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.
