Chapter 41 [VIP]

"Sister will surely understand the young master's good intentions."

Finding herself becoming increasingly unrestrained the more she thought about it, with bizarre images constantly popping into her mind, Mi Yao released her grip on Xiao Chuan's fingers, trying to make the atmosphere more serious.

But when his fingers fell suddenly without support, the itch in Xiao Chuan's heart did not dissipate; instead, it intensified.

He could understand the youthful vigor he smelled when he couldn't have her before. After all, anyone would long for the feeling of being fully satisfied if they had a piece of meat hanging in front of them, which they could touch and lick but couldn't eat.

But he clearly ate it yesterday, so why does he still feel unbearably hungry now? It's as if the food he ate before was just a mirage, and the immortal flesh is still hanging in front of him without him taking a bite.

Realizing the influence of women on him, Xiao Chuan stood up and distanced himself from Mi Yao.

Seeing Xiao Chuan suddenly turn his pants towards her, Mi Yao blinked and tilted her head back, afraid that he would grab the back of her head and press her down.

Fortunately, she was just overthinking it. After standing up, Xiao Chuan paused and took a step back: "If you were going to the Dong family, what would you do?"

Mi Yao discovered that Xiao Chuan quite approved of her, asking for her thoughts both yesterday and today, and it seemed he considered her ideas an important reference for his actions.

"If it were me, my approach would be similar to yours. It may seem domineering, but it's the most effective."

Even if the other party is your blood relative?

“It’s only because we’re family that it’s so troublesome. If it were a child, we could still reason with her, but she’s an adult now. What can we do? She can only do whatever she wants. All I can do is not let her choices interfere with my life.”

Mi Yao replied that she had no relatives in the modern world, and the kinship ties in this world were not deep enough for her to care much about them.

If she were to face the Dong family, and given Xiao Chuan's power, she would only act even more ruthlessly than him, so she didn't see anything wrong with his approach.

I just feel that he has made progress; he is finally able to take the initiative to solve the problems of his relatives instead of ignoring them as before.

Because he left it unattended, over time, she, as the matriarch of the Xiao family, would inevitably be implicated.

“My lord has done his best. In my heart, my lord is the most amazing man.”

The woman's charming and soft praise made Xiao Chua's lowered gaze slowly focus on her lips. Her lips were as red as cherries, and as she spoke, her white teeth moved up and down, occasionally revealing a bit of her soft little tongue.

As if sensing his attention, the crimson tip of her tongue darted out of her mouth and licked her upper lip.

Xiao Chuan narrowed his eyes. Even though this woman no longer sat on his lap, she wasn't completely obedient and was still secretly seducing him.

Mi Yao thought Xiao Chua stood up because he had something to do and was about to leave, but after he finished speaking, he didn't seem to want to leave. He just stood in front of her with his back straight.

In response, Mi Yao couldn't help but rub her neck, suspecting that Xiao Chuan had deliberately stood up to enjoy the feeling of being high above and looking down on her.

He really is an unlikable man.

“My lord, today I will accompany my elder brother and sister-in-law to choose a house.”

Seeing that Xiao Chua wasn't leaving, Mi Yao got straight to the point.

Yu Shaoyang's move to Yizhou was considered a demotion, and he didn't receive a house as part of his benefits. As for Zhao Tianhe, although he thought highly of Yu Shaoyang, there were countless talented people, and he had recruited more than just Yu Shaoyang to Yizhou.

It's impossible to give Yu Shaoyang extraordinarily high treatment before even recognizing his value.

However, although no house was given as a gift, the Sihuhui (a local official) would subsidize part of the money Yu Shaoyang spent on renting a house.

Mi Yao didn't care that Yu Shaoyang and his wife were staying at the Xiao residence, and Xiao Chuan obviously didn't care either. However, Yu Shaoyang felt that it was okay to stay temporarily, but it was unreasonable to stay permanently. So this afternoon, whenever he had free time, he started looking for empty houses in the city.

With nothing else to do, she listened to the broker announce the location and the price. After listening for a while, something suddenly occurred to her—

"Why don't I receive a monthly allowance, my lord?"

When Xiao Chuan saw Mi Yao's casual expression turn serious, he thought she wanted to talk to him about something, such as lending the adjacent house next to the Xiao residence to Yu Shaoyang and his wife.

Who knew she could always be so unpredictable?

"Where don't you get your monthly pay? When have you ever gone to the accountant to withdraw money? Have you never been unable to do so?"

He never restricted her spending. Ever since she became obsessed with vase flowers, the storeroom didn't have enough vases, so she bought a lot more from outside. Later, she heard from someone or read in a book that copper vases should be used for winter flower arrangements instead of porcelain vases, so she bought a bunch of expensive copper vases to replace them. Because of this, the accountant even brought the account book to him to let him know how ruthless she was in spending money.

Even so, she still came to ask him for monthly allowance.

“My husband is my husband, and I am the mistress of the Xiao family. It is only natural that I can spend money in the accounts at will, but it is one thing to be able to spend my husband’s money, and it is another thing to have money in my own pocket.”

Humans are inherently greedy creatures.

When she had money, she felt that her life was already satisfactory.

As for the dowry, I felt that this was not acceptable.

No matter how much money she spent, it all went from Xiao Chuan's pocket to the merchant's pocket. Her purse remained empty. If Xiao Chuan ever refused to give her any more, she would be the poorest person in the Xiao family.

He said calmly.

Mi Yao suspected Xiao Chuan was feigning ignorance, but the money withdrawn from the accounts was either used to pay the servants' wages or to buy clothes and jewelry for himself. And who else could I be dressing up for? Naturally, it was for my beloved. So, while I said it was for my beloved, it wasn't…

The more Mi Yao spoke, the more aggrieved she seemed, as if every sip of water she drank and every bite of food she ate was not for her own sake, but for his sake, and that's why she endured the pain of living.

Although he didn't know why she suddenly wanted money, Xiao Xu could tell that if he didn't satisfy her today, she would find a way to bring it up with him every day.

Having seen enough of her feigned grievance, Xiao Chuan asked, "How much do you want?"

Seeing that Xiao Chuan had finally brought the topic to this point, Mi Yao's shimmering eyes were full of anticipation: "How much does my lord intend to give me?"

Even though he was poor in the past, Xiao Chuan still doesn't value money too much now.

Mi Yao is his woman. He couldn't figure out what she was thinking before, and felt that her heart wasn't with him, but he still allowed her to withdraw money. Now that he feels that she wants to be his wife, he will naturally be even less stingy with money.

Before revealing a number that would satisfy her, Xiao Chuan leaned down to meet her gaze: "How much I plan to give you depends on your sincerity."

After he finished speaking, he did not move forward. The two of them kept their noses about an inch apart and looked at each other.

Mi Yao desperately wanted to ignore the lust in Xiao Chu's eyes.

But his phoenix eyes were as hot as boiling magma, and just looking at her made her feel like she was being splashed with sparks, so hot that she wanted to stay far away from him.

The tunnel, which had previously been painless, began to ache again as he recalled his entry and exit the previous night, thanks to his aggressive gaze.

“My lord, what are you saying? I’m not a courtesan who sells her smiles for money. I’m not willing to exchange my body for money. My feelings for you are sincere, and I want to exchange them with sincerity.”

Mi Yao smiled, and even without looking in a mirror, she could guess that she looked lively and agile.

But she was destined to face Xiao Chuan, a man who didn't appreciate a beautiful woman's beauty and whose mind was only filled with lust.

Kiss me.

His low, husky voice was like a predator locking onto its prey, seemingly giving her the choice, but in reality, he was poised to strike, ready to hunt her down whether she agreed or not.

Mi Yao: ...

At this moment, she really wanted to discuss with him the first and fifteenth of the month that he had set for himself, but thinking of the money that she could actually get, she watched his Adam's apple slide down his neck, her lips parted slightly and she slowly approached, as if she wanted to suck on his Adam's apple, but in the end she kissed his chin instead.

The touch of the lips was like a dragonfly skimming the water.

Mi Yao's fingers traced his prominent Adam's apple, feeling the tension as he swallowed hard.

"Does Xiao Lang want me to kiss this spot? Look how rapidly it's moving, Xiao Lang really desires me..."

Before Mi Yao could finish speaking, Xiao Chuan lifted her face and kissed her fiercely.

The bent-over posture made it inconvenient for Xiao Chuo to exert force, so amidst the sounds of their lips and tongues entwined, he slowly shifted to a half-kneeling position on one leg.

He stole all the breath from Mi Yao's mouth, yet he remained pressed tightly against her face, their wet breaths mingling, allowing her only to breathe in the warmth he gave her.

"Five hundred taels a month, I know you'll give me more, but I can't possibly spend it all..."

Even as she caught her breath, Mi Yao, though her mind was so dizzy she didn't know what day it was, still didn't forget her original intention.

Xiao Chuan did not speak, but simply caressed her swollen, red lips, his gaze deep yet seemingly containing the restlessness of a wild beast.

Mi Yao didn't know if she was aroused by his gaze or by the sensations he caused, but her whole body started to feel itchy and numb. She had a vague idea of ​​what it felt like for him when she hadn't kissed his Adam's apple but instead rubbed and caressed him.

After touching her lips, Xiao Chuan began to touch her brow bone and the corners of her eyes. His rough fingers swept across the bridge of her nose and followed the bluish veins to touch her collarbone.

Unable to bear the tickling, Mi Yao simply threw herself into his arms.

"Is my husband reading my bones to predict my fate? Has he also calculated that I am born with a good life, destined to be cherished by my husband and never have to suffer any of the world's hardships?"

"There's really no need to suffer any hardship; just eat something else."

With a pointed remark, Xiao Chuan asked before carrying her to the bed, "Besides five hundred taels a month, what else do you want?"

"I've discovered that our mansion also has two shops in the bustling city center. My husband, please give them to me as well."

Shuanghua mentioned this shop to her casually one day, saying that such a good location was wasted because the Xiao family didn't have the talent to manage it.

At the time, she didn't think much of it, since it was Xiao Chu's money that was being wasted anyway.

But things are different now. The dowry the Yu family gave her was only superficially generous; in reality, she had spent almost all of it on her way to Yizhou, and there were no shops or estates among it.

Since her family wouldn't give it to her, she had no choice but to ask her husband's family.

"With so many, how do you plan to pay them?"

Xiao Chuan had already put aside his desire to abstain from women. He was demanding payment, not drooling over the tempting immortal flesh hanging before him and having no self-control to take a few bites.

Mi Yao forgot that she had said she wasn't a prostitute, and that making money wasn't shameful.

Xiao Chuan was exhausted from this ordeal, panting heavily and covered in white beads of sweat.

The next day, Mi Yao woke up late as usual. Xiao Chuan and Yu Shaoyang were both out on official business. They delivered a letter at noon and did not return to the mansion. After they finished eating, Mi Yao accompanied Zhen Jing to look at the house.

The houses that brokers describe are naturally excellent, but if you're going to stay for a long time, you still need to visit them in person several times before you can choose a suitable place.

Half an hour passed, and Mi Yao accompanied Zhen Jing to see two houses.

Both places are not far from the Xiao residence. One is a single-courtyard house with a relatively new courtyard, but the space is cramped. You can walk around the entire courtyard in just a dozen steps, so there won't be enough room to run around after the baby is born.

The other two-courtyard house was better, but the building was too old. If it were to be lived in, everything from the walls needing to be plastered and cleaned to the dilapidated windows needing to be replaced.

"Replacing everything is troublesome, but it's also more efficient. It's not as good as a house that has too many traces of the previous owner, which would make your brother and I uncomfortable living here."

Neither of the two houses was satisfactory, but the two houses recommended by the broker were the closest to the Xiao residence.

She used to have a lukewarm relationship with Mi Yao and wished she could stay away from her and have less contact with her. But after spending the last few days with her, she really liked the changed Mi Yao and wanted to be closer to the Xiao family. She thought it would be better if the couple went to Yizhou. If Yu Shaoyang went out on official business, she wouldn't be able to find anyone to talk to.

"A complete overhaul is definitely a good idea."

Mi Yao ticked a box on the booklet, adding this place to Zhen Jing's shortlist. "Sister-in-law, let's go to the teahouse first, try some new snacks, and then we'll decide what to do after Xiu'er has inquired around."

"Xiu'er?"

Zhen Jing looked at Yu Xiu, who came out with them. She knew that Yu Xiu was Mi Yao and her husband's half-sister, but because her husband's attitude towards Yu Xiu was indifferent, she was afraid that Mi Yao would overthink it, so she didn't say much to Yu Xiu.

"Don't worry, sister-in-law. It won't be long before I find out everything about the situation here for you."

Yu Xiu patted her chest and said proudly.

"When it comes to gathering information, none of the scouts under the town magistrate are as good as Xiu'er."

After entrusting the matter to Yu Xiu, Mi Yao went to the teahouse with Zhen Jing. Although the chefs at the Xiao family mansion were quite skilled, after eating there for a while, they still wanted to try something different.

Knowing that the dim sum at this teahouse was good, Mi Yao ordered a table full: "If we can't finish it, we can take it back to the mansion for Shan'er and the others, so it won't go to waste."

As she spoke, Mi Yao chose one of each and tried them all.

Zhen Jing also selected a few to try.

After finishing her meal, Yu Xiu returned with the information and sat down to drink a cup of tea before speaking: "That house is relatively clean since it hasn't been involved in any life-or-death situations, but the previous owner didn't have a good reputation."

"Why isn't it good?"

"The person who lived there before was an official's mistress. The reason he moved out was because the official's wife came to the door, caught the official having an affair with his mistress, and they got into a fight."

Hearing this, Mi Yao felt it was alright. As long as it wasn't a murder scene, or a noisy scene with a bunch of kids in the neighborhood, catching someone in the act of adultery wasn't a problem in her eyes.

But when she saw Zhen Jing's lips pursed and her face tense, she knew that this was not an option.

Originally, they planned to rest for a while before visiting the next place, but because Zhen Jing was tired, and Mi Yao saw that she also wanted to go back and lie down, they didn't go to see the two new shops she had acquired. Instead, they had the coachman turn around and head back to the Xiao residence.

"Sister, there's a woman with a child standing at the gate of our mansion."

The carriage was originally going back to the mansion through the second gate, but when it took a side road, Yu Xiu, with her sharp eyes, spotted the person in front of the gate and spoke to Mi Yao.

"Was it someone just passing by?"

“I don’t think she was just passing by. She was standing right at the door, and her child was crying because he seemed tired of standing.”

Upon hearing this, Mi Yao blinked. Xiao Rou had no child to take care of, and if it were Xiao Rou, Yu Xiu would directly say it was Xiao Rou.

So, it's said that Xiao Chuan's mistress came knocking on his door?

I had only just heard a rumor about the wife beating up the mistress, and now the mistress has come to the Xiao family to deal with her, the wife.

Mi Yao was considering whether to let Yu Xiu ask a few questions while she avoided the questioning when she saw Zhen Jing lift the carriage curtain as if she had noticed something.

Upon touching Zhen Jing's body, which suddenly stiffened upon seeing the other person, Mi Yao inwardly gasped, knowing that Yu Shaoyang was probably doomed.