"You're back just in time." Su Zhai carried a plate over. "I baked some pastries. Come try them and see how they taste."
Pastries are usually steamed.
Shi Yeshan took the plate from her with one hand, but with the other he gripped her wrist, lifting the back of her hand up between them and silently giving it a shake.
"Oh, that. I accidentally got burned by the fire." Su Zhai said it lightly—she truly hadn't given it any thought. "That fire-starting thing you brought back is really handy. It understands what I say and can even work as an oven for me. Though, with open flames, I still need to be a bit careful."
He rubbed his thumb over the skin that had reddened from the burn, then led her by the hand to the courtyard. "I'll apply some medicine for you."
"No need. It doesn't hurt at all, and it won't leave a scar. It just got singed a little. This happens to me all the time—it's nothing."
Her skin was very thin; even a small lick from the flames made it flush red.
In truth, she hadn't felt a thing.
The two sat down at the stone table in the courtyard, and Su Zhai eyed the little cake with longing. "This is definitely going to be good. Wait a moment—I'll go call Chu Yi over to eat with us."
Worried Shi Yeshan might mind, she lowered her voice. "She helped out a lot today. Inviting her for dinner is the least I can do to repay her."
Repay her for what?
Wasn't letting her live in the house for free already enough?
Shi Yeshan was somewhat displeased, but Su Zhai rarely coaxed him like this. She even stood on her tiptoes to whisper by his ear, "Actually, I baked a smaller one too—saved it just for us to enjoy slowly."
Shi Yeshan lowered his gaze, and Su Zhai naturally pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips.
He said, "Just this once."
Having soothed the man, Su Zhai hurried off along the bluestone path to call the other girl from the back.
But Shi Yeshan turned back and went into the kitchen, walking straight to the stove. He rapped his knuckles against it.
"Be more careful from now on. Don't burn her."
The already extinguished flames suddenly shot up a thin wisp of fire and smoke.
Bewildered. Indignant.
Shi Yeshan's tone was icy. "Otherwise, I'll seal you inside Mystic Ice."
The wisp of smoke weakly died out.
Chu Yi was soaking in a bath.
It was a medicinal bath. When Su Zhai knocked on the door outside, she was quite startled for a moment. She silently recited a mantra to calm her heart before declining.
Chu Yi was the type who, despite having cultivated the Inedia Art, still had a gluttonous streak—if there was food, she would never let it pass.
Su Zhai was troubled. "Alright, then I'll save a piece for you. If you want some, you can come by tomorrow to pick it up."
Chu Yi was silent for a moment, then sensed she still hadn't left. A flicker of irritation rose. "I won't come tomorrow either. I won't come anymore after this."
…
The cake was delicious.
After dinner, Su Zhai felt a little full. She squeezed into the rocking chair with Shi Yeshan to look at the stars.
Shi Yeshan was still fiddling with her hand. Seeing that the red mark from the burn had indeed already faded, he gave her palm a gentle squeeze.
Su Zhai nuzzled against his neck. "Chu Yi really seems to love that fish. She's still angry about it—says she won't come to our place for meals anymore."
Isn't that a good thing?
Shi Yeshan gave a lazy hum, finally feeling a measure of satisfaction.
"No, wait." Su Zhai started second-guessing again. "She's such a mischievous one. What if she's planning to sneak in and steal our food from now on?"
Just like the big carp today.
Shi Yeshan was quiet for a moment. "She probably won't. Don't worry."
Otherwise, he'd go make some trouble for her.
Su Zhai let out a faint sigh, still troubled. "How did I manage to make her angry too? How am I supposed to…"
"Zhai Niang." Shi Yeshan pinched her earlobe, his tone light. "Let's talk about something else."
But Su Zhai remained silent.
The night was clear and windless, everything bathed in white—a serene, bright stillness.
Her ear pressed against Shi Yeshan's collarbone, she counted his heartbeats.
But her own was too loud, gradually drowning out the man's.
Shi Yeshan asked with the faintest trace of confusion, "What's wrong with you?"
Yet she only shifted slightly, burying her whole face in his chest without a word.
This man—he seemed reliable and steady, but he had an extremely improper side to him.
"Zhai Niang?" He covered the back of her head with one palm, then moved it to her nape, his thumb pressing downward as he called her name again, very softly, almost like a murmur. "Zhai Niang. Do you not like it when I call you that?"
It made her bones go weak.
Su Zhai let out a muffled laugh. "Everyone calls me Su Su."
He said slowly, deliberately, "I don't want to be like everyone else."
Shi Yeshan's fingers had already traced down to her back. There was nothing frivolous in the initial gesture—just an honest pressing against her, wanting to be closer.
But Su Zhai's breathing grew flustered, her toes curling as she pressed them against Shi Yeshan's calf.
She lifted her head, revealing a pair of eyes. Under the moonlight, they were a clear, limpid pool of water, and within them was his reflection.
Shi Yeshan leaned in, pressing his warm lips to her eyelid. He could feel her eyes darting restlessly beneath the thin skin.
The man's breath scorched her skin, carrying the sweet fragrance of cake.
Her robes slipped half off, baring her to the pale moonlight. She felt like a fish swimming through the moon itself.
Shi Yeshan kissed her collarbone, remaining perfectly composed throughout—even doing something like this, he didn't seem overcome by passion. One hand covered her chest, fully cupped in his palm, unconsciously applying a bit of pressure, until Su Zhai suddenly grabbed his wrist and flung it aside.
His breathing faltered for a moment. He pressed his forehead against hers, his clear, moonlit eyes trembling slightly as he looked at her with confusion.
"Hm?"
Su Zhai didn't make a sound. She bumped her forehead against his with moderate force, then curled up and burrowed back into his embrace, both arms hooking tightly around Shi Yeshan's neck.
Her breathing was heavy, spilling warm against his neck, making him suddenly recall the feeling of being wrapped in mycelium by a beautiful blood-red Mushroom Demon long ago.
Su Zhai's mycelium didn't harm people—it only made him dream a tantalizing dream, trapping him inside forever.
Sleeping on like this wouldn't be so bad either.
"Zhai-niang," he called again, stroking her back, asking with puzzlement, "What do you want to do? Don't you want me to touch you?"
Then why hold on so tightly?
It seemed like all five of Su Zhai's senses were under Shi Yeshan's control. She couldn't make a sound, only reached up to touch his chin, her fingers pressing against his lips, slowly tracing their shape—until he suddenly sucked them into his mouth, and a numbing electric sensation shot through her entire body.
"I understand now."
Shi Yeshan bit down on her fingers, refusing to let her pull away. As he spoke indistinctly, his tongue curled around her fingers, the sensation strange and wonderful.
Su Zhai tried to withdraw her fingers, but he kept biting down. If she pulled harder, she might hurt him, so she could only bump her forehead against his chest again and again. "…What do you understand now?"
Bumped enough times, he finally let go—but he still grabbed Su Zhai's hand and pinned it behind her back, saying flatly, "You say one thing and mean another."
It was a restrained position.
Su Zhai had to arch backward to meet his gaze. He still looked utterly at ease, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on her, as if softly laughing. "How did Zhai-niang ever develop such a temperament, hm?"
Su Zhai was momentarily speechless, her ears burning red. She broke free from Shi Yeshan's hold and rubbed her heated face with her hands, but her gaze was anything but proper. Seeing the man slightly distracted, she suddenly slipped her hand inside his clothes.
Her little scheme couldn't be hidden from anyone. Shi Yeshan let her do as she pleased. Being groped all over was somewhat strange—her hands were small, yet seemed to carry some kind of magic. Wherever they touched, the blood there seemed to surge and boil.
But clearly, Su Zhai was even more embarrassed than he was. After a couple of touches, she quietly withdrew on her own, and made to climb off him as well.
Shi Yeshan pressed down on her waist. "Where are you going? Stay and talk with me a while longer."
When she spoke, her voice carried a hint of coy petulance. "What's there to talk about?"
…Having her chest suddenly grabbed like that, it was only natural for her to instinctively resist.
Though if Shi Yeshan kept this up, Su Zhai felt she wouldn't be so flustered anymore.
She just hadn't expected the man to launch a sneak attack.
"You didn't steal her fish, so there's no need to blame yourself."
Shi Yeshan turned serious. "Even if you had stolen it, there'd be no need for guilt. She wanted to eat fish but wouldn't raise them herself, instead troubling you. Even if the fish went missing, it would be her own fault. What are you worrying about?"
Su Zhai was stunned.
The man flicked her forehead with his finger, displeased. "What are you always thinking about all day? Such a small head, yet always so full of worries."
…
After the flick, he rubbed the spot for her, then leaned in to kiss her cheek, his lips falling like flower petals.
Su Zhai said with complete seriousness, "My head isn't small."
She'd nearly scored full marks on the math portion of her college entrance exam.
"Mm." Shi Yeshan said calmly, "The peach isn't small either."
Su Zhai: …
That comment was a setup.
She soon collapsed onto Shi Yeshan again, kissed without any gaps, feeling like a ball of dough on a cutting board—kneaded and kneaded, about to rise and puff up.
"You're infuriating."
In the gap between kisses, Su Zhai pressed his hand against her chest and told him sternly, "Two-faced."
They'd just been talking about something serious, yet his mind had been on bedroom matters the whole time.
"Mm." Shi Yeshan let her hold his hand there—if she wouldn't let him move, he wouldn't move. He looked at her sidelong. "Then learn from me."
"Learn what from you?"
"Thicken your skin a little." The man's tone was lazy. "Always worrying about what others do—what about yourself?"
Su Zhai hesitated. "…I'm fine, I think. Don't make me sound like some weak, saintly pushover. I'm not stupid."
But Shi Yeshan's voice turned serious, even a little intimidating. "Su Zhai."
If he weren't still cupping that white, soft peach, she might actually have been frightened.
"What are you always afraid of?" Shi Yeshan kissed the top of her head, finally holding her properly in his arms. He let out a soft sigh, tinged with helplessness. "So pitiful."