Recklessly Breaking a Delicate Branch - Chapter 4

Even though Zhou Yan had satisfied her hunger before nightfall, seeing the door being shut by him, and recalling the tales of talented scholars and beautiful ladies in operas, she was still a little apprehensive of Zhou Yan.

She felt an inexplicable sense of alarm, a pounding in her heart as she watched Zhou Yan put the white cloth he was holding on the wooden table and approach her with a solemn look.

Zhou Yan was puzzled by her sudden change in attitude, but then realized her worry and couldn’t help but smile, his eyes crinkling.

He pulled her into his embrace, forcefully gripping her chin to make her look at him. “Wanwan, I only wanted you to have a good meal. Where did your thoughts go?”

Jiang Wanshu knew he was teasing her, and she knit her delicate brows.

Seeing her displeasure, Zhou Yan pointed at the steaming object wrapped in the white cloth on the wooden table, a hint of appeasement in his gesture. “I hunted a wild boar outside today. It’s still hot. Want some?”

The slightly placating tone softened Jiang Wanshu’s anger, but she shook her head. “It’s not clean. I won’t eat it.”

“I know you’re delicate. I specifically went out after hunting this boar. This boar was dressed by a professional butcher, and I even newly bought this white cloth and washed it a few times.”

Jiang Wanshu was surprised by his thoughtfulness. Just then, she caught the fragrant smell emanating from the white cloth and twitched her nose.

Zhou Yan noticed her action and, forgetting to control his strength, pulled her hand and led her towards the wooden table.

Upon reaching the table, Jiang Wanshu shook off his hand and glanced at the man, rubbing the red mark on her wrist that he had gripped, feeling a pang of soreness.

Zhou Yan unwrapped the clean white cloth, revealing large chunks of lean wild boar meat. The succulent meat gave off an enticing aroma. For Jiang Wanshu, who had never seen such large cuts of wild boar meat served, the sight was quite appetizing.

Unable to resist the temptation of the food, she swallowed hard in front of Zhou Yan. She looked up at him, her eyes bright. “This looks quite good.”

As soon as she said this, Zhou Yan knew the fragrant wild boar meat had tempted Jiang Wanshu. In the faint, flickering candlelight, the man’s long, upturned eyelashes fluttered.

He pulled out the dagger he had begged from the butcher’s stall from his waist and slammed his large hand, “pa,” pinning the dagger on the wooden table.

Seeing these unfamiliar “weapons,” Jiang Wanshu slightly pursed her lips. “What are you doing?”

“I heard that you Central Plains girls are the most troublesome, that you even like to eat meat in small, small pieces. So, I borrowed a dagger to serve as your cutting tool.”

So that’s what it was. Jiang Wanshu looked at the man before her, her dark eyes filled with guilt.

“Thank you, Zhuo jing cha’er.” She didn’t use the Central Plains name Zhou Yan had casually given himself, but sincerely called out his name from the grasslands, as if truly grateful.

Although he currently held her captive here, it was undeniable that if it hadn’t been for him that day, she might not be alive today.

The people of the Central Plains not only valued returning favors but also believed in an eye for an eye—or, in this case, one deed for one deed.

Her thanks were merely for his grace in saving her life and providing her with food.

Hearing her soft voice, Zhou Yan’s lips unexpectedly curved into an imperceptible smile. “You actually remembered my name.”

“Mu gu laji told me,” Jiang Wanshu’s voice grew softer due to shyness.

“It seems she is somewhat useful after all.”

Saying that, Zhou Yan’s eyes deepened. He picked up the clean bowl and chopsticks placed on one side of the table, used the dagger to slice off the edge of a large chunk of wild boar meat, cut it into small pieces, picked them up with the chopsticks, and placed them into the bowl. He continued,

“That sister of my brother’s, her tongue is fierce enough to call white black. You should keep your distance from her.”

He didn’t like his brother’s crazy A-jia (sister-in-law).

But Jiang Wanshu was going to live with him, so she would have more opportunities to interact with Musha, and inevitably with Mugulaji. He didn’t want Jiang Wanshu to hear Mugulaji’s perception of him.

Jiang Wanshu made no reply to this.

The grip on the knife in his hand tightened, but Zhou Yan’s movements in slicing the meat were smooth and swift.

He handed the bowl and chopsticks to Jiang Wanshu while simultaneously tearing off a few pieces of pork ribs with the bone still attached, devouring them heartily and stuffing them into his mouth. His appetite was large; he ate more in a single mouthful compared to the gentle Central Plains people. Before long, he was full.

The greasy oil stuck to his large hands. Zhou Yan took a black bag containing yellow powder from the side of a chest, scooped a spoonful with a small cup into a copper basin, and poured in warm water.

Steam filled the air. As Jiang Wanshu stopped eating and watched the man intently, Zhou Yan plunged both his large hands into the water, mixing them around and rubbing them together. Soon, a layer of oil floated to the surface of the water.

Jiang Wanshu blinked, watching in disbelief as the man’s large hands emerged from the water with almost no oil visible on them.

Her mouth was slightly ajar.

Zhou Yan naturally noticed Jiang Wanshu’s look of surprise when he glanced over. He flicked his large hand in the air, letting the water splash and drop. “People on the grassland hardly eat as slowly as you in the Central Plains. When eating slightly greasy food, it’s unavoidable for the oil to get on your hands. This is a yellow powder made from a unique grassland plant. Mixed with warm water, it is the most effective way to quickly dissolve grease.”

Zhou Yan lowered his eyes and saw the beautiful, rose-like girl’s bowl still held a lot of wild boar meat. His face instantly changed.

He narrowed his eyes, his expression slightly grim. “Why have you only eaten this much?”

Jiang Wanshu looked down at the few remaining pieces of wild boar in her bowl and shook her head. “I’m full. I really don’t want to eat anymore; it’s too greasy.”

The wild boar meat was delicious, but eating too much of it inevitably became rich and cloying. In the palace, the cook would rarely serve her the same dish on three consecutive days, which had spoiled her appetite.

As she spoke, Zhou Yan walked over to Jiang Wanshu again and took the bowl from her hands. Jiang Wanshu thought she would finally be able to wash her hands like Zhou Yan had, but to her astonishment, she watched him pick up the same pair of chopsticks from the table and transfer chunk after chunk of lean meat into her bowl.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Wanshu immediately tried to stop him, but the next moment, Zhou Yan’s gaze silenced her.

Perhaps the men of the grasslands naturally possessed a wolfish intensity; when they frowned and became serious, they exuded an immense sense of oppression.

She could only sit obediently on the bed, waiting for Zhou Yan to approach.

The bowl, now filled with lean meat, still held the same kind of food as before. Jiang Wanshu looked up at him, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. “Can I not eat it?”

“No!” Zhou Yan’s expression would turn cold when she was uncooperative. He looked at the girl, who was as delicate and precious as a peony, with displeasure.

If she doesn’t eat, what good is it if she faints on his bed when the time comes?

Although this was his first time with a woman, he was confident he could manage this delicate rose before him with no instruction.

And the woman, still unaware that she had been thoroughly planned for the night by the man before her, could only silently swallow her revulsion, pick up a piece of meat with the chopsticks, and stuff it into her mouth.

Zhou Yan saw the look of utter resistance on Jiang Wanshu’s face. He pulled a mint leaf—which he habitually kept in his purse—and inserted it into her mouth just after she had swallowed a piece of wild boar meat.

Frightened by the man’s intrusive action, Jiang Wanshu inadvertently swallowed the mint leaf before she could even taste it.

The man’s finger was rough. As he placed the mint leaf into Jiang Wanshu’s mouth and was about to withdraw, he inadvertently felt a patch of warmth and dampness. Jiang Wanshu’s tongue was soft, and a few drops of saliva unexpectedly touched his finger, tender as the newest pistil on a lotus platform.

Zhou Yan looked at the beautiful woman before him, her skin white as winter snow. His eyes suddenly deepened. He was instantly stirred by the touch of her small tongue, which sent a shiver through his mind. His deep, hawkish eyes were now surging with emotion as he stared intently at the woman before him.

The finger, which had been caught between entering and leaving Jiang Wanshu’s mouth, now uncontrollably pressed against her soft, tender tongue. The sensation sent a tingle down his scalp.

Jiang Wanshu, who had been steeped in the etiquette of the Central Plains for so long, could not tolerate such an offense from a man. In an instant, she bit down hard on the middle section of the man’s index finger.

Zhou Yan had not anticipated Jiang Wanshu’s resistance. He shook his hand to pull it out of her delicate mouth. Jiang Wanshu achieved her goal and released her mouth under Zhou Yan’s growing look of impatience. She quickly placed the bowl she was holding to one side, using the long chopsticks as a guard held in front of her.

“What exactly do you want to do?”

The night was dark. Jiang Wanshu could not endure the humiliation. Zhou Yan’s action had completely ignited the courage deep within her.

She tensed her body and glared at him, her entire being like a bristling hedgehog covered in thorns.

Jiang Wanshu’s appearance only further displeased the moody Zhou Yan. He hated being pointed at by anyone, and even a pair of long chopsticks could easily spark his fury.

Zhou Yan no longer cared for Jiang Wanshu’s feelings. His thick, long leg pressed onto the bed. While Jiang Wanshu was in a state of extreme panic, he effortlessly yanked the chopsticks she was clutching and threw them to the ground.

A “patong” sound echoed as the wooden chopsticks hit the floor and broke in half. Zhou Yan’s thumb and forefinger squeezed the sides of Jiang Wanshu’s delicate cheeks, forcefully tilting her head up.

Zhou Yan’s eyes were filled with anger. Thinking of Musha’s account of chasing Mu gu laji, he was determined to make Jiang Wanshu suffer a little today.

“Do you know where the last person who pointed something at me is now? He’s already a corpse.”

Jiang Wanshu couldn’t help but tremble at the man’s words.

Zhou Yan gave a cold snort. This person just needed to be scared, otherwise, she wouldn’t be obedient!

The grassland attire Jiang Wanshu was wearing was already slightly too large for her. Her struggling movements caused the collar to shift, revealing her white, tender neck and expanding the area of bare skin visible.

Zhou Yan had never seen Jiang Wanshu look so enchanting. His exotic, peach-blossom eyes stared intensely at the snowy white expanse of Jiang Wanshu’s neck, his gaze hot and burning.

Zhou Yan, who had already planned to perform the rites of marriage with Jiang Wanshu tonight, now decided the time was right. With Jiang Wanshu having nowhere left to escape, he climbed entirely onto the bed.

Zhou Yan was strongly built. His movements of grabbing and pushing Jiang Wanshu caused the wooden bed beneath them to shake non-stop.

Jiang Wanshu’s eyes suddenly went red. As the man’s gaze grew hotter, she stretched out her legs to kick him.

However, how could she be a match for the tall and powerful Zhou Yan? In the chaos, he easily grabbed her right foot, which was still flailing to kick him, and lifted it high. “Let, let me go!”

Jiang Wanshu once again felt humiliated by his actions, and she angrily repeated her demand.

But all Zhou Yan did was smile, gazing at Jiang Wanshu derisively. The grassland attire was not overly complicated; it was a long robe with a slanted front and fur collar, with a few colors, cinched at the waist with a belt, and an outer layer of a long white inner garment closest to the skin.

The grassland clothing itself involved a cinched waist. He now measured the woman before him from top to bottom, her body rising and falling with agitation.

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