Chapter 83 My biggest flaw is spoiling you…
It's the annoying Shen Jizhao.
Staying up so early in the morning instead of sleeping is exhausting!
She got angry almost instantly, covered her head to block out his voice, and went back to sleep.
Seeing no response from inside, he knocked a few more times.
The noise was so loud that she groggily propped herself up on one side, pecking her head like a chick. She pecked too hard, then slumped forward and went back to sleep. She was so sleepy.
Most importantly, she dreamed that she ate a lot of meat. She ordered a whole table of meat, all piping hot, but before she could even start eating, she woke up.
A little while later, there was another knock on the door:
"Still not up? The sun's already high in the sky. Let's count to three: three, two..."
Hearing his threat, Jiang Shuifu's dazed mind cleared up a bit.
She shook her head vigorously, banishing most of her drowsiness, changed her clothes, got up, and opened the door for him, puffing out her cheeks.
The man didn't look at her, but went inside and closed the door.
When she looked up again, she instinctively shielded her eyes from the sunlight with her hands, as the sunlight used to be so bright that she couldn't open her eyes.
But where is the sunlight? The sky is still dark, so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face, even though it's only early morning.
The woman, whose sweet dreams had been disturbed and who was forced to get up early only to find it was still dark, finally exploded with resentment. These days, she had been completely submissive and had endured everything, but he had only become more and more unreasonable.
She hates being disturbed while she sleeps! If she doesn't sleep well, she won't wake up, and if she doesn't wake up, she'll stay in bed all day, and her spirits will be low! That's her Achilles' heel!
She immediately pushed open the door, barged in, and started yelling:
"How long are you going to punish me? You won't let me out! You won't give me food! You won't let me sleep! You even sneaked into my room in the middle of the night to steal my underwear! What are you angry about? You weren't imprisoned! You weren't forced! What's wrong with me running away? I'm divorced from you, yet you kidnapped me and locked me up here. You're the one who should be condemned and punished! Besides, I was caught before I even got out. Don't be so smug! You're the biggest corrupt official in the court, and you deserve to be imprisoned and tortured to teach your arrogant, self-important, and servile attitude a lesson! Do you really think I'm made of clay with no temper? Tell me, how long are you going to keep this madness going?"
Her string of rebukes was clearly heard by the man who was changing his clothes.
The woman's eyes widened for a few breaths before she immediately covered them and turned away.
He's changing clothes! His upper body is exposed!
However, he had almost finished changing, and she could only see a small part of his back.
The wound on his back was deep, and it seemed to be more than just a scratch from Tailtail.
How come he didn't die from the pain?
Shen Jizhao glanced in her direction from behind, then quickly took off his robes and changed.
He turned around, and his steps were noticeably more relaxed. The fierce aura that had been following him like a shadow for the past few days was now gone, even though he had tried his best to hide it.
He walked towards her step by step, his breathing steady.
He quickly reached her from behind, stopping at her full shoulders. Half of his body overlapped with hers, yet they remained a fist's distance apart. He tilted his head slightly, lowered it a little, and stared at her angry profile as he spoke:
"You really know me well. My biggest flaw is that I spoil you."
His words were unreasonable and arrogant, and she got furious.
However, his next sentence followed immediately, as he stroked her hair: "However, I have no intention of changing it. I am willing to do so and I enjoy it."
That's something that's both infuriating and shameful to say.
He's so hypocritical! He spoils her? Why doesn't he spoil her when she "eloped"?
Just as her question was about to spill out, he seemed to guess what she meant and added, "Besides this."
What about imprisoning her?
She didn't ask.
Because his voice lingered around her, and his breath fell on her face and neck, she felt as if she had returned to the "dream" she had been having.
She turned her face away uneasily, took a step forward at an angle, and avoided him.
He picked up his foot, but instead of chasing after her, he walked past her without even glancing at her.
Just when everyone thought he was about to leave, he stopped at the right moment, turned around, and stood in a place where he could take a good look at her from head to toe.
She looked him up and down before he did.
The man was surprisingly dressed today in a bright red brocade robe with wide sleeves, resembling a refined young master. His expression was relaxed and casual, exuding a touch of elegance.
If you ignore the coldness in his eyes.
When it was his turn, Shen Jizhao looked at the woman. Her face was clean and fair, without any makeup. Her black hair was casually draped over her chest, and there were still sleep marks on her face.
It's obvious she's still half asleep.
He reminded her, "Aren't you going to change your clothes?"
Jiang Shuifu shouted, "Why should I listen to you!"
Shen Jizhao swallowed hard, raised an eyebrow slightly, turned and left decisively, leaving behind only a seemingly plausible but intriguing remark:
"If you're not going, then fine, I won't have wasted my time."
Where to go?
Jiang Shuifu keenly grasped the meaning behind his words.
Is he going to take her out?
Shen Jizhao had barely stepped out of the room when he slowly curled his lips into a smile. The door behind him was flung open with a loud bang, and a clearly excited voice leaped into his ears:
I'm all better!
A carriage! It's a carriage!
After avoiding the farmhouses in the mountains, Shen Jizhao led her to a carriage. The carriage was very luxurious, resplendent in gold and jade, complete with incense burners, snacks, and side couches. It was spacious and comfortable, somewhat similar to the carriages they had used when leaving the palace in the capital.
You can tell they have a noble status.
Jiang Shuifu's initial excitement had turned into doubt, scrutiny, and even a hint of fear.
Where exactly is he taking her?
Shen Jizhao saw all her emotions, but he remained silent. Would this cunning fox be afraid?
The carriage finally stopped, and he stepped down. He waited for a long time, but the person inside didn't move. He lifted the curtain and extended his large hand, saying, "You're so delicate."
The curtain was lifted, and the fox's bright eyes widened, shimmering with sparkling, shimmering light.
How lively!
He brought her to the market!
It's still the town's market!
Even though the Dragon Boat Festival has been over for quite some time, the town still retains the atmosphere of the festival, with horn lanterns, mugwort in front of doors, and Dragon Boat Festival snacks everywhere on the streets.
What a lively scene!
Jiang Shuifu jumped down directly, ignoring the hand, whose owner stiffly withdrew it.
As soon as she got off the train, she skipped and hopped to a stall, excitedly pointing to the plump, fragrant jujubes:
"Uncle, I want to buy some jiaoju (a type of fried dough), one red date and salted yellow, one lotus seed paste and rose, and one crab meat and mushroom, one of each!"
She walked very fast, and Shen Jizhao slowly followed, standing beside her.
The old man glanced at the beautiful couple, and instinctively asked, "Where is your husband?"
Ask Shen Jizhao if he wants to eat.
Just as the old man had almost finished assembling the corner brackets, Jiang Shuifu suddenly remembered something. She touched her pocket and realized, oh no! She hadn't brought any money. She had been living in a daze these past few days and had no need for any money at all.
She's already bought it, so she can't just not pay me back.
Just then, she heard the old man ask again, "Yes, there's him too."
So Jiang Shuifu raised her sparkling eyes and glanced at the man beside her. He brought her out, so he probably didn't just want to see her and be envious, right?
However, it's possible he was just trying to mess with her. For the past three days, she's been eating only coarse grains and vegetables, and she's about to vomit.
Her eyes were filled with hope and uncertainty.
Shen Jizhao received everything and stopped teasing her. He untied the purse from his waist, which was full of silver. He offered her a small piece of silver, and the words of refusal were about to come out, but he changed his mind and said something else:
"One more, just like hers."
"Why!"
The old man was overjoyed and kept praising them as a perfect match, a union that would last a lifetime.
Jiang Shuifu heard this but had no time to refute it. The jiaoqi was just too delicious. These jiaoqi were small and bite-sized. The salty yellow filling inside was so rich and oily, the lotus seed paste and rose were sweet and refreshing, and the crab meat was firm, delicate, smooth, and savory.
Seeing how happily she was eating, Shen Jizhao took a bite as well, but it was bland and unremarkable; he couldn't taste anything special about it, and it wasn't to his liking.
I didn't want to eat anymore, but seeing her satisfied and happy expression, I unconsciously finished all the tarts.
It is indeed quite sweet.
She wanted to buy more, but he pulled her away.
"Don't you want to eat meat anymore?"
Jiang Shuifu's eyes immediately lit up—she could eat meat! She blurted out what was on her mind without thinking:
"You're not abusing me anymore?"
Shen Jizhao frowned. Even the vegetarian dishes were top-notch, beneficial to the body, and good for replenishing qi and blood.
How is that considered abusing her?
Besides, he ate the same things with her.
She decided to save the meat for last, and looking at the rows of food stalls on the street, she was so overwhelmed by the variety that she could hardly move.
We must eat the Five Poison Cakes, the Fried Dumplings and Rice Cakes, the Noodle Fans, and also bring peaches for the God of Immortality.
However, Shen Jizhao only allowed her to eat a little bit of each thing. Once she wanted to take a second bite, he would pay for it and immediately pull her away.
Therefore, every stall owner saw the same scene.
The man had just paid when he found himself carrying more snacks, his hands growing from one to two, until they were overflowing. The woman in front of him was happily eating, devouring each stall's food.
Accompanying a woman shopping is a troublesome task, and many men can't last long. But the man in front of me had the same look in his eyes, which was full of helpless indulgence towards his wife. It's clear that this man loves his wife.
When Shen Jizhao caught up, Jiang Shuifu had already walked to the end of the stalls. He took out a colorful rope and hung it around her waist.
This is a Dragon Boat Festival custom. Wearing colorful ropes in green, red, yellow, white, and black is believed to ward off evil spirits and illness. Her dress was difficult to tie today, and she was swaying, so he could only half-squat down to tie it for her.
At this moment, a troubled voice rang out:
"Miss, you haven't paid for the drinks yet."
After tying the colorful rope, Shen Jizhao straightened up and looked at her: "You secretly drank alcohol?"
Upon hearing those two words, Jiang Shuifu jumped up: "What do you mean by stealing a drink? I have money, go ask that fierce-looking man behind me for it!"
After paying the bill, Shen Jizhao retorted, "When...when did I ever yell at you?"
The drunk woman leaned close to his face, hands on her hips, and complained:
"You've been yelling at me for days! You always have a dark face, either you don't come back or you have a sour face, acting all high and mighty, ignoring me but secretly watching me in a dark way. Get this straight, you're the one who pursued me, not the other way around. If you're tired of me, just let me go. But you act like I owe you something. I've been having nightmares every night!"
Shen Jizhao was speechless. These days, had he been...very fierce?
He didn't know.
All he knew was that he was not only angry, but also hopeless.
He felt that she might really not come back to him.
So, he lost control.
The man grabbed her swaying body, lowered his head, and whispered in her ear:
"Um."
Now he knows.
Having finally gotten out of the house, Jiang Shuifu naturally wanted to have a great time. She even insisted on going to shoot rice balls and play a game of fighting with herbs.
She's so drunk she can't even see people clearly, how is she supposed to go out and have fun?
She even secretly drank some wine when he wasn't looking. He tried to take the wine from her, but she was very clever. She grabbed something from a nearby stall and stuffed it into her mouth. He had no choice but to take out his money first and then try to reason with her.
In this way, she not only ate until she was full, but also drank sip after sip of wine.
In the end, Shen Jizhao could only carry her onto the carriage.
Inside the carriage, the people started making a ruckus again:
"No, I don't want to go back! If I go back, they'll yell at me again!"
Shen Jizhao sighed silently, realizing he had gone too far, and tried to make amends:
"Are you sure you want to go back? It's still early, not even noon yet. Besides, I haven't fulfilled my promise to you yet."
The girl lay sprawled on the couch, curled up in a pitiful manner, like a vulnerable and helpless cat. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her chubby cheeks, which held a tenderness that bewitched her.
"Take a guess?"
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Author's Note: The male protagonist is still somewhat domineering because it's his way of gaining a sense of security; he's too insecure.
Guess where the next chapter will take us? [dog head with rose in hand][dog head with rose in hand]
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