Chapter 54 "Then naturally, I will come to serve Xi..."
Shen Xi was wrapped in Xie Chengyan's cloak, the fragrance of ebony mixed with the chill of winter snow penetrating her heart and lungs.
Why are you here?
His tone couldn't hide his joy.
His health has improved recently, so he has become busy again, often disappearing in the morning and not returning home until dark.
She thought she would have to wait until the wee hours of the morning again, but to her surprise, he came to Renfeng Hall to pick her up.
With Wen Tingmao and Wangyou still in his mind, Xie Chengyan simply held her and replied softly, "I had little to do today, so I finished early and thought I'd come see you."
Shen Xi smiled and said, "We'll have to wait a little longer. I'll go get some medicine and then we'll go back to the manor together."
After saying that, she immediately broke free from his embrace and hurried to the pharmacy.
Xie Chengyan watched her retreating figure, a smile unconsciously curving his lips.
Before he could look any further, a booming voice rang out: "You two! Don't come here again!"
Hearing this, Shen Xi poked her head out of the pharmacy, her tone light and cheerful: "Master, how have I caused you any trouble this time?"
Wen Tingmao glared at him: "You're in my way!"
Shen Xi pouted and deliberately said, "That's troublesome. I'll have to keep coming to get your attention from now on."
After saying that, he smiled slyly and gave Xie Chengyan a look, looking just like a little fox.
Xie Chengyan couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.
Finally, under Shen Xi's emboldened provocation, the two were chased out by Wen Tingmao.
On the way back, Shen Xi did not take a carriage, but insisted on walking in the snow with Xie Chengyan.
Seeing that Shen Xi was in a rare good mood, Xie Chengyan didn't want to spoil the fun. He draped his cloak over her shoulders, held an umbrella over her, and accompanied her all the way back to the General's Mansion.
They had only gone halfway when Shen Xi found herself carrying a lot more food. When she held a round chestnut to his lips, Xie Chengyan realized why she insisted on going back.
Xie Chengyan readily agreed, taking the peeled chestnut from her fingertips, its sweet and glutinous texture filling his mouth.
He chuckled softly, watching Shen Xi intently peel another chestnut for herself, and said with a smile, "I never knew before that you liked these snacks."
Shen Xi popped a chestnut into her mouth, swallowed it, and then said, "Actually, I only like it in winter."
I've never heard of someone who likes snacks but has to be picky about the season.
But Xie Chengyan knew she probably had more to say, so he asked, "Why?"
Shen Xi chuckled, her bright eyes looking at him: "Because of habit. When I was little, my mother would only let my father agree to take me out for a stroll around the end of the year, like we are today. Since it was a rare occasion to go out, my mother would buy me all the food she could find on the street, but actually, it was just fried fruit and candied hawthorns. Later, it became a habit every winter."
Xie Chengyan's eyes flickered slightly, and he swallowed hard: "From now on, I will stay with you."
Shen Xi waved her hand and stuffed everything in her hand into his hands: "No need, I just suddenly felt like having some fun. I'll get tired of it if I eat too much."
After saying that, she turned her head and looked at him intently: "I've said so much, but I haven't heard you talk about your childhood?"
Xie Chengyan lowered his eyes and said indifferently, "It's not as interesting as yours, there's nothing to say."
Shen Xi tilted her head: "I heard before that you weren't in the capital before you were seven years old. Where were you then?"
"Qingzhou".
Shen Xi paused for a moment: "Qingzhou?"
Suddenly, she smiled belatedly: "No wonder you know about Jade Pearl Cloud Silk Soup. My mother said that most children in Qingzhou have eaten this dish."
Xie Chengyan seemed to be thinking of something, his gaze fell on her, but it didn't seem to be focused, and he only responded with a low sound.
Shen Xi then asked with great interest, "Since we're in Qingzhou, is there anything fun to do? I've never been to Qingzhou before."
"I have forgotten what happened in Qingzhou before I was seven years old."
These words were spoken with remarkable calmness and indifference, yet they inexplicably sent a shiver down Shen Xi's spine.
She slowed her pace and, as if possessed, grabbed Xie Chengyan's sleeve.
She couldn't help but recall Xue's words: Xie Chengyan was weak and plagued by illness when he was young, and she thought it was related to these things.
After a moment of silence, Shen Xi asked softly, "How could you forget? Did you have some kind of illness during that time?"
Xie Chengyan looked into the distance. The snow was falling heavier and heavier, and the ground was covered with a layer of silvery white. Behind them, a series of footprints stretched out.
After a long silence, he looked at Shen Xi and chuckled softly, "You've already forgotten, how could I possibly know how you forgot?"
Shen Xi paused for a moment, realizing she couldn't get anything out of him, so she had to give up.
Seeing that she had stopped talking, Xie Chengyan handed the food in his arms to Liang Tuo and turned around to take Chen Xi's hand.
But as soon as I touched her hands, I realized they were freezing cold.
Xie Chengyan frowned, took her hand in his palm, and warmed Shen Xi's hand with his own body heat: "Why didn't you say it was so cold?"
Shen Xi stubbornly replied, "It's clearly not cold."
Walking in the snow is so much fun; if I had told him earlier that he was cold, he would have definitely gone back to the carriage.
She doesn't want to.
But in return, Xie Chengyan gave her an even sterner look, and Shen Xi shrank back, not daring to look at him.
After a long while, Xie Chengyan sighed softly and then wrapped her cloak tighter around her: "Just this once, next time you'll be good and ride in the carriage."
Shen Xi's eyes lit up, and she chuckled to herself.
The two eventually walked back, and as soon as they got back to their room, Xie Chengyan ordered Chen Xi to take a bath and soak in hot water to warm herself up.
Although Shen Xi was wearing Xie Chengyan's cloak along the way, she was indeed cold, so she went to the side room to take a bath.
But as soon as she took off her clothes and stepped one foot into the bathtub, she suddenly felt a chill behind her; someone had come in.
In her haste, Shen Xi fell into the bathtub, splashing water everywhere and soaking the floor.
Suddenly, a mocking voice rang out: "So eager?"
Turning her head, she saw Xie Chengyan leaning against the screen, watching her disheveled appearance with amusement.
Chen Xi was furious and scooped up a handful of water, splashing it at him: "What are you doing here? I want to take a bath!"
Xie Chengyan neither dodged nor evaded, and his clothes were soaked by her splashing. He glanced down at her and smiled gently.
Then, he slowly rolled up his sleeves, his well-defined knuckles reaching for a ladle from the side. He bent down, scooped up a ladle of hot water, poured it into the bathtub, and whispered in her ear.
"Then naturally I will serve Xi'er during her bath."
Shen Xi's earlobes were already flushed red. She covered her chest with one hand and sank into the water, while pushing him away with the other: "Who needs you to serve me?"
Xie Chengyan was refilling the bathtub with water when he heard this. He paused, his deep eyes fixed on her meaningfully: "Don't want me?"
"don't want."
Shen Xi was resolute and decisive.
He might say he's serving her a bath, but later it'll definitely turn into him bullying her.
After parting for three months, and then returning to the capital, she stopped him from sharing a room with her because of his injuries. If she lets him in now, she won't have a good night.
She wouldn't do that.
After a long standoff, Xie Chengyan narrowed his eyes slightly: "Really don't want it?"
"don't want."
Chen Xi was resolute.
"good."
Unexpectedly, Xie Chengyan actually put down the ladle, stood up, and looked down at her.
Shen Xi blinked, somewhat surprised that he was being so agreeable today.
But the next moment, Xie Chengyan began to unbuckle his belt, his gaze fixed on her, a smile on his face.
Shen Xi was stunned and exclaimed, "Why are you taking off your clothes! I told you I don't want you!"
Xie Chengyan nodded and said seriously, "Since you don't want me to serve you while you bathe, then let's do it together."
Shen Xi's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected to be so shameless. She immediately stood up to leave, saying, "I'm not washing anymore. You go first, it's yours."
Before he could take a single step, Xie Chengyan grabbed him with his long arm and pressed him back down: "Why are you running?"
He took off his clothes and followed her into the water. His palms were soft and smooth. He pressed her firmly against his chest and said, "If you keep moving around like this, you'll catch a cold."
Shen Xi struggled for a moment, then bargained: "I won't make a fuss, but you have to get out first."
Xie Chengyan just smiled and pressed her waist against his.
Shen Xi felt the heat spreading from that spot, and she shuddered from the heat. She lay on his chest, no longer daring to move.
He slightly raised his eyes, and the desire in his dark eyes was hard to suppress and grew stronger.
He then leaned closer and his burning lips kissed her earlobe.
"Xi'er, you started this fire, so you have to take responsibility."
A barrage of tender, lingering kisses rained down upon him. At first, Shen Xi tried to respond, but the more he kissed, the more he struggled to resist. His rough fingertips lingered on her skin, leaving her wet with tears.
Having not been intimate for so long, neither of them felt well.
Shen Xi was immediately moved to tears, and in anger, she bit him hard on the shoulder: "Xie Chengyan, you bastard!"
Xie Chengyan's forehead vein throbbed, but he still coaxed her, "Yeah, I'm a jerk."
He kept saying that, but he never stopped.
Countless times, Shen Xi had already lost her senses.
All that is known is that the two of them played around until the night was almost over before Xie Chengyan finally pulled her out of the water, dried her off, and carried her back to the bed.
Shen Xi had no strength left and nestled softly in his arms, her eyelids barely open.
Xie Chengyan raised his hand and covered her eyes, saying softly, "Go to sleep if you're sleepy."
Her long eyelashes trembled, and through her fingers, Shen Xi could vaguely see the flickering candlelight. In the dim light, she saw Xie Chengyan's half-open clothes, revealing a solid chest.
And on his shoulder, there was a scar left from a burn.
Shen Xi remembered something, and groggily pulled his hand away, leaned over him, and looked at him with her half-lowered eyes.
Xie Chengyan held her waist with one hand and brushed her disheveled hair behind her ear with the other, his voice very soft: "What's wrong?"
Shen Xi didn't answer, she just stared at him intently.
After a while, Xie Chengyan chuckled and teased, "Are you so sleepy that you're not fully awake?"
Before he could finish speaking, Shen Xi placed her hands on his chest and slowly lowered her head.
With her crimson lips almost touching his, Xie Chengyan's eyes darkened. Just as he was about to kiss her, Shen Xi suddenly changed direction, tilted her head, pulled open her half-open collar, and placed a kiss on his shoulder.
He happened to kiss that wound.
"Does it still hurt?"
Afterwards, Shen Xi's voice was slightly hoarse and muffled as it rang in my ears.
Xie Chengyan froze, his muscles tensing instantly, and he raised his hand to touch the back of her head.
Before he could say anything, Shen Xi suddenly changed her expression, revealed her sharp teeth, and bit him viciously on the shoulder.
The sudden pain caught Xie Chengyan off guard, and he couldn't help but gasp, but he still let her bite and vent her anger.
"I just mentioned that this injury was inflicted when I was six years old."
As she spoke, Shen Xi pulled back slightly, her fingertips tracing the teeth marks she had left behind, and gave him a deep look: "Xie Chengyan, are you stupid or what?"
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