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T/N: Thank you patrons for sponsoring this chapter part.
Title: ChongFei Manual
Chapter: 150.1 out of 171
Zhao Jie faintly smiled. He calmly asked, “Is your husband good-looking?”
Wei Luo shamelessly boasted, “Almost as attractive as me.”
Zhao Jie snickered and leaned over to bite her small lips. Those small, red lips were plump and soft. When she opened and closed them, they constantly tempted him. He had wanted to taste them since the beginning of this conversation.
Jin Lu and Bai Lan hurriedly turned around and put Wei Luo’s clothing and shoes into a red sandalwood wardrobe that was carved with a spiraling stem and leaf pattern. With their heads lowered, they pretended that they couldn’t hear the sounds of Zhao Jie and Wei Luo kissing.
At first, Wei Luo had used her hand to cover Zhao Jie’s mouth so that he couldn’t kiss her. But, he had firmly grabbed both of her hands. As soon as her hand loosened away from his mouth, he immediately rushed in. After Zhao Jie finally let go of her hands, his thumb stroked her lips. “What did you eat? Your mouth is so sweet.”
Wei Luo truthfully said, “When you went to the study, I ate a few pieces of sweet osmanthus and lotus root cake.”
No wonder her mouth had tasted like osmanthus. Zhao Jie smiled, then he said, “Next time, eat snow fungus in milky egg soup. That tastes pretty good when kissing.”
Wei Luo cast a rebuking glance towards him. She wasn’t going to fulfill his ridiculously request. She ate food for her own enjoyment, it wasn’t for him to enjoy when he kissed her!
Wei Luo said, “Then, next time I’ll eat Chinese celery dumplings.”
(T/N: Below are pictures of Chinese celery dumplings.)
The two of them had lived together for such a long time. Wei Luo already had a thorough understanding of the food that Zhao Jie liked. He didn’t like spicy sweet food. He liked to eat fish, but he only ate the small, tender piece of flesh on a fish’s cheeks. He was an uppercase, bolded letters, super picky eater.
In addition, there was also a vegetable that Zhao Jie refused to eat. Chinese celery. He felt that Chinese celery had a strange taste. After Wei Luo had married into Prince Jing’s residence, she didn’t see the shadow of Chinese celery for several months.
There was one time when she wanted to eat Chinese celery prawn dumplings and Zhao Jie had deeply looked at her before ordering the kitchen to make them.
Afterwards, Wei Luo realized that Zhao Jie didn’t like to eat Chinese celery.
Zhao Jie didn’t react to her teasing. He picked her up and pinched her waist and said, “Go change your clothes. We’ll be going out soon.”
Wei Luo skeptically looked at him. She wasn’t quite sure if his words were true or not. He clearly had a reaction in that spot. Did he really still want to go out? Wei Luo climbed down from his body and lied down on a nearby, large pillow. She turned her head, so that her large, bright, black eyes were facing him. “I don’t want to go out. There’s nothing interesting outside. Every year, it’s guessing riddles and releasing lanterns in water. I’m already bored of it.”
Zhao Jie looked at her. He didn’t know why she was going so far as to show helplessness and desire to be pampered. He asked, “What do you want to do then?”
Wei Luo’s eyes turned and she stretched her hand out to point at his nose. She deliberately said, “You.”
Zhao Jie didn’t say a word. He looked at her with a faint smile. A long time later, he held her finger and said, “Be good. I’ll let you play after we come back.”
Clearly, Wei Luo was the one that was tempting him. But, Wei Luo was also the one that blushed. She suddenly took her finger back and asked, “Big brother, how are you going to let me play?”
Zhao Jie slightly raised his eyebrow, “Up to you?”
Wei Luo seriously considered. In this matter, she hadn’t studied as thoroughly as Zhao Jie. After thinking back and forth, she couldn’t think of a good idea. In the end, she was a young girl. After thinking of wicked things in broad daylight, her face quickly turned red. Wei Luo sat up from the large pillow and pushed Zhao Jie away. “I’ll think about it after we come back. You can leave the room, I’m going to change my clothes.”
Zhao Jie couldn’t stop himself from laughing and didn’t tease her any further.
Wei Luo called Jin Lu and Bai Lan inside and changed into a new spring outfit that had been made by Xiu Chun. It was a short, lilac top and a high skirt. The sleeves and collar had both been embroidered with an exquisite and complicated peach blossoms in the water pattern. It had an empire waistline with a lilac sash that was as wide as a palm and made her silhouette seem even more like willow tree.
Wei Luo was worried that it would get colder at night, so she also put on a silver and gold shawl. By the time her hair was arranged into double loops at the top, an hour had passed since Zhao Jie left the room.
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The streets were more lively than usual during the Spring Lantern Festival and were bustling with activity. The shops were open all night long. There were brightly colored and fantastically odd lanterns of every description everywhere.
After Wei Luo and Zhao Jie passed through the streets, they stopped at the capital’s largest river, Huai An River.
Huai An River becomes especially lively every Spring Lantern Festival. The surface of the river would be covered in exquisitely decorated pleasure boats. Most of the boats assembled here belonged to the capital’s wealthy and powerful families. Not only could the men enjoy watching the moon and drink on the boats, there were also beautiful women on the boats to add to the festivities. The capital’s most famous red light district street was on one side of Huai An river. Sitting in the boats, they could even smell the scent of cosmetics. This was place that noblemen like to go to the most for amusement.
In addition to the men, noble women also liked to go on the boats to have fun. They could chat, play string instruments, or compose poetry. Perhaps, they might even have a chance encounter with their paramour. That would also be a wonderful pastime.
Wei Luo turned her head to look at Zhao Jie, “Big brother why did you bring me here?”
Zhao Jie stroked her head. “Let’s go up.”
There was a magnificently decorated pleasure boat in front of them. Wei Luo looked at it. It was bigger than the surrounding pleasure boats. Not only that, the pleasure boat’s decorations was extremely dazzling. The hull was carved with a stylized cloud pattern. Through the lattice windows, she could even see the furniture inside. All in all, it was as exquisite as jewels down to the smallest detail.
Wei Luo held Zhao Jie’s hand for support as they went onto the boat. She looked around, then she suddenly turned her head and asked, “Is this the reason why you insisted on getting me to come out today?”
Zhao Jie curved his lips into a smile and declined to comment.
There was a table of fine food and wine on the rosewood couch. Wei Luo hadn’t eaten anything all evening. She had originally wanted to buy some green pea pastries on the streets to fill her stomach, but Zhao Jie had stopped her and said street foods weren’t clean. So, she was still feeling hungry right now.
(T/N: Below are pictures of rosewood couches and green pea pastries.)
Wei Luo sat down on the couch and picked up a flaky pastry that was shaped like a butterfly to put into her mouth. She blinked. “The taste is pretty good.”
Zhao Jie raised his hand to wipe away the crumb at the corner of her lips. The young girl’s face was too soft and he couldn’t resist stroking it. “Then eat more of it.”
Wei Luo scooped up a spoonful of rose glutinous rice ball soup and brought it to Zhao Jie’s mouth. “Did you ask me to come out just to eat a meal?”
(T/N: Below is a picture of rose glutinous rice ball soup.)
Zhao Jie ate the glutinous rice ball and only lightly smiled without saying a word.
Wei Luo felt there was something strange about Zhao Jie’s behavior, but she couldn’t guess the reason, so she just lowered her head and silently ate. There was a mini stove on the table, so the food was still warm. A short while later, Wei Luo was full.
Zhao Jie warmed a bottle of wine, poured a cup, and pushed it towards her. “This wine was made from fermenting osmanthus flowers and can be drunk by women. Try it.”
Wei Luo looked at him. “What are you planning?”
Zhao Jie chuckled and said, “Naturally, I’m planning to get this beautiful girl drunk and sell her to Prince Jing’s residence to warm his bed.”
Jokester.
Wei Luo pursed her lips and looked at him without saying a word.