Chapter 59 Trust Me, Okay?
I spent the whole day in the osmanthus grove.
Shen You ordered Chu Xiao around, making him peel walnuts, brew tea around the stove, and even have him pick up two bags of osmanthus flowers in the woods.
The osmanthus petals, some pale yellow and some pure white, are all very clean, having just been blown down by the wind and carefully picked up.
Shen You thought that if he took it back and processed it a little, he could put it in a sachet or use it to make wine.
As the carriage entered the east gate of Lin'an City, the last rays of the setting sun disappeared from the horizon.
The city of Lin'an was brightly lit with candles, and many vendors and shops were still doing business in the streets.
The wheels rolled on and came to a stop in front of the Chengde Marquis's Mansion.
Shen You lifted her skirt and stepped down from the horse stool.
Wisteria and ivy were already waiting at the gate. Upon seeing this, they quickly stepped forward and unloaded the items from the carriage.
Night fell, and the early winter air was chilly.
A cold wind swept by, ruffling the strands of hair at the girl's temples.
Chu Xiao subconsciously reached out to tighten the cloak on her shoulders, but then realized that they were outside and such an action was inappropriate.
He could only withdraw his hand, his gaze fixed intently on her, "Miss Shen, see you next time."
His words were somewhat deliberate, even carrying a hint of ambiguity, but Shen You didn't pay much attention to them. He simply glanced at him before turning and entering the Marquis's residence.
The girl's figure was slender and graceful, and her cloak swirled beautifully in the night.
Chu Xiao only looked away when she was out of sight.
The carriage had already been taken away by the servants of the Marquis's residence. He left the main gate of the Marquis's residence, seemingly about to leave Andefang.
However, in the next instant, he vanished into the dark alleyway.
Inside the Marquis's mansion—
Shen You walked along the covered walkway and returned to Wen Gui Courtyard.
Wisteria and Ivy, carrying two bags of osmanthus flowers, asked, "Miss, what should we do with the osmanthus flowers?"
Shen You said, "Lay them out first, and take them out to dry when the sun comes out tomorrow."
After saying that, she stepped directly into the main room.
Wisteria and Ivy responded with a "okay," and then retreated, carrying Osmanthus.
Granny Zhao stood under the eaves and quietly instructed the servants to prepare water.
Shen You loved cleanliness and bathed every day. After being away from home for so long today, the first thing he did upon returning was to go to his bathing room.
The night was deep and dark, with twinkling stars hanging in the sky.
Half an hour later, Shen You, wearing a loose undergarment, came out of the bathing room.
It's early winter, and these past few nights, the underfloor heating in the main building of Wengui Courtyard has been lit.
Therefore, the room was warm and cozy.
After bathing, the young woman wore only a single garment, her delicate face slightly flushed. She sat on an embroidered stool in front of her dressing table, tilting her head to dry her hair.
Her slender neck curved gracefully, her skin fair and smooth, with a few drops of water still clinging to her white skin, shimmering in the candlelight.
The maids went inside to tidy up, and then brought in a basin of clean water.
It's for Shen You to soak his feet.
"Go down first."
The maid put down the wooden basin and left.
The door to the room closed again, and she was alone inside.
After drying her hair, she got up, took a book from the table, sat down on the bed, and was about to take off her slippers to soak her feet when a small noise came from the back window.
Shen You's eyebrows twitched slightly, and she instantly understood.
She looked up, her clear almond-shaped eyes staring straight at the direction of the back window.
Sure enough, a few moments later, the man opened the window and skillfully climbed in.
His tall figure landed, his narrow, dark eyes sweeping across the room, meeting Shen You's gaze.
Shen You glanced at him once and then looked away, turning her gaze to the window behind him.
"Tomorrow, I will have this window sealed up."
Chu Xiao touched the tip of his nose, not daring to express any opinion on the matter, but his gaze lingered on her.
He walked over to the bedside and saw the basin of water still steaming, realizing that she wanted to soak her feet.
The next moment, he squatted down, grabbed her ankle, and tried to take off her slippers.
Shen You deliberately straightened his legs to prevent him from lifting them, and looked at him, asking, "You didn't go back to the Duke's mansion?"
“No,” he shook his head, “it will take you about half an hour to bathe.”
So he waited in the dark alley for about half an hour before climbing over the wall to come in.
How did you know?
“Shen You,” his eyes suddenly turned deep, his voice low, “we did live together for two years, after all.”
In two years of marriage, if he paid attention, he could notice all her habits.
She loved osmanthus flowers, cleanliness, and tranquility. She disliked overly flamboyant hair ornaments, preferred to sleep with a candle lit, and disliked having maids attending to her while bathing, which typically took about half an hour...
He remembered all of these.
But those two years were also the two years in which he broke her heart, making her so disheartened that she thought he wouldn't care about her anymore.
Chu Xiao then recalled the tears in her eyes that afternoon in the osmanthus grove.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he tasted a bitter flavor.
But Shen You seemed unconcerned and didn't continue the topic. "So, when you said 'see you next time' this evening, 'this time' meant 'next time'?"
Chu Xiao hadn't expected her to ask this, so he could only nod slightly.
Shen You pursed her lips as she looked at him, inwardly cursing, "What a cunning scoundrel."
He knelt on one knee in front of the footstool by the bed, where hot water was still steaming in the wooden basin beside him.
The man's large hand, which was holding her ankle, did not loosen. With a slight movement of his fingertips, his fingertips slipped under her skirt and pressed against her skin through her lower garment.
He looked up at her again, pleading, "I promised to serve you today, and the time hasn't passed yet."
So he came to serve her while she soaked her feet.
The warmth emanating from his ankle was particularly noticeable, so hot that Shen You instinctively tried to pull away, but he grabbed her tightly.
Her slippers were taken off, her skirt was lifted, and her trousers were rolled up.
The girl's delicate and beautiful feet had almost never seen the light of day. Her skin was as white as the finest mutton fat jade, and the pale blue veins on the instep were clearly visible.
Her toes were rounded and had a faint pink tint.
Shen You had never been stared at so intently at her feet before. Her ears suddenly felt hot, and just as she was about to speak, he lifted her legs and gently placed them into the wooden basin.
The water was at the perfect temperature, and as it gently enveloped her, it relieved all the fatigue she had experienced during the day.
Shen You squinted comfortably, her hands supporting her on the bed, no longer resisting his movements.
The man's large hands and her feet were immersed in the water, the water rippling gently and brushing against the back of his tanned hands.
The difference in skin color is obvious.
He gently splashed water, his long, well-defined fingers pinching her heels and slowly massaging them for her.
Chu Xiao is a martial artist and has a deep understanding of acupoints on the human body, knowing how to massage them to maximize her comfort.
In the quiet room, neither of them spoke.
Shen You was enjoying his moderate strength, but at a certain moment, something suddenly came to mind.
She stiffened slightly, and even her feet, which he had been manipulating, froze.
Chu Xiao paused slightly, looked up at her, and asked, "What's wrong? Did you hurt yourself?"
With a "snap".
Shen You forcefully broke free from his touch with both feet, causing the water in the basin to splash onto the footstool.
She felt a tightness in her chest, looked at his hand, and then at his face.
But the next moment, her thoughts were torn between her own and others. She held back for a moment, but finally couldn't help herself and blurted out, "Chu Xiao, do you think I'm easy to coax? Easy to fool?"
During the four years they were apart, if he hadn't been gentle and attentive to other women, how would he have learned so many tricks that night in the cabin in the woods, and how would he know how to please her now?
He used the same tricks he used on other women on her, while pretending to be deeply in love with her.
All the doubts she had had about him before surged up at this moment. Shen You knew clearly that the tightness in her chest was not jealousy, but anger at being deceived.
Chu Xiao was puzzled. He raised his hands slightly, which she was resisting, and water droplets on the back of his hands slowly dripped down the protruding blue veins.
“I never thought that way.”
Shen You pursed her lips, her forehead throbbing. Looking back now, the tears she shed in the osmanthus grove that afternoon seemed somewhat ridiculous.
She looked away from him, refusing to look at him again, and said coldly, "Go back."
Chu Xiao picked up a handkerchief to dry his hands and eagerly tried to take hers, but she dodged him, saying, "Chen You..."
"Tell me where I did something wrong, and I'll fix it."
Don't just kick him out like that.
Don't speak to him in such a cold tone.
Shen You's legs were still in the water, wet and sticky. He tried to lift them up, but they were blocked by his leaning forward.
Enraged, she kicked him in the chest.
The splashing water soaked his front, but Chu Xiao seemed oblivious.
Fearing she would catch a cold, he quickly grabbed a clean handkerchief from the side and wrapped it around her feet.
While doing these things, his gaze remained fixed on her, as if trying to understand the meaning behind her words, yet he was afraid of pushing her too far and upsetting her.
The girl's feet landed back in his palms. Shen You closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he looked up again, all the emotions in his eyes had vanished.
She spoke, her voice cold and deep, "After the divorce, love between men and women is no longer our concern, but you shouldn't have come to me after returning to the capital and pretending to be all that affectionate stuff."
He even specially created an osmanthus grove to coax her. Shouldn't she thank him for putting so much effort into her?
"What about romantic love between men and women?"
Chu Xiao didn't understand where she came to the conclusion that he had made love with others, but the cold indifference in her eyes was undeniable.
His throat tightened, and a strong unease spread from the depths of his heart. "Shen You, I didn't."
"...There has never been anyone else, please believe me."
His anxious demeanor resembled that of a husband trying to explain his loyalty to his wife, fearing that if he hesitated even a moment longer, she would sentence him to death.
No one else?
Shen You frowned slightly, a lump forming in her throat, unable to rise or fall.
She hesitated several times, feeling that it would be strange for her to say those words, but those were the real issues.
She didn't want to force herself to guess, nor did she want to be the one whose emotions were controlled by him.
Even though the thought of that night's intimacy made her ears turn red, she steeled herself and said directly, "That night in the cabin in the mountains, you were clearly different from before."
"If you hadn't met other people, how could you possibly know so much?"
Her voice was cold, but she seemed somewhat uncomfortable.
Anger and embarrassment appeared on her face at the same time, yet strangely, it didn't seem out of place.
The fog in Chu Xiao's mind was finally cleared up.
He gripped her hand tightly, leaned forward again, and said in a wronged tone, "Shen You, you have to allow me to improve."
Whether it was that night in the mountain cabin or his various acts of thoughtfulness and care for her after returning to the capital, it all stemmed from his undisguised desire to earn a chance to stand openly by her side.
However, Shen You's misunderstanding was the result of the bad things he had done in the past.
During those two years, she had never felt his undisguised love, so how could she know that when he loved someone with all his heart, he would try so hard to please her?
He wanted her favor in both body and soul.
Shen You stared at him blankly, the doubt in her eyes still very obvious.
His mouth moved faster than his brain, and he asked directly, "...How can you improve at this kind of thing by yourself?"
Must matters between men and women be conducted together?
During those years of military campaigns, if no other women were around him, how could he have made any progress?
She asked the question, but there was no hint of romance in her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, only doubt, confusion, and disbelief in him.
After saying that, she broke free from his hand again.
His palm fell empty, and Chu Xiaoqiang suppressed his unease and explained to her, "Men are always more adept at these things than women."
"...If you want to hear it, I will tell you in detail how I have been thinking about you for the past four years."
It was something that should have been a joyful and tender affair, yet it was said in such a depressing and gloomy atmosphere.
Chu Xiao's eyes were filled with turbulent emotions, and his voice was low and hoarse when he spoke again.
"Shen You, I am innocent, please don't abandon me."
"Do you trust me?"
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