The Noble Woman’s Guide On How to Tease One’s Husband

The Noble Woman’s Guide On How to Tease One’s Husband – Chapter 54

Translated by: Oinkoink

Proofread by: SilkScreen

Chapter 54 – Chat

This novel is only hosted on Foxaholic, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized

 

It was said that Chu Zhenghe was once an infamous loafer in Wangdu, who was wantonly suave and lived life like a game. But since the death of Chu Rong from illness, he went to the fief and stayed there for ten years. It is unavoidable that a life without the company of relatives and friends will be a little dull. So, with Chu Jinglan’s arrival this time, he finally can look for fun and make a trip to the mansion all day long whether or not there is a matter to discuss, not mentioning how diligent he is.

Chu Jinglan happened to be away today and Chu Zhenghe had rushed over for nothing.

“Went out? This is really rare. I thought he was going to sit crossed-legged (like a monk in meditation) in the mansion and become immortal.”

Even though he said so, Chu Zhenghe absolutely had no intention to go home. He lifted the hem of his sky-blue robe and walked in without haste, as if strolling through the garden.

Unable to figure out his intention, Tang Qingfeng followed behind him cautiously and asked tentatively, “Wangye didn’t say when he would be back. How about you come back another day?”

“It doesn’t matter. As it happens, this Little King will visit Wangfei.” Chu Zhenghe hooked his lips, his demeanor became increasingly unrestrained.

Tang Qingfeng was shocked. He pondered inwardly, this master is one who will not play by the rules and if he does something to Wangfei, would Wangye hack him up when he returns? The more he thought about it, the more he profusely perspired and hurriedly stopped Chu Zhenghe.

“Junwang[1], as you can see Wangye is not home, isn’t it inappropriate for you to meet Wangfei alone?”

“What’s inappropriate about it? Wangfei has been sick for so long and I must come to see her no matter what, otherwise it would be a breach of etiquette.”

After saying that, Chu Zhenghe walked directly to the winding corridors and like a gust of wind, he was just a few steps away in a blink of an eye where he didn’t hesitate at the fork of the road. He finally reached the back garden after several turns, seemingly even more familiar with the place than his own home. Tang Qingfeng chased after him. In the midst of finding a reason to stop him, he, however, halted unexpectedly.

In the waterside pavilion with the quilted door curtain half opened, a delicate little person was reading a book in a rocking chair. With bright eyes and pearly teeth, fair skin like a carved white jade she embellished the plain winter landscape like a splash of bright color.

It was not that he had never seen a beautiful woman before, such as the gorgeous Bai Zhixuan or the graceful Xie Qian, both of whom were unrivalled beauties that are rarely seen in Wangdu. She obviously is not as beautiful as those two, yet she has a unique charm, enchantingly radiant like the sunlight above her head.

Is it possible that Jinglan has been seduced by this face?

Raising his thick eyebrows, Chu Zhenghe stepped closer to the waterside pavilion when Ye Huaiyang turned her head upon hearing the movement and both lines of visions met briefly in the air. Soon after, she heard the faintly raised voice of Chu Zhenghe call out, “Little Cousin-in-Law?”

Ye Huaiyang lowered her chin lightly in salutation. Her voice was still a little weak as she had just recovered from the serious illness, “Junwang Rong, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

“Little Cousin-in-Law isn’t the least bit surprised to see me.”

“Isn’t this Junwang’s residence? After letting us stay for so long, it’s understandable to come back and have a look.” Ye Huaiyang’s words were beside the point. She added after a slight pause, “Moreover, I have seen King Uncle Rong and Junwang look very much like him, hence, I don’t feel startled.”

“You have met my father? When was it?” Chu Zhenghe was a little surprised. After all, Chu Rong passed away ten years ago when Ye Huaiyang was still a small child and even if they had the opportunity to meet, the memories would probably be fuzzy by now.

“I’ve seen his portrait in the study of King Lan mansion.”

Feeling slightly startled, the cynical expression on Chu Zhenghe’s face diminished completely, leaving only a faint melancholy. A moment later, he suddenly pulled his lips up and smiled, “Unexpectedly the painting is still in King Lan mansion.”

Ye Huaiyang nodded solemnly, “Wangye once said that King Uncle Rong was his most respected elder, so the painting should naturally be preserved.”

The late emperor was frail and depended on Chu Rong for many national affairs. As his beloved son, Chu Jinglan had followed Chu Rong since young to learn martial arts then enlisted in the army and discussed political affairs. His martial arts skill and talents were mostly inherited from him. Their relationship was even more intimate than the biological father and son. So, Chu Jinglan kept his portrait as a commemoration after Chu Rong’s death.

Chu Zhenghe was aware of this. However, King Lan mansion has been vacant since the sudden change of circumstances six years ago. He once thought everything inside the mansion would also be lost, but realized today that the painting is still there when Ye Huaiyang mentioned it. Although it was merely brought up in a sentence, he knew that it took a lot of effort to preserve it properly.

Let it pass then. The past has vanished like smoke and unbearable to look back upon.

Chu Zhenghe casually took a chair and sat down. He then began to carefully size up Ye Huaiyang and remarked carelessly, “Jinglan even told you about this. It seems like he likes you very much.”

Ye Huaiyang could hear the profound meaning of his words but she didn’t care, merely curled up the corners of her lips and smiled thinly, “Does Junwang not like me?”

“That’s an interesting question.” Chu Zhenghe looked at her and smiled a meaningful smile. “I don’t have any favorable impressions of women around Jinglan. The snake-hearted Bai Zhixuan and also the feigned docile Meng Chen, both are not easy to deal with.”

“According to what Junwang said, wouldn’t I be a demon if I exterminated them both?”

Chu Zhenghe nodded his head in dead earnest, “Theoretically it is so. That’s the reason why I wanted to come over and take a look.”

“It’s useless to look.” The phoenix eyes of Ye Huaiyang raised slightly, brimming with wisps of charm which made one’s heartstrings quiver. “Sooner or later, I will eat Wangye up and wipe myself clean*. Junwang just has to wait and see.”

[T/N: Eat up and wipe clean 吃干抹净 (Chī gān mǒ jìng) – An idiom that describes about no room for doing things and mostly used when one have taken advantage then decided not to be responsible for one’s action.]

Chu Zhenghe was bewildered by the perversely captivating eyes for a moment and when he reacted, a huge wave suddenly surged up in his heart – did he mishear it? Why did he sense another meaning in those words?

He was still in a daze when a familiar deep voice unexpectedly sounded behind him, “What’s there to wait and see?”

They both turned to look simultaneously and saw Chu Jinglan walk over from afar. Dressed in a navy blue brocade robe with deerskin boots, he was imposing and awe-inspiring like the wind. Grasping onto the railing, Ye Huaiyang slowly got up, wanting to greet him yet who knew he had already embraced her into his arms even before she took a step.

“Why are you standing up? Sit down.”

After recuperating for half a month, her left leg was still not strong enough and whenever she stood up, she would always lean to one side unconsciously, which made Chu Jinglan’s heart ache severely every time he saw it. He wished he could suffer these pains for her yet she never complained a word instead would constantly comfort him.

“I’m fine. The medical officer said it’s good to stand up often which helps the blood flow.” Ye Huaiyang’s eyes turned and caught sight of the golden cedarwood food box he was holding and couldn’t help wondering, “What’s that?”

Chu Jinglan replied indifferently, “I went out on an errand and bought it on the way back.”

Chu Zhenghe who was on the side however, noticed the inkling and deliberately stretched his tone and jokingly uttered, “Pu Ji Pastry shop is located in the deepest alley of the west city with nine turns and eighteen bends. I still lose my way whenever I go there. Did you coincidentally pass by on your way?”

As soon as his voice faltered, Chu Jinglan’s sharp eyes darted over causing Ye Huaiyang to giggle.

Her appetite has been poor since she fell ill these days. In addition, she is not used to eating the northern dishes and practically does not move her chopsticks at every meal. Chu Jinglan does not say anything but he does feel a little worried, hence he asked people to search the streets all day to find all kinds of appetizing snacks for her. Unexpectedly, she ate happily and this became a habit. Who would have thought he would be caught by Chu Zhenghe today. It was also very amusing to watch these two brothers tear each other down while enjoying the delicacy.

Chu Jinglan, nevertheless, was not in the mood to pay Chu Zhenghe any more attention. He looked down and asked, “Did I not say that it’s cold here and told you not to come over?”

“It’s too stuffy in the room, so I came out for some breather.”

“Go back to your room. It’s still early, so take a nap after taking the medicine.” After saying that, Chu Jinglan turned to look at Chu Zhenghe again, “Don’t just spring over here if you have nothing to do.”

Raising his eyebrows, Chu Zhenghe said, “What? Are you afraid that I’ll eat Little Cousin-in-Law up when you’re not around? How about this; Anytime you accompany me for a meal or a drink then I won’t come again.”

It’s true that since they arrived in Yanzhou, Ye Huaiyang has been ill and Chu Jinglan has been extremely busy, that’s why he hasn’t been able to get together with Chu Zhenghe until now. It’s just that once one agrees to go with him, one will most likely have to indulge in some kind of dissipation according to his temperament. Even though Chu Jinglan stayed away from those indulgences, it’s still inevitable that Ye Huaiyang will be vexed seeing that, thus he is a little reluctant.

How could Ye Huaiyang not understand what he was thinking? With a twist of her mind, a compromising suggestion was made, “I heard that the restaurants in the city will have a shadow puppet play several days after. Why don’t we stop by and have dinner there?”

“You want to watch it?” Chu Jinglan lowered his head and looked at her.

“Yes. It’s not easy to come to Yanzhou once. How can I not check out the unique local novelties?” Ye Huaiyang grinned with delight then turned to the side, “What does Junwang think?”

Chu Zhenghe shrugged and said, “Anything is fine for me.”

Chu Jinglan made the final decision, “Then it’s settled. You arrange the place and tell me. I’ll take her back to the room to rest first.”

He supported Ye Huaiyang towards the bedroom. The paces were extremely slow and it took a long while to walk away from Chu Zhenghe’s line of sight. Looking at the direction they were going, the corners of Chu Zhenghe’s mouth perked up into a profound smile.

It seems that Ye Huaiyang really has the ability to make Chu Jinglan protect her like this.

When they got back to the room, the needed medicine, bandages, cotton swabs and other items had been neatly placed on the bedside table. Yue’ya was waiting quietly outside without disturbing them, as if she was used to having Chu Jinglan taking over her job.

“How are you feeling today?”

Chu Jinglan let her lie down on the bed then began to remove the bandages on her leg. His movements were adept and full of caution, for fear of hurting her the slightest bit. Ye Huaiyang took all this in her eyes and felt sweetness in her heart. She was about to tell him she is fine and there’s nothing to worry when a thought suddenly popped up in her mind that she changed her tone.

“The leg is fine but the chest is a little stuffy…”

Her voice was low and soft while her fair hand stroked her chest, looking delicate and feeble. Chu Jinglan immediately stopped his hands movement and leaned over to look at her, his dashing eyebrows knitted.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier? I’ll send the medical officer over…”

Before he finished speaking, those half-drooped phoenix eyes unexpectedly opened and flashed slyly. Seemingly having felt something, Chu Jinglan had barely got up when she caught him and fell uncontrollably on the bed. Underneath him was her sweet-scented soft body, particularly that two snowy peaks which simply drove him wild with desire.

“What are you doing?” His eyes were burning and his voice had gone slightly hoarse.

“What else can I do?” Ye Huaiyang raised her lips and smiled tenderly then suddenly extended her small pink tongue to lick him, provoking a burst of shudder, “After resting for so long, it’s time to move my muscles and bones.”

“Nonsense, the medicine has yet….”

The words were interrupted again. The last syllable was swallowed into the soft red lips. With breaths mingled between two bodies, they clung tightly to each other and it was difficult to separate them.

[1] 郡王 (Jùn wáng) – Prefecture King / County King. Prince of 2nd rank.

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