Chapter 162: The Rabbit Murders Her Husband

Those two massive gold hairpins gave Bai Yan quite a start. The reason for her shock wasn't the hairpins themselves, but the fact that they had nearly sliced open her face.

The moment she caught sight of them, she pouted with displeasure and scurried backward.

Just as the little rabbit retreated, another cascade of exquisite little trinkets came clattering in.

Simultaneously, a boy's somewhat deep voice echoed from outside: "Are you in there? These are the newest accessories from the Begonia Pavilion, take them."

Bai Yan offered no reply, merely lowering her gaze to inspect her shoes.

One of the golden hairpins had landed too far forward, directly ripping a hole in her shoe. This was her absolute favorite pair, featuring two tiny pearls at the very tips that would glow softly in the dark.

Seeing her beloved shoes ruined, coupled with the memory of how close those oversized hairpins had come to scratching her delicate face, Bai Yan's temper flared. Lowering her head, she gathered up the accessories and the large hairpins, huffing and puffing as she hurled them right back out.

Shen Dongliang had been lurking outside, poised to scale the courtyard wall, when the next second, a torrential downpour of jewelry and hairpins came hurtling toward him.

By the time he snapped out of his dazed state, a small golden hairpin had already grazed the back of his hand.

"Not to your liking?" Brushing it aside casually, he gave a light spring and hoisted himself up onto their courtyard wall.

Lowering his gaze, he spotted the little girl standing there with a face full of indignant fury.

"You don't like them?" he asked again, puzzled; otherwise, why would the little girl be so furious?

"Why do you go around throwing things? It almost sliced my face!" Bai Yan knitted her delicate brows together and turned on her heel to leave without another word.

Shen Dongliang hadn't anticipated that twist. Just as he was about to speak up, the little girl didn't even spare him a glance.

Every bit of this exchange had been witnessed by the man standing beneath the window.

As Shen Dongliang prepared to leave, his gaze collided directly with the man's.

Jiang Chengying the corner of his mouth upward, while Shen Dongliang shot him a malevolent glare before having no choice but to retreat.

...

"Lass, come over here. I've found some stuff for you to wash your hair with," Mrs. Zhao said, noticing Bai Yan intentionally stamping her feet to make a loud noise with her shoes. She beckoned to the little girl. "It smells lovely, come try it."

Hearing this, Bai Yan immediately scampered over with heavy, pattering steps.

Jiang Chengying had been sitting the entire time on the brick kang in the side room, his ears catching the murmur of conversation between the little girl and Mrs. Zhao. With his legs bent, he sat reading a book, his slender fingers turning the pages one by one.

After a short while, movement finally drifted from the room. He raised his eyes to see the little girl walking toward him, holding out a large drying towel.

"Dry it for me," Bai Yan demanded. She disliked drying her own hair... she had far too much of it, and it was such a hassle.

Jiang Chengying laid his book aside. First, he wrapped the large towel securely around Bai Yan's hair, then placed both hands under her arms and lifted her effortlessly onto the kang, landing her squarely in his lap.

He carefully dried Bai Yan's hair, though a delicate, lingering fragrance kept drifting persistently into his nose.

When her hair was finally dry, Jiang Chengying embraced her from behind, tilted his head, and buried his face in her tresses. A faint smile laced his voice as he murmured, "Darling, your hair smells so wonderful."

Bai Yan's hair was very long, and whatever Mrs. Zhao had used to wash it left behind an enchanting scent.

Yet, the moment Jiang Chengying finished speaking, the little rabbit bristled with outrage. She froze for a fraction of a second before spinning around and delivering a solid punch straight to Jiang Chengying's shoulder.

Jiang Chengying: "..."

That single blow nearly knocked the wind right out of him.

"My sweet, are you trying to murder your own husband?"