“Xiao Shuangshuang, what do you think that little one is up to?”
It’s been almost an hour, and she hasn’t come back yet.
“No idea.”
Sigh!
“I have to say, you always have such a cold expression. Don’t you find it boring? Every time I talk to you, it feels so dull. You’ve said that many times already!”
…
The little one is so much fun.
I already missed her after just a short while.
…
I’m back!
With a shout, the door to the room was pushed open.
Speak of the devil!
Han Rubing said with a smile as she looked at Meng Xiaoyu standing at the door.
She noticed that the white clothes Meng Xiaoyu had worn when she left were gone.
Now, Meng Xiaoyu was dressed in a pink and purple outfit, with a darker purple belt around her waist.
She wore short boots of the same color as the belt.
Her hair was tied into a ponytail with a purple ribbon, and the loose strands fell around her forehead and cheeks, making her already small face look even smaller, but her features more delicate.
At this moment, Meng Xiaoyu looked like a fairy who had wandered into the mortal world—beautiful yet lively, especially with those clean, flawless eyes that reflected her purity and innocence.
There was no trace of the world’s filth in her eyes, only the curiosity and purity of a newborn.
Han Rubing wondered how long this purity could last.
She thought about the possibility that one day, the owner of these eyes might see the world’s dirtiness, and these eyes might lose their purity, becoming filled with the same dirty emotions as everyone else.
The thought made Han Rubing feel very uncomfortable, as if something was blocking her heart.
But then she thought, as long as the little one stayed with her and she protected her well, she wouldn’t have to face the world’s filth.
Han Rubing made up her mind to keep the little one by her side and protect her well.
Han Rushuang was also observing Meng Xiaoyu, who looked like a different person in her new clothes.
She was equally surprised.
Unlike the ill-fitting clothes she had borrowed from Han Rubing and herself, the well-fitted pink and purple outfit made Meng Xiaoyu look more spirited, cute, and beautiful.
“Did you just buy these clothes? Where did you get the money? I remember you said you were penniless when we first met. Were you lying to us?”
Han Rubing asked, puzzled, as she saw Meng Xiaoyu sitting on the bed, fiddling with the things she had bought.
Hearing Han Rubing’s question, Han Rushuang also turned to look at Meng Xiaoyu, her eyes filled with curiosity.
“Oh, I was penniless when I first met you. I bought these things with the money I got from the pawnshop.”
Meng Xiaoyu replied.
“Pawnshop?”
Han Rubing and her sister were even more puzzled.
“Yes, the pawnshop.”
Meng Xiaoyu saw their confusion and explained how she had pawned a painting from her hometown.
So you pawned a painting from your hometown for eighty-eight thousand taels of silver?
And you bought these things with that money?
Han Rubing asked in disbelief.
Although eighty-eight thousand taels of silver wasn’t a huge amount for someone like Han Rubing, who was the head of a palace, it was an astronomical sum for ordinary people, almost a lifetime’s expenses for a family of five.
Han Rubing knew of many rare treasures that could fetch tens of thousands, even millions of taels, but she had never heard of a single painting being worth eighty-eight thousand taels.
What kind of painting could it be?
“Yes, the shopkeeper said he had never seen such a lifelike painting in his life. He said it looked like it was made by a god, not a human.”
Meng Xiaoyu paused and then added, “Actually, he wasn’t wrong… That painting wasn’t made by a human… it was printed by a machine.”
“Printed by a machine?”
“What do you mean?”
Han Rubing asked.
“It’s… it’s…”
Meng Xiaoyu stammered, unable to explain what she meant by “printed by a machine.”
“Alright, if you can’t explain, just forget it. I was just curious.”
Han Rubing saw Meng Xiaoyu struggling to explain and decided to drop the question.
Hearing that Han Rubing was no longer asking, Meng Xiaoyu breathed a sigh of relief.
Then she said, “Oh, by the way, I bought clothes for you two as well. Take a look!”
She walked to the bed and took out the clothes she had bought for Han Rubing and her sister.
She handed a lake-blue outfit and a dark purple outfit to Han Rushuang, saying, “You will look great in these colors.”
Then she handed a bright red outfit and a light purple outfit to Han Rubing, saying, Ruobing, you will look great in these colors too.
The sisters took the clothes and looked at them.
The styles were similar, only the colors were different.
After looking at the clothes, Han Rubing smiled and asked, “Little one, why do you think I look good in bright red and light purple, while Shuangshuang looks good in lake blue and dark purple?”
“We’re twins, and we look the same?”
Han Rushuang also looked at Meng Xiaoyu, curious.
“Oh, you do look alike, but your personalities and temperaments are very different.”
“Shuangshuang has a colder personality, so I thought lake blue and dark purple would suit her better.”
“Although white suits her too, wearing white all the time can feel monotonous, like she never changes her clothes.”
After listening to Meng Xiaoyu, Han Rushuang didn’t say anything, but a slight smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
She wondered if always wearing white was really that boring.
Maybe it was time to try other colors.
The two colors Meng Xiaoyu had chosen were quite nice.
Han Rubing noticed her sister’s slight smile and showed a fox-like grin.
Then she asked, “What about me? What kind of personality and temperament do I have in your eyes?”
“Like a fox, with a cunning temperament,” Meng Xiaoyu blurted out reflexively without thinking.
But as soon as she said it, she regretted it and wished she could slap herself.
Seeing Han Rubing’s fox-like smile after hearing her words, Meng Xiaoyu quickly tried to explain.
“Rubing sister, don’t misunderstand. I wasn’t insulting you or calling you a fox.”
“You didn’t call me a fox, you just said ‘like’ one,” Han Rubing continued to smile fox-like.
“I really didn’t mean it that way, Rubing sister,” Meng Xiaoyu was almost in tears seeing Han Rubing’s smile.
“Oh? Then what did you mean?”
Han Rubing was still smiling.
“It’s a compliment. In my hometown, foxes are recognized as smart and elegant animals. So when we compliment someone for being smart, beautiful, and elegant, we use foxes as a metaphor,” Meng Xiaoyu quickly made up an explanation.
“Really? Then what does ‘cunning’ mean?”
Han Rubing was still smiling, but it wasn’t as intimidating.
“Cunning is also a compliment,” Meng Xiaoyu hurriedly explained.
“Is that so?”
Han Rubing’s tone suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced.
“Yes, yes, I swear,” Meng Xiaoyu quickly said.
Seeing Meng Xiaoyu scared enough to raise her hand and swear, Han Rubing laughed again.
She thought to herself how amusing the little one was.
It was just a little teasing, but she got so scared.
However, a little punishment was necessary; after all, she dared to say she was like a fox.
After making up her mind, Han Rubing said, “Alright, enough joking. It’s getting late, and we should get ready to leave. How about this: Rushuang and I will go downstairs to check out, and you can pack up the clothes and luggage and bring them downstairs to wait for us. Is that okay?”
She smiled at Meng Xiaoyu, but it felt like a challenge to disagree.
“No problem, no problem,” Meng Xiaoyu quickly replied, afraid that if she delayed, Han Rubing would give her more work.
“Since there’s no problem, we’ll head downstairs first. Hurry up,” Han Rubing said, linking arms with her sister as they left.
Watching Han Rubing and Han Rushuang go downstairs, Meng Xiaoyu pouted and muttered, “Han Rubing, you’re just a cunning fox.”
But she didn’t dare say it out loud.
Then she looked at the pile of things she had bought on the bed, sighed, and started packing.
After packing her things, she began folding the clothes she had asked the inn’s servant to wash yesterday.
After tidying up her room, she went to Han Rushuang’s room to tidy up a bit.
Only then did she carry several bundles and an umbrella downstairs.
In the lobby downstairs, Han Rubing and Han Rushuang, who had already checked out and were waiting for Meng Xiaoyu, saw her struggling with several bundles and an umbrella.
Han Rushuang felt a bit sorry for her and, after Meng Xiaoyu came down, took two bundles from her.
Seeing Han Rushuang help her with two bundles, Meng Xiaoyu gave her a bright smile and thanked her.
At that moment, the inn’s servant saw Meng Xiaoyu and walked over to her, saying, “Guest, the task you asked me to do earlier has been completed. The item is now in the stable in the backyard.”
