Chapter 379: Chapter 378: Do You Even Know How?
Over in the East Courtyard,
the porridge in the small kitchen had been reheated three times, yet there was still no sign of stirring from the inner room.
On Yicui’s fourth time reheating the porridge, Nanny Cheng finally sighed with evident anxiety.
"This marriage has not been decided, and as long as she’s not married, she ought to abide by the rules."
"Yicui, the lady usually listens to you, why don’t you talk to her?"
"What if things fall through later and the lady ends up pregnant? If the Marquis Yangling Mansion doesn’t acknowledge it, what should we do?"
When Yicui heard this, she simply smiled serenely.
"You should have a clear idea of the Marquis’s character, Nanny Cheng."
"The lady isn’t foolish either, she may be naive about some things, but she was astute from a young age. There’s no use advising against something she has set her mind on. If the Marquis had any intention to stay last night, I would have certainly barged in; but it was our lady who kept him here."
She said, "So what if it really doesn’t work out? The lady has money. What’s there to worry about?"
"If she becomes pregnant, that’s even less of a concern; not only will there be a successor, but if the young master takes his mother’s surname, will there be any difficulty in raising him?"
Nanny Cheng wanted to argue, but she found the point quite reasonable.
The offspring of the Marquis and the lady would surely be unspeakably beautiful.
Besides, the Cui Xuan family adores the lady so much.
After Yicui finished reheating the porridge, she glanced at the time. Eventually, she went to Shen Hua’s room door, her hand resting on the door for a brief moment before pushing it open.
The ’creak’ of the light sound seemed to startle the girl on the bed, who opened her misty eyes.
"Madam, it’s time to get up."
In a daze, Shen Hua buried her face into the pillow.
The fragmented scenes from last night resurfaced clearly before her eyes.
His lips moving downwards, filled with an inherent frivolity.
It was an experience Shen Hua had never had before.
She was like a fish awaiting the knife, only recalling an uncomfortable moan.
His fingertips were burning hot. He practiced martial arts all year round, and his touch was calloused; where he touched, fires seemed to ignite.
Until—
She pressed Cui Yun’s hand with trembling disbelief.
"This isn’t right."
She pulled Cui Yun’s hand away.
She found it utterly repulsive.
Then she scrutinized the person above her with a questioning gaze.
"Do you even know how?"
With a slight exertion of strength, he left her body and lay beside her. His fingertips touched his forehead, the passion-tinted and cold demeanor seemed to be enduring something.
Shen Hua sat up cross-legged; she tied herself into a knot, shaking.
She thought Cui Yun was shameless.
Yet she also had to consider the man’s pride, and didn’t quite feel right berating him.
The virtuous Shen Hua bit her lip in deep thought. Then, in a soft low voice, she said,
"What’s wrong with you?"
Her dark hair was a mess: "It’s fine even if you don’t know how. In the future when we share a bed, let’s keep our clothes on."
"Other people do so, and there really is no need for us to follow suit. Later you should ask Doctor Ni if there are other ways to have children, since this is uncomfortable. I also have plenty of money."
Cui Yun’s eyes became slightly red as he covered his lower body with the bedding. Seeing Shen Hua start to brag about her shops and properties to prove she had money, he immediately pushed her down towards the pillow.
"Go to sleep."
He quickly withdrew his hand, even turned his body to the outside, putting distance between himself and Shen Hua.
Shen Hua was stupefied.
"Aren’t you going to hold me?"
Cui Yun’s voice was very light, and cold.
"No."
He didn’t even look at her anymore.
"Stay away from me."
The scene ended abruptly.
Shen Hua was filled with resentment. She sat up on the bed with a taut face.
As usual, Yicui shook out the bedding and began to tidy up, but noticed there was not a single trace of bloodstains on the bed.
Her heart steadied, and she saw the girl beside her clench her fist and walk back, striking the outer pillow in dissatisfaction.
"Wife, Heir Xie is here."
Ningzhu hurried in from outside.
Right after she delivered the message, Xie Xun walked in.
Seeing the girl pouting and sulking, with her embroidered shoes on the wrong feet, he couldn’t help frowning slightly.
"What’s the matter?"
He set down the breakfast he was carrying, slowly approached, and naturally draped an outer garment over the girl’s shoulders.
His actions were always meticulous; after covering her, he made her sit down before squatting down himself.
"Lift your foot."
Yicui: ???
Ningzhu panicked.
Shen Hua complied.
With her head bowed, she let Xie Xun change her embroidered shoes for her.
"Aren’t you scared of catching a cold? Who has upset you again?"
Shen Hua opened her mouth, but the words of complaint got stuck in her throat. She could never discuss yesterday’s events with Xie Xun.
The girl took a deep breath.
"I’m fine."
Xie Xun obviously didn’t believe her.
"Fine, the girl has grown up and has her own little secrets."
"This time, I brought you breakfast. Duke Fu’s Mansion has a new chef with pretty good skills, I thought you’d enjoy the dishes."
Xie Xun naturally saw the bowl of medicine Yicui had set down before entering the room: "I remember your medicine should be taken before meals."
She answered awkwardly, "I don’t want to take it."
She feared being scolded by Xie Xun and hence stretched for a reason.
"I’m allergic to the medicine."
Xie Xun: ...
He was clueless about her sudden stubbornness but spoke gently and with amusement.
"Ancestor, how about I feed you the medicine?"
Yicui, leading Ningzhu out of the courtyard, collided with Yingwu, who was sitting outside on a stone bench counting silver coins. The two exchanged glances and headed to the small kitchen.
Upon entering the small kitchen, Ningzhu scarcely dared to breathe.
"Sister Yicui, the wife’s intimacy with Heir Xie seems rather overly intimate. Although the Marquis and the Princely Heir are indeed outstanding individuals, one must ultimately make a choice, and it’s improper to waver between the two," said Ningzhu.
Yicui’s hands shook slightly, too.
She also felt that the situation was getting more and more awkward.
Shen Hua was not so dependent on just anyone, and the way Xie Xun looked at the lady was not the infatuation of a young man looking at a girl, provoking in her a wild thought.
How could she not be aware of the interactions between the lady and the Eldest Young Master when others didn’t?
Moreover, Shen Hua and Xie Xun had never hidden anything from her.
Seeing her distracted, Ningzhu gently called out, "Sister Yicui."
Yicui almost knocked over the empty medicine bowl in her hand.
She suppressed her thoughts. Speaking with the composed tone of days past, she said.
"Less meddling in the master’s affairs."
"The wife is fortunate to be so dearly loved."
At this time, Shen Hua finished her breakfast, still in a subdued mood.
"Brother has become a Commander."
"Then you can’t go back to Fengzhou City with me."
Xie Xun spoke gently, "Your illness is not yet healed; you cannot afford the back and forth. Doctor Ni said it needs half a year of recuperation, once you are healed, Zhou Zhangping’s issue will certainly have concluded, and how could I not accompany you back?"
As he spoke, his expression darkened.
The life of a lady from the Xie Family traded for an official position. Truly laughable.
Shen Hua was about to defend Cui Yun.
But now.
The girl decided to betray him without any hesitation.
"I’m already almost fully healed. How can it still take half a year?"
Shen Hua spoke slowly, "Brother has been deceiving you all along."
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