Chapter 93 Blushing and Playing the Fool: I Like My Cousin Who Played the Fool First...
Her slender fingertips dug into the soft flesh of his cheek as she pouted and said, "Cousin, why don't you look at me?"
Li Xunhuan's ears suddenly turned red, and he hurriedly took two steps back, saying, "I...I didn't."
He denied it, but didn't even look up, his long eyelashes trembling incessantly.
Nian Nian stared at him and said fiercely, "Lying!"
If we go back decades, why did you still hate me?
"It's because... I don't know, it's because it's too hot..." he said, his words becoming incoherent, his ears turning increasingly red.
He wiped the sweat from his brow, gripped the throwing knife tightly, and walked towards the center of the training ground, saying dryly, "Cousin, I'm going to practice throwing knives."
"Stay here and don't move, don't...don't hurt yourself!"
He left after saying that.
The young boy, his face flushed, stepped into the blazing sun, took several deep breaths, and then raised his hand to throw the throwing knife.
Li Xunhuan honed his martial arts skills from a young age, never missing a day of knife practice. Although he was still young, he had already achieved considerable skill with throwing knives.
But as soon as he drew his sword today, his heart jumped into his throat. For no apparent reason, he became nervous that the sword might miss its target—this was so unlike him.
Sweat dripped from his chin into his collar, but before it could spread, that burning gaze abruptly left.
The footsteps grew fainter and fainter. He exhaled, then quickly pursed his lips, lowered his head, and pulled the throwing knife that had hit the bullseye.
Niannian walked faster and faster, and after a few steps, she couldn't help but kick the artificial hill next to her.
Why are you ignoring me?
Why was I so unlikable when I was a child?
She was so angry she wanted to bite off the chubby cheeks of him.
Annoying brat.
With a "thud," a bruised green plum rolled out from a crack in the artificial hill. Niannian stepped on it and almost twisted her ankle.
Upon seeing her childhood sweetheart, she recalled the older man's closed eyes as he said, "We grew up together, inseparable... How can I possibly fall in love with someone else?"
It's just a green plum, isn't it?
There's anything special about it.
......
Training ground.
Li Xunhuan was sitting on a stone chair, sweating profusely, drinking water. After a couple of gulps, his water bag was empty.
He took out the handkerchief from his chest and wiped himself haphazardly a few times. Just as he was about to get up, he heard a bouncing sound behind him and suddenly froze.
Who else could be making those lively footsteps but my new little cousin?
At this moment, he vaguely sensed that something was wrong.
My cousin also comes from a scholarly family, and she is an orphan who lives with others. How could she be so quick and agile?
Moreover, and moreover...
His face turned red again. How could his cousin have no manners at all?
Although they were engaged, they were not yet married and remained cousins. After all, men and women are different; how could they overstep the bounds of propriety?
The father said that girls should be well-versed in the precepts for women and uphold propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame. As the elder brother, he should be the one to teach his cousin well. As he was deep in thought, a basket of green plums slammed heavily onto the stone table in front of him.
The sweet and sour fragrance of plums wafted into his nose, instantly bringing him back to his senses. Li Xunhuan opened his eyes wide, staring at the whole basket of green plums, and said, "Cousin Niannian, why are you picking so many plums?"
Niannian smiled and pinched a few green plums into his palm, saying sweetly, "I picked these especially for you, cousin. You've been practicing your sword so hard, have a taste!"
Why did you pick them especially for me...?
Li Xunhuan's ears started burning a beat late, and he suddenly stood up and said, "I..."
His tongue seemed to be tied in knots, unable to utter a single word, while the skin between his and her palms quietly turned red.
Niannian was completely unaware of his unease and urged, "Cousin, hurry up and eat."
She drawled out her words in a coquettish tone, so sweet that Li Xunhuan quickly lowered his head.
The green plum was almost to his lips, but he stopped, his arm still. This was a Rouge Plum, with a rich fragrance, and the wine brewed from it was as clear as amber. But the plum hadn't yet blushed with rosy hues, and this unripe Rouge Plum was so sour it could kill you.
That taste...
His face paled instantly; this green plum was even more terrifying than a ghost.
Niannian wrinkled her nose, "Why aren't you eating?"
Li Xunhuan opened his mouth, pinched the green plum tightly, unsure how to answer, his mind filled with only the words, "I picked it especially for my cousin."
Niannian's eyelashes fluttered, and she pinched his chubby cheeks, saying, "Don't you like green plums?"
Li Xunhuan looked up, momentarily stunned.
When did he ever like green plums?
Seeing his silence, Niannian couldn't help but say bitterly, "I picked them for you, but then you didn't like them anymore."
The tone grew increasingly aggrieved, the sourness almost seeping into the air.
Li Xunhuan stared at those pitiful, droopy eyes and her lips, which she had bitten until they were red. He subconsciously rubbed his thumb to suppress the sudden itch.
Why do you always hate me so much?
Hearing her misunderstanding, he hurriedly said, "No, I... cousin, I didn't."
I... I clearly...
He stammered and couldn't get the words out; he was so anxious that beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
He caught sight of the basket of plums out of the corner of his eye, gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and stuffed them into his mouth.
The sour green plum bit into his mouth, and he gasped for breath, his tongue trembling as he exclaimed, "I like it!"
Niannian lowered her eyelashes and turned her head away from him.
Li Xunhuan lost his composure. He wanted to pull her away but felt it would be improper, so he just kept stuffing green plums into his mouth.
"Cousin, look, I really like eating sour plums."
His throat tightened from the sourness, and he desperately swallowed the rising acid, choking out, "Mmm, delicious."
Niannian saw that he was enjoying himself so much that his eyes were almost closed, and then she laughed out loud.
She said, "It doesn't matter who gives the green plums."
Is there really anything in the world that you won't like to eat just because someone else is giving it to you?
The sour juice and plum flesh mashed and piled up in his mouth, and the stinging pain made Li Xunhuan feel as if all the flesh in his mouth had rotted away.
As his face turned deathly pale, he saw Nian Nian suddenly stand on tiptoe, reach out and gently tap the corner of his eye, whispering, "Cousin, drool is dripping from your eye!"
Her breath fell on his eyes, startling them into a burning red.
In the sweltering heat, Li Xunhuan suddenly felt that the green of her gauze dress was so perfectly in season, just like the plum blossom dress of a green plum.
As soon as the thought arose, the fragrance of plum blossoms in his mouth and nose suddenly became even stronger. He vaguely felt that plum dew was flowing from Nian Nian's body, dripping onto him drop by drop.
He was stiff all over and dared not move, for fear that the dew would slip away through the seam of his clothes.
Niannian, however, was preoccupied with looking down at the glistening tear on her fingertip. Just as the tear was about to fall down her fingertip, she suddenly lowered her head to catch it.
Bitter, salty tears instantly wet her tongue. She frowned, staring at him with her watery eyes, and said, "It's so bitter and salty, cousin. Please don't cry anymore, okay?"
Her fair face flushed red in the sunlight, the rosy hue of a ripe plum blossom.
Li Xunhuan stared motionlessly at the dot of rouge, like a newly carved marionette.
Seeing him standing there blankly, completely ignoring her, Niannian felt her anger rising again.
She couldn't help but pull his hand to her face, tilting her head and drawing out her words, "Cousin..."
She drizzled syrup over the two words, then swayed as she presented the bowl to him, while his hand was already being held and pressed against the scalding hot rim of the bowl.
Li Xunhuan's knuckles trembled little by little, and in a trembling fit of unconsciousness, the green plums in his right hand fell to the ground one by one.
'Thump—'
'Thump—'
The muffled thuds of green plums falling to the ground were the sounds of plums scattering everywhere.
He lowered his head blankly, looking at his heart with a bewildered expression.
Niannian's eyes widened. "You threw me on the ground because you hate me, didn't you?"
"How...how could this be?"
He hurriedly squatted down, picked up the scattered plums one by one, wiped them a couple of times, and stuffed them into his mouth, completely losing the demeanor of a young master from a noble family.
He stammered, trying to suppress the ache in his teeth, "I especially love green plums, and I... I can eat the whole basketful!"
For the first time, Li Xunhuan realized his own dullness; he couldn't even understand what he was hearing.
He simply felt that, after carefully chewing and removing the sour skin of the plum, the flesh near the pit...
It's still pretty sweet... right?
......
"vomit......"
Madam Li supported his back, her eyes full of heartache, and said, "My child, why are you eating so many raw plums?"
Li Xunhuan vomited until his eyes were red, his throat was swollen and sore, and his mouth was full of regurgitated acid.
Madam Li shook her head and said, "Plums are warm in nature. If you eat too many, not only will you accumulate internal heat and suffer from internal inflammation, but you will also damage your spleen and stomach. Tomorrow, you should rest and rest for a day and not practice martial arts."
He propped himself up, "But..."
"Who taught you to eat in the training ground? How did your parents teach you? As soon as your cousin arrives, you stop being so polite?" Madam Li turned around and said.
"I..." He was naturally unwilling to reveal the culprit, and only lowered his head in shame, saying, "It was my fault."
She sighed and said slowly, "Having seen Niannian today, has Xunhuan fulfilled his duties as an elder brother?"
He looked away, and said awkwardly, "Actually, I don't know how to get along with my cousin."
Madam Li chuckled and gently stroked his forehead, saying tenderly, "There's a first time for everything. Just treat her like a younger sister for now."
"We'll understand when we grow up... when Xunhuan grows up."
Amidst these gentle whispers, he followed his mother's hand back to the bed, gazing at the bed curtains, unable to suppress a mix of anticipation and anxious longing for growing up.
What will I be like when I grow up?
Father and elder brother must have passed the imperial examination with top honors. Can I... become a great hero of the martial arts world?
And what about Niannian...? What will she be like when she grows up?
Will her cat-like eyes grow even bigger when she grows up?
The smile had barely begun to appear on his lips when he heard his mother burst out laughing.
He turned his pupils and met his mother's young and gentle blue eyes. She said, "I remember you swore in front of Xunle two years ago that you would never eat green plums for the rest of your life."
"So our little Xunhuan changes his mind so quickly."
"..." He couldn't explain, so he buried his head in the blankets, leaving only his red, swollen eyes showing.
He thought to himself: It was his cousin who cheated first.
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Author's Note: Young Li: Baby, you are a green plum~
Niannian, unashamed, asked in Li Garden: "Excuse me, where can I find a childhood sweetheart?" Yes, I need one.
Nian Nian is truly like a green plum: when you're young, it's as sour as a knife; when ripe, it's sweet and sour. When she's happy, she's charming and spoiled, a perfect woman; when she's unhappy, she'll bully anyone she can. This bittersweet flavor is just perfect for a lonely old man tired of the monotonous, uneventful life he leads!
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