Chapter 86: Unrestrained

Liu Chuyan knew that Xue Ao was always audacious, and since they hadn’t seen each other for several days, there was no telling what outrageous thing he might do. She pushed against his chest, murmuring, “Zisheng brother…”

Xue Ao caressed her back, entwining his tongue with hers, eager to continue. But unexpectedly, her tongue withdrew, and she called him brother in that soft, gentle voice. Instantly, his heart melted like spring water. He loosened his hold on her slightly, gazing at his reflection in her eyes—surely he looked as ravenous as a wolf. He decided to restrain himself, lest he frighten her and lose more than he gained. “What’s wrong, Chuchu?”

“Zisheng brother, I haven’t had dinner yet.”

“Didn’t you spend the whole afternoon eating and drinking with my sister and the others? You’re hungry again?” Xue Ao narrowed his eyes, suspecting Liu Chuyan was making excuses to reject him.

She had indeed spent the afternoon eating and drinking, but she’d been preoccupied and hadn’t eaten much. Now, with so many delicacies laid out before her, how could she remain indifferent? Thinking this, she glanced sidelong at the West Lake vinegar fish and the honey-glazed pork on the table.

Seeing this, Xue Ao felt a surge of irritation. Gripping her chin, he turned her face toward him. “Are those dishes more attractive than I am?”

Was Xue Ao jealous of the food? Liu Chuyan could only feel helpless, but dared not truly offend him. “No.”

If they weren’t more attractive, then why look at them? Xue Ao retorted sourly, “Are they tastier than I am?”

Of course the food tasted better—otherwise, how could it be called a delicacy? But could she dare say so? Guiltily, Liu Chuyan lowered her head. “No.”

That was more like it, though she was clearly lying. Xue Ao stroked his chin. How pitiful was he, to be compared to a table of dishes?

Liu Chuyan saw him frowning in thought, stubble sprouting on his chin, and dark circles beneath his eyes—obviously he hadn’t rested well for several days. Her heart ached for him. She gently traced his lips with her fingertip, speaking softly: “Zisheng brother, you look exhausted. You must be hungry as well. Why not join me and have some dishes?”

Indeed, he was hungry—especially with such a delicate beauty nestled in his arms, tempting him beyond measure. And since the beauty was inviting him, how could he refuse? Chuckling, he lowered his head to nibble her rosy lips, savoring their fragrance and flavor—a perfect blend of color, aroma, and taste.

Liu Chuyan had asked him to eat the dishes, not her lipstick. He wasn’t hungry, but she was famished. Taking advantage of the moment when he loosened his hold, she leaned back to evade him, raising her brows and glaring at him. “I meant for you to eat the food, not me…”

“Didn’t you say I tasted better?”

Xue Ao’s face darkened. Liu Chuyan’s heart trembled. She truly regretted digging her own grave, not wanting to disappoint Xue Ao, but she genuinely wanted to eat. It had been so long since she’d tasted Hangzhou cuisine.

Yet he was impervious to both soft and hard tactics. Her repeated calls of “Zisheng brother” were enough to make herself cringe, but he only paused for a moment, then continued to tease her. She simply couldn’t out-argue him.

At this rate, wasn’t she destined to be under his control? What would she do in the future?

Xue Ao saw her distressed expression, on the verge of tears, and his demeanor softened. He cupped her face, smiling mischievously. “Since you’re hungry, your Zisheng brother will feed you.”

“I can feed myself…” Liu Chuyan began to refuse, but a glance from Xue Ao silenced her. She watched as he picked up the chopsticks, carefully selecting a crab leg for her. The river crab still had its shell—was he really going to feed it to her like that? Liu Chuyan turned her head away, but before the crab leg reached her lips, Xue Ao withdrew it, muttering to himself.

“Hmm, the shell’s not peeled yet.” Xue Ao noticed her wide-eyed stare, and, feeling mischievous, deftly peeled the crab shell with both hands and mouth. Holding the crab meat between his lips, he drew near, murmuring, “Chuchu…”

This man—wasn’t he a scoundrel? To tease her like this. Liu Chuyan was nearly at her wit’s end. But she was not unaware of Xue Ao’s brazen nature; she’d brought this situation upon herself. She glanced around, intent on grabbing some chopsticks herself, but found none—only the pair in his hand. Song Ling was to blame for this oversight! Yet she could hardly have predicted Xue Ao would compete with her for chopsticks.

“If you won’t eat, I’ll have it myself.” Liu Chuyan turned away, ignoring him. Xue Ao, feeling stifled, hummed and swallowed the crab meat in one swift motion.

Liu Chuyan couldn’t help but glance at him.

“What’s wrong, wanting to eat now? Shall I give it back to you?” Xue Ao grinned like a fox who’d gotten his way. In truth, he’d gained nothing from Liu Chuyan, but simply watching her pleased him immensely.

The aroma wafted towards her, and Liu Chuyan touched her growling stomach. She was nearly mad with longing for Hangzhou delicacies, and now, when she finally had the chance, Xue Ao insisted on teasing her.

Stubborn as she was, Xue Ao toyed with her for a moment. Seeing her sullen expression and silence, he grew bored and handed her the chopsticks. “Just teasing you. Don’t be upset, alright?”

Was that any way to play? Liu Chuyan pouted, ignored him, but snatched the chopsticks, picking up a piece of Dongpo pork and savoring it on her own.

“Eat slowly, don’t choke,” Xue Ao wiped the sauce from the corner of her mouth, smiling. “I specially invited a Hangzhou chef over. Once you marry me, I’ll have him cook for you every day.”

She had no intention of marrying, lest she be bullied by him daily. Liu Chuyan thought to herself. But he’d hired a Hangzhou chef—could she lure him away? Yet living in the General’s Mansion, she doubted the chef would have any use there.

Nibbling a piece of goose meat, Liu Chuyan wrestled with her thoughts.

These dishes were indeed made by a Hangzhou chef—the familiar recipes and flavors. The West Lake vinegar fish tasted almost identical to her grandmother’s—sour, slightly sweet, devoid of any fishiness, the flesh tender and delicious. The honey-glazed pork was so good, one bite led to another.

Her mother was from Jinling and didn’t cook Hangzhou dishes, but her father and grandmother loved them, as did she. Yet when the servants cooked, her mother claimed the taste was off, so she learned from the simplest recipes, practicing daily. Her specialty was honey-glazed pork.

Sadly, her grandmother had passed, her mother was gone, and she could no longer enjoy their cooking. Even her father—she could never see him again. Although her brother had been found, he, like her, was still dependent on others, unable to be acknowledged by the Liu family.

Xue Ao lay across the table, watching her eat heartily, her face gradually relaxing into a smile as memories of happier days in Hangzhou returned. Yet soon, recollections of painful experiences surfaced, and tears welled up in her eyes, making Xue Ao ache for her.

Eventually, as she ate, her sadness grew, and she wept uncontrollably.

“Chuchu…” Xue Ao wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. Had he known these dishes would evoke such memories and make her cry, he wouldn’t have brought Hangzhou cuisine to her.

“Don’t cry, Chuchu, I’m here.” Xue Ao knew she was missing her parents, and held her close, whispering comfort in her ear.

But Liu Chuyan wasn’t listening, her sobs intensifying. She flung aside the chopsticks and buried herself in his arms, crying her heart out.

Xue Ao could only let her cry, planning to console her once she’d had enough.

Fortunately, he was there. Despite the misunderstandings they’d endured, they’d found their way back to each other. Liu Chuyan felt comforted. Yet he’d only offered a single word of consolation before letting her cry freely—what kind of person was he?

“Well, are you done crying?” Xue Ao saw her lift her swollen, reddened eyes, and gently wiped away her tears.

He sounded so casual—did he even care about her pain? Liu Chuyan, indignant, raised her head and bit his chin.

“Ow, the little rabbit bites!” Xue Ao hadn’t expected it; she left teeth marks on his chin, but he didn’t scold her, only teased, “Not good, not good, the rabbit bites!”

“Who’s the rabbit?” Liu Chuyan released him, slapped his arm, and broke into laughter through her tears.

Xue Ao continued to tease her, pointing to her eyes. “Look at those red eyes—aren’t you the rabbit?”

“You’re the rabbit! You’re the rabbit!” Liu Chuyan protested, slapping his shoulder. Yet her delicate hand barely made an impact, only hurting herself.

Xue Ao heard her wince in pain, quickly took her wrist, and gently blew on her hand. “Alright, alright, I’m the rabbit. Don’t hurt your hand, it’s not worth it.”

“If you’re the rabbit, what am I?” Liu Chuyan wasn’t ready to let him off, continuing to pester him.

“I’m the male rabbit, you’re the female rabbit—we’re a pair, aren’t we?” Xue Ao, unable to outwit her, dragged her into his scheme.

“You’re always taking advantage of me,” Liu Chuyan shot him a sidelong glance, grumbling.

“You’re destined to marry this male rabbit. What else would we be but a pair?”

“Go away.” Liu Chuyan didn’t bother to argue, settling into his arms, breathing in his familiar yet unfamiliar scent, slowly growing drowsy.

This girl truly ate her fill and then fell asleep. Exasperated and amused, Xue Ao leaned in to nibble her earlobe. “Chuchu, let me take you to see our rabbit warren, alright?”

“What rabbit warren?” Liu Chuyan squinted, turning her head in surprise.

“Our newlywed home.”

“Hm?” Liu Chuyan’s mind went blank for a moment. She did want to marry him, but with Madame Xue as she was, anxiety gnawed at her heart. And he had already sold the house Madame Xue left him to Han Ruogu, so she would have to live with him in Duke Xin’s mansion.

Although Madame Xue was an elder, and Xue Ao’s mother, whom she ought to respect, Madame Xue disliked her, and they would inevitably see each other every day. Madame Xue was difficult, and Liu Chuyan’s temperament wasn’t one to yield; one day, conflict was bound to erupt, troubling Xue Ao and spiraling out of control. She thought pessimistically, but caught the expectant gleam in his eyes. Could it be…

“You’ve bought a new house?”

She truly was clever. Xue Ao nodded, pecking her lips bit by bit like a child begging for candy. “Chuchu, I know my mother well. She’ll never let us live in peace. Anyway, she loves her status and position, and would never leave Duke Xin’s mansion. So I’ll split from my brother and live far away, out of sight, out of mind.”

“You’re not afraid of being criticized?”

“If I’m not a filial son, so be it. I don’t care about that reputation. Besides, what’s fame—can it be eaten? When you have power and influence, such things are meaningless; living happily is what matters most.”

“This…” Liu Chuyan, raised on values of benevolence and filial piety, wasn’t as rebellious as Xue Ao, and cared about others’ opinions, making her hesitant.

“Chuchu, with me here, no gossip can harm you. And my mother loves her reputation—she won’t spread rumors. Even if we truly act unfilially, she’ll cover for us. Besides, we’re not truly unfilial; we’ll still visit her during holidays. You needn’t worry.”

The topic was too heavy, and Liu Chuyan didn’t want to discuss it now. Since he’d said so, she chose to trust him, smiling sweetly. “Weren’t you going to show me the house? How will we go? We mustn’t let others find out.”

“I’ve arranged everything. Later, ask Song Ling and the others to tidy up and then lie down. I’ll sneak you out after it gets late.”

“You’re sure we won’t be discovered?”

“Absolutely not.”

With his assurance, Liu Chuyan finally felt at ease, though her palm was slick with sweat from nerves and excitement. She was grown now, soon to be married. Afterwards, she might never act on her own wishes again—she would have to honor her husband, educate their children, and respect her elders. So tonight, she would indulge herself, go out with Xue Ao, see Jinling’s night scenery, explore the so-called “rabbit warren,” and glimpse the life that awaited them.

Author’s note:
Dear readers, the cover for my new novel “User Manual for Male Gods with Neuroses” is ready! The story launches this Sunday—please add it to your favorites! Click the image below to travel over~ The synopsis is both hilarious and adorable~