Chapter 3: Chirp Chirp Chirp Chirp
“I’ll wash up too.”
Li Ruantang casually draped her outer garment over the bamboo rack in front of the bathtub, creating a makeshift screen that separated the tub from the square table.
“But……”
Meng Jun abruptly turned his back, yet his peripheral vision couldn’t help but glance behind. The young gentleman’s ears burned bright red, firstly because he had misunderstood Li Ruantang, and secondly—
His voice lowered further, like a gentle breeze brushing past the woman standing by the bathtub, “That’s the water I used.”
He had always known Li Ruantang was particular about cleanliness. However, in the Great Jin, women were revered, and it was simply unthinkable for a woman to use a gentleman’s bathwater.
Moreover, that was water he had used, and if Li Ruantang used it too, wouldn’t that be indirectly bathing together?
Meng Jun’s chest tightened, his face flushing even redder in panic.
Splash—, a clear sound of water entry came from behind the bamboo screen. The young gentleman could still glimpse half of a smooth, fair shoulder not hidden by the bamboo rack as he glanced sideways.
It was like the mutton-fat jade she kept by her pillow, or more like a dazzling beam of light.
When had the young gentleman ever seen such a sight? His peripheral vision lingered, forgetting to look away until he heard her soft words,
“It’s alright, you’re not an outsider.”
“Eh?” Meng Jun was slightly stunned, speechless.
Since his father’s passing, it had been a long time since anyone at home had spoken to him like this.
His mother was busy with court affairs, with little leisure time. Although there was still Han Fushi managing the household, he was habitually cautious and certainly wouldn’t be informal with Meng Jun, being polite yet distant.
In his small courtyard, apart from a few servants who grew up with him, only the birds he kept in the corridor would speak more with him.
Come to think of it, his small courtyard was separated from Li Ruantang’s bedroom by just a wall.
The two families were neighbors.
When they were young, Li Ruantang would often have people set up ladders at the top of the wall, climbing up to talk to him and alleviate his boredom.
During those days, she had also patted her chest, saying she would be his family in the future, accompanying him forever.
But what about later?
The young gentleman pressed his lips together, suppressing the melancholy in his heart. A child’s playful words, yet he had taken them seriously.
In this world, companionship is the hardest.
Moreover, the word “forever” could mean from black hair to white hair when spoken of as long, yet it could also be merely from sunrise to sunset when spoken of as short.
A sudden surge of sorrow welled up in Meng Jun’s heart.
“Silly chirp chirp, you are my husband.”
Li Ruantang’s cheeks flushed slightly as she glanced back at the dazed young gentleman. The corners of her lips curved up slightly, her voice lowering a bit more, “The fried eggs will get cold if you leave them any longer, eat quickly.”
Her voice was like a warm sun on a winter’s day, gently melting the thin snow on the grass. The young gentleman sniffled, but sadly, he knew this wife and husband relationship was false, though she didn’t.
A playful water droplet fell from the tips of her hair. Meng Jun felt as if someone had bitten hard at the tip of his heart, an indescribable feeling. He hurriedly turned his back and sat at the table.
“Chirp chirp.”
“Hmm?” The young gentleman absentmindedly bit into a fried egg.
Li Ruantang looked back at him, her lips curving into a slight smile, “I asked Sanniang for some medicine for injuries. In a while, I’ll have to trouble you to look at my back.”
Before bathing, she hadn’t felt much discomfort in her back, but now sitting in the water, waves of piercing pain came one after another.
As they were wife and husband, this request shouldn’t be considered out of line.
“…Me?”
Meng Jun’s throat constricted, his mind inexplicably filled with the glimpse of white he had unintentionally caught earlier. The young gentleman’s face suddenly flushed red, the tension in his mind growing tighter. His eyes darted about, not knowing where to look. If he were to examine her injuries and apply medicine, wouldn’t that mean seeing Li Ruantang completely exposed?
Once this thought arose, it spread like wildfire. Before he knew it, it had burned him into a fit of coughing.
The sound of splashing water came from behind the bamboo screen as Li Ruantang hurriedly put on her clothes and rose, rushing over.
“What’s wrong?”
Her voice suddenly sounded by his ear. Meng Jun instinctively looked up and saw her loosely draped collar and the water droplets continuously dripping down her cascading black hair, leaping into the snow-white valley, never to be seen again, yet seemingly splashing onto his heart and forehead.
“……”
“Why is your face so red?”
Li Ruantang worriedly touched the young gentleman’s forehead, feeling a frightening heat. Her heart jolted in alarm, fearing he had caught a chill. Just as she was about to turn to find medicine, Meng Jun tightly grasped her sleeve.
The young gentleman turned his face away, his clear voice slightly deepening, “Wife-master, I’m fine.”
“Nonsense.” Li Ruantang thought he was afraid of spending more money and felt even more pity for him. Her husband, Li Ruantang’s husband, absolutely could not be wronged like this.
The forehead she had touched grew even redder. Those beautiful phoenix eyes darted around, and he hurriedly said, “It’s just, it’s just that I choked a bit earlier.”
These words were meant for Li Ruantang to hear, but also to reassure the young gentleman himself.
He secretly took a deep breath. That’s right, his face was red because he choked on the egg yolk, definitely not because of her!
“Are you really alright?” Li Ruantang was still worried.
Meng Jun nodded, very seriously letting go of her hand, “I think that Hu family lady is also a……”
He paused, then said in a low voice, “She’s a shrewd person. Wife-master, it’s better not to trouble her too much.”
She still had moisture on her body.
The young gentleman handed over the face towel he had just used, “Wife-master, better use this to wring out your hair first.”
This strip of cotton, though coarse in texture, was already the best quality the Hu family could spare.
Meng Jun slowly sat back down on the stool, looking at the last fried egg left in the bowl.
He wasn’t actually hungry. After falling from the mountain into the river, being alive was already extremely fortunate. Compared to satisfying his appetite, he was more exhausted at the moment.
Earlier, fearing that Hu Sanniang might have ill intentions, he had forced himself to stay awake and guard Li Ruantang’s side as soon as he woke up.
Having finally waited for Li Ruantang to wake up, and now having taken a hot bath, the young gentleman’s eyelids gradually grew heavy. He didn’t mention that his brocade clothes were still damp.
He didn’t say anything, but Li Ruantang had noticed.
***
In This Life, I Won’t Be Foolish To Lose You Again (Female-dominant)
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
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