Tang Zhuyun couldn't believe her eyes. She slowly raised her wrist, held it at a 45-degree angle to the candle, and gazed up at it as if her eyes were seeing a thousand degrees...
Each Zidu transparent and Jingjing, reflecting the yellow glow of candlelight...
Yes, it is.
No, it's not.
The Prince of Jin was overjoyed to see her so infatuated.
Finally, finally, he gave her a gift that touched her heart.
The tears glistening in her eyes silently spoke of her excitement.
Tang Zhuyun: Try staring at a candle like that for a while!
Her feelings right now are as complicated as those of a four-year-old child.
She thought of the eager anticipation she had for glass marbles when she was four years old, and she probably felt the same way now when she looked forward to a gift.
But now, what she longs for is no longer the glass beads she had when she was four years old!
That's right. If she wasn't blind, then what the Prince of Jin gave her was a string of glass beads.
Three glass beads for one cent—that's the retail price. Wholesale, this bracelet would probably be worth fifty cents.
She would rather be blind.
"Your Highness," Tang Zhuyun's heart trembled at the thought of the exorbitant price the Prince of Jin might pay, and she asked with her last glimmer of hope, "What is this?"
"Glass," the Prince of Jin laughed. "Don't lie to me, I know you know your stuff."
If you didn't know its value, you wouldn't be so excited.
Tang Zhuyun heard her own heart pounding, and she coughed up three large mouthfuls of blood.
She'd rather not know its value.
She forced a smile, "Why did Your Highness give me this? It's colorful glass, and quite beautiful."
"That kind of thing is everywhere, nothing special," said Prince of Jin. "This glass bracelet is the shop's prized possession... A-Yun, what's wrong?"
Tang Zhuyun's lips twitched; she looked somewhat distressed.
"I'm worried about the money."
The Prince of Jin laughed, "It's nothing more than that..."
"Your Highness, you don't need to say anything. I know this is your heartfelt wish, which is far more important than money!" Tang Zhuyun interrupted him.
She didn't want to know how much it cost.
She was afraid of having a heart attack; she wanted to live a few more years.
She didn't want to be heartbroken every time she saw the bracelet, thinking, "Ah, this is worth thousands of taels of silver, this is worth a big house."
Alright, I'm not going to think about it anymore. Things are valued for their scarcity. In ancient times, glass was very expensive!
But is it valuable enough to sell?
cannot.
My heart still aches, it bleeds with heartache.
The Prince of Jin said, "At least you have a conscience. I just picked the most expensive one to buy..."
Tang Zhuyun felt like she had been stabbed again.
The most expensive item, the store's prized possession, how much does that cost?!
"I didn't expect this accidental success," said the Prince of Jin. "Knowing you like glass, I'll continue to help you collect good pieces."
Tang Zhuyun: "No, no, no, I don't like it."
"A-Yun, you're saying one thing and meaning another."
Tang Zhuyun was furious. "From now on, I'll be in charge of the money. If you want to buy anything, you have to ask me first!"
You can't communicate with a fool; just let her Jingjing.
The Prince of Jin said, "Very well."
She was willing to manage his money; she already considered herself the mistress of the royal palace.
This idea filled the Prince of Jin with uncontrollable excitement.
"Ah, the rice is burnt, burnt, burnt!" Tang Zhuyun said. "Get two pieces of firewood out."
The Prince of Jin quickly pulled out two pieces of firewood, patted them a few times, and put them aside.
While the Prince of Jin was eating, Tang Zhuyun used a ladle to scoop water into the pot again.
"A-Yun, what are you busy with?"
Tang Zhuyun said, "Since you're not sleepy, you should at least take a shower later."
Prince of Jin was overjoyed. He did want to stay, but he was still worried that Tang Zhuyun would send him away.
Unexpectedly, she meant for me to stay?
Tang Zhuyun: I didn't want you to stay, but I felt you definitely wouldn't leave.
The Prince of Jin hurriedly replied, "No need, I don't need hot water."
Okay.
Tang Zhuyun didn't force her.
After the meal, Prince of Jin shamelessly asked Tang Zhuyun to borrow a bath tub.
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
Alright, I'll take it with me as part of my dowry. He can use it himself, and she can use a new one.
Prince of Jin carried the bathtub into the west wing himself, fetched the water, and then called out to Tang Zhuyun with concern, "A-Yun, wait a moment, I'll come out and talk to you after I've washed."
Tang Zhuyun, her eyes drooping with sleep, yawned and said, "Can't we talk about it tomorrow?"
"Let me say a few more words."
The Prince of Jin didn't know what he wanted to say. He felt he had many feelings he wanted to share with her, but for a moment, he didn't know where to begin.
"Then tell me, there are no outsiders here." Tang Zhuyun sat outside the curtain, propping her chin up with her hand and dozing off.
The Prince of Jin didn't say anything, and Tang Zhuyun drifted off to sleep.
"A-Yun, A-Yun..."
Hearing the Prince of Jin call her name, Tang Zhuyun became a little more awake. "Are you done washing? The towel for you to dry off is on the screen."
Prince of Jin: "I've finished wiping it, but..."
Tang Zhuyun yawned, lifted the curtain, and went in. Then she let out an "Ah!" and quickly covered her eyes and backed away.
This person is shameless! Why don't they put on clothes after wiping themselves down?!
She saw nothing. "Don't look at what you shouldn't look at."
Prince of Jin: "A-Yun, be careful!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Tang Zhuyun's heel hit the threshold, and she fell backward.
Oh no, he landed on the back of his head. That should have been over in a second...
But how could the Prince of Jin allow that?
Tang Zhuyun felt herself fall into a... wet embrace, and her eyes met those of the shirtless Prince of Jin. She saw the tension and relief in his eyes.
She paused for a moment, then raised her hands.
Honestly, she was worried about herself.
She was afraid that if she struggled wildly, she would touch places she shouldn't.
But she could absolutely trust the Prince of Jin; he would never throw her.
When the Prince of Jin saw her movement, he was slightly taken aback, thinking that she was about to put her arms around his neck, so he lowered his head.
However, Tang Zhuyun seemed to have been acupunctured, her gaze fixed straight ahead, her arms outstretched.
Is she performing some kind of ritual?
The Prince of Jin was so frightened that he even forgot he was naked.
"A-Yun?"
Tang Zhuyun said weakly, "Um, Your Highness, I'm fine. I'll go out now."
The Prince of Jin then realized what was happening.
Tang Zhuyun straightened up and timidly withdrew from Prince of Jin, just like Jerry the mouse in Tom and Jerry, tiptoeing when doing something naughty...
The Prince of Jin was stunned, then couldn't help but chuckle.
He is shy.
But for some reason, seeing Tang Zhuyun's guilty and short-breathed appearance, he suddenly stopped being shy and even felt a bit like teasing her.
As he picked up the cotton towel, he said, "A-Yun, didn't you say that doctors only see patients, not men and women?"
"Are you sick?" Tang Zhuyun stood outside the door, covering her burning face with her hands.
Heavens above, earth below, please... never mind, let her just kill herself.
Prince of Jin: "... Does lovesickness count?"
Tang Zhuyun pressed her head against the wall. Forget it, she didn't want to die.
It's not worth it to let an iron tree finally bloom and be trained to grow stronger, only to have it die now.
(I'll continue updating tonight. I came online to say that when I mentioned setting up the bowls, I meant that you can watch the video urging me to update and tip the short video. You don't need to spend any money yourself. I'm so sorry, it's my fault for not being clear.)