Xie Ming

Continuing from the previous article
The story goes that Xiao Lang will bring Chang Ting back to the mansion, and Hong Yu will come out of the central hall after removing her armor.

Thinking of Yu'e, he was afraid of disturbing her; thinking of Xu Jingyi, he couldn't help but feel jealous and, in a fit of pique, was rebuked by a maid.

Seeing that no one around him was giving him a friendly look, Xiao was also a little annoyed and left without a clear reason.

So, he simply uttered the word "you," thus losing face and dignity.

Miao Hongyu raised her oval face and glanced at him. Qiu Shui's eyes darted around, and she quickly pulled him away, then hurriedly brought the conversation back on track.

"Eh"

"Alright, alright, my lord, I'm begging you, just give me a break."

"We would be gone for four or five days at a time, camping outside, and we were often hungry and cold."

"You're so carefree, always worrying about this and that."

"I was wrong, okay?"

"After you take off this armor, I'll help you take a nice bath to warm you up."

"Fortunately, hot water is readily available, which is good for relieving fatigue."

"kindness?!"

A well-crafted story, no matter how hard the steel, will eventually deflate and melt into a soft touch.

Hongyu has been spoiled for a long time. Xiao Jiang usually doesn't spend much time at the mansion, so he finally got a chance and tried every trick in the book to pester her.

Soon, Xiao Lang surrendered and lost all his anger.

However, based on what he just said, I have some doubts and questions.

"Oh?"

"Boiling water?"

"When was the water boiled?"

"Didn't I send a message saying I'd be back today?" Xiao casually mentioned, still stunned by the word "return."

Hongyu untied the ropes binding her head, then gracefully moved to the front. She bent down, almost touching Xiao Jiang's thighs, and then squatted down to help him remove his lower armor.

He replied casually, without paying much attention to it.

"Hey, it's been prepared for a while now."

"Do you really need to tell me this?"

“I’m afraid that if you come back soon, you’ll be in a rush and leave as soon as you arrive.”

"They can't even get a few sips of hot tea."

"So, we had Uncle Xue help two servants to keep boiling water in front of us."

"I've been waiting for you to use it."

However, the meaning behind Hongyu's words was that she was speaking from her own heart.

Xiao Wenqu, however, felt that something was amiss; he was too blunt and didn't understand the girl's thoughts.

"Oh dear, why be so extravagant?"

"This will just waste so much firewood."

"The Duke's Mansion has recently become too prominent and has attracted a lot of attention. It is essential to manage the household diligently and frugally."

"To avoid outsiders seeing this, and who knows what they'll say or how they'll talk about it," Xiao Yu replied blankly.

After hearing this, Hongyu rolled her bright eyes, feeling that all her good intentions had been wasted.

Her pretty, rosy cheeks were warm, yet held a hint of annoyance, and her quick wit choked him again.

"How is that extravagant?"

"What kind of duke are you?"

“Back in the Shen family mansion, this wasn’t anything special.”

“This is the Duke’s mansion. You are the most powerful man in the court, second only to the emperor.”

"Who dares to say anything against it?"

"Are you trying to defy the heavens?"

"Only you could be so stingy and petty."

"I'm not saying this to be mean, but it's really laughable that people always do things without any ceremony or rules."

Hongyu scolded him in a bad mood.

That simpleton Xiao is too busy with official duties and state affairs to have the time to ponder these romantic thoughts.

Going home is already exhausting and embarrassing.

Good heavens, after all this back and forth, it's not even enough for Hongyu to handle alone.

This is truly absurd.

No further words were needed; judging from Xiao Lang's expression, he was indeed getting cold and was about to get angry.

Judging from the situation, Hongyu is like a little kitten, and seems to realize that she has gone too far with her temper.

With a graceful and charming demeanor, she coyly and coyly put on her feminine manners, put on a respectful smile, raised her arms and hung them on Xiao Lang's lower back, and with the help of the momentum, she almost pressed herself against his body, rubbing her face as she climbed up to stand up.

"Okay, okay, I was wrong, alright?"

"Look at you, you look so fierce."

"My lord, Hongyu will never dare to do it again." "Hmm, but since it's already prepared today, just this once, please grant my request, okay?!"

Hongyu looked pitiful, then put on a wronged and timid expression, which made me feel sorry for her.

With that, Xiao Yi could only let out a long sigh.

"Ugh"

"You little devil."

"I didn't mean to contradict you."

"I'm really exhausted today. I'm feeling sleepy and don't want to do anything."

"Tomorrow at noon when the sun is shining, Changting and I will draw water from the well and rinse them off in the yard."

It may seem like you've refuted my point, but you're actually just stating the facts, and you really can't get angry.

"This won't do."

"This"

"Forget it, I'm not going to be in charge anyway."

"Sir, I'll prepare some hot water for you to soak your feet later."

"If you don't cherish yourself, I will."

Clearly, the deep affection in these words was impossible to conceal.

After all, this is understandable.

Hongyu was originally part of Yu'e's dowry.

If she were in someone else's house, she would be perfect in every way, and they would have taken her in long ago.

How could he possibly enter the mansion of another duke? Xiao Jingchuan was serving as a military officer in a foreign land, and often had no time to return home, which made it difficult for their good relationship to come to fruition.

Recently, Xu Jingyi traveled a long distance to visit someone.

How could Hongyu possibly understand this matter?
His eagerness to express his feelings was nothing more than a heartfelt desire for his daughter to find a place to live, a testament to his deep affection for her lover.

"Hey, you two."

"General, I... I'll take my leave."

"Yes, Miss Hongyu, is the hot water dispenser in the kitchen?"

"Since the general can't use it all, I'll scoop some up first, then I'll go back inside and soak my feet myself."

Look, it's Miao Hongyu pressed against Xiao, her eyes are practically drooping.

Even if Changting was simple-minded, he was still an eyesore and an eyesore, so it was no good to keep him any longer.

I decided to use the excuse of hot water to say that I was busy and had to leave.

Unfortunately, at this critical moment, Hongyu relentlessly pursued her with her sharp tongue, displaying her unreasonable and domineering nature to the fullest.

"Hey, you..."

"Well, yet another shameless one."

“I painstakingly boiled water, and he didn’t even ask for it, but he wants to give it to you first.”

"No, and even if I did, I wouldn't give it to you first."

"Wait a moment, help me carry a big basin to the east wing of the inner courtyard. Since you helped me, you can have the rest."

With a quick glance, Miao Hongyu realized that she could earn some labor by talking, saving herself the trouble of working hard again.

However, Xiao Jingchuan was caught in the middle of their conversation, and he felt indescribably uncomfortable.

He gave a wry smile, thinking he needed to get rid of them as soon as possible, and hurriedly went to rest.

"Oh dear, what time is it? Why bother making him go through all this trouble?"

"Okay, it's just soaking your feet. Where's the basin? Changting, let's go together and do it. You should go back to your room and rest too."

"Get up early tomorrow morning. The Ministry of War still has many urgent matters to finish. You won't have a chance to sleep in," Xiao interrupted.

Unexpectedly, Changting, who was holding back his mischief, quipped that he wouldn't buy it.

"Yes, yes, yes."

"General, please go inside quickly."

"I'm destined to serve others; I'll do the work."

"No luck at all."

"Can't you see? If we don't please Sister-in-law Hongyu today, neither of us will get a good night's sleep."

Changting sought an opportunity to humiliate the two of them.

The speaker meant no harm, but the listener heard it and it resonated deeply.

Suddenly, Hong Yuteng's cheeks flushed red, and her ears felt hot and dry.

From head to toe, everyone was twisting and turning, except for the stubborn one, who tried to argue in vain.

"Pooh!"

"You damned Changting, you foul-mouthed bastard, you..."

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll pull out your tongue."

With her beautiful face and the opportunity to speak, Chun Tao unconsciously leaned closer to Xiao Jiang's chest. (End of Chapter)