Yu Xi held Lu Zhi’s hand the whole way, and only once they were in the carriage did Lu Zhi let go.
Seeing her looking thoroughly satisfied with herself, Lu Zhi frowned. “Didn’t I tell you before, you’re not to be so intimate with me in public?”
Because he’d been unusually easy to talk to today, Yu Xi wasn’t afraid of him at all right now, and instead threw herself into his arms, nuzzling against him. “No, no, you’re my husband, I want to hold your hand, and I want to hug you!”
She’d barely gotten in a couple of nuzzles before a large hand pushed her away.
Lu Zhi’s expression turned serious, his curled hand pressed against her shoulder. “Why can you never remember what I tell you? And also…”
His gaze swept over the front of Yu Xi’s dress, where there was an obvious soft curve. “Why haven’t you bound your chest?”
“Because, because it’s hot,” Yu Xi looked at his hand, then at his face, and said quietly, “Fine, I won’t do it again.”
“Won’t do what? And what did I want you to remember?”
“Won’t go without binding my chest again… and remember not to be too intimate with you in public, not hold your hand, not hug you.”
Only then did Lu Zhi withdraw his hand. Seeing her sitting crookedly, he said sternly, “Sit properly.”
Yu Xi sat up straight, reluctantly.
She looked at Lu Zhi’s large hand with its well-defined knuckles, and thinking of what Zhang Chanhui had said, felt a sour pang in her heart. “I know, you just don’t like me, that’s why you say all this. You never wanted to marry me at all.”
Hearing her say this, Lu Zhi was somewhat taken aback, he truly hadn’t wanted to marry Yu Xi, but they were already married now, and for her to bring this up again left no dignity for either of them.
Seeing Lu Zhi say nothing, Yu Xi felt even more wronged, her lips trembling as she started to sob. “Wuwu, all you ever do is scold me, I’m already being obedient enough, I’m not a puppy, I hate you!”
As she cried, she watched Lu Zhi, and deliberately turned her body away, clearly waiting for him to come coax her.
Lu Zhi understood then, perhaps deep down, Yu Xi didn’t believe for a moment that he’d married her against his will, otherwise she wouldn’t have said that last thing.
In her mind, perhaps everyone was supposed to coax her, supposed to like her.
Lu Zhi closed his eyes, not wanting to engage, he’d only asked for the simplest, most basic things. He hadn’t asked Yu Xi to pay her respects to the elders morning and night, nor to manage the household or handle the courtyard’s daily affairs. What more did she want?
Lu Zhi kept his eyes closed, feigning rest, slowly pressing down the irritation in his mind. When he opened his eyes again, he found Yu Xi watching him with bright, glistening eyes.
She was still sniffling, but clearly had full control over it, and now smiled again, saying sweetly, “Okay, husband, I know I was wrong, I won’t do it again.”
Lu Zhi looked at her and gave a cold laugh. “Weren’t you just saying you hated me?”
“Not hate,” Yu Xi tilted her head and smiled, she’d just noticed that Lu Zhi looked quite handsome even with his brow furrowed. “I like you best!”
Her likes and dislikes came and went as freely as her temper. Lu Zhi shook his head. “As long as you’re happy.”
Whatever Yu Xi did, as long as it didn’t overly interfere with him, he didn’t particularly mind.
Yu Xi wiped her tears and started talking to Lu Zhi again. “Husband, do you think I look nice today?”
Lu Zhi glanced at her, Yu Xi’s skin was fair, so anything looked good on her; today’s fresh green outfit added a fresh, delicate charm, though the full set of jeweled hair ornaments she wore was rather too showy and extravagant.
Lu Zhi said, “Decent enough.”
Yu Xi immediately said, “Husband looks very handsome today too!”
Lu Zhi made no comment, appearance was superficial; only shallow people cared about such things.
Yu Xi had no idea what Lu Zhi was thinking. Today he wore an ivory round-collared long robe with subtle patterns embroidered in silver thread, understated yet elegant, compared to his usual cold sternness, it lent him a gentler air, adding to his refined bearing.
At the moment, his lashes drooped slightly, their length hiding whatever thoughts lay behind his eyes.
Just as Yu Xi was about to fall into a daze watching him, he suddenly looked up, and her breath caught for a moment.
Lu Zhi’s eyes were somewhat elongated in shape, much like peach blossom petals, an ordinary man with such eyes would usually come across as flirtatious, like Lu Ping, but because Lu Zhi’s bearing was far too upright and stern, they instead carried a cold, commanding intensity that made people not dare meet his gaze directly.
Seeing Yu Xi staring blankly, Lu Zhi asked, “What are you looking at?”
“No—nothing,” Yu Xi instinctively scooted closer to him. “Husband, let’s go eat at a restaurant, my treat!”
Back at the Jin family gardens, Yu Xi had only had a bit of pastry, and was hungry now.
A small matter like this, Lu Zhi wouldn’t refuse. “Fine, but I’ll pay.”
Yu Xi caught the edge of his sleeve. “Husband is so nice.”
Watching her smile, Lu Zhi turned his head away, pulling his sleeve free.
They went to Fengle Tower. As soon as they entered the private room, Yu Xi started listing off dishes. “Chicken broth meatballs, steamed mandarin fish, mushroom duck feet, three-delicacy bamboo shoots, hmm… and a plate of diced spicy chicken, plus sprout soup and spring pancakes.”
Lu Zhi sat down at the table, and hearing her rattle off seven dishes in one breath, suggested, “We could cut two, so we don’t end up too full to finish.”
“We can finish it,” Yu Xi said, sitting beside him. “I called Third Brother and Yu Chao over too.”
Hearing this, Lu Zhi said nothing more.
“Oh right,” Yu Xi said to the waiter who was about to leave, “and bring us a jar of your peach blossom rice wine too.”
Having finished ordering, Yu Xi said to Lu Zhi, “Husband, this is actually the first time we’ve eaten a meal alone together, just the two of us.”
Lu Zhi recalled, during this period since their marriage, he’d been busy with official duties and rarely in the back courtyard; apart from the day of the post-wedding visit, they truly hadn’t eaten together once.
“That was an oversight on my part,” Lu Zhi said. “I’ll make it up to you in the future.”
Yu Xi perked up with interest. “So how will you make it up to me?”
This was the first time Lu Zhi had encountered someone who pressed for such details. He asked Yu Xi, “How would you like me to make it up to you?”
Then he added, “Aside from kissing you.”
“Hmph,” Yu Xi’s mind spun quickly, and she said, “Then can you hug me? You’ve never once hugged me.”
As she said this, she wrinkled her nose, putting on a pitiful expression.
Lu Zhi looked at her for a moment. “Fine.”
What Yu Xi said made him realize he truly hadn’t fulfilled his duties as a husband very well, he ought to make it up to her.
Yu Xi, hands hidden in her sleeves, clenched them tight, excellent! She would definitely hug him for a long, long time! Earlier in the carriage she’d only gotten a brief hug before being pushed away; she hadn’t gotten nearly enough.
Her clever mind turned again. “Let’s hug tonight instead, we’re out in public right now, and Third Brother and Yu Chao are about to arrive, it wouldn’t look good if they saw.”
This way, Lu Zhi would have to come to the back courtyard tonight, and not only could she hug him, she could sleep close to him too, she was so clever!
Seeing her show a rare bit of good sense, Lu Zhi’s tone softened slightly. “All right.”
Just then, Lu Fan and Yu Chao arrived too.
The two of them studied at the same academy, so Yu Xi had invited them both along.
Lu Fan said, “Big brother, sister-in-law!”
Yu Chao said, “Sister, brother-in-law.”
Yu Xi waved them over. “Come quick, the food’s about to arrive.”
Both boys were kept on a tight leash at home with little pocket money, and were already drooling as they sat down at the table. Yu Chao sat below Yu Xi, Lu Fan below Lu Zhi.
Soon, all the dishes arrived.
Yu Xi picked up a duck foot for Lu Zhi, then a chopstick-full of diced spicy chicken. “Husband, these are all your favorites, eat plenty.”
Lu Zhi said, “…Who told you that?”
Yu Xi looked at Lu Fan, who was in the middle of picking up a duck foot himself, and flinched, laughing awkwardly. “Huh? Oh, I must’ve misremembered, big brother doesn’t eat spicy food, or duck feet either, haha…”
Yu Chao immediately switched sides. “You’re the one who likes eating it, and you told her it was brother-in-law’s favorite, how greedy can you be.”
Lu Fan’s eyes went wide. “You’re the one who wanted the diced spicy chicken, I only lied to sister-in-law saying my brother liked it, how disloyal of you!”
Yu Chao looked at Yu Xi and flinched, glancing at Lu Zhi as if seeking rescue. “Brother-in-law, you’re not mad, are you?”
Otherwise his sister would beat him to death later.
Lu Fan also looked at Lu Zhi. “Big brother, I was just too greedy, Father won’t give me money so I lied to come eat.”
Lu Zhi naturally wasn’t going to hold it against them. He moved the duck foot from his own bowl to Lu Fan’s, and the diced chicken to Yu Chao’s. “Go ahead and eat. I’ll give each of you some pocket money later, come eat whenever you want something.”
Lu Fan said, “Big brother, you’re the best!”
Yu Chao said, “Brother-in-law, you’re too kind!”
Yu Xi said, “Hmph!”
Lu Zhi glanced at her and put a chicken broth meatball in her bowl. “You eat too.”
Yu Xi said, “Okay~”
Yu Chao, quietly observing the two of them, couldn’t help but marvel, his sister really did change her mood faster than flipping a book page. But it did seem like she was doing all right at the Lu family, at least her husband seemed willing to indulge her.
Yu Chao relaxed a little more.
After the meal, Lu Zhi gave each of the two boys five taels of silver, not too much, not too little, enough to avoid reckless spending but enough to satisfy their cravings.
The two thanked him joyfully. Yu Chao was sent home first by an attendant, while Lu Fan rode back to the Lu residence together with Yu Xi and Lu Zhi in their carriage.
After they parted, Yu Chao stuck his head out the carriage window to watch the Lu family’s carriage, feeling a bit sour inside.
But soon, looking at the silver in his hand, he cheered up again, brother-in-law was so generous! If it had been his sister, she definitely wouldn’t have given him a single coin, and might even have tried to get money out of him instead.
Once back at the Lu residence, Lu Fan went off to do his schoolwork, while Yu Xi and Lu Zhi walked together toward the courtyard where they lived.
Since there was hugging to look forward to tonight, Yu Xi didn’t pester him much further, and went to wash up after they parted ways.
In the bathroom, Xique massaged Yu Xi’s shoulders, and per her instructions, poured an entire bottle of Persian floral essence into the bathtub.
The whole bathroom instantly filled with fragrance.
Xique praised her. “Miss, you’re like a hundred-flower fairy descended to earth, tonight you’ll surely have the young master utterly enchanted!”
Yu Xi tilted her head up. “Of course!”
·
It was nearly the Hour of Zi before Lu Zhi remembered his promise to hug Yu Xi.
He was rather tired, and had thought about just resting in the study, but a man doesn’t go back on his word, so after a quick wash in the front courtyard, he headed to the back courtyard.
A lamp had been left lit for him in the room; it seemed Yu Xi wasn’t asleep yet.
Seeing Lu Zhi, the maid on night watch, Mingzhu, spoke up at once. “Young master, you’re here.”
Sister Xique had instructed her that whenever the young master arrived, she must immediately alert the young mistress.
Lu Zhi nodded slightly, then pushed the door open and went in.
The moment he stepped inside, a wave of fragrance hit him, and he stepped right back out.
So strong. Far too strong.
Yu Xi, who had been reading her romance novel, quickly tucked it under her bedding and hurried out to greet him. “Husband, you’re here!”
The closer she ran, the stronger the fragrance grew. Lu Zhi quickly stopped her. “Don’t move.”
Yu Xi looked puzzled, but obediently stopped where she was. “Husband, what’s wrong?”
Lu Zhi found it hard to breathe. He looked at Yu Xi. “Exactly how much perfume did you put on?”
“Just a little,” Yu Xi said, pulling at him. “Husband, come in quickly, it’s cold outside.”
Once Lu Zhi entered the room, he felt faintly dizzy, and leaned against the head of the bed, deciding that from now on, he would not allow Yu Xi to wear perfume anymore.
Far too strong. Truly, far too strong.
Seeing him already seated, Yu Xi threw herself naturally into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and acting coy. “Husband, husband, I like you best!”
As she said this, seeing no response from Lu Zhi, Yu Xi looked up in confusion, only to see his eyes tightly shut, as if trying to steady himself against something.
“Husband? What’s wrong, husband? Husband? Say something, husband!”
After a long while, Lu Zhi finally opened his eyes, his voice somewhat weary. “You… keep some distance from me.”
He pressed at the space between his brows. “You’re too fragrant, I can’t breathe.”
“Can’t breathe?” Yu Xi, sprawled across his lap, froze for a moment, then quickly grabbed the silk fan by the bed to fan him. “Husband, I’ll fan you, that’ll help. Can you breathe now?”
If she hadn’t fanned him, it might have been fine, but fanning only sent the fragrance wafting off her body toward him, making it even stronger.
And Yu Xi was quite perceptive about it too, wherever Lu Zhi turned his head, she fanned in that direction, determined to help him catch his breath no matter what.
“Enough,” Lu Zhi said, catching her hand, a vein twitching on his forehead. “Stop fanning.”
Yu Xi looked at his hand holding hers, blushed slightly, and leaned obediently against his chest, nodding and saying sweetly, “Whatever you say, husband.”
Lu Zhi tilted his head back slightly, and after a good while, finally grew somewhat accustomed to the rich fragrance. Only then did he notice that Yu Xi was straddling his lap.
Her two slender legs knelt on either side of his, the thin gauze skirt bunched into layered folds against her legs, faintly revealing the soft flesh at the top of her thighs beneath.