Chapter 183: Osmanthus Cake

“If I were to return, what would my husband do?”

Standing at the entrance of the courtyard, Jiang Qingshang looked at her husband with a smile, but in the young woman’s eyes, that luster seemed to be gradually disappearing.

And in front of Jiang Qingshang was Bai Luoxue, wearing a veil and just about to head out.

Bai Luoxue’s eyes flickered as she looked at the beautiful woman before her.

So, this is the type Lin Xun likes?

“Qinger… I… well, you’re… back.”

At this moment, Lin Xun’s mind was a complete blank.

Hadn’t news come from Luo City saying that the City Lord of Luocheng wouldn’t be back until tomorrow?

Why would Qinger…

“Yes, husband, I have returned,” Jiang Qing said with a smile, her eyes curving.

Just looking at his wife’s smile, Lin Xun felt an inexplicable chill, like the piercing cold wind of Siberia, or like a scalpel taken out of a refrigerator and held against his neck.

“Husband, who is this young lady?”

Jiang Qingshang walked into the courtyard, hugged Lin Xun’s arm, and looked at him with flickering eyes.

“Could my husband introduce her to me?”

“That…”

Lin Xun felt Qinger pinching the flesh at his waist, but he didn’t dare to resist, nor did he even dare to show it; his expression became slightly distorted from the pain.

Why does it hurt so much? Even when he was bleeding and heavily injured back then, it didn’t hurt this much…

“Qinger, you’ve misunderstood. This Miss Bai is a friend I met by chance; her family has fallen on hard times, and both her parents have passed away.”

Lin Xun’s mind raced as he quietly moved Jiang Qing’s hand from his waist and pressed it against his heart, then reached out to wrap his arm around Jiang Qing’s slender waist.

At a time like this, one must not panic!

The more one panics, the easier it is for things to go wrong!

Besides, he really hadn’t done anything!

I haven’t even touched Bai Luoxue’s little hand!

And I’ve been rejecting her all along!

That’s right! I, Lin Xun, act with an open and upright conscience; there’s no need to be flustered!

The best course of action now is to soothe his wife’s emotions and then provide a reasonable explanation.

In short, he had to strictly follow the trilogy of “generous explanation,” “gentle pampering,” and “changing the subject.”

Generous explanation:

Lin Xun tucked a strand of his wife’s hair behind her ear:

“I was strolling by the river at the time, and out of nowhere, this Miss Bai was actually going to jump in! I was stunned! I immediately dove into the water and rescued Miss Bai.”

Jiang Qingshang looked at Bai Luoxue, Bai Luoxue looked at Lin Xun, and Lin Xun didn’t dare look at Bai Luoxue.

Finally, Bai Luoxue nodded, indicating that what Lin Xun said was true.

Jiang Qingshang pressed against Lin Xun’s chest, her finger tracing circles there, but Lin Xun felt like Qinger was pinpointing the location of his heart, as if it might be ripped out in the next moment. “And then?”

“And then, as the most promising young Teacher in Luo City! Naturally, I offered the young lady some guidance!”

Lin Xun pulled his wife closer.

“Finally, thanks to your husband’s silver tongue, Miss Bai eventually gave up her thoughts of ending her life and found hope to live on.”

Looking directly into Jiang Qing’s eyes, Lin Xun’s gaze was full of sincerity; he almost believed it himself.

“Then, at my suggestion, Miss Bai used her remaining funds to open a Tofu Shop, which is the one right across from us.”

“To thank me for saving her life and for the guidance, Miss Bai brought over some tofu yesterday.”

“Today, Miss Bai brought over some pastries again, but I didn’t accept them!”

“Then why did my husband say I couldn’t be allowed to know?” Jiang Qingshang gently caressed Lin Xun’s cheek.

“That’s because one should do good deeds without seeking fame!” Lin Xun talked nonsense with a straight face. “Besides, wasn’t I afraid Qinger would misunderstand? After all, Miss Bai is still a young lady from a respectable family; it wouldn’t be right for her to be sending me tofu and refreshments like this.”

As he spoke, Lin Xun raised four fingers to the heavens and swore: “I, Lin Pei, swear! If what I say is false, may lightning strike me down! May I not die a—”

Just as Lin Xun was about to finish his last word, Jiang Qingshang’s slender, fair finger pressed against his lips. “Husband, there’s no need for this. I believe you.”

“Mhm, as long as you believe me.” Lin Xun gave Jiang Qing a light kiss on her forehead.

Close call, close call. He almost really made an oath.

But then again, if Lin Pei swears an oath, what does that have to do with me, Lin Xun?

Gentle pampering:

Lin Xun held his wife. “Qinger, you must be exhausted from your journey back. It’s just past noon, so let’s go rest for a bit. I’ll give you a massage, and then you can lean against my firm chest for a good sleep.”

Listening to Lin Xun’s words, Jiang Qing nodded, and her eyes softened considerably.

“Miss Bai, you don’t need to bring anything over anymore. Facing life positively from now on is the best way you can repay this Lin. Selling tofu is hard work too, so please get some rest.”

Lin Xun hurried to send Bai Luoxue away; otherwise, heaven knows what else this three-no girl would do.

Looking at Lin Xun and Jiang Qingshang in his arms, Bai Luoxue’s eyes remained devoid of joy or sorrow. In the end, the young woman just looked at her Food Basket and turned to leave.

“Actually, Miss Bai is quite good-looking.”

Until the courtyard gate closed, Jiang Qingshang’s slender arms were draped around Lin Xun’s neck as she smiled with curved eyes in his embrace.

“If my husband wants to marry her as a Secondary Wife, Qinger would agree.”

“No, Qinger, you’ve misunderstood, I…”

Once again, Lin Xun didn’t finish his sentence before Jiang Qingshang stood on her tiptoes and gently pressed her cherry lips against his.

As their lips parted, Jiang Qingshang lowered her head, her eyelids fluttering beneath long eyelashes.

“Husband, you really don’t need to worry about me. After all, what man doesn’t have several wives and concubines? If I didn’t allow my husband to take a concubine, it would make me seem like I’m not following the proper Wife Dao.”

“No! I’m different! With you, why would I, Lin Pei, ever need to take a Secondary Wife! Don’t say such things again!”

Lin Xun was dead serious, and even seemed a bit Life Qi!

This was Lin Xun’s intense survival instinct flaring up.

If he actually believed Qinger’s words at a time like this, Lin Xun would have been buried under a rock long ago.

Seeing her husband’s appearance of faintly carrying Angry Qi, Jiang Qingshang’s eyes shimmered, her beautiful pupils once again filled with happiness.

“Husband, I’m sorry. I won’t say it again.”

Jiang Qingshang leaned against Lin Xun’s chest. “Husband, that rock in the courtyard—do you scrub it properly every day?”

In the backyard of the Tofu Shop, the young woman sat on a stone bench, still looking up at the sky.

Beside Bai Luoxue was the Food Basket she had just brought back.

After an unknown amount of time, she withdrew her gaze from the sky, and her small hand gently opened the Food Basket.

Inside the Food Basket was the exquisite Osmanthus Cake.

Taking a piece of Osmanthus Cake from the basket, the young woman lifted her veil and took a light bite. The sweetness and the fragrance of osmanthus achieved a perfect Fusion, filling her mouth.

“It clearly tastes quite good.”

The young woman’s eyelids lowered slightly.

In the kitchen of the courtyard, there were many similar Osmanthus Cakes, all made last night.

But some didn’t look right, and some didn’t taste right. In the end, they were all discarded by the young woman.

This was the first time the young woman had made pastries.

And this basket of Osmanthus Cake was the one success the young woman finally achieved after an entire night.