Chapter 39 [VIP]

"Don't worry, brother, I'm not the kind of person who would wrong myself."

Mi Yao said, "I wonder if you've heard about the commotion that happened at the Wu residence today, brother. If you have, you'll know how difficult it is to bully your Hu Hu."

Before even entering the city gates, Xiao Chuan's subordinates reported to him that the Wu couple were difficult to deal with, and that they were taking advantage of Xiao Chuan's greedy brother-in-law to cause trouble.

Because he was afraid they would be worried, Xiao Chuan left behind his subordinates who had reported the situation to explain the whole story before he left. Therefore, Yu Shaoyang knew what Mi Yao meant by "lively" or "exciting".

Speaking of this, Yu Shaoyang reminded his sister, "Although Xiao Chuan went to resolve the matter immediately after hearing about it, Hu Hu, don't think he's too good for you. After all, he's the one who caused this whole mess. If he hadn't asked you to marry him, you wouldn't have married into Yizhou and met that petty Madam Wu. Also, because he's not a brother-in-law full of flaws, he wouldn't have caused you any trouble."

In any case, all the mistakes are the fault of others. No matter how well Xiao Chuan handles things, there is only a tiny bit of good in it.

Mi Yao agreed with Yu Shaoyang's logic and nodded repeatedly after listening to him.

Seeing this, Yu Shaoyang was initially pleased that his sister was obedient, but then he thought again that he might have gone too far and ruined the relationship between his sister and brother-in-law.

If the younger sister didn't have a good relationship with Xiao Chuan, she wouldn't be so close and kind to Xiao Chuan's three children.

For a moment, Yu Shaoyang's face was filled with a complex and awkward expression.

"It's not bad that you married this man."

Mi Yao blinked, puzzled as Yu Shaoyang, who was so engrossed in finding fault with Xiao Chuan, suddenly started praising him: "Brother, how good are you? In what specific ways?"

Yu Shaoyang didn't know that Mi Yao was genuinely confused. He thought she was just being affectionate with Xiao Chuan and wanted to hear him praise Xiao Chuan.

The complex emotions on his face turned into dissatisfaction, but Yu Shaoyang still said, "I originally thought that he got his official position through brute force and luck, but he is quite ambitious. Throughout our conversations, he has always been insightful. Every day, apart from handling official business, he reads military books. And he doesn't just read aimlessly; he really learns from them. If he hadn't come from an ordinary background, his reputation would be much greater than it is now."

Upon hearing this, Mi Yao solved a mystery. So, when she saw Xiao Chuan reading a book several times, she realized he was genuinely reading something, and she had assumed he was just reading casual books like she was.

Men and women look at each other differently. Yu Shaoyang had been scrutinizing Xiao Chua with a critical eye these past few days and still thought he was a reliable man.

Furthermore, and most importantly, Xiao Chua was physically strong and handsome.

If someone is stupid, it's tolerable, since there are more stupid than smart people in this world. But if they are ugly beyond recognition, that's a disaster.

Upon hearing Yu Shaoyang's explanation, Mi Yao wholeheartedly agreed.

Imagine if Xiao Chuan had a full beard and squinty eyes, she doesn't think she would be able to act coquettishly and sweetly as soon as she sees him. Even if she wanted to be a pampered wife, she would have to find a different way to please Xiao Chuan.

Therefore, Xiao Chuan was able to win the tenderness and affection of the beauty, thanks to his parents for giving him a good face.

Mi Yao chatted with Yu Shaoyang for a long time. Perhaps because she had been studying Xiao Chua's appearance for too long, Mi Yao had a dream that night.

In her dream, Xiao Chuan transformed into a squinty-eyed, bearded man, unaware of his own ugliness. He stood before her, one hand pressing against the red wall behind her, approaching her with an wicked and arrogant air: "It's an honor for you to have such a handsome man like me with you. If you keep refusing, I'll spread my favors to other obedient women."

Mi Yao was startled awake by the grains of rice stuck to the big beard. After waking up, she subconsciously looked at Xiao Chua next to her, but she saw nothing.

Searching with her eyes, Mi Yao, leaning against the corner of the room, spotted Xiao Chuan sitting at the table.

The dim candlelight only dispelled small patches of darkness, dividing the flickering shadows into several shades of black.

Xiao Chuan's tall figure sat there, not bathed in light, but instead enveloped in a deep gloom.

The lamplight flickered, and Mi Yao wasn't sure if this was another nightmare. She stared intently at Xiao Chua and finally saw his gloomy expression.

The moment Mi Yao touched the sinister aura emanating from him, she felt something was wrong, but before she could turn her gaze away, he caught her red-handed.

Their eyes met, and Mi Yao rubbed her eyes, asking sleepily, "My lord, are you getting up in the middle of the night?"

Xiao Chuan responded and, instead of continuing to sit, went back to bed and lay down.

The sudden chill made Mi Yao move to the side, clutching her blanket. She wondered how Xiao Chuan could be so resistant to the cold, contemplating life outside the covers in the middle of the night while wearing only his undergarments.

This incident didn't affect Mi Yao's sleep. She closed her eyes, intending to continue trying to fall asleep, but just as her head started to feel a little heavy, she heard Xiao Chuan speak.

"Um?"

Half-asleep, Mi Yao was startled by the sudden sound. She put her hand to her heart and looked at Xiao Chuan with a pitiful expression.

Unfortunately, the thing next to him, as always, showed no mercy and failed to realize that her current state was not suitable for a late-night conversation about life. He coldly repeated his question.

"If it were you,"

Xiao Chuan's words seemed rambling, but when touched, his taut jawline...

To get a good night's sleep, Mi Yao cut to the chase: "Which would you choose, me or my elder sister? If it were you, I'd find someone first, then devise a way to keep them quiet forever, to avoid them becoming a nuisance. But if it were my elder sister, I couldn't change my mind. My husband knows my temperament; how could I..."

If she were Xiao Rou, she wouldn't be a woman and wouldn't work as a farmhand for someone else's family. What if, in the worst-case scenario, she really was tricked into becoming a member of the Dong family?

She will also seize the opportunity to make a new choice after her brother becomes successful.

Anyway, she will never be like Xiao Rou now.

He may seem foolish, unlike the Dong family, possessing a sense of shame and self-respect, but if you call him clever, he still acts as if he were a member of the Dong family.

Such people may seem pitiful, but upon closer examination, they are only reaping what they sowed.

Whether her fate can be changed depends on whether she has a younger brother who wants to treat her well.

Mi Yao yawned: "To be honest, although I am lazy, I will still deal with things when they happen, so that I can continue to be lazy. But you, my lord, seem to be cold and ruthless when it comes to these trivial matters, but in reality, you are at a loss and do not know how to deal with them, so you simply avoid them."

Are you saying I'm inferior to you?

Meeting Xiao Chuan's dark eyes, Mi Yao suddenly realized that she had been talking too much because she was sleepy.

Which leading man would want to be told he's helpless and has an avoidant personality?

“Of course Xiao Lang is more capable than me. I can’t lead troops into battle and make the enemy retreat at the mere mention of my name. Besides, it’s not that you’re avoiding things, but that you don’t want to deal with trivial matters. Xiao Lang is a man who does great things, unlike ordinary men.”

Mi Yao leaned against Xiao Chuan's chest through the soft quilt and said softly, "I was just sleepy and talking nonsense, Xiao Lang, please don't take it to heart."

"Your menstrual flow has ceased?"

Wait, how did we get to this topic?

Mi Yao blinked rapidly, but before she could turn into a fluttering moth and fly away, Xiao Chuan had already lifted her chin.

Their eyes met, and Xiao Chuan's brown eyes remained deep and sinister, but there was a different meaning in them.

Realizing she couldn't escape her fate, Mi Yao struggled a little: "If I said it's too late tonight and I'm tired so my period is still going on, would you believe me, my lord?"

From what she said, he knew it was gone.

He leaned down and kissed her neck: "Then shut up and go to sleep."

This is what you call the guilty party accusing the innocent first; who opened their mouth to speak first?

Mi Yao was too lazy to argue with him about right and wrong. She lay down and closed her eyes to go to sleep, but after a moment she opened her eyes again and looked at the head that was lying on her body and had not moved away from her neck after nibbling on her.

"Didn't you say you were going to sleep?"

The biting turned into licking and kissing, his hot, wet tongue sliding and wandering over her skin. How was she supposed to sleep?

“Hmm,”

Xiao Chuan grabbed her hands as she tried to push him away, raised them above her head, and began kissing her soft areas. "Is there some kind of aphrodisiac on you?"

It had been a long time since he had this question, but smelling the sweet scent of milk and powder on her body, he felt hot all over and still asked the question.

Upon hearing Xiao Chuan's question, Mi Yao paused for a moment before realizing what he meant.

"My lord, you can't be so wicked and unreasonable. You're greedy for lust and lack self-control, how can you blame my incense for that..."

Before Mi Yao could finish speaking, Xiao Chuan let out a soft cry from his finger.

Xiao Chuan knew that his question was unreasonable, but when Mi Yao pointed it out, he did not feel ashamed. Instead, he felt relaxed, as if he could let his mind run wild since he was like this.

Seeing Xiao Chua engrossed in his work, Mi Yao was now fully awake, but she still didn't want to cooperate with him.

"My love, I'm sleepy."

"You can just lie still."

"...Wouldn't that make you bored, young man?"

Xiao Chuan stared at her eyes, which were beginning to mist over, and chuckled softly: "If you're worried I'll be bored, then move around a bit more."

As soon as she finished speaking, Mi Yao felt her legs rise, and when she looked over, one of her feet was already resting on his shoulder.

Mi Yao: ...

Everything that followed taught Mi Yao a lesson, making her realize that she shouldn't care about melancholy men in the dead of night, because no matter what they're thinking, it will eventually turn into something lewd.

The only gain was that she confirmed the membrane was gone. Midway through, she felt uncomfortable and tried to push it away, but Xiao Chuan turned her head down and looked: "You've almost swallowed it all."

His low, husky voice was like a gentle spring breeze, and his spirited demeanor was nothing like the withdrawn person he had been just half an hour ago.

Mi Yao woke up from a nightmare, thinking it was just a brief interlude in the night, but little did she know that she wouldn't fall asleep again until dawn.

When she woke up again, it was just in time for lunch.

Seeing that everyone was there, filling the small dining hall to capacity, Mi Yao felt a little uncomfortable.

"Is my husband alright today?"

"cough."

Before Xiao Chuan could answer, Yu Shaoyang coughed heavily. Mi Yao looked at him and said, "The water and soil of Yizhou are truly nourishing. Brother, you've become even more handsome in just one day. Sister-in-law looks even more beautiful now."

Hearing his sister's praise, Yu Shaoyang's face lit up: "This place is indeed very nice. This morning, my brother-in-law and I went to see Master Zhao and received my assignment. Then, seeing that it was still early, we came back together for lunch."

Mi Yao's question was interrupted by Yu Shaoyang, so Xiao Chuan simply nodded.

"Mother, I don't want to sleep together!"

As soon as Mi Yao sat down, Xiao Shan got off the stool and crawled to her side, pouting and clinging to her arm in a spoiled manner.

As Xiao Shan tried to express herself, everyone present knew that she was accusing Xiao Chuan of being stingy and not allowing her into the main room.

"He threw it, threw it!"

Xiao Shan pointed at Xiao Chuan and complained bitterly that she had sneaked into the main room this morning, but before she could even climb onto the bed, Xiao Chuan threw her out of the room.

"Your mother is sleeping; you'll disturb her if you stay."

Xiao Chuan gave a brief explanation, then looked at Mi Yao. Seeing the pleading look in Xiao Chuan's eyes, Mi Yao looked away. She wished Xiao Shan would help her curse the bad people who bullied her last night, so how could she possibly help him out of this predicament?

"Bad! Father is bad!"

"Shan'er, don't talk about your father. Your father is only able to sleep with your mother because he is sick."

Because his uncle and aunt were there, Xiao Liang didn't want them to misunderstand that his father was bad, so he helped to stop his sister.

"Sick? What kind of sickness?"

Yu Shaoyang glanced at the burly and imposing Xiao Chua. Could he be all bark and no bite?

Xiao Liang felt it was inappropriate to say what illness his father had, but seeing his uncle and aunt looking at him, waiting for his answer, he furrowed his brows.

While he was still hesitating, he heard his mother ask what was wrong, and then he said, "Father doesn't have a bird."

Although he was still young, Xiao Liang vaguely understood that this was not a respectable thing for a man, so he lowered his voice and whispered the secret to everyone at the table.

Mi Yao wondered what illness Xiao Chuan could possibly have, but upon hearing Xiao Liang's words, she glanced at a certain spot.

She was certain he was pregnant last night, and if he were to become non-pregnant in the future, that would be something to celebrate with great fanfare.

The one who reacted the most at the table was Yu Shaoyang. He chuckled, but Zhen Jing reminded him and he became serious: "Erlang, don't say things like that outside in the future."

Xiao Liang nodded. He regretted it as soon as he said it; he shouldn't have revealed his father's secret.

He glanced at his father furtively, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his father's expression was calm and he showed no sign of anger.

After finishing their meal, Xiao Chuan went out to run errands, and Yu Shaoyang went for a walk with the children. Only Mi Yao and Zhen Jing remained in the house. Zhen Jing sighed, "I didn't expect that Commander Xiao, who looks so cold, would have such a good temper and not mind the children's innocent words."

She had initially thought Xiao Chua was the kind of person who was strict, authoritative, and solemn, because he was tall, imposing, and rarely smiled. But now it seemed that he was different from his appearance and was easy to get along with.

Aside from marveling at Xiao Chuan's temper, Zhen Jing was also shocked by the change in Mi Yao's personality.

She didn't originally want to come to Yizhou, not because she was afraid of not being able to adapt to unfamiliar territory, but because she was somewhat afraid of her sister-in-law, Mi Yao.

Yu Shaoyang thought Mi Yao was wonderful in every way, but when she stayed at the Yu family home during holidays, her biggest feeling was that her sister-in-law was difficult to get along with.

When dealing with Mi Yao, you have to be accommodating to her, flatter her, and genuinely believe that she is extremely beautiful and talented.

This time when they met, she could feel that Mi Yao had changed a lot. It didn't seem like she didn't like being fawned over anymore. Anyway, the feeling of only caring about herself was still there, but being with her was no longer so tedious.

That's why she decided to talk to her more.

“If you really don’t have it, then you should care. He pretends not to hear it because he thinks he not only has it, but he has a lot of it.”

Thinking about the agony of not being able to sleep until almost dawn, Mi Yao wrinkled her nose and said.

Hearing Mi Yao's directness, Zhen Jing was very curious, but she didn't dare to ask further, so she could only say, "Hu Hu and Commander Xiao have a really good relationship."

“Don’t my sister-in-law and brother have a good relationship? I clearly saw that no matter what my brother said, my sister-in-law couldn’t help but look at him and smile.”

She didn't know what others thought about her relationship with Xiao Chuan, but the affection between Yu Shaoyang and Zhen Jing was obvious to everyone.

Zhen Jing only had eyes for Yu Shaoyang, and Yu Shaoyang was almost the same way. Whenever he saw a step, he would instinctively reach out to help Zhen Jing, afraid that she would fall.

At the dinner table, they proactively served food to Zhen Jing, saving her the trouble of stretching her arms.

“Huhu, don’t make fun of me. I didn’t know I would do this.”

Zhen Jing patted Mi Yao shyly, and after chatting for a bit, she remembered what Yu Shaoyang had told her. She put away her shyness and said seriously to Mi Yao, "There are some things your brother is worried about, but he doesn't feel comfortable asking because of the difference between men and women, so he asked me to ask you."

What is my brother worried about?

Seeing the seriousness on Zhen Jing's face, Mi Yao recalled the half-hour conversation she had with Yu Shaoyang yesterday. What else had they not discussed?

“He heard from the servants in the mansion that you usually wake up around noon every day, and he was afraid that your brother-in-law would take advantage of you, after all, your brother-in-law is tall and strong and is a military officer.”

What do you mean there were no birds? Yu Shaoyang didn't believe it because he had gone to the latrine with Xiao Chuan at the post station.

Zhen Jing was speechless when she thought about how Yu Shaoyang even brought up the length of Xiao Chua's urination.

He stated with absolute certainty that Xiao Chuan, with his good kidneys, was not a good match, which left her with a lot of questions. If someone with good kidneys wasn't a good match, then someone with bad kidneys would be?

She was originally very satisfied with their marital relations, but his words made her wonder if it was because she had never seen a good man before that she thought her husband was so good. In reality, Yu Shaoyang was much worse than other men.

Of course, she only dared to think these words in her heart. Her husband thought she was a kind and gentle lady from a respectable family who was ignorant of the ways of the world. If she were to associate his words with something about his navel, he would probably be scared to death.

Upon hearing Yu Shaoyang's worried question, Mi Yao's expression turned strange, unsure of how to respond.

To be honest, her brother is really something else. He'd rather think Xiao Chuan is a beast than admit that his sister is a lazybones who sleeps until noon every day.

Although she was curious how Yu Shaoyang would punish Xiao Chuan if she said that she woke up late because of him, she thought that she and her brother would have to make a living under Xiao Chuan in the future, so she told the truth: "I just love to sleep."

"Is that all?"

Zhen Jing looked at Mi Yao in disbelief. She remembered that when Mi Yao was in the Yu family, she wasn't so fond of sleeping in. She would get up early every day to pay her respects to Old Madam Yu.

"That's just how it is. At home, I had no choice but to get up early. But at the Xiao residence, there were no elders above me, and the children below were too young to care for me, so I just let myself sleep however I wanted."

Listening to Zhen Jing, she once again marveled at how good the relationship was between Mi Yao and Xiao Chuan.

In other families, even if there are no elders, the wife would never sleep until noon and the husband would not say anything to stop her, but would take it for granted.

Thinking about it, she couldn't help but think of herself and Yu Shaoyang. She originally thought Yu Shaoyang was very good to her, but compared to him, she felt that he was terrible.

When she gets the chance, she'll have to test him and see if he'll tolerate her oversleeping.

Mi Yao had no idea that Xiao Chuan's attitude towards her had become a benchmark. If she knew that Zhen Jing thought Xiao Chuan was so good that Yu Shaoyang should learn from him, she would surely say that she was going astray and wanted to suffer after having too many good days.