Chapter 92: They’re Just Young, Not Stupid

“You’re only fit for tea and cool boiled water, no wonder among all teas you only like the mild-tasting White Tea. With your alcohol tolerance, I’m afraid you’d even get drunk on Pu’er Tea.” Wen Nuan Nuan muttered softly.

“Mine.” Leng Xiao gazed at her obsessively, suddenly speaking with determination.

“Your what?” Wen Nuan Nuan waited for a long moment but didn’t hear the rest of his sentence. Curious, she lifted her head to look at him and asked.

But Leng Xiao said no more, his beautiful eyes fixed on her as if afraid she would run away.

Under the unwavering gaze of those deep, vast, and serene beautiful phoenix eyes, what temper could Wen Nuan Nuan possibly have?

She had none at all.

Even though she wasn’t one to judge by appearances, she couldn’t resist such breathtaking beauty.

Moreover, at this moment, Leng Xiao was staring at her with particular dependence and attachment, tightly holding her hand. Wherever she moved slightly, his gaze followed, as if she were his entire world.

Wen Nuan Nuan sighed softly, “I’m not leaving. The snow outside is so heavy, there’s nowhere to go. You’ve been crossing mountains to hunt every day lately, you’re just too exhausted to think about these unpleasant things. Get a good night’s sleep, and when you wake up tomorrow, you’ll forget all these unhappy matters.”

People really shouldn’t have too difficult a childhood.

Now she fully understood the saying: a good childhood heals a lifetime, while a bad childhood requires a lifetime to heal.

She used to think this was an exaggeration, but looking at Leng Xiao now, she realized it wasn’t exaggerated at all.

Leng Xiao must have been abandoned by someone. He usually seemed fine, but after drinking, it all came out.

But Leng Xiao had grown up now. The hardships and trials of his childhood, whether deserved or not, had all been endured.

She couldn’t change it, nor could she make up for it. He could only digest it himself.

Leng Xiao was extremely obedient. “Okay, sleep.”

Wen Nuan Nuan felt a surge of joy in her heart. Finally, he was going to sleep, and her hand would be freed.

Leng Xiao’s strength was truly immense. His hands weren’t pale and delicate like a scholar’s; instead, they were long-boned and felt larger than any hands she had ever seen. His skin was covered in fine scars, dry and rough.

Being tightly held by such distinctly masculine hands and gazed upon by his deep eyes as if she were his most precious treasure, Wen Nuan Nuan knew full well that Leng Xiao was drunk and that his perception was muddled, yet her heart couldn’t help but race faster.

“Sleep is good, hurry up and sleep!” Wen Nuan Nuan urged softly.

Just as she was about to step back, Leng Xiao pulled her, flipped her onto the kang, covered her with a quilt, blew out the candle, lifted the quilt, and climbed onto the kang—all in one smooth, swift motion.

It happened so quickly that before her mind could even react, everything was already in place.

Wen Nuan Nuan’s mind was still in a daze as she tentatively called out, “Leng Xiao?”

“You said sleep, rest.” Leng Xiao closed his eyes after speaking.

Wen Nuan Nuan was left speechless, yet she felt as if a stifling breath was trapped in her chest, unable to be released or swallowed.

What she had meant was for him to sleep alone, not to pull her into bed with him!

But there was no point arguing with someone who was drunk.

Fortunately, Leng Xiao slept very properly—no tossing and turning, no teeth grinding, no snoring—quiet and well-behaved.

In the dimly lit room, only their soft, shallow breaths could be heard.

Only after everything quieted down did Wen Nuan Nuan finally have time to recall the things Leng Xiao had said while drunk. But even after thinking it over several times, she couldn’t make sense of it.

This was, after all, Leng Xiao’s private matter. Why was she paying so much attention to it?

Moreover, the original book was a male-oriented novel, focusing on the male protagonist’s single-minded pursuit of success—rising from destitution, battling his way up, and eventually amassing countless riches, power, influence, and beauties. Who would want to delve into his deepest emotions?

As for the trivial matters before his rise to fame, if they were mentioned at all, they would only appear as a line or two in the extras, recalled in passing.

Once she reached the capital, wouldn’t it be better to focus on currying favor with the powerful and building her own career? Why bother prying into the private affairs of a powerful minister? That wasn’t something she should know anyway.

Her hand was still tightly gripped by Leng Xiao. Wen Nuan Nuan took a deep breath and exhaled, repeating the process several times, yet she couldn’t calm down. She wanted to turn over but couldn’t, so she stared helplessly at the ceiling above.

It wasn’t until the sky began to lighten that she finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep.

~

Leng Xiao frowned slightly, his body stiffening as he opened his eyes, forgetting to breathe.

His usually cold and clear eyes now churned with turbulent waves.

He quickly recalled the events of the previous night.

The girl’s dark, long hair was scattered across the pillow, partially covering her fair and rosy cheeks. Her eyes, always full of vitality, were now gently closed. Her delicate nose breathed softly, and her rosy lips, which were usually either talking or eating, were slightly pouted even in her sleep.

Leng Xiao stared at the moist, glistening lips so close to him, his gaze deepening as his Adam’s apple bobbed.

He wanted to lean in, to get closer.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a long moment, forcefully pushing away all improper thoughts from his mind. When he opened his eyes again, all traces of feverish obsession had vanished, replaced by the usual cold, ruthless, and composed look in his phoenix eyes.

He could not, and should not, do anything that would harm her reputation without her consent.

That would be disrespectful to her.

She deserved the best treatment.

He could strive to be the best, to make her recognize him, to want him, and to willingly stay by his side.

If she didn’t recognize him… then he would keep trying until she did.

Slowly releasing her hand, Leng Xiao quietly got up, carefully tucking the quilt around her. Reluctantly, he tore his gaze away from the person before him, his tall and slender figure swiftly and silently leaving the room.

“Eldest Brother, good morning.” The three younger siblings were already awake. They were surprised to see Leng Xiao enter and quickly stood up to greet him.

Leng Xiao nodded and said to Leng Chen and Leng Yun, “Don’t go out yet. I have something to say.”

Leng Chen and Leng Yun stopped in their tracks, standing obediently as they waited for Leng Xiao to speak.

“Your sister-in-law.”

Leng Chen and Leng Yun looked up at Leng Xiao, and even Leng Tian widened his eyes to listen.

“She has a treasure that can provide food and also store things.”

Leng Chen and Leng Yun looked momentarily shocked but quickly regained their composure.

Their reaction was completely unexpected to Leng Tian. When he first heard about it, he had gone through a mix of shock, excitement, confusion, and fear!

Why were his second brother and little brother so calm, as if they were just discussing whether to eat radishes or cabbage today?

He could understand Eldest Brother’s calm and indifferent reaction—after all, Eldest Brother was always emotionless and unlike a normal person.

But if his two younger brothers were this composed too, wouldn’t it make him look like the only one who couldn’t handle big news?

“Aren’t you two surprised? At least a little shocked or scared?” Leng Tian blurted out impatiently.

Even now, hearing Eldest Brother mention it, he couldn’t help but feel excited—a treasure that could provide food and store things!

“We’re surprised, but not scared or fearful,” Leng Chen replied, pursing his lips.

Leng Tian grumbled, “You don’t look all that surprised either.”

“That’s because my little brother and I had a vague guess,” Leng Chen explained.

Leng Yun took over, saying proudly, “You and Eldest Brother always keep your mouths shut. Eldest Brother is better at it—no matter how we try to fish for information, intentionally or not, he says very little. But you’re different. Every time, you let slip a few scattered words here and there. We pieced them together and roughly figured it out.”

“And although I don’t know whether things like longan, which we’ve never seen before, can be bought with silver, I do know that in Tongcheng during winter, even with all the silver in the world, you can’t buy fresh peaches,” Leng Chen revealed his speculation.

“We’re just young.” Not stupid.

They still had the ability to tell right from wrong.