NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 90
Old lady Wang had finished cooking the meal but couldn't find anyone after searching around. Not wanting to go into the rooms one by one, she could only tentatively call out in the courtyard, "Miss? Boss? Dinner is ready, come and eat."
Jiang Yan bit her lip and made no sound. It was Zhang Xuyun whose voice, as ever smooth and steady, responded, "Understood."
Old lady Wang went back to dish out the food.
In the dim room where faces couldn't be seen clearly, there were suppressed sounds of stirring passion.
Zhang Xuyun methodically dressed his cousin in a small cotton jacket, coaxing her again and again before persuading her to come out and eat.
Old lady Wang had bought a local chicken from the village and made a potato-braised chicken dish. The potatoes were powdery and glutinous, the chicken meat soft and full of flavor, with droplets of oil floating on the soup, making it particularly fragrant when poured over rice.
The sour and spicy aroma of the vinegar-dressed cabbage was appetizing and perfect for eating with rice. There were also soft, tender steamed buns that were fluffy and gave off a sweet taste when chewed for a while.
All traces of ill temper vanished in an instant as Jiang Yan happily picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
Watching her, Zhang Xuyun felt a pang in his heart. Just some bodily cravings, and her anger towards him had dissipated, as if he was less important than a meal.
Old lady Wang happened to notice that the Boss, who had been in a good mood earlier, suddenly turned gloomy while eating.
The Boss's temperament, as the rumors said, was indeed strange.
Jiang Yan's task was complete, and she waited for Zhang Xuyun to leave so she could go back with him. With Zhang Xuyun around, it would be easier to persuade the elders at home.
But Zhang Xuyun had asked once before and received the answer that she wouldn't be leaving for the time being, so he didn't bring it up again.
The two ended up staying at the ancestral home.
No matter how convoluted, complex, or thorny the business affairs were, Zhang Xuyun could handle them perfectly and flawlessly.
But since his cousin didn't want to go back, he wouldn't ask again.
On warm winter days with plenty of sunshine, the weather was nice.
Old lady Wang had gone to the town to buy supplies, while Li was silently playing with cats at the entrance. Zhang Xuyun's attendants had been sent back to take care of business.
Zhang Xuyun sat on a large lounge chair, with Jiang Yan wrapped in a small fur blanket sitting on his lap.
On this clear, fine day, the two sat together in the courtyard reading books.
Originally, it was Jiang Yan who was supposed to read, but the warmth of the sun made one drowsy. As she read, her head gradually drooped lower and lower.
Zhang Xuyun, who had intended to adjust her blanket, froze in place. Taking advantage of her dazed, drowsy state, he slyly tempted her, "How about marrying your cousin?"
Jiang Yan leaned her head against him, extremely sleepy and looking utterly adorable. Seeing this, Zhang Xuyun's heart melted with tenderness.
In a soft but firm voice, she mumbled drowsily, "No."
His cousin didn't seem so adorable anymore.
Zhang Xuyun took a deep breath, his heart feeling stifled. No longer caring if he woke her up, he vigorously ruffled her hair and asked in a deep voice, "Why not?"
Still drowsy, Jiang Yan struggled to say, "Close relatives... can't marry..."
Zhang Xuyun's heart immediately eased. They were actually not close relatives; his mother had been adopted. He had no blood relation to the Chen Family, only becoming their pillar through successful business dealings. It was precisely because there was no blood relation that the Chen Family treated him, a younger generation, with respect and courtesy.
After the news about close relatives not being allowed to marry was published, many people didn't understand it, but it seemed his cousin had accepted it quite quickly.
Then Zhang Xuyun realized something was off. If she knew close relatives couldn't marry, yet she still allowed him to be so intimate and touchy with her, didn't that mean she was lusting after him! Or maybe she was just using the excuse of close relatives not being able to marry to avoid responsibility!
He glared coldly at the cousin sleeping like a little piglet in his arms and let out a cold laugh.
Last night, Jiang Yan had secretly read some racy novels, so she was truly exhausted today and completely oblivious to the danger.
Zhang Xuyun held her with one arm while pinching her mouth shut with the other hand, as if playing a prank by squeezing her mouth into the shape of a little duck's beak.
Jiang Yan was sleeping soundly, but having her mouth pinched shut made her want to bite someone even though she couldn't open her mouth. She had no idea what kind of struggle Zhang Xuyun had just gone through.
But she knew how to act obedient. Unable to speak, she nuzzled against his face with cooing noises, looking even more adorable than a little kitten.
Zhang Xuyun's heart melted into a puddle again, and he pulled her closer into his embrace.
This matter could be put aside for now.
Sitting in the sun, the smile on Zhang Xuyun's face, usually false and artificial, now showed a genuine expression of tenderness and warmth.
Marriage could be put on the agenda.