Shen Yan smiled slightly, pursing her lips, "Want to eat?"
"Yes!" Meng Qingluan answered honestly.
"Then... shall I cook for you?" Shen Yan asked eagerly.
“No,” Meng Qingluan refused without hesitation. “Just notify the kitchen and have them make it.”
Shen Yan's smile grew even sweeter as she said sweetly, "It's alright, Luan Luan. This little thing won't tire me out. I'll cook it for you myself."
"No, you've misunderstood," Meng Qingluan said, her voice sharp and straightforward. "It's because what you make definitely won't taste as good as what the kitchen makes."
"..."
Chen Yan's smile froze on his face as he released his grip.
The comfort from her temples vanished abruptly. Meng Qingluan opened her eyes and saw only his taut jawline as he turned his head.
"Why did it stop?"
"My hands are sore," came a muffled voice from above.
"Oh." Meng Qingluan raised her hand and gently pressed it against her temple, her brows furrowing. "It hurts so much..."
Shen Yan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly placed his fingers on her temples and gently pressed them.
"Does it hurt? Here? Does it still hurt?"
Shen Yan adjusted the pressure in his hands, then leaned closer with a nervous expression and asked,
Meng Qingluan weakly shook her head, pushing away the hand pressed against her temple with a mixture of reluctance and acceptance.
"It's okay, don't bother yourself. Aren't your hands sore?"
"without……"
"I know you're lying. It's okay. Just let me suffer alone. Anyway, I'm just a little cabbage that no one cares about."
Meng Qingluan spoke pitifully, even raising her sleeve to cover her eyes.
She made it clear that she didn't want anyone to see her tears fall.
Chen Yan felt a pang of sadness. "I'm sorry, Luan Luan, I was lying to you. My hands aren't sore. How about I massage them for you?"
Meng Qingluan's sleeves fell down instantly, and her previously faint appearance changed immediately.
"Chen Yan, you still dare to lie to me? You just don't want to massage me, do you?"
No.
"What do you mean 'not'? I can clearly see you are. Okay, I don't need you to press it anymore, just stay away from me."
Meng Qingluan's words came out like a machine gun, completely shutting down Shen Yan's explanation.
Shen Yan pouted and reached out to tug at the hem of her dress that was hanging on the cushion.
Meng Qingluan showed no mercy; with a slight shift of her hips, the fabric of her dress slipped from his grasp.
“Luanluan…”
Seeing this, Chen Yan also moved his buttocks and nuzzled his head against her shoulder in a flattering manner.
Meng Qingluan leaned back, dodged him, closed her eyes, and ignored him.
Shen Yan wanted to get closer, but Meng Qingluan's cold words stopped him in his tracks.
"If you come any closer, you can sit outside."
"..."
Shen Yan sat awkwardly in place, unsure of what to do. After a while, he tentatively squatted down below.
Meng Qingluan opened her eyes and saw Shen Yan huddled in a corner like an abandoned puppy, his watery eyes gazing in her direction.
My heart skipped a beat.
How did she manage to turn Chen Yan into this?
Anyone who opens the door now and sees this scene would be absolutely dumbfounded. The usually stern and unsmiling Lord Shen is acting like a male courtesan vying for favor.
Meng Qingluan beckoned with her finger.
Shen Yan's eyes lit up, and he moved closer to her, but remembering her warning, he didn't dare to get too close.
"Where did we go wrong?" Meng Qingluan asked.
"I shouldn't have lied to you, I shouldn't have been lazy."
"Hmm, anything else?" Meng Qingluan asked calmly.
"I...I only pointed out the mistakes I made, not how I would correct them. Don't worry, Luanluan, I promise I won't do it again. Can you calm down? I'll bring you some osmanthus cake when I get back."
Meng Qingluan curled her fingers and flicked his forehead hard, making a crisp sound.
"Well, the most important thing is that you didn't tell me when you were unhappy."
"..."
Oh, Luanluan is so good.
She was actually concerned about whether he was happy or not.
Shen Yan's eyes, which had been darkened, lit up again, almost as bright as the stars in the night sky.
Meng Qingluan's head was still leaning against the back of the car wall, and she looked somewhat lazy.
"Now tell me, why were you throwing a tantrum just now?"
Chen Yan said apologetically, "You dislike me."
"How did I ever look down on you?" Meng Qingluan felt utterly wronged.
"You said, you said the osmanthus cake I made wasn't as good as the ones made in the kitchen." Shen Yan's tone was almost accusatory.
"That's not..." the truth?
When Meng Qingluan met his resentful gaze, she slammed on the brakes and swallowed back the words of truth that were already on the tip of her tongue.
“No,” Meng Qingluan said, changing her tune to what she thought was a very tactful way of putting it, “I just think we should cherish food.”
"..."
Shen Yan glanced at her.
Meng Qingluan guiltily looked away and compromised, "It's not like I'm stopping you from cooking. Just do it, okay? I'll eat what you make, alright?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yan smiled broadly and tentatively leaned against Meng Qingluan's neck.
Seeing that she didn't push him away, the corners of his mouth turned up even higher.
Meng Qingluan felt that if Shen Yan had a tail, it would be pointing skyward right now, spinning upwards like a propeller.
…
As soon as the two got off the carriage, before they could even enter the mansion, they saw an eunuch dressed in green palace attire waiting at the gate.
Upon seeing the two get out of the car, the father-in-law immediately turned around and greeted them with a smile.
Meng Qingluan's heart skipped a beat; she knew that old bastard, the Emperor, had come to settle scores with Shen Yan.
Shen Yan noticed her nervousness and gently patted the back of her hand under his sleeve to comfort her.
Meng Qingluan followed Shen Yanyi to her father-in-law's side.
"Lord Shen is back?"
The father-in-law spoke in a shrill voice, a fawning smile on his face.
"Yes, I've met Eunuch Li. May I ask what brings you here today?" Shen Yan replied politely.
“Hmph,” Eunuch Li flicked his whisk, “What’s the big deal? It’s just that the Emperor is thinking about Lord Shen and wants to summon him to the palace for a chat.”
“In that case,” Shen Yan smiled, “I have traveled a long and arduous journey, and my clothes and shoes are covered with frost and dust. I humbly request to return to the post station to change and tidy myself up. Only after I have made myself presentable will I respectfully pay homage to Your Majesty, so as to show my respect for Your Majesty.”
Grandpa Shen was still smiling.
"Why go through all this trouble? His Majesty is not bound by such complicated formalities. Besides, His Majesty is in a hurry to see you, so it is probably not appropriate to delay any longer."
Seeing this, Shen Yan followed his words and said, "What you say makes sense, sir. It was my oversight."
"Lord Shen, you flatter this old servant."
Shen Yan turned to Meng Qingluan and said, "Madam, please go back first. I will be back later."
Meng Qingluan nodded, "Come back soon."
Eunuch Li also looked at her, his gaze quickly sweeping over her before settling on the patterns on their sleeves.
"This must be Madam Shen? This old servant greets Madam Shen and pays her respects."
Meng Qingluan quickly responded with the appropriate courtesy.
"Please rise, sir. There's no need for such formalities."
Eunuch Li smiled and said, "I have long heard that Lord Shen and his wife are deeply in love and live in perfect harmony. Seeing them today, I can confirm it is true."
Meng Qingluan smiled politely, "No, no."
Chen Yan spoke up, "Eunuch, aren't you in a hurry to enter the palace?"
With his keen eye, Eunuch Li withdrew his gaze and quickly helped Chen Yan into the carriage.
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