"It must have been the woman I encountered when I was buying pastries earlier," Tao Su recalled. "The way she looked at me was strange, the strangest person I've met since coming to the Capital City. Moreover, she was dressed richly and had the ability to command these men in black."
"At that time, I came out of the pastry shop, and she might have seen me get into the Song Mansion carriage, which is why she sent people after me."
After she finished speaking, Qi Huan stopped in her tracks, pondered for a moment, and changed her mind, saying, "She's in the shadows, and you're in the light. If she wants to target you, she surely has more tricks up her sleeve."
"We might as well draw the snake out of its hole. Next time you go out, I'll have my hidden guards secretly follow you. You pretend to be alone and see if she appears again?"
There's no such thing as a perfect defense against a persistent thief.
Rather than hiding and dodging, it's better to take the initiative.
The woman Tao Su mentioned already knew she was from the Song Mansion. Even if they sent Tao Su away, this woman might continue to harass them.
Therefore, Qi Huan wanted to directly root her out and resolve this hidden danger.
Tao Su immediately agreed, "I'll follow the County Lady's arrangement."
Having settled this matter, Qi Huan yawned and went back to her room to continue sleeping.
The next day.
She took a purse and went to Qingfeng Court to settle accounts with Zhu Yan.
"Cousin, next time you have this kind of job, be sure to call me!"
"I accept all kinds of jobs - killing, disposing of bodies, cleaning!"
Hearing the word 'cleaning', Ximen Ye glanced at him sideways, the disgust in his eyes becoming more apparent.
Their Misty Rain Pavilion was an assassin organization!
Doing this kind of thing was really degrading, wasn't it?
Ximen Ye snorted coldly and said to Qi Huan, "You'd be better off finding me instead of him. I kill faster and dispose of bodies more cleanly..."
Qi Huan deliberately teased him, "But can you do housework?"
"..."
Seeing his silence, Qi Huan couldn't help but laugh.
After laughing, she put on a serious face and said to Zhu Yan, "Men and women should be separate. In the future, you can't go to Tao Su's room at night."
"Why?"
"Why can my young master go to find you at night, but I can't go to find Tao Su?"
!
"Neither of you can!" Qi Huan glared at Ximen Ye and said through gritted teeth, "If you go to Qinghuan Court at night again, I'll tell grandmother."
Ximen Ye: .......
It's all Zhu Yan's fault!
Under the pressure of Old Lady Song, Ximen Ye reluctantly nodded.
He then looked at Qi Huan resentfully and said, "What if I have something to discuss with you..."
"Besides Gu Ziling, we don't seem to have anything else to talk about. If you catch her, have Zhu Yan tell Tao Su, and I'll come find you."
After saying this, Qi Huan left with Yan Qing.
Upon returning to Qinghuan Court, she had just taken a sip of tea when she heard Yin Chuan requesting to see her: "Cousin, Elder Madam Song requests your presence at Qingxi Courtyard."
"Alright, did Aunt mention what it's about?"
"Elder Madam Song has called for a tailor from Rainbow Garment Pavilion to take measurements. She wants to rush-order new clothes for you for the New Year."
"I understand." Qi Huan took the cloak handed to her by Ruo Lan, put it on properly, and immediately set off to avoid keeping people waiting.
When she arrived, the tailor had just finished measuring Song You'an and asked, "Miss, do you want to measure your head circumference again? Or should we make the silk hat according to the original measurements?"
Song You'an bit her lip and shook her head.
Seeing this, Elder Madam Song said helplessly, "There's no need to measure again. An'an's head hasn't grown much, just use the original measurements."
"Alright."
As their conversation reached her ears, Qi Huan discreetly glanced at Song You'an.
Why did she wrap her hair like a little nun?
Then, her gaze moved downward, falling on Song You'an's fragile expression. She swallowed her questions, not asking them out loud.
"Huan'er, you're here? Quickly let Master Gu take your measurements, and then choose some fabrics and patterns."
"Thank you, Aunt." Qi Huan curtsied and, following Master Gu's instructions, raised her arms to be measured.
When she heard the bust measurement, Qi Huan curved her lips into a smile.
It seemed the meals of the past two years hadn't been in vain.
Master Gu praised her over and over. She knew this was just business courtesy, but she still couldn't help but smile, her eyes curving into crescents.
The room was full of women, so Elder Madam Song spoke a bit more freely, saying enviously, "Our Huan'er indeed has a shapely figure. What should be firm is firm, what should be perky is perky, what should be slender is slender. How does her flesh know exactly where to grow?"
As she spoke, Elder Madam Song looked down at her own bulging chest. It was big, but sagging...
Master Gu, however, still praised her against her conscience, "Elder Madam's figure is also excellent. Look, these two styles are particularly suitable for you..."
Amidst Master Gu's sales pitch, Qi Huan's mind wandered.
If Elder Madam Song wore a shaping bra, wouldn't it improve things a lot?
The ancient undergarments indeed weren't as convenient or attractive as modern ones. Perhaps she could open a clothing shop...
However, even though Li Country had open customs, selling intimate apparel could still easily be criticized as corrupting public morals.
She needed to think of a more prudent idea!
There were many people like Madam Song who were anxious about their figures, but Qi Huan wanted to tell them that every flower has its own beauty. As long as you're healthy, being a bit plump is fine.
Figure flaws could be improved through clothing.
She hoped all women in the world could be confident in themselves.
Of course, if it affected health, that would be a different matter.
After returning to her room, Qi Huan began to contemplate the idea of opening a clothing shop.
She planned to divide the underwear into two categories. One type would be the quickly repurchased bras from the treasure chest, which would be expensive to justify her points.
The other type would be aimed at ordinary women, without underwire, which could be made entirely with ancient craftsmanship, but in styles more novel than traditional belly-bands.
Besides these, panties could also be arranged. Compared to traditional undergarments, they used less fabric and were cooler in summer.
Regarding outerwear, she thought of the Tang Dynasty, where plumpness was considered beautiful, and began to sketch the prototype of a high-waisted dress on paper.
The skirt part of the dress should be made slightly larger to effectively conceal small belly and leg fat. Additionally, flowing fabrics should be chosen to avoid highlighting flesh when the fabric naturally drapes down.
She wrote until dusk, when the sunset light danced through the window onto her writing desk, intertwining with her brush tip. In the interplay of light and shadow, it was as beautiful as a painting.
Ruo Lan couldn't help but hold her breath, waiting quietly to the side until Qi Huan put down her brush before speaking, "County Lady, shall I call for dinner now?"
"Yes, please." Qi Huan set down her brush and got up to wash her hands.
Perhaps due to mental exertion, she ate dinner with particular relish.
Full meals make one sleepy. After hastily bathing, Qi Huan entered dreamland early.
As the end of the twelfth lunar month approached, the entire Song Mansion became busy with sweeping and cleaning the courtyard, preparing New Year goods, and so on.
Before Mingyu Tea House closed for the holidays, Qi Huan brought her business plan to find Xiu Yuan.
Seeing clearly the designs she had drawn and the bra samples, Xiu Yuan's face quickly flushed red.
He offered advice: "The dresses are fine, but these undergarments..."
Remembering His Highness's instructions, Xiu Yuan dared not say they wouldn't sell well, and instead began to rack his brains for a solution.
"For these undergarments, perhaps we could start by selling them in the red-light district."
