The Foolish General's Mute Spouse - Chapter 108

108: She’s So Adorable

“Judging by your appearances, you two don’t seem to be locals of Jiangnan? Are you here to visit relatives or friends?”

The man was quite outgoing, smiling as he asked.

Fu Yu’an and Xia Xiu exchanged glances, neither willing to answer.

In the end, it was Xia Xiu who spoke up: “Ah… you have a sharp eye, young master. We are indeed here to… visit friends.”

Normally, such polite small talk should be reciprocated with a question like, “And what about you?” But they had no intention of keeping the conversation going.

Unexpectedly, the young man continued unprompted: “To be honest, I’m not from Zhizhou either. I’m from Tianchang Kingdom. I heard the Great Yan has many delicious foods, so I came to try them!”

At this, the two grew wary. Fu Yu’an asked, “Isn’t the city restricting entry for people from Tianchang? You must have some impressive connections, young master.”

“Hah! Money opens doors! I’m here for business. Truth be told, I’ve spent more time living in Zhizhou than in Tianchang—I’m practically half a Great Yan citizen by now!”

Fu Yu’an didn’t know how to respond to that, so he forced a dry laugh, silently regretting their decision to enter this restaurant.

The young man seemed oblivious to the awkward atmosphere and even began introducing himself, clearly intent on befriending the two. “I’ve adopted a Great Yan name—Yao Xuesong. May I ask for your names, gentlemen?”

Fu Yu’an: “…”

Absolutely unnecessary!

Xia Xiu, however, seemed resigned to the situation and cupped his hands in greeting. “I am Xia Xiu, and this is…”

“Qi Yu’an.”

He still gave a fake name.

Yao Xuesong nodded. “So it’s Brother Xia and Brother Qi! A pleasure to meet you!”

This Yao Xuesong was far too lively. Despite their reticence, he ended up dragging them into an hour-long conversation.

“It’s all because the food took so long to arrive!” Xia Xiu grumbled indignantly. “Next time, we’re definitely not going back!”

Fu Yu’an chimed in, “Right! And the food wasn’t even authentic! If this were the capital, they’d have gone out of business!”

“Maybe they did go out of business in the capital and that’s why they came here.” Xia Xiu said. “In any case, let’s not come back. How could that Yao Xuesong be so shamelessly friendly? I’ve had enough! He even asked where we’re staying—honestly!”

Fu Yu’an patted his shoulder reassuringly. “It’s fine. You’ll be leaving in a few days anyway—it’s not like you’ll see him again.”

Xia Xiu shook his head. “Plans have changed. The envoy from Tianchang said the journey is long and asked for a few more days’ grace.”

A few more days?

That meant he could take Siqi to the birthday banquet after all!

…

When Qi Ren returned, he was once again covered in dust and grime, clearly having spent another day at the military camp’s training grounds.

Fu Yu’an wasn’t as clingy as before. Qi Ren went to the camp almost every day, only returning at dusk.

Fresh out of his bath, Fu Yu’an sat under the lamplight with a book in hand, waiting for him.

“Why didn’t you dry your hair? What if you catch a cold?” Qi Ren strode in, his heart softening at the sight of Fu Yu’an’s docile demeanor.

He picked up a soft towel and gently dried his hair, asking, “What are you reading?”

Fu Yu’an wrinkled his nose and answered irrelevantly, “Go take a bath! You’re filthy!”

Qi Ren knew he wasn’t clean, so he could only sulkily withdraw his hand. After wrapping the soft towel around his head a couple of times, he finally turned and walked behind the screen to quickly wash himself with the remaining warm water from Fu Yu’an’s bath.

By the time he came out, Fu Yu’an had already dried his hair and was lying in bed.

Qi Ren picked up the soft towel to dry his own hair, using his inner energy to dry both his and Fu Yu’an’s hair thoroughly before climbing into bed.

Fu Yu’an turned over and nestled into his arms, his tone carrying a hint of complaint: “Why have you been so busy lately? I barely see you anymore!”

“It’s because the envoy from Tianchang Kingdom is coming soon. We have to step up our preparations in case of any trouble.”

He pressed a kiss to Fu Yu’an’s forehead, then gradually moved downward, brushing his lips over the tip of his nose before finally capturing his mouth.

Fu Yu’an obediently parted his lips to welcome him, quickly losing himself in the moment as he let Qi Ren advance step by step, his body arching slightly.

Qi Ren rolled over, causing the bed and quilts to sway along with them, enveloping the two beneath.

“The lamp!” Fu Yu’an tried to dodge, but his hands clung to Qi Ren’s shoulders, his demeanor torn between resistance and surrender.

Qi Ren pretended not to hear, silencing his protests with another kiss as he gazed down at him in the dim, ambiguous glow of the lamplight.

This was utterly mortifying! Though Qi Ren often teased him in bed, he usually cared about his feelings and knew Fu Yu’an was shy—why had he insisted on keeping the lamp lit tonight?

“It’s been a while since I’ve gotten a good look at you.” Qi Ren murmured, his words slightly muffled. “Let’s keep the lamp on tonight, alright? I’ll hide you under the covers—don’t be afraid.”

Fu Yu’an bit his lip and relented, letting out a tiny hum of agreement from his throat.

The red candle flickered, the bed swaying, and it was unclear how much time had passed before they finally stopped.

Servants brought in fresh bathwater, and Qi Ren shielded Fu Yu’an under the quilt, watching as he nearly dozed off from exhaustion.

The bathtub was large, but fitting two grown men was still a bit of a squeeze.

Qi Ren carefully held him, rubbing soap between his hands before spreading the lather over Fu Yu’an’s body.

Fu Yu’an stirred, glanced at him, then closed his eyes again, unsure whether he was awake or asleep.

“Qi Ren.” he called softly, his voice barely a whisper.

Qi Ren immediately leaned his ear closer, listening carefully for what he wanted to say.

“Tomorrow is my uncle’s birthday. Will you come with me to Baihua Valley? And Si Qi too—our family of three… let’s all go together.”

Qi Ren hesitated. “But Elder Shu doesn’t seem to approve of me much, and I’ve never even met your uncle. Would that… be alright?”

“It’s fine. I haven’t met him either.” Fu Yu’an said, nodding sleepily. “Since we’re already married, we’re family now. Of course we should go together.”

Those words warmed Qi Ren’s heart, so he didn’t dwell on the matter of whether they’d met or not. The more he looked at Fu Yu’an, the more he adored him—he wished he could tuck him right into his heart.

…

The next day, as expected, Qiao Ying came to fetch them—though she was alone this time, and it seemed she had dressed up carefully.

Si Qi was also wearing his most presentable outfit. When he saw Qiao Ying, his eyes lit up with unconcealed admiration before he awkwardly turned away and coughed lightly.

Oh heavens… She’s so adorable!

Fu Yu’an noticed Si Qi clutching his chest with a strange expression and thought he might be feeling unwell. Even after boarding the carriage, he asked about it.

But Si Qi just waved him off, saying he was fine.

Qiao Ying climbed into the carriage as well, her silver ornaments jingling softly.

Fu Yu’an and Qi Ren sat on one side, so after glancing around, she had no choice but to sit next to Si Qi.

When their knees accidentally brushed, Si Qi jolted as if electrified, nearly leaping up.

All three of them immediately turned to him with puzzled looks.

I’m not even nervous—why are you so tense? Qi Ren thought to himself.

The coachman was also a member of Baihua Valley. Qiao Ying still had her mind on the storybooks, but due to Fu Yu’an and Qi Ren’s presence, she didn’t dare to ask openly.

She gently tugged at Si Qi’s sleeve and beckoned him closer. Si Qi obediently leaned in, and Qiao Ying lowered her voice to ask if he could bring her new storybooks on the way back.

How could he refuse? After all, last time, the young master hadn’t reacted much—it was practically tacit permission.

So the two of them began whispering back and forth. Fu Yu’an and Qi Ren exchanged glances, both smiling helplessly.

Baihua Valley wasn’t far, but the outside was shrouded in a layer of mist, said to be poisonous. Staying inside for too long would cause one to fall unconscious, and prolonged exposure would lead to death in one’s sleep.

Qiao Ying, who dealt with poisons and gu daily, naturally wasn’t afraid. She took out three medicinal pills for the group to take, ensuring their safety before entering.

The coachman was very familiar with the maze-like mist formation, and in less than half an hour, they passed through it and arrived at the entrance.

The carriage stopped, and Qi Ren helped Fu Yu’an alight.

Baihua Valley lived up to its name—before their eyes stretched a dazzling array of flowers, all sorts of exotic plants Fu Yu’an couldn’t name, vibrant and lush, competing in splendor. It was like a paradise untouched by the outside world.

The group all wore expressions of country bumpkins entering the city, finding everything novel yet not daring to touch anything, afraid that these strange flowers and plants might be laced with deadly poison.

Qiao Ying led the way, taking them to a tall, spacious estate ahead.

It wasn’t quite like the multi-courtyard mansions in the city, but once inside, it had its own unique charm.

The courtyard was paved with smooth bluestone slabs, dotted with lush greenery. Further ahead stood a two-story pavilion, quite imposing within Baihua Valley.

Fu Yu’an thought that perhaps his uncle held a rather high status here in Baihua Valley.