Actually, when Pei Shu’er tasted the food, she was a bit surprised.
Tang Zan, this person with no emotions at all, actually cooked for her.
And even brought someone to deliver the meal to her.
This behavior, really not like Tang Zan at all, okay?!
But seeing Tang Zan’s somewhat flustered appearance, she couldn’t help but want to laugh.
Tang Zan’s face showed a moment of surprise, then he suppressed it with a cold sneer. His voice was as cold as ice shards.
"Pei Shu’er, don’t be so self-indulgent."
Pei Shu’er pursed her lips and smiled, her peach blossom eyes glanced at Tang Zan, full of charm even she wasn’t aware of.
Then, she noticed a suspicious red on the back of his ear.
She raised an eyebrow and tasted a piece of cabbage with her chopsticks. Original content can be found at novel~fire~net
She ate slowly, her rosy tongue curling the cabbage into her mouth, her gaze still locking onto his with a teasing smile.
As if she wanted to see his guilty conscience.
Tang Zan’s ears turned even redder, and he looked at Pei Shu’er almost in frustration.
He pressed her heavily between the chairs, with their combined weight, the chair tilted, Pei Shu’er was trapped as if caged by Tang Zan’s arms.
The chair’s only two back legs rested on the ground, forming a 45-degree angle with the floor.
Pei Shu’er felt an imbalance like she was about to fall to the ground at any moment, and she couldn’t help but grip Tang Zan’s collar tightly.
Her usual mischievous peach blossom eyes widened, and for a moment, Tang Zan saw a panicked look like a startled deer in them.
His heart skipped a beat.
Pei Shu’er realized that being so close to Tang Zan, his handsomeness could almost knock a little deer dead.
After calming down, Pei Shu’er kicked her feet in the air a few times, seeing that Tang Zan still didn’t let go.
She pushed him lightly.
"Tang Zan, what are you doing?"
Her voice was naturally sweet and even with such accusatory words, it was soft and lacked any threat, more like she was coquettishly spoiling him.
Tang Zan’s originally dark eyes became even blacker.
He ground his teeth: "Pei Shu’er, can you eat properly?"
Pei Shu’er’s long eyelashes fluttered, her face showing innocent confusion.
"I’m eating properly, though."
Tang Zan righted her chair and shoved the chopsticks back into her hand, glaring at her fiercely.
"Just eat when you’re eating, why are you looking at me?"
In her family’s teaching, there indeed was "speak no words while eating, converse not in sleep".
But there was no rule about "not looking at others while eating."
Moreover, it was Tang Zan who kept looking at her. She thought Tang Zan had something to say to her, so she looked at him.
Pei Shu’er looked speechless. To prevent the villain from going crazy again, she silently ate the food in her bowl.
Once Tang Zan calmed down, the little space became extraordinarily quiet, yet Pei Shu’er always felt a burning gaze watching her silently.
Being stared at by a villain was not a good experience at all.
Pei Shu’er quickly finished her meal and pushed the bowl to Granny Zhang. After that, she got up to prepare medicine in the medicine room.
Recently, they gathered some herbs from the back mountains, which were now dried and just needed to be sliced.
Usually, by this time, Tang Zan would leave.
He showed no interest in herbs.
But today, Tang Zan followed her into the medicine room, and seeing her cut the herbs, he also started to imitate her, cutting along with her.
The good part was the efficiency, and she did not feel dizzy anymore.
The downside was that Tang Zan’s presence was too strong. Co-working in such a small space made Pei Shu’er feel a bit breathless.
Moreover, their hands occasionally touched, and Tang Zan’s warm, calloused fingers brushing her skin would cause a tingling itch.
Tang Zan raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on his lips.
To ensure smoother cooperation, Pei Shu’er moved slightly aside, but this action seemed to anger the villain.
Pei Shu’er noticed the air pressure in the room drop significantly in an instant.
Pei Shu’er looked up and found Tang Zan staring at her with those dark, deep eyes, his gaze fierce.
"Pei Shu’er, weren’t you eager to stick to me before? So, did this stranger catch your attention?"
Pei Shu’er denied it three times: "I’m not, I didn’t, don’t talk nonsense."
Tang Zan laughed out of anger, thinking Pei Shu’er was denying sticking close to him.
In the past, Pei Shu’er wanted to sleep on his side, cling to him while traveling, and even searched for resources in the back mountains together. How could she say there was nothing now?
But Pei Shu’er referred to being attracted to the stranger.
"I remember my identity, my morals, and my upbringing won’t allow me to betray you."
Pei Shu’er thought she was reassuring Tang Zan’s heart, but unexpectedly, Tang Zan let out a cold laugh, his eyes filled with even more ridicule.
"You’ve done it before. The Third Prince was someone you still associated with even after our engagement."
Pei Shu’er: "..." This... is undeniable.
In Tang Zan’s opinion, the original Pei Shu’er really had no credibility left, did she?
A case of infidelity PTSD.
She couldn’t be bothered to argue: "Fine, think whatever you like."
Saying that, she continued cutting the herbs in her hand, disinclined to deal with Tang Zan beside her.
Neither of them spoke afterward, both being stubborn, unwilling to be the first to admit defeat.
The air was thick with a near-tangible low pressure.
After finishing with the herbs, Pei Shu’er was the first to leave the medicine room, at which moment Yinxing hurriedly arrived.
"Miss, that man has woken up."
Pei Shu’er was a bit surprised; nowadays, people indeed have robust constitutions to wake up just three hours after such a major operation.
As soon as she entered the room, she saw "Lu Yuan" gazing at the doorway with open eyes.
He had a pair of warm amber eyes, looking gently at someone and giving an impression of gentleness.
Pei Shu’er nodded to him politely, then reached out to check "Lu Yuan’s" forehead, finding a bit of fever.
Just when she was about to withdraw her hand, the man’s grip caught her wrist.
The Third Prince Yan Hengyin was looking at her with reddened eyes, somewhat emotional.
Pei Shu’er was surprised and was about to speak when she heard Tang Zan’s cold laugh.
"Pei Shu’er, you and he are indeed innocent."
Pei Shu’er was a bit embarrassed. She had just denied a connection with this man, and now Tang Zan caught this scene.
The slap of reality came too quickly.
Pei Shu’er tried to pull her hand away, the man looked at Tang Zan, his amber eyes filled with shock, and only then did he slowly let go.
Pei Shu’er didn’t dare say she didn’t know "Lu Yuan", the original memory left her with fragmented pieces, missing much detail.
And now "Lu Yuan" clearly seemed to know her.
If she claimed not to know him, she’d be exposed in front of "Lu Yuan".