Chapter 524 - 531: Onset of the Problem

Han Yu had finally managed to coax Su Wenyue into drinking half a bowl of Bird’s Nest Porridge. Seeing Su Wenyue looking like she was bravely facing torture with extreme distress, he gave up and didn’t insist further. He felt both amused and annoyed. How could Bird’s Nest taste so bad? She truly was a difficult little thing to please.

Han Yu had grown up enduring hardships, never fussy about food and clothing, while Su Wenyue had been spoiled from a young age. Even reincarnating twice couldn’t change certain deep-seated habits, such as her pickiness about food. If she was in extremely harsh conditions, Su Wenyue could ‘endure humiliation and bear a heavy load,’ forcing herself to eat for survival. But once the crisis was averted, especially in front of Han Yu, her picky eating would flare up, causing him a lot of headaches.

“Look at you, this is top-quality Blood Swallow, specially procured to nourish your body, something ordinary people can’t usually enjoy. The cook’s craftsmanship is not bad, but you seem to find it detestable, making it hard to know what to say to you. You’re just too delicate!” Han Yu had no qualms about finishing the rest of the porridge, despite Su Wenyue having eaten from it. Su Wenyue refused to eat such good stuff, but Han Yu was not willing to waste it, so it all went into his stomach.

“If I’m delicate, then I’m delicate. I’m a woman, am I not allowed to be delicate? The saliva of swallows, no matter how tasty, is disgusting. If you like it, it’s all yours in the future.” Su Wenyue said, pursing her lips.

Han Yu knew why Su Wenyue said this. His wife, although not very fond of it, would still eat Bird’s Nest in the past. It was only after Chen Li’s words that the silly woman didn’t learn her lesson but had her words deeply remembered by her daughter-in-law.

“Never interact with that woman Chen Li again. Don’t let her lead you astray. What saliva of swallows? Don’t listen to her nonsense. It’s clearly a top nourishing product, known for beauty and skin care—the very things you women care about.” Han Yu, of course, knew what Bird’s Nest was, and saying this was only to make his wife dislike it, since its consumption was indeed beneficial for her health, or else the Divine Doctor wouldn’t have specifically instructed it. In Han Yu’s view, as long as it was beneficial for Su Wenyue’s health, swallows’ saliva wasn’t a concern, not to mention that he didn’t think there was anything disgusting about it.

“However good it may be, I won’t eat it anymore. You promised to have the kitchen make me something delicious at noon. No going back on your word now. I’m not drinking Bird’s Nest Porridge again, or I’d rather starve,” Su Wenyue stated, pouting her lips upon sensing Han Yu’s intentions.

Han Yu rubbed Su Wenyue’s head and remained silent, thinking about asking the Divine Doctor what other nourishing substitutes he could use instead of Bird’s Nest. If that wasn’t possible, he would just have to stubbornly persist in this hard work with his daughter-in-law daily. Once Han Yu made up his mind, Su Wenyue seldom managed to escape his ‘clutches’.

Although Su Wenyue’s condition had improved, she still lacked energy. After eating and talking with Han Yu, she fell asleep again from tiredness.

Once Han Yu had made sure Su Wenyue was settled, he stepped outside where servants were already waiting, ready to lead Han Yu to Sikong Ling. The Peach Blossom Valley was not a place where one could just wander around, even if one lived there, and Han Yu’s allowed range of activity was confined to this small courtyard.

Sikong Ling had sent someone early in the morning to invite him over. Concerned about his wife, Han Yu had not gone immediately. Now that his wife was asleep, it was time to meet Sikong Ling and discover his intentions.

Han Yu silently followed the servant, his expression betraying nothing while he mentally noted his steps and the surrounding scenery. It was no wonder that Peach Blossom Valley, known for its reputation in Jianghu, had its path filled with countless mechanisms and arrays, even though it seemed disorderly. The servant leading the way had an inherent pattern to follow. If a stranger happened to break in by sheer luck, they would be trapped by the valley’s mechanisms. Han Yu had spent a significant amount of effort over the years studying arrays and mechanisms, making substantial progress through many books, and had gained some understanding, though he had only just begun to grasp the edges of it. It was evident just how formidable the person who devised these mechanisms and arrays was!

“Finally here. Unexpectedly, the always cold and iron-blooded General Han has a tender side, placing his daughter-in-law above his career. However, had you done so in the past, and devoted more attention to Lady Yue, she wouldn’t have been taken advantage of by those people, suffering so grievously and nearly losing her life. Seeing you now making such an effort, it’s somewhat irksome,” Sikong Ling said sarcastically, apparently needing to vent his frustration from dashed expectations.

“I was neglectful before; I owe a debt of gratitude to Young Master Sikong for the subsequent events. After this experience, I will be more careful and cautious, never again allowing my wife and child to fall into such danger! But Young Master Sikong surely didn’t invite me over just to discuss these matters, is there something else?”

“Those are nice words, but actions speak louder than words. You must truly have the ability to protect your wife and children!”

“That is a given, but from the way Young Master Sikong is speaking, it seems there’s another implication. Could it be that Young Master Sikong is worried about me?” Han Yu asked, looking at Sikong Ling with a half-smile.

Sikong Ling, seeing Han Yu’s nonchalant demeanor, was somewhat irritated. He had been somewhat concerned when he had received the news, but it turned out that Han Yu was not affected at all. He was sure Han Yu, who hadn’t left any trusted aides in Yiyang City, must have received the news even earlier than himself. Despite the tight security in Peach Blossom Valley, Sikong Ling had no doubt about Han Yu’s ability to communicate with the outside world.

“It’s incredible how composed you can be. I don’t believe for a moment that you’re entirely unaware of what’s happening outside. With Yiyang Prefecture in Liu Xiu’s hands, relying on just those few men is insufficient to confront the Imperial Court. I fear it won’t be long before Zhao Fan takes it down. Are you really not in the least bit anxious? If you lose control, what power will you have left to protect your wife and child? Merely talking big won’t help,” Sikong Ling challenged.

“If I haven’t misunderstood, are you showing concern for me?” Sikong Ling raised an eyebrow in question.

“We have a partnership, and I wouldn’t want our joint interests to be affected. Don’t tell me you consider our cooperation a joke?!” Sikong Ling was also being candid. He chose Han Yu for more reasons than just Su Wenyue, which was just a minor part of his considerations.

As the heir to the Sikong Family, his head could not be turned by a woman; that would be impossible. Every premise was based on not harming the Sikong Family’s interests. Some matters were far more complex than they appeared on the surface. Choosing Han Yu as a partner was a decision made after much deliberation. Therefore, Han Yu’s current behavior was not what Sikong Ling wanted to see, which is why he had someone fetch Han Yu almost immediately after receiving the news.