Pet Ancient Husband

Chapter 10: Zhe Si's Apology

“Wait! Young lady! It was my poor guidance just now. I wonder if you would be willing to give me a chance to apologize?” The man called out to us respectfully.

“No need. We sisters aren't petty people.”

“Sisters? You and Chi... uh! I mean, this young lady from the former Chiyan Kingdom are sisters?” Realizing his wording was inappropriate, the man quickly changed the subject.

“What? Is that not allowed? Superficial people judge by appearance. I didn't think Third Young Master would be like that!” I sarcastically remarked, a bit angry. What was wrong with being from the Chiyan Kingdom? If the people of Chiyan hadn't been so kind and easy to deceive, how would they have ended up as slaves?

“My words were inappropriate. I hope Fire Young Lady can forgive me,” he apologized to Yan Yan for his earlier slip of the tongue, but his eyes were fixed on me.

“While everyone else is drunk, I remain sober. There are few in this world who can see through the illusions of society. How can we expect too much from others?” I inwardly sneered but spoke calmly.

“Young lady has such elegant literary talent. Your words are truly profound. It is I who lacks the ability to see through the world's illusions, which is why I underestimated Fire Young Lady,” he said, his gaze deepening as he looked at me.

“Third Young Master needn't worry about it. I was just speaking off the cuff. Please forgive me. Let's not talk about this topic anymore,” I said gently, though my eyes sparkled with defiance.

“Well, alright. But regarding Ah Fu, even though you are magnanimous, it was still due to my poor guidance. How about this: I will host a dinner at my residence for the two of you as an apology. Would you ladies do me the honor?”

“Thank you for your kindness, Third Young Master. We appreciate your gesture, but perhaps we can meet another time. As you can see, we are both in a mess right now, so we would like to go in and get some new clothes,” I replied. Speaking with people from the past was really troublesome; it felt like my tongue was tying itself in knots.

“Since the young lady is unwilling, I won't insist. How about this: whatever clothes the two of you choose in my shop today, consider them my apology gifts. What do you think?” The man in the green robe was polite, but there was a hint of something unsettling in his eyes, which made me uncomfortable.

“No need. Since I'm not angry anymore, there's no reason to accept your gifts. Besides, I'm sure the clothes in your shop are quite expensive.”

“My intentions are sincere. If you refuse even this small token of my apology, it would seem like you look down on me,” he said, his tone becoming much stronger than before.

Yan Yan tugged at my sleeve, looking a bit uneasy. I gave her a reassuring smile, “Since Third Young Master is so sincere, if I refuse again, it would make us seem petty. Let's accept your apology, but don't be upset when you see the bill, okay?” I winked playfully. Although I didn't particularly like this guy, he had done a good job with his surface manners. As long as he didn't overstep any boundaries, I didn't need to be too harsh.

Something flickered in the man's eyes as he looked at me, but it was gone too quickly for me to catch. “Since the young lady is willing to accept my apology, please, come this way,” he said with a smile, gesturing for us to enter.

“Since we're now friends, Third Young Master, you can stop calling me 'young lady.' It sounds awkward. Just call me Ruo'er, and call my sister Yan Yan,” I said, pulling Yan Yan towards the vermilion door.

The man seemed taken aback for a moment, but then a hint of displeasure crossed his face. “Ruo'er, do you usually introduce yourself like this? A woman's given name shouldn't be so casually revealed.”

“Is there something wrong with that? Names are meant to be called, and I don't see anything wrong with my introduction,” I said, puzzled, glancing at Yan Yan.

Yan Yan sighed and wrote on my hand, “Third Young Master is worried that you're too casually revealing your nickname. It's a term used among close relatives.”

Oh~ I understood now. It was all because of the name my dad had given me. “Third Young Master is right. My surname is Ruo, and my given name is Er. Is that satisfactory?” I said playfully.

“You have the surname Ruo?” The Third Young Master's face flushed with embarrassment.

“Yes. Is there still something unsatisfactory, Third Young Master? I'm willing to listen to your teachings,” I said, pretending to bow respectfully, then burst into laughter.

“Ruo'er is truly a rare and extraordinary woman! You can stop calling me Third Young Master. My name is Rong Zhe Si. You can call me Zhe Si, or just...” He looked at me with an ambiguous expression.

“Ha~ Young Master Rong is so straightforward. I'll call you Zhe Si then!” Zhe~! How awkward!

“Alright! Ruo'er, Yan Yan, let me introduce you to the Nei Shang Fang. Our shop is divided into two sections, left and right. The left side mainly sells ready-made clothes, while the right side deals in fabrics. Both sections have male and female areas. In the middle, there's a display platform showcasing the latest fabrics and ready-made clothes of the month,” Rong Zhe Si explained with a hint of pride in his voice. Indeed, the Nei Shang Fang had its unique strengths. I noticed that its business model was somewhat similar to that of the twenty-first century. No wonder it had achieved such success.

“No wonder the Rong family is one of the three wealthiest families in Shengyuan. Just this business method alone is beyond the imagination of many people,” I nodded in admiration. The fabrics and clothes on display were truly beautiful. In such an information-limited era, someone with such ingenuity was definitely not ordinary.

Rong Zhe Si's eyes gleamed as he said, “This business model was thought of by my eldest brother.” There was a hint of jealousy in his voice. It seemed the Rong family must be quite lively!

“I really want to meet your eldest brother!” I sighed softly.

“Do you care so much about my eldest brother?” Rong Zhe Si's tone rose slightly, but probably due to his status and the environment, he didn't show it too obviously. However, I could tell he was upset.

This question hit me hard. I remembered Ye Jie had said the same thing before, his handsome face tinged with sadness. He had been so good to me, yet I was destined to hurt him. Maybe we would never see each other again in this life. Better not to meet than to meet and be disappointed. I sighed softly, feeling Yan Yan tug at my sleeve, realizing I had been daydreaming. “No~! I've never met your eldest brother, so how could I care? Let's not talk about this anymore. Yan Yan and I are going to pick out some clothes. Zhe Si, you're not joining us, are you?” I laughed lightly, pulling Yan Yan towards the women's section on the left, leaving Rong Zhe Si with a flushed face.

“I'll wait for you at the entrance.”

“Thank you.” Phew~ Finally, I got rid of this annoying guy.

“Wow~ So beautiful!” As soon as I entered the left hall, I was captivated by the colorful array of clothes. So pretty! The Nei Shang Fang truly lived up to its reputation. I picked up a piece at random, its lightweight texture making me reluctant to let go.

Yan Yan stood still, and I looked at her in confusion. “Why aren't you picking anything? Don't you think it's beautiful? Or don't you like it?”

She glanced at me and wrote on my hand, “No, it's very beautiful, but didn't you say we should pick men's clothes first? Why...”

Oh, I see! I laughed and said, “We're being paid for by Young Master Rong this time, and with so many people knowing we're women, wouldn't it be strange to come out in men's clothes? Once we've changed, we'll find a comfortable place to stay and then ask the shop assistant to buy some for us. That would be better, right?”

She nodded but still didn't move.

“Why aren't you picking? Trying to save money for Young Master Rong?” I teased, looking at Yan Yan, who stood as still as a mountain.

She shook her head and pointed at me.

“You want me to choose for you?” Seeing her nod, I shook my head helplessly. “Alright! Since our beautiful Yan Yan trusts me so much, I'll do my best to dress you up like a fairy.” I picked up a sky-blue Yunluo dress and held it against her. This one looks good. The light color, combined with the elegant and well-fitted cut, is simple yet charming. It will highlight Yan Yan's graceful aura. Most importantly, it's long enough. “Let's go with this one. You should try it on.”

“I'll try this one,” I said,