He didn't stop until Su Fuliu's ears were completely red, and then said, "Brother Jinglang, don't be angry. Ting'er knows he was wrong."
Su Fuliu pursed her lips.
What should I do? I really want to laugh.
No, I have to hold it in.
“Brother Jinglang, please pay attention to him,” Feng Muting said again.
Su Fuliu pressed her lips together tightly.
What should I do? I can't hold it in any longer.
Forget it, I won't hold it in anymore.
Then, Su Fuliu, who could no longer hold back, burst out laughing.
But as a result, she laughed too hard and strained her back, making her already painful back even worse. Her smile froze instantly, and Su Fuliu frowned, her face contorted in pain, and she started cursing again: "Tinglang, it's all your fault! It hurts so much! If you touch me again these next few days, I'll skin you alive and hang your skin on the city wall!"
Chapter 8 Extra: Stay (Part 8)
Feng Muting choked, regretting that he had taught Su Fuliu to swear instead of teaching her to do so.
They really shot themselves in the foot.
Now Su Fuliu uses these words to scold him whenever she's unhappy. It's better to hear "Onion, Ginger, Garlic, Daffodil" instead; those words sound much cuter.
"Okay, okay, I won't touch her. As long as Liu Bao calms down and doesn't go to sleep with Qing'er, I promise I won't do anything."
Su Fuliu rubbed her waist in a wronged manner, refusing even when Feng Muting offered to help, for fear that he might lose control again while rubbing.
"Tinglang will approve today's memorials himself; I can't help him with that."
"Liu Bao, don't worry. I'll have Su Yan bring the memorials over right away. I'll stay with you while I deal with them, so we can do both at the same time." With that, Feng Muting got out of bed.
He walked to the door and looked at Xie Chen standing outside: "Go and call Su Yan over. It's this late, he should be awake by now, right?"
Xie Chen replied, "It shouldn't be yet. If His Majesty needs anything, he can simply instruct his subordinates."
Feng Muting raised an eyebrow and glanced at him: "Ever since Su Yan got together with you, you've been asking for leave for him every few days. Are you planning to take over all his work as well?"
"It's not impossible."
"..." Feng Muting gave him a disdainful look. "Go to the Imperial Study and bring the memorials over!"
"Yes." Xie Chen clasped his hands in a fist salute and then turned and left.
Feng Muting turned back and looked at the pitiful little rabbit on the bed. He couldn't help but reminisce. Rabbit meat was really delicious. It was a pity that he couldn't eat it every day. If he could eat it every day, it would be heavenly.
If they really ate it every day, the little rabbit would probably get angry and run back to her mother's house with her bag packed.
If he really goes back to his mother's home, it will be very difficult to coax him back. After all, there will be another annoying, noisy rabbit blocking his way, and that annoying, noisy rabbit will also have an old fox by his side. He is outnumbered.
So he can't afford to upset this well-behaved and adorable little white rabbit beside him; he has to love him dearly.
That day, Su Fuliu was holding Qing'er, coaxing him to sleep.
Because Qing'er kept crying in the wet nurse's arms, the wet nurse had no choice but to bring Qing'er to Su Fuliu. As soon as he was in Su Fuliu's arms, he stopped crying immediately, so Su Fuliu had to coax him to take a nap.
"Qing'er, be good, go to sleep." Su Fuliu carried Qing'er as they walked and coaxed her.
Qing'er was very well-behaved in his arms, not crying at all, but also not sleeping. Instead, she raised her little hand, as if she wanted to touch Su Fuliu.
Seeing this, Su Fuliu lifted Qing'er up a little higher, and then lowered his head slightly so that Qing'er's little hand could touch his face.
After Qing'er successfully touched Su Fuliu's face, he immediately smiled and looked very happy. Then, as if he was not satisfied with touching it with one hand, he raised his other hand as well and touched Su Fuliu's face with both hands. This time, he smiled even more happily.
When Feng Muting arrived and saw this scene, he frowned immediately. He walked over and said with great displeasure, "This brat, could it be that he's already eyeing Liu Bao at such a young age?!"
Su Fuliu looked at him speechlessly: "What are you saying, Tinglang? How old is he anyway!"
“Kids these days are so clever. Just look at Yi Bao. He’s only a few years old and he’s already so sly. Even though Qing’er is only a few months old, I have to be on guard early. I can’t let him steal my boyfriend!” Feng Muting said, taking Qing’er from Su Fuliu’s hands.
Chapter 9 Extra: Stay (Part 9)
As if she knew Feng Muting was talking badly about him, Qing'er immediately peed all over him, making him feel warm.
"Ouch, you brat, you peed all over me again! Are you deliberately trying to mess with me? I'll pull down your pants and spank your little bottom!" With that, Feng Muting actually went to pull down Qing'er's clothes.
Su Fuliu quickly stopped him: "Tinglang! What are you doing? How old is Qing'er? He didn't do it on purpose. Are you really going to hit him?"
Feng Muting smiled and said, "Liu Bao, don't be in such a hurry. I was just trying to scare him."
He wouldn't dare to actually hit Qing'er; if he did, Su Fuliu would have to hit him too.
"What are you trying to scare him about? He's wet his pants. Quickly get the wet nurse to change him into clean clothes so he doesn't catch a cold." Su Fuliu had the wet nurse take Qing'er from Feng Muting's arms. Qing'er hadn't cried while in Feng Muting's arms, but as soon as he was in the wet nurse's arms, he burst into tears.
It is clear that Qing'er not only likes Su Fuliu, but also likes Feng Muting. Even though Feng Muting often scolds him, he still likes him, so much so that he always gets pee and poop all over him.
The wet nurse took Qing'er to change him into clean clothes and then handed him to Su Fuliu. He immediately stopped crying.
Having changed his clothes, Feng Muting clung to him, saying, "Liu Bao, let me hold him. He won't pee now, right?"
Su Fuliu laughed and said, "He may not have any more pee, but he might have some poop. He loves to poop on your hand."
“…Well, never mind then, Liu Bao can hold him for now.” Feng Muting glanced at his younger brother with a look of disdain.
Su Fuliu didn't say much to him, but continued to coax Qing'er to sleep.
After finally getting Qing'er to sleep, Su Fuliu whispered to Feng Muting, "Tinglang, why don't you go out first? Qing'er is asleep. If you don't behave yourself here, you'll wake him up."
"I'll behave myself, I'll definitely behave myself. Liu Bao, please don't send me away. I've brought all the memorials with me. Shall we review them here while keeping watch over Qing'er?" Feng Muting didn't want to be separated from Su Fuliu.
"Alright." Su Fuliu gently placed Qing'er on the bed, then covered him with the blanket and asked the wet nurse to leave and rest for the time being.
He then sat down and accompanied Feng Muting to process the memorials.
Feng Muting was overjoyed and said, "I'll help Liu Bao grind the ink."
"Mm." Su Fuliu nodded.
Time flies, and the end of the year is here again in the blink of an eye.
Su Fuliu stood outside the palace, looking up at the flying snow, her heart filled with countless emotions.
Feng Muting walked over, took off his fox fur cloak and draped it over Su Fuliu's shoulders: "It's so cold, Liu Bao is still standing outside in the snow without even wearing a fox fur cloak. Do you want to catch a cold and make me worry?"
"I was just excited to see it snowing suddenly, so I ran out to take a look and forgot to put on my coat," Su Fuliu replied.
Feng Muting grasped his hand and shook his head helplessly: "Look how cold your little hands are. Come on, let's go inside and warm up by the fire. If you get sick from the cold, I'll be heartbroken."
With that, he took Su Fuliu's hand and led him back into the palace.
There was a brazier inside the hall, making it as warm as spring.
Feng Muting brought over clean clothes and said, "Liu Bao needs to change. Her clothes got wet from the snow, and the snow melted into water after she came in, so her clothes must be damp."
Su Fuliu didn't say much, but obediently took off his outer cotton coat, and then Feng Muting helped him change into a clean one.
Chapter 10 Extra: Stay (Part 10)
“Come here, Liu Bao, hold it.” Feng Muting brought a hot water bottle and handed it to Su Fuliu. “New Year’s Eve is in a few days. Although I don’t want Liu Bao to work hard, I want to eat Liu Bao’s cooking.”
Su Fuliu smiled and said, "If Tinglang wants to eat it, then I'll make it for him. The fish soup is definitely a must, right?"
“Of course.” Feng Muting laughed along.
"I wonder if Father and Aunt Xu will come back." Su Fuliu said, tilting her head as she held the hot water bottle. "If they come back, I'll prepare more of their signature dishes."
"Then you should prepare more, just in case they come back," Feng Muting said. "I'll help out, and we'll cook more dishes."
"Alright, then we'll prepare more dishes. If... Shilang and the others could come..." Su Fuliu sighed softly. This was just wishful thinking. Bai Yulang was the emperor now, unlike before when he could go wherever he wanted.
"Liu Bao, don't think too much about it. Things aren't like they used to be," Feng Muting comforted her.
Su Fuliu nodded: "Yes, I know."
Feng Muting looked at Su Fuliu's slightly disappointed face, his eyes flashing.
The sound of firecrackers welcomes the New Year.
New Year's Eve arrived in the blink of an eye.
Su Fuliu and Feng Muting went to the imperial kitchen early to get busy.
Xie Chen and Su Yan also went along.
Su Fuliu asked Feng Muting to prepare the fish, but Feng Muting picked up a cleaver and was about to make a cut when Su Fuliu noticed in time and stopped him: "Tinglang, stop! Oh dear, you've forgotten again, is that how you kill a fish?"
Feng Muting paused for a moment, then carefully recalled what had happened, and immediately gave an awkward smile: "I remember now, I remember now, we had to remove the scales first, then cut open the belly, and finally remove the gills, right?"
"Yes, yes, you finally remembered. But be careful, don't cut your finger like you did last time," Su Fuliu cautioned.
"Don't worry, Liu Bao, I'll definitely be careful this time," Feng Muting said confidently.
But after killing the fish, six of Feng Muting's ten fingers were cut.
"Tsk." Su Fuliu frowned, looking at him with a mixture of heartache, amusement, and helplessness. "Didn't Tinglang say that this time there would be no problem? How come it's even worse than last time? Last time at least you only had one cut, but this time, there are six cuts. I can't even keep up with them!"
Su Yan stood aside, chuckling to himself, but was immediately silenced by a sharp glare from Feng Muting.
"Brother, let's go wash our vegetables."
As he spoke, Xie Chen pulled Su Yan away, lest Su Yan be unable to laugh even if he wanted to, or be glared at by Feng Muting if he did.
They went to the side, leaving Feng Muting to be reprimanded by Su Fuliu.
Feng Muting stood there like a child who had done something wrong. Su Fuliu treated the wound on his finger while scolding him, "Tinglang, you're not helping me at all, you're making things worse."
Feng Muting pouted: "I, at least I cleaned the fish properly."
"Yes, it's all taken care of. If you hadn't taken care of it properly, you wouldn't have had enough fingers to cut yourself."
"..."
"Alright, now Tinglang just stands there and doesn't need to do anything, just watch," Su Fuliu said after treating his wound.
"Liu Bao, I just don't know how to kill fish, but I can chop vegetables," Feng Muting quickly replied.
Chapter 11 Extra: Stay (Part 11)