SGEIRS -Chapter 144 A Bit Flirtatious

Changxing Marquis Mansion, Weirui Pavilion.

Meng Jinyao sat in a consort’s chair, listening to Chunliu and Ningdong recite a supernatural tale. Chunliu read the narration while Ningdong read the dialogue.

Qingqiu sat beside her, shelling melon seeds, and Xiazhu fanned her.

It wasn’t too hot today. During the hottest hours, the room had been cooled with ice trays, and after the Shen hour, it was no longer warm, so the ice trays were removed. The room was still pleasantly cool, and a simple fan was enough.

Meng Jinyao closed her eyes in comfort, completely at ease.

When Gu Jingxi returned, he saw this scene. He was slightly stunned and thought to himself that the young lady knew how to enjoy herself. He had never experienced such luxury, having several maids serve him in this manner.

“Marquis.”

The four maids quickly bowed to him upon seeing him.

Meng Jinyao lifted her eyes. The man in a crimson official robe was walking toward her, so she called out, “Husband.” Noticing the food box in his hand, she asked, “Husband, what’s this?”

Gu Jingxi replied, “A gift from the emperor. I think you’ll like it.”

Meng Jinyao froze for a moment. A food box usually contained imperial delicacies. It was said that whatever the emperor ate was the best and most delicious. Anything he could present to a favored subject must be rare and precious. She had never seen imperial cuisine before, so now she could not only feast her eyes but also her palate. Her spirits immediately lifted.

Observing the subtle change in her expression, Gu Jingxi realized she was interested.

After a moment, he handed the food box to her: “Here you go, my lady.”

Meng Jinyao stood up, took the box, and opened it. Her eyes lit up when she saw the red, oval-shaped lychees covered in spiky “armor.” She exclaimed with delight, “Lychees?”

Seeing her radiant smile, Gu Jingxi knew he had done the right thing by not sharing them with his friend. Still, he asked, “Do you like them?”

Meng Jinyao nodded repeatedly. “I do.”

She then opened the lower layer of the box, noticing it was specially made with two layers—food on top and ice below. The ice had melted into water, giving off a faint chill. The sealing was excellent, and the lychee skins were cool to the touch.

Meng Jinyao divided the lychees among the four maids, one each, and told Ningdong to fetch more ice to keep the lychees fresh.

Each maid received only one lychee—not because she was stingy, but because the batch was small, barely over a pound, containing only thirty-two lychees. Even so, they were precious.

Lychees were a rare delicacy from Lingnan, thousands of miles from the capital. Even the wealthy seldom had the chance to eat them. Picked from the tree, they would spoil or change flavor within three or four days. Transporting them fresh over such distances was no easy task. They had to be rushed for hundreds of miles day and night, and some would spoil halfway.

Even the emperor, with all his power, couldn’t eat as many as he wished. In the past, emperors would exhaust countless horses just to have fresh lychees delivered to please their consorts. Those who could taste them were either extremely wealthy or highly favored; commoners could only dream.

Lychees were so precious that there was a saying: “Better a lychee belt than a belt of gold.” Nobles and officials coveted them.

Seeing the young lady’s eyes sparkle at the sight of the lychees, Gu Jingxi’s lips curved slightly. Despite her usual composure, she still had a childlike side—unable to look away from a tasty treat, much like a child staring at a candy-coated hawthorn skewer.

He picked up a peeled lychee and held it to her lips, teasing, “My lady, looking isn’t enough. Try it first.”

Snapping out of her daze, Meng Jinyao saw him smiling at her. His warm, alluring eyes made her instinctively open her mouth. She bit gently. The lychee flesh was tender, soft, and fragrant—sweet with a hint of tartness—leaving her wanting more.

Half-closing her eyes in satisfaction, even slightly nostalgic, Gu Jingxi asked with a smile, “Is it that good?”

Meng Jinyao nodded. “Delicious. After so many years, it still tastes like I remember.”

It had been ten years since she last ate lychees. Back then, her grandfather had received some from a friend and saved every single one for her, unaware of their rarity. She only knew they were delicious. After her grandfather passed away, she never ate them again—until now.

Seeing the mist in her eyes, Gu Jingxi understood without asking—she was thinking of her grandfather, the one who had given her lychees. Softly, he said, “If you like, my lady, I’ll make sure you have lychees every summer.”

Every year?

Meng Jinyao was stunned, looking up at him. The man was handsome, with a gentle expression and a hint of affection in his gaze.

Her heart fluttered slightly. Feeling a little shy, she looked away and muttered, “The emperor doesn’t give them to you every year.”

Gu Jingxi chuckled softly. “No need for the emperor’s gift. Your husband can get lychees from Lingnan too—it just takes some effort.”

Meng Jinyao blinked, surprised.

Of course—wealthy officials had their ways. Waiting for imperial favor didn’t guarantee you’d get them. It was better to spend your own wealth, manpower, and resources. Rich families could manage it.

Gu Jingxi held the remaining half-lychee to her lips. “Open your mouth.”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao looked down, then back at him. She had been slow to react and now felt embarrassed.

A husband feeding his wife seemed a bit flirtatious. Seeing his open, honest expression, she realized she might be overthinking. Feeling awkward, she hesitated—eat or not eat?

After a moment, she reluctantly bit the other half, chewing carelessly, then realized something was wrong—she bit into the pit, which hurt her teeth.

Gu Jingxi noticed her wide-eyed expression and teasingly asked, “Do you like eating lychee pits too?”

“I bit it by accident.”

She glared at him, then spat the pit into his hand—right into his palm.

For an instant, their eyes met, and the air froze.

Meng Jinyao realized what she’d done. The Marquis was wealthy and noble, and she had just spat a lychee pit into his hand! She hadn’t even done that to her own maids, who only received the remaining fruit. The pit, covered in saliva, should have gone into the small dish for pits.

A rush of heat surged to her face. She turned away, cheeks burning, and went silent, pretending to be dead.

Gu Jingxi was slightly surprised. He hadn’t intended to make a fuss over such a small thing, but seeing her flustered, embarrassed, and unable to meet his gaze, he couldn’t resist teasing: “My lady, it seems you’re treating me like a maid.”