What a plump pair of butterfly wings.
“Big sister is so fierce.” Shen Su rested her forehead against Qin Yu’s shoulder, tilting her face slightly as the tip of her upturned nose brushed against Qin Yu’s neck.
With her arms looped around Qin Yu’s shoulders, maintaining a teasing distance, Shen Su whispered, “Would big sister really bear to?”
Her words carried a hidden meaning.
Qin Yu felt the touch against her body, her eyelashes fluttering slightly before slowly lowering.
Sensing the shift in Qin Yu’s breath, Shen Su’s peach-blossom eyes sparkled with mischief, like a fox that had just pulled off some naughty deed. “Do you like it?”
Qin Yu definitely liked it, she always buried herself in it.
But Qin Yu would never admit it.
Of course, Shen Su didn’t expect the young mistress to give her any answer. She simply kissed Qin Yu’s neck.
Qin Yu had just finished bathing, her body still damp with moisture, devoid of any powdery fragrance typical of girls just clean and refreshing.
Under the moonlight, she sat by the well, her posture upright and proper, like a true gentleman even with someone perched on her lap.
Except for the hand resting on that someone’s thigh.
Since when did “gentlemen” grope women’s thighs?!
“Have you eaten?” Shen Su suddenly asked Qin Yu.
For a moment, Qin Yu didn’t react, her gaze instinctively drifting downward.
Today, Shen Su wore a water-blue ruqun, the bodice embroidered with a pair of butterflies poised to take flight.
Bathed in the light, Qin Yu stared at the butterflies and fell silent for a beat.
What a plump pair of butterfly wings.
Shen Su, “What are you looking at?”
Shen Su tilted her head, narrowing her eyes as she studied Qin Yu.
Qin Yu awkwardly averted her gaze, the tips of her ears turning red.
It was all “Su Qingqing’s” fault! She never used to have such thoughts, nor would she have associated “eating” with that.
But these past two days, whenever they were intimate, “Su Qingqing” would always ask her, “Does it taste good?”
Given the setting, the atmosphere, and “Su Qingqing’s” promise to coax her, Qin Yu couldn’t help but interpret “dinner” as something far more intimate.
Qin Yu pretended not to understand Shen Su’s questioning look. “I’m not hungry.”
“Even if you’re not hungry, you should still eat.” Shen Su rose from Qin Yu’s lap, bending down to kiss her forehead. “I asked Manager Zhou to prepare dishes for you.”
With a mysterious, cheerful glint in her eyes as if eating was the most delightful thing in the world she added, “Three dishes and a soup.”
Three dishes and a soup.
Qin Yu scoffed. Given her status, she could have a full Manchu-Han Imperial Feast if she wanted, let alone three measly dishes.
But Qin Yu had little interest in indulging her appetite. As long as the food filled her stomach, it was enough. After all, there were far more important things in life than eating.
She was about to say she wouldn’t eat tonight when she noticed Shen Su rubbing her own stomach.
Shen Su smiled faintly. “I was too preoccupied with Third Chen’s matter earlier, I haven’t eaten yet.”
She blinked at Qin Yu, tugging lightly at her sleeve. “Young Mistress, do me a favor and let me have a bite or two, won’t you?”
Then, as if remembering something, she frowned. “I’ve gone hungry before. I can endure anything else, but skipping meals is a no-go.”
Wearing tattered clothes or sleeping in servants’ quarters didn’t bother her, but going without food made her heart race and her stomach ache.
Qin Yu lifted her eyes to look at her. “Why were you starved?”
These past few days, she hadn’t asked about “Su Qingqing’s” background, nor was she entirely sure if “Su Qingqing” was even her real name.
Before tonight, Qin Yu had never considered inquiring about Shen Su’s affairs, because to her, Shen Su was merely bait for fishing something to be discarded once used.
But under the moonlight, this girl in a water-blue ruqun was vivid and lively, like a blue fish in the water, gently brushing against the back of her hand with a flick of its tail, just for a bite to eat.
Qin Yu’s fingers, resting on her knees, tightened slightly. Watching Shen Su pitifully rub her stomach, she hesitated for a moment before finally deciding not to press further. “Let’s go eat,” she said simply.
The journey to the capital was still long, there would be plenty of opportunities to bring up these matters later.
By the time the two went upstairs, the waiter had already laid out the dishes.
Three plates sat on the table, all filled with meat.
Sitting at the table with a bowl in hand, Qin Yu thought, Maybe the soup is vegetarian surely not every dish is meat.
“You’re not picky,” Shen Su said cheerfully. “So I ordered all my favorites.”
Noticing Qin Yu hadn’t touched her chopsticks, Shen Su asked, “Is there anything you’d like? Should we order another dish?”
That wasn’t necessary, it would be too much trouble.
Qin Yu picked up her chopsticks. “No need. Let’s eat.”
She’d wait for the soup.
Given “Su Qingqing’s” preferences, the soup was probably meat-based too.
Qin Yu recalled that the chef here was best known for his Sichuan pepper sea bass tofu soup, it shouldn’t be too bad.
But why was the soup taking so long?
Shen Su had already finished eating and was rinsing her mouth, yet the soup from the “three dishes and one soup” still hadn’t arrived.
Qin Yu glanced toward the door, thinking, Even if they had to catch the fish from the river, it should be cooked by now.
Frowning, she finished the remaining rice in her bowl without asking further.
She wanted to see just how long this fish would take.
Qin Yu’s mind was already spinning with conspiracy theories.
She had just made an example of someone earlier to assert her authority, who would dare defy her now by delaying her fish?
Chen San was just a minor figure, at most a pebble thrown to test her capabilities. There were surely others in the group who harbored discontent toward her.
Tonight, she had publicly declared “Su Qingqing” as her woman, so the fish “Su Qingqing” ordered was effectively her fish. To slight “Su Qingqing” was to slight her as the master.
Well played.
When Shen Su returned from her bath, she found Qin Yu sitting solemnly by the bed, looking as though she were contemplating matters of national survival.
Shen Su blinked in confusion.
Hadn’t everything been resolved?
“It’s late,” Shen Su said, placing her hands on the bed on either side of Qin Yu’s waist and leaning in close, looking up at her. “Sister, time for bed.”
Qin Yu glanced down at Shen Su only for a moment before Shen Su’s lips met hers.
Shen Su was always bold, unrestrained, and fiery in these matters. By the time Qin Yu snapped back to reality, she was already pinned to the bed with her clothes undone.
“Wait,” Qin Yu said, still thinking about Shen Su’s soup. “What if the waiter comes with the fish soup later and no one answers the door?”
“Huh?” Shen Su was momentarily stunned. “You ordered fish soup too? Were you still hungry?”
Their eyes met, and Qin Yu frowned. “Three dishes and one soup but no soup.”
“Oh, the soup.” Shen Su finally understood. No wonder the young mistress had been sitting facing the door, she really had been waiting for soup.
“The ‘soup’ I meant isn’t the one you’re thinking of,” Shen Su said, reaching out to draw the bed curtains shut.
She added, “My soup is freshly prepared.”
As for the ingredients?
Naturally, it was the “fish” known as Young Mistress Yu.
The finest soup required the most premium “ingredients,” cooked in the simplest way with bare hands.
And when the “fish” was nearly done, a fingertip would dip into the broth, and the flavor would be tasted with the tip of the tongue.
With a thousand hands cooking, there are a thousand flavors. This method of preparing fish is incredibly mysterious and nearly impossible to replicate.
“Sister, is there soup now?” Shen Su teased deliberately.
Qin Yu, “…”
Qin Yu wanted to tell her to get lost, but she was afraid Shen Su would actually roll herself into the bed.
“My turn,” Qin Yu was about to take the initiative when Shen Su pressed down on her wrist.
“I made you angry today by acting on my own,” Shen Su kissed her ear, reddened to the point of nearly dripping blood. “Let me make it up to you properly.”
Her voice was far too bewitching, and Qin Yu couldn’t resist letting herself be “comforted” all night.
The next day, the two didn’t rise until nearly noon.
Qingmu was already waiting in the main hall, where the table before him was neatly lined with gleaming silver ingots, all taken from Chen San’s private coffers.
Qin Yu descended the stairs and glanced at them. “Use it all to cover the Jiangnan accounts. As for Chen San,” she said, “you may return to the capital first.”
Let him go back and deliver the news.
The facade of false peace between Qin Yu and the Li family was about to be torn apart.
Qin Yu had the silver loaded into a chest and carried into the room.
Shen Su was sitting at the table, rubbing her wrist, when she saw Qingmu and the others bring in the chest. Curious, she craned her neck to look.
Knowing she was in Qin Yu’s room, Qingmu merely nodded in greeting, not daring to let his eyes wander.
Nonsense, the “young master” was so possessive. If he so much as glanced at Miss Su, he might end up trampled like Chen San. Not worth the risk.
“Come here,” Qin Yu said once the others had left. She shut the door and opened the chest.
Shen Su blinked.
In a tone that was casual yet expectant of praise, Qin Yu said, “Take as much as you want. Spend it.”
Shen Su raised an eyebrow, drawing out her words, “Oh!”
She winked at Qin Yu. “Payment for the soup-making labor, I get it, I get it~”
Qin Yu, “…”
She got nothing!
What on earth was this woman thinking about all day?