Chapter 24.2 - Stimulation (2/2)

Tang Huan didn’t care how Dong Minghua would argue with Jiang Yuzhu after he returned.

In entanglements like this between two women and one man, whoever had the man’s heart, he would believe her. In the past, Jinzhi was too honest, so she could not fight against Jiang Yuzhu. As for now, if Jiang Yuzhu could still snatch Dong Minghua’s heart away, Tang Huan would become her disciple and call her master!

After washing her face, she cleaned up the yard, took a nap, and started to prepare dinner.

When Song Mo returned home, exhausted, it was almost dark.

The man was drenched in sweat, so Tang Huan asked him to take a shower first.

Song Mo knew he was in a mess and didn’t want his niece to see him in this state, so he didn’t look too closely at her and went into his room to clean himself. It wasn’t until the two of them sat face to face to eat dinner together that he realized his niece had been distracted most of the time today. She had been dazed while smiling, the kind of shy smile that belonged to a young woman.

Although his niece looked beautiful like that, he couldn’t help but ask her, “Why are you so happy today?”

Tang Huan lowered her head without saying anything.

She was unwilling to tell him, so Song Mo couldn’t ask anymore. It was just that, looking at her lovely shy face, he felt as if there was a feather in his heart scratching his insides, eager to know immediately who her shyness and joy were for.

Him?

They hadn’t seen each other all afternoon, and she was his niece, so how could it be…

Dong Minghua?

In the past, whenever others teased his niece about Dong Minghua, she would have this expression on her face. But, hadn’t she given up on Dong Minghua?

Maybe he was overthinking it.

With doubts that could not be cleared up no matter what, Song Mo got into the bed first. His filial niece had taken over all of the housework.

But just when he was so tired that he was about to fall asleep, he remembered that in the morning, his niece had mentioned that she would be sleeping with him tonight?

Just as he was thinking, the door curtain was lifted and she walked in. He lay motionless and pretended to be asleep, listening to her close and lock the door, and then gently climbed onto the bed stove.

Facing the wall, Song Mo was nervous.

Tang Huan had just changed into her sleepwear in the west room, so after getting onto the bed stove, she approached Song Mo and said softly, “Is Uncle asleep? I’m coming in.” As she was speaking, she lifted the blanket and scooted towards him. In such a tiny space, it was inevitable for the two of them to make physical contact. Almost every time Tang Huan’s body touched Song Mo’s, he would immediately move away, as if he was avoiding poisonous snakes and scorpions.

Tang Huan found it amusing. They were already sleeping under the same blanket. How long would he use the set of excuses he had invented to justify himself?

She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressed her face against his broad back, and murmured, “Mhm, Uncle smelled so much better after you took a shower.”

Song Mo’s muscles were tense.

It was not that he hadn’t ever thought that it was wrong for his niece to act this way, but she had already done so. Should he chastise her for being shameless? S-she didn’t do it on purpose. She was merely too sad and scared, so she could only rely on her uncle.

“Uncle, could you turn around and hug me like you did last night? With your back to me, I am still scared, as if there is something behind me.”

Her whole body was trembling.

Feeling bad for the girl, Song Mo turned around, silently hugged her, and purposely kept his lower body away from her.

Tang Huan shrank into his arms, gently touching him with her soft, bulging chest. “Uncle, you are so kind to Jinzhi. I feel very safe being held by you like this.”

Song Mo gave a bitter smile above her head, forcing himself to think about other things and become distracted.

Tang Huan inched upwards, hugged his neck, and spoke into his ear. “Uncle, I-I am very happy today. Minghua, Minghua came to find me. He told me that he has always only liked me and that his cousin will soon return home to get engaged. Uncle, I-I decided to believe him again. Please act as if I haven’t said anything about breaking off the marriage.”

Song Mo was still tormented by her being too close to him, but after hearing her words, all the alluring reveries vanished, leaving only an indescribable bitterness in his chest.

His niece…still liked…Dong Minghua.

He saw with his own eyes how easily Dong Minghua could be swayed by a glance from Jiang Yuzhu’s eyes…

“Is it true about his cousin? How come I’ve never heard of it?” He couldn’t stop himself from reminding her.

“It’s true. When I came back at noon, I passed by the Dong house and saw for myself that Minghua’s uncle had sent his second son to pick her up. They would be leaving early the next morning. Uncle, I am so happy that Minghua’s feelings for me have not changed. Uncle, are you happy?” Tang Huan lowered her head and smiled as she stared into his eyes.

Song Mo saw that.

Was he happy?

He could only be happy. “Mhm, as long as Jinzhi is happy. Okay, Uncle is tired, so I’ll be sleeping first.”

Tang Huan nestled back into his arms, hugging him tightly and listening to his heartbeat.

This time, Song Mo’s body didn’t react at all. He was no longer sleepy as he stared through the paper window into the darkness outside.

Was it because he was frustrated by his niece’s inability to see her fiancé’s true character, or because… He didn’t know, and he didn’t want to know. His niece would eventually marry, if not to Dong Minghua, there would still be someone else. No matter what, it would never be this uncle of hers, even if he was only her uncle in name.

His chest felt like it was being pressed by a stone, and it was difficult for him to even breathe.

Tang Huan heard his heavy breathing.

This man…why didn’t you try to fight for it?

Don’t worry, my beloved uncle. You don’t have to drink vinegar 1 tomorrow. Your niece will feed you sugar…

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吃醋(Eat vinegar): Be jealous.

This is a story originating from the Tang dynasty, when the emperor himself sent a beautiful young concubine to a favored prime minister as a gift. The prime minister’s wife, known for her interfering and henpecking ways, was very jealous. She threatened to kill herself by drinking poison rather than bow to the emperor’s will in the matter. The emperor found this touching but also wanted to test her dedication to her husband. So, he forced the wife’s hand, giving her a vial of poison and telling her to either accept the concubine or her death. She drank the vial without hesitation, only to find it full of vinegar. Since then, eating vinegar has become the metaphor for jealousy and envy. (Source https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/articles/10-unique-chinese-expressions-you-need-to-know/?amp=1 )