Chapter 113 [Xue Taifu's Side Story] "Then I'll allow you to hold my hand..."

Chapter 15 [Extra Chapter about Consort Xue] "Then I'll allow you to hold my hand..."

Finally, Su Yawan invited Xue Taifu out of the kitchen and let him rest in the main hall for a while. After a short while, he came out with three dishes and a soup, which looked very appealing and tasted delicious.

Having spent many years in the palace, Xue Taifu had tasted all sorts of delicacies. Even the Manchu Han Imperial Feast was only sampled briefly, simply because he was tired of the imperial kitchen's cooking. Now, upon tasting Su Yawan's dishes, he was immediately delighted, even ordering an extra small bowl of rice.

The ingredients were all the most ordinary, everyday things, yet they had a unique warmth about them. Xue Taifu couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he felt that it was very similar to the food his father would personally cook for him when he was a child and had anorexia.

After finishing his meal, he put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and asked Su Yawan, "Have you cooked for other people too?"

“Sometimes I would cook for my grandfather. I used to have picnics with Jiang He and make things like beggar's chicken. But now that you're pregnant, you can't eat such strong-flavored and salty food, otherwise I would have really shown off my skills.” As if afraid he wouldn't believe her, Su Yawan talked on and on about many things from the past.

Xue Taifu thought she was the steady and quiet type when she was young, but he didn't expect that she had done a lot of strange things with the eldest daughter of the Jiang family. However, she hid it so well that no one could tell at all.

As expected, birds of a feather flock together, and she also has a carefree nature to her bones.

"Jiang He once heard from someone that the braised pork knuckle at Qingqiufang was delicious, and she insisted on dragging me there to eat. But everyone in the capital knows what Qingqiufang is, so I didn't dare to go. I didn't agree at first, but in the end, Jiang He still secretly dragged me there. We were both very well covered up, and we didn't dare let our families know. We just ordered dishes and nothing else." Su Yawan's words suddenly became rambling, and she even revealed this kind of thing.

A smile appeared on her face, as if savoring the memory, "I have to say, it really was delicious."

Xue Taifu stood up, put his arm around her neck, and sat on her lap. While rubbing his fingers together, he casually said, "Oh? Then how come I don't know what Qingqiufang is?"

He raised an eyebrow and leaned closer. "Why don't you tell me about it?"

They really have a lot of nerve. They went to places like that when they were so young. There are so many restaurants and eateries in the capital, but they just had to go to Qingqiu Lane. And that Jiang He, he really has a sharp tongue. I'll see if he doesn't tell Xue Lingyu about this.

Su Yawan realized she had misspoke and wished she could grind her teeth to powder. She wrapped her arms around his waist and said in a gentle tone, "Azi, don't be angry. I didn't call you 'Young Master.' We were just having a meal. You're the only one for me in this life."

Whether Xue Taifu was Su Yawan's first man or not, he knew better than anyone. If Su Yawan were truly a seasoned pro in brothels, how could he not have sensed it?

Xue Taifu pretended not to understand and said, "What do you mean by 'young master'? What is that?"

He blinked, looking confused. "Go ahead and say it."

As he spoke, he reached out and drew circles on Su Yawan's chest, deliberately making her nervous.

Su Yawan grabbed his hand, "Azi, stop fooling around."

She didn't believe he didn't know what Qingqiufang was; he was just angry that she had been to such a place. After all, it was one of the ridiculous things she had done, and she had let it slip. She really deserved to... slap herself.

"I'll have to teach you a lesson later. After all, according to palace rules, even though so much time has passed, I know you did something like this, so you deserve to be slapped." Xue Taifu pulled his hand back, but hugged her even tighter.

"As for the remaining punishments, I need to think about them carefully." He seemed to be thinking very seriously about what punishments were available in the palace.

Su Yawan chuckled, "I'll do whatever Azi says."

However, since Xue Taifu hadn't specified what the punishment should be or to what extent, the result was that his mouth swelled up and his neck was covered with marks that he couldn't hide no matter what he did, which infuriated him.

To think that he, a high-ranking official, could be bullied to this extent by a mere subject, he decided to turn the tables and retaliate.

Su Yawan let him bite her. What strength could a pregnant man have? At most, he would bleed. As soon as her Azi saw blood, he would let go and bandage her up properly.

Her son, Azi, was frail and had just recovered from a serious illness. Now, during this special time, she dared not touch him and could only hold him while sleeping. However, Azi's little movements were too numerous, always making it difficult for her to calm down.

Unaware that he was stirring up trouble, Xue Taifu nestled comfortably in the woman's arms and fell into a deep sleep.

Su Yawan submitted a memorial to the Emperor requesting a day off. She had been an official for many years and had not had a proper rest for more than a few days. So she decided to take this opportunity to rest and spend time with Azi.

Emperor Wei did not want his trusted confidants to overwork themselves and ruin their health, so he agreed. Moreover, because of Xue Taifu's short stay at Fahua Temple, many ministers in the court brought up the old matter again, hoping that she could send Xue Taifu out of the palace to retire. This annoyed her so much that she simply decided not to summon any ministers for the time being, so as not to let them advise her again.

Pregnant men are prone to sleepiness, and Xue Taifu slept until the sun was high in the sky before getting up. He slept exceptionally soundly and didn't even dream, which made him wish that every day could be like this.

"Azi's awake?" Su Yawan walked over, looked at his sleepy eyes, and laughed, "Azi is such a lazy cat, he slept for so long."

She was used to waking up early, and today she was sleeping in the same bed as Xue Taifu. Worried about waking him up too early, she didn't get up until dawn.

Su Yawan tapped his nose with her finger. "Get up quickly, it's just in time for lunch."

This was the first time that Xue Taifu had slept with Su Yawan all night. In the palace, Su Yawan would only stay and sleep with him after he had pestered her for a while, but she would leave in the middle of the night. When he got up in the morning, the room was always cold and he could not see her shadow.

Xue Taifu rubbed his eyes and reluctantly nodded.

The capital city is full of beautiful scenery, but Xue Taifu has been in the palace for many years and probably has no memory of the human touch in the capital. After lunch, Su Yawan suggested taking him out for a stroll.

When Lady Xue goes out, she must wear a veil to avoid being recognized by some people.

Su Yawan also had her own selfish motives. What if someone saw Azi, who was so beautiful, and tried to take her away? Even though she was pregnant, there were probably many other people who could choose her, and she always felt that she was not irreplaceable.

Xue Taifu had already ordered people to prepare some clothes that ordinary people wore. Although the style was ordinary, when he wore them, it clearly elevated the clothes to a higher level. After all, the noble air of an aristocratic family could not be concealed no matter what.

He was the eldest son of the Xue family, whom they had painstakingly cultivated. He was raised in luxury since childhood and taught music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Even if he just stood there without moving or saying a word, people could feel the nobility emanating from his very bones.

Even though his belly was slightly protruding, making it clear that he was pregnant, it did not diminish his good looks in the slightest.

Su Yawan couldn't help but sigh, "Azi is so beautiful."

Xue Taifu put on a veil, covering most of his face, and asked her, "Am I still beautiful like this?"

Su Yawan smiled and said: "Beautiful."

He had known since childhood that he was good-looking, and he had heard countless compliments. Logically, he should have been unmoved by them by now, but at this moment he couldn't help but feel excited. "You have good taste."

He extended his hand, "Then I'll allow you to hold my hand."

Su Yawan smiled and said, "It is my honor."

More than ten years later, he saw the scene in the capital again. The vendors' cries were still as loud as before, and Changning Street was still as crowded as ever. He held Su Yawan's hand tightly, afraid of getting lost from her.

Su Yawan shielded him behind her, and after finally getting out of Changning Street, even her breathing became much easier.

Xue Taifu's face was flushed. In the palace, the palace servants and concubines kept their distance from him, and sometimes they couldn't even see his face clearly. But now, there were so many people coming and going around him, and he could clearly see the expression on each of their faces.

Everyone expressed their true feelings; there were no honeyed words and hidden malice, no ulterior motives.

He was a little nervous at first, but he gradually got used to it and pointed to the candied hawthorns on the street, saying to Su Yawan, "I want to eat this!"

Su Yawan stepped forward and bought him a string of skewers.

Xue Taifu took a small sip and wished he could spit it out immediately, frowning as he said, "It's too sour."

Su Yawan took the candied hawthorn from him, took a bite, and said with a normal expression, "It's not very sour."

Xue Taifu snorted and said, "I said it's sour, and it's sour. I don't like to eat this."

“Then I’ll eat it for Azi.”

Su Yawan doesn't usually eat this kind of thing, but since she bought it thanks to Xue Taifu, she couldn't let it go to waste, so she ate it seriously.

Even watching her eat, Xue Taifu felt a pang of sourness in his eyes.

This stuff looks so sweet, how come it tastes like this?

Xue Taifu was soon attracted to a stall selling hairpins. Su Yawan didn't know anything about these things for men, so she just stood behind and bought whichever hairpin Xue Taifu liked.

She had saved up some money on her own, which should be enough for Azi to spend.

Perhaps it was Su Yawan's generosity that made the vendor smile and say, "This must be Miss's husband. They are a perfect match. I wish you and your husband a happy and fulfilling life together. Look at how round your belly is, you're sure to have a big, healthy daughter next year."

Su Yawan had just swallowed the last candied hawthorn when the vendor's words made her pause for a moment. She then smiled brightly and said, "Thank you for your kind words. Whether my wife is carrying a daughter or a son, I will love her."

After the two left, Xue Taifu pinched Su Yawan's arm and said in a cool voice, "Who are you calling your husband?"

Despite the pain, Su Yawan did not change her words, saying, "Azi is my husband."

Xue Taifu released her, though he hadn't actually used much force.

He turned his face away, "I'm not your husband."

After saying that, he quickened his pace in a fit of pique, but because he was heavy and used to a life of luxury, he was overtaken by Su Yawan after only a few steps.

"It will happen soon. Grandfather will hear that his granddaughter-in-law has arrived and will return from the Pang family tomorrow."

“You, you dare to say that to your grandfather that I am…you’re really bold.” Xue Taifu added sullenly, “You’re really outrageous.”

“I’ve been reckless enough many times, one more time won’t make a difference.” Su Yawan held him tightly.