Chapter 11
Xie Yao had previously thought that if they were to meet again, he would be content just to be with her quietly, not needing her to look at him or speak to him, just listening to her breath and smelling her scent.
That was what he did on the night of their reunion. One night was enough to alleviate the pain of longing.
Gradually, he felt it was not enough. He wanted her to call him Mingyan, to smile at him, to hold his hand, to accept all the good things he offered.
Tonight, after eating the hot and sour braised pork she had made, seeing her smile at him and sharing a small secret with him, he had a frantic urge to hold her. Her figure was slender; with a little force, he could press her against him, leaving no gap. With a little more force, he could make her sink into his skin.
The craving for her screamed wildly. He had used all his strength to restrain himself from making a move.
Xie Yao sat on the floor, realizing that unlike before, just looking at her was no longer enough to soothe him. Instead, it was becoming more and more difficult to control himself. He took a few deep breaths and sat still, but a thin layer of sweat broke out on his forehead.
He opened his eyes and stared at the bed curtains. It was pitch black there, but he could see the Yuli he had pictured in his mind.
He only needed to wait for her to take another step towards him—no, half a step would be enough—and he could close the distance between them completely.
*
In the morning, Yuli slept until she woke up naturally and lazed in bed for a while before getting up.
Xiyun came in quickly. While helping her dress, she asked if she had slept well last night.
Yuli had slept very well and felt no discomfort.
It seems Young Master Xie was secretly watching me in the dark again without a sound.
Xiyun had only known when she saw him leave at dawn. Compared to the spine-chilling feeling last time, although she still found it extremely strange, she was not as surprised.
Yuli thought of the custard buns she had hastily made last night. She hadn’t eaten a single one. She wanted to find the ones she had brought for Xie Yao that he hadn’t finished, but she couldn’t find them.
Yuli found it strange. Xiyun recalled that when Young Master Xie left in the morning, he was carrying something in his hand. Guessing that he had probably taken them, she helped to cover it up, saying that she had put them away in the kitchen.
Of course, they couldn’t be found in the kitchen.
Yuli didn’t dwell on it. When Uncle Hu saw her looking, he made some for her for lunch. Compared to the ones she had made herself, they were almost identical.
In the afternoon, after her nap, she saw Xiyun with a joyful smile on her lips.
Before Yuli could ask, Xiyun smiled and said to her, “Yesterday, the Mistress said the Young Master wanted to treat us. We thought having the pastries the Mistress made was good enough. But just now, guess what?”
Xiyun kept her in suspense. Yuli was also very curious. “What happened?”
“The Young Master had someone give out a reward.”
“How much?”
Xiyun held up two fingers.
“Two taels!” Yuli was surprised. That was what she earned in a month from selling breakfast.
Xiyun smiled and shook her head. “Twenty taels.”
Yuli held Xiyun’s two fingers and looked at her expectantly, as if waiting for something.
Xiyun was immersed in joy. In the county magistrate’s house, her monthly salary was already the highest among the maids, but it was only five qian. Twenty taels was more than her salary for fifteen years.
Although Young Master Xie was gloomy and cold-blooded, he gave so much. It was impossible to dislike him.
Xiyun didn’t notice Yuli’s expectation.
Yuli was the mistress; everything in this residence was hers. She couldn’t imagine that she would be envious of her reward money.
But Yuli still had a bit of a worker’s mentality. The things in the residence all belonged to the boss, Xie Yao. Although she could use them freely, she had no cash, which was like having no salary.
She knew this was Xie Yao’s way of restricting her freedom. Without money, she couldn’t move a single step, and thus couldn’t leave him.
Yuli sighed lightly.
Unexpectedly, in the afternoon, Jingyu came and asked if there was anything she wanted recently. Yuli immediately hesitated.
Jingyu added, “The Mistress can have anything she wants.”
Yuli didn’t think for long before saying, “I want a cat.”
Jingyu was taken aback, a little surprised.
“Is that okay?” Yuli asked, a little apprehensive.
Jingyu smiled and agreed. The Prince had said to grant her anything she wanted. He would probably find a way to get her the stars from the sky, let alone a cat.
Jingyu then asked what kind of cat she wanted. Yuli had no other requests; she liked all cats.
Thinking that Jingyu would probably report it to Xie Yao, and adding the time it would take to find a cat, it would probably be two days before she got it.
Unexpectedly, in the evening, a small cat was delivered to her.
It was a small, snow-white cat, only half the length of her arm, with round, tea-colored eyes. It was being held in someone’s arms, but when it saw her, it meowed at her.
Yuli’s heart immediately melted. She took the kitten, which settled down in her arms, leaning against her elbow.
Not only was a white cat delivered, but also a young maid who specialized in raising cats.
The young maid looked even more reserved and wary than the white cat. When she first saw Yuli, she sized her up several times. It was only after a silent signal from Jingyu that she lowered her eyes and remained impassive.
She was a maid from the Imperial Palace who specialized in raising cats for the princesses and princes. Today, she had been urgently summoned to Zichen Hall and told to bring the newly tributed female cat.
The regent’s reputation for violence might be vague among the common people, but everyone in the palace knew it. He was violent and bloodthirsty. Just the day before, he had fed someone to the tigers. As a cat-raiser who often went in and out of the Beast Garden, she knew this was true.
In the Imperial Study of Zichen Hall, above her was the regent. She thought her time had come and almost cried while holding the cat.
But the regent had only approached, taken the cats she brought, examined them one by one, and picked this most beautiful white cat.
Then he had her take the cat out of the palace. She was blindfolded and taken through several detours before arriving here.
Fortunately, it was just to give her cat to a young lady, not to feed her to the tigers. The young lady also liked her cat very much. Neither of them would be mistreated.
“What’s its name?” Yuli asked her.
“It hasn’t been named yet,” the maid replied.
Yuli held the white cat, her gaze always on it. The white cat seemed uncomfortable being stared at and struggled a little, so Yuli put it down.
The white cat walked a few steps with its tail held high, then lazily stretched its front paws in the sunset by the door and lay down in the sunlight.
Yuli: “Let’s call it Xuemi.”
The maid agreed. Xuemi just meowed, as if in agreement, and turned its head to continue sunbathing.
Quite aloof.
With Jingyu and the others present, Yuli remained reserved. It was only after they left that Yuli laughed with joy.
“Xiyun, I have a cat!”
She shouted happily. Xuemi was so startled that it lifted its little head to look at her. Seeing that she was just looking at it from a distance, it lay back down.
Xiyun smiled. “Does the Mistress like cats that much?”
Yuli: “I love them.”
In her past life, there was a time when she dreamed of having a cat. Every day, she would scroll through short videos, all of various cats. But although cats were easy to get in the modern era, her apartment was rented, and the landlord didn’t allow pets. She could only go to cat cafes occasionally to see cats, but the cats in the cafes were not affectionate with her, completely different from what she had imagined.
She wanted a cat that was close to her, which meant she needed her own house, and also the time to take care of it and play with it. Now, although Yuli didn’t have her own house, Xie Yao was willing to let her have one. She also had plenty of time. The courtyard was big enough, and there was even a spare room for Xuemi’s nest, so there would be no smell, and it would have enough space to move around.
It was simply a paradise for raising cats.
Thinking this, Yuli wanted to tidy up a room for Xuemi and make a nest for her.
Yuli found some old clothes, scraps of cloth, and a bamboo basket, and started making a nest for the cat herself.
In fact, the palace had a full set of supplies, but the maid had come in a hurry and hadn’t brought them.
Yuli also enjoyed such trivial tasks. Seeing that she didn’t just want a cat to relieve her boredom, but truly cared for it, Jingyu dismissed the palace maid, who would no longer have to help take care of Xuemi.
Mingyue Residence was unusually lively. By the time someone remembered that the Young Master would be back soon and Yuli had to go and meet him, the sunset had already climbed up the ground of the west wing.
Yuli hurriedly tidied up and prepared to go and meet Xie Yao. Just as she and a group of maids reached the hanging flower gate of Mingyue Residence, Xie Yao had already arrived at the steps of Mingyue Residence.
Yuli felt a little flustered. Jingyu, Xiyun, and the others were so scared they didn’t dare to breathe. They were afraid they would be severely punished.
Xie Yao’s expression was inscrutable. To others, it looked like their doom was imminent.
But Yuli found it normal. She knew that he must be displeased that she hadn’t gone to meet him. She ran down in small steps, took his hand, and supported his arm.
“Husband is back.” Yuli led him inside. Xiyun, Jingyu, and the others stepped aside, standing on either side with their heads bowed.
Only after Yuli had led him into the courtyard did they leave with their heads bowed, not daring to look sideways.
Yuli was very happy and talked a lot with Xie Yao.
“When I was at home, my parents wouldn’t let me have a cat. Later, I didn’t have the means, so I could never have one. Now, my dream has finally come true. Thank you.”
Yuli thanked him sincerely. Only then did she realize that Xie Yao had been holding her wrist at some point and had gently stroked it.
They were very close, almost touching. His body heat passed through the fabric, and Yuli’s face grew a little hot.
She nonchalantly moved an inch away from him. “Does Husband want to see Xuemi?”
Xie Yao nodded.
Yuli let go of him and went to the west wing.
Xie Yao sat alone in the parlor, watching Yuli go around the covered walkway and enter the west wing with light steps.
Seeing Yuli like this, his brow couldn’t help but relax.
However, when he saw Yuli come out holding the white cat, his face instantly darkened.
Xuemi was held against Yuli’s chest, its little head resting on her arm. It yawned and even patted her chest with its paw.
Yuli’s attention was entirely on the soft Xuemi, and she didn’t notice the change in Xie Yao’s expression.
When she walked up to Xie Yao, she found that he was just staring at Xuemi and had no intention of taking it.
Many people were indifferent to cats. Yuli guessed he was probably one of them. She showed him Xuemi and was about to take it away.
Just then, Jingyu and the others brought dinner. Yuli put Xuemi down and helped Jingyu and the others arrange the plates. There was a specific way to arrange each of her dishes, which couldn’t be done by others.
In the midst of the coming and going, Xuemi was squeezed next to Xie Yao’s stool.
Xuemi squatted to the side, looking at the food on the table, its little tail wagging gently.
It turned its head and suddenly met a pair of cold, dangerous eyes. It was as if it were being watched by a fierce beast. Its animal instincts were triggered. Xuemi stood up on all fours, turned, and darted to the wall. When it looked back, the cold eyes had swept past it. It scurried along the base of the wall and quickly slipped out.
Seeing Xuemi dart out the door, running so fast it became a blur, Yuli called out to it.
Xuemi didn’t stop, but ran through the courtyard and into its own little room.
Xie Yao was still there, and they had to eat together, so Yuli didn’t go after it.
During the meal, Xie Yao’s expression was normal. Yuli followed yesterday’s practice and made him his favorite dishes, but placed them in front of herself. However, she hadn’t made them herself; she had spent the whole afternoon making a nest for Xuemi.
Xie Yao hadn’t eaten before coming today and ate a lot. Seeing him eat with gusto, Yuli’s appetite also improved, and she ate a little more than yesterday.
After the meal, the kitchen sent over custard buns. Yuli served him one, but he only took one bite and put it down.
Yuli was surprised that he only took one bite. In the past, he would always finish any dish she served him.
Xie Yao: “You didn’t make it.”
Yuli gave an awkward smile. So he wanted to eat what she had made. She took one to taste. There was a slight difference. Could he really tell?
“You just had them yesterday. You don’t have to make them for me,” Xie Yao said.
“The same goes for the others. Just tell the kitchen to make them. You don’t have to do it yourself.”
Yuli suspected he thought her cooking skills were not good.
Xie Yao: “I married you to be my wife, not to cook for me.”
Thinking of what he had said before, that a husband and wife should share a bed, Yuli’s face grew slightly hot.
After the meal, Yuli really wanted to go and see Xuemi, but Xie Yao was there, so she had to accompany him. The weather was very good today. After sunset, there were still rosy clouds scattered across the sky. She invited him for a walk.
Along the way, the thought of having a cat made her smile from time to time.
Xie Yao’s mood also lifted, and he held her wrist, stroking it gently.
Yuli had gotten used to him holding her wrist. Sometimes she would even use her other hand to support his arm. They walked side by side, like an affectionate young couple.
But that was on the premise that she was sure Xie Yao would be leaving soon.
When they reached the second gate, they both stopped.
Xie Yao turned to face her. She was smiling, but it was no different from any other day. Yuli was distracted, wanting to go back and see her cat.
She had promised to try her best to be a husband and wife with him. Xie Yao was a little disappointed.
He couldn’t let her delay indefinitely.
Xie Yao suddenly stepped closer to her, so close that their robes touched. His warmth enveloped her, and a faint, subtle fragrance filled her nose. His face was also close. Yuli froze.
“Don’t make me wait too long,” Xie Yao whispered in her ear.
“Mm,” Yuli responded without thinking.
Xie Yao straightened up. Her face was a little red, and her eyes darted around, not looking at him.
Xie Yao stared at her for a while longer before letting go of her and turning to leave.
Yuli felt as if she had come back to life, her heart beating violently.
She walked a short distance in a daze, then remembered Xuemi and hurried back to Mingyue Residence.