The Favorite of the Sick and Weak Lady - Chapter 9

Song Luoning lifted her gaze and paused on Xiao Yu for a moment, the corners of her lips curling up. “Husband, could you please bring the food into the room? I’ll be right back.”

“…”

Xiao Yu stared at her disappearing figure through the courtyard gate, stunned.

Even now, she’s still ordering him around.

Unbelievable.

Who was this woman meeting at night?

As a delicate young lady with no self-defense skills, she had zero sense of danger. Did she not realize how treacherous the world was?

Xiao Yu gritted his teeth angrily.

A sheltered flower who’s never seen the real world.

He quickly stepped forward to follow her, but just as he reached the gate, he saw Song Luoning coming out of the neighboring courtyard. Their eyes met.

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

Xiao Yu: “…”

What a coincidence.

He rubbed his nose and pretended not to see anything, looking up at the sky.

Nice weather tonight.

Song Luoning: “…”

This scoundrel was pretending to be clueless.

She tugged at her lips and smiled faintly. “Why did Husband come out?”

Xiao Yu: “…”

Why did she come out?

Wasn’t it obvious?

Ridiculous. She should be the one feeling guilty. Going out at night—had she forgotten she was married? If he wasn’t mistaken, the person who saw her off was a man.

A man and a woman alone at night.

Song Luoning had no sense of propriety as a married woman.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. “The food’s getting cold. Do I have to call you just to eat?” He didn’t even notice the sour tone in his voice.

Song Luoning walked closer, her smile deepening. “Thank you, Husband.”

Her voice was gentle and sweet.

For a moment, it almost felt like she truly loved him.

If not for that smile that didn’t reach her eyes, Xiao Yu might’ve been fooled.

Hmph~

The prettier the woman, the better the liar. That saying was spot on.

He nearly fell for Song Luoning’s tricks.

Beauty is a trap!

Snapping out of it, Xiao Yu glared at her and brought out the stir-fried bamboo shoots from the kitchen, placing them on the table. “Eat.”

They sat across from each other.

“I didn’t expect Husband’s cooking to be so good. Just looking at it makes me hungry,” Song Luoning chuckled softly, gracefully picking up a piece of bamboo shoot and chewing slowly.

Xiao Yu tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Pretending again. Did she think a few compliments would erase what just happened?

Wait!

Why did he care who she met?

Alarm bells rang in his head, and he broke out in a cold sweat. After a moment, he forced himself to stay calm. “You paid me, so of course I’ll do my job. I’m not someone who breaks promises.”

Whether he was trustworthy, Song Luoning didn’t know. But now wasn’t the time to argue. Her lips curved slightly. “Husband is joking. I truly meant it. It’s my fortune to have married you.”

Truly? Fortune?

Hmph~

As if he’d believe that.

Xiao Yu snapped back to reality. Any romantic thoughts vanished. There was no way she was sincere. They’d only known each other for two days, and her fake smile was enough to make him furious.

Why couldn’t they just get along?

Why play mind games?

Xiao Yu sneered. “Eat and shut your mouth.”

“…”

Song Luoning paused mid-bite, grinding her teeth. This jerk dared to talk to her like that.

She took a moment to calm down, then smiled. “Husband loves to joke. By the way, what do you plan to do with the bamboo you chopped today?”

Xiao Yu perked up slightly but quickly reconsidered. Better not say anything until it was done. She’d only read about it in books and wasn’t sure she could pull it off. If she failed, Song Luoning would laugh at her.

She cleared her throat. “Just tinkering around.”

Song Luoning’s expression remained calm.

As expected. She hadn’t expected much from him anyway. She’d already heard plenty about Xiao Yu from the neighbors earlier.

She smiled. “Husband is truly modest.”

“…”

Why did that sound so off?

Xiao Yu studied her face but couldn’t find any flaws. Fine, he’d take it as a compliment.

They were living under the same roof now. She’d taken over the original owner’s body and paid him a thousand taels of silver. So what if she spoke with a bit of sarcasm? He could tolerate it.

After a few bites, Song Luoning set down her chopsticks. Her slender fingers pulled out a white handkerchief embroidered with ink bamboo from her sleeve, dabbing her lips with elegance.

“I’m done. Husband, feel free to continue.” She stood and sat by the bed.

“Tsk~” Xiao Yu clicked his tongue. Only she could make eating and wiping her mouth look so graceful.

He couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times.

“Husband, is there something else?” Song Luoning looked up, hiding her disgust well, and smiled faintly.

“…”

Xiao Yu lowered his head and ignored her, continuing to eat.

Seeing this, Song Luoning said no more. She sat quietly by the bed, coughing occasionally, which was rather annoying.

After he finished eating, she said, “If I weren’t in poor health, I wouldn’t trouble Husband so much.”

Xiao Yu looked up, feeling a bit stifled.

Then Song Luoning said slowly, “Husband, I’d like to bathe.”

“Hm?” Bathe?

Why tell him?

Did she expect him to help?

Xiao Yu stared at her. She sat still, and he panicked.

Did she really expect him to help her bathe?

No way!

He had principles. Even if they were married, he wasn’t shameless enough to bathe with her.

Song Luoning spoke gently. “Could Husband please heat some water?”

What?

Xiao Yu was dumbfounded. Hmph~ So she just saw him as a servant.

That stifled feeling in his chest suddenly eased.

How much was a thousand taels worth in ancient times?

A bottle of cough syrup, a bowl of medicinal porridge, and now even his labor? Wasn’t that enough?

She must be dreaming. He wasn’t going to serve her.

“If you want to bathe, heat the water yourself,” Xiao Yu said without looking up.

“I wouldn’t trouble Husband if I weren’t ill…” She coughed again before finishing.

Xiao Yu: “…”

After a moment, Song Luoning’s eyes welled with tears. She caught her breath and continued, “There’s no bathtub at home. I’ll need Husband to buy one tomorrow.”

“Why should I…”

Another round of coughing interrupted him.

“…” Irritated.

After a while, Song Luoning’s weak voice came again. “I’ll pay for the tub. Husband can use it too.”

“…”

Xiao Yu paused, pursing his lips to suppress his frustration.

Did she really need a bathtub?

Actually, the house didn’t have one. If she was willing to buy it, heating water wasn’t a big deal.

As he hesitated, Song Luoning added, “It’s getting warmer.”

It was early spring. The sun was warm during the day, and soon they’d shed their winter clothes.

A bathtub in summer… That idea hit the mark.

“You’re really going to buy one tomorrow?” Xiao Yu asked uncertainly.

Can’t blame her for being cautious. One must be careful when out and about.

Seeing his interest, Song Luoning smiled like melting snow. “Husband doesn’t trust me?”

Of course not. If he did, he wouldn’t be asking.

Xiao Yu: “Are you sure?”

Song Luoning: “Absolutely.”

Fine. For the bathtub, he’d do it.

Xiao Yu heated the water and brought the basin into the room, placing it on the washstand. Then he sat on a stool, dazed.

Seeing him idle, Song Luoning’s eyes flashed with displeasure. She forced a smile. “Husband, could you wait outside?”

“…”

Xiao Yu glanced at her, pursed his lips, and walked out into the courtyard.

After a while, a gentle voice called from inside. “Husband, please take the water out.”

“…”

This woman…

All for the bathtub.

Everything was for the bathtub!

Xiao Yu entered expressionlessly and picked up the basin. The steam carried a faint fragrance.

His mind involuntarily pictured a delicate, sickly beauty…

Graceful and fragile, blooming in his palm.

A smile crept onto his lips.

“Husband, is there something else?” Her voice rang out again, and Xiao Yu snapped back to reality.

What the heck.

He was having thoughts about her bathwater.

He swallowed hard, forced himself to stay calm, and carried the basin to the kitchen. He took deep breaths to suppress those thoughts.

He needed to talk to Song Luoning soon. This marriage needed an expiration date, or he’d fall too deep before he could leave.

After calming down, he returned. The bed curtains were drawn, and Song Luoning lay on her side, back facing him a faint silhouette visible.

Clearly not the right time for a conversation. Xiao Yu stared at her back for a while before looking away and laying his bedding on the floor.

Cold wind blew through the broken window paper, killing any lingering thoughts.

Right now, the priority was fixing the house. Otherwise, he’d freeze to death before anything else.

Eventually, he drift.

Support The Favorite of the Sick and Weak Lady