Chapter 550: Mutton Soup (1)
The bathroom was filled with a hazy mist. Chu Lian was leaning against the side of the bathtub with her eyes closed, as if she was thinking about something.
From He Changdi’s position, all he could see was half of her exposed snow-white back and her long black hair.
All the tension he had been carrying in his body faded away. The stiff expression on his face also became more gentle.
Chu Lian seemed to have heard the movement, so she turned her head in curiosity. She met with He Sanlang’s tender gaze as he stood several steps away from her.
“Husband?” Chu Lian’s voice carried a hint of uncertainty. It was clear that she hadn’t expected He Changdi to return so soon.
He Changdi couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He quickly strode towards Chu Lian and reached out to stroke the top of her head.
He sighed ruefully, “It was my fault that you suffered a fright.”
Chu Lian hastily shook her head, “They probably planned everything even before I returned to the Ying Estate. Even if we were fully prepared, it wouldn’t have guaranteed that I would be able to escape their trap.”
Chu Lian was somewhat distracted as she spoke. The young couple had consummated their marriage just recently, so she wasn’t fully comfortable with being naked in front of each other yet.
Especially when she was submerged in the bathtub completely naked, while he stood on the side neatly dressed.
She shrunk deeper into the water subconsciously, allowing the rose petals floating on the surface of the water to cover up her smooth and fair skin.
Her subtle action had attracted He Sanlang’s attention.
He had rushed into the bathroom without thinking at first, because he was still worried and he wanted to check on his wife’s safety. He finally realised how suggestive their current positions were when he noticed Chu Lian’s little action.
The desire that had been suppressed by his worry immediately engulfed him like a tidal wave.
He Changdi couldn’t resist letting his slender fingers slide through Chu Lian’s dark hair. He traced her reddened earlobe and her smooth cheek, before he finally landed on her beautiful collarbone.
Chu Lian didn’t know if it was because of the nourishing tonic that she had drunk, but her body had become especially sensitive now.
The areas his fingers had traced over were burning up, as if she had been set on fire. Even her breathing quickened into short pants…
Chu Lian closed her eyes to suppress the desire rising in her heart. She reached out to smack He Changdi’s troublemaking hand away.
“There’s too much steam in the bathroom, you should go out first. I’m almost done washing.”
He Sanlang felt his throat turning dry as he looked at the beautiful scene in front of him. His Adam’s apple moved a couple of times. If not for Senior Servant Zhong’s continuous reminders, he wouldn’t have resisted his wife’s charms for so long!
He Changdi shifted his lust-filled gaze away with great difficulty. His wide palm returned to Chu Lian’s hair. He gently caressed and patted her head, “I’ll wait for you outside. Although the water is still hot, it’s not good to soak in it for too long.”
Thus, Chu Lian watched as He Changdi strode out of the bathroom.
She breathed a sigh of relief after He Sanlang disappeared past the entrance screen of the bathroom. However, she felt strangely dejected, as if she hadn’t really wanted him to leave.
Chu Lian was stunned by the thoughts that had suddenly surfaced from her mind. Her hazy almond-shaped eyes widened from the shock, while the corners of her mouth twitched. When had she become so thirsty?
They hadn’t been intimate again after the night they had consummated their marriage. Even when they slept in the same bed at night, He Changdi would only kiss or caress her. He restrained himself so carefully that they wouldn’t progress further than mere touches.
There were several times when she had wanted to say something, but hesitated. As a woman, she couldn’t bring herself to mention this matter first. In the end, she just forced herself to close her eyes and sleep.
This situation had already lasted for nearly seven days.
Chu Lian hadn’t been very enthusiastic about intimacy at first. Her first two experiences hadn’t been that great after all. However, how were they going to have children if they didn’t sleep together?
After He Changdi left the bathroom, Chu Lian’s thoughts wandered all over.
Eventually, her train of thought returned to House Ying again.
Miss Su’s warning, Miss Yuan’s trap, as well as the jealousy the married daughters of House Ying had displayed.
When she looked back on it now, everything regarding this whole situation was extremely odd.
Even without considering Miss Yuan in the mix, there was already something strange about Miss Su.
Miss Su was a legitimate daughter of the main branch. After coming to the Great Wu Dynasty, Chu Lian had only interacted with her a few times. She hadn’t been mentioned much in the original novel, so she was probably just a minor character.
However, Miss Su had left a favorable impression on her in the few interactions between them.
How did she find out what the second branch was plotting as an unmarried young lady? And how had she been able to give her a warning with such great timing? Had she really done it merely for her sake?
Miss Yuan and the original ‘Chu Lian’ were mortal enemies, so Miss Yuan’s motivations were clear. The two sisters had been like water and fire ever since their childhood. However, why would Chu Qizheng be so cruel as to plot against his own daughter?
Even a tiger wouldn’t harm its cubs. No matter how much Chu Qizheng disliked her mother, she was still his biological child. Even if he didn’t care about her, he shouldn’t go as far as to harm her.
Did he really frame his own daughter just to ensure Miss Yuan could marry Xiao Bojian? Was their goal really that simple?
Chu Lian’s mind became even more confused the more she thought about it. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.
She suddenly heard Xiyan calling out from the other side of the bathroom’s curtains, “Third Young Madam, are you done bathing? It’s getting late, so Third Young Master told this servant to check on you. The water is getting cold.”
Thanks to Xiyan’s reminder, Chu Lian noticed that the bathwater had turned lukewarm. She sighed and shook her head helplessly. She hadn’t expected time to pass by so fast while she was lost in her thoughts.
“Come in.”
She stepped out of the bathtub and Xiyan hastily wrapped her whole body in a large cotton towel.