Chapter 34 [VIP]
When Xiao Chua appeared, it was almost completely dark. Xiao Liang wanted to set off firecrackers as he had the day before. After eating, he waited for the sky to darken, and as soon as it got dark, he excitedly went to the open space.
Gunpowder existed in this era, but the technology was not yet capable of producing fireworks for display.
Moreover, gunpowder was controlled by the government and could not be used to make firecrackers. Therefore, Xiao Liang set off firecrackers by throwing bamboo into the fire and listening to the sound of the bamboo exploding.
She had thrown a few bamboo sections on New Year's Eve just to join in the fun, but now, listening to the loud popping sounds, she felt reluctant to move.
Just as she was hesitating whether to give Xiao Liang face, she heard Xiao Chuan extend an invitation to her.
After the argument that day, the two began to ignore each other.
Of course, this ignoring can also be said to be a unilateral action by her.
Because Xiao Chua was naturally a man of few words, she wouldn't initiate conversations with him, nor would he seek out topics to talk about with her.
When he first came back, she wanted to pretend that he had disrupted the status quo, which made her declare that "I am very disappointed in you".
She was initially worried that she was being too radical, but later she realized that it was a good thing, giving her an excuse to ignore Xiao Chu and not need to pretend in front of him.
She never expected that even after they had become so estranged, Xiao Chuan would still make her work; it was utterly outrageous.
Mi Yao's eyes were full of surprise. She stared at Xiao Chuan for a long time. Seeing that he sensed her surprise but did not say anything to let it go, she silently stood up.
"Are you sure you want it now, my lord? It's barely dark, isn't it a bit too early?"
As Mi Yao followed Xiao Chuan into his room, she asked him a question.
"Finishing early won't delay my sleep."
Faced with Mi Yao's question, Xiao Chuan didn't even turn his head, and answered calmly.
Looking at his back, Mi Yao wrinkled her nose.
He spoke so nonchalantly that anyone who didn't know better would think he had some kind of system forcing him to complete tasks he didn't want to do.
But in reality, no one forced him to sleep with her.
If he doesn't want to sleep, he can simply cancel the first and fifteenth of the lunar month.
Having an excuse not to be too enthusiastic, Mi Yao entered Xiao Chuan's room. Unlike before, she didn't approach him proactively. Instead, she stood not far from the door with a faint expression, not looking at him, but casually examining the carvings on the rosewood table not far away.
She wanted to see just how capable Xiao Chuan was, and whether he could repeat the same steps as before when faced with an uncooperative woman.
Reality proves that you shouldn't overestimate how much men care about women's emotions.
She hadn't stood there for long when she heard Xiao Chuan's usually cold voice become somewhat hoarse: "Take off your clothes."
Their eyes met, and Xiao Chu's gaze was deep and dark, a faint crimson glow already burning in his eyes.
It's clear that even before she took off her clothes, his mind was already wandering to what she would look like completely naked.
Mi Yao: ...
Wow, that's what men are like.
Knowing that the person in front of her didn't care about her attitude, and that throwing a tantrum would only make her suffer, Mi Yao simply walked to the bedside and began to obediently take off her clothes.
"Isn't my husband coming?"
With only the last layer remaining, Mi Yao paused in her untying of the rope, looked up at Xiao Chuan, and asked.
Xiao Chuan strode up to her, grasped her chin with his hand, and lowered his head little by little.
Just before their lips touched, he stopped, scrutinizing the expression on Mi Yao's face.
Mi Yao's almond-shaped eyes were half-closed, her long, thick eyelashes drooping obediently. Not receiving the kiss she expected, she opened her eyes wide in confusion and looked at him in bewilderment.
Xiao Chuan didn't hesitate any longer and captured her lips in his mouth.
She neither flinched nor dodged; her lips parted slightly, allowing him to penetrate her fully.
The woman's lips were as sweet and soft as ever.
He held her by the back of her neck, bringing them close together, savoring her taste with his lips while his hands freely traced patterns on her fair skin.
Like a tyrant conquering cities and seizing territories, Mi Yao was overwhelmed by his domineering presence, and even her mind began to spin.
Taking advantage of the brief pause in his breathing, Mi Yao quickly said, "My lord, I feel unwell..."
"I'll just have to endure it, even if it's painful."
Hearing Mi Yao's pleas for mercy, Xiao Chuan coldly mocked her, not letting go of her, and then sealed her lips with his again in the next moment.
Although he said some harsh things, his subsequent kiss was much gentler.
Mi Yao was surprised to find that he didn't bite her this time.
Today's pace was similar to the last time, but the difference was that he wasn't as assertive this time.
He stopped when he heard her say no.
After that, he became self-sufficient. As Mi Yao's eyes went from being lifeless to her blood gradually cooling down, and she felt that it didn't matter if she didn't participate in today's exercise, she finally threw the soiled handkerchief off the bed.
"Shall I get you a hot towel?"
Xiao Chuan glanced at Mi Yao and asked.
This time, because he didn't insist, the bedding wasn't dirty, saving him the trouble of changing it.
Mi Yao didn't speak immediately.
When Xiao Chuan brought the handkerchief over, she was in a daze.
"My lord,"
"And what about you?"
Xiao Chuan frowned.
Mi Yao's eyes were red.
She originally thought that if she took a break, the feeling of being stuck in a rut would disappear, but sensing the satisfaction emanating from Xiao Chuan, the uncomfortable feeling did not disappear but instead became even more uncomfortable.
He was sweating profusely, trying to take over more territory, while she was either saying no or enjoying herself.
This time, Xiao Chuan gave up too quickly. In the end, he was done having his fun, but she was stuck just short of it.
Torn between being tough and living for the moment, Mi Yao glanced at Xiao Chuan, and amidst his puzzled gaze, she reached out and embraced him, kissing the Adam's apple on his neck.
She chose to live for the moment.
"what you do?"
His neck was being kissed and sucked, and Xiao Chuan's voice was hoarse, as if his throat was mixed with coarse sand. The extinguished sparks seemed to be making a comeback.
"How can you only think of yourself, my lord? I'm suffering..."
Mi Yao complained pitifully, her charming eyes holding a hint of unspoken words. Xiao Chuan paused for a moment, finally understanding the reason for her posture.
He had never thought about it; he just thought she drank a lot of water.
It turns out that women, like men, also have a state of being neither here nor there.
What do you want me to do?
The demand relationship has reversed; Xiao Chuan's voice is still hoarse, but his demeanor has become more unhurried.
"...Touch?"
After Mi Yao finished speaking, she blinked and asked, "My lord, can you do it?"
Almost no man is willing to admit that he is still learning and exploring when it comes to matters of the heart, and that he is a novice who is just getting started.
Hearing Mi Yao's questioning tone, this time Xiao Chuan didn't follow the step of kissing first and then kissing her neck, but instead directly licked and bit her.
Just now, Mi Yao thought Xiao Chuan had changed his gender and was no longer like a dog, but now it seems he is still himself. When he gets emotional, he wants to act like a dog, and he feels something is missing if he doesn't nibble on her flesh.
Half an hour later, Xiao Chuan still did the job of changing the sheets. He stood by the bed, looking down at Mi Yao with a blank stare, as if she had lost her soul.
Thinking about how she had just looked, he suddenly realized that it could be interesting to manipulate the other person in a relationship.
She reminded him of the rabbits his mother used to raise; they would rub against his legs eagerly and quickly, and were very easily satisfied.
After making the bed, Xiao Chuan returned to the bed, where Mi Yao had already closed her eyes.
She said she was disappointed that he wasn't honest enough, but he thought that was just an excuse for her laziness.
Because he felt his position in the Xiao family was secure enough, he developed a temper that he had never shown before.
It's unclear whether she simply used an excuse to deceive him, or whether she deceived not only him but also herself.
*
Because the exercise started so early, Mi Yao groggily opened her eyes the next day when she sensed Xiao Chua getting up.
She drowsily admired Xiao Chua's bare back. After Xiao Chua left, she yawned, put on her cloak, and instead of continuing to sleep there, went back to her own room.
Xiao Chuan has a hot body and doesn't like having a charcoal brazier in the room. She also doesn't like sleeping on a bed that's too soft. Normally, she would try to please him and sleep until noon without any problem. Now, she naturally wants to choose a more comfortable place to sleep.
When she woke up again, there was a warm little bundle of flesh on her bed.
She touched Xiao Shan's body, pinching her from her arm to her face, making Xiao Shan laugh out loud from the ticklishness: "Mother... don't sleep with me anymore!"
Knowing that Xiao Shan was referring to Xiao Chua when she pouted, Mi Yao pinched her nose and said, "Go talk to him and tell him that he's such a grown-up, why does he always have others sleep with him? He should grow up and sleep by himself."
"that is!"
Seeing Xiao Shan quickly put on her clothes and about to run out with her short legs, Mi Yao grabbed her.
“Your father has a bad temper and can’t stand the truth. If you anger him, he might move your little bed and make you sleep with him.”
Upon hearing that Xiao Chuan would do that, Xiao Shan frowned and said, "No!"
Who wants to sleep with a stupid dad who looks fierce and doesn't smell nice?
"If you don't want him, then don't mess with him."
The main reason is that, given Xiao Chuan's petty nature, he will definitely hold Xiao Shan responsible for provoking him, even though it was indeed her who instigated it.
After changing their clothes, the two stopped mentioning Xiao Chuan and focused on today's activities.
She had heard three children mention shadow puppetry when she visited Meiyuan Miyao, which gave her an idea. She inquired around Yizhou about famous acrobatic troupes and placed a deposit well in advance before the Lunar New Year to book the performances for the next few days of the holiday.
Yesterday, carpets were set up in the open space of the Xiao residence, and today, starting from noon, actors took turns performing on stage.
Xiao Shan and the others were originally looking forward to the shadow puppet show that they hadn't finished watching last time, but they also found it strange and special to hear the performers playing music and singing. Then the acrobats came on stage to swallow fire and walk on tightropes... Xiao Liang was so shocked that he didn't have time to close his mouth and swallowed a lot of cold air, making his belly look a little rounder.
The Xiao residence was even more lively today than on New Year's Eve. Xiao Chuan was absent at first, but later he arrived.
Sitting next to Mi Yao, he watched the acrobatic performance on the stage without looking to the side.
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Mi Yao glanced at Xiao Chuan's aloof expression. She couldn't tell if he genuinely wanted to watch the spectacle or if he realized that all the excitement was being generated by his money, so he just sat there with a stiff face, uninterested, waiting out the hours.
The performance lasted until the afternoon.
When the performance ended, Xiao Shan and Xiao Liang were reluctant to part. They were relieved to know that the acrobatic troupe would come to their home again, and they looked forward to watching it next time.
Back at Tingsong Courtyard, Xiao Liang was still excited.
"Brother, I feel like I'm dreaming."
"The sword-swallowing expert has a mechanism on the sword so that the blade will retract when it enters his mouth. He doesn't actually swallow the whole sword."
Xiao Yi had heard of the secret to swallowing swords and felt obligated to tell his younger brother so that his brother, being so naive, wouldn't be deceived when he grew up.
"So that's how it is!"
Xiao Liang's eyes lit up. "Big brother knows so much, but I also know he couldn't really swallow the sword. I'm happy to see this, and happy that Mother can celebrate the New Year with us."
Previously, his elder brother had reminded him that he had always called Mi Yao "Mother," but later, when he saw Shan'er call Mi Yao "A-niang," he accidentally followed suit once.
After calling her name, seeing that Mi Yao still paid attention to him and did not scold him for calling her name incorrectly, he called her "Mother" just like Shan'er.
He truly loved Mi Yao. He remembered that before Mi Yao arrived, Granny Ma had scared him by saying that Mi Yao would kill him and his sister. Now it seemed that Granny Ma was a complete villain, talking nonsense. His mother would never harm them.
Mother is the best.
“Last year when I paid respects to my parents and grandmother, I knelt down and cried nonstop. I knew my father didn’t like it, but I still couldn’t stop crying. I missed my parents and grandmother and wished they were still here.”
When he set up memorial tablets to pay respects again a couple of days ago, he still wanted his biological father, mother and grandmother to be alive, but he was not as sad.
The reason for this is because of Mi Yao.
"If only Mother liked Father a little more."
Xiao Liang sighed. He noticed that his father and mother didn't talk much. It must be because his father had a bad temper and his mother disliked him.
Hearing his younger brother say that, Xiao Yi shook his head and said, "Father and Mother are husband and wife, so naturally Mother likes Father. Please don't say things like that anymore."
Is that really the case?
For the first time, Xiao Liang questioned his elder brother's words.
The next day, he was even more certain that his elder brother was just trying to coax him, because his father rushed into his mother's room in a rage early in the morning. He was startled when he heard the servants talking and tried to rush to the main courtyard, but was stopped by the nanny.
"Don't worry, Erlang. The lady and the town magistrate have a misunderstanding. They're not arguing. They'll be fine in a bit."
"real?"
Xiao Liang looked intently at the old woman with his clear eyes.
When he asked her so seriously, the old woman hesitated for a moment.
It must be true. The magistrate couldn't possibly bear to hit a woman as beautiful as her.
Mi Yao was speechless at this moment.
She was sleeping soundly when she was suddenly awakened by crying. When she opened her eyes, she saw Xiao Chuan standing in front of her bed, looking at her with a murderous expression.
Rubbing her eyes, Mi Yao said, "Are you my husband or the King of Hell from the underworld? You look so much like my Xiao Lang, but you look so fierce, like you want to eat me up."
Xiao Chuan curled the corner of his mouth expressionlessly: "Don't give me that, what's wrong with her?"
Mi Yao followed his gaze to Yu Xiu, who was wiping away tears by the door. Touching her thin clothes, her muddled mind suddenly cleared.
Just as he was thinking that Yu Xiu wouldn't be that stupid, he heard Xiao Chuan speak sarcastically: "You're so easy. I told you to find a beauty who is no less beautiful than you, and you ordered your ugly sister who hasn't even reached marriageable age to climb into my bed."
Xiao Chuan had a habit of morning exercise; he would get up early every day to practice boxing or weapons for two hours.
Today, after finishing his practice, he returned to his residence to change clothes. As soon as he stepped into the room, he felt an unfamiliar smell.
Walking to the bedside, he saw the bulge on the tatami mat. In the past, he would have probably stabbed it with a sword. But thinking of a certain possibility, he reached out and lifted the blanket.
And as soon as the lid was lifted, Yu Xiu was seen.
"My lord, I know you're angry, but please don't say such hurtful things. What's wrong with Xiu'er's appearance?"
Rather than believing that Yu Xiu was following the script and genuinely wanted to seduce Xiao Chua, Mi Yao thought of how Yu Xiu had wanted to cry but dared not when she saw the red marks on her neck yesterday. She chose to believe in her own personal charm and thought that Yu Xiu had put on this show for her sake.
But it's all for her sake, which is both stupid and annoying.
"Is this your explanation?"
Xiao Chuan stared coldly at Mi Yao, as if he would drag her out of bed and throw her outside if that was all she could say.
"Of course not, Xiu'er misunderstood. It's all my fault, my lord. You love me too much, which makes her think that you beat me all the time."
Mi Yao slightly pulled open her collar, letting Xiao Chua see the lingering hickeys on her body, implying that Yu Xiu had misunderstood these marks.
Although it seems absurd, it wouldn't be surprising if anything absurd happened to Mi Yao.
"Get out."
Xiao Chuan called out to shoo her away, and Yu Xiu stopped in her tracks, sobbing, "My sister didn't order me to do this, it's all my fault. If the garrison commander wants to hit or kill someone, he can come at me, it has nothing to do with my sister..."
When Xiao Chuan dragged her over, she thought she was going to die today, and only now did she calm down and beg for mercy.
"Shiya, when you take Xiuer out, remember to dress her properly so she doesn't catch a cold."
After Shi Ya took Yu Xiu away, only she and Xiao Chuan remained in the room. Mi Yao touched her cold shoulders, knowing that she couldn't escape getting up early today.
"My lord, please wait for me to put on my clothes. It wouldn't be good if I caught a cold and it got into you."
Seeing that Mi Yao hadn't tensed up at all from beginning to end, Xiao Chuan scoffed: "Yu Shi, you are incredibly audacious and do whatever you want. You seem respectful and try your best to please me, but in reality, you have a temper bigger than the sky. You are patient and polite to those who are useful to you, but if those who are useless to you bother you, you curse them like a turtle."
Mi Yao thought Xiao Chuan would mock her for not disciplining her younger sister properly.
Unexpectedly, this is what he said when he opened his mouth.
"Why did you suddenly say that, my lord? I'm not that bad. How could I possibly call someone a bastard?"
The only person she ever cursed after transmigrating into the book was Huan Guanbin. Surely, after so much time, Huan Guanbin couldn't understand why she had cursed him so much and came to Xiao Chu to complain, right?
Xiao Chuan ignored her and continued, "Someone as uncontrollable as you, who would dare to use you as a tool? I left Pu Qing behind for you only because I didn't want you to be nothing but a corpse before I came back."
If we're talking about tools, he didn't really treat her as one. At most, he valued her elder brother and wanted to use this marriage to persuade Yu Shaoyang, who wasn't valued in the court, to come to Yizhou.
As for what she guessed, he hadn't even considered it before she brought it up.
"I'm holding back the evidence because I feel I've been too prominent these past six months, and I don't want to confront the Zhao family without a reason. As for using you..."
Xiao Chuan curled his lips in a mocking smile, "Have you forgotten that you live in the Xiao family and that you are my lawfully wedded wife? What's the difference between you being arrogant in front of the Zhao family and me being arrogant in front of the Zhao family?"
He wasn't a prophet; he couldn't possibly guess that the Wang family parents were willing to go to any lengths to seek justice for their daughter, and wouldn't mind letting the world know that their daughter had been deceived by Zhao Wulang.
In her words, he became someone who had planned this all along and used her to get the results he wanted.
He was also disappointed by his integrity; if that were truly the case, he was still disappointed that she wasn't as crazy as he thought.
In his worst-case scenario, he would rush back to clean up her mess and wipe her backside.
This was the first time Mi Yao had ever heard Xiao Chuan talk so much since they met. Considering that their argument had lasted for seven days, and that Xiao Chuan had held back for seven days before finally saying these words, she was surprised.
She blinked, no longer daring to question him, and said softly, "My lord is so kind."
After saying that, fearing that Xiao Chuan would think that the fault lay entirely with her, she added, "If it were anyone else, I would never have misunderstood so much. It is only because I care that I am confused. It is because you are so great in my heart that I misunderstood you."
So the mistake was that he shouldn't have been so great in her eyes.
Xiao Chuan gave her a cold look: "Ask me all your questions at once."
Mi Yao thought for a moment and then shook her head.
Because Xiao Chuan didn't seem to have any humanity, she didn't hesitate to speculate about him from the worst possible perspective after seeing the booklet left behind by Wu Yingying.
Now that he has shed his stern and intimidating demeanor and is erupting like an ordinary person who has been wronged, what can she say?
However, she was quite satisfied with Xiao Chuan's perception of her. In his mind, she was a brainless troublemaker who would cause him trouble and require him to clean up her messes.
That's great, that's great. Now she can be even more arrogant and domineering.
"I have no doubts about my husband; I only have trust and joy for him."
"laugh."
Xiao Chuan's gaze did not soften. He looked at her slightly open collar and pursed his lips, saying, "Since I did nothing wrong, then the only one who is wrong is you. How do you plan to apologize now?"
Huh?
Is there such a thing as apology between husband and wife? Aren't they supposed to make up before they get out of bed?
Mi Yao feigned ignorance: "I will teach Xiu'er a lesson so that she won't do anything foolish again."
Actually, Yu Xiu came to the Xiao family as a concubine, so there shouldn't be any problem with her climbing into bed.
But as she said before, she felt that Xiao Chua seemed to lack humanity and that she would assume the worst about him, so she dared not say this, lest she upset him and make him do something to Yu Xiu.
"If what you're saying is true, and she misunderstood that I hit you, which led to this situation, then surely there must be some reason why she would misunderstand. Don't tell me she's just making wild guesses."
Xiao Chuan pinched Mi Yao's face, which was avoiding his gaze, and met her eyes. "Yu Mi Yao, I don't want to hear excuses. I just want to know how you plan to apologize."
"Then... sir, could you go in another inch?"
Mi Yao hesitated before speaking. He insisted that she apologize, but she felt that he wouldn't be satisfied if she said something serious. So she decided to do something unserious.
The next moment she regretted her indecent behavior.
She had originally thought that Xiao Chuan had just been furious, and today was neither the first nor the fifteenth of the month, but also broad daylight.
Who would have thought that after she finished speaking, Xiao Chuan would climb onto her soft, fragrant bed.
"I haven't washed up yet..."
I won't kiss your lips.
After saying that, Xiao Chuan held her hand and told her where she was before, and what would happen if she went an inch more. "Make sure you're on the right track, so don't say I got something extra later."
Mi Yao: ...
Who wants to watch this?
Just seeing her makes me feel that she is doomed to die today.
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