The rest was not for her to worry about, even if she wanted to, she could not. After the banquet when everyone had left, Lin Zhenghui asked her, "What poison was put in the tea?"
"It’s not deadly or harsh. It causes a bit of nosebleed and mouth bleeding, just enough to embarrass both of us." Bai Ruozhu shook her head and said, "Master, I think being your disciple is very unsafe. The Commerce Association is in chaos. Where they dare to play such tricks, you should be more careful next time."
Lin Zhenghui felt an alternating rush of heat and chill on his face at his disciple’s words. All he he could mutter was, "Master will find out what happened and give you an explanation."
It wasn’t until Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun left that Lin Zhenghui realized, as the master, why should he be explaining things to his disciple? Was he a failure as a master? But thinking about how he presented himself in public, he cheered up again.
Once in the carriage, Jiang Yichun started massaging Bai Ruozhu’s knee. With a touch of his inner strength, she could feel a warm flow into her knee making her feel comfortable. She closed her eyes, leaning on his shoulder to take a nap.
Just as she closed her eyes, a big hand snuck up from underneath her dress and pinched her over the abdomen.
Bai Ruozhu opened her eyes in shock and her red lips parted, almost giving a yell. Drowsy a moment ago, now she was wide awake.
She shot him an angry glance, "Stop fooling around. We don’t have much time on the road," she scolded.
If he started acting out, when they reached home and had to dismount in front of Wa San, it would be embarrassing. If anyone noticed something unusual, she could hide in a crack in the ground.
Jiang Yichun smirked, "So, my lady likes to take her time, huh?"
Bai Ruozhu blushed and complained, "You’re too smug these days, always picking on me."
He quirked the corner of his mouth, saying softly, "When did I ever pick on you? You said you like it to last longer, and didn’t I always agree to your request? As to right now, why not start a little play, don’t you like it? Hmm?" His "Hmm?" trailed off at the end.
He received a slap on his paw, "Behave!" she warned.
She gave him a deadly glare, almost grinding her teeth. But when she met his slightly aggrieved gaze, she couldn’t help but soften.
These past few days, between their child and hurrying on the journey, they hadn’t enjoyed a healthy married life. On their return, Jiang Yuchun saw her dark under-eye circles and didn’t have the heart to bother her. Thus, it was hard for him to restrain himself today.
So, her voice softened considerably, "Stop messing around, we’ll talk about it when we get home."
His lips curled up. In a second, the original aggrieved expression turned into a captivating one, which made Bai Ruozhu irritated but helpless. Oh, his lips were just so attractive.
She couldn’t help but reach out and stroke his lips. Not too thin, not too thick, just right. The subtle arc of his lips as he smiled was aesthetically pleasing. People at home called it ’The Lunar Smile.’ And he used to be always so stern, tightly pursing his lips, wasting the fatal charm of this curve.
Many times she could hardly believe that such a divine man belonged to her completely. Just like in the past, she couldn’t imagine herself being loved by a celebrity heartthrob. That’s because Jiang Yichun’s good looks could have crushed all the popular idol boys in the modern world.
When he noticed her touching his lips with such a fascinated look, he opened his mouth and bit her finger.
"Ouch! Do you think you’re a dog?" Bai Ruozhu exclaimed in pain. She knew she shouldn’t have let her guard down, he really was wicked.
"You slapped me a moment ago, and now just got a bite from me. Aren’t we even? Otherwise, you could bite me too. I promise I won’t be as petty as you," Jiang Yichun said with a wicked grin.
"I’m not like you, a dog!" Bai Ruozhu glanced at his wicked grin and felt like pinching him. Just as she leaned in, his fingers got tangled in her hair pulling her towards him, and he planted a kiss on her lips.
By the time they reached home, Bai Ruozhu’s lips were swollen. She muttered to herself that this guy must be a dog!
"Can’t you do without biting?" she grumbled.
He chuckled, pulling her hand, "Alright, I’ll use something different the next time."
She raised an eyebrow. Was he making a suggestive hint?
But she didn’t want the swelling on her lips to be seen by anyone at home, so she didn’t think much about it. Quickly walking towards the house, she whispered to him: "Go say hello to my parents. Tell them that I am..."
What should she say? She was at a loss for words.
"Don’t worry, leave it to me. I’ll be right back." He winked at her before he walked away.
Unfortunately, Jiang Yichun took half a day to return. Bai Ruozhu was getting impatient waiting for him in the room while Jiang Yichun was feeling anxious in the main hall. He almost ended up expressing his impatience outright to his father-in-law.
Bai Yihong didn’t know about the situation, he had just finished a component of the toys they were making and was enthusiastically explaining the method to Jiang Yichun, even demonstrating how to make it.
Jiang Yichun could not ignore his father-in-law’s good intentions or fail to give him face. He mustered up a smile and kept saying "yes, yes, yes."
Finally, after Bai Yihong finished his demonstration, Jiang Yichun excused himself and ran back to their room, immediately pouncing on his wife waiting in bed...
Afterward, they lay lazily in bed, Bai Ruozhu snuggled up against his neck, asking, "When are we going to start our journey to the Capital?"
He was playing with her fingers, "Just a couple of days more, we can’t delay any further."
Bai Ruozhu mumbled in agreement, sadness clouding her eyes. She didn’t want to leave her family, yet she also felt apprehensive about Jiang Yichun going to the Capital alone.
"Before we leave, I want to host a farewell banquet and invite all our friends. Hmm... what kind of format would be appropriate?" she wondered, thoughtful fingers brushing her chin.
Jiang Yichun chuckled, "Aren’t banquets usually arranged with tables? Do you plan to arrange it like the ones in the palace, with individual tables?"
Bai Ruozhu’s eyes sparkled, "You just gave me an idea. Let’s do a buffet!" Confident in her decision, she leaned over, giving his cheek a kiss as a reward.
His gaze darkened a bit, a smirk tugging at his lips, "That was asking for trouble!"
His kisses were like rain, dropping everywhere. She complained, "Jiang Yichun, quit messing around. We have a child now!"
He was already excited and paid no heed to her complaints, cheekily replying, "It’s your own doing. Don’t even think about running."
Before she could object, his mouth silenced hers. Knowing she couldn’t win, she let herself go with the flow. Besides, he knew her preferences so well that she couldn’t resist him, nor could she bear to do so. The two of them got immersed in their world...