Chapter 241 - A Hint of Jealousy (1/2)

A servant working in the manor delivered their meal to the pavilion. Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong walked downstairs and saw the food on the table. There was no wine or any of the meat dishes that Ling Zhang had imagined, only bland congee. Neither the shredded chicken in it nor its good taste could change the fact that it was just congee.

Ling Zhang looked very depressed. He had done some over-strenuous exercise and felt that he’d depleted his vital energy and was in dire need of nouris.h.i.+ng food like fish, meat, etc. The very thought of those delicacies made his mouth water. His face went expressionless at the sight of the congee.

As Yuwen Tong saw the change of his countenance, his heart ached, but he also felt a twinge of guilt. When his eyes met Ling Zhang’s remonstrative ones, he almost changed his mind and granted Ling Zhang’s wish but caught himself just in time.

It took him quite some time to cajole Ling Zhang into drinking a large bowl of chicken soup congee. Yuwen Tong heaved a sigh of relief. His back was fairly wet with sweat, because he’d been having trouble enduring the look in Ling Zhang’s eyes.

Though it hadn’t been a sumptuous meal, Ling Zhang’s spirits still rose to normal after finis.h.i.+ng the big bowl of chicken soup congee. Some precious tonics had been added to the congee, and they produced the desired effects almost immediately. His stomach felt comfortable now, so naturally he looked much better, appearing a trifle languid.

Yuwen Tong didn’t dare have a hearty meal in the presence of Ling Zhang in these circ.u.mstances. He had also drunk a generous helping of congee just as Ling Zhang had. Ling Zhang was full and seemed to have no intention of leaving his seat, lazily leaning against the back of the chair, looking just like the white fox cub of his. He slightly raised his eyes, the outer corners of which were faintly slanted, gazing at Yuwen Tong. On seeing the gleam in his eyes, Yuwen Tong briefly held his breath, in spite of himself, his lower abdomen involuntarily contracted, and he felt an urge to carry Ling Zhang back onto the bed.

Ling Zhang gave a soft snort and asked him, “What do you think of the congee?”

Yuwen Tong inched closer to him. “All my attention is on you. I don’t have the faintest idea of how the congee tastes.”

The corners of Ling Zhang’s mouth twitched. It seemed that this guy was getting smooth-tongued. After a while, he took his eyes off Yuwen Tong, whose gaze was making him very uneasy. He felt as though Yuwen Tong wanted to strip him naked right away. The very thought of what they had done the day before brought a blush to his cheeks, and he didn’t feel like going back to that bed with Yuwen Tong at all, for that would be so not Ling Zhang.

He rose to his feet heading outside. Except for the faint soreness in his legs and waist, he was in a much better state than the one he’d been when he’d just woken up.

Yuwen Tong immediately followed in his wake. A very cautious look appeared on his face in spite of himself when he spoke, and his voice was low, deep and tender, too. “As it rained yesterday, there should be more water in the falls. You want to go there and take a look?”

Ling Zhang slightly paused. Yuwen Tong’s expression and tone had been odd ever since he’d awoken. It was not until this moment that he came to realize this. He spun around and glared at him. “Be normal, will you?”

Yuwen Tong felt a little aggrieved. He was trying to be normal. His heart was br.i.m.m.i.n.g over with deep affection for Ling Zhang — to put it in a saccharine way, his heart was filled with sweetness. Everything seemed so pleasant, and Ling Zhang was the apple of his eye. He found himself staring at Ling Zhang’s feet when he was walking, worrying that he might stub his toe or trip up on the threshold. His talking gingerly was totally subconscious, and he didn’t at all realize that he was being quite touchy-feely.

Ling Zhang, “…”

Eventually, the two of them still went to see the waterfall. When it was time to go back, Yuwen Tong crouched down, offering to carry Ling Zhang on his back. “Yesterday I promised you I’ll carry you. I didn’t dare do it on our way here because you overate and your stomach was too stuffed.”

It was true that they’d agreed on this when they’d been in the manor the day before, but Ling Zhang didn’t feel it the right thing to do on this occasion and directly walked past Yuwen Tong, heading downhill. “It’s just a downhill trip. I can manage.”

Yuwen Tong quickly caught up with him. “The path is slippery because of yesterday’s rain.”

Though it rained yesterday, the ground must have dried some time ago, given the hot weather. How was it possible that the path was still slippery?

Ling Zhang ignored him and kept walking towards the foot of the hill, itching to give Yuwen Tong a hard bite.

Seeing he was so unwilling to let him carry him on his back, Yuwen Tong had no choice but to watch Ling Zhang’s every step with great care, ready to spring to his support at any moment.

Halfway through their way back, they heard a noise from the woods, which sounded like some kind of animal treading on withered leaves. After a short while, a white figure tore out of the woods and pounced on Ling Zhang.

Yuwen Tong penetratingly stared at that thing which was throwing itself at Ling Zhang and firmly grabbed it before it could reach him, not letting it move an inch closer.

The little thing gripped by him aggrievedly let out a soft and cute whimper, and there seemed to be an urgent expression in its beady, black eyes.

Ling Zhang had seen what that little thing was the moment it’d leapt at him and opened his arms, poised to catch it. He was stupefied when Yuwen Tong stopped it.

Ling Zhang’s heart ached somewhat at the sight of the little thing wriggling anxiously and aggrievedly. He shot Yuwen Tong a dark glance and then took the little white fox into his embrace.

The last time they’d come to this manor, Ling Zhang had discovered that a servant in it had some acquaintance with raising fox, and the surroundings were pretty suitable for the white fox, so he’d left it in the manor. It had been a few days since he’d last seen it, and this little guy was considerably fatter and heavier.

Since the two of them hadn’t seen each other for several days, they missed one another very much. The little white fox kept rubbing its head against the crook of Ling Zhang’s arm, whimpering softly. Its fluffy body and tail were very comfortable to the touch. Except for the soles of its feet, the little guy was very clean all over. It probably had run to this spot from the manor.