Translator: Atlas Studios
Editor: Atlas Studios
This was going to be the death of her!
Her status was lower than the Fujin’s. If she hadn’t gotten favor, none of the things in the household would be any of her business.
It seemed that she must “make a stand on this”!
While Consort Li was sulking, Ruoyin could finally heave a breath of relief.
She finally got a handle on this cold and aloof Lord Fourth. It wasn’t easy.
At this moment, she was glaring at the bright sautéed bullfrog with pickled peppers in front of her. Because the kitchen had used pickled red peppers, it looked really good!
After Ruoyin grabbed some with her chopsticks and took a bite of a bullfrog’s leg, she exclaimed in satisfaction, “My Lord, bullfrogs should be cooked like this. The meat is tender, and it comes with such a rich aroma.”
“Have more if you like it. I’ll ask the kitchen to make it more often,” Lord Fourth said in a casual manner.
It seemed that his Fujin was a glutton, and he also liked to have his fill occasionally.
It was very hot in summer. Moreover, Ruoyin and Lord Fourth were eating hot and sour dishes. Naturally, they would feel hot and perspire from eating them.
After the two had finished their meal, Ruoyin called Qiao Feng. “Go prepare the bath. It’s too hot today. I want it colder so I’ll feel cooler bathing in it.”
But before she could finish speaking, Lord Fourth interrupted. “You can’t have a cold bath. It must be warm.”
Qiao Feng felt conflicted. One was her direct master, the other was the master of the household. If she offended anyone, it wouldn’t bode well for her either way.
In the end, Ruoyin faced Lord Fourth’s serious face and decided to take a step back. “Okay, listen to Lord Fourth. Go on, then.”
“Yes.” It was as though Qiao Feng had been relieved of a huge burden.
After Qiao Feng’s departure, Lord Fourth began to lecture Ruoyin. “You are already weak. You’re not allowed to bathe in cold water from now on. It can increase the dampness and cause coldness in the body.”
“I wouldn’t have known if you hadn’t told me, my Lord. Don’t worry, I’ll remember it.” Ruoyin gave a lovable reply, and she didn’t forget to suck up to him at the end. “But Lord Fourth really knows a lot. Amazing~”
Lord Fourth looked askance at her. Then he turned to look outside. “Go for a walk with me in the manor and stimulate our digestion.”
“Alright~” Ruoyin stood up, went up, and held Lord Fourth’s arm.
Lord Fourth’s arm stopped when she held his arm. But at the next moment, he slightly clenched his fist at his waist, keeping his arm in a bent position as she held on to him.
Shortly after, the two walked out of Yi Lan Villa, and they could hear the sound of cicadas, frogs, and crickets.
There was also a mix of floral and grassy scents.
Ruoyin looked up at the star-studded sky. There was a feeling in her heart that she couldn’t express, but she knew that it felt good.
This time, she was very well-behaved as she held on to Lord Fourth without looking around and being distracted.
Then, when they turned a corner on the trail, something unlucky happened.
Because Ruoyin saw a group of people opposite them.
Upon closer look, she realized it was Consort Li. Consort Li was followed by several subordinates. One of the subordinates was carrying a child, probably her daughter.
Just then, Ruoyin saw Consort Li, whose hands were initially empty, actually grab her daughter from her subordinate’s arms and walk toward them, and she seemed like she was hurrying here.
Shortly after, Consort Li came up before Ruoyin and Lord Fourth.
As soon as she approached, she held her daughter as she smiled and greeted, “Lord Fourth, Fujin.”
“Get up.” Lord Fourth waved his big palm, and Consort Li stood up with the help of her subordinate.
“She has been having difficulty sleeping in a bed that is not her own. Usually, she would sleep early, but she has been crying at night recently, so I took her for a walk in the manor,” Consort Li answered without anyone asking her.
With that said, her sharp eyes were fixed on Ruoyin’s hands as she held Lord Fourth, as if she would go up to separate them at the first opportunity available.
Ruoyin noticed the way Consort Li had looked.
In that moment, she didn’t deliberately go closer to Lord Fourth or try to show off how close they were.
She only held Lord Fourth’s hand as usual and didn’t let go of his arm just because of how Consort Li was looking at them grudgingly.
Anyways, she was the first wife. Holding her own man’s arm was not wrong of her.
Lord Fourth didn’t let go of Ruoyin’s hand and simply kept his arm bent in that posture.
He glanced at Consort Li’s daughter and said, “It’s a little cold at night. You should take her back to rest soon.”
Hearing this, Consort Li was a little startled, and she said softly, “Lord Fourth is right. I’ll go back with her right away.”
Though she said that, her eyes were secretly casting flirtatious glances at Lord Fourth.
Her eyes seemed to say, “Make me stay~”
However, Lord Fourth uttered only a mild grunt of acknowledgment. Then he ordered Consort Li’s subordinate, “Hurry and send your master and her daughter back.”
“Understood.”
Thus, Consort Li left carrying her daughter in disappointment.
Initially, she had wanted to make an appearance before Lord Fourth with her daughter to intercept the Fujin and steal Lord Fourth for the win, then bring him back to sleep with her.
Alas, if only she had a son. Perhaps then things would have turned out differently.
The Fujin must be infertile. Otherwise, how could she not have gotten pregnant over five years’ time?
Ruoyin watched Consort Li’s sorrowful departure and thought it was quite funny.
She had been observing Consort Li’s every action earlier.
After Consort Li had gone farther away, Ruoyin and Lord Fourth continued their walk.
Ruoyin was not only a glutton, she was also a sloth. It was really easy for her to fall asleep after a satisfying meal.
As she held Lord Fourth’s arm, she leaned some of her weight on him. “Lord Fourth, I’m sleepy~”
Lord Fourth stopped and looked down at the woman beside him. He saw her beautiful eyelids drooping as she yawned.
“You slept in the afternoon, and you’re sleepy already.” Though he said that, Lord Fourth turned around and headed back.
Then, Ruoyin felt Lord Fourth’s elbow knocking into her.
Her body shook, and her brows furrowed. She bit her lips as she tried to hold back her exclamation.
When she was holding Lord Fourth’s arm, she deliberately kept a certain safe distance so as to avoid giving suggestive signals.
But when Lord Fourth turned around, the inertia caused Ruoyin to bump against Lord Lord’s elbow unexpectedly.
Lord Fourth was also stumped because he didn’t expect that when he turned around, he would bump into her.
He lowered his head and saw Ruoyin’s brows furrowed, her cheeks giving off a peculiar reddish glow even under the night sky.
He asked gently, “Does it hurt?”
“…” Ruoyin didn’t say anything, but her face became even redder, and she looked up at Lord Fourth innocently, looking a little as though she was blaming him for it.
If she were to say it was painful, how was she going to carry on with the conversation?
There were a bunch of subordinates standing around them!
If she said it didn’t hurt, she would be lying.
Because her period was about to come, her body naturally felt a little painful.
Now that Lord Fourth had bumped into her, it was even more painful.
When he saw her face flush red but she was not saying anything and looking at him with pitiable eyes, Lord Fourth knew that she was embarrassed.
Shifting his gaze slightly and without saying anything more, he carried her up horizontally and said in a deep voice, “It wasn’t intentional. I’ll make it up to you later.”