Chapter 102: Fox Or Rabbit
“Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
Lu Chengjing answered irrelevantly: “The bedding is warm.”
Shang Wan lifted the bedding and lay down, reaching over to tuck in Lu Chengjing’s side.
Lu Chengjing could only make out the outline of the person beside him, asking softly: “What were you thinking about today?”
“Thinking about…” Shang Wan lay down, eyes looking at the wooden shed roof, “the rabbit I raised before.”
Rabbit?
Lu Chengjing was stunned, asking with curiosity: “What kind of rabbit?”
“A… very lively rabbit.” Shang Wan’s tone carried a bit of nostalgia, sighing lightly, “Everyone says rabbits are timid, but the one I raised was bold, always running toward wolves, and eventually got eaten by one.”
Lu Chengjing always felt this remark was pointed.
He asked: “Did you raise another one?”
“No.” Shang Wan sighed lightly, “Rabbits are hard to raise. I switched to raising a fox.”
Lu Chengjing: “…”
Shang Wan: “I thought the fox was clever and wouldn’t send itself into a wolf’s mouth. But unexpectedly, this fox was as bold as the rabbit. I could watch once, twice, three times… but there would always be times I couldn’t watch. Perhaps this fox will end up like the rabbit, becoming a wolf’s meal when I’m not paying attention.”
Lu Chengjing: …Is she pointing at me?
Shang Wan’s voice was soft, “I’m wondering if the rabbit died quietly, whether the fox will die quietly too?”
Lu Chengjing said seriously: “It won’t.”
“Ha!” Shang Wan let out a cold laugh with unclear meaning, “If it won’t, then it won’t. Anyway, if the fox dies, I can still raise cats, dogs, mountain sparrows…”
“No.” Lu Chengjing interrupted, “You already have a fox.”
Shang Wan huffed: “Then I’ll switch to another one.”
The hand in the bedding suddenly clenched tight, long lashes drooping to conceal the darkness in his eyes. Lu Chengjing murmured lowly: “No switching.”
“I will switch.” Shang Wan’s tone carried some anger, “Whoever likes raising a death-seeking fox can do it.”
“No.”
“I—mmph!”
Lu Chengjing leaned over, looking at the bright eyes of the person beneath him, his voice soft and gentle: “No switching, okay?”
Shang Wan pulled away the hand covering her mouth, her gaze piercing through the night to look at the face so close by.
Long brows lightly furrowed, the corners of his eyes reddened, three parts displeased and seven parts aggrieved. On this moon-like face, it actually carried a bit of a pitiable air.
It made one feel that refusing his request was simply outrageous.
Shang Wan sighed inwardly. Her own fox was quite skilled at this beauty trap!
“Niangzi, no switching, okay?” Lu Chengjing gripped Shang Wan’s hand in return, his voice even lower and deeper, making Shang Wan’s ears tremble lightly.
Her pair of eyes almost glued to this demon-like face on him, she said nothing, just wanting to see what else her shy fox could do.
Lu Chengjing knew Shang Wan liked his looks. As his long lashes trembled, he deliberately leaned closer until their nose tips touched, that face flushed like red clouds fully entering Shang Wan’s eyes.
He furrowed his brows lightly, saying sullenly: “Niangzi, I admit my mistake. No switching, okay?”
Face-obsessed Shang Wan: “…”
Voice plus looks, double attack—how was she supposed to stay angry?
“You cough…” She cleared her throat, asking softly, “Where did you go wrong?”
Long lashes fluttered like wings fanning lightly. Lu Chengjing reflected seriously: “Shouldn’t have used myself as bait.”
“You shouldn’t have used yourself as bait without certainty of escaping unscathed,” Shang Wan corrected, “If Xiao Huan and Shi Tou hadn’t gone looking, what was your plan?”
Lu Chengjing: “That cup of tea, I only touched my lips to it lightly, didn’t drink much.”
Shang Wan raised a brow: “But the result was you miscalculated the potency of that sleeping potion, and you still got hit.”
Lu Chengjing explained: “I’ve been taking medicine since childhood, so sleeping potions affect me less than ordinary people. Just touching the lips’ amount, even if I faint, it won’t be for long.”
Shang Wan said coolly: “Yeah, not long—just long enough for them to do you in.”
Lu Chengjing: “…It wouldn’t happen.”
“Nothing is impossible.” Shang Wan stared at him, “Have you ever thought, what if the person in the room was Lu Chengyuan?”
Lu Chengjing said decisively: “If he still wants a future, he wouldn’t dare.”
Shang Wan hehe’d: “There’s a saying: die under a peony flower, and be a romantic ghost.”
After saying it, she felt it was too much—bringing up Lu Chengyuan in this matter was like poking at his heart.
She irritably tsked: “I… sorry, pretend I didn’t say that. It’s late, let’s sleep.”
She reached out to wrap around the waist of the person on her, using a bit of force to turn him to her side, gathering his black hair to the other side.
Just as she was about to pull her hand back, it was caught by another slightly cool hand, gripped tightly.
“For Lu Chengyuan, there’s no possibility of what you just said.”
Perhaps because they’d already talked things out before, when Shang Wan mentioned it, Lu Chengjing didn’t feel too embarrassed—more regretful for telling her and making her worry.
He said lowly: “I guarantee no next time. You… don’t be angry.”
Good looks, good voice, and a sincere attitude.
Shang Wan sighed, inwardly reflecting if she was overreacting due to the trauma from the rabbit.
This fox was already a bit insecure. If they didn’t hash it out clearly and just slept, he’d probably be sleepless all night.
“I’m not angry—no, I am a bit angry.” Shang Wan tried to analyze her feelings, “You’re covered in injuries and illnesses now, barely recovered a little. If you’re going to court death—at least give a heads-up beforehand, so we can prepare.”
“Take the tea drinking for example. You knew Ge Shunliang had bad intentions. Even if you wanted to turn the tables, couldn’t you give Shi Tou or Xiao Huan a hint before parting?”
Lu Chengjing: “I was worried about alerting them.”
“With your smart brain, couldn’t you hint euphemistically?” Shang Wan reached out to pinch his face, “Don’t tell me you couldn’t think of it.”
Lu Chengjing was silent for a moment, then countered: “Do you think they’d understand if it was euphemistic?”
Shang Wan: “…”
So much reason.
“Well then, if Shi Tou doesn’t get it, there’s still Xiao Huan. I think Xiao Huan’s brain works pretty well.”
“Okay.” Lu Chengjing agreed obediently, “I’ll try my best next time.”
“Remember what you said.” Shang Wan stroked the cheek she’d just pinched, leaning in to kiss the reddened spot, “Muah~ Now can we sleep?”
Ear root flushed red, Lu Chengjing: “…”
Heart racing, even less able to sleep!
Shang Wan yawned, pulling the quilt to lie down, when she suddenly heard the person beside her call softly: “Niangzi.”
Shang Wan turned her head: “Hm?”
“Who is the rabbit?”
Shang Wan blinked, this tone—why did it taste a bit sour?
Before she could answer, the next question followed.
“Niangzi, do you think the rabbit is better looking or the fox?”
Shang Wan: “Fox.”
Hesitating even a second would betray her face-obsessed title.
Lu Chengjing’s lips curved up secretly, ears still red as he asked casually: “Then… niangzi, do you prefer the fox or the rabbit?”
Shang Wan paused, then countered: “Do you want to sleep tonight?”
Lu Chengjing: ?
Shang Wan’s slender fingers slid down his side neck, parting the crossed collar of his nightclothes, lingering at the collarbone before going lower.
Soft fingertip touched warm-cool skin, smooth and slick.
“Ask again and no sleeping.”
