The porcelain box reminded Nangong Du of the moment when Zixiu was about to throw a vase at him the morning after their wedding. âYou were about to smash something again, werenât you?â he said sarcastically.
âYour humble consort was afraid that those maidservants couldnât hear him, so heâ¦â Before Zixiu could continue, a bolt of dazzling lightning suddenly lit up the room. Heart trembling, Zixiu squatted down at once.
âRumble!â
The thunder rumbled loudly as if it were going to crack the earth.
It was followed by dead silence. Zixiu hadnât recovered from the shock yet and he was still trembling with his hands covering his head.
âDarling, relaxâ¦â Nangong Duâs gentle voice rang in his ear.
âThat pervert is talking to me?â
When Zixiu looked up and saw Nangong Du looking at him with his enchanting eyes, he showed a look of horror, as if it were a ghost in front of him.
âDarlingâ¦â Nangong Du whispered in a hoarse voice. They were so close that Zixiu could even feel his warm breath.
âDonât come over! Donât!â Zixiu couldnât help but widen his eyes. Holding his breath, he managed to cover up his panic with his brain spinning. âIs this pervert sounding me out? Yes, that must be the case!â
âGet away from me!â Zixiu couldnât stay calm anymore, and when the tip of Nangong Duâs nose almost touched his, he suddenly gave him a push with all his strength.
However, though Nangong Du nearly fell over, he didnât lose his temper. âDarling, what are you nervous for? Iâm not a tiger and I donât bite!â he said in a playful tone after managing to keep his balance.
Zixiu didnât feel much relieved and for fear that the lightning and thunder might strike again, he didnât dare look up, so he missed the glow flashing across Nangong Duâs face.
Even Nangong Du himself hadnât expected that he would have blushed at being near Zixiu. âWhatâs wrong with me? How come I wanna kiss this rebel every time I see him?â
Both have their own axe to grind, the two kept silent for quite a while. It wasnât until the terrible thunder had died away and it began to rain heavily outside that Zixiu regained his composure and staggered to his feet. However, what Nangong Du said next almost made him cough up a mouthful of blood.
âAre you trying to seduce me?â With that, Nangong Du walked back to his chair. After pondering for a while, he blamed his impulse to kiss Zixiu on the latterâs seduction. âI donât believe a man who is daring enough to find fault with me and set himself against me would have been frightened out of his wits by the thunder. You must be afraid that Iâm neglecting you, so you are trying to get my attention!â
âWhat? Bah! I might be blind enough to seduce that shrew, Xingyi, but Iâm not going to seduce a damn pervert like you! Iâll be glad if you neglect me from now on and never, ever show up in front of me! You shameless jerk, I donât give a sh*t about what you think!â Zixiu cursed secretly, gritting his teeth.
âHoney, Iâm surprised you didnât throw up just now. You must have fallen for me!â
âStop flattering yourself! Whatâs it got to do with you whether I throw up or⦠But it was indeed the case that I vomited because of this bastard last time!â
âYour Highness, what brings you here?â For fear that if he kept silent, Nangong Du might say something more indecent, so Zixiu shifted the topic, managing to hold back his anger.
âHoney, do you mean I shouldnât come if I donât have anything special?â Nangong Du immediately asked back.
âYouâre not allowed to come in any case!â Zixiu roared inwardly, but he had to answer respectfully, âYour Highness, donât get me wrong. As youâre the ruler of your mansion, needless to say, you can come at any time. How dare your humble consort complain!â
âMy mansion?â Nangong Du frowned slightly. âHoney, you mean if you werenât in my mansion, youâd give me the cold shoulder?â
âI didnât mean that. Your Highness, whether your humble consort is in your mansion or not, he dares not complain,â Zixiu answered. âDamn it! I picked on you? I set myself against you? How could you turn things upside down like this?â Zixiu thought resentfully.
âI hope you mean what you say!â Nangong Du said with a solemn expression, but after a while, he suddenly changed his attitude. âDarling, didnât you just say you were hungry?â
Zixiu was stupefied, thinking that Nangong Du was going back to the previous topic. However, to his surprise, that guy took out a bulging paper bag from behind and then handed it over to him expressionlessly.
âWhatâs inside?â Zixiu wondered. Though he was filled with fear, he finally took the bag, which was still warm with a faint inviting smell coming out. After opening the bag, he was surprised to find a roast chicken in it!
âWhy did he bring me a roast chicken? Nothing in life can ever be free. That asshole must be up to something!â Thinking of this, Zixiu was suddenly alert.
âEat while itâs still warm!â With a quirky look on his face, Nangong Du said gruffly.
âHow come he suddenly becomes so nice to me? Should I eat it or not?â Zixiu was wrestling with himself.
âYouâre hungry, arenât you? What are you still waiting for?â Nangong Du roared, sounding a little impatient.
âWhat are you yelling for?â Zixiu protested inwardly. He put his hand into the bag in haste and ripped off a chicken drumstick. âHumph! Wanna poison me? You wish!â Instead of taking a bite of it, he sent it to Nangong Duâs lips. âYour Highness, Iâd like to share it with you!â
Nangong Du was a little surprised. After a short moment of hesitation, he bit into the drumstick, blushing slightly.
âSo itâs non-toxic?â Zixiu was muddled. With the drumstick in his hand, he stared at Nangong Du, full of suspicion.
Only a glance at him, Nangong Du immediately figured out what was on his mind and his face darkened. âLiu Zixiu, did you think I was going to poison you?â
âHas the idea never come to you?â Though Zixiu didnât answer, the look of doubt on his face betrayed him.
âHumph!â With a snort, Nangong Du walked out angrily.
âWhat the hell?â Zixiu watched his figure fading away in a daze. On all accounts, he didnât believe that the pervert would have brought the roast chicken out of kindness. âSo weird!â