Chapter 16: What to do when someone tries to be friendly?
“How about this, Miss Liu…” Tang Xiaoning suddenly clapped her hands, her almond-shaped eyes curving into sly crescents.
She took a step forward, once again placing herself between Liu Yiyi and Li Minghua, seemingly unintentionally cutting off that sticky gaze:
"I think you're a grateful and honest person. Forcing yourself to serve someone would only be unfair to you."
She changed the subject with a smile and offered a tempting offer: "The kitchen in the manor is short of a quick and efficient helper. If you're willing, you can do some light work like picking vegetables and washing dishes. You'll still get paid monthly, and it'll be a way to make a living. What do you say?"
She deliberately emphasized the word "back kitchen," glancing at Li Minghua out of the corner of her eye.
The kitchen was separated from her west wing by two courtyards, so out of sight, out of mind!
Liu Yiyi was stunned for a moment, tears hanging on her eyelashes, about to fall but not quite.
She first looked at Li Minghua and saw that the heroine's thin lips were tightly pursed and her cold aura made people shiver.
Then he turned to Tang Xiaoning, whose face held a perfectly composed smile, but whose eyes clearly said, "This is the end."
Her nails dug into her palms, and finally she lowered her head and bowed gracefully to Tang Xiaoning: "Thank you for taking me in, Miss Tang."
As she stood up, she couldn't help but turn to Li Minghua, her voice sweet as honey: "Heroine, Yiyi will work diligently and will never let you down!"
Li Minghua exhaled almost imperceptibly, his tense shoulders relaxing: "Hmm."
She would wholeheartedly agree to stuff people into the kitchen to pickle vegetables, as long as she no longer had to deal with the horrifying declaration of "making the bed and folding the blankets".
Fu Bo felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly led Liu Yiyi to take her leave.
Before stepping out the door, Liu Yiyi paused, turned back and gave Li Minghua a deep look.
That one glance, as tender as spring vines entwining a tree, startled Li Minghua so much that he immediately turned his face away, pretending to study the carvings on the beams and pillars.
Seeing the figure disappear at the end of the corridor, Tang Xiaoning finally breathed a sigh of relief, then put her hands on her hips and shook her head at Li Minghua:
"See? This is what they call 'saving people is easy, but sending away gods is difficult'!"
She raised her index finger and mimicked the tone of a teacher's admonition: "Miss Li, the first rule of the martial world—after saving someone, run! Run as fast as you can, and whatever you do, don't look back!"
Li Minghua nodded in deep agreement, but his gaze fell on Tang Xiaoning's ears, which were reddened with excitement.
That blush of rouge was even more dazzling than the potted crabapple tree on the table.
She suddenly spoke: "Why...why did you keep her in the manor?"
Given Miss Tang's aversion to trouble, she should have simply tossed a bag of silver at them and sent them on their way.
“Uh…” Tang Xiaoning was caught off guard by the question, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing her nose, her eyes drifting towards the sparrows fluttering outside the corridor.
"Well... she looks so pitiful all alone," her voice trailed off as she shuffled her toes along the paving stones. "Besides... keeping an eye on her is better than her popping up from some corner one day with a 'offering yourself to me' sign, right?"
Li Minghua stared intently at her as she racked her brains to come up with an excuse, and a smile finally broke through the icy layer in his eyes: "Yes, that's true."
A cleaver in the kitchen is always safer than tears on your pillow.
"That's right!" Tang Xiaoning straightened her back as if she had received a royal decree, grabbed the bamboo broom leaning against the corner of the wall, and with a "whoosh," twirled it into a sword flower full of flaws.
"That little incident is over! Heroine Li, you'd better teach me some real skills today. Like that sword technique of yours that 'swish swish swish' cuts through a hooligan's belt!"
The broom tip narrowly grazed Li Minghua's clothes, but she did not dodge.
The setting sun pierced through the branches, dancing on Tang Xiaoning's proudly raised eyebrows.
Li Minghua suddenly realized that the farce brought about by Liu Yiyi wasn't entirely a bad thing.
At least she saw clearly how someone's skirt fluttered like a bird protecting its nest when they instinctively stood in front of her; and she heard how someone's heart beat as fast as a sudden downpour when they were arguing.
She took another bamboo broom, and with a slight twist of her wrist, the dry bamboo sliced through the air with a clear whistling sound.
“Watch closely,” his sharp gaze locked onto Tang Xiaoning, “this move is called ‘Quick Strike’.”
Amidst the swaying bamboo shadows, no one noticed the clanging sound of a porcelain bowl coming from the direction of the kitchen.
Liu Yiyi stared down at the shards scattered on the ground, a deep, incongruous curve forming on her lips that seemed utterly out of place with her delicate features.
The seeds of a storm have been quietly sown amidst the daily grind.
Liu Yiyi settled down in the kitchen of the Tang family.
For the first few days, Tang Xiaoning and Li Minghua almost forgot that there was a new person in the household. They continued to clash bamboo swords in the morning and argue in the afternoon about whether to match a jade hairpin with a pink shirt or a tourmaline with a pale yellow shirt.
The soft murmurs of their bickering drifted through the corridor.
Occasionally, she would sneak off to West Street to buy a bag of freshly baked chestnut cakes. The scalding hot paper package would make Tang Xiaoning hiss and gasp for breath, frantically blowing air through it with both hands.
Li Minghua stood aside, suppressing a smile. When she stopped, he naturally reached out his finger and brushed away a bit of sugar frosting from her cheek.
Life continued as usual, until this day...
Li Minghua sheathed his sword and returned to his room, his forehead damp with a thin layer of sweat, his dark hair slightly disheveled and clinging to the side of his neck.
Just as she was about to push the door open, she saw a small, exquisite rattan food box, about the size of a palm, placed under the wisteria trellis by the door.
As she lifted the lid, the rising steam from the congee instantly blurred her vision.
Several plates of tender and crisp pickled cucumbers and vinegared lotus root slices were arranged neatly like soldiers in formation.
There are also four pieces of glutinous rice cake on the far side, specially shaped into delicate plum blossoms, which are exquisite and lovely.
"What does this mean?" Li Minghua, carrying a food box, strode into Tang Xiaoning's boudoir with a brisk pace.
The morning light shone through the carved window lattice onto Tang Xiaoning, whose slender hands were holding up a budding hibiscus hairpin in front of the mirror.
Li Minghua slammed the box down on the dressing table with a thud, causing the pearls and jade ornaments inside the gilded comb box to tremble slightly.
Tang Xiaoning glanced at the food box, a knowing smile playing on her lips, and then looked at Li Minghua with a flicker of her eye:
"Oh, the 'gift' has already been delivered to the bedroom door?"
She put down the hairpin and gently tapped the edge of the food box with the smooth pearl at the tip, making a soft tapping sound.
"Look at the thought behind this, the plating, tsk tsk, I'm not so lucky to enjoy such thoughtfulness." She drew out the last syllable, with a hint of lazy mockery.
Li Minghua frowned slightly, his gaze falling on the pastries, and said indifferently, "Unnecessary."
She reached out to pick up the food box and take it away.
"What's the rush?" Tang Xiaoning reacted quickly, her slender fingers deftly capturing Li Minghua's wrist.
Li Minghua paused for a moment, but did not immediately break free.
With her other hand, Tang Xiaoning deftly picked up a piece of glutinous rice cake and stuffed it into her mouth without hesitation.
The icing was glistening on her full, round lips.
"Mmm...it's sickeningly sweet!" she complained dramatically, furrowing her brows, but then quickly picked up the porcelain spoon next to her, scooped a small half spoonful into the porridge bowl, and savored it carefully.
"The rice is cooked through, the heat is just right—"
She looked up and saw that Li Minghua was still staring at her, his eyes revealing no emotion.
Tang Xiaoning suddenly released her wrist, but leaned forward and whispered in Li Minghua's ear.
The distance between them was so close that they could almost see the fine downy hairs on each other's earlobes, and their warm breaths, like orchids and musk, brushed against their sensitive earlobes.
"Are you afraid she'll poison you?" she asked in a low voice, her breath carrying the sweet scent of pastries. "Don't worry, I've already tested it for you."
As she spoke, she winked mischievously, "From now on, whatever she sends, bring it to my room! No food will be wasted, and as for this 'thoughtful gesture'..."
She gently touched Li Minghua's chest with her fingertip, and through the thin training clothes, the warmth seemed to be branded into his skin: "...I'll take the pain for you!"
Looking at her puffed-out cheeks, like a cat stealing food, Li Minghua felt a slight dissipation of the subtle resentment he had felt because of Liu Yiyi's unauthorized attempt to curry favor.
She lowered her eyes, her gaze sweeping over Tang Xiaoning's lips, which were smeared with powdered sugar, and her throat bobbed almost imperceptibly.
In the end, she nodded slightly and uttered a single word: "Okay."
Her voice was low, carrying a silent indulgence.
This tacit approval, like spring rain, nurtured the vine called "interest" in Tang Xiaoning's heart.
That afternoon, Liu Yiyi, carrying a red lacquered tray, "coincidentally" passed by the open study door, her footsteps so light they were almost silent.
She lowered her head, her voice so soft it was as if she were afraid of disturbing something: "I've made red date tea on the stove to warm you and the young lady."
She gently placed the two celadon cups on the table. The cup of tea she pushed towards Li Minghua was a deep, rich color, with steam rising from it, yet it wasn't too hot to handle, clearly having been carefully cooled.
Tang Xiaoning was lounging on a soft couch by the window, flipping through a book. Upon hearing this, she casually picked up her cup and took a small sip.
Her eyebrows suddenly rose, as if she had discovered something new and interesting: "That's strange."
She put down her book, her voice tinged with deliberate doubt: "My cup is lukewarm, like it's been sitting around overnight."
Her fingertips, however, moved like nimble snakes emerging from their holes, reaching out unexpectedly towards the rim of Li Minghua's cup, lightly touching it before pulling away: "Oh dear, the rim of your cup is burning hot!"
She turned to look directly at Liu Yiyi, who was holding a tray and standing stiffly to the side, and a smile that clearly carried a hidden meaning bloomed on her face:
"Miss Liu, does your hospitality... discriminate between warm and cold, close and distant? Or is it that my cup is the one that's been sitting out since the night before?"
Liu Yiyi's knuckles turned white instantly as she twisted the hem of her clothes, her knuckles protruding from the force.
Her voice was weak and barely audible, tinged with barely perceptible panic: "Yiyi... Yiyi remembers that the heroine doesn't like scalding hot tea, this is just the right temperature..."
Before the words were finished, a series of hurried footsteps and a clear voice came from the doorway.
"Miss! Miss! Madam wants the newly arrived account books to be brought over—" Xiao Cui, carrying a towering stack of account books, rushed in, only to stop abruptly halfway through her sentence, her eyes wide with surprise and her mouth agape in astonishment.
Behind the table, one could see that Tang Xiaoning, the proud and arrogant eldest daughter of the Tang family, had somehow slumped onto the shoulder of the upright and dignified Lady Li.
Her long, black hair cascaded down, with a few strands even slipping down and getting tangled with the ribbon that Li Minghua used to tie her hair.
Even more striking was that Tang Xiaoning's slender hand was lazily twirling a strand of Li Minghua's hair that fell to the side of her neck, playing with it between her fingertips, her expression relaxed and carrying an indescribable intimacy.
The sunlight outlined their intertwined silhouettes, creating a subtle atmosphere that made Xiao Cui hold her breath for a moment.
"Did you hear that?" Tang Xiaoning lazily tilted her head back, leaning almost half-in Li Minghua's arms.
She gave Liu Yiyi, whose face had turned slightly pale, an almost provocative smile, her beautiful peach blossom eyes devoid of any warmth.
"Next time, make it extra hot, the stronger the better." She loosened the strand of hair with her fingertips, then slowly slid it down along Li Minghua's straight shoulder line.
With a hint of possessiveness, he gently held her wrist, which was resting on her knee: "I know Minghua's tastes and preferences much better than you do."
Li Minghua's body seemed to tense up for a moment, then slowly relax.
She let Tang Xiaoning rest her head on her shoulder, her gaze seemingly still fixed on the yellowed pages of the military book in her hand, as if the commotion had nothing to do with her.
However, the hand that Tang Xiaoning was holding on the wrist curled up almost imperceptibly, revealing a hint of stiffness.
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