In the cold January, apart from pedestrians wrapped in cotton balls, holding hand warmers, visiting relatives, and buying holiday gifts, no one else was visible.
On such a cold day, everyone preferred to stay at home, heating their kang beds and enjoying the fire.
So, when Su Jiamo stood on the street holding a folding fan, he was particularly conspicuous.
He was, indeed, wearing a thick padded jacket.
And a cloak with a fox fur collar, but the folding fan in his hand was really too much.
Su Xiaoqi couldn't help but frown as she watched. She tightened her grip on the hot water bottle in her hand and quickly pretended to be a customer browsing in the shop.
"Xiaoqi, it's really you." Su Jiamo had already seen her and hurried over.
The distance between them closed rapidly, and Su Xiaoqi could smell a strong scent of rouge and powder on him.
She rubbed her nose uncomfortably and then sneezed.
Su Jiamo looked at her, somewhat disbelieving.
"No, doesn't it smell good?" He had also followed the example of the Marquis of Yong'an's heir, who was staying to celebrate the New Year.
According to him, many men in the capital liked to apply makeup.
Su Xiaoqi frowned, but Su Jiamo was almost a stranger to her.
She wasn't in the mood to disdain his makeup or preferences, but she didn't want to cause trouble during the New Year, so she said indifferently, "As long as you're happy."
"No, no, I came specifically to find you. I know you revealed your identity in front of everyone in Mianzhou City.
You've fallen out with my family and will never return. I, I can't let go of you. I heard you were browsing the supermarket, so I came out specifically to find you."
Su Xiaoqi frowned deeply as she listened. Someone tell her, what kind of person was this Su Jiamo?
Was her rejection of him not clear enough?
"Young Master Su the Second, please stop joking."
"I, how am I joking? I, I just like you and hope you can be well." Su Jiamo felt his feelings for Su Xiaoqi were trampled upon, and he argued sadly, feeling wronged.
"Su Jiamo, don't you know I'm already married? You keep saying you hope I'm well, but I think you just can't stand to see me well."
Su Xiaoqi lowered her voice and chided, "If you had even a shred of goodwill towards me, you wouldn't corner me in this shop and say these things.
Have you ever thought about how outsiders would gossip about me if they heard these words?
And what my husband would think of me if he heard them?"
"I, I can't help it, Xiaoqi, Xiaoqi, I only want you. I, I finally managed to shake off the guards my father sent. They wouldn't let me out to see you, but I can't control myself.
Xiaoqi, what should I do?" Su Jiamo clutched his folding fan, his knuckles turning white. His delicate face was filled with pain.
Su Xiaoqi was startled and instinctively stepped back.
Zhao Dayou also noticed the abnormality and quickly walked over, standing beside them, firstly to prevent Su Jiamo from continuing to say any more nonsensical things.
Secondly, it was to avoid others seeing them alone and suspecting any impropriety between them.
"Su Jiamo, I'll tell you one more time, I've made it very clear, I'm already married, and there is no possibility between us."
"Married? Even if married, you can divorce. Doesn't the current emperor also marry a common widow..."
"Su Jiamo, shut up. Who the hell are you calling a widow. You..." Su Xiaoqi glanced around. Seeing someone passing by the entrance, she dared not speak loudly. She gritted her teeth, her voice barely escaping her clenched jaw.
"You look perfectly normal, so why are you spewing such nonsense and acting so abnormally the moment you speak?
Are you insane..." Su Xiaoqi was so angered by Su Jiamo that she forgot about her image and started scolding him.
However, Su Jiamo, the recipient of the scolding, not only did not get angry but also did not become ashamed. Instead, he looked at her with a smile.
It was as if Su Xiaoqi wasn't scolding him but praising him, or even confessing her love to him.
"I..." Damn it, Su Xiaoqi ultimately did not curse, because she saw the curtain of the back door being lifted, and Shen Yun had arrived.
Su Xiaoqi's heart inexplicably tightened.
She subconsciously took two steps back, desperately trying to create distance between herself and Su Jiamo, fearing Shen Yun would misunderstand.
After completing these actions, she realized her behavior was somewhat strange.
But she couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.
However, though she didn't understand, the intelligent Shen Yun immediately grasped her actions.
It seemed the psychological suggestion he had been subtly implanting in Xiaoqi day after day was working.
She now unconsciously considered herself his person.
That's why she was distancing herself from Su Jiamo in front of him.
Because she was afraid he would misunderstand her.
Shen Yun curved his lips. The anger he had felt upon hearing Su Jiamo's words had long since vanished.
Only his deep affection for Su Xiaoqi remained.
He took a step forward, pulled Su Xiaoqi into his arms without reservation, kissed her forehead, gently patted her delicate shoulder, and soothed her in a tender voice, "Don't be afraid, your husband is here."
These few simple words had a calming effect.
Su Xiaoqi's surprise, anger, and fear towards Shen Yun, stirred up by Su Jiamo, immediately dissipated.
She simply leaned against Shen Yun obediently and tenderly, like a delicate and helpless young lady, completely relying on her husband.
Shen Yun looked down at her. He was very pleased with her delicate appearance and even more pleased that she chose to trust him.
In contrast to Shen Yun's happiness, Su Jiamo was filled with immense anger.
His long eyes were bloodshot, glaring at Su Xiaoqi as if on fire.
He hadn't realized that the woman who was like a hedgehog in front of him could be so charming and lovable in front of Shen Yun.
She was so delicate and helpless, so soft and sweet, that it stirred boundless tenderness in his heart.
But the embrace she relied on was not his.
It was Shen Yun, Shen Yun!
Su Jiamo, with his eyes red, glared at Shen Yun.
Ultimately, he couldn't be angry with Su Xiaoqi, so he directed his fury towards Shen Yun, who had appeared later.
"If I remember correctly, I once told your Su family that Xiaoqi and I were married with all three formal engagements and had the ceremony, and it was registered with the authorities. The person I married was named Su Xiaoqi. You say it's invalid, so it's invalid?"
Shen Yun's temperament was even more extreme than Su Jiamo displayed.
It was just that he always liked to wear a mask.
His expression was calm now, his voice even.
But if one looked into his eyes, they would know he was very, very angry.
What man could tolerate someone coveting his wife, and repeatedly so.
Su Xiaoqi quietly looked up at him. His eyes were calm now, but the calmer he was, the more it indicated his anger.
"Husband, I, let's go. We still need to pay our New Year's respects to Mr. Gu." Su Xiaoqi did not want him to have friction with someone because of her.
Of course, it wasn't that she was afraid of Su Jiamo.
She simply wasn't accustomed to facing such situations. She preferred a peaceful and happy life.
Shen Yun clenched his fists, his eyes turbulent, like a volcano about to erupt.
Su Xiaoqi's heart tightened. She didn't know how to persuade Shen Yun.
But she believed that although Shen Yun appeared ordinary, if he were to erupt, Su Jiamo would not fare well.
However, this would harm Shen Yun's reputation, and she was even more afraid it would affect his future studies.
In her anxious haste, she looked at Shen Yun's chiseled jaw and thin lips. Suddenly, inspiration struck. She wrapped her arms around Shen Yun's neck and kissed him on the lips.
"Husband, kiss me..." Su Xiaoqi's voice was gentle yet firm.