Chapter 156: Chapter 155: Can You Bear It?
Zhao Junyao felt something swell in his chest, as if it were about to overflow at any moment. He could hold back no longer and bent down to kiss her fiercely. Her lips were unimaginably soft. He was like a man parched for a long time who had finally found sweet dew. He rubbed and kneaded them over and over again, just to extract that bit of sweetness and purity.
"MMH..." Xia Ruqing felt a bit of pain and subconsciously struggled. As her petite body twisted, sparks flew, igniting a blaze. His gaze grew increasingly dangerous until even his breathing became scorching hot.
"Qingqing, if you move again, I don’t mind... right now..."
Like a little white rabbit sensing danger, Xia Ruqing immediately stilled upon hearing his words. She just looked at him pitifully with large, wet, watery eyes. It was as if she was asking: Can you bear to bully me? Can you?
Zhao Junyao was stared at for two seconds and then yielded. "I can’t bear it!"
...
They could finally enjoy their meal properly. When Zhao Junyao wanted to put on his boots, Xia Ruqing said, "My Lord, there’s no one here. It’s comfortable to be barefoot!" With that, she stretched out her tiny bare feet to show off.
Zhao Junyao wrinkled his brow in disdain. However, he had to admit that her little feet were indeed... quite attractive. Gentlemanly etiquette told him he should not be disheveled. But being barefoot seemed... indeed quite comfortable. Zhao Junyao thought about it, then actually took off his socks too and walked barefoot. The cool, silky touch of the cashmere carpet rose from the soles of his feet, all the way to his heart. A shiver went through him, reaching deep inside. Comfortable!
Xia Ruqing washed her hands again and ladled well-stewed fish soup into a white porcelain bowl. The pot was insulated, so the fish soup wasn’t cool at all; it was even a bit hot to the touch. The soup was thick and creamy white, and its fresh, fishy aroma spread throughout the room.
"My Lord, taste this. I caught this fish myself!"
Zhao Junyao was a little surprised. "You know how to catch fish?"
He had been away hunting when she caught the fish. When he returned, he was busy with imperial memorials, and no one had told him.
Xia Ruqing nodded. "I learned how when I was a child. My Lord, you wouldn’t despise me for it, would you?!"
Being like a rustic village girl might indeed be looked down upon by some when you’re the Emperor’s consort. As for Zhao Junyao... of course, he wouldn’t. After all, he had gone hunting himself! If she was a rustic village girl, then was he a rustic hunter? Ugh, what was he even thinking? Zhao Junyao cast aside these bizarre thoughts and simply smiled. "I won’t despise you!"
With that, he took a sip of the fish soup. The flavor of the fish instantly captivated every taste bud. The thick, smooth soup slid down his throat to his stomach, fragrant and warming. For Zhao Junyao, who had seldom eaten anything truly delicious since childhood, this flavor was simply irresistible. In less time than it takes for an incense stick to burn, he had finished two bowls of fish soup. Zhao Junyao’s brow was damp with sweat from drinking the hot soup. Seeing this, Xia Ruqing immediately came forward to diligently wipe his sweat.
Zhao Junyao enjoyed being comfortably tended to. Once he recovered his breath, he caught her hand. "Stop busying yourself. Sit down and eat!"
Did he not know this little girl? She was a complete glutton. If not allowed to eat, she would soon have tears in her eyes. Forget it; he would spare himself that tearful assault.
Sure enough, Xia Ruqing cheered up. "Yes! Thank you, My Lord!" After speaking, she shamelessly sat down.
All the dishes on the table were made by her. "This is young pheasant soup, this is roasted pheasant, and this is fried pheasant..."
Zhao Junyao’s mouth twitched. "I caught four in total, and you’ve cooked them all!"
Xia Ruqing hurriedly shook her head. "How could that be! My Lord, I saved one that’s neither too fat nor too thin. Tomorrow, I’ll find a good spot to make beggar’s chicken!"
Zhao Junyao was rendered speechless. He couldn’t help but rub his forehead and gaze up at the sky. This girl probably... hadn’t eaten her fill in her previous life; she’s always thinking about food! Then again, in this life, she was the daughter of a County Magistrate. Having lost her mother at a young age and with a stepmother arriving early on, perhaps she didn’t often eat her fill at home either. Thinking this way, he felt this girl must be accustomed to hardship. They say a good appetite is a blessing. She’s at an age where she’s still growing. If she loves to eat, let her eat. It’s not like she’ll eat them into poverty!
With that thought, Zhao Junyao’s gaze towards Xia Ruqing softened, carrying hints of indulgence and compassion. Xia Ruqing couldn’t understand the meaning behind his gaze. She was too lazy to dwell on it; with so many delicacies before her, she couldn’t let them go to waste.
In fact, she had hardly spent any time at the County Magistrate’s home. Her love for experimenting with food was simply because she genuinely loved to eat!
(Author’s note: Why do I suddenly feel a bit sad for the Emperor while writing this? HAHAHA...)
"Emperor, what are you thinking about? Please eat!" Xia Ruqing picked out a good piece of meat and placed it in the Emperor’s bowl. Her unspoken thought was: If you don’t eat, it’ll be awkward for me to be the only one eating!
Zhao Junyao suddenly felt an inexplicable surge of emotion. His inner thoughts ran something like this: Qingqing has been accustomed to hardship since childhood, yet with this table full of delicacies, she still prioritizes me. This shows how very, very important I am in her heart! So touching! Nevertheless, as a man, he wouldn’t compete with a young woman for food. The desire for fine food is superfluous, after all. It’s only little girls who are gluttonous.
So, moved by this, Zhao Junyao also picked out a piece of meat for Xia Ruqing. "You eat."
Xia Ruqing saw the large piece of fried pheasant fall into her bowl and was so delighted her grin almost reached her ears. "Thank you, Emperor!" Having said that, she started eating with carefree glee.
Zhao Junyao smiled faintly, feeling very content. Any other woman would be feigning coyness by now. He much preferred someone as genuine and straightforward as her. This is how it should be: eat whatever you want, do whatever you want!
...
The pheasant was fried to a crispy exterior and tender inside, its seasoning flavorful. The young pheasant soup was also delicious, though it paled slightly in comparison to the fish soup. Zhao Junyao drank only a little less than half a bowl. The roasted pheasant was crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, but their appetites were limited, and they could eat no more. After the meal, the leftovers were given to Li Shengan and the others.
Xia Ruqing, full and satisfied, hugged her belly, her face flushed with a rosy glow of contentment from the food. Zhao Junyao also felt both physically and mentally at ease. His entire face clearly showed that ’His Majesty is greatly pleased.’
The bed had already been made. After washing up, they lay side-by-side on the bed. Listening to the chirping of cicadas and the croaking of frogs outside, Xia Ruqing spoke softly, "When I was young, there was a pond near my hometown too. Especially on summer nights, after it rained, many of us kids would go there to catch frogs to eat!"
Zhao Junyao had been lying comfortably with his eyes closed. Hearing this, he frowned. "Frogs? That kind of thing... can be eaten?" How disgusting!
Xia Ruqing, seeing his disgusted expression, protested, "Emperor, you must be thinking of toads. Toads are poisonous and can’t be eaten. Frogs are rather cute and non-toxic!"