Shen Zaiye pressed his lips together, looking at the face before him with a complex expression.
If he hadn’t made the first mistake, he definitely wouldn’t be tolerating this now. He’d throw her out for sure! Even if he didn’t truly care, he should at least pretend. She shouldn’t look so happy – he wasn’t dead yet!
“My lord, open your mouth,” Taohua said worriedly, scooping up some medicine.
Shen Zaiye looked at her with disgust but opened his mouth for the medicine. Unexpectedly, it scalded him.
“Jiang Taohua!” he growled through gritted teeth, his tongue burning and numb. “When I tell you to feed me medicine, you don’t just shove it in my mouth. You need to blow on it to cool it! Do you understand?”
Blinking innocently, Taohua shrugged. “Doesn’t the doctor always say that if the medicine cools, it loses potency? You should drink it while it’s hot, my lord.”
“You try a sip first,” Shen Zaiye narrowed his eyes. “While it’s hot.”
Giggling, Taohua coaxed softly, “Be good, my lord. Medicine is for patients. It’s not good for healthy people. Please finish this bowl first.”
Daring to tell him to be good? Did she think he was a child? Furious, Shen Zaiye stared at the bowl of black medicine, constantly calming himself to suppress his anger.
He couldn’t get angry. She had been wronged, so it was natural for her to be upset. He should let her vent a little.
As another spoonful of medicine approached, Shen Zaiye frowned. Taking a deep breath, he took it in his mouth, then suddenly pulled Taohua close and kissed her.
“Ow!”
The medicine transferred from his mouth to hers, bitter and scalding. Taohua instinctively dropped the bowl and pushed him away.
Shen Zaiye chuckled, licking his lips as he looked at her sideways. “Can you drink it?”
“Nonsense!” Taohua said angrily. “Who wants to drink your saliva? What if I get poisoned?”
The room fell silent for a moment. Shen Zaiye narrowed his eyes. “What did you say?”
Taohua paused, sitting up straight and saying quietly, “I didn’t mean it that way. I just thought since you’re ill, what if you infected me?”
“As a lady of the Prime Minister’s household, don’t you have the resolve to share my joys and sorrows?” Shen Zaiye raised an eyebrow.
“Then you try sharing my joys and sorrows first,” Taohua rolled her eyes, muttering, “Where were you when I was suffering? Living comfortably with good food and drink. Clearly you enjoy the sweet while I bear the bitter. Who do you think you’re fooling?”
Shen Zaiye was taken aback, glancing at her.
When Jiang Taohua was angry, her face would puff up like a bun, making one want to poke it.
Thinking it, he did it. He poked her cheek – soft and springy. At the touch, his gaze softened. He opened his arms to her. “Taohua, come here.”
Looking at him warily, Jiang Taohua not only didn’t approach but moved back. “My lord, please just speak plainly!”
“Come while I’m still speaking nicely.”
“…Oh.” Taohua reluctantly moved closer, eyeing him like a suspicious character. Shen Zaiye found it both irritating and amusing.
He pulled her into his embrace, resting his chin on her shoulder as he said softly:
“Don’t be angry with me anymore.”
Hearing this, Taohua suddenly felt extremely wronged. Tears welled up like a spring, falling onto his shoulder. But she bit her lip without a sound, stubbornly holding her head high.
He punishes her when he wants and expects her not to be angry when he says so? Why? He wasn’t the Jade Emperor – who did he think he was?
“Tomorrow when tribute goods arrive, I hear there will be premium mutton from the Western Regions and many beautiful silk accessories. I’ll send them all to your courtyard, alright?”
“No!”
“Then how about increasing your monthly allowance? I’ll increase it for the maids in Zhengchun Palace too.”
“No!”
“Then…” Shen Zaiye was at a loss. He wasn’t one to coax women, let alone apologize to them. He’d already done so much – what more did she want?
Taohua sobbed for a while, then wiped her tears and tried to push him away. But his arms were like steel, unmovable.
“I still need to serve you medicine, my lord,” Taohua pouted. “If you keep holding me like this and delay taking your medicine, if you die, will it be my fault or your own?”
Torn between laughter and exasperation, Shen Zaiye released her. “You wish I were dead? What good would my death do you?”
“You being alive doesn’t do me much good either,” Taohua muttered, then ran off. She opened the door to have someone brew new medicine, then sat far from Shen Zaiye at the table, afraid he might come over to hit her.
Rubbing his brow, Shen Zaiye found her quite troublesome. He chuckled softly, “My mouth is bitter from the medicine. Bring me some preserved fruits.”
Taohua looked at him strangely. “Didn’t you say last time that the preserved fruits I gave you tasted bad?”
“Well, now I think they taste good. Is that alright?”
“Fine!” Taohua nodded, pulling two dried plums from her sleeve and stuffing them in his mouth. “You’re the boss. Whatever you say goes!”
Taking the plums in his mouth, Shen Zaiye glanced at her sleeve. “You carry snacks with you?”
Stepping back, Taohua said, “There’s no rule in this household forbidding me from carrying food, is there?”
“Come here,” Shen Zaiye beckoned.
Taohua pressed her lips together, hesitated for a long while, but eventually sat back down by the bed, covering her sleeve. “What instructions do you have, my lord?”
Not bothering with words, Shen Zaiye grabbed her hand and rummaged through her sleeve pocket.
Oil paper packages fell out like rain. Opening them revealed chicken legs, dried pork, peanuts, steamed buns, pastries, dried plums… everything.
Taohua hurriedly gathered up the packages, staring at him. “I just brought a few things casually. Nothing else!”
This was casual? It could last two or three days! Shen Zaiye laughed, but felt a lump in his throat. He pulled her close, saying very seriously, “I won’t lock you up without food again in the future.”
Taohua nodded, continuing to stuff the packages back into her sleeve.
“I mean it. I won’t starve you anymore. You don’t need to carry so much food,” Shen Zaiye pressed his lips together. “From now on, tell the kitchen whatever you want to eat. They’ll make you any delicacies you desire.”
Taohua glanced at him and continued nodding. “Thank you, my lord.”
Slightly annoyed, Shen Zaiye flipped her onto the bed and kissed her fiercely. His hand gripped her waist, feeling she had clearly lost weight.
It had only been two days, yet she seemed as if starved for two months. He truly felt guilty now.
Taohua frowned, enduring his ravaging, her eyes full of worry.
Shen Zaiye ignored her. It had been nearly a month since they’d been intimate – he had to kiss her thoroughly. When he was out of breath, he raised his head and looked at her askance. “What do you want to say?”
Taohua panted lightly, her face flushed peach pink, her eyes glistening. She truly looked alluring.
However, when she spoke, she said: “My lord, you’re pressing on the food! I can feel the pastries being crushed!”
Shen Zaiye: “…”
Could he strangle her? He could barely control his murderous intent! He’d never met a woman who could provoke his anger like this. The mood had improved – couldn’t she say something appropriate?
Taohua worriedly opened her sleeve pocket to see how crushed the pastries were. Shen Zaiye reached out and pulled off her outer robe, saying with disdain, “What’s there to care about? It’s just a few pastries.”
“Those are the peach blossom cakes I just made!” Taohua said angrily. “My lord never appreciates others’ hard work!”
Chuckling softly, Shen Zaiye lowered his head. “Your peach blossom cakes are full of rose petals. Shouldn’t they be called rose cakes? I don’t know how you came up with that name.”
“They’re cakes I made with my own hands, so they’re called peach blossom cakes. What does it matter what flowers are inside!” Taohua couldn’t help but talk back.
But as soon as she did, she seemed to realize something and looked up at the man above her.
Shen Zaiye’s eyes were deep black and beautiful, like a warm lake slowly surrounding her. They were very close, their breaths mingling. Taohua still wanted to be angry, but suddenly found she couldn’t.
Shen Zaiye smiled, looking at her tenderly. “How do you know I never appreciate others’ hard work?”
If he hadn’t eaten them, how could he know from the outside that the peach blossom cakes contained rose petals?
Jiang Taohua pressed her lips together, grumbling softly. Her prickles finally smoothed down a bit, and she fell silent.
Shen Zaiye lowered his head, gently nibbling her lips as if to soothe her, gradually smoothing down her raised hackles. When the person beneath him was completely relaxed, he shed his gentle demeanor and invaded like a wolf.
It was like a honeymoon after a brief separation. Shen Zaiye seemed rougher than before. This time, Taohua didn’t go easy on him either – scratching and biting when needed. When it hurt, she bit his shoulder like a little wolf cub and wouldn’t let go.
Surprisingly, Shen Zaiye didn’t threaten her this time. He let her bite and scratch without a word.
In her daze, Taohua felt that Shen Zaiye had transformed from a vicious snake into a gentle horse.
Too bad he was a stallion.
At the height of passion, Taohua couldn’t help but cry out. In her hazy state, she seemed to hear someone say in her ear: “I wronged you.”
Her heart jolted. Taohua opened her eyes, looking at him in confusion.
Shen Zaiye pressed his lips together, his expression as calm as if he had never spoken. Taking advantage of her distraction, he pulled her in for another round of lovemaking.
Taohua pouted, wanting to maintain her composure, but on the bed, either she made Shen Zaiye lose his mind or he stole her reason. This time Shen Zaiye had used a trick – one sentence left her dazed, and she lost this battle.
It was still daylight. Zhanlu stood outside the door, listening to the sounds within. He coughed lightly and led everyone else away.
He had worried earlier that his master couldn’t handle the situation, but now it seemed his master had intuitively grasped the fastest way to appease a woman.
Impressive!
(End of Chapter)