Misty Rain of the Old Times

"What problem could I possibly have?" Chen Xuan asked, his eyes darting around.

The little princess immediately realized that he was definitely up to something. Based on her understanding of him, if he answered directly, that would be fine, but if he didn't answer directly, he was definitely lying.

Leading the way to the back garden, out of sight of others, until the screams were almost inaudible, she looked at Chen Xuan warily and whispered, "Brother Xuan, are you thinking of something bad again?"

What do you mean "again"? Am I that kind of person?

Chen Xuan thought to herself that she had a good eye for people, but on the surface she said righteously, "Qian Ning, you're overthinking it. What bad intentions could I possibly have?"

"Brother Xuan, don't think I don't know what you men are thinking all day long," the little princess said with an expression that seemed to see right through his little scheme, then asked curiously, "What are you holding? Can I see it? If it's inconvenient, that's fine."

She doesn't pry into everything, knows how to give each other space, and doesn't force others to do things she doesn't want to do. She pays even more attention to the details when it comes to boys she likes, otherwise she will be disliked. This is a valuable lesson she learned from the concubines in the palace.

"Ah... this... that..." Chen Xuan stammered. It was convenient, but this kind of thing made him blush and his heart race. It wasn't convenient, though, because it was originally prepared for her.

If it weren't for what happened before, Chen Xuan would naturally have tried his best to persuade her to satisfy her visual desires. But now he hesitated. If he brought it up, the little princess would get angry and embarrassed. Not to mention the visual pleasure, he probably wouldn't have a good outcome.

Although she knew Chen Xuan had ill intentions, she had never seen him so hesitant before. The little princess was both shy and curious, and she smiled as she looked at him, saying, "Brother Xuan isn't usually like this."

"Lust is a double-edged sword," and Chen Xuan, harboring ill intentions, disregarded all else. After a moment's thought, he said without batting an eye, "It's nothing really. Winter's almost here, so I made you a pair of socks. I found the materials myself."

Hearing this, the little princess was delighted, but then she said, speechless, "If that's the case, why does Brother Xuan look so guilty?"

"I didn't," he denied vehemently.

With a slight blush, the little princess saw through the truth and said, "It seems that Brother Xuan's socks are definitely not proper."

"You actually guessed that?" Chen Xuan chuckled and said, "The weather's nice today..."

As they spoke, they arrived at the pavilion in the back garden. The autumn air was crisp and clear. Although half of the plants had withered, the scenery of the princess's residence was still breathtaking.

After the palace maid brought tea and snacks, she left on her own. The little princess deliberately changed the subject, asking, "How has Brother Xuan been at home these past few days?"

Let's see what you're up to and how long you can keep it up.

Right, the little princess should be at home in her mind. It seems she didn't connect what happened that night to herself. She doesn't actively ask about fighting and killing, so I guess no one told her about these things.

"It's good, but life is a bit too peaceful, which makes it seem boring," Chen Xuan said lazily. There was no need to pretend or maintain any image in front of the little princess.

Anyway, if she doesn't ask, Chen Xuan won't tell her what he did. If she does ask, he won't hide anything. Chen Xuan has always been this open with the people he cares about.

"Since you're bored, haven't you thought of finding something to do?" the little princess said, speechless.

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan bluntly said, "It's boring as it may be, but it's comfortable. I don't need to actively look for things to do; I think being a couch potato is pretty good."

“Yes, as long as you’re happy,” the little princess nodded in deep agreement; she was also a carefree person.

The surrounding scenery couldn't compare to her beauty. Chen Xuan forced himself to suppress his wandering thoughts, avoiding looking at her long legs hidden under her skirt, and asked, "Qian Ning, how have you been these past few days?"

"It's great. I spend most of my time writing stories. It's quite fulfilling," the little princess said, mimicking his lazy posture. She found it amusing and thought to herself that it was funny how Xuan-gege could pretend to be so serious when his face clearly said, "I have ill intentions."

Unaware that the little princess was deliberately teasing him, Chen Xuan followed up on her topic, saying, "You haven't finished writing this book yet?"

"No, I estimate there are still 100,000 to 200,000 words left. Sales are pretty good, so there's no rush to finish it," she said, shaking her head.

At this moment, Chen Xuan suddenly slapped his forehead and looked at the little princess cautiously, saying, "Um, Qian Ning, I suddenly remembered that you haven't given me any dividends for several months since we first met."

"What does Brother Xuan need so much money for? Don't you trust me to keep it safe for you? Just tell me when you need to spend the money." The little princess immediately became wary.

Oh no, my princess-like tendencies have automatically kicked in. I'll have to be more careful with my secret stash of money from now on. My money, so much of it, looks like I won't be able to get it without a legitimate reason.

Chen Xuan, his heart bleeding, pretended to be nonchalant and said, "Don't worry, don't worry at all. I was just asking."

She said "Oh," thinking to herself that boys with money tend to go astray, and that it was better if she kept the money safe for Xuan-gege. Then she said wistfully, "Speaking of which, although the recent novels have sold well, they're all relying on old material and lack innovation, so they're not very popular. Xuan-gege, do you have any better ideas? Give me some inspiration for the next one."

"That's too much. If Qian Ning could share some of the money with me..." Chen Xuan rubbed his fingers together, giving him a knowing look.

She pretended not to see it and said with great interest, "Tell me about it."

On the verge of tears, Chen Xuan, for the sake of his future wife's career, could only say through tears, "You want innovation, right? That's easy. Ever heard of the magical world?"

"The magical world? Tell me more, Brother Xuan!" The little princess's eyes lit up. She was serious about her career. Although she didn't make a living by writing stories, she genuinely loved it.

He described the entire Western fantasy genre to her in detail: angels, dragons, princesses, warriors, magic, ghosts, demons… After he finished, Chen Xuan smiled and said, “That’s it. Do you have any creative inspiration?” She listened attentively to him for almost half an hour, and finally understood the Western fantasy genre. The little princess looked at him with bright eyes and said, “Brother Xuan, I feel like my thoughts are flowing freely right now, and I have a premonition that, in your words, the next book will definitely be a huge hit. It’s a world view that no one has ever thought of before. I’m going to be the pioneer of the storybook genre again, and the name of Tingfeng Jushi will be great once more!”

Did I not mention Trump to you?
Taking advantage of her excitement and anticipation, Chen Xuan asked, "So, could you share some of the money with me when the time comes?"

"Of course, half for each of us. That's how we've been doing it all these years. I'll just keep it safe for Brother Xuan. Just let me know when you need to spend the money," the little princess said, seemingly oblivious to the expectation on his face.

Before I could say anything, Chen Xuansheng said listlessly, "No rush, take your time to think it through. Slow and steady wins the race. Good things come to those who wait."

"Well, no matter what, we have to finish this one first," the little princess nodded, then asked curiously, "Brother Xuan, the magical civilization you mentioned is completely different from martial arts. It's like you've seen it with your own eyes. Does it really exist?"

Chen Xuan shook his head and said, "Who knows? We don't even know how big this world is, let alone the endless, mysterious, and vast universe. It's hard to say."

"How did you know that?" she asked again.

Chen Xuan blurted out, "I just made it all up, it was all made up."

Can a completely different civilization be perfected through mere imagination? The little princess didn't believe it, but she didn't delve into it further. Instead, she asked, "Brother Xuan, tell me, if such a world really exists, how can we witness it?"

After thinking for a moment, Chen Xuan said, "Reaching the legendary realm of Human Immortal should grant my wish. Before such a realm, the world is but a small pond for one to roam freely. When the mood strikes, venturing into the universe and starry sky is merely a matter of course. As long as it exists, it can be found with a little time."

"Immortals? Never mind, I didn't ask," the little princess sighed, those two words only existed in legends.

With a smile, Chen Xuan said, "If I ever reach the realm of a Human Immortal, I will take you to travel all over the world, no, the entire universe."

“Okay, it’s your word, Brother Xuan, so it’s a deal,” she nodded, without saying anything unrealistic to discourage Chen Xuan.

That's how love is; you say it, and I believe it, but whether it actually comes true is not important.

'If nothing unexpected happens, I have more than ten years to reach the Tribulation Transcending Realm. If all goes well, I can hope to become a Human Immortal in a few decades. The promise should be fulfilled. Qian Ning's age is not a problem. Once I advance further, refining the Longevity Pill will not be difficult, and there is also the Youth Preservation Pill, which will be enough to keep her young and beautiful.' Chen Xuan secretly calculated in his heart.

Before he could say anything, the little princess changed the subject, saying, "Brother Xuan, take out the socks you prepared for me."

While speaking, the little princess thought to herself, "Although Brother Xuan definitely didn't have good intentions, he did provide me with inspiration for going viral. I deducted money from his pay, but I can't leave him without a reward. As long as it's not too outrageous, I'll indulge him a little as a reward."

"Are you sure?" Chen Xuan asked in surprise, then became hesitant.

The little princess chuckled and said, "If Brother Xuan can't bear to part with it, then that's fine."

"Of course I'm willing to part with it, it was originally prepared for you," Chen Xuan quickly said, then hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and taking out the box containing the stockings.

The little princess curiously took the socks and said, "I want to see what kind of socks are making Brother Xuan so hesitant... Ice silk?"

She has a good eye for quality and recognized the material at a glance.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said expectantly, "Yes, I specifically went to the Cold Mountain Sword Sect to exchange them. I made these socks for you, and because I was worried about their cold nature, I also used light red warm jade carved into leaf shapes to decorate them and neutralize the coldness, so they won't affect your health. Do you like them?"

Chen Xuan spent nearly a thousand taels of silver on a piece of warm jade to neutralize the coldness of the jade. He came to the capital today without any money, and the thousand taels of silver he had spent at the casino the other day were almost gone, leaving him penniless again.

"Brother Xuan, you're so thoughtful. I like everything you gave me... This..." she said, picking up the stockings and blushing.

The white stockings are semi-transparent, light and almost weightless, and incredibly elastic. With the resilience of ice silk, they are so strong that they can't be torn, let alone cut with a knife.

These are over-the-knee socks with a simple design. Apart from the leaf-shaped warm jade embellishment, there are no fancy patterns. Chen Xuan plans to start with a simple pair and then launch new styles later, giving the little princess a chance to adjust.

The thought of wearing it, which would fit her legs perfectly and even dig into her thighs, made the little princess blush and ask, "How am I supposed to wear this?"

"Socks are fine to wear as usual. Qian Ning, why don't you try them on now to see if they fit? If there's anything uncomfortable, I can make some improvements," Chen Xuan secretly encouraged, his face showing an attitude of "I'll take care of the after-sales service," but his heart was in his throat.

I just said it was a pair of socks, why is Brother Xuan acting like he's doing something wrong? Turns out he was up to something.

Her heart was racing, and seeing Chen Xuan looking like he was about to drool with desire, she blurted out, "Brother Xuan, do you want to see my legs?"

"Cough cough cough, no way, I'm just worried that it won't fit you, Qian Ning," he quickly retorted, his wicked intentions exposed.

She gave Chen Xuan a shy, bashful look, then lowered her head and whispered, "It's so kind of you, Brother Xuan, I'll wear it and you can check it out for me. You're getting a good deal, hmph, you bad guy."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan's breath hitched, and his heart skipped a beat.

Stay calm. We've seen all sorts of storms, but we've never seen a little princess's legs before, especially not legs in stockings.

...(End of chapter)