Upon Her Lips - Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Mu Fei frowned. She leaned down, grabbed Yuran by the back of her collar, and hoisted her up with a single tug, placing her a good three feet away.

“You.” Mu Fei looked down at Yuran with cold eyes.

Hearing the Lady’s icy tone, Yuran realized she had crossed a line. She quickly hung her head, waiting for a reprimand; she was even prepared to take a beating. She had truly only done it because she was worried the Lady would be cold…

Seeing the little creature flinch, Mu Fei had intended to tell her not to do unnecessary things, but the sight of Yuran’s piteous expression made her swallow her words.

“Never mind,” Mu Fei sighed, deciding against a lecture.

Dao Lei’s stern face was actually twitching with suppressed amusement. He had guessed that Mu Fei wouldn’t be too harsh on Yuran. At that moment, a servant approached, whispered a brief report to Dao Lei, and withdrew.

Dao Lei let out a cough.

“What? If you’re unwell, perhaps I should give you a few days off,” Mu Fei said coldly, clearly hearing that the cough was intentional.

Dao Lei’s expression was subtle. He shook his head respectfully. “Master is so considerate; as your most loyal follower, I am truly flattered. I simply felt that the following news might disturb your mood.”

Mu Fei turned her head. “Speak.”

“A message from the Campbell family. Miss Beatrice Campbell says she will personally welcome you at the entrance for this Saturday’s banquet. She likely—” Dao Lei wisely shut his mouth. He could already see Mu Fei’s expression darkening. He immediately changed the subject. “Oh, there is also a relatively better piece of news: the custom-made evening gown has arrived at the mansion. Would you like to go and try it on?”

Mu Fei’s eyes remained somber. “That doesn’t count as good news.”

She turned and headed inside. Dao Lei followed immediately. “That is why I said it was ‘relatively’ better.”

He received a sharp eye-roll from his master in return.

One could only imagine that the atmosphere while the Master tried on her new gown would be as cold as a glacier. Dao Lei shook his head. Being a butler was a thankless job. Knowing his master’s bad mood was imminent, he didn’t want to be the sole target of the fallout. He turned back to see little Yuran still standing blankly in the courtyard.

Yuran always seemed to be the one capable of slightly soothing their master’s mercurial temper. In a sense, she was like a “little mascot.”

Dao Lei immediately called to a nearby servant, “Bring the ‘little mascot’ along too to serve the Master while she changes.”

…

Yuran was still in the middle of a self-reflection in the snow when a servant called her over. She had watched the Lady go inside but hadn’t dared follow without being summoned. When she was told she could join them, her heart leapt with joy.

She pursed her lips and followed along. On the way, she overheard two servants whispering that the Lady was in a bad mood. Yuran’s heart clenched with nerves. Was she still angry about my ‘offense’ earlier? Her happiness instantly turned into intense anxiety.

In this state, Yuran was led to the door of the inner chamber. She looked tentatively at Mr. Dao Lei, lifting her head as if seeking guidance.

“Yuran.”

“P-present!”

“Go inside and see if the Master needs anything.” Even through the door, Dao Lei could sense the displeasure of the person inside. Could it be that even a world-class master tailor can’t satisfy my picky master? Of course, most of that displeasure likely stemmed from the banquet itself—one hosted by the Campbell family, whom she detested.

So, he decided to let little Yuran go in as a buffer.

Yuran had a thousand worries. She was convinced she had upset the Lady, and being a sensitive soul, she blamed herself entirely. However, since Mr. Dao Lei requested it, she had to go.

The servants at the door pulled back the curtain, and Dao Lei gave Yuran a gentle push inside.

Sure enough, Yuran saw Aunt Dai standing nearby with a strained expression, while Ao Wei (another servant) stood with his head bowed as if he had just been scolded.

What on earth is happening in here?

Yuran looked up nervously at the Lady surrounded by people. As they stepped aside, Yuran froze in her tracks.

Lady Mu Fei… was breathtaking. She looked like all the warm starlight in the night sky gathered into one person.

She was draped in a deep purple gown. Her cool, pale skin provided a striking contrast against the dark silk, making it impossible to look away. However, the owner of the gown did not seem satisfied.

The moment Yuran entered the room, the master tailor, Connie (known in the industry as “Goddess Connie”), and her two assistants immediately sensed something unusual—the scent of a human.

“Is there a problem with a human being in my mansion?” Mu Fei spoke first, her cold gaze fixed on Connie, a design genius who supposedly gave herself a new face every fifty years.

Connie immediately shook her head and shot a warning glance at her young assistant, silently ordering them not to show any unseemly bloodlust. This was Mu family territory, after all.

“Of course not, Excellency Mu Fei. It is just that during my last visit to measure you, I hadn’t seen such a lovely little person. She’s just a new face to me.” Connie respectfully smoothed the fabric at Mu Fei’s waist, not daring to linger for an extra second. After all, the head of the Mu family was a notorious germaphobe who disliked being touched.

Mu Fei gave a soft snort but didn’t respond directly. She looked down at the floral pleats on her chest with a hint of confusion, seemingly undecided if the piece truly suited her. Connie worked diligently, precisely relaying adjustments to her assistants and cinching the waist slightly tighter.

Everyone in the room was busy revolving around Lady Mu Fei; it seemed Yuran was the only one without a task. She watched the others, but there was nothing for her to help with. She stood silently in a corner, waiting for an order.

However, her eyes were glued to the fairy-like figure in the center. she couldn’t even hear what the others were saying; she just stared blankly and directly at the radiant Lady.

“Yuran!”

“Eh…? Y-yes! I’m here!” Yuran snapped out of it, meeting Aunt Dai’s slightly reproachful gaze. “A-Aunt Dai.”

Aunt Dai patted her shoulder. “Stop daydreaming. Go and tidy the Lady’s hem.”

“Okay.”

Yuran stepped forward. There were three strangers in the room—the messengers who made the clothes. She bowed her head slightly and summoned her courage to walk toward the purple train. She knelt and carefully pulled at the fabric. She felt she wasn’t even qualified to touch such a beautiful gown, so she was incredibly cautious, her hands trembling.

Connie, tape measure in hand, glanced curiously at the small child at Mu Fei’s feet. Who is this human girl? She knew Mu Fei never had a taste for keeping humans for blood, so what was this girl’s status?

Though Connie was burning with curiosity, she didn’t dare ask. Even though she had designed Mu Fei’s clothes for decades, the Lady was not one for socializing—she was cold and detached.

Mu Fei glanced down at Yuran at her feet, then tilted her head up to let Aunt Dai and Connie measure her shoulders and waist.

“The shoulders are perfect. Let me just measure the waist once more. I must say, after all these years, your figure is as perfect as ever. I’m almost jealous,” Connie said with a smile.

Mu Fei merely raised an eyebrow. She looked at herself in the massive floor-length mirror. The dress was Connie’s masterpiece, “Starry Night”—a tight-fitting gown of blackish-purple. She disliked overly gaudy clothes, so her wardrobe consisted almost entirely of dark tones. After all, she belonged to the darkness.

Everyone around her always told her how beautiful she looked during fittings, but she was tired of hearing the opinions of servants and designers. She shifted her gaze to the little thing at her feet, who hadn’t looked up once.

The dress didn’t even drag on the floor, yet the little thing seemed so anxious that she kept smoothing the air behind the dress, as if she feared being scolded if she stopped for a second. Mu Fei frowned inwardly and called her name in a cold voice.

“Yuran.”

Yuran looked up instantly. “Y-yes! My Lady…”

Her tiny fingers were still tightly clutching the dark purple fabric, but her eyes were now stuck on Mu Fei. The Lady looked so beautiful in the gown, like countless stars emitting a gentle light in the dark night. Yuran only dared to look as high as the Lady’s waist; she didn’t dare look her in the face.

Mu Fei let out a soft chuckle. Seeing Yuran’s expression, she didn’t need a verbal answer.

“We’ll take this one. Adjust the details and have it sent to the mansion tomorrow evening.” Mu Fei removed her hairpin, letting her long hair cascade down, and instructed Connie to help her out of the gown.

As Connie unzipped the back of the dress, the fair skin of the Lady’s neck and back were slowly exposed. Yuran’s eyes widened, and the moment the zipper reached the base of the spine, she realized what she was seeing, blushed furiously, and turned around.

She felt she had no right to see the Lady’s perfect body, not even a glimpse. Her heart was pounding wildly, as if it were about to jump out of her chest. She took two deep breaths to calm herself.

“Yuran, if you keep clutching the hem like that, how is Ms. Connie supposed to help the Master change?” Aunt Dai patted Yuran’s shoulder, reminding her to let go.

Yuran released the fabric immediately and stood still with her head bowed. She knew her place; she shouldn’t peek, and she shouldn’t have any envious thoughts. But—

She envied Ms. Connie, who could touch the Lady’s shoulders and waist so closely. She envied her, even if she was only taking measurements. She envied that she could serve the Lady as she dressed and undressed.

In short, she was very envious. And it made her heart feel a deep, quiet sadness, because she knew she could never do those things.