Chapter 531 - 534: Betrothal Gift
Hua Manman’s lips twitched into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
"Your way of putting it is wrong. I’m a man. If anyone’s getting married, it’ll be me marrying someone else."
Li Ji readily replied.
"It’s the same the other way around. If you don’t believe me, you can ask."
Hearing this, Hua Manman had a sudden urge to mess with him. She deliberately asked in a mischievous tone.
"I wonder, would the Prince be willing to marry me?"
Any man asked such a question by another man would probably feel humiliated.
Hua Manman waited to see the Regent King fly into a rage from embarrassment.
But to her surprise, the next moment she saw the man’s lips curl into a smile, his voice full of delight.
"Alright."
Hua Manman: "..."
Li Ji took a step forward, his gaze lowered to meet hers as he asked in a low voice.
"How much of a betrothal gift are you planning to offer?"
Hua Manman was stunned.
’Why could he accept the premise of being the one to marry into my family so matter-of-factly?’
’What about his dignity and pride as the great Regent King?’
Seeing her silence, Li Ji didn’t get angry. He just kept smiling faintly, looking to be in an excellent mood.
"It’s fine even without a betrothal gift. I don’t care about such things. As long as you truly treat me well, I’ll be content."
Hua Manman felt completely uncomfortable with his clingy attitude.
"I was just joking earlier. How could the Prince take it seriously?"
She even forced a laugh or two after saying it.
Just then, the Shopkeeper returned.
He handed the wrapped fabric to Li Ji.
After paying, Li Ji left the silk shop with Hua Manman and Li Xun.
Ban Ren had been waiting at the entrance. When he saw the Regent King, his son, and the Young Master come out, he immediately went to greet them.
Li Ji handed over the wrapped fabric he was holding.
But Ban Ren was already carrying two large boxes of cosmetics. Adding a large bundle of fabric on top of that made it quite heavy.
Seeing this, an idea sparked in Hua Manman’s mind.
She suggested, "Why don’t you take these things back to the carriage first? We’ll go to the teahouse across the street to rest and wait for you."
Ban Ren said in a muffled voice.
"It’s fine. I can carry it."
Hua Manman: "But we’ll be shopping for a while longer. You can’t just hold all this stuff the entire time, can you? If we buy anything else later, you won’t have a free hand to help carry it."
Ban Ren still didn’t move.
He wasn’t as sharp as Mr. Du, but he wasn’t stupid.
Throughout their journey, the Young Master was always trying to find a way to run away.
Ban Ren was very worried the Young Master would try to run again.
He had to stick close to the Princely Heir.
Hua Manman guessed what he was thinking, leaned in, and whispered.
"You can’t still be afraid I’ll run, can you?
I’m with the Regent King right now.
Even if you leave for a bit, he’s still here.
He’s so formidable. How could I possibly slip away right under his nose?
If I were really that capable, you all wouldn’t have been able to watch me so closely this whole trip."
Ban Ren thought about it and felt she had a point.
The things in his hands were indeed getting in the way. It was a short distance to where the carriage was parked. If he walked quickly, he could be back in less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea.
So, Ban Ren accepted the Princely Heir’s suggestion.
He personally escorted the Young Master, the Regent King, and his son into the teahouse across the street.
Once he confirmed the three of them had sat down and were ordering, Ban Ren finally left with the pile of things.
The moment Ban Ren left, Hua Manman was on her feet.
Li Ji and Li Xun looked at her at the same time.
Hua Manman said with a beaming smile.
"I just saw someone selling oranges on the street. They looked really sweet, so I want to go buy a couple of pounds. You two stay here, I’ll be right back."
With that, she quickly walked out.
Li Xun didn’t want to be separated from his mother.
He stood up to follow, but his father stopped him.
Li Ji: "Your mother told you not to move. You need to listen to your mother."
Probably because he had been separated from his mother since he was very young, Li Xun had a severe lack of security. Even being apart from his mother for a moment made him anxious, terrified that she would leave him again.
That was exactly how he felt now.
Li Xun squirmed on the stool, his little legs constantly shifting under the table. He craned his neck, his eyes glued to the doorway as he muttered under his breath.
"Why isn’t Mother back yet?"
By now, the tea and snacks had been served. The hot tea steamed gently, and the fresh pastries gave off a rich, sweet aroma.
However, Li Xun had no desire to even take a single bite.
He just wanted his mother to come back quickly.
Li Ji picked up his teacup, his long fingers gently stroking its side, and said slowly.
"Don’t worry. She can’t get away."
...
After leaving the teahouse, Hua Manman immediately quickened her pace and ran into the silk shop across the street.
The Shopkeeper of the silk shop still remembered her and immediately grew nervous the moment he saw her appear.
Afraid she was there to return the merchandise, he said hurriedly.
"We’re a small business. All sales are final, no returns or exchanges."
Hua Manman: "You misunderstand. I’m here to buy another set of clothes."
Only then did the Shopkeeper relax, and he began to eagerly give her recommendations.
"This is a cross-collared long robe our tailor just finished. It’s perfect for a handsome young gentleman like yourself. If you like it, you can try it on. If the size isn’t right, we can alter it for you on the spot..."
Hua Manman cut him off.
"Don’t you have any other styles?"
The Shopkeeper immediately said, "Yes, yes, of course! We have many other styles. Whatever is fashionable right now, we have it all!"
He led Hua Manman further inside, pointing to a whole wall of sample garments.
"These are all our best-selling styles. The young gentlemen of the capital love them. Do you see anything you like?"
Hua Manman frowned. "Why is it all men’s clothing? Don’t you sell women’s clothes in this shop?"
A question mark seemed to pop up over the Shopkeeper’s head.
Hua Manman: "I want to buy women’s clothes."
She noticed the Shopkeeper’s expression gradually turning strange and knew he had gotten the wrong idea. She hurriedly explained.
"I’m buying them for my twin sister."
The Shopkeeper’s expression finally returned to normal.
He said with a look of sudden realization, "Oh, so that’s how it is. Please follow me this way. The women’s clothes are all hanging on the other side."
Using the excuse of buying clothes for her twin sister, Hua Manman tried them on herself. After confirming the size was right, she paid for the clothes on the spot.
The Shopkeeper handed over the wrapped clothes and said enthusiastically.
"Please come again!"
Hua Manman pretended to have a stomachache, putting on a pained expression as she said.
"I think I ate something bad. Could I possibly borrow your latrine?"
The customer had bought many things from his silk shop in one go; she was a rare big spender. The Shopkeeper naturally wanted to provide good service, so he immediately called over a clerk and had him take the customer to the latrine.
After finding the latrine, Hua Manman said to the clerk, "You can go back to your work. I know the way myself."
The clerk was indeed busy. Hearing this, he didn’t think much of it and left.