Free Web NovelChapter 143: Chapter 143: What Are You Doing?
Mu Tangfeng’s face turned grim when he saw the new pajamas. Jiang Xia handed them over with a wide smile.
Under Shi Lan’s watchful eye, Mu Tangfeng reluctantly took them and went to take a shower.
While he was in the shower, Jiang Xia looked at Shi Lan unhappily, his eyes practically overflowing with grievance. "Lanlan, I listened and gave him my new outfit. I want two new ones tomorrow."
"Alright."
Shi Lan knew she was in the wrong. After all, she had taken him to pick out something he liked earlier that day, only to have to give it to Mu Tangfeng that very night.
’Never mind two, she’d get him three if he asked.’
Hearing this, Jiang Xia finally broke into a smile and hugged her arm clingily. "Lanlan, you once said I could pursue you after we got out of prison. Can I start now?"
Shi Lan’s eyes flickered. Her heart quietly began to beat a little faster. Pressing her lips together, she tilted her head up to meet Jiang Xia’s gaze as he looked down at her.
Though he usually seemed childish and was a bit of a handful, right now his golden eyes were filled with earnestness and anticipation.
Shi Lan met his gaze for a moment before speaking. "I don’t like fickle males. If you want to pursue me, you can’t have any other females on the side as backup. If you can’t manage that, then forget it."
"Of course not!"
Jiang Xia blurted out, "I don’t like any other females. I only like Lanlan."
Her eyes remained fixed on him, and she chuckled. "You’re still so naive."
Jiang Xia’s eyes went wide. "Lanlan, what are you talking about? You’re only 24, and I’m 26. I’m two years older than you!"
"Is that so?"
Shi Lan’s expression faltered for a moment. ’I almost forgot. I became several years younger after I transmigrated.’
’But I was already 28 before that.’
’So really, Jiang Xia is still younger than me.’
Shi Lan might have still been skeptical about the fickle nature of emotions, but looking into Jiang Xia’s pure, ardent gaze, she forced herself to push aside all her misgivings. free𝑤ebnovel.com
’I did tell myself I’d give this a chance, and we’re out of prison now.’
’There’s no harm in trying. Besides, it’s not as if they haven’t stirred her heart at all.’
Shi Lan steeled her resolve, her lips curving into a smile. "Alright. Show me what you’ve got."
Shi Lan revealed only a tiny fraction of her true feelings. Even though her heart was already leaning his way, she still wanted to make him work for it.
’After all, people don’t cherish things that come too easily.’
Jiang Xia let out a whoop. "This is great! Thank you, Lanlan!"
As he spoke, he excitedly swept Shi Lan into his arms and spun her around several times.
Shi Lan nervously threw her arms around his neck, but slowly relaxed as she felt how strong and steady his grip was.
Mu Tangfeng, still in the shower, had no idea what was happening outside. But when he heard Jiang Xia’s joyful shout, he knew it couldn’t be anything good.
Mu Tangfeng subconsciously sped up. He scrubbed himself clean in a few quick motions, rinsed the shampoo from his hair, and hastily threw on the pajamas before heading out.
In the living room, Jiang Xia’s excitement had subsided a little. The two were sitting on the sofa, and he was solicitously leaning against Shi Lan, tucking a blanket around her in case she got cold.
Shi Lan was just about to say he didn’t have to go that far, but the words caught in her throat when Mu Tangfeng’s sharp voice cut in. "What are you two doing?"
Jiang Xia shot him a leisurely glance, not moving from his position holding Shi Lan. Shi Lan, however, felt a strange pang of guilt under Mu Tangfeng’s deep, dark gaze. She discreetly removed Jiang Xia’s arm and pulled the blanket tighter around herself.
Mu Tangfeng walked over to them. His gaze first shot daggers at Jiang Xia, then quickly shifted to Shi Lan, his expression a mixture of hurt, anger, and an indescribable sorrow. He stared intently at her as he plopped down on her other side.
Now Shi Lan was truly caught between a rock and a hard place...
With both of them staring at her, Shi Lan was so awkward she didn’t know what to say. Anything she could think of felt wrong.
’At least, from my perspective, the scene just now didn’t require much of an explanation.’
After a moment’s internal struggle, she could only say, "I only have one guest room and no spare beds. You two will have to sleep together tonight. We can discuss any objections tomorrow."
Before they could protest, she cleared her throat. "It’s getting late. I’m going to bed."
With that, she beat a hasty retreat.
And so, on the sofa, with Shi Lan’s empty seat between them, Mu Tangfeng and Jiang Xia glared at each other, fire in their eyes.
Finally, Mu Tangfeng couldn’t hold back any longer. He grabbed Jiang Xia’s hair and started a fight. "You short-legged beast! I’ve been sick of the sight of you for a long time! Seducing Lanlan the moment my back is turned!"
Not to be outdone, Jiang Xia dug his fingernails into Mu Tangfeng’s delicate arm, immediately drawing bright red scratches.
In return, Mu Tangfeng yanked out a few strands of his hair.
Both of them were pampered young masters who would normally whine at the slightest hint of pain.
But now, they were trying to out-tough each other. Sweat beaded on their foreheads in the dead of winter, yet neither dared to let out a single cry of pain, terrified of alerting Shi Lan.
Just then, as if remembering something, Shi Lan opened her door again.
Downstairs, the two of them froze and instantly pulled apart. One hastily covered the scratches on his arm with his sleeve, while the other quickly tried to smooth down his hair.
Shi Lan handed a disposable hair-drying cap to Mu Tangfeng. "Dry your hair before you sleep, so you don’t catch a cold."
"Both of you, get to your room. Got it?"
Her gaze grew stern as she spoke.
Both of them felt too guilty to meet her eyes and just nodded silently.
After saying her piece, Shi Lan quickly returned to her room.
’But now, Mu Tangfeng had lost the desire to fight. Besides, if they were really going to fight, they should do it properly in their beast forms in an open area. This petty scuffling was pointless.’
He snorted coldly. Jiang Xia glared at the strands of silver hair in his own hand, his face a mask of fury, before storming back to the room first.
’Damn it, my hair!’
’Unlike the others, while Jiang Xia was from one of the Four Great Families, when the Insect Clan attacked, each family was only required to send one person to the front lines.’
’Jiang Xia had a good older brother who always shouldered that responsibility for him.’
’As the pampered younger brother who got to stay home, he was free from the worries of combat and had always kept his hair long.’ freёwebnovel.com
’He had always been proud of his long hair.’
The thought that Mu Tangfeng had just pulled out several strands of his precious hair made him so angry he felt like his eyes could shoot fire.
’That damn Mu Tangfeng! Next time, I’ll bite off his damn bird feathers!’
Back in the room, the first thing Jiang Xia did was hide the extra pillow. Then he cocooned himself tightly in the comforter, leaving half of the mattress bare for Mu Tangfeng but nothing else.
After drying his hair, Mu Tangfeng went back to the room.
He had noted which room Jiang Xia entered, so he didn’t go to the wrong one.
To his surprise, however, Jiang Xia hadn’t locked the door.
Jiang Xia wasn’t that stupid, of course. He had already witnessed Mu Tangfeng’s shamelessness and worried that if he locked the door, Mu Tangfeng would immediately use it as an excuse to go sleep in Lanlan’s room.
He wasn’t about to give him an opportunity like that.
Mu Tangfeng opened the door and went inside. The room was dark, so he fumbled for the light switch. After seeing the scene on the bed, he just sneered, seemingly unbothered, and lay down on his side of the bed fully clothed.
On the two-meter-wide bed, each man occupied one edge, leaving enough space for a whole other person between them. They lay back-to-back, completely ignoring each other.
