Chapter 83 Uncle subconsciously moved closer to Xiao Qiyu.
As dusk deepened, the lights in Qiyun Pavilion were gradually lit, casting a soft, warm glow inside.
Cui Ying had already changed back into her own clothes. At this moment, she sat at the table with her hands supporting her chin, neither moving nor speaking, her eyelashes lowered, staring blankly at the flickering lamplight on the table.
On the table, the crispy chicken wrapped in oil paper still exudes an enticing aroma, and the plum blossom cake in the dish is delicate, soft, and still slightly steaming.
Cui Ying, however, simply rested her chin on her hand, looking lost in thought, showing no appetite whatsoever.
Cui Jin glanced at the untouched food, then at her mistress's unusually listless appearance, and finally couldn't help but speak up: "These two dishes were bought by the young lady herself. Why are they only being given to us servants? Why doesn't the young lady even try a bite?"
It would have been better if he hadn't asked; once he did, Cui Ying was completely devastated.
She seemed to have lost all her bones in an instant; her body went limp and slumped down, her shoulders drooping, her chin resting weakly on the table. She sighed heavily and said, "Leave me alone, I have no appetite."
His voice was muffled, completely lacking its usual vibrancy.
Cui Jin's face showed even more worry: "The more you act like this, the more uneasy I feel. Tell me the truth, did you quarrel with your husband again?"
"I'm not going to argue with him. I can't even be bothered with him anymore."
Cui Ying opened her mouth, wanting to recount what had happened during the day, but she didn't know where to begin. In the end, she could only let out a heavier sigh: "Sigh, don't mention it. Anyway, I really have no other choice now."
Just as Cuijin was about to ask further, a maidservant announced softly from outside the door that the Bodhi Hall had invited her, and the old lady wanted to speak with the young mistress.
Upon hearing this, Cui Ying seemed to have expected it, showing no surprise on her face, but rather a calm acceptance of "dying early and being reborn early."
She propped herself up, took a couple of deep breaths, and tried to make herself look less like a shrimp that had been deveined.
Then, giving Cuijin a reassuring look, he forced himself to remain calm and said, "I'm going."
...
Bodhi Hall.
The air under the eaves was filled with the rich aroma of incense, and through the heavy felt curtains, one could clearly hear conversations coming from inside the house.
“Since you volunteered to guard the northern desert, the mountains are high and the roads are long, and it has been so difficult for you and me, mother and son, to meet. Now that you have returned, you should have sent a letter home as soon as possible so that I could have someone prepare and go to the city to welcome you in person.” Wang’s voice was choked with sobs.
Xiao Yuanzhong said, "Mother, please forgive me. I am here in the capital on a secret imperial decree. My whereabouts should not be publicized, so I did not dare to send a message in advance. My second brother and I were planning to travel as fast as we could and return before the New Year to pay our respects to you. However, we encountered a blizzard on the way, which blocked the mountain roads and delayed us for several days. I am sorry to have troubled you."
Wang gasped, then murmured "Amitabha" three times, her voice choked with emotion: "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back..."
Cui Ying stood outside the curtain, listening intently, when the maidservant announced the news inside.
Wang immediately said, "Quickly let the child in. It's freezing outside. Be careful not to catch a cold."
The next moment, the curtains were lifted high, and a rich, warm fragrance wafted out of the room.
Cui Ying took a small breath, lowered her eyelashes, and behaved herself like a quail, taking small, timid steps as she went inside.
Wang sat on the daybed, her back against a red rosy pillow, tears still glistening in the corners of her eyes. She held tightly the hands of her eldest son, Xiao Yuanzhong, and her second son, Xiao Yuanshuo, who sat on either side of her, as if afraid that if she let go, her two sons would leave again.
Xiao Qiyu stood quietly to the side, accompanying the three elders, her posture as slender as a pine tree, her expression as calm as ever. Only when Cui Ying entered did her gaze linger on her.
Cui Ying took a deep breath, trying to suppress the lingering discomfort in her heart, stepped forward, lowered her head and bowed deeply, her voice soft and gentle: "Granddaughter-in-law greets Grandmother."
Then she turned to the two elders who made her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles. Her expression was steady, but her ears were burning slightly: "Your niece greets your eldest uncle and your second uncle."
The two people didn't react much, only giving a faint "hmm".
Madam Wang smiled kindly and raised her hand to help him up: "Good child, get up quickly. There's no need for such formalities among family. It was dark and the road was slippery, so I shouldn't have asked you to come at this time. But since your uncles rarely come back, I thought you hadn't met them yet, so I specially asked you to come and recognize them."
Cui Ying straightened up and clearly felt two gazes on her head. She forced a smile and said, "Grandmother, don't worry, your granddaughter-in-law understands."
Neither Xiao Yuanzhong nor Xiao Yuanshuo responded. After Wang finished laughing, she coughed and fell silent. The room became quiet for a moment.
Cui Ying felt as if her feet were rooted to the ground, and her whole body was itchy and uncomfortable. Recalling the scene during the day, she wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into, but she couldn't run away on the spot.
So she mustered her courage and put on a big smile: "I have long heard that my uncle is wise and brave, and seeing him today, I can see that his reputation is well-deserved."
After praising Xiao Yuanzhong with a forced smile, Cui Ying then praised Xiao Yuanshuo: "Second Uncle is also handsome and has the demeanor of a scholar-general."
Xiao Yuanzhong lifted his eyelids, his weathered face revealing no emotion, only a faint "Oh," before leisurely asking, "Am I not that big, burly guy with a face as black as charcoal?"
Xiao Yuanshuo, who was standing to the side, chuckled and said, "Don't I look like a shifty-eyed person, not like a good guy?"
Cui Ying blushed instantly, her toes almost digging out her harem on the spot. She cried out in her heart, "Although I am alive, my soul has been dead for a while."
Just then, Xiao Qiyu stepped forward and deliberately blocked her way. He spoke calmly to his two uncles in a clear voice: "Uncles, you have come from afar and have had a long journey. Cui Ying is still young and was impolite on the street today. She failed to recognize the elders' faces and if her words were offensive, it was unintentional. I hope you will forgive her."
Madam Wang laughed and tried to smooth things over: "We're all family, it's just a misunderstanding. Our Third Sister is straightforward and says what she thinks. She's the most sincere person. How can you two elders hold a grudge against a junior's joke as soon as you get back?"
Xiao Yuanzhong and Xiao Yuanshuo exchanged a glance, and finally couldn't hold back their laughter.
Xiao Yuanzhong waved his hand and said, "Forget it, it was indeed a coincidence. This girl is quite bold and quick-witted. I'm quite impressed with her."
After laughing, he took out a slender brocade box from his bosom, and Xiao Yuanshuo also took out a small sandalwood box.
Xiao Yuanzhong's tone softened considerably: "I returned to the capital in haste and did not prepare any generous gifts. This is for you two as a small token of our greeting, and also to make up for the regret that we could not attend your wedding. I hope that you two will live a harmonious and loving life together in the future."
Cui Ying was flattered and dared not be negligent. He curtsied again and hurriedly stepped forward, extending his hands to accept the two heavy gifts.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yuanzhong twisted his wrist and took the gift back.
Seeing this, Xiao Yuanshuo laughed and said, "We've made up for the gifts, but the newlyweds haven't had their tea yet."
Upon hearing this, Madam Wang immediately smiled and instructed the maid, "Quickly, bring some tea."
The maidservant immediately served two cups of hot tea. Cui Ying and Xiao Qiyu stood side by side. Xiao Qiyu stepped forward first, picked up one cup, and respectfully handed it to Xiao Yuanzhong, bowing slightly: "Uncle, please have some tea."
Xiao Yuanzhong took it, took a small sip, and nodded gently, saying, "Okay."
Cui Ying also picked up another cup of tea, took a deep breath, walked to Xiao Yuanzhong, raised the teacup above her eyebrows with both hands, and bowed deeply according to etiquette: "Uncle, please have some tea."
Xiao Yuanzhong took the teacup again, this time taking a large gulp, and said in a loud voice, "Good tea."
Then, Xiao Qiyu served Xiao Yuanshuo hot tea: "Second Uncle, please have some tea."
Xiao Yuanshuo smiled and accepted the drink, taking a sip as well.
Cui Ying followed closely behind and served tea to Xiao Yuanshuo: "Second Uncle, please have some tea."
Xiao Yuanshuo accepted the cup with a smile, took a slow sip, and joked, "Hmm, after drinking this cup of tea, I finally feel like I'm home. All those words about 'big and burly,' 'shifty-eyed,' have been ignored by my brother and me."
Cui Ying's face flushed instantly, and she subconsciously moved closer to Xiao Qiyu, looking weak and pitiful, as if she could hide behind Xiao Qiyu at any moment.
Wang laughed incessantly, then punched Xiao Yuanshuo hard with her hand, her words filled with the helplessness of a mother facing her child: "You rascal, where is your dignity as an elder!"
She then turned to Cui Ying and said, "Good child, we are not afraid. Grandmother has already avenged you."
Cui Ying was on the verge of tears, unsure whether to nod or shake her head.
It was nearly midnight when I returned to Qiyun Pavilion from Bodhi Hall. The cold moon hung in the sky, and the night was deep.
Cui Ying rolled around on the couch and wailed for a while before she could finally vent her pent-up embarrassment. She was in the mood to ask the kitchen to heat up the crispy chicken and plum blossom cake so she could have something to eat.
Xiao Yuanzhong's gift to Xiao Yuanshuo was a jewel-encrusted Uzi dagger, while Xiao Yuanshuo's gift was an ancient military treatise with annotations written by Xiao Yuanshuo himself.
The dagger was returned to Cui Ying, who immediately used it to cut up the chicken.
The ancient books naturally fell to Xiao Qiyu, who began studying them as soon as he entered the room, completely absorbed and never looking up.
Cui Ying ate her food. Although her stomach was no longer empty, she was still a little uneasy. She turned to Xiao Qiyu and asked, "After this incident, will your uncles hate me from now on?"
Xiao Qiyu was focused, but that didn't stop him from answering her question. He subconsciously said, "Your two uncles are seasoned veterans with broad minds. They won't be dissatisfied with you over such a trivial matter."
"Oh." Cui Ying replied absentmindedly. Although she had received a definite answer, she still felt uneasy and didn't want to dwell on it anymore. However, she didn't know what to say, so she tore off a piece of chicken and handed it to Xiao Qiyu, "Want a bite?"
"I won't eat."
Xiao Qiyu's expression was calm, his eyes fixed on the ancient book in his hand. His profile was exquisitely beautiful in the lamplight, and he parted his thin lips slightly: "Oil."
Cui Ying secretly rolled her eyes at him, put the chicken in her mouth, and thought to herself, "Eat it or don't, it's up to you."
After finishing her meal and taking a sip of the refreshing plum blossom wine, Cui Ying felt a bright thread run straight through her lungs, dispelling all the chaotic worries and making her feel completely refreshed.
She let out a long sigh of relief, suddenly feeling much more at ease, and said in a relaxed and relieved tone: "Forget it, why should I think so much? We'll get a divorce next year. Whether my two uncles like me or not, it won't bother me in the future."
The lamplight flickered slightly, and Xiao Qiyu's calm eyelashes suddenly trembled. The fingertips that were lightly touching the ancient book suddenly exerted force, and the blood and qi in the fingertips gathered, turning the knuckles white.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned much colder, and even the flickering candlelight became still.
Unaware of anything amiss, Cui Ying took a couple more sips of wine, her mood completely lifted, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes regained their sparkling light. She casually asked Xiao Qiyu, "Want some plum blossom cake?"
She knew he wouldn't eat, but she just asked out of habit.
"eat."
The boy's words appeared out of nowhere, like a pebble thrown into a lake, startling Cui Ying.
Without thinking much, she picked up a small plum blossom cake and handed it to Xiao Qiyu, waiting for him to reach out and take it.
The next moment, my wrist was gripped by a strong force.
Xiao Qiyu grabbed her hand and pulled it in front of him. Instead of taking the plum blossom cake, he took a big bite into her fair and delicate tiger's mouth.
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Author's Note: He gets angry but doesn't say anything, he just bites hard [eye roll]
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