Chapter 96:  Lu Zhanlin, We’re Married

Chu Yue leaned against Lu Zhanlin’s chest, her breath coming out in soft, warm puffs.
She could feel her consciousness becoming hazy, little by little—the effects of the alcohol growing stronger by the minute.

Her whole body was burning up, even her eyes felt hot. Her mind was muddled and dizzy—at this rate, she might completely pass out at any moment.

But before that happened, there was one thing she had to do.

“Tangyuan… tangyuan… Lu Zhanlin, we need to eat tangyuan…”

She clung stubbornly to this small ritual of hers.

The tangyuan had already been prepared in advance.
According to tradition from her hometown, they were meant to be eaten after midnight—right at the start of the first day of the Lunar New Year.

But Chu Yue was already so tipsy and dazed—there was no way she’d last until midnight.

She tugged at Lu Zhanlin’s sleeve and mumbled softly,
“Eat tangyuan. We must eat tangyuan.”

“You want to eat them now?”

“…Mhm. Yes, we have to.”

Chu Yue opened her eyes at his question, forcing herself to stay awake just long enough to answer.

Lu Zhanlin asked again,
“You don’t want to watch the snow anymore?”

Chu Yue shook her head—though her whole head wobbled with the motion.
“No… not anymore.”

Lu Zhanlin silently indulged her little stubbornness.
He held her in his arms and called to Lu Yuanbao, guiding both of them back into the house.

The three of them walked into the kitchen.

Lu Zhanlin helped Chu Yue sit on a chair, with Lu Yuanbao staying close to her side.

The tangyuan, which had been prepped earlier, were sitting on the stove. There was already hot water in the iron pot.
All Lu Zhanlin had to do was rekindle the coals and wait for the water to boil before dropping the tangyuan in.

Originally, he was also supposed to add some fermented rice mash—the jiuzao Chu Yue had made painstakingly by hand, placed right next to the bowl of tangyuan.

But considering she had already gotten tipsy from just drinking rice wine, if she had any more alcohol—even mild fermented mash—she might get completely hammered.

So in the end, Lu Zhanlin decided to skip the jiuzao.
He simply watched the tangyuan as they floated and bobbed in the boiling water. Within a few minutes, they puffed up and rose to the surface—perfectly cooked.

He scooped them out into three small bowls—six in each—and handed them out.

Then he turned to Lu Yuanbao and said,
“Yuanbao, once you finish these, it’s time for bed.”

Yuanbao was holding his warm, fragrant bowl of tangyuan, but his mind was elsewhere.
He looked up at Lu Zhanlin and asked,
“Aren’t we washing our butts tonight?”

Chu Yue had always been particular about cleanliness and had gotten Lu Yuanbao into the habit of washing his butt and feet every day.

Lu Zhanlin replied,
“It’s too late and too cold tonight. We’ll skip it for now—wash everything together tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Yuanbao obediently nodded, then picked up his spoon to start eating.
He blew gently on the tangyuan before taking a bite. The soft glutinous skin was pillowy like a cloud, melting in his mouth.

As soon as he bit in, the sweet black sesame and sugar filling oozed out slowly.

It was deliciously sweet.

Yuanbao’s eyes lit up as he ate—he couldn’t stop smiling or chewing.

Chu Yue, though still a little tipsy, was fairly clear-headed now.
The warm sweetness of the tangyuan helped her sober up a bit more.

Seeing she was okay, Lu Zhanlin also started eating his.

But on his very first bite—

“Ah.”

Lu Zhanlin gave a short grunt of surprise.
Amid the soft, chewy tangyuan, he’d bitten into something hard.

Chu Yue perked up the moment she heard him, her face filled with excitement.
“Was it you? Did you get it? Let me see—did you really get it?”

Lu Zhanlin pressed his lips together, then spat out a small coin.

Among all the tangyuan, Chu Yue had secretly hidden a coin in one of them.
She never expected Lu Zhanlin to be the one to get it—let alone on his very first bite.

Chu Yue beamed.
“Lu Zhanlin, it really was you!”

Earlier, she had told Yuanbao that the person who found the coin would be the luckiest in the new year.
Yuanbao looked a little envious, but also happy.

Big and small, two pairs of watery eyes sparkled brightly as they stared at Lu Zhanlin—shining like stars.

The small coin in Lu Zhanlin’s hand felt as though it were burning hot.

After holding it in his palm for a moment, he slipped it into the pocket of his military uniform.

…

After eating the tangyuan, Lu Zhanlin first made sure Lu Yuanbao was asleep—watching him undress, lie down on his small bed, and carefully tuck himself in—before turning off the light and leaving the room with peace of mind.

Inside another room—

Lu Zhanlin helped the weak and drowsy Chu Yue onto the bed to rest.

“How are you feeling? Does your head hurt? Want some sobering tea?”

No matter what he asked, Chu Yue only shook her head.

Perhaps it was thanks to the bowl of tangyuan, or maybe her body had started metabolizing the alcohol—Chu Yue wasn’t as completely drunk as before and was gradually sobering up.

Her cheeks were the color of peach blossoms, and her gaze was clear.

And now that she was more lucid, she could see more clearly the gentleness and concern in the cold and aloof man’s eyes.

Lu Zhanlin saw she wasn’t speaking and thought she might be getting worse. So he simply cradled her in his arms, pulled the blanket back, and gently laid her down.

His dark eyes swept over her body. He hesitated—should he help Chu Yue take off her clothes?

Although she was his wife, and he’d seen her in thin sleepwear more than once, it wasn’t anything inappropriate. But now, faced with such a soft, sweet woman right in front of him, Lu Zhanlin—rarely—hesitated.

Just a few seconds of indecision.

Then suddenly, the “drunk” Chu Yue raised her head, wrapped her arms around Lu Zhanlin’s neck, and pulled the tall, handsome man downward.

In an instant, the two were closer than ever, staring straight into each other’s eyes.

Chu Yue lay on the bed while Lu Zhanlin leaned over her, their noses nearly touching.
They could clearly hear each other’s breathing and smell the scent on each other’s skin—

The sweet and sour aroma of rice wine, the softness of tangyuan…

And—

This man was seriously good-looking.

From the moment she first laid eyes on Lu Zhanlin, Chu Yue knew he was exactly her type.
Even though they’d shared a bed a few times, she had never actually “taken a bite” of this delicious “dish.”

She didn’t know if Lu Zhanlin was anxious about it, but she certainly was.

Since he thought she was drunk now, it was the perfect time to “act crazy from alcohol.”

Chu Yue was going to add the most luxurious main course to her New Year’s Eve feast.

She was going to devour Lu Zhanlin.

With a playful smile, she lifted her chin slightly and planted a kiss on his lips.

The first kiss.

It was soft lips gently touching.

She was still smiling, her cheeks a peachy pink, her eyes bright and sparkling as she gazed up at Lu Zhanlin.
Then—

Bo.

Another kiss.

This one even made a sound.

She kissed Lu Zhanlin’s thin lips, then gave them a little lick.

Her smile turned sly—like a fox that had finally gotten what it wanted.

Still holding onto his neck, she whispered softly,

“Lu Zhanlin, we’re already married.”

Lu Zhanlin was stunned at first, but quickly realized what she meant.
If he still didn’t get it at this point, he might as well not be a man.

He leaned down, his body blocking out all the light in front of her eyes.

Chu Yue didn’t need to raise her head for a third time—because the overwhelming, dominant aura of the man had already completely enveloped her.

Lu Zhanlin kissed her deeply.

And this kiss wasn’t some gentle brush of lips.

It was deep.
Lingering.
Burning hot and endless.