Chapter 281: Dressing the Part
"Huh? What’s this?"
Ye Ming hadn’t yet realized what was wrong. Hearing her, he followed her gaze downward, just in time to see Shi Lan’s delicate, pale fingers gently picking up a small scrap of cloth.
His eyelashes trembled, and his pupils instantly constricted into vertical slits.
"Lanlan, give that to me..."
A rare panic colored his tone, his voice turning hoarse. But Shi Lan was too fast. The moment he spoke, she had already unfolded the small piece of fabric. After comparing its shape, she flushed and placed it in Ye Ming’s hand.
"Ahem, why... why is your underwear here...?"
"And why is it the same color as the dress?"
"Besides, the fabric for this dress looks familiar. Isn’t this the material I bought for you back on Black Star?"
Awkward but unable to hide her curiosity, Shi Lan fired off several questions in a row.
Mortified, Ye Ming hastily stuffed the underwear back into his storage space. He blamed the fabric colors for being too similar; he must have accidentally packed it with the dress when he was tidying up last time.
He stammered out an explanation, "Yes, it’s the one Lanlan bought. I... back then, in prison, they didn’t provide underwear, so... so I used this fabric to make... make some myself..."
’Oh, is that so?’
Shi Lan suddenly felt that the Eldest Prince had been so pitiful back in prison.
She had just gotten a quick look at the underwear—it didn’t even have an elastic waistband. Given his... prodigious endowment, she had no idea how he’d managed to wear it.
"You know, if you had just asked, I could have bought some for you..."
She quickly stopped that line of thought and spoke softly. Seeing that Ye Ming’s ears had turned red beneath his black hair, she knew he was likely too embarrassed to make such a request. She said no more, awkwardly changing the subject. "By the way, didn’t you say you’d paint a picture for me next time you were free? How about we do it now?"
"Okay."
Ye Ming nodded slowly, the blush on his ears yet to fade.
Looking back at himself on Black Star, he didn’t feel any regret. His homemade underwear had been inconvenient, though. To keep it from falling off, he’d made it rather tight.
He had made two pairs. The other one had served its purpose and was retired the moment he returned to Capital Star.
Of course, the Eldest Prince, who still found this whole affair mortifying enough, would never admit such a thing out loud.
Shi Lan changed into the dress Ye Ming had made. The fabric was multi-colored with a texture like organza. It wasn’t very breathable, not like her last evening gown, but she had to admit, Ye Ming had done a beautiful job. It had a large bow at the back of the waist, a European-style design with a fluffy, pleated skirt, giving it a slightly vintage feel.
Although the colors were vibrant, Shi Lan’s fair skin allowed her to pull it off with ease. She tidied her hair, spun around in front of the mirror, and touched the bow at her lower back.
"This bow is so well-made."
"Ye Ming, how are you so talented? This dress is gorgeous. I love it."
Ye Ming’s eyes curved into a smile. He glanced at the dress, thinking to himself that it still wasn’t good enough. He thought of the empty wardrobe in the closet and regretted not having prepared more clothes for Lanlan.
"Oh, right. Since you’re about to paint me, I should accessorize a bit."
A glint appeared in her eyes. She took out the tiara He Hanshi had given her from her Space Chain. The dazzling diamonds on the tiara made the dress stand out even more.
Looking in the mirror, she applied a dark red lipstick, drew her eyebrows thin and black, and put on the gemstone necklace Ye Ming had given her. Instantly, her gentle aura sharpened, becoming bold and flamboyant, like an arrogant empress.
Her lips curved into a smile as she gave Ye Ming a sidelong glance. "Well?"
Ye Ming’s eyes were fixed on her. He hadn’t been able to look away since she started putting on makeup. Gazing at Shi Lan’s radiant face, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and his green eyes darkened. "Beautiful."
His lips twitched. It was the first time he had seen her like this, and the fascination and awe in his eyes deepened.
Unable to control himself, Ye Ming reached out and grabbed her wrist. With a slight tug, he easily pulled the unprepared Shi Lan into his arms. The heavy gemstone necklace on her neck shifted slightly against her slender collarbones.
He pressed his lips together, moistening them slightly, and his voice grew husky. "Lanlan, can you kiss me?"
He still remembered how, at the last ball, she had been the one to initiate their kiss.
The feeling of a tingling spine, a racing heart, and his entire body going weak with intoxication—he would never forget it for the rest of his life.
Even though Ye Ming’s actions were more forceful now, and even though he was a tall male standing at 190cm, in front of Shi Lan, he reined in the cold dignity befitting the Eldest Prince. A sliver of longing was hidden in his eyes as he looked down at her.
The corners of Shi Lan’s eyes lifted. She hooked his chin with her finger, stroking it twice. Seeing Ye Ming eagerly lower his head, his Adam’s apple bobbing rapidly, she finally tilted her head up and lightly pressed a lipstick mark onto the corner of his mouth.
"Your reward."
She was still immersed in the persona she’d created with her makeup. Ye Ming watched her lips pull away so quickly, wanting to follow, but he restrained himself and simply said softly, "Thank you for the reward, my queen."
Shi Lan was very satisfied. Ye Ming didn’t wipe the lipstick from the corner of his mouth. Only after he had finished painting a very queenly portrait of Shi Lan did he take a few sips of water and unconsciously lick it away.
Once the painting was finished, Ye Ming was almost reluctant to give it to Shi Lan. It was the first time he had seen this sharp, flamboyant side of her. The casual glance she cast in his direction in the portrait made him want to bow and submit to her even more.
However, he had promised Shi Lan, and he couldn’t bear to make her go through the trouble of sitting as a model to paint another one, so he gave it to her.
Shi Lan took it in her hands and examined it for a long while with great satisfaction, as if inspecting an imperial edict. Then she said, "In light of my dear Little Mingzi’s good performance today, I shall bestow this painting upon you as a reward."
Ye Ming hadn’t expected such a pleasant surprise. His eyes shone brightly as he looked at her. Without making her wait, he docilely lowered his head to accept it, then piously kissed the back of the hand she offered. "Little Mingzi kowtows in thanks to my queen."
"Hahaha..."
Having had her fill of roleplaying, Shi Lan finally couldn’t help but laugh. The lofty, imperious air she had put on was swept away, replaced by a lively, cunning glint in her eyes. "Ye Ming, I never knew you were so interesting. You played along so well."
Ye Ming loved every side of Shi Lan—the occasional novel one, as well as her usual gentle, approachable, and clever cuteness.
He carefully put the painting away before smiling in return. "Mm, I’ll play along with anything Lanlan likes. Besides, I was very happy to see a different side of you."
"If Lanlan wants to play again in the future, I’m available anytime."
"Oh really? Anything?"
"Of course. As long as it’s Lanlan who’s asking."
Hearing this, Shi Lan’s eyes lit up. Her gaze flickered thoughtfully. "Well, we’ll see about that later. I’ve had enough fun for today."
"Alright. Whatever Lanlan says."
Ye Ming said that, but deep down, he was a little disappointed. He still wanted to know what else Lanlan wanted to play.
But, there was always tomorrow. They had plenty of opportunities.