Chapter 367 – The Sweet Princess Was Here – The Neglected Male Lead (12)
They brought Fang Xianglian back into the city and settled her down. From her account, they learned that she had come to search for her husband.
Three years ago, Fang Xianglian’s husband said he was going to Ning City for business. But once he left, he never sent back any news. Villagers gossiped about him behind her back, and her child was bullied by other children, mocked as a “wild kid without a father.”
Later, she heard from other merchants that they had seen her husband, Li Xiuming, in Ning City, accompanied by a beautiful woman. The two were acting intimately, giving the impression of an unusual relationship. That woman even called out “Xiuming.” Their appearances matched, the name matched—Fang Xianglian strongly suspected that the man her fellow townsmen saw was indeed her missing husband, Li Xiuming. To uncover the truth, she entrusted her child to her sister-in-law and came alone to Ning City to search for him.
“That is my story. I arrived in Ning City five days ago and have been asking around the streets about Xiuming’s whereabouts. Today was no different. When it grew late, I planned to return to my lodging and continue searching tomorrow,” Fang Xianglian said with proper manners, bowing politely to them. Her speech did not resemble that of a farmer woman accustomed to laboring in the fields.
“I see. Have you found any information about your husband?” Bai Tang asked.
Fang Xianglian shook her head. “It’s shameful to admit, but everyone on the streets says they don’t know. Some even advised me to go home and remarry a good man. I thought their advice meant they knew Xiuming’s whereabouts, so I pressed them, but they all insisted they didn’t know.”
Wu Chenyi immediately understood. Of course the locals would not dare talk about Li Xiuming. After all, the man had now risen to the position of Prefect of Ning City, and anyone wishing to live peacefully here wouldn’t dare provoke trouble.
Li Xiuming, the Prefect of Ning City, was young and promising. He had been recommended by the previous prefect, who was rumored to be his father-in-law. Coincidentally, he had taken office three years ago. Wu Chenyi had every reason to suspect that the man Fang Xianglian was searching for was the current Prefect of Ning City.
“It’s already late. We won’t disturb Miss Fang’s rest any further. If you need anything, you can speak to Suwen,” Wu Chenyi said, pulling Bai Tang up to leave.
“A-Yi, the Prefect of Ning City has the same name as the man Fang Xianglian is looking for. Do you think they might be the same person?” Bai Tang speculated.
Wu Chenyi answered, “Perhaps. There are many people with the same name, but if both the appearance and the name match, the chance of being the same person is very high.”
“Then wouldn’t that make him a heartless cad?!” Bai Tang exclaimed. He deeply despised the very concept of a disloyal man. Once upon a time, even his own husband had days when he came home only to throw him cold looks… thinking about it now… hm.
Bai Tang narrowed his eyes, a dangerous aura slowly radiating from him.
Wu Chengyi suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He hurriedly pulled the “not quite normal” Tang Tang into his arms. “I would never become that kind of person…”
Bai Tang let out a cold snort and broke free from his embrace. “Oh? Really?”
“Absolutely. If I, Wu Chengyi, ever wrong Tang Tang, may I be struck by lightning, fall into the eighteenth level of hell after death, and never reincarnate.”
“Hey! I was only talking casually—why are you saying such ominous things…” Bai Tang panicked. As a little squirrel who had traveled through worlds and believed deeply in ghosts and spirits, he was extremely cautious about such oaths. If they really came true, wouldn’t that be terrible? Even if the male lead truly stopped liking him one day, he still wouldn’t want Wu Chengyi to suffer.
Wu Chengyi caught Bai Tang’s hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing it gently. “I won’t betray Tang Tang, so the oath will never come true. Don’t worry.”
“Hmph, it better be like that~” The young man puffed up his cheeks. “I’m hungry. I want the shredded-chicken-and-nut noodles you make.”
“Alright. I’ll make shredded-chicken-and-nut noodles for Tang Tang right now.” Wu Chengyi indulged Bai Tang in everything. As long as Bai Tang was happy, even if he wanted the moon in the sky, Wu Chengyi would find a way to bring it down for him.
The night passed peacefully.
Fang Xianglian woke up early and prepared a hearty breakfast together with Suwen.
The little squirrel, whose sense of smell was exceptionally sharp, followed the aroma out of his room. “Sister Suwen, what are you making? It smells so good~”
Suwen walked out carrying freshly made pancakes and smiled. “It’s not me. It’s Miss Fang’s cooking.”
Just as she finished speaking, Fang Xianglian hobbled out of the kitchen with bowls and chopsticks. She had injured her leg while fleeing for her life. Although Wu Chengyi and Bai Tang had told her to rest, she was living under their roof, eating their food, and they had even spent money to hire a doctor for her. She would feel guilty if she didn’t do something in return.
“It’s just some simple hometown dishes, nothing fancy. I hope Young Master Bai won’t mind.”
“Not at all, not at all! It’s very tasty~” Bai Tang was happily sneaking bites, his puffed-up cheeks moving as he chewed, irresistibly adorable.
Watching Bai Tang, Fang Xianglian felt as though she were looking at her own child back home. Their ages were different, but the way he enjoyed eating—full of pure joy—was strikingly similar.
After finishing breakfast, Wu Chengyi and Bai Tang decided to stroll around the streets. After all, they were here under the name of “doing business,” so naturally they had to explore Ning City’s business landscape.
Before leaving, they left Suwen in the small courtyard to take care of Fang Xianglian, and only brought one attendant, Xiao Duzi, with them.
Wu Chengyi and Bai Tang’s first stop was Ning City’s grain shop—after all, no matter where you go, food is essential.
They acted just like ordinary merchants, asking only about business and nothing else.
Ning City was fairly prosperous, and it was common for outsiders to come here for trade. Since they didn’t inquire about anything unusual, no one found them suspicious.
However, the grain business was already saturated. Wu Chengyi shook his head, feeling this path wouldn’t work, so he took Bai Tang to check other types of shops.
Judging from the male lead’s behavior, he truly seemed to want to do business. Qiu’er had learned Bai Tang’s way of thinking: Wu Chengyi had money, Bai Tang had money, and Bai Tang could convert it into energy.
Money-obsessed Qiu’er offered a suggestion:
“Tang Tang, if you want to do business, you should check out jewelry shops, cosmetics shops, and fabric shops. Since ancient times, women’s money has always been the easiest to earn. The saying may sound a bit rude, but it’s true. Look at all the girls who love beauty—cosmetics, skincare, clothes, bags… their cabinets are stuffed full, yet they always feel like they don’t have enough clothes or enough makeup.”
“Host, I think Qiu’er has a point,” Xiao A agreed. “Right now, you and the male lead can’t reveal your identities. But if you want to approach the Ning City Prefect’s residence, starting from his family members will be much easier than starting from Li Xiuming directly.”
Bai Tang nodded. He had studied design and had lived through ancient times, even served as an empress. He had seen all sorts of luxurious things and had excellent taste. The people of the Wu Dynasty dressed too plainly; even the more “exquisite” clothing was simply made from different fabrics, with no real innovation.
He finalized a plan with the two systems, then told Wu Chengyi.
Wu Chengyi stroked the boy’s smooth dark hair and smiled fondly. “Tang Tang is amazing. You can come up with things I never would’ve thought of.” In truth, Wu Chengyi had also considered approaching through the family members, but Bai Tang was the one who proposed a concrete plan first. He and Tang Tang truly shared the same mind.
Xiao Duzi took the chance to flatter him. “As expected of the Crown Princess. You are truly His Highness’s virtuous companion.”
Wu Chengyi further refined Bai Tang’s plan, then went to the fabric shop to discuss design drafts. He purchased several batches of fabric and arranged for the finished garments to be delivered in a few days for sale.
Seeing profit to be made—and knowing they wouldn’t lose money in the early stages—the fabric shop agreed readily on the spot.
After returning, Wu Chengyi summoned Suwen, since when it came to women’s matters, a woman would naturally be more sensitive than a man.
But before Suwen arrived, Bai Tang was already sketching design drafts on white paper.
“Yes, yes, exactly like that. Make the lines a bit softer,” Qiu’er instructed from the side.
Bai Tang frowned. Xiao A quickly covered Qiu’er’s mouth and whispered in his ear, “Let’s go eat dinner first, okay? If you talk too loudly, you’ll interrupt the host’s train of thought.”
Qiu’er let out a muffled “mmf mmf” as Xiao A dragged him back into the little white room.
By the time Suwen entered the study, Bai Tang had already finished the line art.
“Sister Suwen, come take a look! Do you think girls would like this kind of clothing?” Bai Tang gently blew on the paper, making sure the ink dried without smudging the design.
Suwen stepped forward and took one look—and immediately fell in love with the outfit.
“This is beautifully drawn.” She picked up the rice paper and admired it. “It’s even prettier than any clothing I’ve seen…”
Bai Tang received a full round of sincere praise. Suwen, unable to put the drawing down, asked eagerly, “Once the garment is made from this design, could Your Highness allow me to make one for myself as well?”
“Of course. I made the design so it could be turned into clothing .Sister Suwen can be my model—the very first person to wear it~”
“Model? What does that mean?”
“Hmm… how do I explain it? It means Sister Suwen wears the outfit to display it. That’s what a model is~”
The two huddled together, whispering excitedly. Wu Chengyi sat off to the side, completely unable to join the conversation. He drank through two pots of tea, made two trips to the latrine, and the young woman and youth at the table were still not finished discussing.
Outside on the street, the night watchman passed by beating his clapper. Wu Chengyi jolted and hurriedly called an end to their heated discussion.
“It’s already late today, Tang Tang. You should rest.” Wu Chengyi set down his teacup. He sent Suwen away, put the drawings away carefully, and pulled the still-reluctant Tang Tang back to their room.
“A-Yi, I’m not sleepy yet. I can draw another design—just one more. It’ll be quick.” The more Bai Tang drew, the more addicted he became. His energy was sky-high; if Wu Chengyi didn’t drag him back to the room, he could draw until dawn.
“That’s enough. Tang Tang already drew three today. Let’s leave it at that, alright? Tomorrow we’ll find a seamstress to make the clothes and lure Li Xiuming in. If more designs are needed later, we can take our time.” Wu Chengyi, prioritizing what mattered, forcibly pushed Tang Tang toward bed. “Whatever needs to be done, we’ll handle it tomorrow. For now, get some rest, alright?”
Qiu’er and Xiao A, returning after their midnight snack, checked the time and chimed in: “The male lead is right. Tang Tang really needs to sleep. There’s a tough battle ahead in a few days. You need to recharge so you can take the opponent down in one strike.”
“Host, look—he’s already exhausted,” Xiao A added, pointing at Wu Chengyi. “If you don’t sleep, he won’t sleep either.” He used Bai Tang’s soft spot for Wu Chengyi to persuade him. After all, the reason Bai Tang worked so hard was to help the male lead and keep him from suffering.
“…Alright. Sleep.” The boy looked into the man’s gentle eyes and answered crisply.
Overjoyed, Wu Chengyi helped Bai Tang remove his shoes and clothes, held him in his arms, drew down the bed curtains, and settled in to rest.
Author’s Note :
Wu Chengyi: I feel like I’m falling out of favor…
Bai Tang, still seriously working on more designs.
Qiu’er: Haha! Didn’t expect this, did you? Serves you right for stealing my Tang Tang!
Xiao A narrowed his eyes at the smug Qiu’er and dragged him away…