“QiaoYuan, did something happen in the mansion?”
“Uhm?” Tang QiaoYuan just returned to the room and opened the curtain but had yet approached when he heard Fang Su’s question, he smiled and walked over, “Nothing important.”
Fang Su half-believed and half-doubted his words, he waited until he sat beside the couch and turned his head to ask him: “It seems like someone has come?”
Tang QiaoYuan slightly lost his smile, raised his brows, and stroked that face full of concern, for a moment he was slightly distracted and thought that his Fang Su was actually born smart and alert, but is naturally restrained and never made it known.
Probably because he was used to being wronged before, Fang Su can always maintain proper vigilance at all times, but faced with kindness around him, he can also put down all his guards, and completely give his trust. It seems contradictory, but Tang QiaoYuan understood the reason, it’s because although Fang Su used to have little, he always had some expectations in his heart, and had this kind-heart wish that people could treat each other with sincerity.
Now that they know each other, from Tang QiaoYuan’s perspective, it is not because Fang Su met him, but that he (TQY) is fortunate to become that person, and the unique one, the person whom he married.
Tang QiaoYuan felt very satisfied with this, from then on, the wish he has in his life is only to be able to accompany each other until they become old.
Therefore, in the final analysis, apart from giving everything to Fang Su, Tang QiaoYuan also wished that both of them won’t be troubled by idle people’s matters. In case some troubles are bound to come to their door, then he will be the one to withstand them, Fang Su doesn’t need to worry about it.
Tang QiaoYuan’s thoughts drifted a bit away, he helplessly sighed after he returned to his senses, said with a smile: “Su Su doesn’t need to mind it, it’s a distant younger cousin of mine who has come, her character is arrogant, you don’t need to pay attention.”
Fang Su didn’t understand, he thought that although they were distant relatives, there should be a kinship between cousins, but listening to the meaning of his words, he was obviously being dismissive, he could vaguely perceive a subtle strangeness, and couldn’t help but ask: “No matter what, people who have come are guests, leaving them there and ignoring them, isn’t it a bit inappropriate?”
The person in front of him showed a very happy look for a moment when he heard it, he didn’t even worry about what was said, he chuckled and pulled the person into his arms: “You only need to remember what you said today, she is a guest here. You are different, you are a master here.”
Fang Su was stunned, then blushed and lowered his eyes.
He did not express it correctly, he didn’t mean to be arrogant about it, he just felt that this cousin that has come to the Tang Mansion is a guest but did not think of himself as a master of the Tang Mansion. After he married Tang QiaoYuan, in this short period of time, he already regarded him as the most important person for him, nothing more besides this. Even without the Tang Mansion, it is enough to have Tang QiaoYuan, he would have no regrets.
Now that Tang QiaoYuan made a joke like this, teased him on purpose, and wanted to see him embarrassed, he didn’t know how to respond, so he could only shut his mouth and said no more.
Tang QiaoYuan could see his distress and stopped teasing him, saying a little more seriously: “If she can consider herself as a guest, then I would be thankful to Heaven and Earth. Anyway, she is not some kind of good person, it is better if you don’t meet her, if you really do happen to meet her, just ignore her.
Fang Su could hear the implication behind these words, he could guess that Tang QiaoYuan did not really like this young woman, he had no objection and nodded.
Tang QiaoYuan looked at his gentle appearance and liked it so much, he reached out a hand to pinch one side of his face, then he left the soft couch and walked toward the bookshelf while speaking: “We will have dinner in a while, it is already dark, Su Su also doesn’t have much energy to have a walk outside, how about listening to this husband read some book for you?”
He looked back after asking that and saw that Fang Su was stunned while holding the cheek that has been pinched, after hearing what he had just said, his ears slowly turned red with an expression that makes others want to bully him.
Tang Qiaoyuan had a thought, he picked out a book, made up his mind before telling him these ghosts and monsters’ stories.
“Last time when we talked about the monsters, Su Su seemed to be particularly interested, are we still reading this genre of folk tales?” Tang QiaoYuan waved the book in his hand.
Fang Su doesn’t like to be picky, furthermore, he does like these kinds of folk tales that are flavorful, he curved his lips and nodded.
Tang QiaoYuan returned to the soft couch, took off his shoes, and sat down, he leaned back on the couch and pulled Fang Su into his embrace, then flipped through the familiar book in his hands and found the page he wanted, said with a serious expression: “This story is about monsters that take human lives.”
Fang Su was in high spirits, on one side, he nodded and listened to him, and on the other side, he looked over the book, trying to identify the few uncommon words on it, feeling particularly comfortable.
“These evil spirits are mostly common animals in the human world, for example, stray cats in the gutters, foxes in the forest, or rabbits in the haystacks. After they cultivate for a hundred thousand years, after possessing a whole body of power, they can take human form, and each one is more attractive than the others, their appearances gorgeous. In order to suck away the soul of humans, they go back and forth in the human world, especially picking on these young and strong men to seduce, then they are intercourse until the other party dies, drained of their energy and have their yang energy sucked dry.
Fang Su was really fascinated, asked: “Then why do humans always get tricked? Evil spirits probably appear in a very weird way, these people don’t know to take precautions against them?”
“Because of love,” Tang QiaoYuan was very happy to hear his question, “aware that there is danger but still being tempted, besides love, it is also because they indulge in their desires and cannot bring themselves to break away.”
Fang Su did not understand, he thought that a beautiful or an ugly appearance is only a skin, if it is a monster inside, and there is no sincerity, then it is better to avoid them early on.
As he was engrossed in his thoughts, Tang QiaoYuan suddenly brought his face closer, the tips of theirs nose almost touching, said with an ambiguity: “Don’t know what transformed into my Fang Su, and got my head all twisted1 about…”
Fang Su did not know how to react at the moment, under his blank expression is not only embarrassment, he also seemed to be thinking about something. Before he gets to answer, he heard Tang QiaoYuan chuckle and guess again: “fox? cat? or a small rabbit…”
Fang Su’s eyes flashed, and unexpectedly and suddenly responded, he asked back: “QiaoYuan, you…why do you like me?”
This question sounded familiar, Tang QiaoYuan remembered that he already heard it once. He restrained his joking tone, his expression became gentle: “I am not clear about it, I just like you.”
Fang Su was startled, his emotion was hard to describe.
Tang QiaoYuan was afraid that he would think too deeply about it, he then coaxed him: “Actually, the reason of liking is not something so important, I like so I liked it, I only know that I like you thus I cannot like someone else.”
After hearing that, Fang Su pondered for a while, he thought about it and found that it is indeed like this, he is the one who is thinking about unnecessary things, so he did not pursue this matter, and gave him a gentle smile.
Tang QiaoYuan put the book aside to free his hands to hug him and smiled deeply for a long moment.
That conversation just now did not make him feel awkward at all, on the contrary, it made him feel extremely pleased, Fang Su would think and ask simply because he cares.
Fang Su does not need to say more, a mere “why” is enough to show his feelings…
Tang QiaoYuan was relaxed and happy.
Passing the days like this, everything was happy.
Fang Su’s thought just float for a moment then was thrown away in the blink of an eye, there was never a moment of dissatisfaction when he was with Tang QiaoYuan, he naturally then forgot that an uninvited guest was residing under the roof of the mansion.
In a blink of an eye, a few days have passed, Fang Su hasn’t gone out of the mansion these past days or even walk a half-step past the main courtyard. Tang QiaoYuan was always by his side, their shadows almost inseparable. After a long time, he gradually also wanted to take a walk outside the courtyard, but seeing that Tang QiaoYuan did not seem to have this intention, he had not mentioned it for a long time, only taking a few glances of the outside of the courtyard.
Later on, this evening, when both of them had their dinner, seeing that his spirit was good, Tang QiaoYuan was finally the one who took the initiative to inquire: “Want to go out?”
“En,” Fang Su immediately nodded, looking up at him with bright eyes, “I wanted to walk around the garden, I’ve only been staying in the courtyard lately.”
He wasn’t thinking about anything else when he said that, but after Tang QiaoYuan asked this, he remembered Qin MeiWan who he has thrown somewhere in the mansion, and couldn’t help but feel anxious.
After thinking back and forth, that young miss is never the one who takes the initiative to leave by herself, Fang Su cannot possibly not leave the courtyard for as long as Qin MeiWan refused to leave. Furthermore, he is there to accompany him, nothing could happen, in the end, Qin MeiWan is only a weak girl, he took it a bit too far.
When thinking like this, Tang QiaoYuan was not guarded anymore, he held Fang Su’s hand with strolled out in a very good mood.
Don’t know if it is a coincidence or is it because Qin MeiWan heard it from a maidservant, but Tang QiaoYuan and Fang Su really did run into her in the garden.
Qin MeiWan saw them first, standing there and watching them from afar until the two people notice her, then calmly bowed to greet them, quite like a model lady.
Fang Su only returned to his senses when Qin MeiWan turned to leave, he turned to look at Tang QiaoYuan, then asked: “She should be that cousin of you, right? Looking at her, she doesn’t seem like someone hard to get along with, she also looks beautiful.
Tang QiaoYuan deep in his thoughts, nodded, he was puzzled by Qin MeiWan’s actions different from her past, but he dismissed it and did not think much about it, just keep guarding her as before, and took Fang Su to stroll somewhere else.
At that time, he did not dwell in this bizarreness, but he did not know that from then on, Qin MeiWan would not stay put anymore.
The next morning, a maidservant was sending white fungus jujube lotus seed soup2 to the bedroom. There was a slip of paper under the small bowl, Fang Su opened it to look at it and couldn’t help but be surprised.
He turned to look at Tang QiaoYuan, who was blocked by the wide folding screen and secretly hide the slip of paper inside the placket of his robe.
He could understand what was written on the paper, the two words “love poison” were written on it, it seemed that something was shattering the doubts buried deep in his heart.
Notes:
神魂颠倒 (Shénhún diāndǎo), a common expression used say ‘Getting one’s spirit/soul all twisted it about (so they are head over heal for someone).’ There’s a notion of “betwiched” in this expression. 银耳羹 is also called Tremella soup in English, it looks like this. (nutritious soup)That small cliffhanger!! We are getting there!!! Turning point of the story!
Thank you for all the persons who bought me coffees! ♥ I bought a monthly subscription for the website at the moment, I am trying it out to see what can be the best option. I still cannot add widgets as they are available for ‘Business plan’ only, I am mad, lol. And also finally decided to design the headbanner myself, I consider my skills not too shabby.
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