Chapter 24 (Barbeque (Part 1)..)

After dinner, Shen Pingyu left first.

The other four stayed to talk for a while about starting a braised food shop.

After half past the You hour, they said their goodbyes.

Xie Qingyun and Xiao Huaiqi left first, and Yan Qiushu walked Xiao Huaiting to the gate of the courtyard. She smiled, saying, “General Xiao, thank you for your support tonight.”

Xiao Huaiting scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Did you notice?”

Yan Qiushu tilted her head and smiled. “I noticed a little.”

Normally, Xiao Huaiting wouldn’t come over on his own. But today he had come voluntarily and brought Shen Pingyu with him, which was unusual.

Xiao Huaiting laughed. “But Ping Yu wasn’t brought here just to support me!”

“Hmm?” Yan Qiushu raised her eyebrows, curious.

Xiao Huaiting crossed his arms and sighed. “When I got here, Ping Yu was hesitating and embarrassed to come over, so I pulled him along. The Shen family has strict rules and doesn’t focus on food, but honestly, every child in my Xiao family loves to eat!”

He raised his eyebrows. “Just look at Dongdong, and you’ll see. Pingyu is no different. The Shen family teachings made him feel embarrassed, so he needed someone to help him. Believe me, he’s smiling in bed right now!”

He laughed after saying that, then stretched and said, “Alright, Miss Shu, I’m heading out. I’ll be busy in the next few days. See you later.”

Yan Qiushu, left behind, thought seriously about Shen Pingyu’s mature attitude and shook her head.

It couldn’t be what he said, since the boy hadn’t shown any sign of enjoying the food at all.

If it had been Dongdong, he would have praised her and acted cute to get more food.

So when Shen Pingyu met her, he probably just ate to keep up appearances for the elders.

The well-mannered and self-disciplined boy she had in mind was now lying in bed.

He was sleeping in a proper position, hands on his abdomen, lying flat on his back. The nanny tucked him in with a blanket. Before blowing out the candlelight, she noticed a slight smile on his lips and chuckled, “Master, are you in a good mood today?”

Shen Pingyu quickly composed himself after hearing this, but a moment later, he couldn’t help but break into a small, satisfied smile. “Yeah.” 

He tucked his little hand under the quilt, secretly feeling his round, bulging belly. 

He had accidentally overeaten today, and although the name of the dish wasn’t very appealing, it tasted fantastic. 

No wonder Dongdong adored Aunt Yan so much!

“Do you still want to study today?” the nanny asked.

Shen Pingyu nodded. He had left his parents when he was young, and the Shen family had strict rules. He always slept alone, and his busy studies often led to insomnia when he lay in bed. The nanny would read to him, and the sound of her voice helped him relax.

Seeing this, the nanny drew the curtains, moved closer to the candlelight, and began to read: “Today…”

It was only a short time after she started that Shen Pingyu’s half-open eyes fluttered shut. The satisfaction in his belly made him content, and with his mind clouded by fullness, he stopped thinking about his schoolwork.

Before long, he was asleep!

The next day.

Winter had fully arrived.

After waking up, Yan Qiushu stepped out of her room and noticed a thin layer of snow in some areas within her view.

Shui Yu said, “It only snowed a little this morning, but soon it will snow heavily. You can have a snowball fight with us, girl.”

According to Xiao Huaiting, Yan Qiushu had been brought from Wucheng.

Wucheng is a warm area near water, with little rain or snow.

She assumed Yan Qiushu had never experienced heavy snow, so she mentioned it.

However, that was only partially true.

When Yan Qiushu was younger, her hometown had heavy snowfall, but as she grew up, the snow became less frequent. By adulthood, it had dwindled to just this light dusting.

So, she was looking forward to the snow.

It was just a bit chilly.

Yan Qiushu didn’t want to venture outside and chose to stay indoors. The charcoal fire was already crackling, warming the room significantly. She enjoyed spicy soup for breakfast and wontons for lunch, lazily pondering her dinner options.

Then, Dongdong, who hadn’t been seen for two days, suddenly appeared before Yan Qiushu.

The five-year-old boy pouted, looking as if he was about to cry. When he spotted her, he lit up like he had seen a long-lost relative. He felt utterly wronged: “Sister Shu! Uncle is so mean! He actually sent someone to bring me back!”

Yan Qiushu, who had witnessed Xiao Huaiting promise Shen Pingyu earlier, felt a bit guilty.

It seemed that this was done to coax Shen Pingyu into eating the food she prepared.

But she hadn’t expected Dongdong to react so strongly to Shen Pingyu. With a smile, she asked, “Is it that frightening? Is it worse than being the second prince’s study companion?”

Dongdong was speechless: “You just don’t understand…”

The second prince might be difficult, but he wouldn’t dare to act against him.

But Shen Pingyu was his biological brother, and he could be quite ruthless when he needed to be. When he was punished and had to copy lines, his eyes would swell from crying, yet he couldn’t escape. The worst part was that no one in his family stood up for him.

If the second prince had treated him that way, his uncle would have raised a fuss!

Yan Qiushu wanted to wipe away his tears out of sympathy, but noticing he was just dry-eyed, she chuckled: “You don’t even have any tears!”

Dongdong sniffed, “I didn’t drink any water, so nothing can flow out.”

“Alright, I’ll get you some.” Yan Qiushu asked Shui Yu to bring some milk tea. “Now tell me what Pingyu did to you.”

She wanted to hear the whole story.

Dongdong held the milk tea, took a sip, and savored the sweet and tangy orange bits inside. He sighed like a little adult: “He’s not really that bad, just has high expectations of me.”

“He learned the essay himself, so he wants me to do the same. But I’m only in the beginner class!”

The introductory class lasts two years, and the next class begins in the third year.

He just wanted to take his time and, when he was a bit older, learn martial arts from his uncle instead of focusing on literature!

Yan Qiushu listened to him as he sipped, then made herself a cup of milk tea. After a sip, she felt the sweetness but immediately felt guilty about consuming too much sugar that day.

She had invented milk tea to avoid wasting milk, using a simple method. Drinking a cup each morning keeps her energized throughout the day.

But it also contained a lot of sugar.

Not a fan of sports, she often couldn’t resist drinking it. Usually, one cup was enough, and she only indulged in a second cup occasionally, like now.

To distract herself from the guilt, Yan Qiushu focused on Dongdong’s chatter.

After listening, she thought for a moment and asked, “Did you tell Pingyu you don’t like this?”

Dongdong exclaimed, “Yes! I cried the last time!”

Yan Qiushu coughed lightly: “You have to say it nicely so he’ll listen. After all, you’re only five; he might think you’re just throwing a tantrum.”

Dongdong was astonished: “But he’s only nine!”

Yan Qiushu pinched his cheek affectionately: “Nine is nearly twice your age! That’s enough of a difference. Speak kindly, Pingyu is nice; he will understand.”

Dongdong seemed doubtful: “Really?”