any other woman before.]
What?
Xie Lang was actually...
Looking at the person in front of her and recalling his usual composure, Shen Mingzhu couldn't help but gasp. She asked, "So you've never..."
Xie Lang looked at Shen Mingzhu and let out a soft laugh. He said, "Your Highness, I don't make a living by selling my smiles."
Seeing Shen Mingzhu's obviously disbelieving expression, Xie Lang took a deep breath, suppressing the emotions in his heart. He said, "You don't believe me!"
His handsome face suddenly loomed large in front of her, with obvious displeasure in his eyes. "Do you believe me or not!"
Being so close, Xie Lang placed his hand on Shen Mingzhu's shoulder and deliberately pressed her down, with a hint of revenge.
[I work behind the scenes! Shen Mingzhu, can you use your brain a bit! I'm so angry! I'm so angry! I'm so angry!]
With three consecutive "I'm so angry", Shen Mingzhu believed that what Xie Lang said was true. So she felt a bit guilty in her heart and continued, "I... I believe you."
Xie Lang slightly straightened his body and looked at Shen Mingzhu suspiciously. "Really?"
"You don't believe me?"
Shen Mingzhu cunningly threw the question back to Xie Lang, with a hint of teasing in her eyes. "Since you've said so, I naturally believe you."
For the first time, Xie Lang was left speechless by Shen Mingzhu. He stared at her for a few moments, then snorted and stood up.
"Go to bed early."
This time, it was Shen Mingzhu who was calm. She couldn't help but laugh and said, "We have to enter the palace tomorrow. We'll have to get up early then."
...
Early the next morning, before dawn, Shen Mingzhu got up to dress and do her makeup. She saw Xie Lang, half - asleep, wearing clothes similar to hers, sitting on the chair beside the dressing mirror, propping his head up with his hand. His eyes were almost closed.
"Bang - "
Xie Lang suddenly bumped into the table. He let out a low cry of pain, then looked at Shen Mingzhu sleepily and continued, "Go on."
After saying that, he simply lay down on the table, burying his head between his hands.
Shen Mingzhu almost burst out laughing, but her eyes were filled with uncontrollable amusement. She said to Chun Tao, "Get him a soft pillow."
Taking the soft pillow, Shen Mingzhu poked Xie Lang's shoulder with it. Seeing his sleepy eyes, she said gently, "Go to sleep. I'll wake you up when it's done."
"... Okay."
Xie Lang looked at the soft pillow for a few times. Only then did his drowsy mind gradually understand what Shen Mingzhu meant. So he took the pillow with one hand and continued to sleep.
When it was time to draw her eyebrows, Xie Lang woke up again at some unknown time. He leaned his head on the soft pillow and looked at Shen Mingzhu.
"Otherwise, let me draw them for you. I guarantee they'll look good."
Shen Mingzhu was a bit tempted.
The person in front of her was Mr. Wensong, whose hands were extremely steady. Even the eyebrows he drew last time were extremely beautiful.
Before Shen Mingzhu could hesitate, Xie Lang had already stood up. He took the eyebrow - drawing tools from the maid's hand, placed his palm on Shen Mingzhu's chin, lifted her face to look at it for a few moments, and then started to draw.
[Hmm, I feel that drawing like this is okay. It has a very Shen Mingzhu - like flavor.]
Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu was curious.
What was the flavor of Shen Mingzhu in Xie Lang's heart?
Just at this moment, the person in front of her said softly, "Close your eyes."
Shen Mingzhu closed her eyes.
She could hear Xie Lang's shallow breathing in her ear. There was a tingling sensation on her face, and the eyebrow pencil, with a bit of chill, gradually slid across her skin. Shen Mingzhu couldn't help but hold her breath.
"Your Highness, I just asked you to close your eyes, not to hold your breath."
Xie Lang naturally noticed Shen Mingzhu's uneasiness at the moment. So there was a faint smile on his face, and his tone was also a bit teasing. "If I didn't say anything, would Your Highness suffocate herself?"
She wasn't a fool.
Shen Mingzhu instinctively wanted to refute, but unexpectedly, Xie Lang's fingertips, smeared with something, were placed on her lips and slowly spread out. As he smeared, he said, "Be careful. Don't swallow it."
Shen Mingzhu, rather disappointingly, forgot to breathe again. This time, she even forgot to open her eyes.
"All done."
Xie Lang said. Shen Mingzhu opened her eyes and saw the uncontrollable smile in the person's eyes and the upturned corners of his mouth.
Shen Mingzhu held it in for a while, then took a deep breath and turned to look at the dressing mirror.
After Xie Lang drew her eyebrows, he also applied some lip rouge on her from God - knows - where. The color was a somewhat dull red, but it matched Shen Mingzhu's fair - as - jade skin extremely well, making her look more majestic.
Shen Mingzhu was very satisfied. She looked at Xie Lang in surprise and said, "Where did you buy this lip rouge?"
As Xie Lang spoke, he pointed at the small porcelain - white jar in front of Shen Mingzhu and said with a smile, "It's this one. As for how I got it?"
Xie Lang let out a soft laugh and looked at Shen Mingzhu. "This is my livelihood. I won't tell you."
Shen Mingzhu was surprised. She looked at Xie Lang and said, "Could it be that you own a rouge shop?"
Xie Lang just smiled without saying a word.
"Your Highness." Shen Mingzhu heard Chun Tao standing outside the door and speaking to her. "The carriage is ready. Are you leaving now?"
Shen Mingzhu raised her voice. "Coming."
After saying that, she looked at Xie Lang and couldn't help but sigh, "Young Master Xie is really full of hidden talents."
Xie Lang naturally put his arm around hers. "Naturally."
After getting into the carriage, thinking of their destination, a hint of solemnity appeared in Shen Mingzhu's eyes. So she quietly looked at the small table in front of her.
Xie Lang was dozing off on one side. He opened his sleepy eyes and saw Shen Mingzhu's expression. So he casually pressed her head on his shoulder and said, "Take a rest."
Shen Mingzhu: "..."
[Go to sleep. There might be some surprises later.]
No! Shen Mingzhu frowned when she heard this thought.
What else did Xie Lang know?