AUBTN -Chapter 171 Mid-Autumn Festival

At this moment, he had his sleeves rolled up, his fingertips coated with amber-colored ointment, gently massaging in circles over Su Hewan’s wound.

“How does it feel today?”

Shen Jue’s voice was low and pleasant, carrying a unique magnetic pull.

Su Hewan set down her book, her gaze falling on his slightly furrowed brows.

Those eyes, which were usually sharp and ruthless, were now focused in a way that made one’s heart tremble.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore. You don’t really need to apply medicine every day,” Su Hewan said softly.

As someone from the modern era, she thought such a wound should have healed long ago.

Yet Shen Jue was stubborn to a frightening degree.

“Don’t be careless.”

Without lifting his head, he continued to massage gently.

“The imperial doctor said this medicine prevents scarring. A woman’s skin is delicate; leaving a scar would be bad.”

Su Hewan looked at him and suddenly chuckled.

【Everyone says Shen Jue is ruthless and vindictive, a schemer who never lets anything go.】

【But no one has seen that he can also wash his hands, cook, and be so tender.】

Shen Jue’s fingers paused slightly.

He slowly raised his head, his deep eyes locking straight with Su Hewan’s.

A nearly reverent light shimmered in them.

For someone who had walked alone in darkness for so long, once they grasped this beam of light, they would be willing to shatter themselves to hold on.

“Wanwan.”

He called her name softly, as if holding a candy in his mouth.

“Hmm?”

“Soon it will be Mid-Autumn.”

Shen Jue wiped his hands with a silk handkerchief and pulled from his sleeve a finely carved jade pendant, tying it at Su Hewan’s waist.

The craftsmanship was exquisite—a lifelike rabbit pounding medicine depicted on the jade.

“At that time, I’ll take you to see the largest lantern festival in the capital.”

Su Hewan touched the smooth, warm jade, a faint smile curling at the corners of her lips.

“All right.”

Time flew, and soon it was the eve of Mid-Autumn.

Lanterns and decorations lined the streets of the capital, and the scent of sweet osmanthus and lotus root filled the long avenues.

Su Hewan suggested they celebrate Mid-Autumn together.

The proposal was immediately met with both of Yu Qing’s hands raised in agreement.

And so, the duo that usually struck fear into the hearts of officials throughout the capital was now crammed into a kitchen.

The scene was utterly bizarre.

Lu Yan, commander of the Jinyiwei, wearing his Flying Fish robe and with a embroidered spring knife at his waist, was now dressed in a pink apron, holding a rolling pin with a blank expression—

Rolling dough.

“Master Lu, don’t use so much strength!” Su Hewan groaned, holding her forehead.

“That’s dough, not an assassin’s skull—you’re going to crush it!”

Lu Yan froze mid-motion. Looking at the dough sheet, now thin enough to be translucent, he quietly pulled back some of his force.

“Pfft.”

Yu Qing laughed uncontrollably, shaking with mirth, and seized a handful of flour, smearing it across Lu Yan’s face when he wasn’t looking.

“Big fluffy cat!”

Caught off guard, Lu Yan’s handsome, cold face was instantly dotted with white patches.

He narrowed his eyes, staring dangerously at Yu Qing.

“Yu… Qing.”

“Nyah-nyah, you can’t catch me!”

Relying on numbers, Yu Qing pulled faces and darted about the kitchen.

Lu Yan sneered, set down the rolling pin, and gave chase.

The small kitchen erupted into chaos, flour flying everywhere.

Meanwhile, at another counter, Shen Jue had his sleeves rolled up and was using a mold to carefully wrap filling in the dough, pressing it gently into the mold.

With a soft click,

a lotus-shaped mooncake with clear patterns and perfect form emerged.

Every crease was precise, a true work of art.

Su Hewan watched in astonishment.

【No wonder he’s a big shot. Such skill—what a waste not to be a pastry chef.】

Shen Jue’s lips curved into a faint smile as he handed the freshly made mooncakes to Su Hewan.

“Try the filling—how’s the sweetness?”

It was Su Hewan’s favorite: red bean with salted egg yolk.

She dipped a finger in and tasted it, her eyes lighting up.

“Delicious! Shen Jue, you’re amazing!”

Shen Jue’s gaze was full of adoration as he casually wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth.

“As long as you like it, that’s enough.”

At that moment, Yu Qing, pinned against the wall by Lu Yan for a tickle punishment, caught sight of this scene from the corner of her eye.

She immediately started shouting and complaining.

“Oh my, I can’t watch this!”
“Lu Yan, look at Chief Shen, now look at you!”
“He’s a gentle, considerate little wolf, and you’re just a bullying big bear!”

Lu Yan froze mid-motion and turned to Shen Jue.

Shen Jue happened to look up at the same time, their eyes meeting in midair.

Sparks flew.

“Commander Lu, that rolling pin of yours… it really isn’t as handy as the embroidered spring knives,” Shen Jue said slowly, wiping his hands, his tone calm but cutting to the bone.

“True, I’m just a rough man—can’t handle such delicate work,” Lu Yan ground out, veins bulging at his temples.

He released Yu Qing, strode to the cutting board, and grabbed a lump of dough.

“Hah, I wasn’t even trying seriously.”

“Shen Gonggong’s skill… it’s like he trained for decades in the imperial kitchen,” Yu Qing added.

“If Shen Gonggong is so virtuous, then from now on, shall all the cooking be left to you?”

The air froze instantly.

Su Hewan and Yu Qing exchanged glances, sensing trouble.

These two archrivals never stopped!

Seeing the murderous intent flash in Shen Jue’s eyes, his sculpting knife nearly crushed in his hand, Su Hewan quickly grabbed a freshly baked mooncake and shoved it into his mouth.

“Uh… Shen Jue, this one’s baked perfectly, try it!”

At the same time, Yu Qing was quick enough to grab a piece of dough and stuff it into Lu Yan’s mouth.

“Shut up! Roll the dough now, or there won’t be dinner tonight!”

The two men were forced into silence.

Mouths full, glaring at each other with wide eyes.

In the end, under the sharp glares of the two women, they could only huff in frustration and turn their heads away.

The scene was absurd, yet oddly harmonious.

Night fell.

A full moon hung high in the sky, its cool light washing over the courtyard.

The four of them sat around the stone table under the phoenix tree.

The table was piled with various mooncakes and several pots of osmanthus wine.

Steam rose, and the aroma filled the air.

“To a toast!”

The four glasses clinked together with a crisp sound.

Yu Qing downed her glass in one gulp, her cheeks flushed with a rosy glow.

She looked up at the full moon, her eyes suddenly dreamy.

“Come to think of it… it’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a full moon.”
“In our time, the city lights were so bright you couldn’t even see the stars.”

Mentioning the modern era brought a slight melancholy.

Su Hewan set down her glass, a trace of wistfulness in her eyes as well.

Indeed, in this unfamiliar time and place, though there were bonds, they were still strangers in a foreign land.

“Feeling homesick?”

Shen Jue noticed her emotions instantly.

He gently took her hand under the table.

The warmth of his palm conveyed a silent strength.

Snapping back to reality, Su Hewan looked at this picturesque man beside her and shook her head.

“As long as you’re here, that’s home.”

She meant it sincerely.

Shen Jue’s gaze flickered, tightening his grip on her hand.

“Me too!”

Not to be outdone, Yu Qing raised her hands and clung entirely to Lu Yan.