The Male Lead's Harem Belongs to Me (GL) - Chapter 15
Jiang Han brazenly took the two out of the mansion, and it wasn’t until they got into the carriage that Gu Hanyun and Chang Qianjiao came to their senses.
They both looked at Jiang Han, their eyes filled with shock at her audacity.
Jiang Han was very calm. She turned to look at Chang Qianjiao, who was beside her with a shocked expression, and teased with a smile, “Sister Chang, do you believe me now that I won’t abandon you?”
When she said that, Chang Qianjiao blushed. She pursed her lips and glared at Jiang Han, humming, “Hmph, how was I supposed to know the Princess would come up with such an idea? I thought…”
“You thought I was partial and only wanted to bring Sister Gu out?”
Chang Qianjiao didn’t speak, which was considered a default. Jiang Han smiled and said, “It was my fault. I didn’t tell you in advance. How about this, today when we go to choose rouge, I’ll put it all on my account?”
Chang Qianjiao wasn’t really angry anymore, and when she heard Jiang Han say that, she immediately felt relieved. She raised an eyebrow and said, “The Princess wants to choose rouge?”
“Yes,” Jiang Han said. “Is something wrong?”
Gu Hanyun, who was sitting beside her, smiled and continued, “Sister Jiang has found the right person. Sister Chang is very knowledgeable about choosing rouge.”
Jiang Han’s heart moved, and she looked at Chang Qianjiao with surprise, “That’s great.”
She was just worried about choosing the right kind of rouge, and now here was the perfect solution.
••••
Meanwhile, at the Liu Residence…
Since the incident last night, Liu Shuwei hadn’t slept well. Looking at her rather dilapidated room, she sighed. Tomorrow was her mother’s death anniversary, but judging by her father’s behavior today, he didn’t remember at all.
Liu Shuwei’s mother had died when she was young. Her only happy memories were from the time when her mother was still alive. Back then, her father hadn’t made his fortune yet, and her mother was still alive. Although their family lived a simple life, they were very happy.
But all of that had changed drastically in just a few years. After her mother’s sudden death, her father made a fortune in business, married a second wife named Song Jing the following year, and brought home a daughter, Liu Ruqing, who was only two years younger than her.
It was then that she realized that the previous happiness wasn’t entirely real. Her father had already had an illegitimate daughter. For the first two years, her father had been quite good to her, but later, as Liu Bushan was born, her treatment at home became worse and worse.
The Liu family was now like a bl00d-sucking leech in a gutter, desperately trying to squeeze the last drop of bl00d out of her. Liu Bushan, in particular, had been a lazy and worthless child who had grown up to become a gambler, always scheming to get more money from her.
The incident last night alarmed her father. Naturally, her father was both shocked and furious. In front of her, he whipped Liu Bushan severely with a cane.
She watched as Liu Bushan rolled on the ground, crying and begging for her forgiveness. She watched Liu Ruqing’s anxious and resentful expression, and Song Jing’s pained face as she repeatedly apologized to her. As she watched Liu Bushan being beaten while glancing at her, she could only find it amusing.
Why was her father acting this way for her? Was it because he was afraid? Afraid that she would tell Qi Ze about this and that Qi Ze would retaliate?
He was merely afraid.
Liu Shuwei closed her eyes wearily. If she didn’t have Qi Ze backing her up, how would her father have handled yesterday’s incident?
Thinking about this, a subtle flicker of a different emotion crossed Liu Shuwei’s eyes. Perhaps she could seek help from the Princess? The Princess’s words of advice from yesterday were still ringing in her ears. Liu Shuwei hesitated for a moment, then quickly dismissed the idea.
The Princess had only helped her because of her relationship with Qi Ze. Moreover, Jiang Han had many secrets, such as her ability to foresee danger and her sudden change in personality.
Until she figured these things out, she still couldn’t fully trust Jiang Han. The best way out right now was still to marry Qi Ze. Liu Shuwei gave a wry smile and slowly closed her eyes.
••••
The setting sun cast a warm glow across the sky, and a cool breeze swept through the crowd, carrying away the heat of the day. Jiang Han and the two women arrived at a famous rouge shop.
The shop was called Hongyan Rouge and was said to be backed by a high-ranking official in the capital, so no one dared to cause trouble. In addition, the shop had a wide variety of rouge colors and new products every two months, making it one of the most popular shops for women in the capital.
The shop was very large, and even though there were many people inside, it was still spacious and well-organized. The rouge was placed on jade slabs, and each rouge had a small sample-sized piece for customers to try.
As soon as Jiang Han and the two women entered the shop, they were invited by the shop servant to the second floor. Generally, these shop servants were discerning; they could tell who was wealthy and who was influential.
The second floor was smaller than the first floor, but the styles here were more novel, and the colors were more suitable for formal occasions. Jiang Han and the two women looked at each other and began to choose. Soon, the second floor was filled with their voices.
“Princess… Sister Jiang, look at this color, it suits you so well.”
“Really?” Jiang Han quickly walked over, “Let me see.”
“Sister Jiang, this one is good too!”
“Wrap it up, wrap it up!”
“Sister Jiang, Sister Jiang…”
“Okay, okay, I’ll take them all.”
Seeing Jiang Han being so carried away and buying a pile of rouge, Chang Qianjiao helplessly shook her head and walked over to the two. She stopped Gu Hanyun, who was excited, and then turned to take a pile of rouge from Jiang Han’s hand. She picked and chose among them, finally leaving four or five.
She handed two of them to the other two and said to the shop servant on the side, “Please put the rest back.”
Gu Hanyun exclaimed, “!”
Jiang Han was about to say something, but Chang Qianjiao looked at the two of them and said, “I’ve looked at those, and some of the colors just don’t suit you. The ones that suit you don’t have good enough materials, and those with good materials don’t last long. And if you take so many, some might go unused and be wasted. I think these two are the most suitable for your skin tone. We can come back for more when these are finished; there’s no rush.”
She gave Jiang Han a light glance and said, “Princess, don’t spoil her too much.”
Jiang Han felt like a doting father under her gaze and couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly. She quickly said, “Alright, let’s just get these.”
Then she turned to Gu Hanyun and said, “Sister Gu, shall we get these? How does that sound?”
Gu Hanyun was actually just interested for a moment, but after hearing what Chang Qianjiao said, she also lost interest. She happily agreed, “Okay!”
Chang Qianjiao also chose two colors for herself. Seeing Chang Qianjiao’s professional look, Jiang Han’s eyes lit up and she said, “Sister Chang, what color do you think would be suitable for someone with very fair skin?”
Chang Qianjiao was slightly startled and said, “That depends on the person’s personality. If they are more outgoing, they can use some bold colors. If they are more shy, they can use some lighter colors.”
Jiang Han hesitated and said, “What if they’re a bit of both?”
“Both?” Chang Qianjiao was surprised. Her beautiful eyes narrowed as she looked at Jiang Han. Jiang Han felt a little uneasy under her gaze, but fortunately, Chang Qianjiao didn’t ask any more questions. She just smiled and said, “It should be suitable, but I can’t say for sure. It would be best if you could give me a general description.”
Jiang Han thought for a moment and felt there was no need to hide it. She said, “Actually, I’m buying it for Miss Liu. Sister Chang, can you help me pick one?”
Chang Qianjiao looked at her meaningfully and said, “Princess is so kind. You’re even thinking of your sisters in the family while you’re out. Should I also help pick one for Sister Yu?”
Jiang Han twitched at the corner of her mouth. She didn’t want to refuse, but thinking about how much she would have to spend today, she felt a little heartache.
“Alright,” Jiang Han said with difficulty.
Soon, Chang Qianjiao had picked out a few for everyone. After she handed the items to Jiang Han, she gave her a slightly teasing look.
Gu Hanyun looked at the pile of items in Jiang Han’s hands and felt a bit insecure. “Sister Jiang, do you have enough silver with you?”
Jiang Han gritted her teeth and said, “Yes, I do.”
The three of them went to the counter on the first floor. The shopkeeper tapped his abacus, his eyes growing brighter and brighter. His gaze towards them became increasingly obsequious. He paused the clicking sound of the abacus and said, “Ladies, the total is five hundred taels of silver. Would you like to pay in cash or…”
Jiang Han took out a banknote from her sleeve, feeling her heart bleed. “Cash.”
The shopkeeper reached out to take it, his eyes filled with a smile that was almost overflowing. He pulled it once, but it didn’t move. He pulled it again, but it still didn’t budge.
The shopkeeper: “…”
The shopkeeper was about to speak when a commotion suddenly came from outside. Someone shouted, “Catch him! Don’t let him escape!”
Then there was a lot of commotion, and it sounded like there were a lot of people. Many people in the shop curiously went out to see what was happening, and Jiang Han took advantage of the shopkeeper’s distraction to take back her banknote, saying, “Shopkeeper, wait for me, I’ll go out and see what’s going on.”
After saying that, she went out of the shop. Gu Hanyun and Chang Qianjiao looked at the shopkeeper’s twitching face and also twitched their mouths, comforting him, “Don’t worry, shopkeeper, she’ll be back.”
With that, they both followed her out.
The remaining shopkeeper: “…”
Although Gu Hanyun and Chang Qianjiao weren’t very familiar with Jiang Han, they trusted her character. So when Jiang Han ran out, they didn’t think she was running away from the bill, but were simply curious and followed her to see what she was going to do.
So the two followed Jiang Han’s gaze to the center of everyone’s attention. The person was – Qi Ze!
Qi Ze looked serious at the moment. He handed the captured fugitive to his subordinates. Looking at the gazes and compliments from all directions, although his face remained calm, he couldn’t help but feel a little proud.
Especially when he saw many women giving him the eye, Qi Ze felt even more smug.
However, this sense of secret satisfaction was shattered the next second. He heard someone calling him.
“Your Highness, what are you doing here?”
Qi Ze followed the sound and saw three women standing at the shop door, smiling brightly at him. He was stunned for a moment, then slowly walked towards them, saying, “What are you doing here?”
Jiang Han smiled even brighter, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Qi Ze, “My wealthy… oh no, good husband~ I have something to tell you.”
Qi Ze had a bad feeling about this. He raised his handsome face to look at Jiang Han, and Jiang Han smiled shyly, “Do you have any silver with you?”
Qi Ze: “…”
A moment later, Jiang Han, Gu Hanyun, and Chang Qianjiao walked out of the rouge shop with rosy cheeks, and the shopkeeper behind them was also full of excitement, repeatedly saying to them, “Welcome back, esteemed guests!”
“Definitely,” Jiang Han smiled with her eyes narrowed in response.
As for Qi Ze, who was following behind the three women, he had a dark expression on his face, looking like a deflated balloon. The girls around him were still giving him the eye, but as he looked at the backs of the three women in front of him, his heart was like still water. For the first time, he felt that there were enough women in his family.
Too many, and he really couldn’t afford it!
Author’s note:
Qi Ze: From now on, I will close my heart to love.
Jiang Han: It’s okay, dog man, but you’re a good husband when I need you.