mtl008 Chapter 69 Jealousy
Chapter 69 Jealousy
Su Yuning was originally planning to embark on her journey home, but Ye Beichen suddenly spoke up: "It's getting late, and it's too dangerous to walk now. Why don't you rest here for the night?"
Upon hearing this, Su Yuning muttered to herself, "I've always traveled alone before, and even when it's dark, nothing has ever happened."
However, Ye Beichen responded domineeringly, "The past is the past, things are very different now! My rival has actually chased me all the way to the Northern Desert. What if he takes this opportunity to steal you away?"
Upon hearing this, Su Yuning smiled and said softly, "You can rest assured, he has already gone back, and there is absolutely no possibility of anything developing between us."
Ye Beichen was slightly relieved, and then gently asked, "So what would you like to eat tonight? I'll cook for you myself."
Faced with this question, Su Yuning tilted her head and pondered for a long time, but in the end she still couldn't come up with a solution, so she casually replied, "Do whatever you want. It doesn't matter to me what I eat."
Ye Beichen nodded slightly in agreement, then turned and went into the room, taking out an apron and tying it around his waist with practiced elegance. Next, he walked towards the kitchen and began preparing dinner for his beloved. The kitchen was filled with the crisp sounds of pots and pans clattering together, like a gentle melody playing out.
Just then, Xiaodoukou arrived uninvited. She walked up to Su Yuning with her hands behind her back, gave her a displeased look, and then ran off to find Ye Beichen without a word. Su Yuning was annoyed by her actions and simply went to the doorway to admire the starry sky.
"Brother Ye, I've come to see you! Have you missed me?" Little Kou asked sweetly.
Ye Beichen smiled and nodded, "Of course, you're my good friend! Don't you have any homework today? Why are you here so late?"
Xiao Doukou shook her head. "I'm not busy lately, so I come to see you whenever I miss you. Is that woman the one who makes you jealous and rival others?"
“She is my wife, Su Yuning. Have you forgotten? She was poisoned before, and it was the medicinal herbs you brought that saved her life!” Ye Beichen replied earnestly.
"Oh, I see. Last time I saw her, she was unconscious, so I didn't get a good look at her face. Seeing her today, she's nothing special," Little Bean replied dismissively. "It's a good thing someone's pursuing her. Just let her go, out with the old, in with the new!"
"Shut up!" Ye Beichen shouted angrily. "I will never marry anyone but Su Yuning in my life. Don't talk nonsense here. Be careful, or I'll get angry and give you a slap."
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about her anymore. There's a school party tomorrow, and I need my family to come with me. I want you to attend the meeting for me!" Little Bean pleaded.
"You have parents, what would it be for me to go? Don't joke with me." Ye Beichen quickly waved his hand and refused.
At this moment, Xiaodoukou got angry, crossed her arms, turned her face to the side, and retorted unhappily.
"You're willing to spar with others for that woman, but you won't even attend a party for me? Do I have no place in your heart at all? You used to order me around, what did you take me for?"
"This..." Ye Beichen was speechless for a moment, and could only continue cooking.
"If Brother Ye isn't going, I might as well drop out of school! I'll listen to my family in everything, and I'll never talk to you again!" Little Doukou stormed off, but Ye Beichen caught up with her just as she reached the door.
"I'm fed up with you! Fine, I'll go! Seriously! Stop talking about dropping out all the time. Going to school isn't for me, it's for yourself. Knowledge is the key to a good future, it's for your own good! Understand?!"
"That's more like it." Little Cardamom smiled with satisfaction.
Just then, Little Bean, who had been leisurely sitting on a chair in the living room, suddenly twitched her small, cute nostrils, as if she had caught something unusual. Then, her bright eyes widened instantly, her face filled with astonishment.
"Huh? What's that smell? It's so pungent!" Little Bean muttered to herself as she quickly raised her hand and fanned it vigorously near her nose, as if that would dispel the annoying burnt smell. "Oh dear, Brother Ye, did you burn the food? This smell is absolutely awful!" she frowned and exclaimed with a hint of reproach.
Hearing Xiaodoukou's shouts from the living room, Ye Beichen was first taken aback, then he smelled the burning smell in the air. His expression changed, and without responding to Xiaodoukou, he hurriedly ran towards the kitchen.
In the kitchen, thick smoke billowed from the pot on the stove, its bottom charred black. Seeing this, Ye Beichen quickly turned off the stove and grabbed a lid to cover the pot, preventing the smoke from spreading further. Then, he carefully used a spatula to scoop out the burnt food and dump it into the trash can. He then quickly scooped a ladle of water into the pot and began scrubbing it with a loofah.
After a tense but orderly cleaning process, Ye Beichen finally cleaned the kitchen and prepared fresh ingredients, ready to showcase his culinary skills once again. He skillfully chopped vegetables, prepared ingredients, and seasoned them... a series of movements as smooth and natural as flowing water.
Before long, one delicious dish after another, with its perfect color, aroma, and taste, was served! The brightly colored tomato stewed beef exuded a rich aroma; the golden and crispy stir-fried potato shreds had a refreshing texture; the steaming hot mutton soup was fresh, fragrant, and mellow; the cumin-flavored mutton was mouthwatering; the bright red braised prawns were large and meaty; the jade-white garlic prawns had a strong garlic aroma; and the perfectly separated grains of fried rice were sure to whet your appetite.
Ye Beichen looked at the delicious food he had carefully prepared with satisfaction, a confident smile playing on his lips. He took off his apron, walked out of the kitchen, and went to the dining room, warmly inviting Su Yuning and Xiaodoukou to enjoy the sumptuous dinner together.
On the spacious, brightly lit dining table lay a dazzling array of delicious dishes. Little Bean sat beside Ye Beichen, her bright, lively eyes darting around before finally settling on the plate of tempting, fragrant braised prawns. A sweet smile played on her lips, and without hesitation, she picked up a prawn and placed it in Ye Beichen's bowl. Then, fluttering her long eyelashes, she said in a sweet, coquettish voice, "Brother Ye, look at these braised prawns! They look so delicious! I want to eat them, but I don't know how to peel them. Can you help me?"
Hearing Xiaodoukou's request, Ye Beichen frowned, a hint of displeasure on his face. He glanced at Xiaodoukou and said irritably, "How old are you? You're not a three-year-old anymore. Can't you even peel a shrimp yourself?"
However, Xiaodoukou was not discouraged by Ye Beichen's words. She pouted, rested her chin on her hands, and continued to say in a sweet, coquettish voice, "Oh dear, Brother Ye~ Look, these prawns are covered in oil. It would be so uncomfortable if my little hands got oily. Please, dear brother, please help me." As she spoke, she gently shook Ye Beichen's arm.
Just then, Su Yuning, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore. She smiled and interjected, "How about I help you, Xiaodoukou? Actually, peeling shrimp is a piece of cake for me, I can do it very easily."
To everyone's surprise, Xiaodoukou shook her head vigorously, replying firmly, "No, no, thank you, sister. I don't want any, I just want to eat the shrimp that Brother Ye peeled himself." After saying that, she even made a smug face at Su Yuning.
Seeing Xiaodoukou's willful and stubborn behavior, Su Yuning's face instantly darkened. She slammed her chopsticks on the table with a loud "thud," then stood up abruptly and left the table without looking back.
"Yu Ning, you've only eaten a few bites of food. Would you like to eat some more?" Ye Beichen sat at the table, skillfully peeling a large shrimp in his hand, looking at Su Yu Ning across from him with concern.
Su Yuning replied coldly, her face expressionless, "I'm full." Her voice was devoid of emotion, as if she had no interest in the food in front of her. After speaking, she stood up and walked towards the door without looking back.
The night was cool and still. Su Yuning stood alone outside, letting the cold wind caress her face. The wind tousled her hair, but she was oblivious, staring blankly into the distance, lost in thought.
Inside, Xiaodoukou and Ye Beichen were enjoying dinner, chatting and laughing. They seemed completely unaware that Su Yuning had left her seat.
Just then, the old lord slowly approached. Seeing Su Yuning standing alone in the cold wind, a pang of worry rose in his heart. He stepped forward and softly asked, "Miss, did you and Beichen have a fight? Why are you outside alone? Aren't you cold?"
Upon hearing the old lord's voice, Su Yuning turned around, forcing a smile, and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Father. I'm fine. Ye Beichen is entertaining his friends, and I was getting a bit annoyed there, so I just came out for some fresh air."
The old lord frowned and said with concern, "It's very cold outside. Come back to the tent with me! Don't catch a cold." With that, he took Su Yuning's hand and led her towards the tent.
"Father, what brings you here? Why didn't you give me a heads-up beforehand?" Ye Beichen frowned, his tone clearly displeased, as he asked the old man standing to the side. His already stern face now appeared even more somber.
The old lord, his face stern and cold, snorted and said, "Hmph! If I hadn't come, your wife would probably have run away by now! Tell me, have you lost your mind? You've abandoned your beautiful, gentle, and virtuous wife at home, and are here eating and chatting with complete strangers! Do you even care about this family? Can't you be a little more mindful?" The old lord became more and more agitated as he spoke, his voice unconsciously rising a few decibels, his eyes filled with reproach for his son.
Hearing his father's scolding, Ye Beichen hung his head like a child who had made a mistake, not daring to utter a sound. He knew in his heart that he had indeed done something wrong this time, and it was understandable that his father was so angry. But facing his father's rage, he had no idea how to explain himself. He could only stand there obediently, silently enduring his father's anger, afraid that he might accidentally say something wrong and make his father even more unhappy, which would be a loss if he hurt his health.
"You say I didn't greet you? How dare you? Why didn't you greet me when you caused trouble? You're a lord, for goodness' sake, why are you acting like a child? What are you learning? You're learning to fight with others? This is a one-time thing, don't do it again! Do you hear me?!" the old lord angrily accused.
"I heard you, I won't do it again next time," Ye Beichen replied obediently.
Then, the old lord lashed out at Xiaodoukou, "And you, instead of studying properly at school, why are you always running around here? Don't come here anymore. Ye Beichen has a wife, and he has to spend the night with her!"
Little Bean's eyes were slightly red, tears welling up in them. She looked pitifully at the old lord and said with a hint of pleading, "Then can I come to see Brother Night during the day?"
The old lord's face darkened, his expression becoming extremely serious. Without hesitation, he flatly refused, "No! Absolutely not! He has no brothers or sisters, so don't even think about getting close to him! This is none of your business, so get out of here and don't meddle and ruin the young couple's relationship!"
Upon hearing these words, Xiaodoukou could no longer hold back and burst into tears, which streamed down her face like broken beads. She turned around, wiping her tears with her sleeve, and ran towards the door, sobbing.
At that moment, Ye Beichen saw Xiaodoukou run out so sadly, and his heart tightened. He quickly stepped forward to see her off. However, just as he was about to move, the old lord suddenly stretched out his hand, blocking his way, and shouted, "Don't go after her! She has no relation to you whatsoever, why do you care so much about her?"
Ye Beichen frowned slightly, a look of worry on his face, and hurriedly retorted, "But... she is still just a child. What if she encounters danger while she is out alone at night?" After saying that, his gaze remained fixed on the door, as if he wanted to break through the old lord's obstruction and rush out to find Xiaodoukou.
"You stay here and keep Miss Su company. Do not slack off in the slightest. I will go out now to follow and protect her." After saying this solemnly, the old lord flashed out the door like a gust of wind and disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Inside the house, Ye Beichen stared blankly in the direction the old lord had left for a moment, then came to his senses and turned to walk towards the kitchen. He skillfully lit the stove and put the slightly cooled food into the pot to warm it up. Before long, he brought the steaming, fragrant food back to Su Yuning.
“You refused to eat when I called you to eat before, so you must be starving now, right? Hurry up and eat something while it's hot to fill your stomach!” Ye Beichen said gently to Su Yuning, his eyes full of concern.
"Thank you so much!" Su Yuning glanced gratefully at Ye Beichen, then picked up her chopsticks and began to eat heartily. She wolfed down her food, devouring it as quickly as a whirlwind, as if she hadn't eaten in a long time. In no time, the table full of dishes was completely empty, leaving only a few empty plates and bowls.