Chapter 25 By Your Choice
Tang Xiaoning looked at the bowl of "culprit" that had been pushed in front of her, then at Li Minghua, who was calmly sipping the sweet ginger soup from the spot where she had used it...
My heart skipped a beat without warning, then started beating rapidly like a drum.
The nameless fire that had been burning fiercely was extinguished in an instant by the basin of warm water that was suddenly brought by the other person.
All that remained was a damp, warm, sweet feeling that spread from the heart to every part of the body.
Even the spicy ginger soup seemed less unbearable.
She lowered her head, picked up the bowl of Li Minghua's "special concoction" with both hands, and sipped it slowly.
The spicy flavor still aggressively stimulated her taste buds, but strangely, it felt as if her heart was being gently scratched by soft feathers, warm and cozy, even subtly tinging her pale cheeks with a faint blush.
"Minghua," she suddenly spoke, her voice much softer than before, yet solemn, as if announcing something extremely important:
"From now on, I will instruct the small kitchen to prepare all your meals separately! You will no longer need to go through the main kitchen!"
She raised her head, her eyes sparkling, with an almost territorial determination and possessiveness: "It has to be this way!"
Li Minghua paused again while drinking his soup, looked up at her, and a hint of confusion flashed in his deep eyes: "Why go to so much trouble? It's unnecessary..."
"No trouble at all!" Tang Xiaoning immediately interrupted her, her tone firm and unwavering.
"This is the only way!" She leaned forward slightly, looking directly into Li Minghua's eyes, emphasizing each word clearly, "Who knows if those 'malicious people' might 'casually' change your taste again?"
She deliberately emphasized the words "someone with ulterior motives" and "by chance," and her cheeks unconsciously puffed out, her petulance and possessiveness almost overflowing.
Li Minghua looked into her eyes, which were exceptionally bright because of her seriousness, and even saw his own reflection clearly in them.
She understood the worries and... feelings behind Tang Xiaoning's stubbornness.
Although in her opinion, the taste of a bowl of ginger soup was a trivial matter, if it could put the person in front of her at ease...
Li Minghua remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded, giving a brief but clear reply: "As you wish."
After a while, Xiao Cui returned and respectfully reported:
“Miss, I’ve found out. The one who made the ginger soup today was Zhang Sao, a new kitchen helper. She’s not quite familiar with Miss Li’s preferences and manners yet. I’ve already given her a detailed explanation, and she promises she won’t do it again next time.”
Upon hearing this, Tang Xiaoning merely snorted softly and did not pursue the matter further.
She knew perfectly well that the root of the problem didn't lie with that clueless new kitchen helper at all.
She picked up the bowl of unfinished "special" ginger soup, looked at the faint water stains she had left on the rim, and muttered under her breath, "Hmph... she really is 'unyielding,' even lying down she can't stay still."
Li Minghua had finished the sweet ginger soup in her bowl and gently touched the corner of her lips with a plain white handkerchief.
She looked up at the window and saw that the lingering rain in the courtyard had quietly stopped sometime earlier.
The last few drops of rain dripped slowly from the eaves, splashing small water droplets on the bluestone slab below, making a crisp "drip, drip" sound.
"The rain has stopped." Li Minghua's voice rang out in the now quiet warm room, clear and peaceful.
The sunlight filtering through the windowpanes seemed a bit brighter than before.
Tang Xiaoning shifted her gaze from the bowl and followed Li Minghua's line of sight to the window.
The courtyard after the rain was fresh and moist, and the banana leaves were lush and green.
She quietly turned her gaze back to the calm and beautiful profile of the person beside her, and felt that the remaining restlessness in her heart was completely soothed by the tranquility after the rain.
At this moment, all that remained was the cozy warmth of the warm room and the unparalleled sense of security brought by the people around him.
She held the bowl of ginger soup, which was no longer a burden, and sipped it slowly, a satisfied and sweet smile playing on her lips, a smile she herself was unaware of.
The air was filled not only with a faint scent of ginger, but also with a silent, ever-growing warmth.
The drizzle had just stopped, and the sunlight broke through the clouds.
Tang Xiaoning, who hadn't been active for a long time, strolled into the garden with Li Minghua in her hand.
"Hoo—" Tang Xiaoning closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the cool and fragrant air, as if sweeping away the gloom that had been weighing on her chest for days.
A bright smile naturally spread across her face. "That felt so good!"
"Hmm," Li Minghua responded, his gaze habitually sweeping over the wet cobblestone path beneath his feet.
The moss growing in the cracks of the stone slabs becomes exceptionally slippery after absorbing a lot of rainwater.
She subtly shifted half a step to the outside, shielding Tang Xiaoning on the drier, smoother inside. Her broad shoulders and back formed a silent barrier, protecting her from any mud or water splashing up from the outside.
Her steps were steady, and her gaze remained fixed on the small patch of ground beneath Tang Xiaoning's feet.
"Be careful, the moss is slippery." Li Minghua's reminder was low and concise, his gaze focused intently on the stone slab in front of him.
"I know, my heroine Li~" Tang Xiaoning's tone rose lightly, filled with undisguised intimacy and trust.
She agreed verbally, but her heart felt as if it were soaked in honey, with sweetness flowing uncontrollably through her.
She turned her head slightly, her gaze tracing Li Minghua's tall and focused profile.
His clean-cut jawline and his usually calm and resolute eyes looked exceptionally reliable at this moment because of his focused attention.
Looking at Li Minghua like this, Tang Xiaoning suddenly felt that Liu Yiyi's meticulous "obsession" and step-by-step "methods" seemed so pale, laughable and futile in front of Minghua.
Not far away, an old gardener who was pruning the dead branches of a rose bush looked up and happened to see the two people walking side by side.
He looked at Li Minghua's natural protective posture and Miss Tang's unguarded, radiant smile.
A smile spread across the old gardener's wrinkled face as he couldn't help but whisper to his young apprentice, who was tidying up the flower hoes beside him:
"Look, Miss Li is so thoughtful. With Miss Li by her side, not even a speck of mud or water gets on her clothes."
The young apprentice nodded as if he understood, his gaze following the harmonious couple.
Her heroine, Li, may not understand those romantic words about love and nature, nor can she say any sweet and tender words.
But through the simplest and most unpretentious actions, day after day, she silently built a small world around her that was absolutely safe and unshakable.
In this world, there is only her and Minghua.
This realization filled Tang Xiaoning's heart with a huge, peaceful happiness, and she couldn't help but move a little closer to Li Minghua, her arm almost touching his sleeve.
At that moment, by the closed window of the simple servant's hut in the backyard, a thin figure was leaning against the window frame, using a rough wooden stick that had been found on the spot as a cane.
Liu Yiyi's gaze pierced through the gaps in the trees in the courtyard, fixed on the two figures walking side by side on the garden path, their posture intimate and harmonious.
She could clearly see Li Minghua's protective posture, which seemed almost ingrained in his bones.
She walked naturally on the slippery outer side, slightly turning her body to protect Tang Xiaoning inside, keeping a close eye on her feet at all times.
She could also clearly see the bright and cheerful smile on Tang Xiaoning's face, a smile that radiated happiness and was the result of being completely cherished.
Liu Yiyi's fingers, gripping the wooden stick, dug deep into the rough wood grain from excessive force, her knuckles taut and bloodless, trembling slightly.
A chilling despair, like a poisonous vine, coiled around her heart, almost suffocating her.
A dull ache throbbed in my ankle, a clear reminder of my failed "self-inflicted injury" attempt, but compared to the utter frustration and sharp pain that pierced my heart like ice water, this physical pain was almost negligible.
Why?
She was pulled out of the abyss of despair by the heroine's helping hand. She just wanted to repay that kindness and get closer to the reassuring gentleness and reliability behind that strength... Why is it so difficult?
Miss Tang's defenses were like a fortified city wall, impenetrable and airtight.
The heroine's heart seemed to have been completely closed to her long ago, leaving not even a crack for her to peek in.
A sadness she had never felt before, mixed with intense resentment, bitterness, and utter despair, quietly took root and spread in the dark, damp depths of her heart.
Like the murky traces of rainwater remaining on the window frame.
Does she really... have absolutely no chance?
The thought, chilling to the bone, repeatedly tore at her nerves.
The two harmonious figures in the distance, against the backdrop of lush greenery, were as beautiful as a painting, yet also the cruelest mockery of her.
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