Her beautiful eyes held a blend of coquetry and reproach, the glistening almond-shaped orbs as lively and enchanting as that snowy night, making one's heart soften.
"Smell me, I've grown foul."
Instead of clinging to Xiao Chu's arm while acting spoiled, Mi Yao pinched the hem of his garment, gently swaying it.
The slight force was like an ant trying to shake a tree, incapable of stirring any resistance in Xiao Chu. It merely resembled a lake surface lightly brushed by a bird's wing, leaving an itch where her touch hadn't reached.
"Where is the foulness?"
The moment she appeared, an intense musk-like floral fragrance assailed him. Xiao Chu's nose twitched slightly; beyond the cloyingly sweet floral scent, he detected a pure milky aroma on her, reminiscent of a newborn Li Nu, soft and deceptively enticing.
He wondered how women from prestigious families like hers concocted their perfumes, capable of manifesting such diverse scents on a person.
"Xiao Lang, don't coax me with sweet words. How could I not smell after being ill for days?"
As soon as Xiao Chu entered, Wu Nao had eagerly launched into one complaint after another. He understood perfectly why Mi Yao was putting on this act. Withdrawing the hand she had grasped, he placed it on her waist.
Even through the leather coat, the beauty's waist in his embrace felt so slender it seemed unreal.
Xiao Chu had reached out intending to provoke her into revealing her true contempt for his background. Unexpectedly, with his embrace, she melted bonelessly against his chest, compelling him to tighten his hold, drawing her deeper into his arms.
When Mi Yao offered no resistance, Xiao Chu had no desire to stand foolishly in the courtyard as a spectacle. He strode inside, bringing her with him.
Once indoors, his lips quirked as he took in the surroundings.
This private residence was where he occasionally stayed overnight after arriving in Jingzhou. He remembered the interior as spartan—aside from the bed, a square table, and other essentials, there was little worth a second glance.
Yet in just four days, and while ill, Mi Yao had transformed the place.
He had no idea how her younger sister had packed, managing to bring so many embroidered curtains to conceal the eyesores, even adding a dressing table adorned with a purple jade and pearl-inlaid bronze mirror beside the bed.
The room she had slept in was now filled with feminine refinement, with subtle fragrances drifting everywhere, finally giving him the tangible sense that he had acquired a beauty.
"Are you bored, or dissatisfied with the food?"
Since she was his beauty, Xiao Chu mustered a bit more patience. Recalling Wu Nao's complaints, he posed the question.
While Xiao Chu surveyed the room, Mi Yao was studying him.
That night, he had sat upright on his dark steed amidst the cold, drifting snowflakes, like a god of wrath descending.
Now, stripped of that context and having shed his black sable coat, Xiao Chu wore a deep blue brocade robe with silver patterned clusters of flowers. Yet, he appeared no more kind or gentle.
Beneath his sharp, light-colored elongated eyes was a tall, straight nose resembling a suspended gallbladder, below which lay thin lips shaped like a sword scar. The cold, hard lines of his outline gave his handsomeness an aggressive edge.
Coupled with his eight-foot stature and imposing broad shoulders, he exuded an intimidating dominance that made others hesitate to approach.
However, no matter how unapproachable he looked, he was the man who had openly declared before everyone his intention to marry a beauty.
Thus, there was no need to analyze the reasons behind his pursuit of the original host in the book; at the very least, a woman's beauty fell within his criteria.
"I am but a delicate flower meant to be admired from a high pavilion. What does boredom matter? Back home, I might not step out for ten days or even half a month."
"So it's the food that dissatisfies you."
"Young master must have met Wu Nao earlier. What rare treasures does young master believe can be cultivated from the nourishment she prepares?"
Xiao Chu recalled Wu Nao. Having mostly encountered slovenly elderly women in daily life, he hadn't found anything particularly amiss initially. But comparing such individuals with the vision of Mi Yao standing before him, he suddenly understood her distaste.
Delicate flowers require delicate cultivation.
Even if it's actually manure that makes rare blossoms bloom, one must spread a layer of exotic wood shavings on the surface, claiming it's celestial dew and divine water providing nourishment.
"Stay here one more day. Tomorrow I'll send someone to escort you back to Yi Zhou. Once you reach my residence, you may freely choose any chef you prefer."
"Might I ask if young master is sending only me away, or will my attendants be departing with me?"
After posing her question, Mi Yao extended her slender fingers. "Look, young master, these hands have already developed fine lines without scented ointment to nourish them. And my eyes – without specially blended medicinal steam, they've lost their sparkle. Then there's my face, my hair…"
Covering her lips with her fingers, she let out two delicate sobs. "After this bout of illness, I feel as though I've aged five years. Without maids to attend me, I fear in a few days I'll wither away to resemble Wu Nao."
As Wu Nao's face surfaced in his mind, Xiao Chu's brow twitched.
Though he could see no difference in her compared to days prior, he understood her delicate nature perfectly.
Had she demanded news of her lover the moment she saw him, causing endless drama, he could have simply ignored her. But here she was, melting softly against his chest, her liquid gaze fixed steadily upon him. Even if this was an act, as long as she performed it well, he found himself unable to disregard her requests.
Truth be told, he really ought to severely punish the scouts who investigated the Yu family. The reports clearly stated that Lady Yu was haughty by nature, putting on airs about her lineage and surname. Like her worthless lover, she spent her days writing sentimental poetry and mocking the newly risen common-born families.
Forcing her to marry someone of his rough background would be more torturous than killing her.
Yet did she appear tortured now?
He'd heard phrases like "soft as boneless" and "warm fragrance and soft jade" before, thinking he understood their meaning. But only when carrying her onto his horse that snowy night, and now with her lying in his arms like water, did he truly comprehend their essence.
The moment she entered his embrace, Lady Yu's body seemed drained of all bones, as if she'd forgotten how to stand.
"The Yu family servants will remain at the post station for a few more days. I'll send a maid and chef over shortly. In a few days, I'll arrange for them to depart with you."
"Young master's reassurance puts my heart at ease."
Looking down at Mi Yao's satisfied, artful smile, Xiao Chu found it impossible to connect her with Wu Nao's descriptions of arrogance and rudeness.
"Aren't you going to ask what I need them for?"
"Young master naturally has young master's arrangements. Why should I inquire about matters that don't concern me?"
Mi Yao rested her hands on Xiao Chu's neck, meeting his gaze directly. "What young master seeks is a beautiful woman fair as flowers, while what I seek is stable, nourishing soil where I can take root and bloom – someone to care for and serve me, so I need not suffer any hardships. Young master and I are simply made for each other."
Her soft voice gradually tapered off. Mi Yao had originally intended only to be frank with Xiao Chu, to make him understand she could perfectly fulfill the role of a decorative wife.
But as her gaze fell upon his shifting Adam's apple and tense jawline, she felt pressure to do something more to prove her delicacy and charm.
However, before her lips could touch his neck, Xiao Chu released her and stood up first.
"If there's nothing else, I'll go rest next door. If you need anything while I'm away, you can instruct the servants."
Without waiting for Mi Yao's reply, he strode out and pushed the door open.
"Why did the Town Envoy come out so quickly?"
Wu Nao was cleaning the resting quarters with her daughter-in-law while Zhao De waited outside. Before the room was even properly tidied, he saw Xiao Chu hurriedly emerge from Lady Yu's chamber.
Though he knew his superior was inexperienced with women, this speed was truly remarkable.
Meeting Zhao De's peculiar gaze, Xiao Chu didn't need to ask to know what wild thoughts were running through his mind.
"Get lost."
Hearing the chill in Xiao Chu's tone, Zhao De shrank his neck. But when the room was finally prepared, he couldn't resist squeezing into Xiao Chu's quarters.
Zhao De was a house slave granted the Zhao surname by Xiao Chu's adoptive father Zhao Tianhe. After Xiao Chu saved him during their early military days and later gained Zhao Tianhe's favor, Zhao De had remained by his side. Compared to other subordinates, their bond ran deeper, allowing Zhao De to ask more personal questions.
"Could it be that Lady Yu refused? Was her earlier performance outside just an act for her lover?"
Earlier, Mi Yao's coquettish complaints to Xiao Chu in the courtyard hadn't been concealed from anyone.
Any man who could resist such charm would either be a eunuch or an incarnated Buddha born without lust.
"She didn't mention the scholar."
"Exactly! A poor scholar who can only make her ride an oxcart freezing through the night versus a majestic, heroic general with boundless prospects – any woman with eyes should know who to choose."
After speaking, Zhao De realized that if Lady Yu wasn't putting on an act, then the problem must lie with Xiao Chu.
His gaze unconsciously drifted downward. They were both men in their twenties, yet Xiao Chu never joined their visits to pleasure quarters. He'd long suspected something might be wrong with his superior.
He'd even stolen glances when Xiao Chu bathed in the river.
The sight of that massive organ had nearly stunned him senseless.
If someone like that couldn't perform, then no man in the world could.
"Could it be that the Town Envoy doesn't like women?"
Xiao Chu's gaze sharpened like icy blades, making Zhao De feel as if he were being sliced to pieces. "Then why would you… with such beauty in your arms…"
"I haven't married her yet."
"What?"
Zhao De never imagined this would be Xiao Chu's reason. He truly didn't understand – those arrogant nobles from prestigious families slept with any woman they pleased, yet his master, who could only be considered an ambitious leader, bothered with such formalities.
"I'm not some starving wolf who collapses at the sight of a woman. If we marry, I'll sleep with her. Since we're not married yet, why should I rush?"
Xiao Chu's expression remained indifferent, seeing nothing wrong with his behavior. Rather, it was his subordinate who seemed obsessed with women and needed additional training to avoid someday ruining important matters over feminine wiles.
After arranging for the maid and cook he'd promised Mi Yao, Xiao Chu spoke before retiring: "Send people to infiltrate the Yu family and reinvestigate Lady Yu. See if the Yu family has been planting lookalikes of their true daughter to maintain appearances everywhere."
"Does the Town Envoy suspect this isn't the real Yu family daughter?"
Zhao De considered their previous investigations. Judging by her attitude toward her lover, this one indeed seemed different.
"Both similar and dissimilar."
Her temperament didn't match, but that face truly deserved the title of Number One Beauty of Jiangnan.
However, when he sought to marry her initially, he did not choose other beauties but picked Yu Mi Yao, not only because of the sensational reputation surrounding her but also because her deeply affectionate elder brother served as an official in the court, holding the position of Director of the Bureau of Revenue.
Shu lacked talent in internal governance, and the first name on the military advisor's list was Yu Shaoyang.
Lady Yu believed he married her merely to possess a beautiful vase, but he was greedier than she imagined. Beyond keeping an aesthetically pleasing object for admiration, he intended to extract from her the nourishment that could enrich Shu.
If she could only provide the former, she would be nothing more than a vase left to gather dust, and he had no patience to care whether her fingers developed calluses or her eyes lost their sparkle.
Even if her charm was captivating, in his eyes, she was still less useful than the slovenly Wu Nao.