Su Xiaoqi was merely thinking about it. Shen Yun had already entered, and there was no way she could drive him out.
“Wife, I had someone make some cooling tremella and lotus seed soup for you. Have some.” Shen Yun hadn’t come empty-handed.
He held a tray in his hand, with a bowl of silvery white tremella and lotus seed soup on it.
Su Xiaoqi glanced at him sideways, seeing him looking at her with anticipation.
She thought about it, picked up the spoon, and tasted a spoonful.
She wasn't a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl; she was an adult and knew that throwing a tantrum over something like this was enough.
Moreover, Shen Yun was truly wronged in this matter.
If she insisted on holding onto this issue, it would be too unreasonable.
Her drinking the tremella and lotus seed soup meant that what had happened before was over.
Shen Yun narrowed his eyes, very pleased. He took the bowl over and coaxed her to drink a few more sips.
His cautious and doting attitude almost made Su Xiaoqi believe that Shen Yun had been swapped.
Otherwise, why would he be like this?
Shen Yun saw through Su Xiaoqi’s confusion at a glance. He put down the tray, caressed her cheek, and said, “Wife, are you no longer angry? It’s really not worth being angry over someone like that.”
Su Xiaoqi pretended to think seriously and said, “You’re right, it’s really not worth it. No, I wasn’t angry.”
As early as seeing Shen Yun deal with Fang Gu so ruthlessly at the door, she knew that Shen Yun, like her, not only had no affection for that woman but even detested her.
“This matter is in the past.” Su Xiaoqi had kept Shen Yun waiting for so long, and she felt it was about time.
Since they were to be husband and wife, they couldn’t hurt each other’s feelings.
After all, even the deepest feelings needed to be carefully nurtured, especially marital relationships.
This thought suddenly appeared in Su Xiaoqi’s mind, making her heart tremble. She couldn’t believe she was thinking this.
Had she truly decided to be a real couple with Shen Yun and live together?
Su Xiaoqi had once considered this possibility but quickly dismissed it.
But this time, she had thought of it almost without hesitation.
She felt a little lost.
However, she wasn't indecisive.
She faced her thoughts directly.
Since she had thought about it, why not try it? If it worked, great; if not, they could just separate.
After all, in her heart, she had none of the rules and constraints of feudal etiquette.
Her heart had always been free.
However, this was just her thought. She wanted to ask Shen Yun what he thought.
“Husband.” Su Xiaoqi finished her thoughts and looked up. Shen Yun had already finished the tremella and lotus seed soup she hadn't finished.
She was somewhat shocked.
The book described him as very clean, let alone eating something someone else had eaten, he wouldn't even eat something someone had held and smelled.
Yet now, his actions caused waves to surge in her heart. She looked at him with disbelief.
“This, husband, if you want to eat, there’s more in the kitchen. If it’s all gone, I’ll have Zi Ling make some.”
Shen Yun said nonchalantly, “Isn’t there some here? If wife hasn’t finished it, husband will continue eating it.”
“But, but don’t you think this has been contaminated with saliva and is no longer clean?” Su Xiaoqi hesitated and reminded him.
Shen Yun chuckled softly, put down the empty white porcelain bowl, and walked closer to Su Xiaoqi.
Su Xiaoqi saw a bit of transparent juice clinging to the corner of his mouth. Almost instinctively, she took out her handkerchief and wiped it clean.
The smile on Shen Yun’s lips deepened. He gathered his hands, embraced Su Xiaoqi, and gently kissed her lips.
Su Xiaoqi’s body trembled instantly, and she stared at him blankly.
What was he thinking, doing that without any warning?
Fortunately, Shen Yun didn’t linger on her lips for too long. He left after a gentle kiss, but his forehead still rested against hers. He cupped her cheeks with his hands and said softly:
“Didn’t I just taste wife’s saliva? It’s not the first or second time, and there will be countless more times in the future. It’s just a bowl of tremella and lotus seed soup.”
His words were playful, but somehow Su Xiaoqi’s eyes suddenly turned red, and tears rolled down her cheeks without warning.
She was unaware until they landed on her cheeks, wet.
Only then did she react. She raised her hand blankly to wipe them, blinking hard, trying to stop the tears.
But the more she wiped, the more they flowed, and the more fiercely they streamed. For a moment, she couldn’t stop them.
“Wife, what’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?” Shen Yun was anxious. He had intended to confess his feelings, but he didn’t want to make Su Xiaoqi sad.
“I, I’m fine, I just, I just can’t help it.”
Su Xiaoqi bit her lip, tears still falling. She was both surprised and wronged. In Shen Yun’s eyes, she was much more pitiable than Fang Gu with her feigned tears.
He quickly used his sleeve to wipe her tears, pulled her into his arms, and patted her back, coaxing her gently.
After a long while of coaxing, Su Xiaoqi finally stopped crying, but because she had cried for so long, she was still sobbing, occasionally letting out a whimper.
Shen Yun felt genuinely distressed seeing her. He stroked her back and asked helplessly, “Wife, did you remember something?” You’re crying so sadly.
As he asked, he tried to see what Su Xiaoqi was thinking.
To his surprise, he saw nothing.
It wasn’t that he had suddenly lost this ability.
It was that Su Xiaoqi’s mind was truly blank, as if shrouded in a fog that spread outwards.
After a bout of sobbing, Su Xiaoqi regained her composure and began to ponder the cause of this sudden crying.
The tears had come spontaneously, like a burst dam, gushing out without the brain’s permission.
If someone had told her this before, she would never have believed it.
But only after experiencing it herself did she know that it was true.
Perhaps all her body’s functions had accepted Shen Yun.
Only her heart was still maintaining basic rationality, constantly trying to restrain her feelings for him.
So when she discovered that Shen Yun cared about her even more than she had imagined, while her heart was still hesitating, her body had already made a decision before her brain could.
She was moved to tears.
“Shen Yun, I like you.” Su Xiaoqi suddenly said softly.
She tried to admit her inner thoughts.
She was an adult, and liking someone she spent her days with, who treated her well, and who would even take a knife for her, seemed perfectly fine.
Shen Yun was stunned for a moment, then an overwhelming joy surged through him, engulfing every cell in his body, screaming to break free.
He hugged Su Xiaoqi tightly and said in a muffled voice, “Wife, say it again!” He was afraid he had misheard.
Su Xiaoqi had spoken impulsively, wanting to align her actions with her thoughts.
After saying it, she felt a little shy.
Admitting it was one thing, but saying it out loud was still a bit embarrassing.
So she decided to play dumb: “Hmm?”
“Say again that you like me.” Shen Yun earnestly requested.
Su Xiaoqi pouted, “Then do you like me?”
“I do, I do. Wife, I adore you. This life, next life, and the life after that, we will be together.” Shen Yun fully displayed his decisiveness as a man.
Su Xiaoqi’s heart felt a surge of happiness, bubbling with delight.
Influenced by his emotions, she responded without hesitation: “Shen Yun, I like you.”
Shen Yun was overjoyed. He felt an urge to weep with happiness but managed to control it.
His efforts had received a complete response.
The cloud of unease that had loomed over him regarding Su Xiaoqi finally dissipated. He held Su Xiaoqi tightly, almost as if he wanted to crush and embed her into his own body.