Free Web NovelChapter 78: Chapter 78: A Minor Skirmish, Conquered
She had specially arranged this for Yelias.
Bai Su had noticed several times that Yelias liked to look down from the window, and he had been visiting her more and more frequently lately.
’Maybe older people just like a bit of excitement,’ she thought. So she simply set aside this private room as a lounge for him, where he could come to rest whether he was eating or not.
Yelias looked at her. "Closing up?"
Bai Su smiled. "Grandpa, let’s have lunch together. I’m closing the shop early today, so I have plenty of time. Plus, I still haven’t gotten to those ingredients you brought last time. I can take them out and experiment with them today."
Yelias nodded slightly.
Just as Bai Su stepped out of the private room, she saw Li Chenlin upstairs with a dark expression. He was sitting at the top of the stairs, glaring murderously in a certain direction, looking like he’d just woken up angry but couldn’t find the target of his fury.
When he saw Bai Su, his gaze gradually came into focus. "Bai Su?"
Bai Su felt a pang of guilt but kept her expression nonchalant. "I... I’m going to make lunch. What do you want to eat? How about more quail eggs?"
The moment she finished speaking, Li Chenlin’s stomach rumbled.
He seemed to be moving sluggishly, his mind still groggy. After a long moment, he finally nodded. "Okay."
Bai Su found this a little cute. While he was still out of it, she boldly ruffled his messy silver hair.
’Hm, it’s coarse. Doesn’t feel that great. Not as good as Bai Xiaoshe.’
She pulled her hand back in disdain and turned to go downstairs.
Completely unaware that he’d been scorned, Li Chenlin yawned slowly, managing to wake up a little more.
In the kitchen boiler, tens of pounds of beef for the Disabled Tribe were stewing.
Thankfully, she had expanded her kitchen, so she had plenty of cookware and several boilers.
She rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
Yelias strolled leisurely into the living room, sat on the sofa, and quietly watched Bai Su’s busy figure.
Li Chenlin came down wrapped in a blanket, yawned, and squeezed in next to Yelias. "Morning, old man. Not dead yet..."
Yelias frowned in disgust and scooted over to the other side.
Li Chenlin sniffled, pulled the blanket tighter around himself, and stared at the busy Bai Su in the distance. "Sweetheart, can you explain why I suddenly went into hibernation recently?"
Bai Su’s hands trembled, and she tied her apron tighter. "...The... the sky rains, mothers remarry, and snakes hibernate. How am I supposed to explain it? If you don’t even know, why are you asking me?"
Yelias, sitting nearby, let out a sneer.
Li Chenlin stared at Bai Su’s back, his gaze scrutinizing. "You really don’t know?"
Bai Su said, "I don’t know."
’He’s been hibernating for days and only just woke up. I destroyed any evidence long ago.’
Li Chenlin had just woken up and was very tired, so he didn’t press the issue. He just slumped onto the sofa, his eyes half-closed, looking languid and listless.
Yelias, next to him, certainly wasn’t going to initiate a conversation.
Bai Su ignored them, rolling up her sleeves and starting to prep the ingredients.
A knock came from outside.
Bablo went to open the door. Seeing it was Lu Tingyan, he quickly snapped to a military salute. "Leader!"
Lu Tingyan nodded slightly.
Bai Su packed up the stewed beef and handed it to Bablo. "Here you go."
Bablo accepted the food gratefully. "Thank you, Miss Bai!"
Lu Tingyan shot him a bland look.
Bablo immediately corrected himself. "Thank you, Leader’s Wife!"
Bai Su’s face flushed red. "Alright, off you go!"
In the living room, Li Chenlin, still wrapped in his blanket, rolled his eyes so hard they nearly disappeared into his head.
Lu Tingyan came inside and saw the two on the sofa but didn’t say anything.
He leaned down, wrapped an arm around Bai Su, and gave her full, plump lips a quick kiss. "Let me wash my hands. Need some help?" frёewebηovel.cѳm
Bai Su quickly pushed him away and shot him a glare. "Go help peel the radishes!"
She was too embarrassed to be intimate with Lu Tingyan in front of an elder.
Lu Tingyan just smiled. He took off his military greatcoat and jacket, revealing a white shirt and tie underneath.
His powerful torso stretched the back of his shirt taut, the lines of his muscles clearly defined and smooth.
He undid his cufflinks, rolled up his sleeves to reveal lean forearms, and his large hands skillfully peeled the radish, showing this clearly wasn’t the first time he’d helped out.
His movements were simple and efficient. Though he didn’t seem to be exerting much force, anyone could see the powerful muscles bulging beneath his shirt.
As he peeled, the veins on his forearms stood out, hinting at immense explosive power.
Just looking at such a pair of hands was enough to make one’s imagination run wild.
A pair of hands that strong could give a person a complete sense of security at any time, holding them steady in their palm, never faltering even when battered by a sudden storm.
Bai Su only glanced at him once before her face flushed, and she quickly looked down to focus on the ingredients in her hands.
Yelias and Li Chenlin, sitting on the sofa, watched the two work together in perfect harmony and found the sight inexplicably jarring.
Yelias suddenly spoke up. "I’m surprised, Leader Lu. I didn’t think those hands, so used to holding a gun, would be skilled at such delicate work."
Li Chenlin sneered and rolled his eyes. "He’s just putting on a show!"
Lu Tingyan’s lips curled into a smile. Without turning his head, he said, "As long as Susu wants it, my hands can do anything for her."
This was meant as a declaration of his feelings, but Li Chenlin and Yelias, two perpetual bachelors who had never been with a woman, didn’t think too deeply about the double meaning.
Bai Su, on the other hand, caught Lu Tingyan’s meaningful gaze and her mind flashed back to the way his nimble fingers could so easily pluck a red bean, the way they moved—gently gathering, slowly twisting, brushing and plucking again.
His hands weren’t the delicate type; on the contrary, they were quite rugged.
His fingers were long, but his skin wasn’t fair. The pads were calloused from holding a gun, and with the slightest exertion, veins would pop on the back of his hands and forearms, pulsing with explosive power.
He had once said his fingers were incredibly dexterous and fast, that to this day, no one had broken his record for disassembling and reassembling a firearm.
She hadn’t believed him, but then she’d only lasted less than a minute under his nimble yet rough fingers...
She quickly lowered her head, forcing herself to concentrate on deveining the shrimp and not think about all that nonsense!
Lu Tingyan’s lips curved as he shot a meaningful glance at Bai Su, who had her head bowed beside him.
He knew something she didn’t: whenever she got really shy, her floppy ears would instinctively cup her little face, burying it deeply.
And she thought she was hiding it so well, pretending to be calm, thinking no one had noticed.
’It’s adorable.’
’Little rabbit Beastmen are truly the Beast God’s greatest creation!’
His mind wandering, Lu Tingyan moved closer to Bai Su with the peeled radish. He picked up a kitchen knife and began slicing it, his already-skilled knifework producing a rhythmic sound.
Bai Su subconsciously tried to avoid his touch. Even through his shirt and her own clothes, the searing, aggressive heat of his body easily radiated to her arm, making her heart flutter.
Lu Tingyan leaned in even closer, his voice low. "Susu, what do you think of this rhythm for chopping the radish?"
It was a rhythm of nine quick chops followed by a pause, producing slices of radish that were perfectly even, thin, and fresh.
They were standing so close that as he chopped, the up-and-down motion of his arm kept brushing against hers.
Hearing that damn sound, Bai Su glared at him, half-furious and half-embarrassed, raising a hand to pinch him. "Just chop it properly!"
Lu Tingyan switched to another rhythm. "How about this?"
Bai Su went to pinch him again, but his muscles were hard as rock, giving her no satisfaction. She could only glare at him, holding back her embarrassment.
Seeing she still wasn’t satisfied, Lu Tingyan let out a low chuckle, switched the rhythm yet again, and lowered his voice. "Well... how about this?"
Bai Su wanted to find a hole to crawl into. ’Who the hell said the male lead had no technique and relied solely on brute force?’
She glared at him through gritted teeth. "You’re not allowed to talk anymore!"
Those damn rhythms made it impossible not to recall certain... indescribable moments.
Li Chenlin and Yelias felt there was something strange about the two of them, but they couldn’t quite put their finger on it. They could only stare gloomily at Lu Tingyan’s back, disgusted that he had to stand so close to someone just to chop a radish.
Li Chenlin couldn’t stand it anymore. He walked over and squeezed between them. "I’m also very curious how Susu cooks. May I observe up close?"
Lu Tingyan’s face darkened as he shoved the man away. "No."
Annoyed, Li Chenlin pushed his way back. "I was asking Susu. What’s it to you?"
The two men were like a pair of fighting cocks, jostling for space by the stove, neither willing to back down.
A flash of ridicule crossed Yelias’s eyes. freewёbnoνel.com
’What a pair of idiots, fighting over a woman’s attention like this.’
’Tch...’
He coughed loudly twice.
Bai Su immediately turned and walked over in concern. "Grandpa, are you okay? Why are you suddenly coughing so hard? Did you choke on something?"
The suddenly ignored Lu Tingyan and Li Chenlin: "..."
A glint flashed in Yelias’s eyes. As Bai Su carefully helped him, he leaned back and settled into his seat. "I’m fine. I’m probably just hungry..."
Bai Su felt a little guilty. "I’ll have the food ready right away. Just wait a little longer, Grandpa."
She turned around, her face dark, and shooed Lu Tingyan and Li Chenlin out of the kitchen. "If you two want to fight, get out and do it! Don’t get in the way of my cooking!"
The two men, who had been randomly yelled at: "..."
Yelias smiled in satisfaction.
’Getting Bai Su’s attention is as easy as flipping my hand.’
