The Princess Who Married The Crown Prince(GL) - Chapter 15

Lu Fangting’s expression showed a trace of confusion. This woman, with her odd way of speaking and behavior—could she really be a faithful, virtuous lady of integrity? Someone who followed her husband without complaint and truly entrusted her heart to him?

But how could a mere woman possibly do business?

Lu Fangting was momentarily shocked, then quickly recovered her composure. She relayed a message inside, informing Su Qiuqiu that it was time to leave.

Su Qiuqiu bid farewell to Concubine Zhao and left with Lu Fangting.

On the way back, Su Qiuqiu dozed off again, leaning against Lu Fangting. She looked small and harmless, soft and youthful.

Seeing her sleeping so soundly, Lu Fangting didn’t move, letting her lean against him the entire way.

Once they returned to the Prince of Zhen’nan’s residence, Lu Fangting gently woke Su Qiuqiu.

“Your Ladyship, I need to report back to the Princess…” Lu Fangting said.

“Don’t go yet! We haven’t taken your measurements…” Su Qiuqiu rubbed her sleepy eyes and reached out to stop Lu Fangting.

“That won’t be necessary…” Lu Fangting replied stiffly.

“Oh come on, it won’t hurt you. Our current undergarments don’t offer any support at all—our chests sag easily. And the panties are so inconvenient, especially during our period. The ones I made are much better; you should really see them…” Su Qiuqiu tugged at her, determined not to let her go.

“Fine.” Lu Fangting saw how enthusiastic she was and couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

These past few months, Su Qiuqiu hadn’t been doing needlework for her dowry in vain—her skills had improved dramatically.

Aside from embroidery, the first thing she did was make a pair of close-fitting panties for herself. The undergarments here were far too loose, airy, and insecure. Not to mention how troublesome they were during menstruation. And so, the first pair of triangle panties in the Great Chu dynasty was born…

As for bras, Su Qiuqiu didn’t need one herself just yet. But after experimenting with panties and modifying menstrual pads, she created bras and European-style corsets, testing them on her two maids. Both reported excellent results.

Of course, these were private items, and Su Qiuqiu had no intention of selling them openly. They were made purely for personal comfort—though if she opened a clothing shop, these would make great specialty products.

“Take off your outerwear. I’ll help measure you…” Su Qiuqiu brought Lu Fangting to her courtyard, leading her into the room.

“…?” Lu Fangting hadn’t expected that taking measurements would involve undressing. Fortunately, she was still in disguise and didn’t fuss, stripping down to just her inner garments. Su Qiuqiu, naturally, wouldn’t ask her to strip completely. Removing the thick outerwear was enough.

Su Qiuqiu, a full head shorter than Lu Fangting, picked up a measuring tape and began her work.

“Didn’t expect your figure to be so good… You look slender, but you’ve got curves in all the right places… narrow waist, shapely hips…” Su Qiuqiu muttered, practically drooling as she measured.

“…!” Lu Fangting noticed the gleam in Su Qiuqiu’s eyes and her hands skimming her waist. Her brows twitched. Was her new bride… a lecher in disguise? Cough.

“It’s just a pity… your chest is on the small side…” Su Qiuqiu quickly finished measuring and muttered to herself, realizing she probably shouldn’t be groping too much.

Lu Fangting was wearing a chest wrap under her clothes, so naturally, her bust looked flat.

She wasn’t about to explain that to Su Qiuqiu.

After the measurements were done, Lu Fangting quickly dressed and left.

Su Qiuqiu asked Ziyu to check the heir’s condition. Qingzhi replied that he hadn’t yet regained consciousness, so Su Qiuqiu simply let it go and returned to her own affairs.

In her past life, information was everywhere online. Recipes, ingredients, and DIY skincare tips flooded the internet. Su Qiuqiu had tried many herself and developed a few insights—she planned to start there to earn some quick cash.

Xueming and Xuezhan had previously helped her gather some materials. Su Qiuqiu summoned them through Ziyu and gave instructions, then began crafting undergarments based on her measurements.

She had seen lingerie design blueprints in her past life and understood how to segment parts and apply the data from her measurements. With a few prior attempts under her belt, this time she only needed to cut the fabric according to the numbers and let Lingxiang and the others help with stitching in order.

That evening, Lu Fangting didn’t come. He was likely busy with something else. Mamma Li started fussing again, chattering non-stop. Su Qiuqiu smiled and listened, not arguing nor responding.

The next day, Su Qiuqiu was scheduled to return home to visit her family. She didn’t bring Mamma Li. She only took Xuezhan and Xueming with her. These two were imperial gifts and held higher status than ordinary maids—no one dared look down on them at the marquis’s estate.

Mamma Li wanted to leave the mansion too, but without permission, it was impossible for her. Su Qiuqiu wanted her to know clearly who the true master was now.

Su Qiuqiu had assumed the heir wouldn’t go with her. But to her surprise, when it was time to depart in the morning, Lu Fangting arrived with Qingzhi’s support.

He wore a white fox-fur cloak trimmed in gold, with a matching fur hat. His entire figure was bundled up tightly, leaving only his face visible. The contrast made his already fine features look even more delicate and striking.

“Husband, are you sure you’re okay…?” Su Qiuqiu looked at his pale complexion—whiter than the fox fur—and sighed inwardly.

“I’m fine. It’s your homecoming today… naturally, I should accompany you.” Lu Fangting spoke softly. In truth, she didn’t have to go. But remembering Su Qiuqiu’s words from the day before, she thought she should do more for her to show that the heir truly valued her.

Since Lu Fangting had already made up her mind, Su Qiuqiu didn’t argue and accompanied her into the prepared carriage. Once inside, Lu Fangting didn’t remove her cloak, only took off her hat.

Facing each other in the carriage, Su Qiuqiu looked closely at Lu Fangting and found her features even more exquisite up close. If she were just a shallow face connoisseur, she might have fallen for her. But once she remembered Lu Fangting’s supposed “male” identity, no matter how pretty, the appeal vanished.

Su Qiuqiu lowered her head, mulling over more potential money-making ideas, while Lu Fangting half-closed her eyes, quietly watching her.

At the moment, Su Qiuqiu seemed serene and slightly melancholic—completely different from her chatty, cheerful self at the palace, with eyes full of sparkles like a lively chatterbox.

“Is something troubling you, Madam?” Lu Fangting asked, seeing Su Qiuqiu’s furrowed brow.

“Hmm? Oh… I was just thinking about ways to make money. I don’t have anyone I can rely on right now. Don’t be fooled by the impressive dowry—most of it’s made up of imperial gifts I can’t sell, and the rest is useless clutter. The shops and estates I brought in the marriage aren’t under my control… Honestly, I’ll tell you the truth—I’m not really the legitimate daughter of the marquis. My stepmother didn’t want her real daughter to marry you, so she had me entered into the family register and passed off as a legitimate daughter to marry you instead…”

Su Qiuqiu sighed. She didn’t have any trustworthy people around her. Though her dowry included shops, all their managers were appointed by her stepmother. Their deeds of sale were still in her hands, and their family members still worked in the marquis’s estate. Everything was in her stepmother’s grasp. Su Qiuqiu hadn’t known any of this at first. When she started planning to open a shop, she realized no one listened to her. Her maids were all young girls—not exactly suited for errands either.

“As for the deeds… don’t worry. I’ll speak to my father-in-law. I’m sure we can have them handed over to you soon. I’ll also find you a reliable shopkeeper to help you review the shop accounts. If you find someone unsuitable, consider sending them to the countryside estates. Lu Fangting paused, then added calmly. She didn’t seem too surprised by the revelation that Su Qiuqiu was originally a concubine’s daughter.

“Thank you, husband…” Su Qiuqiu said sincerely.

“We’re husband and wife—no need for thanks,” Lu Fangting replied. Knowing she could help her improved her mood as well.

When they arrived at the marquis’s estate, Madam Wang—the legitimate wife—stood at the front, surrounded by a cluster of pretty young women waiting to greet them. Although the young women performed the proper bow when the couple stepped down from the carriage, it was merely a display of hierarchy. No matter how unwilling or disdainful they were, etiquette had to be upheld.

As Su Qiuqiu stepped down, Lu Fangting reached out to hold her hand, a gesture to display affection. But when the cold fingers touched hers, Su Qiuqiu reflexively pulled back.

Seeing Lu Fangting freeze, Su Qiuqiu realized her mistake and quickly reached out again, grasping her hand so they could descend together.

Her hands were small and warm—Lu Fangting felt a strange sense of comfort holding them.

Su Qiuqiu, on the other hand, didn’t feel as good. Even though she was from the modern era, she disliked men and had rarely been physically close to any. Having someone hold her hand made her uncomfortable. Her palms began to sweat in no time.

After the formal greetings, the Marquis took Lu Fangting to meet the male guests, while Su Qiuqiu went to chat with the sisters she hadn’t seen in days—finally able to breathe again.

The Fifth and Sixth Misses had both returned specifically for Su Qiuqiu’s homecoming, bringing their husbands as well.

One was gentle, the other proud. Now that they were married, each carried a unique charm. Su Qiuqiu genuinely enjoyed speaking with them.

The Eighth Miss was still as straightforward and naive as ever. Su Qiuqiu spoke with her more than the others, hoping to eventually leverage her family’s influence as royal merchants.

As for the cousin Wang Shuanglu, she still gave Su Qiuqiu an odd feeling. She seemed normal on the surface but somehow just felt off.

Su Qiuqiu didn’t think much of it. The girl was pretty—she only cared about the face anyway.

After chatting for a bit, Su Qiuqiu took her maids to visit Concubine Qin, her fourth aunt, but halfway there, she ran into the Third Prince again.

“Why do you avoid me like a plague? I’ve always wanted to ask you—why didn’t you choose me? At the time, your engagement with Lu Fangting wasn’t even official…” The Third Prince stopped her and asked directly after she bowed and tried to hurry away.

“What’s the point in saying this now? My stepmother threatened me with my mother’s life. I… I’m married now. There’s no use bringing it up again.” Su Qiuqiu frowned slightly and answered quietly. Perhaps the Third Prince would make life difficult for her stepmother…

After speaking, Su Qiuqiu quickly left with her maids, unaware of the figure in a white fox-fur cloak standing not far away…

“Brother Fangting, did you hear that? I told you—with my looks and charm, how could I possibly lose to you?” The Third Prince called out in that direction after Su Qiuqiu left.