Chapter 19: Chapter Nineteen

Xie Junling had merely been joking with her, but who would have thought the little girl would be so unresponsive to teasing? She really puffed out her cheeks and flew into a rage, so much so that she could barely utter the word 'husband'.

While Lu Bao'er was eating, soup stained the corner of her lips; her skin was white and lips red, yet this blemish made her look especially comical. Xie Junling reached out with a finger to wipe it clean, but when Lu Bao'er saw a fair, slender finger extending toward her, she thought he wanted to take the opportunity to touch her face, and she hastily dodged, saying icily, 'Husband, don't touch my face! Otherwise you'll get my makeup all over your hands, which wouldn't be good.'

Xie Junling snorted and said, 'It's just that soup got on the corner of your mouth; as your husband I find it dirty and am merely wiping it off for you. Do you really think I want to touch your face? It's covered in flower-scented skin cream—what's there to feel?'

So Lu Bao'er had been overthinking and misunderstood? Her face flushed red, yet she didn't want Xie Junling to notice; she kept a cold expression, pretending not to care as she twirled her handkerchief to wipe the corner of her mouth.

At night, Lu Bao'er had the old maid help her remove her makeup, wanting it completely clean with not a trace of powder left. She touched her own snow‑white face, feeling pleased, and rolled to the edge of the bed, waiting for Xie Junling to finish his bath and return to the room.

Xie Junling was wearing a white inner robe, feeling the edge of the blanket. Before he could even sit steady on the bed, Lu Bao'er darted out from the corner, holding a tiger mask to cover her face, lunged at him in a couple of moves, sat on his lap, and said, 'Husband, do you want to see my face?'

Lu Bao'er was playing by herself, unaware that Xie Junling had been startled by her antics. The room was heated by an earth dragon; the little girl wore only a thin inner robe, perhaps having hidden in the bed too long, her ink‑black long hair slightly disheveled, a few strands of hair sticking up unevenly, just as willful and headstrong as she.

The mask revealed only a pair of almond eyes, yet their pupils were dark and lustrous, capable of entrancing the soul, which left this upright gentleman Xie Junling inexplicably flustered.

He was at an age of vigorous blood and energy, unable to tolerate any teasing. At that moment his throat tightened, his blood surged in his abdomen, and he hoarsely scolded, 'Stop fooling around; if you keep playing like this, you won't sleep tonight either.'

'I won't have trouble sleeping!' Lu Bao'er pouted behind the mask and retorted. At this moment she deliberately leaned close to Xie Junling, putting on a gentle, lovable guise to tease him into speaking, 'Husband, do you want to see my face? I've washed off all my makeup!'

Lu Bao'er wanted Xie Junling to admit outright that her skin was as white as congealed fat, and that she looked beautiful even without powder or rouge!

If Lu Bao'er stayed still it would be fine, but as soon as she moved closer, the girl's fragrance immediately permeated the air, seeping into his nose and mouth, almost entering every orifice.

The scent gave him a headache, not because he disliked it. But if he wasn't careful, he could see Lu Bao'er's collar slightly open, making it hard for him to breathe smoothly.

Xie Junling furrowed his handsome sword‑brows, his thin lips opening and closing as he gritted his teeth and said, 'Stop messing around!'

As he spoke, he instinctively grabbed Lu Bao'er's slender wrist; perhaps his grip was a little too strong, and he pinched her painfully. Lu Bao'er froze like a wooden chicken, the mask on her hand falling off to reveal a face with willow brows slightly furrowed. When Lu Bao'er wore no makeup, her lips were naturally red and her skin whiter than snow—indeed she was beautiful.

However, Xie Junling had no mind to admire these details; he only knew that it seemed he had never before so sternly rebuked Lu Bao'er.

Indeed, Lu Bao'er felt deeply wronged, tears welling in her eyes and slightly spinning. She seized the moment when Xie Junling loosened his grip, lowered her head and quietly pulled her hand back, then climbed off his leg, pulled a blanket over herself, and curled up into a cocoon.

Xie Junling was at a loss; he could usually write brilliant essays that earned praise, and even before the sage he could discuss flood control measures fluently, yet why did he lose all eloquence before Lu Bao'er, unable to utter even half a sentence?

He vaguely remembered that the girl's wrist had turned red—that was because he had gripped too hard. Yet if he let Lu Bao'er rub herself all over him indiscriminately, and she ended up doing something else, the one who would suffer would still be Lu Bao'er.

Raising a young lady truly gives one a headache. He silently sighed, got off the bed, and extinguished the lamp.

That night, Xie Junling slept poorly. He occasionally turned his head to look at Lu Bao'er, wanting to chat with her, but she lay motionless in the blankets, and he didn't know whether she was asleep or something else.

Or perhaps she was secretly shedding tears? Xie Junling's heart was a tangle of emotions, vaguely anxious. What should he do, what should he say?

Having no other idea, Xie Junling stared at the large red canopy curtains and called out loudly, 'Bao'er? Are you asleep?'

After a moment, a muffled, husky reply came from the bundle of blankets: 'Asleep.'

Xie Junling laughed helplessly. If she were truly asleep, how could she answer him? Her deceitful tactic wasn't even skillful—she was a fool.

'Earlier I was at fault; I hurt you.' Xie Junling apologized to her.

Lu Bao'er was sweating profusely from being smothered by the blankets, yet she felt that bursting out abruptly would be embarrassing, so she held out half a day, waiting for Xie Junling to apologize and give her a way to save face.

At this moment she lifted the blanket, still feeling it insufficient, and asked, 'I won't easily forgive my husband! But if you please me with a word, I'll be magnanimous and let bygones be bygones.'

'Please me?' Xie Junling raised his brows, asking in puzzlement.

'I'm not wearing any makeup now—doesn't that make me look even better than when I do?' Lu Bao'er brought her face close to Xie Junling's; she had broken out in sweat, a few strands of hair stuck to her temples, making her look disheveled.

Xie Junling gave a light cough, not daring to offend her, and said, 'Beautiful.'

Lu Bao'er's lips curled slightly upward, her mood quite good, and she said, 'Then I forgive you.'

'Many thanks, Lady, for your forgiveness.'

'No thanks needed; I've always been this magnanimous.'

'Yes, yes, yes—Lady, your breadth of mind is such that we cannot even flatter enough to match it.'

Upon hearing this, Lu Bao'er was overjoyed. She turned her body, moved closer to Xie Junling, and said, 'Since you're speaking so well tonight, husband, I'll give you a little treat—I permit you to share my blanket for the night.'

Xie Junling thought of the young lady's soft, fragrant body, fearing he couldn't restrain himself. He gave a light cough and refused: 'No need.'

Lu Bao'er rarely shared her blankets with anyone; in fact she wanted to borrow Xie Junling's hands to warm herself. She asked incredulously, 'Why?'

Xie Junling thought it over and said, 'My lady, you were frolicking before bed; I'm afraid you'll have a nightmare at night and kick off my blankets. As your husband, dreading the cold, after careful consideration I've decided it's better for us to sleep under separate blankets.'

Having said that, Xie Junling turned over and fell asleep.

Lu Bao'er widened her eyes, gritted her teeth, and thought: 'You're the one kicking the blankets! Your whole family kicks blankets!'

Of course, Lu Bao'er only dared to mutter that to herself, not daring to say it to Xie Junling. She shrank her neck timidly and turned over to sleep.

Tonight, she still kicked off the blankets, nearly catching a chill.