024 So tender

Yuan Chongjing waited all night but didn't get a chance to speak to her.

After dinner, the whole family sat together and talked. Li Yang kept her distance from him, constantly clinging to Madam Yuan and her sister-in-law. Yuan Chongjing even put aside his pride and sat down next to them, without interrupting the conversation.

It was his sister-in-law who noticed his hesitation and secretly nudged Madam Yuan's arm before smiling and saying, "Oh dear, it's getting late, Mother, let's go back to sleep."

Madam Yuan reacted quickly this time: "Alright, alright, the children must be sleepy. Yang'er, take Xiao Taozi back quickly."

Little Peach, still half asleep, ran over when she heard Madam Yuan calling her and climbed into Li Yang's arms, crying, "Mother~"

Li Yang hugged her and nuzzled her forehead, asking, "Little Peach, do you want to sleep?"

Little Peach nodded, found a comfortable position in her arms, and squinted her eyes.

Li Yang patted her gently: "Then go to sleep, Mom will carry you back."

As they spoke, the eldest young mistress, holding Xiao Li'er, and Yuan Chongyue, leading Yu Yi, bid them farewell.

Li Yang greeted everyone and carried the sleeping Xiao Taozi outside.

After their marriage, they went to Chenzhou and didn't return for four years. The courtyard in the mansion was first reserved for Yuan Chongyue and the third young lady, Yuan Yue. When Yuan Chongjing and Li Yang returned, only the slightly more secluded courtyard remained. To get there, one had to pass through the mansion's small garden and some paths, which was quite a distance.

After leaving the main hall and turning onto the side path, Yuan Chongjing reached out to Li Yang: "Let me hold Xiao Taozi."

Li Yang turned around and refused, saying, "Your injuries haven't healed yet, let me carry you."

Sensing the indifference in her words, Yuan Chongjing didn't insist. He followed her for a while longer and asked, "What's wrong?"

“It’s nothing,” Li Yang replied immediately.

Yuan Chongjing said, "It's nothing, but you didn't talk to me or even look at me all night." His words carried an urgency and grievance that he was unaware of.

Li Yang suddenly laughed, looked up at him with a puzzled expression: "Weren't you the one who hated me clinging to you the most? Now that I'm not clinging to you anymore, you should be happy."

"I..." Yuan Chongjing was taken aback by her words. Thinking of what Beihai had said that afternoon, he cautiously asked, "Are you jealous? Actually, there's nothing between Biyun and me. Today was the first time I met her. I saw that she was living in such poverty, so I asked her a few more questions."

Li Yang chuckled and said sarcastically, "Oh, you're calling me 'Biyun' so affectionately, and you still say it's nothing?!"

Yuan Chongjing gritted his teeth in frustration. Bei Hai had clearly reminded him that afternoon not to call Bi Yun by her name in front of Li Yang. How could he have forgotten in his haste?

He was stunned for a moment, and Li Yang said sourly, "You've lost your memory and can't remember. Who knows if you had any contact with her before you lost your memory?"

Yuan Chongjing instinctively wanted to explain, but looking at Li Yang's ambiguous smile, he suddenly felt that he had lost face in front of Li Yang, as if he had been at a disadvantage in his confrontation with her.

Losing to Li Yang and having to bow down in front of her was the thing he couldn't tolerate the most.

He was only focused on winning, and without thinking, he coldly said, "Say whatever you want. Back then, Biyun and I were in love. If you hadn't interfered and used tricks to make me marry you, we might have been married by now."

Upon hearing this, Li Yang felt a surge of anger rising in her chest, making her heart ache. Thinking of the sleeping little peach in her arms, she whispered angrily, "So, Yuan Chongjing, you've finally spoken your true feelings. You scumbag who reneges on your promises after you've done your bidding! It was you who went to my house to propose marriage back then!"

"Who knows if you've secretly used something to blackmail me!" Yuan Chongjing retorted in a low voice, equally unwilling to admit defeat.

"Ha, trying to turn the tables?" Li Yang sneered, retorting without flinching, "You insidious scoundrel! Only you would have such a vile thought!"

Yuan Chongjing immediately retorted sharply, "I'm no match for you; you only know how to do despicable things!"

Li Yang was so angry with him that she gasped for breath, her chest heaving. The noise woke little Taozi, who was sleeping soundly against her chest. She opened her eyes groggily and called out in her sweet, childish voice, "Mother?"

Yuan Chongjing looked down at her and happened to see the beautiful scenery of her still heaving chest, a piece of white jade-like skin with two bulging mounds, and between them was a mysterious ravine that attracted attention.

Li Yang didn't notice his movements and changed her position while holding Xiao Taozi: "Xiao Taozi, be good, Mommy's here, go to sleep."

Little Peach smacked her lips, then nestled on her shoulder and fell asleep again.

The beautiful scenery was gone, and Yuan Chongjing withdrew his gaze in disappointment. Suddenly remembering that he was still angry with her, his expression darkened.

Not knowing what tomorrow would bring, Li Yang didn't want to argue with him. Holding Xiao Taozi, she turned around and walked away, saying, "Let Beihai watch over you tonight. I'm going to sleep with Xiao Taozi."

Yuan Chongjing followed her all the way, wanting to say something but feeling somewhat unwilling. In the end, he could only mumble, "Beihai is Beihai. Do you think I can't live without you?"

Li Yang stopped in her tracks upon hearing this, turned around and glared at him fiercely: "Don't follow me any further, or I'll make you pay!"

"I... I won't hold it against you!" Yuan Chongjing said with bracing himself. But when he saw Li Yang carrying Xiao Taozi and walking away without looking back, he felt a little deflated. He found a rock by the roadside and sat there blankly.

Today happens to be the fifteenth of the lunar month, and the moonlight is so bright that you can see your shadow clearly. Yuan Chongjing leaned against the artificial hill, looking up at the full moon overhead. He didn't know what was wrong with him; seeing Li Yang made him want to have a huge argument with her like before, making her blush and get so angry that she would jump up and down.

It seems that whenever someone mentions Li Yang at the academy, they will inevitably bring up her nemesis, Yuan Chongjing.

Whenever someone mentions Yuan Chongjing, they also discuss his arch-rival, Li Yang.

Their names together represent each other's most special existence.

They are inseparable.

He loathed it deeply, yet there was a hint of strange smugness in his eyes.

Thin clouds drifted by, making the bright moonlight before him appear hazy and luminous. Just like the 'beautiful scenery' he had just witnessed: that fair and flawless skin seemed to glow, translucent and delicate.

Yuan Chongjing smiled faintly.

The next moment, he realized what he was laughing about. Yuan Chongjing quickly slapped himself and warned himself, "That's Li Yang! The woman you hate the most! No, she's not even a woman! Yuan Chongjing, wake up!"

After he was hit, he felt pain again. He rubbed his sore chin, stood up, and went back to his room.

***

No longer needing to constantly monitor Yuan Chongjing's condition at night, Li Yang was able to get a good night's sleep, a rare occurrence for her.

She woke up early the next morning and played with Xiaotaozi on the bed for a while before the mother and daughter washed up and got dressed together affectionately.

After spending enough time with her, Xiao Taozi finally remembered Yuan Chongjing, whom she had neglected, and pulled Li Yang's hand to walk towards his room.

But they came up empty-handed.

Inside the room, Zhou's mother was making the bed. Li Yang asked, "Zhou's mother, where's Jing-ge?"

Madam Zhou replied, "Young Madam, the Second Young Master is in the laundry room. Beihai said that the Second Young Master woke up early this morning, changed all his shirts, sheets, and duvet covers by himself, and then carried them to wash by himself, without letting anyone else help."

Li Yang asked, "Why is he washing all these things so early in the morning?"

Zhou's mother glanced at Xiao Taozi, who was standing to the side with an innocent look on her face, and said meaningfully, "It must have been contaminated with something."

"What got on it..."

Before Li Yang could finish speaking, she understood what Zhou's mother meant. Before she could tell her to stop spreading the word, Xiao Taozi, who was leaning against her leg, said with a grin, "I know, I know, Mom, Daddy wet the bed! He was afraid of being seen and embarrassed, so he washed himself!"

Li Yang quickly covered her mouth, then looked at Zhou Mama with a stern face and said coldly, "If you say such nonsense in front of Miss again, I will report to Mother and have you kicked out!"

Zhou's mother looked timid and lowered her head, not daring to speak again.

Li Yang led Xiao Taozi to an empty outer room, squatted down and spoke to her: "Xiao Taozi, you can't talk to Daddy like that anymore! Daddy is an adult, he won't wet the bed."

Little Peach tilted her head and thought for a moment. She hadn't wet the bed for a long time, and her father was so much taller than her, he probably wouldn't wet the bed anymore. "Then why does Daddy wash the sheets?"

Li Yang said, "Little Peach, do you still remember the wound on Daddy's chest? It's because Daddy was restless in his sleep at night and reopened the wound. Blood dripped onto the bed. Daddy was afraid that Little Peach would be sad if she saw it, so he went to wash it."

"Do you like to toss and turn in your sleep like Little Peach?" Little Peach remembered that she used to sleep between her father and mother. But the next day, her mother was sleeping in the middle, and she was all alone at the very end of the bed.

Li Yang nodded: "That's right, so when we see Father later, let's pretend we don't know anything, okay? That way we won't waste Father's good intentions."

Okay~

Children are forgetful. Upon seeing Yuan Chongjing, Xiao Taozi immediately forgot her promise to Li Yang. She toddled over to Yuan Chongjing's legs and leaned against him, her little face filled with worry: "Daddy, is your wound bleeding again?"

Yuan Chongjing pinched Li Yang's chubby little face like she did: "Thank you for your concern, little peach. Daddy's wound has scabbed over and won't bleed easily anymore."

If it's not bleeding, then Daddy must have peed on the bed like her! Daddy is so ashamed, he's so old and still wets the bed, while Little Peach hasn't wet the bed since last year!

Little Peach's eyes lit up as she stole a glance at Yuan Chongjing, then lowered her head, covered her mouth, and secretly laughed.

This action was so eye-catching that Yuan Chongjing asked curiously, "Little Peach, what are you laughing at?"

Little Peach opened her mouth to speak, but Li Yang quickly stuffed a small bun into her mouth and then told Xia He to take her away: "Little Peach, didn't you say last night that you wanted to go see Grandma's little parrot with Little Pear? Hurry up and let Sister Xia He take you, or the little parrot will fly away if you're late."

Yesterday, when Yuan Chongyue came back from outside, he brought back a colorful parrot. Xiao Taozi was very interested in its ability to mimic human speech. Upon hearing this, she immediately forgot what she was about to do, opened her arms, and begged Xia He to pick her up.

"Little Peach, you have to walk by yourself~ Don't let anyone carry you!" Li Yang said.

Little Peach pouted. Seeing Li Yang's resolute attitude and still thinking about the little parrot, she reluctantly followed Xia He away.

Once they left, only Yuan Chongjing and Li Yang remained in the hall.

Considering Li Yang's behavior just now, Yuan Chongjing had ample reason to suspect that there was a secret between her and Xiao Taozi that he didn't know about, and that it was about him.

This made him very unhappy.

But he was too embarrassed to ask.

Yuan Chongjing put down his chopsticks and his gaze involuntarily turned to Li Yang, who was enjoying his meal.

There was only one small steamed bun left on the table. The kitchen staff had specially shaped it into a little rabbit so the children would eat more. A pair of chopsticks pinched the rabbit's ears, slowly picked it up, let it float in the air for a moment, and finally landed in a small cherry-like mouth, disappearing completely.

Her makeup today was very fresh; she had no lipstick on her lips, which were a delicate pink like cherry blossoms. The next moment, she took a sip of hot soup, and the steam left on her lips created a misty effect, like a delicate flower petal glistening with dew.

Yuan Chongjing couldn't help but recall the beautiful dream from last night. She smiled and fell into his arms. The two of them were deeply entwined, so happy and so lost in each other, as if the world had only the two of them left.

He had never experienced such a thrilling moment before. The rivers that had been blocked for so long were suddenly liberated, rushing out of his body and heading towards the beach and the sea.

Then, when he woke up the next morning, he noticed a chill beneath him.