Tled by Serena Love

Edited by Ruby

Chapter 12: Midnight Snacks

Bai Zhi wanted to distract Jiang Shuyao from her "sadness", pretending to be excited and said, "Miss, we will be able to go to the princess mansion for the banquet in a few days. Finally, we can go out to get some breath."

Jiang Shuyao had a headache thinking of it. She didn't want to attend any banquets, it was very troublesome just to listen to it.

Seeing that she was in a bad mood, Bai Zhi changed her remarks, "Young lady hasn't met with Princess Changle since you got married. You must be looking forward to this banquet."

Jiang Shuyao's forehead vein twitched. Princess Changle was the warrior who took her "sisters" to molest handsome boys and caused a large number of them to fall into the water. Just listening to her deeds, people could imagine her aggressiveness. She doesn't know if the princess will find that her former nympho sister has changed her soul.

"Yeah. It's just that I'm now a married woman, so I can't mess around with her anymore."

Bai Zhi thought of Jiang Shuyao's previous behaviors, laughed a little awkwardly, and hurriedly changed the topic, "Miss, since we have nothing to do now, it's better to choose the clothes and jewelry for the banquet."

Clothes and jewelry...

Jiang Shuyao was helpless thinking of the plain clothes and graceful jade ornaments in the cabinet. The original owner's aesthetic was too ugly to look at. She chose a few bright clothes, which she had worn several times in a row.

"If I'm going to the banquet, I want to make some new clothes." Anyway, she had money, so why not buy more.

Bai Zhi was accustomed to Jiang Shuyao's rich and generous style, and nodded without hesitation, "Then this servant girl will ask the butler to call all the best embroiderers in Chang’an."

Jiang Shuyao added, "There is also jewelry, I also want to buy some new ones."

Bai Zhi froze. "However, people don’t usually choose jewelry at home..." For clothes, they only need to bring a few carts of cloth, but jewelry is different. Expensive jewelry will be strictly guarded and preserved, and for some of the extremely precious jewelry, people will not even have a chance to take a look.

Jiang Shuyao didn't want to go out to the banquet with only some simple gold ornaments, not even gorgeous earrings.

"It would be great if I could go out for a while." She mumbled with her shoulders slumped.

Bai Zhi was afraid that the lady who had been in peace for a while would begin to make trouble again, and persuaded, "Recently, the Old Madam has established strict rules, and the copying of the scriptures has made the Old Madam angry. Miss has to bear it and wait until the Old Madam's anger dies down, then it would be easier to act freely."

Girls always liked to dress up, especially when they make an appointment, they want to look beautiful. Jiang Shuyao couldn't think of another way, so she could only compromise, "Then send people to get me some brightly colored clothes for me to choose. If you can, go to the gold shop to buy some jewelry. There is no limit to style, the more complex and sophisticated the better." 

"This is ..." Bai Zhi had never heard of such orders. People will spend a lot of money to buy jewelry, even the most intimate maidservants would not dare to take this job.

"Forget it." Jiang Shuyao was not too upset anymore. Although her mother's family were wealthy businessmen, it does not affect her clothes, food, shelter, and transportation. She can't even be a prodigal with her own property. There was too much money and nothing to spend it on.

She said, depressed, "I haven't been out of the house since I got married, and I don't know what the market outside looks like now." To be precise, she has never seen the ancient market after crossing over. Jiang Shuyao was curious to the point that it was uncomfortable, she couldn't wait to grow wings and fly outside to see.

Seeing her eager appearance, Bai Zhi heard an alarm in her heart, and her inspiration suddenly appeared, "Why don't you ask your husband to take you out?"

"Huh?" What kind of scheme is this? Jiang Shuyao is all ears, "You can tell me in detail."

"Young master will take a rest in a few days, so it's not too much to let him accompany his newly married wife. If the master takes the young lady out, the Old Madam can't say anything."

Jiang Shuyao's eyes sparkled with intrigue, yet a hint of confusion lingered. "But will he actually agree to it?" Typically, he wore a stern expression, often even disgusted.

Bai Zhi was truly a maid forged in the crucible of a household steeped in fierce rivalry and lethal intent. As an astute conspirator and advisor, she leaned in and whispered, "If the young master seeks distance from the young lady, you should relentlessly pursue him. Even a hint of threat can be seen as a form of flattery. My mother always said that men fear women's entanglements the most, especially when those women are beautiful. Even a century-old steel will yield like soft fingers." Notably, Bai Zhi's mother served as a powerful nanny beside Madam Xiangyang.

Jiang Shuyao carefully pondered about this, and thought that this was a good method. Xie Xun hated her, so she would go in front of his eyes to disgust (annoy) him. Once the disgust was in place, in order to make Jiang Shuyao go away, he will promise her a small request.

As for the beauty tricks that Bai Zhi said, Jiang Shuyao automatically ignored them.

Xie Xun, a person with a clean and upright style, who acted like a monk that would never be close to a female, would never develop a good impression of a woman like her who behaves irregularly and has no ink in her belly.

[T/N: "No ink in her belly" means no talent in literature.]

...

As the moon rose above the branches, its pure light poured down, spilling into the study through the partially closed carved window. Occasionally, a night breeze would waft by, bringing a refreshing coolness.

Xie Xun lit the lamp and read a book as usual. After reading, he forgot the time. He reached for the teapot and found that the teapot was empty.

He was about  to call someone, when from outside there was a sickeningly sweet call that made people feel goosebumps.

"Husband~"

"Pang!" Xie Xun couldn't hold the teapot in his hand. It fell off the desk and tumbled along the floor. What, what?!

Perhaps he was fascinated by the Commentary of the Water Classic just now, and his mind was not yet awake. Suddenly hearing this call that shouldn't be anywhere near him, he felt a layer of goosebumps on his body.

When Jiang Shuyao heard the noise in the room, she was a little confused and was about to speak, only to realize that she had almost forgotten to change her voice.

She pitched her voice, "Husband, what's the matter?"

Xie Xun calmed down and looked at the faint dark shadow reflected on the door.

Jiang Shuyao?

Jiang Shuyao's appearance flashed in his mind quickly-first, the inelegant but appetizing eating posture, and the quiet writing in the study that night, like a lotus flower in the water. That beautiful look when she looks back and raises her eyes.

But even then, she was frowning and biting her pen while writing the "dog crawling" words. To be generous, one might describe her handwriting as eclectic and unique; to be less kind, it could only be deemed unattractive. How could Jiang Shuyao have made such a sound just now?

Was there evil at work?!

"Husband~ Why don’t you answer me? Can I come in?" Jiang Shuyao was tired of speaking in this voice for such a long time just to bother Xie Xun. Could it be that he fell, knocked his head, and passed out?

This sentence shocked Xie Xun. He quickly got up, his sleeve accidentally swiped the pen holder, making it clatter, and all the brushes fell to the ground.

He had never been so flustered before. His inner irritation poured out and he shouted, "Wait!"

Jiang Shuyao didn't know what he was doing. She was holding a plate in her hand until her hands were sore. She walked to the door impatiently, wondering how to kick the door open with her feet.

"Crack—" 

The door suddenly opened, and Jiang Shuyao almost stumbled, and when she raised her head, she faced Xie Xun's cold face.

Although Jiang Shuyao often complained about Xie Xun's coffin face, it was usually a jade coffin that was pleasing to the eye. Now he still had a coffin face, but with a sullen air, like a  thousand-year-old rotting coffin that was about to spit out a ghost.

Xie Xun was tall, with wide shoulders and long legs. Although he was a civil official, he practiced martial arts all year-round. When he was close, he lowered his head and looked at her. The masculine coercion made Jiang Shuyao shudder for a moment.

Reaching out to his unsmiling face, Jiang Shuyao smiled and raised her head, "Husband, can you let me in?" ‘This old lady's hands are sore.’

This time she forgot to adjust her voice, it was much more normal, and Xie Xun reluctantly eased his discomfort.

"What's the matter with you?" He planned to let someone guard outside the study room tomorrow, but he turned his head and forgot when she interrupted him.

Tomorrow, he must set up a few people outside the study to stop Jiang Shuyao!

"I thought that my husband had a hard time reading, so I made some midnight snacks." She took a half step forward, smiled, her lips were white, and the red beads hanging from her hair bun swung and swayed as she walked. 

Looking at this beauty under the moon, her smile made Xie Xie dazed for a moment, he subconsciously stepped away.

The smile on Jiang Shuyao's face remained unchanged, and she passed Xie Xun softly, placing the plate on the table.

"Husband, are you hungry? See if these foods suit your liking." She turned her head, and the candlelight gave her a touch of gentleness.

Xie Xun was only a little stunned for a moment and soon recovered. He looked at Jiang Shuyao, feeling that something was wrong.

To be precise, perhaps this was what she should be doing. She wanted to marry him regardless of her infamy by threatening death. It would be a miracle if she did not come to him.

Xie Xun would not lose his demeanor and care about her, and since the supper has been delivered, could he still tell her to take it away?

Previously, because of Jiang Shuyao's cloying voice, he didn't even notice that she was holding the plate in her hands. Now the room was filled with the rich smell of food, making him swallow subconsciously.

He walked over and cast his eyes on the dinner plate, "What is this?"

Jiang Shuyao didn't expect him to cooperate so much. The gloomy complexion just now disappeared without a trace.

Perhaps it was the irresistible temptation of delicious food. Moreover, Xie Xun's age can only be regarded as a big boy in modern times. He was at an age where he could eat a cow when he was hungry.

She introduced the food one by one, "This is fried noodles, this is sizzling tofu, and this is cumin chicken wings."

The dishes she prepared were always distinctive and innovative, transforming simple ingredients into extraordinary flavors. In contrast, many esteemed chefs in this era often focused excessively on lavish ingredients and elaborate techniques, neglecting the fundamental essence of taste that truly matters.

Xie Xun coughed, "Just leave it here, I'll eat it when I'm hungry."

Jiang Shuyao thought that he didn't look hungry, and didn't expect him to eat immediately. She nodded and said, "Then I'll go first. Husband, you can eat some to pad your stomach after reading. Nowadays, the weather is warming up. Although the food will cool slowly, eating cold food is not good for the stomach."

Xie Xun nodded.

Jiang Shuyao couldn't help but sigh. Scholars were truly different; even their appetites could be subdued. According to the modern clock, it was now 9:10 in the evening. In the past, even if she had dinner at 7, she would typically indulge in some snacks or fruit around 9 to satisfy her cravings. Moreover, people were accustomed to dining just before dusk, making it only natural to feel hungry again by this hour.

After she left, Xie Xun sat down at the desk and just picked up the writing brush before setting it back down and getting up.

He shook his head with a sense of inexplicable guilty conscience, adjusted his robe, and sat down at the dinner table. When his chopsticks had just touched the cumin chicken wings...

"Husband, tomorrow—"

Jiang Shuyao left too quickly and almost forgot to pester him. She quickly ran back when thinking of her business affairs, and there she ran into this embarrassing scene

Xie Xun calmly put down his chopsticks, and said coldly, "What else?" In truth, half of his face was numb with shame.

"Uh… I want to ask, will you come back to have dinner with me tomorrow?"

"Alright," Xie Xun said, placing his hands on his knees and reverting to his familiar pose of feigned studiousness to mask his embarrassment.

"Oh." Jiang Shuyao felt weird, forgot what she was going to do, and turned around again.

As she walked away, Xie Xun was left sitting there sullenly. 

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