Ch. 213 Too Few Servants
Chu Lian usually didn't eat much, so she quickly set down her bowl and chopsticks. However, He Changdi ate three whole bowls of porridge.
After Tang Yan left, Wenqing ushered out all the other people from the room and even kindly shut the door on her way out, giving the couple some room.
When Chu Lian saw that He Changdi had finally set down his chopsticks, she awkwardly tried to make conversation.
"How's your wounds?" As she said so, Chu Lian's gaze darted towards He Changdi's lower half.
He Sanlang's body froze and immediately realised what Chu Lian was asking. The back of his ears flushed red out of sight underneath his hair, even as his visible expression remained as cold and stiff as ever. When he parted his lips, it took him a moment before he was finally able to spit out, "What do you mean by that? I wasn't wounded at all. The poison from last time has already been flushed out as well. You don't have to worry about me."
After spending a few days together, Chu Lian had already figured out a little of He Changdi's personality. When she heard his reply, the corners of her mouth twitched. This lunatic He Sanlang really preferred suffering to losing face. She had already gotten confirmation from Mo Chenggui that He Sanlang would definitely get smacks of the rod as punishment; there was no need for him to hide it from her.
However, Chu Lian didn't expose He Sanlang's lies. She simply turned around and retrieved a thin white porcelain bottle, placing it in front of He Changdi. "This is some wound salve that I brought from the capital. Grandmother has used it before and says it's even better than the medicines from the palace."
He Changdi could feel the burning in his ears spread down to his neck. He couldn't meet Chu Lian's eyes as he said, somewhat stiff, "My body's just fine, what are giving me medicine for? Are you trying to curse me into getting injured?"
Chu Lian was amazed yet again by He Changdi's special brand of lunacy. She was clearly being nice and giving He Changdi some of the medicine that Great Doctor Miao had specially prepared for her. It was fine if he didn't want it, but he even accused her of cursing him!
Chu Lian's expression turned dark. "If you don't want it, then at least bring it back to camp and give it to one of your brothers there. There'll surely be need of this kind of ointment in an army camp."
After hearing Chu Lian say so, He Changdi had nothing to retort. He took the bottle of ointment and stuffed it into his shirt. Although his expression remained as cool and calm as ever, a small trace of sweetness suffused throughout his heart.
How could Chu Lian have expected He Sanlang to be such an awkward, outwardly cold yet inwardly passionate man? The guilt she had been carrying all this time finally dissipated after giving him the ointment.
She turned their conversation back to business. "He Sanlang, my trip here was a little hurried, so I didn't have the chance to explain everything to you beforehand. I personally made the trip to the northern border not just because our family is worried about you, but because there's another important task at hand: to search for the missing ingredient to cure Mother's illness."
He Changdi's heart had been thumping a little harder before, thanks to Chu Lian's actions. Now that he had heard the truth of the matter straight from Chu Lian's mouth, his heart abruptly froze. As good as he was at concealing his emotions, this was a matter concerning his beloved parents. He couldn't restrain the astonishment and shock he felt. Chu Lian just happened to catch sight of his exposed emotions and inwardly relaxed. So the He Changdi who had always appeared cool and uncaring wasn't actually a heartless person. He also had people he cared about. With those emotions in his eyes, he finally seemed like a living person.
He Sanlang met Chu Lian's gaze straight on- he looked like he was trying to stare into her soul. He didn't dare miss a single trace of emotion in her own pair of eyes, as if he could discern whether Chu Lian was telling the truth just by what he saw.
Although He Changdi had only allowed his emotions to surface for a very short period of time, that was enough to show how uneasy he was. However, he calmed down quickly.
"So what you're saying is that... you've found a doctor who can cure Mother's illness?"
As far as he knew, there was only one doctor who could cure his mother's illness: Great Doctor Miao. Had Prince Jin already found Great Doctor Miao?
He had only told Prince Jin about this matter, no one else. Furthermore, due to the ongoing war in the north, he hadn't received any letters from Prince Jin for some time... The depths of He Sanlang's eyes seemed steeped in darkness as he glanced at Chu Lian in doubt.
Chu Lian felt rather strange being stared at him like that, but she still answered as if nothing was wrong. "Yes, that doctor's surname is Miao. What he needs is the Snow Mountain Mists flower from Mount Ah-Ming. There's only two months left before the Snow Mountain Mists flower blooms."
He Changdi didn't ask further. He sunk into thought instead.
On their wedding night, he had made sure to test Chu Lian to see if she had reincarnated along with him. Though his tests had proven that she hadn't, now he was a little unsure.
Prince Jin had written to him about all the things that Chu Lian had done in the capital.
Turning the tables at the Dingyuan Estate, saving Royal Princess Duanjia, winning the competition in the palace, and even having Old Duke Zheng owe her one. Right now, it seemed very possible that she had been the one to find Great Doctor Miao, not Prince Jin...
All these things added together were just too much of a coincidence. He refused to believe that someone could have such luck.
He Changdi's eyes swept over Chu Lian's face in a seemingly casual glance, but behind the front, he was trying to probe the truth out of her.
Her eyes were wide and moist. When her eyes met his, there was a trace of confusion. He Changdi choked as the thoughts in his mind raced about.
He remembered vividly how the past Chu Lian had looked at him- mocking, full of disdain, contempt... These were clearly the same pair of eyes, but he couldn't see any shadow of the past Chu Lian in them.
He Sanlang was completely confused and disconcerted. He shut his eyes and recovered his calm. No matter what, in this life, Chu Lian had risked her life to come to the northern border. Her mission to find the missing ingredient for his mother's cure was real. This matter... if she really succeeded, he was going to owe Chu Lian a huge favour.
"Right now, the war at the border is more pressing. However, you don't have to worry about it. I'll wait for a suitable time. Even if I don't go there myself, I'll arrange for someone to find that missing ingredient for Mother at Mount Ah-Ming."
Chu Lian nodded in agreement before starting a discussion about when she should visit his camp to hand over the supplies she had brought.
Once the two of them had decided on a time, they both sunk into silence.
Chu Lian felt a little awkward sitting at the table like that, but He Changdi's butt seemed to have taken root on the chair. He didn't mention leaving at all. He even leaned against his chair with his eyes gently shut. However, they opened up to glance at her from time to time.
Chu Lian was so uncomfortable getting looked at like that, that she scrambled for a topic to make small talk with. "Is it okay for you to leave camp like that?"
The meaning behind her words was that, they had already finished discussing business, why wasn't he leaving yet?
"Don't worry, I left under orders for another task. It's still early right now, so I'll leave after lunch."
Chu Lian hadn't thought He Sanlang would be staying that long. And he was intending to eat here as well? She was slightly taken aback and blurted , "You're staying for lunch?"
He Changdi had originally been leaning back in his chair, eyes shut as he rested. Upon hearing Chu Lian's question, his eyes immediately snapped open and locked onto her. "What? Can't I stay?"
Chu Lian didn't dare to say no, of course. He was her husband after all, and if not in feeling then at least in name. She had no right to object even if he wanted to stay the night with her, let alone have a simple midday meal.
With that conclusion in mind, Chu Lian had no more qualms left to mention. She shook her head and said, "Since you're staying, what would you like to eat for lunch? I'll get Wenqing to prepare whatever you want to eat."
Actually, ever since they had escaped from the mountain forest together, the relations between them had improved significantly. Chu Lian wasn't a calculative person by nature, either. With her straightforward and honest manner, this young pair was starting to look like a sweet couple in love.
He Changdi hadn't expected Chu Lian to ask him what he wanted to eat. A trace of warmth suffused through his heart. However, he was too accustomed to being stubborn at this point and refused to soften his words. In the same cold attitude as he usually had, he said, "Vegetables."
Almost immediately after saying that, He Sanlang regretted it. Actually, he was fine with eating anything. There was a severe lack of resources in the north. The best meal he could get in his camp was just some wheat pancakes dipped in an ordinary sauce- where would vegetables come from? There wasn't even any out in the wild to scavenge, never mind a market to buy them from. This bitterly cold winter ensured no one saw even a lick of green. Vegetables had been off the table ever since the middle of autumn.
Even in the capital, the only one who got to eat green vegetables in the middle of winter was the imperial family. Those were specially grown in the fields near the imperial-owned hot springs. Even so, the fields were so small that the harvest produced from them was overwhelmingly precious. Only the Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager could have any. There were no shares left, not even for the princes and princesses.
Some time ago, one of the noble madams of the capital, Madam Guo, had been feeling unwell, so the imperial palace had sent a few kilograms of green vegetables as a show of favour. Even though those bunches of spinach had already been beginning to wilt, Madam Guo had flaunted the fact within her social circles for quite some time.
He Sanlang was about to change his request when Chu Lian nodded and replied with a resounding, "Okay."
This time, it was He Changdi's turn to lose his calm. "Did you hear what I said correctly?"
Chu Lian found it strange. Her ears were working just fine and were actually pretty sensitive. Of course she heard him right. She and He Sanlang always spoke in Mandarin to each other, and they weren't using any dialects, either. How could she have misunderstood him? Furthermore, she didn't think that wanting to eat vegetables in the winter was an outrageous request. In the modern world, eating fresh, green vegetables at this time of year was pretty normal, wasn't it?
"You said vegetables just now, right? Did I hear wrongly?"
He Changdi was stunned. After a moment, he gulped and said, "You... have some?"
Chu Lian nodded and made a 'mm' sound in agreement. She had known about the lack of resources in the north before coming here, so she had gotten Senior Servants Gui and Zhong to lead a group of maidservants to dry plenty of vegetables. She had brought all sorts of them with her. Dried vegetables were not only easy to keep, they didn't take up much space, either. They were also extremely convenient to prepare. All she had to do was to place them in warm water and wait for them to soften. Although they couldn't compare to fresh vegetables in taste, the amount of nutrients in them was about the same.
Since they were already in the north, she couldn't be too picky about not having fresh ingredients.
When He Sanlang heard Chu Lian's affirmative 'mm', saliva began to pool in his mouth without his control. It couldn't be helped. He hadn't eaten any vegetables in months. Due to the lack of vitamins in his diet, he had even grown a few ulcers in his mouth.
Since the two of them had common topics to talk about, the atmosphere wasn't as awkward.
Chu Lian noted his wretched appearance and made a suggestion. "Since you're only leaving after lunch, why don't I get Wenlan to boil some water so you can take a bath?"
Since the day she had inadvertently overheard Mo Chenggui's words, she had specially gone to look for Huang Zhijian to learn more about what it was like in the army.
She was told that it was common for the soldiers to go without bathing for up to a month in the winter, even the officers. When she looked at He Changdi's appearance, she had brought up this suggestion with purely kind intentions.
However, in He Sanlang's ears, it sounded like something else. The words of praise that Chu Lian had given Tang Yan resounded in his mind.
What, did this wicked woman think he was dirty? He Sanlang gritted his molars and harrumphed in his heart. As dirty as he might be, he was still her husband! She had no other choice!
If Chu Lian were to find out about his twisted line of thought, she would surely start to curse at him.
She was just offering him a bath out of the kindness of her heart. Wasn't he too good at leaping to conclusions?
When He Sanlang thought back to those young, fit guards by Tang Yan's side, the right hand he had placed on the table unconsciously curled into a fist. That Tang Yan! He had abandoned his duties to bring a group of flowery-looking guards over to show off in front of Chu Lian! Hmph, let's see who gets the last laugh when I report this to Prince Jin!
Chu Lian called for Wenlan and instructed her to start boiling some water. He Sanlang didn't say a word, but he abruptly remembered that Chu Lian had only brought two female maidservants to attend to her on this trip. The rest of the people in this courtyard were all men. Thinking back to how that wicked woman liked to admire handsome men, as well as how Tang Yan and his guards had been decked out in their finest, He Changdi immediately felt as if he had swallowed some flies.
Wenlan was about to turn and leave after receiving Chu Lian's instructions, when He Changdi added on another order in a dark tone. "Bring some middle-aged female servants back tomorrow. It looks like there aren't enough servants here."
Ch. 214 Shaving His Beard
Chu Lian felt that He Changdi's mind was just too complicated for her to understand. She had just been asking if he wanted to take a bath, how had the topic switched to buying servants?
She rolled her eyes speechlessly. However, Manager Qin had discussed this matter with her two days ago, too. When she recalled their conversation, Chu Lian nodded. She was going to stay in Liangzhou for an indefinite amount of time. Just having Wenqing and Wenlan by her side wasn't enough.
Thus, Chu Lian didn't think much of it and agreed.
"Have Manager Qin go out with some men to search for some suitable people tomorrow," Chu Lian added.
Perhaps Chu Lian's quick agreement had helped lessen the frustrations in He Changdi's heart. He sat in the room for a while before leaving to take a bath in the wing that Chu Lian had arranged for him.
He Changdi didn't need any attendants for bathing. In his past life, after the He Family had fallen into ruin, he had suffered through all sorts of hardships. Even in this life, while living in the northern border camp, he had gotten used to doing everything himself.
He removed his dirty clothing, revealing his slender yet muscular upper body. His eight-pack abs were well-defined; a striking V-line at his hips pointed downwards to a bulge in the center. Further down were his long and powerful legs...
His long legs carried him into the bathtub in just one stride. The temperature of the water was just right. As his tired body soaked in the warmth of the water, He Sanlang let out a comfortable sigh.
He leaned against the side of the tub, his sturdy arms hanging over the edge. Steam rose in front of his face, softening the normally sharp impact of his gaze.
He Sanlang's thin lips pressed together as his mind brought up the image of Tang Yan and his guards again. For some reason, he was getting upset.
At the time, the smile on that wicked woman's face had been just too dazzling!
The hands that He Changdi had slung over the edge of the bathtub were starting to tense up again.
He suddenly shouted, "Servants! Bring me a razor!"
This was the wing that Chu Lian lived in, and Chu Lian was in the room right next door. Even she heard He Changdi's shout.
She looked up from her book, a little puzzled, before turning to glance at Wenlan, who had just stood up.
Wenlan covered up her smile. "Third Young Madam, this servant will bring the razor to Third Young Master!"
Hearing so, Chu Lian waved her hand.
Wenqing had been in the middle of taking inventory of their things, together with a few other servants. When she noticed a grinning Wenlan walking over to her, she found it strange and asked, "What are you smiling like that for? Did something good happen?"
Wenlan waved the razor in her hands, eyes alight as she said, "Third Young Master wanted this!"
Wenqing was stunned for a moment, but she immediately realised what the razor was for. She couldn't resist remarking, "I saw that Sir Tang and Prince Jin's guards all shaved this morning."
The sisters shared a secret smile before Wenqing pushed Wenlan. "Alright, alright, don't keep Third Young Master waiting. Hurry up and send it to him!"
Wenlan quickly left.
As Chu Lian was staring at the county's annual records and pondering over a particularly tricky part, a razor suddenly appeared in front of her.
Without thinking too much about it, she said, "Wenlan, just send it directly to my husband."
However, how could Wenlan possibly dare to do so? She stayed steadfast at Chu Lian's side and said, "Third Young Madam, it might be better if you send it instead. Third Young Master has never liked having maidservants serve him ever since childhood."
Chu Lian had no choice but to set down the county records in her hands. She thought back to her time in the Jing'an Estate. Actually, she really hadn't seen a personal maidservant at Songtao Court before, excluding her own. He Sanlang's personal grooming and other trivial chores had always been handled by manservants instead.
Thus, she could only take the razor and head to He Sanlang's room herself.
The side room wasn't very big. At this moment, steam was billowing up from behind the screen. Chu Lian hesitated as she walked up to it. She could feel a mysterious trace of tension in her heart. She gave her cheeks a light pat before walking in.
When she ducked behind the screen, the first thing that Chu Lian saw in the swirling clouds of steam was He Sanlang standing in the bathtub with his back to her, rinsing his body with the warm water in the tub.
His long, black hair was let loose across his back and half of it was drifting in the water like strands of seaweed. His back was muscled, yet his skin was white. The alluring line of his body that led up from the lowest part of his back to his waist was half-hidden amidst the length of his hair.
She almost stopped breathing from the sight; disregarding everything else about him, He Changdi's figure was perfect.
He wasn't so skinny that he looked weak, yet he wasn't overly buff. You could sense a certain aura of solid strength emanating from his body.
His nickname of He Sanlang the Fair wasn't undeserved.
Chu Lian was so stunned by the scene before her that she forgot to speak. In the next second, He Changdi's bone-piercingly cold voice resounded throughout the small room. "Put down the item and leave!"
He Changdi hadn't even turned around. He was still standing there in the bathtub. Even though there hadn't been any malice in his voice, Chu Lian still felt like someone had just dumped a basin of ice water over her head. She quickly regained her wits.
Frustrated at herself for her loss of composure just now, Chu Lian quickly set down the razor on a table next to the screen and turned around. She hobbled as quickly as she could with one injured foot and left the room.
Perhaps due to the provocation from He Changdi's icy words, she didn't feel any of the pain coming from her injured ankle as she strode away.
It wasn't until He Sanlang had heard those unique hobbling footsteps that he finally realised who had just come in.
He froze up, then slapped the bath water in frustration, scattering water all over the floor.
He Sanlang let his body slide back into the bathtub and leaned against the side as he covered his face with a hand.
He had just been in the middle of deep thought. When he had heard those light footsteps, he had assumed that it must have been some rude servant who had come in without saying anything. His temper had flared up on the spot. Who could have thought that it was Chu Lian, that lame wicked woman!
When had that wicked woman become so reserved? Would she die if she didn't say something when entering the room?
Wenlan heard the sound of footsteps and quickly went to the door to support Chu Lian, but when she arrived, she was met with a pair of puffed up cheeks and an angry expression. Wenlan got a sinking feeling at the sight. Still, she asked, "Third Young Madam, what happened?"
Chu Lian dropped back onto her seat by the hearth and harrumphed. "I've been feeling rather hungry these few days. There aren't enough snacks to eat, even for just myself. Don't give any of them to your Third Young Master later!"
The sheer amount of spite in Chu Lian's order was enough evidence for Wenlan to have a good guess of what had happened. It must've had something to do with Third Young Master. Wenlan felt a little grudgeful towards He Changdi in her heart.
Third Young Madam was a girl. She had been captured by the Tuhuns and suffered much while lost in the forest. The wound on her leg hadn't even healed properly yet. In this situation, Third Young Master as her husband should be trying to pamper her a little, or at least accommodate for her injury and mental state and be a little nicer! Instead, he had gone and made her angry!
Even though Wenlan was taking Chu Lian's side on this matter, she and Wenqing had served He Sanlang ever since they were children. She still wasn't willing to let her master suffer back at camp.
Thus, she attempted to persuade Chu Lian into rescinding her command. "Third Young Madam, how could you possibly finish all of those snacks by yourself..."
Before Wenlan could finish, she noticed that Chu Lian had redirected her gaze towards her and was now sizing her up.
Wenlan suffered a fright and quickly looked down, not daring to continue.
"Wenlan, if you continue your sentence, you can eat in the main kitchen from now on."
The corner of Wenlan's mouth twitched. She was already used to Chu Lian's higher standards for food, how could she possibly withstand eating normal fare instead? She meekly replied in agreement.
Third Young Master, this servant has tried her best. The rest is up to you!
As compared to fulfilling He Changdi's wants, it was more important to satisfy her own appetite first. Having a good meal to eat was of the highest priority. Wenlan sent a silent apology to He Changdi.
After Chu Lian took a seat, she realised that the wounds on her ankle had started bleeding again due to the force she had exerted while walking away just now. When Wenlan discovered this, she suffered another fright and quickly ran off to find some ointments to wrap up her madam's ankle again.
He Sanlang didn't continue bathing for much longer. He changed into the new underclothes and cloak that Chu Lian had instructed the servants to prepare. As for his armour, he would put that on right before leaving for camp.
He Changdi haphazardly dried his hair with a cloth before using a wooden hairpin to tie it up. Then, he carefully removed all the facial hair on his face, returning to his neat and clean appearance from before.
He Sanlang was just twenty years old this year. After staying in the northern border for a few months, he had managed to grow even taller. His features had also become more mature and outstanding. The narrow shape of his eyes, shaded by his long eyelashes, accentuated the deep pools within.
He Sanlang rubbed his clean chin. He felt a little uncomfortable suddenly, as if he had taken off a mask that he had been wearing for a long time. However, he quickly calmed back down and took a moment at the door to straighten out his slightly rumpled clothes. Only then did he push open the door and re-enter.
At the moment He Changdi entered the room, Chu Lian was still drinking her medicine. The medicinal soup was very bitter. When it touched her tongue, her face wrinkled up in distaste. He Changdi watched from the entrance as she drank the whole bowl of medicine down with difficulty.
Although Chu Lian hated drinking these Chinese medicines, she knew they were necessary and never rejected them. However, that didn't mean she had to like them. She would always eat a few candied dates to wash away their bitter aftertaste.
A glint flashed across He Changdi's eyes. He watched as Chu Lian finished her medicine and then proceeded to begin eating a few preserved fruits from a small dish- all without noticing him. When He Changdi felt that he would continue to go unseen, he coughed twice on purpose.
Thanks to those coughs, He Sanlang successfully drew Chu Lian's attention. He Changdi saw those wide, almond-shaped eyes of hers turn his way, and then, she spoke.
"Has Husband caught a cold? Wenlan, tell the kitchen to prepare a bowl of ginger soup. The more ginger the better."
He Changdi saw that her moist eyes seemed cool without any hint of admiration, unlike the way she had looked at Tang Yan. A trace of disappointment flashed through his eyes. When he heard her order the servants to boil a bowl of ginger soup for him next, He Changdi choked.
His originally cold face contorted as the hands resting by his side twitched. He walked over to Chu Lian's side and sat down heavily.
Frustration bloomed in He Changdi's heart. How could she not know that he didn't like to eat ginger!
She actually told the servants to cook ginger soup for him! That wicked woman must have done it on purpose.
Although He Sanlang was angry inside, he found that he just couldn't muster up any fire when he sat next to Chu Lian like this.
"There's no need for that, I'm perfectly fine!"
Chu Lian didn't even bother looking at him and even turned away, showing her back to him as she leaned on the hearth.
He Changdi's handsome face turned gloomy. The hand he had placed on the table curled up into a fist. He had just bathed and his mouth was dry; in his frustration, he didn't think carefully and picked up a teacup filled with water from the small table at the side. He immediately gulped it down, and in the next moment, his mouth was flooded with a sweet, fragrant flavour.
It was only then that He Sanlang realised this was most likely Chu Lian's teacup. That darned wicked woman. She normally loved drinking honey water.
He Changdi didn't like sweet things. He didn't eat anything that had the slightest bit of sweetness in them. However, at this moment, he actually thought that this sweet honey water was rather delicious. His eyes fell upon Chu Lian's soft, luscious lips without his conscious bidding...
Chu Lian liked to drink something while reading. Wenqing and Wenlan knew her habits well, so they never served her sencha. They only ever prepared honey water for her.
The hearth was burning in the room so it was a little dry and hot. As Chu Lian stared at the county records, her other hand unconsciously moved for the teacup placed on the side table. However, her hand didn't meet the smooth surface of the cup. Instead, she touched something warm- she jumped in fright and turned to look.
He Sanlang had just set down the teacup, feeling a little unsatisfied. He hadn't moved his hand from the teacup yet when Chu Lian's fair and tender hand had covered his. His pupils constricted, but he didn't draw his hand back and he let her touch it as much as she liked.
When Chu Lian realised that her hand was on He Sanlang's, she gaped in shock and it took her a moment to pull her hand back.
Chu Lian panicked. She rushed to explain, "I-I didn't do that on purpose, I just wanted to drink some water."
He Changdi's head was slightly lowered. From the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of her flushed neck, and his mood mysteriously got a little better.
"I just finished it. Have the maidservants come in to pour another."
Chu Lian opened her mouth, but she ultimately decided against uttering the protest, "It's my cup!" This time, she specially instructed Wenlan to bring two cups of water in.
In the time that the couple waited patiently for Wenlan to send in the cups of water, they didn't speak at all. He Changdi sat on the other side of the hearth bed. He leaned against the headboard and shut his eyes. Chu Lian couldn't tell if he was sleeping or thinking.
She felt awkward, but she could only bear with it and continue reading while curled up at the other side of the hearth.
Chu Lian looked down and forced herself to continue reading the county records. She didn't dare to even look at He Changdi before Welan came back. Thus, she didn't realise that He Sanlang had been carefully observing her with narrowed eyes.
Ever since the two of them had gotten married, they had rarely gotten the chance to be alone together. Wenqing and Wenlan were very happy about this. When Wenlan came in to deliver their drinks, she didn't even dare to stay for more than a second. She set down the teapot and quickly retreated.
Senior Servant Zhong had instructed Wenqing and Wenlan about He Changdi's likes and dislikes, so they knew that he didn't like sweet things. The honey water that they had made for him was very light. Meanwhile, Chu Lian preferred stronger tastes and liked both spicy and sweet things. The colour of the honey water in the cups was different. Chu Lian's was slightly darker while He Changdi's was light.
He Changdi didn't move. He watched as Chu Lian picked up her teacup and sipped a little from its edge. Her soft, pink lips were now glossy from the water and glistened in the light.
He abruptly sat up and looked at the two cups of honey water. He feigned a solemn mask and asked, "Why does the water in these two cups look different? Could they taste different as well? The honey water in your cup looks tastier."
After saying so, before Chu Lian could reply, he took the cup that Chu Lian had just drank from and took a sip from it. When he finished drinking, he picked up his own cup and tasted it before shaking his head.
In the end, he moved Chu Lian's cup to his side. "I'll have this one."
Chu Lian was stunned from his sudden string of actions. Her almond-shaped eyes were wide open as she stared at her lunatic husband with a weirded out expression.
He Changdi felt a little uncomfortable being stared at like that by Chu Lian. He knew very well that his actions had been a little strange just now. In order to cover up his actions, he ended up drinking both cups of honey water...
The result of doing so? He Changdi was already full from honey water before it was even time for dinner.
He Changdi only left when it turned to dusk, bringing his two subordinates along with him. Before he left, he called Mo Chenggui, Huang Zhijian, and Manager Qin for a meeting. When Manager Qin came back, he had a suffering expression on his face. Chu Lian tried to ask about what had happened, but he only said that Third Young Master had given him some orders and he couldn't reveal what they were to Third Young Madam.