"May I ask your honorable name, young master? I will inform the young lady of your honor."
“Just tell her,” Yun Lie cleared his throat, suppressing his embarrassment, “Yun Lie… requests an audience.”
Yes, he was a prince who had established his own residence and a military commander. He not only came to visit in person, but also used the word "request an audience".
It's all about respect!
Let's talk about courtesy and respect!
Isn't this more sincere than the invitation from the Duke of He's mansion?!
Chapter 22
Because she was going to the Duke of He's mansion today, Luo Cuiwei got up early in the morning to wash and dress up.
After all, the invitation from the Duke of He's mansion was for a "flower appreciation banquet," not a separate event. In addition, it was the New Year, so clothing and makeup had to be carefully considered. One could neither appear timid nor be too ostentatious.
With Xiahou Ling's assistance, Luo Cuiwei finally put on a light blue brocade dress with intricate floral patterns, and styled her hair into an elegant lily bun, adorned with a few small, bright pearls that sparkled like stars in her hair.
Since she was dressed in fine clothes and had elaborate hair, she couldn't go out without a face, and she put a lot of effort into her makeup.
After tidying up in this way, she and Xiahou Ling walked side by side, talking, and left the courtyard at a leisurely pace.
She hadn't gone far from the courtyard gate when the gatekeeper rushed over to report that a man who looked menacing was at the gate and wanted to see her.
"He didn't say what he came for, only that he wanted to tell the young lady that Yun Lie requests an audience," the gatekeeper, who had run all the way, said breathlessly after a pause.
These four words are truly earth-shattering.
Luo Cuiwei, her eyes wide with shock, opened and closed her red lips several times before finally uttering, "These are his... exact words?"
The doorman nodded vigorously. "Those were the exact words, just those four words."
"A-Ling," Luo Cuiwei swallowed hard, her whole body stiffening and trembling slightly, "help me."
Xiahou Ling grabbed her arm, trembling just like her, "That's a... proper prince who owns his own residence!"
His Highness Prince Zhao personally came to request an audience with Luo Cuiwei!
With our ancestors above, Luo Cuiwei has today... brought great honor back to the Luo family of Jingxi!
The courtyard is filled with splendor! It brings glory to the family!
****
In fact, ever since Luo Cuiwei saw the "Shaofu Craftsman" mark under the flowerpot on the second day of the Lunar New Year, she had already understood that Yun Lie did not mean to sever ties.
It was her impure motives in approaching him that made her the one in the wrong, and upon closer examination, it was clearly Luo Cuiwei who was at fault.
The previous misunderstandings led her to believe that Yun Lie had formed an alliance with the Huang family, so she confidently threw aside her guilt and regret.
But when she realized it was all a misunderstanding, the guilt and regret returned.
She hasn't gone to Prince Zhao's residence these past few days because she lacks the courage.
She still hadn't figured out how to confess her initial dark thoughts to Yun Lie.
She didn't know if he would forgive her or be willing to continue accepting her, the friend who had once tried to scheme against and take advantage of him.
To everyone's surprise, he personally came to her door today, even lowering himself to "see her," a gesture of utmost sincerity and courtesy.
Even if he didn't say anything, she could tell that he was there to make peace.
Luo Cuiwei stood under the corridor in her own courtyard, her face upturned, quietly waiting for the thin layer of shameful tears in her eyes to slowly fade away.
Once she has mustered enough courage, she will tell Yun Lie everything.
For now, let's not disappoint his good intentions in coming to make peace today.
****
Yun Lie could swear to God that he had truly come to "plead guilty" and humbly beg for peace.
Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned. When he first met Luo Cuiwei, the first thing he said was neither a gentle and polite greeting nor a carefully prepared explanation or apology.
"She actually put on makeup secretly."
His deep voice trembled slightly as he suppressed his anger, and his clenched, aching teeth made his tone sound like he was gritting his teeth.
It was almost unfriendly.
"There's no need to 'sneak around' when it comes to applying makeup," Luo Cuiwei said, pausing for a moment before asking with a surprised smile, "You... could actually tell I was wearing makeup today?"
Like a familiar old friend, he picked up on his words with a hint of teasing.
Hearing her address him as "you" instead of "Your Highness," Yun Lie felt slightly relieved, raised an eyebrow, and snorted, "I'm not blind."
For some reason, as he was talking, he inexplicably reached out and gently touched her lips with his index finger.
He held up his hand, displaying a smear of red on his fingertip in front of her. "Look, the lipstick is so red, it's obvious at a glance..."
Luo Cuiwei stared wide-eyed, motionless.
Realizing what he had done, Yun Lie looked flustered and quickly withdrew his smug hand, hiding it behind his back: "Uh, misunderstanding... I just had a brain fart..."
The scene was quite awkward.