Chapter 7: Your Highness Is Truly Skillful
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Seeing that Meng Chang'an was in pain and seemed a little depressed, Li Qiubai was embarrassed to continue to press her. She stood up calmly, pretending that nothing had happened, and then slowly went to get the brocade box that had been prepared and delivered it to Meng Chang'an herself.
"Here you go, to make amends."
Young Master Meng, who had just licked the blood from her lips to relieve the pain and regret, was sitting up and putting on her boots. She couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. She took the apology gift from the Princess, opened the brocade box, and took a look. Even for someone like Young Master Meng, who is accustomed to the world of martial arts, couldn't help but be shocked
"Golden silk armor?"
Meng Chang'an couldn't believe it. Even her gaze that looked at Li Qiubai, was filled with excitement and surprise: "You are giving me the golden silk armor like this?"
The expression on Young Master Meng's face convinced the Princess that she liked it.
"Mm, as long as you like it." Li Qiubai suppressed the corners of her mouth that couldn't help but pretend to be indifferent and casual and said easily: "This is selected from our wedding gifts. It was given by my grandfather. It just so happened that I do not need it, and it looks like you might need it more, so I just took it and gave it to you."
Meng Changan's eyes suddenly brightened, but as soon as she thought of the principle of not taking advantage of others, she still reluctantly refused: "Is it not just a little bump? There's no need to make amends for it. Your Highness can take it back and use it yourself."
Is it not just a cut on my lip? Why should you use such a rare treasure to apologize?
Anyway, Meng Chang'an felt that she would be too shameless to accept it.
After all, this golden silk armor is made of unique materials, rare and hard to find, and the workmanship is even more sophisticated. When it's made, it becomes impenetrable by swords and spears. Each finished piece is worth a fortune, and even if you combine all the neighboring countries in the Central Plains, they couldn't produce more than ten pieces in total.
She would not dare to accept such a precious thing casually.
"Do not worry, I really do not need it. Unlike you, you have to fight and kill from time to time, so you can use this to defend yourself."
Li Qiubai directly pushed Meng Chang'an's hand back, and at the same time stuffed the new armor she had prepared for her into her arms, urging: "Go and try it out to see if it fits!"
"This..." Meng Chang'an could not help but feel a little embarrassed: "How can I accept this kindness..."
"What is there to be embarrassed about? Did you not say that we are all one family anyway?" Li Qiubai's lips curled up and she said seductively: "Besides, I am giving you something for self-defense so that next time an assassin comes, I can feel at ease and have you stand in front of me."
Young Master Meng, who fell into the trap unknowingly, did not notice the profound meaning of the Princess' words at all and only thought that she was frightened by the assassin last night. It's just a piece of golden silk armor, and yet, Meng Chang'an willingly sold herself out: "Your Highness, rest assured! I will protect you in the future! As long as I am here, no one will get close to you!"
Although Meng Chang'an didn't believe that this golden silk armor would be of much use against those skilled enough to take lives without a blade, having an extra piece of golden silk armor could, to some extent, add a little more than half a life.
What person in the world who licks blood on the tip of a knife wouldn't love this kind of rare treasure?
After making a solemn promise, Meng Chang'an calmly held her and ran behind the screen to try on the soft armor.
The last time Meng Chang'an touched a golden silk armor, it was her aunt's gift for her birthday. Unexpectedly, after her master found out about it, she came and persistently convinced her to give it up and forced it back on her aunt.
She had rarely seen her aunt angry, and that was the rare time she saw her aunt lose her temper with her master. She was afraid that the relationship between her master and her aunt would be damaged because of her, so she had to reluctantly cut off the love for the golden silk armor in her heart. When her dejected master returned it, she pretended not to like it very much and begged her aunt to exchange it for a better gift, thus settling the storm.
Now having the chance to obtain the golden silk armor again, Meng Chang'an naturally cherished it and couldn't bear to let it go.
When Meng Chang'an came out of the screen fully dressed, what she saw was the Princess sitting at the table with her chin propped up and looking in the direction of the screen in a trance.
She probably didn't expect Meng Chang'an to move so quickly. After a moment of daze, Li Qiubai suddenly came back to her senses.
"So, is it a good fit?"
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
While Li Qiubai was speaking, Meng Chang'an had already approached her. Unaware of the Princess's peculiar expression, Meng Chang'an still had a big smile on her face, and she directly pulled open her clothing at the neckline and leaned in closer to Li Qiubai, delightedly saying, "Look, it fits perfectly!"
This posture is really too wild!
If it weren't for the glimpse of that golden light in her eyes, the Princess would have almost lost her mind.
But looking at the person in front of her, with her excited smile and clear eyes, Li Qiubai suddenly felt a little ashamed.
After clearing her throat and turning her head slightly, Li Qiubai chuckled helplessly, "How could I see it? Hurry up and put your clothes back on."
Oh, right, you really cannot tell if you look at it this way.
Meng Chang'an quickly realized and said, "You are right, would you like to test it?"
Test it...
Li Qiubai almost blushed.
How should she test it...
Unfortunately, without giving Li Qiubai a chance to have wild thoughts, Meng Chang'an had already taken a dagger from her body and handed it to her, holding the hilt towards Li Qiubai and motioning her to take the dagger.
"The golden silk armor is invulnerable to blades and spears. You could just stab me a few times to see how it feels, right?"
Li Qiubai lowered her gaze to the dagger in front of her but hesitated to take it.
This dagger is very different from the one locked in her box, but both have the word "Chang'an" engraved on the handle.
It was just a daze, and then Li Qiubai looked away from the word "Chang'an" and refused: "Your clothes are still new, it would be a pity if they get damaged."
Now the two of them are wearing new clothes prepared by Yuechu. They are red clothes made from the same material. They match perfectly and it would be a pity if they were punctured.
However, Young Master Meng, who was in high spirits, failed to understand the deeper meaning of the Princess' words. She simply handed the hilt to Li Qiubai with a smiling face and said, "No it will not!"
After saying that, Meng Chang'an immediately pulled open her collar as before, and tapped the soft armor inside with her pinky finger, "Just stab here a few times to test it."
The place where the pinky finger points is exactly where Young Master Meng’s heart is.
Li Qiubai smiled helplessly.
It was hard to refuse such kindness, so in desperation, the Princess had no choice but to do as she was told.
She continued to use the dagger's tip along the collarbone of Young Master Meng, slowly moving down until it rested at the center of Young Master Meng's chest. She pressed down firmly.
However, the dagger couldn't advance even a fraction further and remained outside the golden silk armor.
Even through the dagger, the soft armor, the clothes, and the innermost layer of chest wrap, Li Qiubai could feel the softness that the area should have.
Unconsciously, Li Qiubai's tone became softer.
"How could you be so defenseless? What if this soft armor is fake and I pierce your heart with this stab?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Chang'an couldn't help but laugh, "Your Highness, you are really overestimating yourself, are you not? Even if this is fake, you would have to actually be able to harm me! If I were to really die under your blade just like that, this young master would have no complaints."
After not seeing each other for many years, Young Master Meng is still so confident.
Li Qiubai loved the young master's arrogant gesture so much. After putting away the dagger in her hand, she gently stroked it again along the traces made by the tip of the knife.
"Well, it feels good and the size seems to be just right. It seems to fit well."
Meng Chang'an was stunned.
Why does this sound a little strange?
Before she could think about it, Li Qiubai had already gathered her collar for her, lowered her head, and played with the dagger in her hand: "This dagger looks pretty good."
This time, Young Master Meng finally heard what the Princess was saying.
"Do you like it, Your Highness?" Considering that she had just received a valuable gift and felt she was taking advantage of her, Meng Chang'an decided to return the favor and offered, "If you like it, then I will give it to you!"
The smile at the corner of Li Qiubai's mouth froze instantly.
The smile in her eyes gradually disappeared, and even her gaze towards Young Master Meng became considerably more complex.
"Do you always give away daggers so easily?"
Meng Chang'an was momentarily puzzled, and she couldn't fathom why Li Qiubai would ask such a question. She asked in confusion, "What is wrong? This is a dagger I have used for years, today is the first time I have given it to someone. Where does 'always' come from?"
Li Qiubai couldn't help but sigh.
Forget it, she'd better not argue with this heartless and forgetful fellow.
"Well, I will not be polite with you then." Li Qiubai decisively accepted the return gift. She then pushed Meng Chang'an in the direction of the dressing table by placing her hand on Meng Chang'an's shoulder. "It's only fair to reciprocate. To thank you for the dagger, I will inconvenience myself a bit and help you tie your hair up."
Now, Young Master Meng, with her hair hanging loose, can still hardly hide her feminine look even though she has bound her chest and put on men's clothes.
Before Meng Chang'an could even resist, she was already being held down to sit on the rosewood stool in a daze. Seeing that the woman behind her seemed to be quite serious, Meng Chang'an simply stopped struggling and let the Princess play with her appearance.
White fingers ran through her black hair, gradually collecting the scattered strands, and combing them into a man's hairstyle.
After decorating Young Master Meng with the long-kept but unsent white jade crown from the makeup box and fastening the long-kept white jade hairpin, Li Qiubai pushed the person closer to the water lily mirror, and they both looked at the beauty in the mirror together. "How about it, my skills are not bad, right?"
Different from the deliberate disguise from last night, the beauty in the mirror, after tying up her long hair and without makeup, with her clothes, had lost some of her feminine and masculine charm and gained a neutral charm. Regardless of gender, anyone who saw her couldn't help but want to look at her a bit more.
Meng Changan rarely saw such an unfamiliar version of herself, and she couldn't help but look at herself a few more times. For a moment, she even overlooked the ambiguous posture of the Princess next to her, both of them looking at the crystal mirror with her, and sincerely exclaimed, "I did not expect that Your Highness, pampered and privileged, could be so skillful with your hands."
Clearly, it was just a simple compliment, but it had a different flavor when it reached Li Qiubai's ears.
"This is not even considered skillful."
Li Qiubai gradually raised the corner of her mouth, raised her hand to hold the beauty's chin, took out the eyebrow stone, patiently traced her eyebrows, and at the same time said softly: "My hands can be even more skillful. In the future, you will see just how skillful my hands can be."
It is a pity that Meng Chang'an failed to understand the deep meaning of these words. She simply let the Princess' actions continue and replied with a smile, "I will look forward to it. Unfortunately, I do not have such skillful hands, so I cannot return the favor by doing your makeup."
After Li Qiubai thickened the eyebrow line for the young master, making it difficult to recognize that it was a woman's face, she stopped with a smile.
"Then make a note for the future. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to return the favor."
"Okay, no problem!" In this way, Meng Chang'an turned her face away from Li Qiubai, stood up, and said: "Then I will go and ask Miss Yuechu to come in and serve you!"
Li Qiubai didn't stop her. After she left, the Princess sat in the seat where Young Master Meng had been sitting before, took out the dagger she had acquired today, and gently caressed the two characters "Chang'an" engraved on it.
Recalling everything that happened between her and Young Master Meng since last night, the Princess' smile became even more radiant.
