Chu Lian cleared her throat to gloss over the awkward moment. She lifted the curtain and asked, “It’s so late, why aren’t you resting yet? Is there something you need to tell me urgently?”
Although He Sanlang’s eyelids were lowered, he had been watching Chu Lian from the edge of his vision. When she had paused in front of the pearl curtain at the door and had been seemingly entranced by him, he was beside himself with delight despite his cold countenance.
Restraining the fireworks in his heart, He Changdi said in a low, husky voice, “I remembered that there is something I haven’t given you yet, so I came over.”
Chu Lian looked at him doubtfully.
She walked over and sat down beside him. Tilting her head to one side, she asked, “Really?”
He Changdi covered his lips and let out a cough, before he shifted his gaze elsewhere, “When have I ever lied to you?”
Chu Lian’s brows creased together. Her limpid eyes stared at He Changdi, her suspicion as clear as day.
This lunatic He Sanlang was always full of empty words.
He Sanlang scolded Chu Lian for ‘shamelessly’ staring at him in his heart. She was clearly too brazen for her own good. However, he also felt like he was floating on clouds at the same time. He enjoyed this ‘scorching hot’ gaze of hers and he wished that Chu Lian would only ever have him in her eyes. Thus, a short while later, the tips of his ears began to redden.
Chu Lian reached her hand out towards He Changdi.
He Sanlang caught sight of her small outstretched hand as he looked up. Before he realised it, he had already reached out to grab it with his large and coarse hand.
When their hands came into contact with each other, it was as if a spark of electricity had passed through their arms and hit them straight in their hearts. He Sanlang couldn’t help rubbing and kneading her soft and delicate hand.
His wife’s hand was so lovely to the touch!
Her hand was so soft, so warm, and especially smooth. It was so tender and fragile that he was afraid of squeezing too hard. Coming here tonight was the wisest decision he had ever made.
Chu Lian’s temples twitched. She watched as He Sanlang’s chiseled face gradually turned warmer while his eyes lit up like the stars in the night sky. She could feel his large palm enveloping her hand. As if grabbing her hand wasn’t enough, he rubbed and caressed her hand all over, like he had just found his favourite toy. It looked to her like he wanted to commit even the length of her nails to memory.
Although this feeling wasn’t half bad, this wasn’t what she had intended when she reached her hand out.
Chu Lian forcefully pulled away her hand from his, before showing her palm once again to He Changdi, “So where is it? Didn’t you say that you wanted to give me something?”
It was only then that He Sanlang finally understood why his wife had reached her hand out. So it hadn’t been for him to touch, it was to ask him for his present…
He Sanlang felt like he had been dealt a blow.
The icy countenance that had thawed a little froze right over again. He scanned the young girl before him with half-lidded eyes. He was fuming inside and he wanted to punish this ‘wicked’ woman. Unfortunately, his heart was willing but his flesh was weak.
He Sanlang retracted his gaze and didn’t reach out to continue touching Chu Lian’s hand. Chu Lian thought that he was purposely feigning ignorance and was about to speak up when she heard a violent fit of coughing from him.
Chu Lian’s brows creased together and she asked with worry, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Is it because you had a drink earlier? Brother Guo and the others are really too much, even if we’re celebrating the new year, they shouldn’t be getting a sick person to drink…”
Chu Lian grumbled on and on, until Wenlan couldn’t hold back any longer, “Third Young Madam, the outer room’s windows are still open for ventilation.”
Chu Lian: …
“Why are the windows open at the peak of winter? Hurry up and close them!” Chu Lian awkwardly ordered.
Wenlan was speechless. It had been Third Young Madam who had complained that the room was too warm due to the hearth in the first place and ordered them to open the windows.
Wenlan shut the windows before turning around and making a suggestion, “In this servant’s opinion, Third Young Master and Third Young Madam should move to the inner room to talk.”
Chu Lian thought it over and asked He Changdi, “Do you need someone to carry you over?”
He Sanlang shook his head, “I’ll be fine if you help me. Only one of my legs is injured. I can’t walk too far, but such a short distances is fine.”
Chu Lian also felt that it would be too heartless to wake the servants up at this time, since most of the servants had already gone to rest for the night. Thus, she followed his wishes and supported him by lending him an arm.
Knowing that Third Young Madam’s body was slender and fragile, Wenlan was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to support their tall Third Young Master. She was about to step forward and offer her help, but before she could walk over, she felt a frosty glare from He Changdi.
Wenlan was so shocked that she stayed rooted to the spot. Realisation dawned upon her eventually.
She was really dumb, of course Third Young Master was still able to walk! He obviously wanted to take this opportunity to get closer to Third Young Madam.
She was overjoyed for Third Young Madam. As long as Third Young Master cared about their Third Young Madam, their days would only become more and more blissful.
With a smile, Wenlan stealthily retreated to the side room, and even dismissed the two maidservants that were on duty.
Chu Lian’s head was at the same height as He Changdi’s shoulders, and that was only because she had grown a little last year. Otherwise, she would only be as tall as his chest, like before. Despite all that, she still appeared frail and puny beside He Sanlang.
He Changdi rested an arm on Chu Lian’s shoulders. With half of his body leaning on hers, he carefully got off the hearth bed. His large black cape practically covered Chu Lian’s whole body. The two of them were so close that Chu Lian could smell the bitter ointment on his body.
With the two of them like this, it didn’t look like Chu Lian was supporting him. Instead, it seemed more like He Changdi was embracing her.
Actually, He Changdi wasn’t even putting much of his body weight on her because there was no way she would be able to shoulder that burden with the little strength that she had.
The young couple then entered the bedroom together.
