Chapter 629 The Embroiderer's Buns are Sweet, and the Blessings of Peach Blossoms are Guaranteed! [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]
Ever since the embroiderer moved into the quiet courtyard to cook for him.
Ouyang Rong became obsessed with washing dishes—no, housework.
Washing dishes is great; it helps with digestion after meals; it allows you to spend time alone with the embroiderer, occasionally bumping shoulders; and it fosters a tacit understanding.
How exactly do we cultivate them? Well, I'll do my thing, you do yours, you do mine, I do yours... and eventually, won't we all stick together like this? Like the two of them right now.
Well, the main thing is that the embroiderer's graceful posture with her back to people while wearing an apron is very beautiful.
For some reason, when a woman wears an apron to wash dishes, she seems to exude a unique sense of virtue and elegance, which is consistent with the character "安" (ān), which is composed of two parts: "安" (ān) and "安" (ān). The character "安" (ān) means "peace" or "well-being" when it is broken down into two parts: "安" (ān) means "peace" or "well-being" when there is a woman in the house.
In addition, I must say, the kitchen is a great place, not just for cooking and washing dishes...
The atmosphere in front of the sink remained quiet for an unknown period of time.
Until Ouyang Rong tried to break through.
"Well, if you don't say anything, does that mean you agree?" he suggested seriously.
Ouyang Rong was holding one of her soft little hands while washing it when he suddenly felt his hand go empty; the embroiderer had grabbed his hand instead.
"Ahhh..."
Zhao Qingxiu gripped Ouyang Rong's hand tightly with her two small hands, her mouth wide open, making a panicked sound, her head shaking, and the icy white jade pendant in her hair making a clear "lingling" sound.
This scene resembles a little girl nervously clutching her brother's clothes at the dentist's door, too afraid to go in.
"Don't rush, let me ask for your opinion first. If there's anything you're having trouble saying, you can tell me, and we can discuss it slowly."
After Ouyang Rong finished speaking, he flipped his hand over again and grabbed her right hand, which she used to write.
He pressed two of Zhao Qingxiu's fingers onto his own palm and said, "If you have something to say, write it down."
Zhao Qingxiu lowered her head.
Ouyang Rong, who was smiling, suddenly froze for a moment.
Zhao Qingxiu didn't write anything with her index finger; instead, she kept drawing circles in her palm.
"Uh, what do you have to say? Write it down," Ouyang Rong said helplessly.
Zhao Qingxiu kept her head down, still drawing circles.
There was a moment of quiet by the sink.
"It itches, stop drawing," Ouyang Rong said seriously.
As he finished speaking, he felt the slender index finger in his palm pause for a moment, then move again.
This time, she hooked her finger and repeatedly tickled his palm.
It looked like she was scratching his itch, and she seemed very serious about it.
Ouyang Rong's lips twitched slightly.
Zhao Qingxiu lowered her head.
Ouyang Rong raised his free hand and helped her straighten the icy white jade hairpin that was stuck in her thick hair.
His expression was gentle.
In fact, even if Fang Juxiu hadn't brought it up today, Ouyang Rong would have been planning to ask about it in the past few days.
Even the Fang sisters, who had only recently arrived, could sense that something was off between the two. Their relationship had progressed to an ambiguous state, which was already somewhat improper.
I guess only a fool like that embroiderer would keep deceiving herself until now, thinking there's nothing wrong with the current situation...
Just like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
But as a man, you should always think one step ahead of a woman, instead of waiting for her to suddenly ask you something and being caught off guard.
"Drawing circles and acting cute won't work."
Ouyang Rong shook his head, leaning forward as if a jade mountain were about to collapse. His tone was slightly fierce, his question piercing and compelling:
"Hmm, this hairpin on your head is a keepsake from my mother. It's very, very precious. You've been wearing it for so long without giving me an explanation. Heh, this matter isn't so easily dismissed. You... even if you draw a hundred circles, it won't be enough to settle the score."
"However, as you can tell, I'm the most generous person. After all, I've eaten so many meals from you, so I feel a little embarrassed. But between good friends, this is nothing big or small... so it's not a problem."
Ouyang Rong waved his hand generously, his words carrying a subtle undertone of coercion and enticement:
“I can manage to do it reluctantly, but my aunt is different. She has a bad temper and is picky and calculating. If you want to wear this hairpin properly, you have to get her approval, understand?”
As Zhao Qingxiu listened, her small face was somewhat bewildered. Before she could react, she heard Ouyang Rong emphasize the last sentence.
"Ah... um." She hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.
Ouyang Rong suppressed his lip movements, frowned, and pursed his lips, looking serious as he continued, looking at her somewhat bewildered face:
"But don't worry, I'm definitely not letting you come alone. I'm here too. What kind of relationship do we have? Well, we're fellow patients and old friends from Longcheng, comrades-in-arms who wash dishes together, good friends who lull each other to sleep, um, we're like brothers and sisters."
"How could I just abandon you and let your aunt and the others bully you? There's no such thing as giving up between good friends, and you're no exception. You're not allowed to give up on them, do you hear me?"
"Uh-huh."
Ouyang Rong leaned closer to her delicate, small pink ear and whispered:
"Actually, your aunt should have noticed you, but she hasn't said anything. Your aunt is very shrewd. But it's not a big problem. With me here, let's see how long she can hold out. This is called 'If the enemy doesn't move, we don't move.'"
"If the enemy is going to make a move, then we'll make the first move and catch them off guard..."
Ouyang Rong spoke in a persuasive and persuasive tone, and his words were reasonable and well-founded.
Zhao Qingxiu listened intently, her small face blank, sensing the firm confidence in Tan Lang's voice.
At the same time, the two were so close that his face was almost touching hers, and his hot breath was being inhaled by her somewhat erratic breathing.
"Mmm...ahh..."
Zhao Qingxiu hurriedly nodded, pulled her hand away, turned around and went back to the sink to get back to work.
Why are you still washing?
Ouyang Rong glanced at it.
There is one bowl left in the sink.
It was because the two of them were chatting that they were delayed, and they didn't finish reading it.
But the embroiderer was now brushing with exceptional seriousness and focus, brushing for a long time.
It was clear that she was taking a long time to finish washing the bowl.
Ouyang Rong was speechless.
After waiting a while, he glanced at her apron-clad figure from behind.
Suddenly, he walked over and hugged Zhao Qingxiu's thin back from behind.
He placed his hands over hers as she repeatedly washed the dishes and began to help.
The two bodies were pressed tightly together.
Ouyang Rong felt the slender body of the blindfolded girl in his arms stiffen noticeably.
He didn't say anything, but kept washing the dishes with his hands.
Instead, her hands, which were washing dishes, stopped; she couldn't keep up with the pace.
The atmosphere in front of the sink remained quiet for a while.
Ouyang Rong remained quiet and made no further move.
All of this is as if to say: What's wrong with good friends washing dishes together and giving each other a hug?
Zhao Qingxiu bowed her head deeply.
Ouyang Rong remained silent, waiting for some kind of response.
But as time passed, what responded to him was the increasingly hot touch of the apron-clad girl's body, her head buried in her hands and her eyes covered.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Qingxiu regained some of her mobility.
Her little hands started moving again, and together with this "good friend," the two of them, four hands, washed a bowl.
But just as Zhao Qingxiu had gotten used to and accepted this situation, Ouyang Rong, who had been quietly holding her waist from behind, suddenly moved again.
He seemed to have his nose tickled by her hair, and buried his face in her neck from behind. Ouyang Rong's head swayed gently, as if he was using her slender, porcelain-like neck to rub the tip of his nose.
Zhao Qingxiu's delicate body trembled; she felt itchy too.
The close proximity between them, coupled with the ticklish sensation of his breath on her neck, made it even more difficult for Zhao Qingxiu to wash the dishes.
However, once Ouyang Rong buried his head in his hands, he didn't make any other movements, and his hands continued washing the dishes as usual.
Perhaps sensing this, and still believing in the great friendship, Zhao Qingxiu adapted to the situation, bending down slightly and twisting her body a little as she continued washing the dishes. She gently bit her lower pink lips with her pearly teeth, holding her breath and concentrating.
The atmosphere around the sink returned to quiet, with only the sound of splashing water.
There were also faint sounds of the Fang sisters talking outside the kitchen. Fang Shengnan, who was in the yard, seemed to be asking her older sister, Fang Juxiu, if she wanted some fruit after the meal.
But the two women had no idea what was happening in the kitchen just a door away.
Beside the sink, a blindfolded girl wearing an apron waited for a moment, then seemed to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
But at this moment, Ouyang Rong, who had been behaving himself, suddenly took the bowl that had been washed long ago from Zhao Qingxiu's hands and put it aside.
He immediately pulled his hands, which were covered in water stains, back and used the apron around Zhao Qingxiu's waist to wipe them.
During the wiping process, it seemed as if her lower abdomen or waist was touched, causing Zhao Qingxiu to bend over in surprise, exclaiming, "Ah—!"
Before she could react, she was already airborne!
After wiping his hands, Ouyang Rong picked up Zhao Qingxiu by the waist, strode forward, and placed her on the stove.
Zhao Qingxiu lost her balance and instinctively twisted her body to hug Ouyang Rong's neck. When her pink buttocks landed on the stove, the two were facing each other.
As Ouyang Rong approached, the first thing he did was to pull out the jingling, icy-white jade hairpin from her hair and place it a little further away.
With the hairpin no longer securing them, the two looked into each other's eyes, their long black hair cascading down like a waterfall within arm's reach.
Ouyang Rong pressed down on him.
"Eee-ya... Ugh!"
Before Zhao Qingxiu could speak, her small mouth was physically blocked.
The first bite.
Sweet.
It's a sweetness that's clearly and unmistakably delivered to the tip of your tongue.
Ouyang Rong finally got to taste it.
Like a freshly picked, slightly ripe plum on a branch where cicadas sing in summer, a bite of it is sweet and satisfying.
The two of them piled on top of each other and collapsed onto the stove.
A water ladle that was placed on the table was knocked off the edge of the table and fell to the ground by their vigorous movements as they lay down.
The slender, trembling leg that had been tightly gripping Ouyang Rong's lower back suddenly stretched out and precisely hooked the water ladle, allowing it to land safely.
Ouyang Rong didn't notice this subtle detail. He simply ripped off the sky-blue ribbon covering the eyes of the dazed face in front of him.
His lips moved upwards, landing on her nose, on her wide, vacant eyes, on her delicate eyebrows, and on the white forehead glistening with fine beads of sweat.
Moving down, back to the eyebrows, back to the eyelashes, back to the tip of the delicate nose, and back to the breathless little mouth, I transfer the few strands of her beautiful hair that clung to her lips back into her mouth…
The scene was chaotic, their hearts were trembling, and their foreheads occasionally bumped awkwardly.
There wasn't that perfect teamwork we had when washing dishes together as best friends.
A white jade hairpin lay quietly on the table, its back to the two of them, seemingly observing the intertwined shadows of mandarin ducks on the wall behind the stove.
The kitchen was empty and desolate, while the stove was crowded and noisy.
However, a new understanding is being cultivated.
"Where can I find the ladle? That's strange, where did I put it? I still need to fetch water to wash the pears..."
A dozen or so breaths later, Fang Shengnan's loud voice suddenly rang out from the doorway. Before the two people on the stove could stop what they were doing, the kitchen door was pushed open from the outside.
"Young Master Ouyang, what are you looking at? What's in the pot? Oh, where's the embroiderer...?"
Zhao Qingxiu was too thin and petite, and was hidden by Ouyang Rong's body. Fang Shengnan looked at her for the first time and asked with some surprise.
But halfway through his conversation, he noticed the little octopus that was wrapped around his waist and back.
The atmosphere inside and outside the kitchen suddenly became incredibly awkward.
"Uh, you guys continue..." Fang Shengnan turned around with lightning speed, her back to the kitchen, looking around at the scenery outside.
Ouyang Rong: ...
Zhao Qingxiu: ...
Three breaths later, when she couldn't help but turn back again, Ouyang Rong and Zhao Qingxiu had already separated, gotten off the stove, and were tidying their clothes.
Zhao Qingxiu turned her back, revealing a small section of her rounded shoulder. A sky-blue satin ribbon was wrapped around her neck, but she didn't have time to put it on because she was busy tying the ribbon on the back of her bodice... The knot had just been untied by a good friend when Fang, the heroine, interrupted her.
Ouyang Rong remained calm and silently stood in front of Zhao Qingxiu, but Fang Shengnan saw that he was looking down and putting on an apron that he had just taken off.
The atmosphere became even more awkward.
"Fine, there's no ladle, you...you can pretend I wasn't here..."
Fang Shengnan blushed deeply and ran away, making sure to close the door behind her.
Ouyang Rong immediately turned to help the pretty, blind and mute girl put on her loose-fitting dress...
A short while later, the two figures appeared at the kitchen doorway.
In the courtyard, Fang Juxiu, sitting upright at the table, looked at them with curiosity, then glanced at her younger sister, whose face was flushed and who was drawing water by the well.
Ouyang Rong stepped out of the kitchen carrying a water ladle, and just as he was about to speak, his expression froze.
Fang Juxiu noticed that his expression had changed.
Seemingly noticing Fang Juxiu's sharp gaze, Zhao Qingxiu returned to the kitchen, as if she still had chores to do.
Ouyang Rong sat down in the courtyard, filled a ladle with water, drank it all in one gulp, breathed a sigh of relief, turned his head and exchanged a few pleasantries with Fang Juxiu, his eyes occasionally glancing towards the kitchen.
Seeing that the embroiderer was not coming out to see him, Ouyang Rong had no choice but to get up and take his leave. Before leaving, he went to the main hall and picked up a newly bought Taoshouzhai pastry box.
"Embroiderer, I'll take a box of pastries. You can buy them another day if you want to eat them."
He turned his head and shouted.
"Uh-huh."
From the kitchen came Zhao Qingxiu's absent-minded reply; she didn't ask Ouyang Rong what he was going to do with it.
Ouyang Rong had no idea that the blindfolded girl was curled up alone in the corner by the stove. When she heard him call out, she instinctively stood up, but then squatted back down, covering her burning face with her hands...
Ouyang Rong left the quiet courtyard and quickly returned to the carriage, where he put down the pastry box.
He looked puzzled, closed his eyes, and entered the Pagoda of Merit.
Inside the Pagoda of Merit, in mid-air, a Blessing Bell trembled violently, from which purple mist continuously poured out. Mixed within the purple mist were pale pink threads familiar to Ouyang Rong.
He frowned, focusing his thoughts on it, and a divine message immediately flew into his mind and exploded.
"Two thousand merit points for this, that's a bit much. How was this blessing triggered? Could it be...?"
Ouyang Rong stroked his chin, his expression thoughtful.
This time, without saying a word, he closed his eyes.
Not far away, above the round little wooden fish, a line of numbers in cyan-gold font suddenly decreased.
[Merit: 4508]...[Merit: 2508]...
Inside the carriage, Ouyang Rong opened his eyes and let out a long breath.
"Thump, thump..."
Ouyang Rong squinted and tapped the pastry box on his lap with his fingers.
Is it related to blessings associated with embroiderers?
He guarantees a replacement.
...
——————
(PS: Good brothers, please vote for me with a monthly ticket for my sake, sob sob, or 2)
(End of this chapter)
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