Chapter 261 - 270: Delight in Other’s Misfortune

“No harm done, since you weren’t aware. I’ll ask Madam about it later. I suppose she must have instructed you, too. This matter must not be disclosed to anyone.” Han Yu said, glancing sharply, causing Aunt Li to feel a surge of pressure and tense up inside.

“The old servant understands. Madam had already given her instructions yesterday. Nothing happened last night,” said Aunt Li and immediately went to make arrangements, having the servants bring water and personally delivering clean clothes to Han Yu.

After changing into fresh clothes, Han Yu ate a basket of soup dumplings and drank a bowl of chicken soup, arranged by Aunt Li. Since a formal meal was planned for noon, Aunt Li didn’t prepare much, just enough to satisfy Han Yu’s hunger, which indeed hit the spot.

Having spent several days in the mountains where he barely made do with what was available, being able to drink a pot of hot soup was already a luxury, let alone the taste. Han Yu was quite accustomed to it. Yet, he couldn’t help but long for the food at home; his Daughter-in-law had spoiled his palate, and he was no longer content with just filling his stomach.

After eating, Han Yu approached the bed but didn’t wake Su Wenyue; instead, he let her continue to sleep while he played with his children.

To say he ‘played’ was an overstatement; it was merely a matter of staring. Han Yu talked to himself, for how could such a small child understand anything? A smile on occasion was already a good response. Brother Xing seemed to understand as if listening, but after glaring at Han Yu for a while, he deemed it unworthy of his attention and closed his eyes to rest. This, however, did not deter Han Yu, who enjoyed whispering endlessly to his child.

In her sleep, Su Wenyue felt as if a mosquito was buzzing in her ear. After swatting at it a couple of times and finding it still there, she opened her eyes irritably, only to be met by Han Yu’s familiar and handsome face. She was stunned for a moment before she realized that Han Yu had returned. She was still groggy from sleep; there weren’t any mosquitoes in the dead of winter, just Han Yu.

“Husband, you’re back,” Su Wenyue’s eyes lit up. She had just woken up and felt weak, not wanting to move. She stretched out both arms towards Han Yu, coquettishly asking to be held—it would be a waste not to make use of him being there.

Seeing Su Wenyue behave this way, Han Yu’s heart went soft. He immediately set aside the three little ones and embraced his ‘big baby’, also planting a kiss on his wife’s smooth, blushing cheek—a gesture he found irresistible.

“Daughter-in-law, did you miss me these few days?” Han Yu asked knowingly, just wanting to hear Su Wenyue’s confirmation. Unfortunately, she huffed with a touch of haughtiness.

“No, what’s there to miss! The children and I were doing just fine at home. I didn’t have the time to miss their irresponsible Dad, who took so many days to come back, without caring whether the children and I were worried or bullied at home,” Su Wenyue said, puckering her lips. Her hands playfully poked and prodded at Han Yu’s body, venting her worries and grievances from the past few days.

“Daughter-in-law, I too wished to return earlier, but those bandits were too cunning. If I had acted rashly, I could have fallen into the enemy’s traps. I must keep my life safe to see you and the children, so I had to patiently wait for the perfect moment. Just like when I used to go hunting in the mountains, to catch a cunning prey, one has to stay patient. There were times I squatted motionless for a day and a night in one spot, just to catch the prey off guard for a fatal strike.”

Having finished his explanation, Han Yu saw his wife still pouting, but with a look of sympathy. He chuckled inwardly; indeed, his wife had the softest heart and was the easiest to soothe.

“Daughter-in-law, there was a reason for my absence, so you’re not angry now, right? It would upset me if you got sick from anger. And tell me, who bullied you? I’ll go seek revenge for you,” said Han Yu, not ignoring the grievance on Su Wenyue’s face, which seemed genuine. The thought made him flash a cold and fierce look, which Su Wenyue, leaning against him, didn’t see since she didn’t look up.

“You bad man, always saying things that make me unable to hold a grudge against you. And why do I feel like you’re getting better and better at sweet-talking? Where did you learn that from?” Su Wenyue really didn’t want to bring up that unpleasant incident at Li Mansion, thinking it too vile to spoil Han Yu’s mood, so she quickly changed the subject.

Han Yu was all too familiar with this tactic of his wife and didn’t fall for it. He playfully pinched her face and said, “That’s not what I asked, daughter-in-law. Don’t change the subject. If you don’t tell me, I have ways to find out.”

Su Wenyue rolled her eyes indelicately and swatted Han Yu’s hand away. Can’t they have a serious conversation for once? And did he really have to play with her face, just like a child? You see, his hand was back on her face the moment she pushed it away. Han Yu seemed to have a funny way about him after not seeing her for a while; he just loved ‘playing’ with her. And the night ahead was going to be long.

“Big Brother, are you going to talk about serious matters or not? If you keep pinching my face, I’ll turn against you!” Su Wenyue’s tone was fierce, almost grinding her teeth.

Han Yu looked somewhat embarrassed and reluctantly withdrew his hand, deciding that serious matters deserved attention. He cleared his throat and said, “Let’s talk about what’s important. Daughter-in-law, tell me, who bullied you? I’ll go and avenge you afterwards.”

Su Wenyue didn’t intend to hide anything; it was just that mentioning that person made her feel disgusted. But since Han Yu insisted on knowing, she didn’t conceal it: “Who else could it be but your old nemesis, the one who always plots against you in camp. This time he was overconfident, sure that you wouldn’t return, and wanted me to become his concubine, saying he would treat me well, except he couldn’t offer me a formal title.”

Su Wenyue didn’t really take Li Bonian seriously, so her words were too straightforward, which agitated Han Yu. Su Wenyue winced in pain: “Han Yu, what are you doing, trying to choke me? It hurts!”

“Daughter-in-law, are you alright?” Han Yu got carried away with rage and hadn’t realized the force of his grip. That scoundrel had dared to covet his wife, which was unforgivable! The thought of his wife being harassed by that villain made Han Yu’s anger surge uncontrollably, and he regretted not having dealt with Li Bonian more harshly earlier that day and planned to settle the score properly later.

“Don’t get so angry; that Li guy didn’t manage to do anything to me. Big brother and sister-in-law were looking after me. They even sent Ah Qing to escort me. I was angry at that time and just let Ah Qing slap Li Bonian twice. Ah Qing is strong; there were two big handprints. I heard that Li guy stayed hidden in the courtyard for two days afterward, probably too embarrassed to show his face,” Su Wenyue said while trying to pacify Han Yu’s fury, with a touch of schadenfreude in her tone.