The Lady General’s Absolute Indulgence - Chapter 6

As evening fell and the sky grew dark, Huaian glanced at the time. Worried that Wan Ning might be scared being home alone, she bid a quick farewell to Brother Wu and hurried back.

Brother Wu shook his head and laughed. “Young people… once they have a wife, everything changes.”

When Huaian arrived home carrying the bucket of fish, the wind was howling outside, but the warm candlelight flickering through the window told her someone was waiting. Huaian paused for a moment, shook her head with a self-deprecating smile, and then—carrying the chill of the outdoors—pushed open the door without hesitation.

Inside, the light was soft and warm. Wan Ning was placing dishes on the table, and seeing Huaian return, she gave a radiant smile. “Huaian, put those things down quickly. Drink some soup first to warm up.”

A warmth spread through Huaian’s heart. She kept her head down, hiding her emotions from Wan Ning, and silently placed her gear by the door.

Huaian’s mother was the Duchess of Wei, Lady Zhao. The Duke spent his years guarding the borders and, upon his rare returns, openly favored his concubines. To compete for favor, Lady Zhao had announced from the moment of birth that Huaian was the Duke’s eldest son.

Since then, Huaian had been raised as a boy. Lady Zhao was strict, training her in weapons, tactics, and the scholarly arts. If Huaian wasn’t the best or failed to earn the Duke’s praise, Lady Zhao would resort to beatings and verbal abuse. To avoid suspicion, she had even forced Huaian to take medicine regularly since the age of eight to suppress her female development.

At twelve, Huaian joined the army. No one had ever given her warmth, and no one had taught her how to love. Between the Duke’s estate and the battlefield, Huaian had only learned how to defeat enemies and secure victory; her heart had long ago stopped hoping for anything else.

Particularly after the Duke died in battle, Lady Zhao seemed to lose her soul, becoming even more malicious and biting toward Huaian.

Yet, Huaian’s icy heart was melting bit by bit in Wan Ning’s presence. She found that the feeling of being waited for and relied upon was wonderful. If this little thing could stay by my side forever, that might not be so bad…

After sitting down, Huaian took a large gulp of the steaming vegetable dough drop soup. The warmth spread through her entire body.

Wan Ning watched her with an expectant yet cautious gaze. “How is it? Does it suit your taste?”

Huaian set the bowl down and deliberately paused for a moment before replying, “Not bad! It has color, aroma, and taste. Though it’s simple fare, it truly feels like home.”

Wan Ning beamed at Huaian, her eyes shimmering with a captivating brilliance. “I’m glad you like it. I’ll cook for you every day from now on.”

Huaian looked down to hide the spark of admiration in her eyes, merely whispering a low, “Mm.”

Once Wan Ning had finished tidying up, Huaian was sitting at the table reading.

Under the candlelight, her features were as elegant as a painting. Her face wasn’t as rugged as a typical man’s, possessing a different kind of charm. Her long fingers turned the pages with a focused, graceful poise. Wan Ning secretly thought that if Huaian shaved his beard, he would surely be an exceptionally handsome man.

Huaian put down the book and raised an eyebrow at the dazed girl. “A-Ning, do I look that good?”

Wan Ning instantly turned as red as a cooked shrimp. “Goo… good-looking.” Realizing what she had just blurted out, her face burned even hotter. “I… I’m not finished cleaning yet.” She turned to flee, but her foot caught on the corner of the table, and she began to fall.

Huaian was quick, catching Wan Ning in her arms. A teasing voice sounded above her head: “What’s the rush? If I look good, feel free to look more. It’s not like I’m charging you silver.”

Huaian’s warm breath brushed against the back of Wan Ning’s ear, sending a tingling sensation straight to her heart that left her momentarily paralyzed.

Huaian pinched the soft, red cheek, a low chuckle vibrating in her chest. “A-Ning, has anyone ever told you that you’re truly adorable when you’re shy?”

Coming to her senses, Wan Ning was both embarrassed and annoyed. Still held in Huaian’s arms and wrapped in that pleasant, familiar scent, her heart pounded uncontrollably.

Wan Ning gave her a soft, indignant glare. “I wasn’t looking at you!” She broke free, scrambled onto the bed, and ducked under the covers in one fluid motion.

Watching Wan Ning wrap herself into a cocoon, Huaian’s chuckle turned into a clear, bright laugh. Her Wan Ning was simply too cute.

Huaian herself had forgotten how long it had been since she had laughed so genuinely. That silver was well spent!

The next day, Huaian hired a carriage, wrapped Wan Ning up snugly, and headed to town. The autumn streets were bustling. Wan Ning looked around with wide-eyed curiosity; in the past, she had only ever visited the embroidery shop and had never strolled through the streets like this. It was all so new.

As they emerged from a clothing shop, an old man was hawking his wares: “Tanghulu! Tanghulu!” Strings of bright red hawthorns were coated in glistening sugar. Wan Ning secretly swallowed hard but was too shy to ask. Huaian had already spent a lot of silver on her clothes; she couldn’t be so greedy.

Huaian called out as if casually, “Old sir, I’ll take a stick of tanghulu.”

In the middle of the crowded street, Huaian held the tanghulu and tilted her head, smiling at Wan Ning. “Come here! Is there anything else you like? We’ll buy some to take back.”

Mist rose in Wan Ning’s eyes. In that moment, the world seemed to go silent; she could only see and hear Huaian. She hurried to Huaian’s side and quietly took her hand. It was exactly as she imagined: warm, large, and slender.

Huaian felt a deep sense of satisfaction at Wan Ning’s gesture, a smile playing on her lips. The little thing was so easy to please and so easily coaxed.

“Try it.”

Huaian held the tanghulu to Wan Ning’s lips. Wan Ning carefully extended her small tongue for a tiny lick before taking a bite. The tartness and sweetness bloomed in her mouth, and she closed her eyes in delight. “It’s delicious.”

Huaian used her hand to wipe a speck of sugar from the corner of Wan Ning’s mouth, pressing gently against the rosy lip. Then, she naturally took a bite of the very same hawthorn Wan Ning had just started. “Mm… it is indeed quite good,” she said nonchalantly.

Realizing what Huaian had done, Wan Ning’s face flushed. She looked down, not daring to meet her eyes. In front of so many people, Huaian had wiped her mouth and even eaten from the same piece of fruit. It made Wan Ning’s heart race with bashful excitement.

For the rest of the trip, Wan Ning didn’t dare look too long at anything. She realized that whenever her gaze lingered—be it on pastries or jewelry—Huaian would quietly buy it. Wan Ning began to worry that this one trip would exhaust all of Huaian’s savings.

In a shadow where they couldn’t see, Chu Hui stared with venomous eyes at their departing figures. Wan Ning’s blissful, girlish appearance made her feel as if she were going mad with jealousy. Why? They had both been embroiderers at the same shop, and Wan Ning’s life had been just as difficult. Why did Wan Ning get to be treated with such tenderness after being sold? Why?

Chu Hui’s eyes darkened as she watched them walk away. Shen Wan Ning, that kind of happiness can belong to me too. It MUST belong to me.

Scholar Zhang emerged from the bookshop to find Chu Hui standing at the door with a terrifyingly cold expression. He shoved her roughly and hissed, “Are you trying to scare someone to death? Standing there like a statue. Don’t embarrass me out here. Get home!”

Chu Hui lowered her lashes, masking her emotions, and followed Scholar Zhang slowly back toward their house.