Chapter 111 Returning Home The burning sensation seeped through the fabric and stung my fingertips...

Cui Ying's face was mostly covered by Xiao Qiyu's hand, leaving only her eyes exposed, which appeared exceptionally large and round, blinking brightly.

Her warm breath sprayed onto her calloused palms. She struggled to open her lips and squeezed out a sound from between her fingers, her words muffled and soft, utterly innocent: "But this tree is indeed very thick, and there are many veins on its bark."

Xiao Qiyu was taken aback. When he met Cui Ying's pure eyes, he instantly realized that he had misunderstood.

He awkwardly let go of the tree, turned to look at it as well, unconsciously cleared his throat, and nodded, his tone no longer as calm as before: "Indeed, it is quite thick."

A pear petal landed between his brows, making his face radiant like that of an immortal, as if the momentary loss of composure had never happened.

Cui Ying tilted her head and squinted at him: "What did you think I was saying just now?"

Xiao Qiyu strode forward: "It's nothing, let's go quickly, Grandmother must be getting impatient."

Cui Ying stared at the blush on his ears, and as she looked, she felt a surge of joy in her heart.

Since their relationship became complicated, she hadn't seen him so embarrassed in a long time. Most of the time, she was the one blushing with embarrassment, wishing she could dig a hole and hide every day.

Looking at Xiao Qiyu's flushed and steaming skin behind his ear, Cui Ying thought with satisfaction: That's more like it. I can't always be the only one being the monkey's butt.

She almost forgot that she used to always be the one in control.

Feeling smug, Cui Ying couldn't help but let her wicked thoughts begin to surface again.

...

At dinner time, the Fushou Hall was brightly lit, and the grandchildren of the three sons gathered together.

The eldest princess sat at the head of the table, looking at her children and grandchildren, her face full of kind smiles.

Cui Ying naturally sat down next to Xiao Qiyu. Under the table, the hems of their clothes brushed together almost imperceptibly. Maids filed in, serving various delicacies.

One of the dishes was a stew of sugarcane and water chestnuts. The sugarcane was peeled, and the segments were clearly visible, giving it a refreshing look.

Cui Ying picked up a piece of sugarcane, but didn't rush to eat it. Instead, she put it in her bowl and examined it carefully. Suddenly, she turned slightly to the side, her lips close to Xiao Qiyu's ear, and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "This sugarcane is so hard."

Xiao Qiyu: "..."

Cui Ying: "Look, it's still quite long."

Xiao Qiyu: "..."

Cui Ying: "I wonder what it tastes like."

A warm, sweet scent swept over him like a feather, and Xiao Qiyu's skin tightened instantly. He stared straight ahead, his expression serious, but his words became low and harsh: "Cui Ying, is this really necessary?"

Seeing his feigned composure and serious demeanor, Cui Ying's eyes couldn't help but light up. She thought to herself, "Interesting, very interesting!"

Just then, the eldest princess noticed her grandson-in-law's unusual expression and asked with concern, "Why is Qilang's face suddenly so red? Is it because there are too many people in this room and it's too hot?"

Cui Ying spoke before Xiao Qiyu could, her face perfectly serious, and said crisply, "Replying to Grandmother, he has been a little feverish lately, but it's nothing serious."

As soon as she finished speaking, she tossed the hard piece of sugarcane she had just picked up into Xiao Qiyu's bowl, striking a pose befitting a virtuous wife: "Here, quickly slurp up a couple of mouthfuls of sugarcane juice to cool down your temper."

Xiao Qiyu stared at the unsightly piece of sugarcane in his bowl. Even with his eyes closed, he could imagine the smug look in Cui Ying's eyes. His hand holding the chopsticks tightened involuntarily, his knuckles turning white from the force, and his Adam's apple bobbed rapidly.

"Cui Ying," he called her name softly, slowly picking up a piece of sugarcane, bringing it to his lips and taking a bite. The sweet juice instantly filled his tongue.

"When we get back to the Marquis's residence, we'll settle the score."

He emphasized the words "settling accounts" heavily, each word striking a chord deep within Cui Ying's heart.

Cui Ying's eyelashes trembled, knowing that he meant what he said, and she immediately backed down.

But she wouldn't back down on the spot. Instead, she turned to the princess and said, "Grandmother, I haven't spoken to you in a long time. I miss you terribly. I thought I'd stay here tonight to keep you company."

The eldest princess smiled and said, "It's good that you have this intention, but this is not something you can decide on your own. It also depends on your husband's opinion."

In an instant, everyone's eyes were on Xiao Qiyu.

In front of the Princess, her parents-in-law, and many elder brothers and sisters, Xiao Qiyu, no matter how unwilling, had to take a deep breath and force out an extremely gentle and respectful smile, speaking in a gentle tone that was a model husband: "Third Sister's filial piety is commendable, so how could I possibly obstruct her?"

Cui Ying suppressed a laugh and said in a low voice, "It seems you'll be going back alone today. You can settle the score yourself."

Xiao Qiyu watched her blinking long eyelashes and smug eyebrows, then his eyes suddenly darkened. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, he grabbed her hand and pulled it under the table. Using the crimson tablecloth as a cover, he wrapped his palm around the thing sleeping below her waist and squeezed it lightly.

The scorching heat burned her fingertips through the fabric, leaving Cui Ying stunned.

Even if she had a hundred times the courage, she never imagined that Xiao Qiyu could be so bold.

Her expression froze, and she fell silent, no longer provoking or speaking. She quietly moved away from Xiao Qiyu, afraid that this madman would do something shocking again.

However, before they had gone very far, Xiao Qiyu pulled her back again.

...

After dinner, Cui Ying naturally stayed at the Duke's mansion, while Xiao Qiyu returned to the Marquis's mansion first.

After seeing Xiao Qiyu off, Cui Ying stayed at Fushou Hall until the Princess went to bed before returning to Jixiu Pavilion to talk to her parents.

The room was bathed in warm, flickering light. On the table were Cui Ying's favorite snacks, and a pot of calming tea was warming on the red clay stove. The aroma of the tea filled the air, and the steam rose gently, creating an atmosphere of indescribable warmth and comfort.

Cui Yan was quiet during the day, but now that it was just the three of them, he became more talkative and asked about his daughter's recent situation in detail.

Upon learning that Cui Ying had been teaching at Luming Academy since the New Year, Cui Yan suddenly seemed to remember something: "I have a colleague who has a close personal relationship with the headmaster of the academy. He was talking to me today about a student named Yun Cheng who writes exceptionally well. Despite his young age, he is able to cite classical texts and has his own insights. Even several famous scholars in the capital admire him and want to take him on as a disciple."

Cui Ying's smile froze on her face.

After a long while, she looked at Cui Yan and stiffly asked, "Father, do you really think Yun Cheng is so good?"

Cui Yan nodded, his face full of admiration: "I heard that he came from a poor family and lost his parents at a young age. He is a man with a hard life. Under such difficult circumstances, he can still devote himself to his studies. This shows his strong will and that he is a talented person."

Noticing his daughter's unusual expression, Cui Yan couldn't help but ask in confusion, "What, do you perhaps know this person?"

Cui Ying sighed, feeling there was no point in hiding it, and simply lowered her voice to say, "That Yun Cheng, whose full name is Xiao Yun Cheng, is Xiao Qi Yu's half-brother."

Upon hearing this, not only Cui Yan was stunned, but even Kong Shi, who was doing needlework, was taken aback and stammered, "That's right, that's the one from back then..."

The fifth son of the Xiao family would rather die of anger than give up the child he had with a woman from a brothel.

Cui Ying nodded and sighed, "That's right, it's that one."

Cui Yan fell silent, raised his hand to rub his temples, and a complex and indescribable expression appeared on his face. Finally, he let out a long sigh: "A tragedy, a true tragedy."

Kong lost her interest in needlework and muttered to herself, "I heard back then that the child was despised by the Marquis's family and was abandoned outside to fend for himself shortly after his father died. I thought... but I didn't expect him to still be alive."

Cui Yan did not recall the past. Instead, he looked at Cui Ying with a serious expression and earnestly instructed her, "Now that this has happened, Third Sister, you must be more careful in the future. Don't be as carefree and indifferent as before."

Cui Ying was picking up a piece of jujube and longan cake to aid digestion and calm her nerves when she heard this, and she was somewhat bewildered: "Why should I be suspicious? Yun Cheng is at the academy, and I don't have any dealings with him."

“Foolish,” Cui Yan lowered his voice, his tone unusually grave. “Xiao Yuncheng is so diligent and hardworking, and his literary talent is appreciated. He will surely stand out sooner or later. If the Marquis of Dingyuan’s mansion accepts him, with three lives on his hands, he and Qiyu will inevitably become bitter enemies, and the two brothers will eventually turn against each other. If they don’t accept him, it’s fine if Xiao Yuncheng remains unknown. But if he encounters a benefactor and rises to prominence, then the family will see him as an enemy if they don’t marry him. How can he not harbor resentment? There’s a long road ahead. Who can guarantee he won’t turn around and bite back?”

By the end, Cui Ying's expression had become completely serious.

She had never imagined things to be so complex and profound.

In her eyes, Xiao Yuncheng had always been a simple-minded and weak scholar who couldn't even kill a chicken. He was lucky if he wasn't threatened, let alone threatened others.

After hearing her father's words, she suddenly realized what was going on.

She didn't know Xiao Yuncheng's identity back then, but he definitely knew hers. Knowing her identity, he could still get along with her openly, and even deliberately get close to her. How could he be a simple-minded person? Moreover, the money bag she lost last time inexplicably appeared with him, and she still hasn't figured out why.

As Cui Ying thought of Xiao Yuncheng's face, she also thought of Xiao Qiyu's face. The two faces gradually overlapped, which startled her and made her break out in a cold sweat.

"What should we do now?" Cui Ying asked her father nervously.

Cui Yan's eyes darkened, his expression becoming as solemn as ink.

what to do?

On the surface, these seemingly respectable aristocratic families are never short of ruthless and straightforward methods. Not to mention that they could easily find a pretext to accuse Xiao Yuncheng of misconduct or cheating and expel him from the academy, thus ruining his career in the imperial examinations, even if they were to use even more ruthless methods, it would not be difficult for them to make this helpless son of an illegitimate wife "disappear" from the world without a trace.

However, the thought only flashed through Cui Yan's mind before he suppressed it.

He is an upright man, and he would never do such a thing as ruining someone's future and committing such heinous acts himself, nor would he want his daughter to be involved in it in the slightest, much less utter such despicable methods.

In the end, he could only sigh heavily again and said wearily, "What can I do? It's a family matter of the Xiao family anyway. You should go back tomorrow and discuss a solution with your husband."

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Author's Note: Little Jade: Forget tomorrow, let's do it today!