Downstairs, lunch had already been served courtesy of Su Hongyuan’s earlier instructions, and it was a feast.
Lu Boyan led Su Jianan into the dining area. “Sit,” Lu Boyan said, pulling a chair out for her as if it was the most natural thing to do.
Huh? Is Lu Boyan serving her now? Su Jianan thought.
In an instant, Su Jianan felt as if she had been granted a gratuitous service and decided to go along with it. Turning to Lu Boyan she plastered on a sweet smile, “Thank you, honey,” she said, sitting down.
Su Jianan took in the dishes that were laid out on the table. Deftly, she picked up a bowl and began filling it with duck soup. Once the bowl was filled, she placed it right in front of Lu Boyan. She smiled in a way that made her look like a subservient maidservant. “Drink the soup first,” she said, “duck soup is very palatable. Try it.”
The truth was that there was nothing Lu Boyan hated more than duck soup. He forced a smile and then reached out to ruffle Su Jianan’s hair. “Thank you,” he said. On the outside, his ministrations seemed every bit affectionate. But in truth, there were quite some force behind those hands.
“Oh, you’re welcome,” Su Jianan said. “I’m good as long as you like it.”
Su Jianan knew this was Lu Boyan’s idea of a revenge. In fact, she figured that her hair was messier than a bird’s nest at this point courtesy of Lu Boyan’s ‘affectionate’ gesture. Still, she beamed as if she was the happiest woman in the entire world, bird’s nest hair and all.
Lu Boyan found himself highly satisfied with the way Su Jianan had handled her misfortunes with compliance and tolerance. Although he had no idea how long this little monster would stay this compliant, he decided to give face and finished the bowl of soup she had served him.
Upon seeing Lu Boyan’s now empty bowl, Su Yuanyuan picked up the bowl in a show of attentiveness and courtesy. “Brother, let me fill up another bowl for you,” she said, “our chef makes the best soups. You should have more.”
“No, thank you,” Lu Boyan said, “I don’t actually enjoy duck soup.”
Su Yuanyuan’s movement stilled. An uncomfortable look crossed her face. “But when sis gave you that bowl just now…” she trailed off. She thought Lu Boyan really enjoyed duck soup.
Lu Boyan glanced at Su Jianan, his eyes filled with nothing but love and affection. “Since my wife had served it to me, I must drink it.” Lu Boyan said. But if it’s served by others….then thanks, but nope, Lu Boyan thought.
Su Jianan beamed sweetly seeming as though she would to lean in to kiss Lu Boyan any minute.
Su Yuanyuan felt even more awkward than before. But at the same time, she also felt a little offended. Sullenly, she placed the bowl before of Lu Boyan.
Having decided that she might as well go the whole way with things, she pointed at a crawfish, “Honey, I wanna eat that one.”
Lu Boyan was highly dubious about Su Jianan’s fondness for crawfish, though he put on a pair of gloves and grabbed one from the platter. He even went as far as meticulously removing the edible meat from the sh.e.l.l before placing them neatly onto her plate. “Eat slowly,” he reminded in a ‘gentle’ tone.
It turned out that Su Jianan’s fondness for crawfish was real. Just by looking at the tender and succulent crawfish meat in her plate, she could already imagine the meat’s texture in her mouth. It would be soft, tender, and with just the right amount of tautness. She nodded distractedly and picked up a piece of meat. Then, she dipped the meat into the sauce and started digging in.
Lu Boyan：”…”
Su Jianan finished an entire crawfish, though its aftertaste had her craving for more. At the same time, she did not feel like removing the sh.e.l.ls on her own. So she glanced at Lu Boyan smilingly, “Honey, I want another one.”
Without batting an eye, Lu Boyan gave her a look. One that read: don’t push it.
Meanwhile, Su Jianan could not care less whether she was going overboard. She continued looking at Lu Boyan with an enchanting smile on her face.
Reading the situation, Su Yuanyuan, out of ‘good intentions’, suggested, “Sis, maybe you should ask Auntie Liu. I mean, brother… he doesn’t seem too keen on it. It’s better not to force people, you know.”
The way Su Yuanyuan saw it, Su Jianan was deliberately flaunting the ownership and claim she now had over Lu Boyan. And she did it because she knew about Su Yuanyuan’s own feelings towards Lu Boyan. But now, it was time for her to send Su Jianan a message – a man like Lu Boyan was not somebody she could rule over!
Su Jianan completely ignored Su Yuanyuan. She looked at Lu Boyan with a slightly hurt look on her face, “Huh? Honey, are you not willing to?”
Lu Boyan felt a twictch at the corner of his lips.
He grabbed a napkin and began wiping off the sauce stains at the corners of Su Jianan’s lips. Then, nimbly, he peeled another crawfish, though this time, he even dipped the meat in the sauce before placing it down on Su Jianan’s plate. “Why won’t I be willing to? I’ll peel them all for you,” he said, “no matter how many you want.”
The affection and love contained between his brows was palpable. Su Jianan knew that that was just his acting skills going on full steam, but still, she felt as if someone had brushed her insides with a sheen of honey.
But such feelings of sweetness were addicting and hence should not be further indulged in.
Su Yuanyuan, who was on the side watching the entire scene, lowered her head. There was an audible splash as her tear fell.
She had met Lu Boyan ages ago. But then he was also famous, with tens of thousands of eyes watching him. So it was natural for him to not notice her at all. But for her, it was love at first sight. And when she found out that he was marrying Su Jianan, she had cried and thrown a fuss. But n.o.body had done anything to help her.
Afterwards, Su Hongyuan had told her that the marriage between Lu Boyan and Su Jianan could all just be an act, one that was meant for the Su family.
But now it seemed to her that Lu Boyan’s affections for Su Jianan was so deep that he was willing to go as far as putting on a pair of gloves to peel crawfish. And Su Jianan, the little monster who was normally all sharp teeth and dancing claws back at home, had now turned so obedient and pretty. It was so obvious that there was chemistry and attraction between them!
“Yuanyuan, what’s wrong?” Jiang Xueli asked. Seeing her daugher in tears had turned her insides into a crumpled mess. “Are you not feeling well?”
It took a long while before Su Yuanyuan answered. “Leg…my leg hurts,” she mumbled incoherently.
“Your leg isn’t healed yet?” Su Hongyuan asked, his brows pulled into a frown, “Don’t cry. We’ll take you to the hospital after lunch.”
“But the driver has taken a day off today. And you’ve been drinking, so you can’t drive,” Jiang Xueli said, seemingly at her wits’ end. Then, her glanced at Lu Boyan, “Boyan, can you take Yuanyuan to the hospital after lunch? This child is very fond of you.”
Su Jianan rolled her eyes internally. Just how many veiled meanings are there in Jiang Xueli’s words? she thought. Sure, she could put aside the fact that Jiang Xueli had just completely slighted her by suggesting that Lu Boyan take Su Yuanyuan to the hospital. But to flat out tell Lu Boyan that Su Yuanyuan liked him?
Huh, is she secretly throwing hints at Lu Boyan?
“Don’t trouble yourselves by going to the hospital,” Su Jianan said smilingly, “have you guys forgotten? I’m practically half a doctor. I’ve handled even more surgeries than a typical general surgeon! After lunch, I’ll tend to Yuanyuan.”
“Sis, you…”
It was as if the pain had been shocked out of Su Yuanyuan’s leg! Su Jianan was a medical examiner, so weren’t these so called ‘surgeries’ of hers just autopsies?!
Jiang Xueli’s fear seemed to surpa.s.s even that of Su Yuanyuan’s. “Su Jianan, what are you planning? You’re a in forensics, and now you’re trying to doctor my daughter?”
Huh, is she trying to belittle my professional career? Or is she trying to get Su Yuanyuan and Lu Boyan alone? Su Jianan thought.
Su Jianan felt as if her tiny world was on fire. But right in that moment, Lu Boyan placed another freshly-peeled crawfish on her plate, the look of his eyes imploring her to keep her cool. For a while, Su Jianan weighed her options before she decided that the crawfish would taste a lot nicer than anger. Well, I’ll indulge my palate first, and see how it goes, Su Jianan thought.
“Jianan has a medical license,” Lu Boyan said, the glove came off his hand in an elegant motion. Then he looked at Su Yuanyuan, “Miss Su, do you not trust Jianan?”
With someone as elegant and posh looking at you like that, it was virtually impossible for you to shake your head.
Su Yuanyuan’s mind seemed to have lost its faculty for thought. Dazed, she nodded, “I’ll listen to brother,” she said softly.