Chapter 28
When Li Feng turned over, a rush of cold air slipped into the blanket. But before Lu Liu could even shiver, Li Feng’s body was already wrapped around him, filling the space with warmth in an instant.
The rough, eager kisses that followed didn’t bring the pain Lu Liu had imagined. Instead, he gradually relaxed.
It was only now he realized—lips are soft. When they touch skin, they don’t hurt. Li Feng wasn’t some wild beast; he wouldn’t bite him.
…Well, not exactly.
Li Feng did bite him—his ears, his lips, his throat, and his chest. All sorts of playful, tender bites.
A tamed beast doesn’t hurt, and the sensation of those teasing bites was strange and thrilling to Lu Liu.
With every touch, he cycled between nervousness and surrender. Even his breathing seemed to follow Li Feng’s rhythm.
That day, with Li Feng’s permission and guidance, Lu Liu had finally touched Er Huang. He loved the furry softness—and Er Huang had even licked his hand.
Li Feng’s hair was fluffy too. Lu Liu wrapped his arms around his head, fingers weaving restlessly through his hair. And just like Er Huang, Li Feng caught his hand and brought it to his lips, kissing and licking it gently.
That thing… was too big. It wasn’t easy for Lu Liu to take it in. But thankfully, Li Feng had the patience of a seasoned hunter.
Lu Liu had underestimated the stamina of someone who could survive in the wild alone. He thought that after a full day of pounding rice cakes, Li Feng would be too tired to do much more.
But after one round, there was still another. Lu Liu gave out first.
He was so exhausted he cried. Only then did he find the nerve to ask for a kiss.
He had no defenses left—and no sense to beg for mercy either. Instead, he blurted out something utterly reckless:
He complimented Li Feng’s lips. Said they were soft.
There was no sleep that night.
On the 22nd of the twelfth month, it was time for the third-day return visit.
Lu Yang was up early. He didn’t take his usual walk around the village, instead staying home to knead dough and make big pork buns.
He steamed forty buns, planning to pack half for Luo Dayong to take back.
Luo Dayong had made a long trip and set out at the crack of dawn to get back to the county. He still had patrol duty today—it was no small effort.
Xie Yan got up with him, barely awake, yawning nonstop, clearly struggling to keep up.
Seeing Lu Yang full of energy, moving busily around the kitchen, he couldn’t help but admire him.
Lu Yang, on the other hand, was puzzled. “You wake up early but don’t study? Never done morning reading?”
Xie Yan shook his head. “I used to when I was little. My dad was strict.”
After his father passed, his mother doted on him. One day of sleeping in turned into another… and now, he wasn’t even in school anymore. How could he possibly be up early?
Hearing that, Lu Yang decided to test his academic knowledge. No sense letting the stipend go to waste.
He thought for a moment, then asked tactfully, “I heard scholars get a stipend? Do you still get one?”
Xie Yan nodded. “I do. I’m not enrolled at the county school anymore, but I’m still a linsheng—a stipend scholar. It’s less than before, though. My dad used to get a tael of silver a month. I only get five qian now, and the rest comes in grain—and it’s all old stock.”
A linsheng, a top-ranked xiucai, was considered a talented scholar.
Lu Yang was satisfied.
Today was the return visit, and he hadn’t yet paid a formal visit to Lu Lin since the marriage.
Lu Lin was the younger son from his eldest uncle’s branch—technically a cousin. Lu Yang wanted to build a good relationship with him, hoping to eventually entrust both their fathers to his uncle’s household.
So he kneaded extra dough and made a few smaller buns as gifts.
When the big buns were steamed, it was time for Luo Dayong to head back.
Lu Yang followed through with his plan, packing twenty buns for him and walking him to the edge of the village with Xie Yan.
In Shangxi Village, many families were already up. Once they saw the official leave the village, people finally felt safe enough to talk again.
On the way back, a few villagers tried to strike up conversation, but Lu Yang ignored them.
Xie Yan, following his husband’s lead, also kept quiet.
Lu Yang had also made porridge and stir-fried some pickled vegetables.
At breakfast, the family shared five of the large buns.
He and Xie Yan had each eaten two buns. Zhao Peilan, however, flat-out refused a second one and insisted Lu Yang pack it up instead.
Today was the return visit, and carrying a few more things in hand made for a better impression.
After breakfast, Lu Yang placed the small buns in a bowl, planning to bring them to Lu Lin. He wanted to stop by before going back to his family home, so he’d have something to say when he saw his uncle and the others.
But before he could leave, Lu Lin showed up at his door first. He came carrying two small wicker baskets the size of clay pots—one filled with peanuts, the other half full of sunflower seeds.
As far as neighborly visits went, that was a pretty generous gift. If you bought those things outside, they’d cost over ten copper coins at least.
Lu Lin had a refined, scholarly appearance, but his personality was outgoing. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he called out:
“Liu ge’er! I came to see you!”
Lu Yang came out to greet him with equal enthusiasm.
“I was just about to head over to your place! I made some buns this morning—wanted to bring a few for you to try. Uncle and Uncle A-Qing keep asking after you, told me to visit more often, but I’ve been swamped these past couple of days. Now that I finally have time before heading back home, I’m trying to squeeze in a last-minute visit.”
Lu Lin understood. The entire village had been buzzing these past couple days about the fierce little husband from the Xie family.
He looked Lu Yang up and down, clearly impressed. “Didn’t expect this from you.”
Lu Yang just shrugged. “Even a rabbit will bite when it’s pushed.”
They headed to the main hall to sit and chat. Lu Lin greeted everyone politely and, spotting the bowl of mini buns on the table, realized Lu Yang hadn’t just been making small talk earlier. His smile widened.
“Wow, your buns look amazing—thin skin and packed with filling.”
Each one had a sheen of soy-sauce color, the broth having seeped into the dough. Just looking at them made your mouth water.
Lu Yang urged him to try one. “My steamer’s too small, so I made minis for the return visit. Next time I’ll make the big ones just for you.”
Lu Lin didn’t stand on ceremony. Seeing Lu Yang had even poured him tea, he chuckled, “You planning to keep me here all day or what?”
Lu Yang scooted closer. “Come on, let’s talk. It’s been a while.”
Taking the hint, Xie Yan tactfully slipped away to pack the return gifts. Zhao Peilan went with him to help.
That left just the two cousins in the hall. Lu Lin cupped the tea in his hands, glancing around the room before speaking again.
“I wanted to come see you the day you got married, but it was too crowded. My husband tried to come help, but someone scratched up his face real bad—it’s still healing.”
He was making it clear that they had tried to lend a hand during the wedding, even if it didn’t work out.
“Yesterday I thought about stopping by too, but you were off in the county. Around dinnertime I figured I’d bring you some dishes, but then I saw you bringing home an official. Didn’t dare interrupt.”
So now he’d come early, hoping to catch Lu Yang before he left for the family village.
Lu Yang brushed past the topic and asked if Lu Lin had anything he wanted to pass on to the family.
Lu Lin shook his head. “We’re close by—I can just go back myself. Nothing to pass on. But you… after all this drama, how are you planning to explain it when you go back?”
Explain? Just tell it like it is.
Lu Lin had nothing more to say to that.
Truth was, there was another reason he came. Someone had come to his house, asking him to feel out Lu Yang about what the official was here for—who was being targeted, how many people, and what was going to happen to them.
The official had left, but no one was sure if he’d be back with reinforcements. Everyone was on edge.
Lu Yang didn’t answer. “Let them be scared. That’s the point.”
Lu Lin agreed. He’d shown up himself, so no one could accuse him of gossiping. As for the answer—didn’t matter. His family wasn’t the one losing sleep over it. Those people had it coming.
As the conversation went on, the two of them found themselves getting along well. Lu Lin even added, “They got what they deserved. I can’t believe it—I even chipped in for their wedding banquet, went over to eat, and guess what? The dishes were already gone! Didn’t get a single bite.”
Lu Yang: “?”
Wait—the Xie family hosted a banquet?
“No wonder I haven’t seen a single serving plate at home,” Lu Yang muttered. “We’ve been using bowls for everything these past couple of days. Every time I cook more, I have to use the clay pot. So they were taken?”
Lu Lin blinked. “You didn’t know?”
Lu Yang snorted. “If I’d known, I’d have dragged an officer over this morning to get them back.”
He added, “I take things from others—no one takes from me. It’s been two days and they haven’t returned a single dish? Fine. For every plate they took, they owe me two. Didn’t take one? Then give me one anyway. What, they think my doorstep’s so low anyone can just walk in and take what they want?”