CH 30

In a bid to hasten the resolution of her heartache, Cui Ti consumed the rabbit head with tears streaming down her face.

Her emotions were so intense that tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

Cui Ti preferred mild flavors not because she aimed to maintain a slim figure, but due to her long-standing deprivation of flavorful meals over the past decade. 

The fiery taste of the spicy meat ignited her taste buds and brought tears to her eyes.

Her nose and eyes reddened, and a thin layer of oil coated her lips, imparting a delicate and awkward appearance to her countenance.

It's common knowledge that eating spicy rabbit heads requires dexterity and patience. However, being visually impaired, Cui Ti lacked the necessary patience for eating. In the past, she might have swallowed whole foods like rabbit heads and pieces of chicken without chewing them.

However after living a few days of an indulgent and nourishing lifestyle, the rabbit head stuffed into her mouth left her in tears, with her throat feeling like it was burning. The spice was hot and fiery, penetrating straight up to the top of her head.

And that's not all.

The juiciest and most succulent meat part of the rabbit when bitten explodes in one’s cheeks with flavor. After a few attempts to chew, Cui Ti opened her mouth and stared vacantly at the skilled rabbit eaters sitting next to her.

Pei Xuan, who noticed her gaze, found Cui Ti’s current appearance to be rather amusing and remarked, "Try biting this.”

The rabbit's head fumbled around in Cui Ti's hands, and she struggled to keep up with its movements, her clumsy demeanor making her all the more endearing but she managed to get a bite!

Her beautiful face was flushed, perhaps from the heat of the spicy meat or from the tears that had gathered in her eyes, creating tiny ripples that danced across the surface. 

Pei Xuan couldn't help but feel a flutter in her heart at the sight of her and asked, "Is it tasty?.”

Cui Ti savored the meat in her mouth, feeling her tongue go numb from the spiciness. 

She blinked, momentarily lost in the sensation before managing to reply, "It's delicious."

The only ‘son’ of the Pei family is the number one scholar in Xijing, but this very same gentleman at this time wanted to tease her wife with insincere words.

Pei Xuan raised an eyebrow and teased, "How delicious?.”

Cui Ti felt a surge of annoyance at being teased, but also a deep longing to connect with her husband. She took a deep breath and answered softly, "It is better than dragon meat.”

Pei Xuan was taken aback for a moment, then her shoulders trembled slightly, and she covered her mouth and laughed uncontrollably.

"..."

Is it that funny?

Cui Ti didn't understand, and a lingering embarrassment slowly surged up in her heart.

It doesn't matter that Cui Ti can't see what's going on around her. But coincidentally, when she lifted her head, Pei Xuan's cheeky face was right in front of her. She couldn't help but love her joy and the way her face lights up when she smiles. But at the same time, she also felt a bit overwhelmed by her playfulness.

She was a gentle and easy-going person, who didn't like to argue with others. So she asked him politely, "Husband, have you finished laughing?.”

Pei Xuan wasn't quite done yet, but she didn't dare to push her luck any further. She didn't want to face her wrath later that night. She saw that Cui Ti’s mouth was burning hot, so she quickly poured her a cup of milk in a jade bowl, handing it to her while saying, "Wife, since you liked it, we can share this delicacy every month from now on."

Cui Ti blushed and was grateful that she didn't mention the "dragon meat" again. She knew that she would have to eat rabbit meat every month now. 

She couldn't help but feel a little anxious and wondered where Pei Xuan would find the rabbit head, hopefully they weren’t the rabbits that were gifted... 

Now not only do her feet hurt, her face hurts, her throat hurts too, and she can't help but mourn for her future self.

Bai Tang, who was standing by the dining table, was amazed in her heart. Sure enough, a person can't be judged by their appearance. Who would have thought that a man would be extremely playful just by looking at his appearance? She knew that the mistress couldn't eat rabbit head, yet she promised to eat it with Pei Xuan every month. 

Once again, she realized that these two were an interesting pair.

After teasing and persuading Cui Ti, how could Pei Xuan not know that her wife has different tastes from hers? While Cui Ti drank milk with her head lowered, Pei Xuan rolled up her sleeves, squinted her eyes, and savored the spicy rabbit head slowly and seriously, not letting any trace of meat go to waste.

Cui Ti silently observed Pei Xuan's eating style and marveled at how it was as captivating as her writing, but even more vivid. She also admired her meticulous eating method, which allowed her to savor every bit of the rabbit's head.

As she took another sip of milk, the heat in her mouth subsided, and her mind began to clear. 

The rabbit in Rou’s arms was tilting its head as it looked at Pei Xuan who was eating heartily. After finishing the first rabbit head, Pei Xuan picked up another one without any hesitation.

Cui Ti couldn't help but wonder why Pei Xuan was being so courteous. It had only been a few days since they got married, and it was too early for her to earn such consideration. 

Even in her past life, Pei Xuan followed the "husband way" and never had any wrong contact with her wife. She wondered what could be the reason for her sudden change.

Midway through the meal, Pei Xuan remembered the purpose of serving the spicy rabbit head and noticed that Cui Ti's bowl was empty. So, she ordered the cook to prepare a few dishes.

After a few minutes, the dishes were freshly prepared, full of color and aroma. The steam rising from the dishes added to the festive atmosphere, and Pei Xuan, abandoning her own meal, personally served her wife.

"You probably don't like foods with a strong taste and I didn't think carefully. I thought that if I like it, my wife must also like it..."

"I, I like it very much!.”

Cui Ti anxiously argued: "I really, really like it."

Then when she saw Pei Xuan smile, she obviously didn't believe it.

Pei Xuan remarked, "I like for my wife to be at ease and to do whatever she wants."

Bai Tang pondered silently to herself, admiring Pei Xuan's eloquent words. How many people go through their entire lives without experiencing true freedom and free will?

Cui Ti understood what she meant, and said without confidence: “Is that how you saw it?.”

Her thoughts were impure, as she believed that eating rabbit heads was a way to progress their relationship further.

Even just one step...

She stole a glance at Pei Xuan, who was serving her dishes, and her mind ran wild and understood that being courteous is nothing severe such as adultery or stealing.

"Eat quickly," Pei Xuan urged, as she placed the long chopsticks into her hands.

Cui Ti ate her food quietly, with the most generous and number one scholar in Xijing seated beside her. 

Pei Xuan rarely indulged, but tonight, she seemed content with her meal.

Cui Ti lowered her eyes and savored a mouthful of fragrant and tender rice, followed by her favorite sweet and sour fish nuggets.

Pei Xuan sneaked a glance at Cui Ti, and suddenly came up with an idea, feeling her situation to be similar like a condemned prisoner who eats a last meal before facing execution, or a hero who shouts out their final words before their inevitable demise.

She dressed in a man's clothing and posed as a man, but still desired intimacy. The thought of this made her nervous, and the phrase "eating rabbit head before doing the deed" kept swirling in her mind, causing her to feel uneasy.

If Cui Ti found out that she is a real woman, how should she make amends at that time?

It's just compensation, but can she afford it?

In Xijing, a woman's reputation was beyond measure, and sometimes it is more precious than one’s life. Niang was aware of this fact and used it to manipulate her.

Pei Xuan frowned, and suddenly felt that the rabbit's head, which was more delicious than “dragon meat”, no longer had a good taste in her mouth. She was anxious about the possible repercussions of her actions.

A cluster of melancholy thoughts are often between the brows, and others can't see it, but Cui Ti is sensitive to it.

"Husband?.”

Pei Xuan woke up from her daze immediately: "Wife."

Cui Ti smiled gently: "I want to have another bite."

The two shared another bite of the rabbit head, with Cui Ti savoring the easy-to-eat meat while Pei Xuan skillfully consumed the more challenging parts.

Pei Xuan was usually diligent and studious in the afternoons, instead of holding a book, she took her wife to swim in the lake.

The scenery of Xijing is naturally beautiful, and the clear water lake is wide and endless. 

On a big boat, Pei Xuan held onto Cui Ti's slender waist as they basked in the gentle breeze blowing past them. The sound of birds above them created a pleasant ambiance.

Listening to the various sounds, Cui Ti felt that this moment was quiet and extremely beautiful.

However, their minds were preoccupied with their own thoughts, and they were unable to fully enjoy the fun of swimming in the lake, and night fell.

The sky is full of stars, the bright moon hangs high, and the Pei family gathers for dinner. 

During dinner, Niang gave Pei Xuan a subtle hint that made her heart skip a beat. She felt as though she was on the edge of a cliff, and one small mistake could cause her downfall.

After dinner, Pei Xuan and Cui Ti went to their room, as Rou who ignited the incense burner prepared by Mrs. Pei for her daughter bowed and retreated with Shou and Bai Tang.

The door closed, and the elegant smell slowly floated out of the burner’s mouth, like a cloud of fragrant mist being released.

From daytime to now, Pei Xuan’s attitude is very weird, but she couldn’t allow Cui Ti to think too much about it.

In the quiet room, the only sound that could be heard was the crackling of the lamp wick, startling Pei Xuan who felt guilty.

Pei Xuan cleared her throat and stood up, her legs were weak: "Wife, it's late at night..."

Cui Ti's ears were red and hot, afraid of making a joke by mistake, and she nodded slightly before even hearing her complete the sentence.

Helping her reach the edge of the bed, Pei Xuan who saw her peach-blossom face felt a sense of shame wash over her, causing her to hastily lower her head. Not daring to look any further, she stared at her wife’s embroidered shoes in a daze, her heart pounding.

Cui Ti's chest was heaving, her breaths coming out in short gasps.

She wasn't foolish, and she could tell that Pei Xuan's strange behavior was probably due to what was going to happen tonight.

"Wife..."

"Mhm?”

Pei Xuan raised her head, shouldering the responsibility of being the "son of the Pei family", and stared at Cui Ti, "Wife has already heard from Niang that I am not a healthy man, and I cannot give my wife children.”

She took a step forward, baring her heart to Cui Ti, "But my love for you burns hotly, and I really love you, so do you mind if I am incomplete?.”

"What?.”

"Do you mind?.”

Cui Ti was shrouded in her breath, her body trembled slightly, she didn't know whether it was excitement or shyness, she shook her head: "I don't mind."

"Do you really not mind?"

"Well, I really don't mind!."

Pei Xuan's heart was moved, and she sighed: "But I am already a useless person. Fortunately, my wife does not dislike me and is willing to be with me. I, I…”

Cui Ti waited for her last sentence which she guessed to be "I have nothing but I can only repay you my body", and waited and waited, but before Pei Xuan could say another word, Cui Ti couldn't wait any longer, and asked, "What's wrong with you?.”

"I..." Pei Xuan closed her eyes and opened them again, restraining her desires and love in her heart, her voice was soft: "Although I am a 'disabled person', I still want to share intimacy and ‘be a real couple’ with you..."

Cui Ti didn’t know if she should laugh or cry when she heard "a useless person", but when she heard the phrase "be a real couple", her body softened for the most part.

"Would you like to?" Pei Xuan asked cautiously and came closer.

Cui Ti was so close to her that she could smell the fragrance of her freshly bathed body and couldn't stop her shame, and her voice was as weak as a mosquito: "Yes."

Confirming that she heard it right, Pei Xuan was stunned for a while, then tremblingly took out a booklet with detailed pictures and texts from her sleeve pocket.

The booklet was soon opened, and she flipped through a few pages with trembling hands.

Cui Ti didn't dare to look up, and she was flustered and at a loss: "Husband?.”

Pei Xuan had a hard time holding the hot ‘booklet', hesitating when seeing the several poses, but fortunately, she was born with a smart head and had photographic memory.

Soon, the booklet was spread out in the cabinet beside the bed. 

Pei Xuan with trembling hands got closer to Cui Ti and passionately said with a gentle tone, "Tonight, I...I want to be a real couple with you."