Chapter 8: It Can Only Mean That You’re Not Pretty Enough

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Gu Danxue lowered her head and whispered, “I know, I… I’m just looking around.”

Shen Mingjiao sized her up. To be honest, this girl was not bad-looking. Her face had the beauty and elegance of a Jiangnan woman, but it was ruined by her figure.

She had a round waist, round back, and long legs. If they were to be grown on a man, she would definitely be considered tall and mighty. Unfortunately, she was a woman.

Shen Mingjiao glanced at the chest-high traditional dress that Gu Danxue was trying on. Actually, a tall woman would have an advantage in a chest-high traditional dress.

Unfortunately… Glancing at her flat chest, it was undoubtedly a disaster for a woman with small breasts to wear a dress that reached her chest.

Shen Mingjiao picked up a light green dress with a collar. After thinking for a while, she pulled out a white cloud collar embroidered with bamboo leaves from the corner.

“Try it on.”

Seeing that her gaze was casual, Gu Danxue felt inexplicably relaxed. She hesitantly took the clothes and entered the fitting room at the side.

When she came out, Shen Mingjiao sized her up carefully and pulled her to sit in front of the dressing mirror. She removed her two-ringed bun and tied her hair up into a neat bun.

When she was done, she snapped her fingers. “Alright, what do you think about this?”

Haitang quickly took the glass mirror beside her.

Gu Danxue stared at the tall and elegant lady in the mirror.

She really looks like a lady now!

For a moment, her eyes were a little hot. She tried her best to straighten her back and turned to Nanny Tao, who was sitting in front of the counter. “I’ll buy this set of clothes…”

“Gu Danxue, if you really don’t have anything to wear, go home and ask the Embroidery Lady to make it for you. Why do you have to come out and embarrass yourself?”

Xu Ningyue led the crowd behind her past the door. When she saw Gu Danxue, she habitually mocked her.

The person beside her echoed, “That’s right. Look at what she’s doing. She can’t even pick out a single piece of clothing that she can wear in Jinxiu Shop. What? Is she still hoping that this dying shop that’s about to close down can…”

The moment she saw Gu Danxue turn around, she stopped talking.

Xu Ningyue stared fixedly at Gu Danxue, who seemed to have changed. Envy that she did not notice surged in her heart.

Under her glare, Gu Danxue instinctively shrank her shoulders. Her bright eyes dimmed inch by inch. A warm hand grabbed her arm.

Shen Mingjiao stepped forward and said rudely, “Where did this mad dog come from? Why is it barking here?”

Xu Ningyue was so angry that her face turned red. “Who are you calling a dog…” When she looked up and saw Shen Mingjiao, her expression froze and she sneered.

“Oh? I was wondering who it was. Isn’t this our soon-to-be Princess Consort? Why? Do you really think you’re someone just because you used despicable means to get to the Prince? Why don’t you take a closer look in the mirror? Who do you think you are?”

Shen Mingjiao chuckled. “I don’t know what I am. I only know that in the future, I will be the consort of a superior first-grade Prince. According to the rules of the Great Xia, all the ladies have to bow and greet me.”

Xu Ningyue snorted coldly. “Who doesn’t know that the Prince only has Sister Su Qing in his heart? And you? You are at most a plaything!”

Shen Mingjiao gave a half-smile. “Oh, I didn’t know that Miss Su Qing is still thinking about my Prince. But she is going to be the Princess Consort of the Crown Prince. How can that be? Could it be that she wants to serve two husbands? I’m afraid that would be a little difficult!”

“You…”

Xu Ningyue and the others were so angry that their faces turned red. However, these words were really heart-wrenching. They were just short of saying that Su Qing was two-timing. However, if they refuted, they would deny the relationship between Su Qing and the Prince.

Xu Ningyue glanced at Shen Mingjiao’s shabby clothes and rolled her eyes. Suddenly, she stepped forward and held Shen Mingjiao by the arm with a fervent expression. She smiled and said,

“I was just joking with her. She’s just too good-looking and I’m a little envious. Miss, don’t mind me!”

After saying that, she wheedled and shook Shen Mingjiao’s arm.

Shen Mingjiao felt a chill run down her spine and said with a fake smile, “Your apology really caught me by surprise! I’m so shocked that I wonder if you are plotting something.”

Xu Ningyue’s expression froze for a moment, and she said pitifully, “It seems that Miss still refuses to forgive me~”

She pulled Shen Mingjiao to a corner of the hall and pointed at a bright red embroidered spring shirt on the wall. “So, to show my sincerity, why don’t I give you a set of clothes?”

Before Shen Mingjiao could say anything, the people behind her immediately understood and chimed in. It was as if it was a huge mistake for her not to accept Xu Ningyue’s apology and accept this shirt.

It was a moral kidnapping that put the person in a dilemma.

Haitang stared at the bright red spring shirt in Xu Ningyue’s hand and Haitang was so angry that she couldn’t speak.

How was this a princess’s outfit? Look at the embroidery patterns. At a glance, it was even more exaggerated than the matchmaker’s outfit.

Xu Ningyue smiled smugly and handed the clothes to Shen Mingjiao. “Try and see if they fit!”

Shen Mingjiao smiled and took the clothes from Xu Ningyue’s hands. “Since you’re giving them to me, please pay up first, lest you regret it later.”

Xu Ningyue was stunned for a moment, then contempt flashed in her eyes. She had heard that Shen Mingjiao’s parents had passed away early, so she must not have seen anything good. She was indeed short-sighted.

She raised her chin arrogantly and asked Nanny Tao, “How much is this set of clothes?”

Nanny Tao looked up indifferently. “A hundred taels.”

“What… You want a hundred taels of silver for clothes made of this material!” Xu Ningyue shouted in disbelief.

Nanny Tao didn’t even look up, as if to say, “Buy it or not.”

Shen Mingjiao raised her eyebrows and looked at her with a smile. “If you really don’t have money, then forget it.”

The group of fake sisters behind her also looked at her curiously. Xu Ningyue stomped her feet, feeling trapped.

In the end, she gritted her teeth and took out a hundred taels of silver. Then, she hurriedly urged Shen Mingjiao to change into it.

She tried her best to comfort herself. As long as she could embarrass this woman, it ain’t much to spend some money.

Shen Mingjiao smiled in satisfaction and carried the clothes to the fitting room.

Everyone had different thoughts as they waited for Shen Mingjiao to come out.

However, at this moment, Xu Ningyue saw Feng Lisheng walking over from the corner of her eye. Her eyes flashed as she bowed to Feng Lisheng and she smiled.

“His Highness is here to look for Miss Shen, right? Come in and wait a moment. Miss Shen is changing inside.”

Feng Lisheng frowned in confusion. He knew the girl in front of him. She was Grand Tutor Xu’s daughter, Xu Ningyue. He remembered that this person had always targeted Shen Mingjiao in his previous life. How did the two of them become friends in this life?

He stepped into the hall and threw a look at Nanny Tao, who was about to bow.

Xu Ningyue sighed. “Your Highness, you don’t know how difficult it is for Miss Shen. She’s a noble lady of the Duke Mansion, but she can’t even bear to buy a decent piece of clothing. She can only come to such a lousy shop…”

Haitang, who knew the truth, twitched her lips and pinched her palms hard.

No, she couldn’t laugh. She just had to wait in silence as she gets embarrassed!

In the corner, Gu Danxue opened her mouth to say something, but the noblewoman beside her quickly grabbed her arm.

“That’s fine. I saw that she was really pitiful, so I wanted to give her a decent shirt. After all, she’s going to be a Princess Consort in the future…” She paused.

“But although the clothes she chose in the end were the most expensive in the shop, the style is really…” At this point, she looked as if it was indescribable.

After saying that, she saw Feng Lisheng’s expression getting uglier and uglier. She could not help but feel smug.

Look! His Highness was indeed just momentarily bewitched by beauty. Hmph! When he sees…

The fitting room door opened with a click, and Xu Ningyue’s smile froze on her face.

The girl in front of him had snow-white skin and red lips. Her facial features were indescribably beautiful.

As the saying goes, clothes make the man. However, Shen Mingjiao seemed to have misunderstood this saying. She didn’t look tacky when she wore the gaudy spring shirt. Instead, it made her look even more dazzling.

Shen Mingjiao walked up to Xu Ningyue and flirtatiously brushed her hair behind her ear. “Thank you for the clothes, Miss. I like them very much.”

“Also—” She stroked the gorgeous ball of flowers at her cuffs. “Every piece of clothing in this world has its uniqueness. If you can’t wear it—”

She curled her red lips and smiled brightly.

“It only means that… you’re not beautiful enough!”

“You…”

Xu Ningyue pointed at her with trembling hands. She was so angry that she could not speak. She stomped her feet, covered her face, and ran away in tears.

After holding it in for so long, Haitang couldn’t help but throw a look at Shen Mingjiao.

Shen Mingjiao understood and casually added insult to injury. “Oh, I forgot to tell you that the ‘unorthodox dead shop’ you mentioned is actually under the Prince’s name.”

Xu Ningyue’s back stiffened for a moment, then she ran even faster.

The other noble ladies’ faces turned pale when they heard this. As Nanny Tao’s cold face was too intimidating, many people secretly called the beautiful pavilion a dead shop. However, who would have thought that this was actually the property of the Prince!

With that, the few of them left dejectedly.

Shen Mingjiao waved her hand in boredom. It was boring. There was no one who could fight her!

Feng Lisheng looked at her silently the entire time, his blue eyes filled with indulgence.

Shen Mingjiao glanced at him and frowned in confusion.

She thought to herself, “She’s already gone. Stop acting!”

She thought that Feng Lisheng was using her to provoke Su Qing again.

After all, Su Qing’s best friends had come to pick a fight with her and he arrived soon after. It was hard for her not to overthink since he was still staring at her like that.

Feng Lisheng walked forward and looked down at her. He said softly, “This outfit suits you very well.”