Chapter 87 The coquettish cup's warm touch perfectly softened the moment...
Neither of them went inside; they just stood there huddled in the doorway, freezing for no apparent reason.
The thick, snow-white fox fur cloak had completely enveloped her in Li Xunhuan's arms, so much so that not even the tips of her hair could be seen.
After a long silence, he couldn't help but say, "It's windy outside, let's go inside."
Niannian didn't speak, but just pressed against his chest and shook her head desperately.
Li Xunhuan remained silent, knowing she had a fiery temper, and could only abandon his thought of going back to his room for the time being.
He thought she was still sulking and upset, but who would have thought she was secretly laughing?
After going through all that trouble, wouldn't she be at a huge disadvantage if she didn't cling to him?
I don't want to be pulled down.
She inhaled his unique scent and almost buried her head in his clothes.
How can I describe this embrace?
Like warm, smooth jade, cotton soaked in the scent of wine, and steaming hot medicine, in the very end, they all transform into an ancient tree weathered by time.
Nian Nian felt enveloped in his calmness, indulged by time, and protected by wind and snow in his arms.
The unfamiliar surge in her heart grew stronger and stronger. Even though she had lost her memory, Nian Nian still instinctively felt that she had never been embraced like this before.
The steady beating of his heart, tinged with a hint of pain, filled my ears. His fragrance, like sandalwood, is hidden within the rings of time, growing richer and more mellow with age.
Amidst the rich aroma of wine, Nian Nian drifted off to sleep, oblivious to everything around her.
When he woke up, he found that the thin blade hidden in his sleeve was not in his hand.
Layers of turquoise gauze curtains fell down, like cascading rain.
Niannian felt empty inside. She exhaled and propped herself up to go find him, thinking to herself, "When will we finally be able to sleep together?"
Running around like this all the time is making her very tired.
Her skirt swept across the bed steps, and just as she got up, she heard a clear, crisp sound.
She stopped abruptly as soon as she lowered her eyes. A kitten had fallen onto the plush blanket, its upturned eyes and finely textured fur exuding a strong sandalwood scent.
Someone cut open its growth rings, added frost marks, and, still feeling it wasn't enough, wrapped red rope around its legs. This person's knife must have been imbued with their very soul to depict such form and spirit.
Niannian stared at the wooden carving without blinking for a long time before picking it up expressionlessly.
The thin blade in his sleeve still didn't understand why he had moved, so he could only ask his ankle.
Unfortunately, I don't know much about her ankle either.
Excessive drinking always brings its own set of consequences, and Li Xunhuan was curled up in bed coughing incessantly.
His long-term excessive drinking had already hollowed out his body. Even though his lungs were almost completely rotten, he still couldn't put down his glass.
The snow-covered plains beyond the Great Wall held all the loneliness of the world; he had nothing left but wine to ease his sorrows.
Li Xunhuan's face was flushed, his lips were pale, and blood was seeping from the handkerchief covering his mouth. As he was gazing out the window in a daze, a series of light footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door, mixed with the crisp sound of bells.
He was taken aback as he watched Nian Nian burst in like a bell.
She skipped in, clutching a porcelain cup in each hand; her flustered appearance was surprisingly adorable.
Li Xunhuan propped himself up and sat up, tucking a handkerchief into the quilt. He asked in a hoarse voice, "What happened? Did you catch a chill last night?"
With her body covered in festering frostbite, how could she possibly be frostbitten?
Niannian ran over, shoved the porcelain bowl in her hand into his, and said with bright eyes, "Uncle Li, I've brought you breakfast. How about it? Aren't I nice? Don't you like me?"
In a porcelain bowl at just the right temperature, one side holds rock sugar pear soup, and the other side holds glutinous rice dumplings.
The warmth of the ironing penetrated through his fingertips, instantly warming his cold hands and feet. Li Xunhuan said gently, "There are servants in the courtyard, you don't need to do these things. It's so cold, you should lie down and not get cold."
Is she some kind of paper doll that would break if the wind blew her away?
Confused, Niannian plopped down on the steps of his bed, her eyes wide open, and exclaimed, "How can the gift from Niannian be the same as the gifts from them?"
Li Xunhuan frowned and subconsciously asked, "What kind of appearance is it to sit on the footstool?"
He didn't know when it started, but even though he wouldn't admit it, he had already assumed the role of a father. So he couldn't help but subconsciously teach her, what she should and shouldn't do, and how to protect her from getting hurt, whether it was through weapons or gossip.
Niannian, however, was completely unaware of his good intentions. She simply rested her chin on her hand, winked at him, and said, "Isn't being cute and pretty the way you like it?"
She was acting just like a spoiled child. Perhaps his heart had already quietly turned towards her, or perhaps the warm comfort of the cup melted away his loneliness at that moment.
He smiled faintly and shook his head, silently acquiescing to her intimacy.
With a crisp sound as the glazed spoon clattered against the porcelain bowl, he scooped up a floating glutinous rice ball, took a bite, and the glutinous shell broke open, releasing hot and sticky jujube paste that eagerly filled his mouth.
A delicate, mellow warmth flowed across his tongue, and this sweetness suddenly brought back memories of the rough edges of the past, reminding him of his childhood when he was greedy for sweets and would often cling to his mother's arm and shake it wildly. She would then helplessly stuff a broken piece of candy into his mouth, and it was just like that sweetness.
What was her expression like at that time?
He seemed to simply shake his head with a faint smile, just like that.
Decades have passed, and he has reached the same age and has the same feelings.
Niannian looked at him expectantly and asked, "Is it delicious?"
She had never eaten anything so strange before.
Li Xunhuan suddenly laughed out loud and teased, "Could this have been made by Nian Nian herself?"
She puffed out her cheeks, "This was brought by Niannian herself. I specifically asked that old... old man."
She nearly bit her tongue off, then quickly cupped her face and said, "He said people with coughs should drink more pear soup. Don't teach me to read anymore, teach me how to make pear soup instead."
Li Xunhuan shook his head and said, "A gentleman keeps away from the kitchen, and I don't know how to make pear soup either."
Niannian raised her eyelashes and asked excitedly, "Are you saying that everyone in the kitchen is a villain?"
Li Xunhuan choked, unsure how to respond, and could only laugh it off, saying, "You can't take that literally. I was just joking about my unwillingness to cook."
Niannian nodded, her head drooping, and said, "Okay."
He sighed again, "If you don't want to study and learn to read, what will you do if you become illiterate and get scammed?"
Niannian winked at him, "With you here, how could I be fooled? Don't you want to protect Niannian?"
Li Xun let out a cheer, then sighed, "No one in this world can stay with another person forever. Besides, I'm already old, and you haven't grown up yet. Even if I'm willing to protect you for a lifetime, how many more years do I have left?"
Besides, his daily drinking has already damaged his health, leaving him with a host of chronic illnesses. How many more years can he possibly live?
Countless fine lines had crept onto the corners of his eyes; his body, in its self-imposed exile, had long since aged. The once-famous, successful Li Xunhuan had died ten years ago.
All his sincerity and aspirations were buried in the past, and in the end, only a withered and diseased tree grew on this barren land.
He was destined to be drowned by the flood at the foot of the mountain.
Niannian bit her lip, finally realizing that for an ordinary person, birth, aging, sickness, and death are inescapable fates.
She could guess what he didn't say.
She pressed her hand to her chest in frustration; she had another problem to solve. She only had one heart and one head—how could she possibly manage?
Li Xunhuan, however, had already disregarded life and death, and only said, "You are still young, you must study hard."
Can studying teach you to obey me? Can it teach you to love and cherish me? Can it make you immortal?
But of course she wasn't stupid enough to ask, so she just asked listlessly, "What's the use of studying?"
Li Xunhuan glanced at her and smiled, "Reading can help you recognize characters and increase your knowledge. I don't expect you to be well-read; I'll be content as long as you know propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame, and don't become illiterate."
Nian Nian pouted, clearly disliking what she was hearing, but still asked curiously, "What is a 'Mr. Illiterate'?"
Li Xunhuan laughed loudly: "I said 'to retaliate against every little thing,' but you read it as 'a duck must retaliate.' You little duck are indeed a tyrant."
He couldn't resist ruffling her head again, "You little duckling, do you understand now what 'vindictiveness' means?"
His breath still carried the sweet scent of pear soup and red bean paste, and his chest vibrated slightly as he laughed.
Niannian's ears suddenly turned red; she couldn't help but notice his teasing tone.
He was filled with shame and anger, and regretted it so much that he wished he could bite off his own tongue.
In a fit of anger, she couldn't help but jump onto his bed, grab his cheeks and pull them apart, saying, "If I become a 'Mr. Misspelling' (a person who misspells words), I'll make you 'Mr. Noodles'!"
Poor Li Xunhuan, at his advanced age, had to have his face pinched by a little girl, leaving him both amused and exasperated.
If he wanted to dodge those two scratching cat claws, it wouldn't be difficult at all. But what could he do when he was already begging for mercy?
He could only hold the half-eaten jujube paste dumplings and say helplessly, "Don't spill them on the bed. Why did you come to my bed again? Didn't I tell you not to do this?"
Niannian slammed her knee on the bed and threw a tantrum, saying, "Uncle just said he would protect me for the rest of my life, but now I can't even get on the bed. Am I a mouse that everyone runs away from when they see me?"
Upon hearing her first sentence, Li Xunhuan frowned. Her words were ambiguous and left much to be desired.
Unfortunately, she was illiterate, and her words were often inappropriate. So she could only sigh and say, "It seems that I will have to teach you to read and write today."
Li Xunhuan had unconsciously started to worry. He naturally wouldn't take her casual remarks to heart. But if someone else took her jest seriously, it would be disastrous.
Niannian's eyes darted around, and suddenly she bent down and scooped up a jujube paste dumpling. After biting through the glutinous skin, the jujube paste flowed out.
Those were the bowls and spoons he used; how could she eat from them?
Li Xunhuan's pupils trembled slightly. Just as he was about to get up to snatch it, the words of instruction were already on the tip of his tongue.
However, the next moment, she reached out, dipped her finger in the jujube paste, and suddenly touched the tip of his nose.
Li Xunhuan was so preoccupied with the fact that she had eaten the Yuanzi that he was caught off guard and she succeeded in her plan.
The warm jujube paste was smeared on his nose, then moistened and meandered down.
His eyelashes fluttered, and before he could recover, he saw her smile mischievously with her eyes crinkled: "Mr. Black-Nosed Mouse, everyone runs away when they see you, and Nian Nian is no exception."
As soon as she finished speaking, she jumped off the bed, sparks flying out like fireflies.
Li Xunhuan touched the tip of his nose in a daze, staring at the dried jujube paste between his fingers, and finally burst out laughing after a long while.
Teach her to read a book, and she becomes a rat that everyone hates?
He shook his head and chuckled softly, "This child is really..."
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