That's why he agreed to go out with Uncle Chen to buy lanterns, and he specifically asked her to come along, thinking that when the two of them were alone together, she might not have so many reservations when she spoke.
She did indeed have no scruples, but the direction she took, "without scruples," was completely different from what he had expected.
Looking back on everything that happened today, he felt that she was very much like...
They came specifically to tease him.
Chapter Thirteen
"How about this?" Luo Cuiwei pointed to a chubby little fish lamp.
The waiter, who was following behind them and enthusiastically introducing the lanterns, was very quick-witted. He immediately turned around and brought out the same small fish lantern, respectfully handing it to Yun Lie.
Yun Lie frowned slightly, a hint of confusion in his eyes: "Is it necessary to be so... childlike during the New Year?"
When he was young, he lived in the inner city. During festivals or ceremonies, the arrangements, preparations, and procurement were handled by officials under the Shaofu Gate and the various palace stewards.
After he established his own residence, he spent most of his time in the camp in Linchuan. All the big and small matters in the Prince Zhao's residence were handled by Chief Steward Chen, while he himself was a clueless and idle master.
Faced with Luo Cuiwei's inquiry, he secretly felt a headache coming on, realizing that this was even more difficult to decide than "which team should be sent to beat up the Northern Di people this time".
"You mean 'childish'?" Luo Cuiwei gave him a reproachful look, then poked the little fat fish with her fingertip with a smile. "It looks cute, and it looks nice when it's lit up and hung up at night. Plus, it has a good meaning."
Upon hearing this, Yun Lie lowered his head slightly and began to examine the small, chubby fish lantern in his hand with a serious expression.
He couldn't see anything special about this fancy little fat fish compared to the other lanterns; after all, it was made of paper, and no matter how fat it was, he couldn't eat it.
However, the way Luo Cuiwei's eyes sparkled with a bright smile as she gently and playfully tapped the little fat fish's "body" with her slender fingertips inexplicably made his throat tighten and his heart pound. When he looked at the little fat fish again, he felt that although it was inedible, it seemed to be prettier than the other lanterns.
Yun Lie swallowed hard, his long eyelashes trembled slightly, and he replied with a soft "Not bad," handing the lamp back to the waiter.
"Then I'll take ten pairs," Luo Cuiwei said to the waiter.
Ordinary families would only buy one or two pairs of lamps of the same shape at most, but when the waiter heard her say "ten pairs" without thinking, and then looked at her expensive light blue brocade jacket and skirt with lace patterns, he guessed that this family must have a large house, and his smile became even more enthusiastic.
"Madam, you have a very straightforward personality. Merchants who open their shops are very lucky to have a customer like you."
Seeing that Yun Lie's dark blue brocade cloud-patterned martial robe was expensive yet understated, the waiter secretly thought that the mistress of the house must be in charge, so he tried his best to flatter Luo Cuiwei.
Luo Cuiwei was well aware of this kind of half-hearted flattery and naturally wouldn't take it seriously. However, the sudden use of the word "Madam" surprised her.
"Hey, I don't..."
She was about to open her mouth to argue when Yun Lie interrupted her.
He turned to look at her, his face righteous and without any ulterior motives: "Wouldn't ten pairs be too many?"
“Oh, not much,” interrupted by his words, Luo Cuiwei didn’t care to reject the “Madam” title given to her by the waiter, and turned to meet Yun Lie’s gaze. “The New Year is all about being lively and festive. It’s better to have more than less.”
Yun Lie nodded, a smug smile secretly appearing in his eyes: "Do you need to choose anything else?"
"Of course I want it," Luo Cuiwei didn't see the smirk in his eyes. Seeing the waiter happily going to the counter to inform them to prepare the goods, she leaned a little closer to Yun Lie and whispered, "Your place is a royal residence, and you've only picked three kinds. That's not enough."
The two were originally about an arm's length apart, but now she leaned closer, her skirt swaying gently as she leaned in.
The light blue hem of her robe brushed lightly against the brocade cloud pattern on the dark blue martial robe, barely touching for a moment, before she ran away without a care in the world.
Like a dragonfly leaping lightly on the lake before a sudden rain, it carelessly stirs up ripples in the center of the lake before flapping its wings and flying away without looking back.
Yun Lie turned his head to the side, clenched his fist, and coughed lightly twice.
See? She's teasing him again.
Noticing his sudden awkwardness, Luo Cuiwei suddenly remembered the waiter's earlier address of "Madam," and quickly took a half step back, turning her gaze back to the various lamps hanging high in the shop.
****
After selecting nearly ten different types of lanterns with auspicious meanings, Luo Cuiwei gently tugged at Yun Lie's sleeve while the waiter went to the counter to count and settle the bill.
"What's wrong?" Yun Lie turned his head, his eyes slightly lowered, to meet her gaze.
Luo Cuiwei led him aside, took out a few pieces of silver from her purse, and quickly stuffed the purse into his hand: "When I went out this morning, my sister asked me to buy some mixed fruit cakes for her to take back. There are some in the alley not far ahead. I'll come back to find you as soon as I buy them. It'll be quick."
"Oh," Yun Lie nodded, then picked up the money pouch in his hand and waved it in front of her, puzzled. "What's this for?"
The purse was made of brocade satin, and under the gentle lamplight, it shimmered with a watery luster. After the loose silver inside was taken away, only some silver notes of varying denominations remained, which looked light and fluttered, and emitted a faint, warm, and sweet fragrance as they swayed.
“You’ll have to stay and pay the bill,” Luo Cui said with a smile. “Remember to tell the waiter that your carriage is parked outside the main street entrance, and they can deliver the lanterns to you.”
After saying that, she lifted her skirt and hurriedly left the lantern shop, disappearing into the bustling afternoon crowd.
****
After watching her leave in a daze, Yun Lie looked at the delicate purse in his hand and a gentle smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.
This wild strawberry may look fierce on the surface, but it has a lot of gentle and thoughtful qualities that others may not notice.
The head chef of the Luo family had demonstrated his skills at the Prince Zhao's mansion, and was not much worse than the imperial chef. He also had a wider variety of dishes. With such a group of head chefs, how could the young lady of the Luo family easily be tempted to eat outside food?
Her actions clearly showed that she was worried he didn't have enough money and didn't want to embarrass him by rushing to pay the bill...
This Luo Cuiwei, ever since she suddenly came to our door more than half a month ago, bringing money, gifts and smiles, I originally thought that the Luo family must have something in mind, but so far she has not made any outrageous requests.
She would just tease him every now and then.