Wine-scented Beauty

Chapter 364: Rouge Ruins Makeup

Seeing Zhao Ning'er's state, Ji Meiqing didn't know what to do, but couldn't help laughing, which made Zhao Ning'er's eyes well up with tears. Looking at Ji Meiqing, she said in a sobbing voice, "Sister Meiqing, please stop laughing, please help me, have I messed everything up?" As she spoke, she started to cry.

Seeing her like this, Ji Meiqing truly understood for the first time what it meant for a woman to be made of water; the rouge on her face was almost completely washed away by her tears. Ji Meiqing quickly wiped away her tears and said, "Oh, oh, oh, don't cry, don't cry, I've thought of a way."

Upon hearing Ji Meiqing say she had an idea, Zhao Ning'er immediately stopped crying, staring at Ji Meiqing with wide eyes like an innocent child, which gave Ji Meiqing a real headache. She racked her brains for a solution; if she washed her face now, she would have to remove all her makeup, and starting over would mean missing the allotted time.

But now she didn't know what to do. Seeing Zhao Ning'er's expression of utter helplessness, she patted her forehead. As soon as Zhao Ning'er saw Ji Meiqing like this, she knew there was no way out. Her previously happy face instantly fell, she pouted, and lowered her head.

"I've got it! Hey, Ning'er, stop crying, I've got a solution!" Ji Meiqing suddenly brightened up as she looked at Zhao Ning'er's face, which was a complete mess from touching it. Zhao Ning'er didn't react much, as if Ji Meiqing's words hadn't been said at all.

Ji Meiqing took her hand and said, "You don't need to remove the rouge from your face." Zhao Ning'er, who had been looking down, looked up at Ji Meiqing with a puzzled expression, wondering if she was joking. But Ji Meiqing seemed confident, which made Zhao Ning'er even more suspicious of what Ji Meiqing was planning.

"Sister Meiqing, are you sure this is okay...? Today is my big day, and I'm like this..." She said, looking at herself in the mirror, not daring to think about what Shen Bin's reaction would be after he lifted her veil that night, whether he would call off the wedding, or whether he would abandon her.

The more she thought about it, the sadder she became, and her eyes welled up with tears. Ji Meiqing felt helpless looking at Zhao Ning'er, who was about to cry. She placed one hand on Zhao Ning'er's other hand and said earnestly, "Ning'er, don't cry. This time it's definitely a good idea."

Zhao Ning'er sniffed and looked at Ji Meiqing. Not wanting it to be a joke, she wiped her eyes to stop the tears from falling. She said, "Sister Meiqing, then tell me quickly." Ji Meiqing looked at her impatient appearance, covered her face and chuckled. She had never seen anyone so eager to marry her off.

Zhao Ning'er seemed to know what Ji Meiqing was thinking. Her face suddenly turned red, and she immediately lowered her head, unconsciously twisting the handkerchief in her hand. Seeing Zhao Ning'er's embarrassed appearance, Ji Meiqing stopped laughing.

"Ning'er, don't wipe the rouge off your face. If this Young Master Shen truly likes you, he won't say anything if you do this. If he has any objections, you're better off without a man like him. I'll find you someone better." Ji Meiqing said to Zhao Ning'er, who looked worried after hearing this.

Looking at Ji Meiqing, and thinking about what she had just said, she said, "Sister Ji, this isn't right... What if he really doesn't want me anymore?" As she spoke, she thought of how Shen Bin had abandoned her, and a feeling of heartache welled up inside her.

Ji Meiqing looked at Zhao Ning'er's stunningly beautiful face and was speechless. It was the first time she had ever seen a woman look down on her like this, which shocked her. In modern times, there are so many single women who are good-looking and don't have to worry about getting married. This was the first time she had seen someone like this. She really had learned something new.

“Ning’er, are you worried that if Shen Bin doesn’t want you, then no one else will? Let me tell you, if you marry Young Master Shen looking beautiful, what if you get old and ugly and Shen Bin doesn’t want you anymore? Marrying him like this is a good way to test him.” Ji Meiqing explained slowly. Zhao Ning’er, who was originally full of worry, hesitated for a while before nodding, agreeing with Ji Meiqing’s idea.

Ji Meiqing used a hairpin to help Zhao Ning'er tie her hair up, muttering, "Ning'er, why are there so few headdresses? Why isn't there a phoenix crown?" Looking at the items on the dressing table, Ji Meiqing saw only some hairpins and hair ornaments; there were very few things to wear on the head. Ji Meiqing couldn't help but feel that Shen Bin was being too stingy.

"Sister Ji, don't talk nonsense. This phoenix crown is only for the concubines in the palace to wear. If I were to wear it, that would be unacceptable." Zhao Ning'er immediately explained upon hearing Ji Meiqing's words. Ji Meiqing was actually thinking about the phoenix crown. If she were to wear it, that would be a capital offense.

"That young master Shen is really something. A woman only gets married once, and he doesn't even think about buying you any jewelry." Ji Meiqing couldn't help but blame Shen Bing for being so stingy with such a beautiful wife.

"He also said he would buy it for me, but I refused. I don't usually like to wear anything expensive, so I was afraid it would be a waste if I bought it." Zhao Ning'er said, picking up the golden butterfly comb from the dressing table and slowly putting it on her head.

Seeing how protective Zhao Ning'er was of Shen Bin, Ji Meiqing shook her head helplessly, feeling a little worried that Ning'er, who was so deeply in love, might suffer after marrying Shen Bin.

Zhao Ning'er put on a hairpin and hair ornament, then looked at herself in the mirror with satisfaction. She smiled sweetly at Ji Meiqing, her red wedding dress making her already fair skin appear even more radiant. Ji Meiqing was somewhat mesmerized by her beauty; if she were dressed in plain clothes and without makeup, she would be as beautiful as a celestial being.

Now, dressed in her wedding gown, Zhao Ning'er's innate elegance and exquisite features stunned Ji Meiqing. The only flaw was the smudged rouge on her face, but it couldn't hide her stunning beauty.

"Sister Ji, what's wrong?" Zhao Ning'er looked at herself in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction. She turned her head and saw that Ji Meiqing next to her was in a daze. She called out to her, and Ji Meiqing quickly turned around and smiled awkwardly. Suddenly, she felt that compared with Zhao Ning'er, she was really too ordinary.

"Now that the veil is on, you are the bride. I wish you a long and happy life together." Ji Meiqing said her blessings while holding the veil, and then placed the veil on Zhao Ning'er's head. Zhao Ning'er nodded and said, "Thank you, Sister Ji."

For some reason, Ji Meiqing was somewhat moved, as if she were sending her daughter off to get married. Thinking about it, she couldn't help but laugh. How could she possibly have such a big daughter? Although Lu Yu had always wanted a child, he had never been able to find one. This time, when he returned to Rongcheng... Thinking about it, she couldn't help but blush.

Because Zhao Ning'er had relatives in her family, she departed from an inn to marry into the Shen family. Ji Meiqing picked out a large, red apple and handed it to Zhao Ning'er. Zhao Ning'er took the apple, her heart pounding with excitement.