CHAPTER 554: CHAPTER 554 SOLID

Young Master Su’s words were undoubtedly asking for trouble.

But he had a whole bunch of people backing him up.

Not to mention Young Master Shen and the Ninth Prince.

After being around Young Master Su for so long, I truly doubt if he ever feels uncomfortable without asking for a beating someday.

A bunch of adults were present, so they had no room to speak, purely there for the entertainment.

But Prince NanAn and his group were different; what a great tease opportunity, how could they miss it?

Su Chong wanted to die.

He had no intention of disappointing Princess Fu Yun’s kind gesture.

But these shoes just wouldn’t cooperate.

He had barely put them on and taken a few steps before they broke.

Lucky if they didn’t end up like the previous pair before even leaving the main hall.

He couldn’t possibly walk around with just the shoe tops while others wore shoes, right?

Su Chong turned around and sat down.

The shoes were falling apart at a visible speed, and if Su Chong wasn’t so cautious, they might not have even lasted until he sat down.

He took off the shoes, looked at them, and quickly identified the problem.

The stitching lines were too thin.

If he guessed correctly, Princess Fu Yun used embroidery thread for stitching.

The finer the embroidery thread, the more vivid the embroidery looks.

But to use such fine thread to stitch the shoe surface and soles...

It was essentially just for fun.

Prince Yun also noticed, his ears turning so red they could drip blood.

Although the shoes were made by Princess Fu Yun, Prince Yun and the Princess Consort had seen them before they were sent.

Even though they weren’t particularly well-made, at least they were technically a pair of shoes.

No one expected them to unravel.

Princess Fu Yun had been pampered since childhood and hadn’t touched needlework before; it was her first time.

Prince Yun felt quite heartbroken that the first pair of shoes his precious daughter made wasn’t for him; it left a bitter taste.

Had he known, it would have been better if the shoes had been for his father.

Sending them ten days or half a month later would have been better than losing face at the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.

To alleviate Prince Yun’s embarrassment, Prince NanAn used their unique way of resolving awkwardness to solve the issue.

"Sending shoes is a rare occasion; we must also have a meal together," Prince NanAn said.

"That’s a must," Prince Yun quickly replied.

Su Chong quietly put the shoes back on.

Prince NanAn and their group, smelling of sweat, said, "Prince Yun, please wait for us for a moment while we change our clothes."

Prince Yun didn’t have the face to stay at Dongxiang Marquis Mansion any longer, quickly saying, "No rush, I’ll head back to the Prince Mansion first, then meet you at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion."

Though the shoes were terrible, his mother and sister were curious about Su Chong’s satisfaction with them.

Thinking of returning home and seeing his blushing sister, how would he respond to her?

Prince Yun bowed and took his leave.

Prince NanAn and his group escorted him out of the main hall.

Chu Shun and the others returned to their rooms to bathe; the Heir of Marquis Beining looked at Prince NanAn and asked, "I wonder if Prince NanAn’s fiancée is good with needlework?"

Prince NanAn disliked others mentioning his fiancée.

They were engaged, yet he didn’t even know whether his fiancée was tall, short, fat, or thin. For someone who prided himself on being well-informed, it was a humiliation.

However, thinking about the shoes Princess Fu Yun sent to Su Chong, Prince NanAn got an idea.

It wasn’t easy to become his fiancée.

If the shoes were made like that, he could use it as an excuse to break the engagement.

Truly, heaven was helping him.

"After going back, I also have to ask my mother to make me a couple of pairs of shoes," Prince NanAn said.

"I don’t ask for much, just make them sturdy."

Chu Shun and the others suppressed their laughter.

Princess Fu Yun’s shoes were not only a psychological shadow for Su Chong but for them as well.

At Prince Yun Mansion.

Knowing that Prince Yun had delivered the shoes to Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, Princess Fu Yun was restless.

She had stayed up late last night to sew those shoes.

She couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning, with no maid by her side, sewing alone on the bed until the middle of the night, pricking her fingers several times.

Going to bed late meant waking up late.

By the time she woke up, the shoes were already gone.

After questioning her maid Shanhu, she learned that Shanhu had sent the shoes to Prince Yun and the Princess Consort for approval.

The Princess Consort thought the shoes were a bit ugly and not presentable.

Prince Yun didn’t think so; he didn’t even have such ugly shoes!

The esteemed Dongxiang Marquis Mansion wasn’t short on a couple of shoes; what mattered was the sincerity of Princess Fu Yun’s handiwork.

Besides, he could use those shoes to let Dongxiang Marquis Mansion know that Princess Fu Yun was the jewel of the Prince Yun Mansion, unaccustomed to hardships.

Princess Fu Yun’s absent-minded demeanor was noticed by the Princess Consort and the maid.

A maid came in and said, "Princess Consort, the young master has returned."

Princess Fu Yun blushed instantly.

Prince Yun walked in; the Princess Consort smiled and asked, "How did it go?"

Prince Yun, "... ."

"Was Young Master of Dongxiang Marquis Mansion satisfied with Fu Yun’s shoes?" the Princess Consort asked with a smile.

"... ."

"He said the soles were nice," Prince Yun’s voice wavered.

The Princess Consort, "... ."

Princess Fu Yun, "... ."

"Why praise the soles?" The Princess Consort chuckled helplessly.

"The soles weren’t made by your sister."

"Because there really wasn’t anything else to praise," Prince Yun said distractedly.

"... ."

Gotta say, Mr. Su is indeed a decent person.

Standing up for the Prince Yun Mansion, even when his sister made such terrible shoes, he didn’t get mad.

The Princess Consort looked at Prince Yun, "Were they really that bad?"

"If I could, I’d never want to set foot in Dongxiang Marquis Mansion again in my life," Prince Yun replied.

Because once inside, he’d remember the embarrassment of today.

In all his life, he’s never been so humiliated.

And it was a shared disgrace between his brother and sister.

The Princess Consort pressed for more, and Prince Yun recounted the woes of delivering the shoes to Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.

The Princess Consort, "... ."

She raised her hand to shield her eyes.

Hopefully, this doesn’t become gossip all over the Capital; she couldn’t bear the shame.

Princess Fu Yun wanted to die.

She got up to leave, but a servant came in and said, "Princess, Young Master of Dongxiang Marquis Mansion has sent a letter to you again."

Princess Fu Yun felt overwhelmed.

The maid Shanhu took the letter and handed it to Princess Fu Yun.

Princess Fu Yun refused it, and the Princess Consort said, "Open it and take a look."

Shanhu opened the letter.

After glancing at it, she chuckled.

Princess Fu Yun looked at her, and Shanhu handed her the letter, saying, "Princess, you should see for yourself."

Princess Fu Yun looked at the letter:

Dear sister-in-law, I was wrong. I didn’t know you couldn’t do needlework until my sister told me you pricked your fingers. Then, I reflected more profoundly than ever before: The fault lies with my mother.

It was my mother who misled me into thinking all noblewomen in the Capital were skilled in needlework. My sister is also not good at needlework. Regardless of how good my mother is at it now, she was terrible when she married my father.

It’s fine not to be good at needlework, as long as you can plea for me.

I have only one request for my sister-in-law: to stand by my side unwaveringly when my father, mother, and elder brother bully me.

——Desperately seeking an ally, distressed little brother Su Yang.

Princess Fu Yun, "... ."

Prince Yun, "... ."

"Young Master Su is considerate," laughed the Princess Consort as she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.

One has to wonder what kind of distress Young Master Su has faced to be so eager in finding allies.

"What a good young master," Shanhu remarked with emotion.

"Princess, once you marry Mr. Su, you must stand by Young Master Su more," Shanhu said to Princess Fu Yun.