Chapter 721: A Family

It was late at night by the time they left the Commandery Princess Mansion.

Li Ji helped Manman into the carriage.

Once they were seated, the carriage slowly started to move.

Because she had drunk some wine, Hua Manman grew drowsy and couldn’t stop yawning.

Li Ji touched her hand and found her fingers were ice-cold.

It was still autumn, so the nights weren’t exceptionally cold, but with Manman’s current constitution, she still felt the chill.

Li Ji pulled her into his arms.

Manman snuggled against him, resting her head on his body and falling into an even deeper sleep.

She didn’t know when she had gotten home; by the time she woke up, it was already the next morning.

Si Yun and Qing Huan attended to Manman, helping her dress and wash up.

Li Ji took the cloth from Si Yun and personally wiped Manman’s face.

He had never waited on anyone before, so his movements were inevitably clumsy. Fortunately, he was patient enough, and his every move was very gentle.

Hua Manman was thoroughly enjoying being pampered.

She narrowed her eyes, like a little lazy cat reveling in the pampering.

After she had washed up, Li Ji picked up a sandalwood comb, apparently intending to comb Manman’s hair himself.

Hua Manman was astonished. “You know how to do hair?”

It wasn’t just her; Si Yun and Qing Huan were surprised too. They couldn’t imagine the Regent King, who had slain countless enemies on the battlefield, combing someone’s hair. The mere thought of such a scene felt surreal.

Li Ji lifted a lock of her hair and said casually.

“I’ll learn as I go.”

Hua Manman was afraid his clumsy hands would rip out her precious hair, so she quickly said, “Your Highness is a busy man. Small matters like doing hair should be left to others. You can go attend to your own business.”

Si Yun obediently stepped forward, ready to take over the Prince’s task at any moment.

But Li Ji showed no intention of backing down.

He watched her eyes in the bronze mirror and asked coolly, “Are you rejecting me?”

Hua Manman gave an awkward laugh. “Hehe, how would I dare reject you?”

Li Ji slid the sandalwood comb into her hair and began to comb slowly.

Catching her nervous and uneasy expression, Li Ji’s lips curved into a slight smile. “It’s fine if you reject me now. Once you’re used to it, you won’t anymore.”

‘From the looks of it, he plans on doing my hair often from now on.’

Hua Manman was very worried for her hair.

‘I hope it can stay on my head a while longer and not be yanked out by this jerk until I’m bald.’

As it turned out, Manman had underestimated Li Ji’s ability to learn.

He styled Manman’s hair into a single-coil bun. Even though it was the simplest hairstyle, and even though he had Si Yun and Qing Huan guiding him from the side, for someone doing hair for the first time, Li Ji’s result was already fantastic.

At least, Hua Manman was very satisfied with it.

She turned her head left and right before the mirror, her eyes crinkling with a smile as she offered sincere praise.

“Your Highness, you’re quite skilled!”

Li Ji rummaged through her jewelry box, picked out a golden hairpin, and inserted it into the bun at an angle.

As if remembering something, he replied with a cryptic smile.

“If our Prince Mansion ever runs out of money, you can give massages to the blind for a living, and I can make money doing people’s hair.”

Hua Manman’s face flushed.

‘Back when I didn’t know this jerk had the Mind Reading Technique, I used to curse him in my head all the time and let my imagination run wild.’

‘Now the jerk is deliberately teasing me about those things.’

Hua Manman decided to change the subject.

“I’m so hungry. Let’s go eat.”

However, before she could stand up, Li Ji pushed her back down.

He picked up the screw ink. “I haven’t done your eyebrows yet.”

Hua Manman said quickly, “There’s no need. I’m not going out today anyway, so it doesn’t matter if I don’t wear makeup.”

But Li Ji insisted.

“But I want to do your eyebrows.”

‘He had often heard people say that a husband doing his wife’s eyebrows was a romantic gesture.’

‘He wanted to experience that kind of romance, too.’

Hua Manman had no choice but to urge him on.

“Then be quick about it.”

Li Ji lifted her chin with his fingers, examining her face from side to side as he pondered where to begin.

Hua Manman said, “If you don’t know how to do them, you can use Si Yun and Qing Huan’s eyebrows as a reference.”

But Li Ji didn’t even glance at Si Yun or Qing Huan. His eyes remained fixed on Manman’s face as he chuckled lightly.

“Since I’m the one doing your eyebrows, they have to be different from everyone else’s.”

Hua Manman didn’t understand. It was just eyebrows; how could he possibly make them look unique?

It wasn’t until Li Ji put down the screw ink and announced his masterpiece complete that Hua Manman saw her reflection in the mirror.

Her eyebrows were black, thick, and crooked, like two ugly black caterpillars.

They completely ruined her otherwise pretty and delicate face.

After a brief, stunned silence, Hua Manman slowly turned her head to the man beside her and asked in a trembling voice.

“This is the ‘different’ you were talking about?”

Li Ji smiled impeccably. “This is a new style of eyebrow I invented especially for you. No one else has it. Only you are worthy of possessing it.”

Hua Manman: “…”

A cold smile touched her lips as she reached out and grabbed the screw ink.

“How can I be the only one to possess such a unique eyebrow style? We’re husband and wife; naturally, we should share. Come, let me do your eyebrows, too.”

Sensing trouble, Li Ji turned and fled.

Hua Manman chased after him with the screw ink, shouting as she ran.

“You had the guts to do my eyebrows, so have the guts to stay put!”

Li Xun came looking for his mother, with the Three-colored Cat trailing behind him.

The boy and the cat ran right into the fleeing Li Ji.

Hua Manman shouted, “Gou Dan, stop your dad for me!”

Li Xun didn’t know what was going on, but since it was his mother’s command, he naturally had to obey.

Like a little cannonball, he charged straight at Li Ji.

Caught off guard, Li Ji was headbutted in the stomach, causing him to stagger back two steps.

Hua Manman rushed over, grabbed Li Ji’s collar from behind, and laughed menacingly.

“You think you can escape from my grasp? I advise you to give up without a fight.”

To prevent Li Ji from breaking free, Manman called Gou Dan over to help.

The mother and son held Li Ji down and used the screw ink to draw a thick, black unibrow across his face.

After finishing, Hua Manman had someone bring a hand mirror so Li Ji could properly appreciate her work.

Li Ji looked at himself in the mirror, his expression absolutely priceless.

Li Xun looked first at his father, then at his mother, and their appearances made him break into a wide, loud laugh.

‘Hahaha, Father and Mother look so ridiculous right now!’

But in the next moment, Hua Manman and Li Ji both turned to look at Li Xun simultaneously.

The husband and wife broke into identical, mischievous smiles.

‘Since we’re family, we have to share our hardships.’

Li Ji rushed forward and held Gou Dan down while Hua Manman, with two quick strokes of the screw ink, drew a pair of downward-slanting eyebrows on him.

Li Xun looked at himself in the mirror and burst into miserable tears.

‘Mom and Dad are so mean!’

The Three-colored Cat was watching the spectacle with great relish.

However, in the next moment, Li Ji, Manman, and Gou Dan all turned their gazes upon it.

The Three-colored Cat froze, a sense of doom washing over it.

It turned to run, but Li Ji scooped it up by the scruff of its neck.

Hua Manman approached it step by step, screw ink in hand.

A moment later, two thick, black eyebrows had also appeared on the Three-colored Cat’s face.

It hung its head low, its face smooshed into a chubby, distressed frown.

Hua Manman announced with satisfaction.

“A family should be whole and complete!”