After a Flash Marriage with a Professor - Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Wolf Taming Technique

“Professor Shen, you’re being naughty again.”

“Then I’ll say something proper.”

Ming Shu widened her eyes, looking at Professor Shen, hoping she would indeed mention some proper gift request that she could fulfill.

“Wife, how about this: I’ll invite Yu Yue, and you invite Lingyu. Have them both come over to the house to celebrate my birthday, creating an opportunity for them to spend time together. How does that sound as a birthday gift?” Shen Junlan said.

This gift was indeed much more appropriate. Ming Shu didn’t overthink it and nodded in agreement. She actually hoped Lingyu and Miss Yu would get together. Miss Yu was vetted by Professor Shen, which Ming Shu trusted would be more reliable than Lingyu going on blind dates herself.

Having agreed, they drove home.

Home and Birthday Plans

About fifty minutes later, they arrived home. Shen Junlan parked the car in the villa’s yard. As soon as they got out, they smelled the aroma of cooking wafting from the house.

Ming Shu also smelled it and said, “It smells so good.”

Aunt Zhang heard the car, came out to greet them, still wearing an apron and holding a spatula in her right hand, her face beaming with kindness. “Junlan and Madam are back! Dinner will be ready soon. Hurry inside and wash your hands.”

Ming Shu found the scene very heartwarming, like a warm, happy family with a gentle mother calling the children in for a meal.

Shen Junlan, however, frowned slightly. “Aunt Zhang, you just got discharged. You need to take it easy when you walk. Don’t rush.”

Aunt Zhang pinched her apron like an old child and smiled. “I’m perfectly fine. I stayed in the hospital too long; I’m not used to it. I kept worrying that you and Madam wouldn’t eat well without me at home, even though you could probably manage without me.”

“Aunt Zhang, you’re talking nonsense again.” Shen Junlan held Ming Shu’s hand, walked up the steps, and said, “Let’s go in.”

Aunt Zhang cheerfully replied, “Okay!” and smiled. “Just the last soup to go. It’ll be out of the pot soon.” With that, she hurried back to the kitchen.

Shen Junlan watched Aunt Zhang’s retreating figure and shook her head. It seemed that people of a certain age shared a common trait: they couldn’t stay idle.

Ming Shu noticed her worry and covered the back of Shen Junlan’s hand with her other hand, saying, “Professor Shen, don’t worry. Aunt Zhang is still strong. She looks more energetic than I do.”

Shen Junlan was amused by Ming Shu’s comparative comfort and couldn’t help but reach out and pinch Ming Shu’s cheek. “So my wife knows she’s lacking in spirit. How about having Aunt Zhang stew some nourishing tonic soup for you every day?”

Ming Shu gasped in surprise, then quickly lowered her head to avoid the topic. Professor Shen wouldn’t let her off the hook, though. “Tell Aunt Zhang yourself when we eat later.”

“What does Junlan want to tell me?” Aunt Zhang asked with a smile as she brought the last dish, the pigeon soup, to the table, passing by them.

Ming Shu felt ashamed, embarrassed, and flustered. She quickly blurted out, “Professor Shen said she needs to nourish her body and wants Aunt Zhang to stew more tonic soup.”

Aunt Zhang was stunned for a moment, then asked, “Is Junlan feeling weak anywhere lately?”

Shen Junlan was also taken aback, then glanced at her blushing little bunny wife, and turned back to Aunt Zhang, replying with a smile, “Weak everywhere.”

Aunt Zhang gasped in alarm, exclaiming, “Oh dear! When did this start? Why didn’t you tell Aunt Zhang before?”

“Just discovered it recently.”

“Recently?” Aunt Zhang lowered her head, her wrinkled brow furrowing into a frown. After a moment of thought, she suddenly understood, looking up with an understanding smile. “Aunt Zhang knows now. I’ll make sure to nourish you more in the future. But,” Aunt Zhang hesitated before continuing, “you young people still need to understand moderation.”

Aunt Zhang then quickly walked past them with the soup and placed the pigeon soup on the dining table.

Ming Shu stood frozen, her face beet red. Shen Junlan, still smiling broadly, said, “Wife, don’t be shy. Aunt Zhang is family.”

How could she not be shy? Ming Shu wanted to disappear on the spot. Shen Junlan whispered into Ming Shu’s ear, “We’re even now, Wife.”

Ming Shu regretted her quick tongue in her anxiety and could only concede that they were indeed even with Professor Shen.

The Art of Taming the Wolf

After dinner, the three sat in the living room chatting about Jiajia and Qiao Qian.

Aunt Zhang said, “Miss Xi Xi and Jiajia’s offenses are quite serious. I visited Jiajia today and talked to her. Jiajia conceded a little, saying she will bring up the reconciliation after some of Miss Xi Xi’s arrogance and belligerence have been extinguished by her time in prison.”

Shen Junlan said, “That’s good. Jiajia is still in college and shouldn’t have to interrupt her studies because of this. This is the best solution.”

“Junlan, Jiajia also said for you not to feel guilty about this. It was her own frustration with Miss Xi Xi bullying an old woman like me, and her long-standing dislike for Miss Xi Xi, that led to her impulsive action—hurting the enemy by 800 while losing 1,000 herself.”

“I know.” Shen Junlan replied outwardly to reassure Aunt Zhang, but inwardly, it was impossible not to feel guilty. Her own actions were partly responsible for the young Jiajia’s impulsiveness, just as her early, childish targeting of Ming Shu was because of her.

Fortunately, it was all over, and Jiajia had clearly matured significantly.

Having comforted Aunt Zhang, it was getting late. Shen Junlan asked Aunt Zhang to rest early, and she took Ming Shu’s hand to return to their room.

After washing up and lying in bed, Shen Junlan reached out to embrace Ming Shu, but Ming Shu dodged and moved away.

Shen Junlan smiled and asked, “Wife, are you still upset about the tonic soup?”

“No.” Ming Shu sat up. “I need to talk to Lingyu about inviting her over tomorrow for your birthday.”

Shen Junlan also sat up, thinking this was a perfectly unassailable reason.

“Aren’t you going to talk to Miss Yu?” Ming Shu turned to look at her.

“I’ll talk to her now.”

Shen Junlan sent a message to Yu Yue, resolving it with a single line:

It’s my birthday tomorrow. Come over.

OK.

Shen Junlan and Yu Yue’s conversation was as concise as could be, while Ming Shu and Lingyu were still chatting enthusiastically. Shen Junlan didn’t want to pry into her wife’s private conversation with her friend, so she asked wistfully from the side, “Wife, what are you talking about?”

“Nothing much. Lingyu is asking me what to buy you for your birthday.”

Shen Junlan said, “Just having them here is enough.”

“But won’t that be too obvious? I’m afraid Lingyu won’t dare to come.” Ming Shu recalled Lingyu’s earlier refusal of Miss Yu.

“That’s true. Then anything is fine.” Shen Junlan didn’t have many expectations for birthday gifts.

Ming Shu’s fingers were nimbly typing on the keyboard, her chat density looking quite high. Shen Junlan grew more curious. She twisted her body and lay down on Ming Shu’s lap, looking up at Ming Shu. Even from this “death angle,” her little bunny wife still looked beautiful.

Ming Shu felt her reposition and glanced at her distractedly, then continued chatting with Lingyu.

In that moment, Shen Junlan felt like a favored concubine who had fallen out of favor, and Ming Shu was the fickle emperor.

Finally, Ming Shu put down her phone and gently stroked Shen Junlan’s face with both hands. “Let’s go to sleep, Professor Shen.”

Shen Junlan had been waiting a long time. Just as she was about to pull Ming Shu into the throes of love, Ming Shu smiled and refused her.

“Professor Shen, you’re weak everywhere. You should rest first.”

Shen Junlan had no choice but to give up. Her little bunny wife was still holding a grudge.

Ming Shu pulled up the quilt and slept facing outward, a hidden, satisfied smile on her face at the success of her plan.

The little bunny felt she shouldn’t feed the wolf too much. Keeping the wolf appropriately hungry would intensify the wolf’s pleasure during the next feeding.

As a little bunny who had been passive for too long, Ming Shu felt it necessary to learn how to seize a little more initiative at times. This meant she had to start exploring some wolf-taming techniques herself.

It was difficult for a rabbit to try and control a wolf that could eat her at any moment, but the current Ming Shu was a little bunny who wasn’t so afraid of challenges. She wanted to try.

Shen Junlan turned off the light, feeling a bit depressed. She hadn’t expected to encounter such a problem on the eve of her birthday.

When the little bunny was unwilling, all she could do was respect her wishes.

The Wolf and the Rabbit’s Morning Conversation

When the morning sun streamed into the room, Ming Shu slowly woke up. She hadn’t been deprived of vitality by the wolf last night and had rested very well.

However, Ming Shu looked down. The wolf was clearly not content enough. For a rabbit to sleep with a wolf without being eaten was already a great violation of science. How could the wolf resist stealing a little taste?

Now that the wolf was awake, the grip of the wolf paw couldn’t be ignored. Ming Shu was thinking about how to quietly remove the wolf paw from the little bunny without startling the wolf.

It was impossible. Ming Shu tried a few times without success. The wolf paw was enamored with the little bunny and refused to let anyone take it away, even the little bunny’s owner trying to retract it.

After the countless attempt, the wolf woke up.

“Wife, I was wrong.” Shen Junlan opened her eyes slightly. Not yet fully awake, she immediately confessed, as comforting her wife was instinctive.

Ming Shu suddenly felt sorry for the wolf and softened a bit.

The wolf continued, “The little bunny has the most energy in the world. The wolf is the one who needs to drink tonic soup every day.”

The little bunny said, “You can’t distort the facts.”

The wolf replied, “Then should the little bunny drink more tonic soup? To grow plump and beautiful?”

The little bunny was provoked, leaning down to bite the wolf paw. “The little bunny is giving the wolf New Year’s greetings with ill intentions.”

The wolf didn’t feel pain and didn’t pull back its paw, laughing heartily. “Wife doesn’t understand. This is nurturing.”

The little bunny was unconvinced. “Isn’t it just raising me first, then eating me? The ending is still becoming the Big Bad Wolf’s meal.”

The wolf asked, “Then what does the little bunny want?”

This was a democratic wolf that prioritized the little bunny’s opinion, for fear of upsetting the little bunny and getting no good food. If the little bunny was unhappy, the food wouldn’t taste good, or worse, there would be no food at all.

The little bunny eyed the Big Bad Wolf suspiciously, wondering if the Big Bad Wolf was truly so kind as to ask for her opinion.

“No?” the Big Bad Wolf asked with a smile.

“Yes,” the little bunny quickly replied. After a moment of thought, she added, “Why is it the wolf who nurtures the little bunny? Why can’t the little bunny nurture the Big Bad Wolf?”

The Big Bad Wolf was stunned for a moment, then laughed. “That’s not impossible. How will the little bunny nurture the Big Bad Wolf?” the Big Bad Wolf asked very seriously.

The little bunny had only thought of the possibility and hadn’t yet figured out how to execute it.

“It seems the little bunny’s idea isn’t quite mature yet,” the Big Bad Wolf said politely, smiling.

The little bunny said, “I can come up with a good plan. I just need a little time.”

The Big Bad Wolf agreed. “I believe in the little bunny’s wisdom, and I can wait for you to come up with a good plan. However, I have a ready-made plan here. Are you willing to listen?”

The little bunny looked at the Big Bad Wolf defensively. The Big Bad Wolf still hadn’t withdrawn its paw.

The Big Bad Wolf removed its paw to show sincerity. Only then did the little bunny nod, agreeing to listen.

The Big Bad Wolf chuckled, “This plan can’t be explained by listening. Can I demonstrate it directly?”

The little bunny hesitated for a few seconds before nodding tentatively. The Big Bad Wolf moved closer, personally enacting the laws of nurturing in nature. The wolf smiled, opening its mouth, and actively sought the little bunny’s nourishment.

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