Chapter 3: Discovering Clues

「Eldest daughter-in-law? Are you alright? 」

「Ah? Hmm, I'm fine, I know, I'll come right away. 」

After the steward's footsteps outside the door gradually faded away, Su Xiyan finally patted her chest and let out a long sigh.

However, feeling that something was off, she couldn't help but frown slightly.

After she finally realized what was happening before her eyes, her pupils constricted in an instant.

!!!

Because of the steward's sudden knock on the door, she felt guilty and weak-legged, and actually slipped and sat down beside Yan Moci.

Although fortunately it didn't deal Young Master Yan any fatal blow, to steady herself she inadvertently braced herself against Young Master Yan's body.

The position of her hand happened to be just right, landing squarely on Young Master Yan's body.

Moreover, why does she feel that something is off!

After realizing what might have happened, Su Xiyan instantly pulled her hand back, her cheeks flushing bright red.

Although Yan Moci lay motionless on the bed with his eyes closed, his complexion had already turned deathly pale.

Anger welled up in his heart: This woman, how dare she!

「Grandma said, if a girl holds hands with a boy she'll lay eggs! I don't want to lay eggs! 」

Staring at her trembling hand for a long while, Su Xiyan tried to destroy the evidence and console herself:

「Heh, I've received nine years of compulsory education—those egg-laying tales are just Grandma's lies to stop me from dating early! We're all adults now; I doubt Young Master Yan would mind being touched a bit. 」

Even as she said that, Su Xiyan couldn't help but grab the blanket covering Young Master Yan and wipe her hands with it.

While wiping, she let out a "Huh~" with an obvious look of disdain on her face.

After wiping, Su Xiyan flicked a tiny bit of lint from her thumb and forefinger back onto Yan Moci's body, as if tossing aside a used rag.

Feeling Su Xiyan's disdain, Yan Moci's trigeminal nerve twitched.

The blanket that had been neatly covering him slipped off in large patches due to Su Xiyan's movements, exposing Yan Moci's broad chest.

……

Just as Su Xiyan was about to leave, she felt she could hardly walk.

Back in her hometown, Su Xiyan had studied medicine for many years with the village's old veterinarian.

She inevitably harbored some extra designs on a fine physique, but she was certainly not lusting after Yan Moci's looks.

She simply wanted to get a close look and study how a vegetative person, lacking exercise and liquid nutrition, could maintain such a robust physique.

Thinking this, she gulped, a faint smile she herself hadn't noticed playing on her lips, and Su Xiyan slowly drew near to Yan Moci again.

Just as Su Xiyan had barely lifted the blanket, her gaze slowly traced from Yan Moci's bare chest over his chocolate‑like eight‑pack abs, about to fall onto the faintly visible mermaid line.

With his eyes shut, Yan Moci struggled to suppress his emotions: How dare this woman!

Although Yan Moci's inner fury raged, in Su Xiyan's eyes he was nothing more than an immobile living corpse.

Gazing at the eight‑pack abs before her, Su Xiyan let out a soft "hiss," one hand feigning to cover her eyes while she slipped two fingers apart, not missing a chance to admire the sight.

「Tsk tsk tsk, if Young Master Yan weren't a vegetative, wouldn't all the belles of Jingdu be flocking to him? 」

「Now it's practically handed to me, a country girl, on a silver platter. 」

Su Xiyan's unconscious sigh made the tormented Yan Moci suddenly suspicious,

「A country girl? The eldest daughter of the Su family, the tea‑house clan of Jingdu—how could she call herself a country girl? 」

Fortunately, the next second Su Xiyan lowered the blanket, just as Yan Moci had finally relaxed his breath.

He actually felt, through the blanket, a delicate, soft sensation tracing from his chest down to his abs, ultimately heading toward the depths of his mermaid line.

This faint, seemingly intentional yet unintentional, shy yet bold touch left Yan Moci's whole being instantly agitated.

Even as he struggled to suppress it, the surging heat still caused veins to bulge instantly on Yan Moci's forehead.

Su Xiwei,

but although she hated him to the point of gritting her teeth, Yan Moci actually wanted to open his eyes to see what expression Su Xiwei, who was now misbehaving, wore..

Thinking of that palm‑sized face lying beside him yesterday, Yan Moci, while restless, felt a stir of amorous feeling in his heart.

Nonsense!

Yan Moci!

Where has all your years of self‑control gone!

To lose composure over a mere little girl!

Just as Yan Moci was about to coldly open his eyes and rebuke Su Xiyan,

coincidentally, a strange, effeminate voice sounded from outside the door:

「Eldest daughter-in-law, the old master has arrived. Haven't you gotten up yet? 」

It was that Wang Ma from yesterday.

Su Xiyan's face instantly darkened as she set down the feather duster in her hand, her expression returning to cold indifference.

Seeing Yan Moci's complexion a shade darker than before, Su Xiyan, feeling a bit guilty, helped tuck his blanket in.

「Yan Moci, I didn't touch you—it was just a feather duster. 」 She even added, trying to cover up,

In the motion, Su Xiyan's finger happened to touch Yan Moci's pulse.

Finding Yan Moci's pulse strange, Su Xiyan frowned slightly.

「Eldest daughter-in-law, you're not feeling better yet? 」

The incessant urging from outside the door sounded, giving Su Xiyan no time to think further.

She sprang to her feet, went to the door, and opened it,

looking at Wang Ma trying to peek inside, Su Xiyan sneered: 「It seems yesterday's incident still didn't teach you a lesson—today you dare to shout at the Young Master's door. 」

「Oh dear, Eldest daughter-in-law, look at you—you're taking good intentions as spite. 」

I was also worried you might go hungry, so I came after repeatedly urging and inviting you; who knew I'd be in your way? I'll leave now, I'm leaving.

Seeing Wang Ma's fussy, affected manner, Su Xiyan furrowed her brows.

Yan Laotaiye had already ordered these servants to be restrained yesterday, yet today this Wang Ma still dared to provoke her—clearly someone is pulling her strings.

Utterly foolish.

Since someone wants to play, she'll accompany them!

Su Xiyan narrowed her eyes dangerously; before Wang Ma could turn, she struck like lightning, grabbing the back of Wang Ma's collar and dragging her all the way downstairs.

Wherever she went, the Yan family members were drawn by Wang Ma's pig‑like shrieks.

After Su Xiyan left, Yan Moci, who had been annoyed by her various actions, recalled her recent gesture of reaching for his pulse and slowly opened his eyes.

That little girl couldn't have discovered anything, could she?