The Prince's Beloved Little Wife

On this day, Chen Mengyao's Jade Beauty Shop finally opened. She had Ouyang Han inform the ladies of the palace and his brothers and sisters a day in advance. Before dawn, a long queue had already formed in front of the shop. The shop was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and red silk hung from the eaves. The exquisite signboard shone with a warm light in the morning sun, and the three large characters "Jade Beauty Shop" exuded a unique elegance.

As soon as Chen Shi (7-9 AM) arrived, firecrackers crackled and popped, filling the air with a festive atmosphere amidst the smoke. Chen Mengyao appeared before everyone in a light pink brocade dress, looking like a fairy descending to earth.

The doors slowly opened, and customers poured in. The shop was exquisitely decorated, with various bottles and jars arranged in an orderly fashion. The female employees warmly greeted the customers, while the maids Ouyang Han had arranged were busy demonstrating various beauty creams and ointments. He had specially brought in many maids because he was worried that the shop would be too crowded. He also had many guards at the entrance to maintain order, in case anything went wrong or someone caused trouble. Seeing these people, Chen Mengyao admired Ouyang Han's thoughtfulness even more, and her love for him deepened.

The families of high-ranking officials and nobles gathered around the new products, their eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation. One product, a face powder called "Peach Blossom Reflecting Snow," had a fine, snowflake-like texture and a faint peach blossom scent. It sold out immediately upon its release.

There were also beauty pills made from precious medicinal herbs, said to have miraculous effects in preserving youth, which attracted wealthy ladies to bid against each other. For a time, the Jade Beauty Pavilion was bustling with noise and excitement, while Chen Mengyao stood aside with a satisfied smile on her lips.

As more and more people arrived, the Jade Beauty Pavilion gradually became crowded. At that moment, a maid accidentally knocked over a bottle of expensive face cream. The costly cream spilled all over the floor, and the maid, pale with fright, immediately knelt down. The surroundings instantly quieted down, and everyone looked at Chen Mengyao, wondering how she would handle the situation.

Chen Mengyao gently helped the maid up and said softly, "It's alright. Today is a joyous occasion; there's no need to worry about such things." The maid was moved to tears and thanked her profusely. This scene drew praise from everyone present for Chen Mengyao's kindness and generosity.

Just then, a commotion arose outside. It turned out that Su Li, the renowned talented woman of the city, had heard of the opening of Yu Yan Fang and brought a group of friends with her. After entering, Su Li's gaze swept across the store, finally settling on Chen Mengyao, her eyes filled with scrutiny. She slowly said, "I've long heard of Yu Yan Fang's reputation, and today I've come to see if it's truly as miraculous as it claims." With that, she walked towards the remaining items, ready to examine them personally. Chen Mengyao gave a slight bow, smiling as she accepted the challenge, and the atmosphere in the store became subtly tense. Su Li picked up a skincare product called "Moonlight Dew," sniffed it lightly, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "The fragrance is quite unique, but I wonder if its effects are truly as rumored." She then gestured for the maid beside her to try it. After the maid applied it, her skin seemed to glow with a luminous sheen. Su Li was secretly astonished, but her face remained impassive, "It's nothing more than superficial."

Chen Mengyao wasn't annoyed. She simply ordered someone to bring over another new product, "Starry Radiance Cream," and said, "Miss Su, why don't you try this one?"

Su Li accepted the item with some skepticism, and was about to try it out when the shop door was pushed open again. Crown Prince Ouyang Ling, Prince Jing Ouyang Han, Prince Duan Ouyang Yu, Prince Wen Ouyang Yi, and several princes and princesses from the capital, including the eldest princess Ouyang Xue and the youngest princess Ouyang Yao, had all arrived. Everyone hurriedly bowed, and the shop suddenly felt cramped.

Ouyang Ling spoke first: "I heard that this place is bustling with activity and there are some novel items, so I came to take a look." His gaze swept over the "Starry Radiance Cream" in Su Li's hand, which she had not yet tried, and he asked curiously, "What is this?" Su Li respectfully replied, "Your Highness, this is the 'Starry Radiance Cream' newly released by Yu Yan Fang. I am about to try it out."

Ouyang Ling smiled and said, "Then you should try it." Su Li then applied the cream, and her already beautiful face instantly became even more radiant, as if starlight had fallen into her eyes. Su Li couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Chen Mengyao smiled and looked at everyone: "This cream is made from a variety of rare medicinal herbs. It not only nourishes the skin but also has a skin-nourishing effect."

Ouyang Ling nodded approvingly, "Truly amazing." Seeing this, the other princes and princesses also stepped forward to select their favorite items. Su Li glanced at Chen Mengyao, a hint of admiration in her eyes, and said softly, "I've truly witnessed something today; Miss Chen is indeed remarkable." Chen Mengyao responded modestly, and the Jade Beauty Pavilion was filled with laughter and joy.

Ouyang Han walked straight to Chen Mengyao's side and asked softly, "Is there any trouble?" Chen Mengyao shook her head. Chen Mengyao bowed slightly and said to everyone, "Our shop is simple, but the private rooms inside are more spacious. If you don't mind, you can move inside to discuss things further." Crown Prince Ouyang Ling raised an eyebrow and readily agreed, and the other princes and princesses nodded in agreement.

After entering the private room, everyone took their seats. Chen Mengyao personally brewed a pot of fragrant tea, the aroma rising gently. Ouyang Ling picked up his teacup, took a sip, and praised, "This tea is quite extraordinary." Chen Mengyao smiled and said, "Your Highness is too kind. It's just ordinary tea leaves with a little bit of flower dew collected from the mountains."

Ouyang Han looked at Chen Mengyao and slowly said, "Yaoyao, your Jade Beauty Shop is doing so well now, I'm afraid some people are envious and jealous. If you encounter any difficulties, be sure to tell us." Chen Mengyao felt a warmth in her heart, but before she could answer, Ouyang Xue teased with a smile, "Third brother is just worried about your future wife." A hint of embarrassment flashed across Ouyang Han's face, and he coughed lightly.

At this moment, Su Li said, "Miss Chen is exceptionally intelligent. The items in this Jade Beauty Pavilion are exquisite and unique. Even if someone is jealous, I believe Miss Chen can handle it with ease." Everyone nodded in agreement, and the atmosphere in the private room became even more harmonious. Chen Mengyao looked at everyone with gratitude in her heart, knowing that she had gained more support in the capital.

Ouyang Yao exaggeratedly said, "Third sister-in-law, you're amazing! You found such a talented person to make such great skincare products. If anyone causes you trouble, remember to ask Third Brother for help. He'll definitely beat them to a pulp. If you don't mind, you can also come to me, and I'll beat them up for you."

Hearing their conversation, Su Li realized that Chen Mengyao was Prince Jing's fiancée, Ouyang Han, and her fondness for her grew even stronger. Su Li was the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and a renowned talent in the capital. She quickly and respectfully said to Chen Mengyao, "So Miss Chen is Prince Jing's fiancée! Please forgive my rudeness. Please forgive me if my words were offensive." Seeing her politeness, Chen Mengyao was even more pleased and said, "Thank you for your appreciation today. I'll give you a 20% discount on the skincare products you just picked out, as a token of my friendship. I hope you'll bring your friends to patronize our store in the future." Su Li was overjoyed and thanked her repeatedly, "Thank you very much, Miss Chen. I'll take my leave now, so as not to disturb your conversation any longer." After giving Chen Mengyao the money, she left with the skincare products and her maid.

Seeing that there were no outsiders present, Chen Mengyao quickly raised her teacup to the princes and princesses: "Yao'er thanks all my brothers, sisters, and cousins ​​for coming to support me. I've given you all the skincare products you chose today. I'll offer you tea in lieu of wine. If you have time tonight, please come to Prince Jing's residence, and I'll personally cook a few dishes for you to try as a way of thanking you for your kindness." The Crown Prince continued, "Oh? Sister-in-law can actually cook? Then this Crown Prince is in for a treat. I'll be troubling you tonight." "Great! There's delicious food! Third Sister-in-law, your cooking must be wonderful!" The adorable Princess Ouyang Yao jumped up and exclaimed upon hearing about the food. Everyone was amused by her reaction. Ouyang Han, however, became unhappy and said pitifully, "Yaoyao, you can actually cook? You've been living here for so long and you've never cooked for me?"

The Crown Prince and the other princes and princesses were stunned by Ouyang Han's coquettish tone. Was this really the third brother they knew? Wasn't he supposed to be cold and aloof? Who was this man acting so affectionately? Had he been possessed? Everyone was taken aback by his actions and began to speculate. Only Chen Mengyao remained calm and said, "Yichen, it's not that I don't want to cook for you, it's just that I don't have time. Besides, you never said you wanted to eat my cooking. Tonight I'll cook a few more of your favorite dishes to make up for it, okay? I'll cook for you anytime you want to eat them." Only then did Ouyang Han happily give Chen Mengyao a kiss on the cheek.

Everyone suddenly realized that it was their third sister-in-law/sister-in-law who had trained him to be like this. She was truly amazing, turning a dignified war god prince into a cute, cuddly puppy. They all wanted to ask her how she did it. They couldn't bear to watch Ouyang Han's actions any longer. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they went back first, leaving Ouyang Han and Chen Mengyao behind. Ouyang Yao didn't leave either; she had finally escaped the palace and didn't want to go back so soon. So she stubbornly insisted on staying with Chen Mengyao, which infuriated Ouyang Han so much that he almost threw her out.

They played around inside for a while before going outside. They were shocked by what they saw: a sea of ​​people, so crowded there wasn't a single gap to pass. Among them were the personal maids of the various concubines from the palace. They were queuing to pay, each carrying a large bag of groceries. Ouyang Yao couldn't help but admire Chen Mengyao even more: "Third Sister-in-law, look how popular your products are! I bet you make hundreds of thousands of taels a day here!" Chen Mengyao modestly replied, "I don't know, we'll have to count them tonight. There are so many people here, come on, I'll take you back to the Prince's Mansion. I have lots of delicious food there." Ouyang Yao's eyes lit up at the mention of good food. She grabbed Chen Mengyao's arm and squeezed through the crowd, leaving Ouyang Han pacing back in frustration.