Chapter 9. Even if the ambitious young man drank a lot of strong tea, as long as he looked…

Wen Rong closed the folding fan in his hand and gently tapped it on Shen Yuan’s hand. His eyes were full of unspoken words and quite helpless.

Now that Su Jin was here, it wasn’t appropriate to speak to him directly.

Yet Shen Yuan was naive and curious, “Father, didn’t you often say in the past that you wanted to give Mother walnuts to eat?”

“……”

“Father?”

In earlier years, Shen Meng wanted to teach Shen Yuan to read the Four Books and Five Classics, medicine, literature, and history. Wen Rong didn’t want that; he preferred Shen Yuan to be just an ordinary man. In this prosperous capital, the more outstanding a young man was, the less control he had over his own fate.

But at this moment.

Wen Rong slightly regretted it. Perhaps he should have let him read a book or two more.

He didn’t dare to look up to see Shen Meng’s expression.

But he knew what her look would be now, and what the scene would be like tonight.

After all, the first time he sent her yogurt after their marriage, he had only added a little walnut crumbs.

And she rewarded him with several nights of intense passion behind the red curtains.

If it was just boiling walnut porridge, it wouldn’t matter, but Yuan’er also said it was excellent for scholars.

Wen Rong naturally understood that Shen Yuan had no other meaning, but with Shen Meng’s jealous nature, she would probably pester him with questions again.

“Does Rong’er still think about your strong, archery-skilled elder female cousin?”

A scholar naturally wasn’t as strong and robust as a martial artist, but he had never said she was weak.

This baseless rumor from years ago had made Shen Meng jealous for over a decade.

He secretly looked up and indeed saw the universally respected Grand Tutor Shen of the capital, her eyes filled with hurt.

“Master husband.” Huai Nan had run to the kitchen and was now standing respectfully at the door, saying, “The meal is ready.”

His voice was like a small pebble, gently falling in the hall.

Those who were blushing, jealous, restrained, and confused finally had something to say. It was as if the silence just now had been Shen Yuan’s illusion.

Wen Rong called for the meal, and everyone took their seats.

Although it’s said one shouldn’t talk while eating or sleeping, during this meal, Shen Meng was clearly distracted.

She only ate a full bowl of walnut porridge, then excused herself saying she had official documents to review, and left the table first.

Wen Rong was worried, but leaving only the younger generation to accompany Su Jin was truly not the way to treat a guest.

It was Su Jin who first put down her chopsticks, curved her lips, and said, “Teacher’s husband need not worry about Runyuan. Runyuan is eating well, thank you for your hospitality, Teacher’s husband.”

“This……” Wen Rong hesitated.

“Father, you should go check on Mother,” Shen Yuan put down his soup spoon, glanced sideways at Su Jin a few times, and also persuaded.

As soon as Mother left, she became very reserved, only staring at her own rice bowl, occasionally picking up a vegetable and chewing it slowly.

Su Jin ate gracefully, eating vegetables like the little white rabbit he had raised in his childhood, taking small bites. Seeing this made Shen Yuan’s hand itch, and he felt like teasing her again.

Now that Wen Rong had stood up and asked him to take good care of Su Jin.

Shen Yuan smiled and agreed, calling A Liang to bring a new pair of chopsticks, acting fully as the host, “Miss Su, why are you only eating vegetables? Come, try this.”

He leaned too close, his sleeves giving off a faint fragrance.

For a moment, the redness that she had just managed to suppress came rushing back, making her too flustered to speak.

She just followed him, whatever he picked up with his chopsticks, Su Jin ate.

Only when eating spicy food would she slightly furrow her brows.

But Su Jin didn’t refuse, so Shen Yuan mischievously made her eat a lot of spicy food.

After the meal, Su Jin’s face was red, her lips slightly swollen, and there were traces of tears in the corners of her eyes, obviously from the spiciness.

“Thank you for the meal, Young Master Shen.”

“Miss Su is too polite.” Shen Yuan exchanged a look with A Liang, and the young servant brought over a package of walnuts.

“Here, after all, it’s beneficial for scholars. Take these back to eat.”

“Young Master Shen……”

Su Jin’s ears were burning, standing there extremely embarrassed, while Shen Yuan remained oblivious, still advising her to study hard and other such pleasantries.

He accompanied her all the way to the mansion gate.

Shen Yuan dismissed A Liang, then fanned himself with the folding fan, his phoenix eyes pure and desireless, curiously asking in a low voice, “By the way, when I mentioned walnuts earlier, why did all of you look so strange?”

He always asked when he didn’t understand. Since Mother intended to take her as an adopted daughter, she wasn’t an outsider.