Quick Transmigration: The Villain Is Too Pampered and Alluring - Chapter 380

Seeing those two items, Xu Zhengqing’s face instantly turned as dark as iron.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside, followed by a knock on the door.

Xu Zhengqing walked over expressionlessly and opened it, only to see Sheng Nuan standing there in a robe, looking at him with a gaze full of shy embarrassment. “I think I left my clothes in Cousin’s room. Did you see them, Eldest Cousin?”

She did this on purpose!

Xu Zhengqing was almost certain of it at once.

He stepped aside coldly. “I didn’t see them. Find it yourself.”

In the next instant, Sheng Nuan squeezed past him and went straight into the bathroom. A moment later, she emerged holding those two items.

As she passed by him, she gave him a glance that seemed both embarrassed and apologetic, “Sorry for bothering you, Eldest Cousin. Please rest early.”

Her eyes seemed filled with shyness… and yet there was a kind of hook hidden inside that gaze, a dense array of hooks brushing over him before she swept away without looking back.

Xu Zhengqing slammed the door shut, his expression extremely ugly.

On the third day, Xu Yunqian still hadn’t returned. Early in the morning, when Xu Zhengqing came downstairs to have breakfast, he saw Sheng Nuan already seated in the dining room.

Her figure was slender and graceful, and the way she lowered her head to sip soup was impeccable. She had the poise of a perfect lady from a distinguished family.

But recalling those two scraps of fabric from the previous night sitting on his washbasin made Xu Zhengqing’s temples throb faintly.

He took his seat opposite Sheng Nuan, his face impassive. She lifted her eyes to him, curved them slightly, and greeted softly, “Good morning, Eldest Cousin.”

With servants and the butler present, Xu Zhengqing pressed down his impatience and merely responded with a faint “Mm.”

At that moment, the woman across from him spoke again, cautiously, “There’s something… I’d like to ask Eldest Cousin’s help with.”

At once, the image of those two red pieces of fabric reappeared in Xu Zhengqing’s mind. He frowned and raised his gaze, a hint of warning in his eyes. “What is it?”

He then saw Sheng Nuan show some unease. “It’s like this. When I came to Yunzhou from home, I brought only clothes from back home. After arriving, I found they don’t really fit in here, so I wanted to buy some new ones.”

She asked carefully, “Eldest Cousin, could you assign someone to accompany me?”

So it was about buying clothes.

Xu Zhengqing’s expression eased slightly. He spoke in a calm tone, “I will arrange for a driver to take you. Bring Aunt Lian along.”

Hearing that, Sheng Nuan smiled happily. “Thank you, Eldest Cousin.”

Not long after breakfast, Sheng Nuan and Aunt Lian were taken to the department store by the driver.

In fact, on the very first day she arrived, Sheng Nuan noticed that the original host’s looks were not bad at all, quite the opposite, in fact.

She had a delicate, palm-sized face, big, curved eyes with long lashes, a generous chest, a slender waist, and a pert backside… absolutely a first-rate beauty. Yet because of the strict family upbringing and immersion in traditional culture, her attire had always been conservative and old-fashioned.

In Yunzhou, some daring women’s qipao¹ slits reached almost up to the waist, but the original host still wore old-style front-clasp long dresses and kept her hair in a traditional bun, her makeup very light. Plus, her demeanor was always downcast and old-fashioned, reducing her nine points of beauty to barely four.

Sheng Nuan’s current task was to win the favor of that stern, cold, traditional-as-a-feudal-patriarch man. Two overly traditional individuals together would never spark any flames—especially with the “future sister-in-law” obstacle in the way.

If she did not break through on a fundamental level, a man like Xu Zhengqing would never even consider her.

That was why Sheng Nuan had chosen to strike hard right from the start…

Though the Sheng family had declined, they were not destitute. After arriving at the department store, Sheng Nuan purchased the latest styles of qipao, as well as skincare products and cosmetics, putting together a whole new set.

By the time she returned to the Xu household and stepped through the main door, the maids and servants were all stunned.

She was no longer wearing that somewhat old-fashioned rose-red ruqun² she had gone out in. Instead, she wore a moon-colored qipao embroidered with peonies, showcasing her figure’s exquisite curves to the limit… the sumptuous proportions of fullness and slenderness were astonishing. As she walked, her waist swayed elegantly.

Her hair was styled in a simple bun with a single hairpin, and a few loose strands fell beside her neck… This made her slender, fair neck stand out, perfectly blending softness with allure.

Seeing the reactions of the others, Aunt Lian looked somewhat proud.

She knew it wouldn’t just be her who was shocked… Who would have expected that the seemingly gentle and pretty Miss Sheng, once dressed up, would prove to be such a stunning beauty of legendary caliber?

If the Second Young Master were to see her now, he might never again clamor about wanting to break off the engagement…

Upon returning to the Xu family home, Sheng Nuan learned that someone in Yunzhou had already sent her an invitation to a ball.

First, everyone wanted to seize any chance to form ties with the Xu family. Second, the Second Young Master, Xu Yunqian, was handsome and charming, the dream lover of many young ladies in Yunzhou. Plenty of people wanted to get a look at what sort of person his fiancée was.

In the original plot, the original host knew that Xu Yunqian disliked her for being old-fashioned and dull.

Even though she had no particular feelings for Xu Yunqian, being despised still made her feel inferior.

So she mustered her courage and went to that ball… but because she didn’t understand fashion, even though she had bought a special gown, once she arrived at the ball, she discovered that what she thought was daring and stylish was actually garish and tacky.

No one dared openly mock the Xu family’s Miss Sheng, but their looks said it all.

After that, the original host never attended such gatherings again…

Sheng Nuan did not have such worries, though she wasn’t particularly interested in the ball either. However, this was a very good opportunity.

When Xu Zhengqing entered the house, a military coat draped over his arm, he heard music. Then he saw that the phonograph was playing, and Steward Zhong and Aunt Liu were clumsily dancing while Sheng Nuan stood nearby watching, her brows slightly furrowed, looking troubled.

Seeing Xu Zhengqing return, Aunt Liu quickly turned off the phonograph. Steward Zhong came over, embarrassed, and explained, “Sir, Miss Sheng received an invitation to a ball and asked us to teach her how to dance.”

Xu Zhengqing then noticed Sheng Nuan standing there, her expression awkward and shy, anxious and ill at ease… and he also noticed that she had changed her attire.

The moon-colored qipao accentuated a waist that seemed no thicker than a hand’s breadth, and through the slit he glimpsed a slender, fair leg… her makeup was exquisite, her eyes subtly upturned at the corners, looking innocent yet holding a hint of allure.

Xu Zhengqing responded with a bland “Mm” and went straight into his study.

Although Xu Zhengqing was strict and imposing, he was kind to the household staff—this was a Xu family tradition. Therefore, the servants weren’t overly fearful or tense around him, but since the master had returned, they dared not continue playing music. Each went off to their own duties.

Xu Zhengqing entered the study, opened the newly arrived letters, and began reading them carefully. While he was scanning through the pages, there came a knock on the door.

As if he had anticipated something, he frowned slightly, paused, and then said in a calm tone, “Come in.”

The study door opened, and he saw Sheng Nuan walk in. She glanced at him, then lowered her eyes and asked softly, “I received an invitation to a banquet tomorrow… Eldest Cousin, could you teach me how to dance?”

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