It was incredibly exciting.
Caught off guard, Yun Lie was at a disadvantage for the first time in this matter. His mind went blank, his cheeks burned, and he even felt his legs go weak, which was somewhat shameful.
Just as he had recovered slightly and was preparing to reciprocate, his unusually mischievous wife had already given up.
Under his bewildered gaze, Luo Cuiwei, her face flushed, helped him down the stone steps, then pulled his sleeve to shield him in front of her, and pushed him out the door.
She reached out her trembling hand to pull his cloak tighter, glanced meaningfully at his waist, and raised her chin triumphantly.
"Alright, you can go back and do your thing."
After saying that, with a smug, red face, he turned and strode inside, disappearing from sight in no time.
Why does he look like he's finally gotten his revenge? Yun Lie stood at the door for a long while, then slowly lowered his eyes, as if waking from a dream.
He gripped his cloak tightly with both hands, covering his front completely, and gritted his teeth, looking both annoyed and amused.
His wife never suffers a loss; having been teased by him before, she came up with this even more shameless way to retaliate—
Ignite his passion, then throw him outside.
It must be said that this method is extremely cruel and despicable.
Very well, this feud has become huge. If he lets her sleep peacefully tonight, he'll change his mind.
****
After Luo Cuiwei had looked at the cabinet designs drawn by the carpenter and made some additional requests, it was already late afternoon.
Seeing that there was nothing else to do, Xiahou Ling said, "Shall we go back?"
Luo Cuiwei quickly shook her head, then smiled and clung to Xiahou Ling's arm. "Ling, come with me to the market. I've been cooped up at home all this time and haven't had a chance to see the bustling market yet!"
She had deliberately provoked Yun Lie, causing him to suffer a great loss and avenge himself. After being smug for less than half an hour, she realized that she had acted impulsively again.
The thought of being tormented by that vengeful guy tonight instantly dampened her spirits.
Xiahou Ling thought for a moment and said, "We can only wander around for half an hour at most. We must go home before 5 PM."
"Alright, half an hour it will be." Luo Cuiwei nodded sadly in agreement.
She could imagine that Yun Lie must have prepared many even more shameless methods, just waiting for her to return and become a lamb to the slaughter. She could delay as long as possible.
****
The market was fairly lively, but it mainly sold everyday necessities, which were nothing new to Luo Cuiwei.
After strolling around for no more than the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, she tugged at Xiahou Ling's wide sleeve with a bored expression, "Forget it, let's go back."
Xiahou Ling breathed a sigh of relief, smiled and nodded, and did her best to shield her from the crowd as she walked out.
As she approached the street corner and finally escaped the crowded throng, Luo Cuiwei suddenly felt nauseous and quickly hid behind a large tree to dry heave for a while.
Xiahou Ling patted her back gently, feeling helpless and distressed. Once she calmed down a bit, she let out a sigh.
"You insisted on coming. Are you uncomfortable with so many people around?" Xiahou Ling took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth and glared at her irritably.
Luo Cuiwei smiled weakly and pointed to the market in the alley, "A-Ling, go buy me some pickled plums and get me some water to rinse my mouth while you're at it."
Seeing that she looked really bad, Xiahou Ling helped her lean against the tree trunk, saying, "Then wait for me here, I'll be back soon."
Xiahou Ling glanced at the two passersby across the street, then subtly tilted her head towards the market.
The two nodded slightly.
After Xiahou Ling told Yun Lie why the Luo family had sent her, Yun Lie dispatched guards to protect Luo Cuiwei at all times.
However, neither Yun Lie nor Xiahou Ling wanted to disturb Luo Cuiwei, so they tacitly kept quiet about it to her; in addition, she had rarely gone out recently, so she did not notice that there were guards following her.
At this moment, Luo Cuiwei was in great discomfort and did not notice Xiahou Ling's movements at all. She just hung her head, raised her hand to press on her stomach, smiled bitterly, and waved to her, signaling her to hurry up.
After Xiahou Ling left, Luo Cuiwei took a long time to straighten up and casually looked around.
This is the entrance and exit of the market, and it faces the street. Although it is not as crowded as the main market, there are still a few pedestrians here and there.
She spotted a burly man in the distance, dressed in a thick silver robe, holding a folding fan in his hand, and couldn't help but smile.
There are all sorts of weirdos out there, like someone carrying a fan in the dead of winter.
Luo Cuiwei was secretly chuckling to herself when she saw the man walking straight toward her, and she couldn't help but look puzzled.
The man strode forward and stopped five steps away from her, bowing politely to her.
"I apologize for disturbing you, young lady," the man said, his accent somewhat strange, but his manners and expression were polite. "I am new here and seem to be lost. May I ask where the inn in town is?"
Seeing that she was asking for directions and the other person was polite and courteous, Luo Cuiwei smiled gently and replied, "The city is still under construction, and I haven't heard of any inns yet."
She had just vomited for a while and was feeling listless; she was only forcing a smile.
The man sighed, seemingly disappointed, and then asked, "Is there anywhere I can stay?"
“If you don’t mind a simpler style, you can go and take a look to the east,” Luo Cuiwei said, subtly glancing at his not-so-simple clothes. “I’ve vaguely heard people mention that there are a few thatched huts over there with large communal sleeping areas, rented out for people to rest and spend the night.”
Upon hearing this, the man's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, thank you."
Seeing that he had asked for directions but showed no intention of leaving, Luo Cuiwei suppressed her strange feeling and urged him with a smile, "It's getting late, you'd better go and take a look soon, lest you miss your berth."
“That’s true,” the man said with a smile, opening his folding fan and taking a half-step closer to her. “You are truly kind-hearted, young lady. I am deeply grateful for your guidance today…”