TSWRLM -Chapter 80 You’re Kicking Me Out Now?

Chun Xi was completely stunned as Shen Qingyuan suddenly began nibbling gently on her neck.

A ticklish sensation ran through her entire body, and she instinctively pulled back.

“Sir, wait—”

Chun Xi pushed him lightly. Shen Qingyuan looked up, his dark, unclear eyes full of a wronged, plaintive expression: “You just don’t like me.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t like him—she just felt ticklish!

But how could a drunk man possibly believe that explanation?

Fine. Let it be.

After all, they were already married. Sooner or later, they would consummate the marriage—why not just do it today?

Chun Xi quickly convinced herself. Looping her arms around Shen Qingyuan’s neck, she pressed her lips to his: “I like you, sir.”

Having kissed him intimately before, she was reasonably skilled.

After a few proactive kisses, Shen Qingyuan took control.

Chun Xi felt a bit lightheaded and had to split her attention to recall what Wang had told her the day before about marital matters. Before she could make sense of it, she felt a sudden weight on her chest.

“…!!!”

When did Sir Shen’s hand get there?

Instinct outpaced reason. Before Chun Xi could react, she slapped his face.

Smack!

The atmosphere, which had been building, instantly froze. Shen Qingyuan’s dark eyes flickered with confusion, as if he didn’t understand why he had been hit.

Chun Xi’s palm tingled from the force she’d used. As reason returned, regret followed immediately. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Shen Qingyuan had already propped himself up and was sitting nearby.

Chun Xi hurried to explain: “Sir, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—it’s just that your hand moved so suddenly, I wasn’t prepared. I’m okay now. We can continue.”

She tried to pounce on him again, but Shen Qingyuan pushed her away: “No need.”

His tone was low, as if he’d suffered some great blow.

Chun Xi worried that her slap had left a lasting shadow on him regarding their marital intimacy. She hurriedly said: “Sir, I really didn’t mean it. I…”

“Why do you never call me ‘husband’?”

Shen Qingyuan cut her off. Chun Xi froze: “I’ve just gotten used to it. If it bothers you, I can start calling you that. Husband… the night is short, let’s not waste time on small matters.”

“This isn’t a small matter,” Shen Qingyuan muttered, turning his back to her. “You’ve never treated me as your husband. You’ve only shown me respect.”

…Well, that seemed accurate.

It wasn’t because he was being strict or righteous; her feelings naturally tilted toward reverence.

Chun Xi tried to explain, but Shen Qingyuan spoke again, heavy and deliberate: “You should go out. I want to be alone for a while.”

“…What? My clothes are nearly off, and you want me to leave now?”

Normally, people lose control when drunk—Sir, are you practicing abstinence while intoxicated?

Chun Xi grumbled internally, but Shen Qingyuan looked genuinely angry. She didn’t dare force the issue and obediently stepped aside.

By the time she returned with the sobering soup, Shen Qingyuan was asleep.

Chun Xi tilted his chin to pour the soup down his throat and helped wipe him off, finally collapsing from exhaustion.

That night, she had an indescribable dream: Shen Qingyuan was unusually fierce, yet his eyes were red, and he kept pouting and asking her if she liked him.

Did he mean liking him as a person, or liking what he was doing?

When Chun Xi woke, her mouth was dry.

The bed was empty. Shen Qingyuan was gone. She breathed a sigh of relief and rushed to drink half a pot of cold tea. Just as she set the pot down, Shen Qingyuan walked in.

Chun Xi choked and started coughing violently.

Shen Qingyuan immediately came over to pat her back, helping her catch her breath. Feeling his presence, her coughing worsened, and her face flushed uncontrollably.

“Drink slower next time. No one’s rushing you.”

Shen Qingyuan spoke gently, his eyes returning to their usual cool seriousness, showing no trace of last night’s drunken passion.

Chun Xi tried to stop coughing and cautiously asked: “Sir, you were drunk yesterday… do you remember what happened?”

“I only remember what happened on the painted boat. What happened after we left?”

He didn’t remember! That was a huge relief.

Chun Xi quietly exhaled and updated him on Wu’s visit to the mansion: “Sir, yesterday you not only scolded Grandmother and Mother, you also knocked over Grandmother’s tea cup, flipped the melon seed plate, and called her ‘worthless.’ She was really angry.”

Hearing about his own actions, Shen Qingyuan remained calm. He didn’t think offending Wu was a big deal: “She’s never been my grandmother. She’s shown me no care over the years. You needn’t fear her.”

Chun Xi nodded, relieved that he didn’t suspect anything.

At that moment, Nanny Jia arrived at the courtyard to deliver a message: “The Old Madam requests that the young master and young mistress join her for breakfast in Songhe Courtyard.”

Shen Qingyuan agreed. After Chun Xi washed up and changed, they leisurely headed to Songhe Courtyard.

Madam Mo had already arrived. Wu, growing impatient, saw them enter and immediately complained: “Look at the time! Yuansheng, as the legitimate heir of the Marquisate, how can you be so lazy? No wonder you haven’t been promoted all these years in Jingzhao Prefecture.”

“Whether I get promoted is my business. What does it have to do with you?”

Shen Qingyuan responded without hesitation. Wu was momentarily silenced, recalling his drunken rampage from last night. Observing his expression, she asked: “You’re sober now?”

“Yes.”

“And yet you speak to me like this. Do you even recognize me as your grandmother?”

Wu slammed the table in anger.

Shen Qingyuan calmly stood by the door with Chun Xi, refusing to sit: “I speak to you the way you speak to me.”

“You ungrateful wretch! You lost your mother early, and still won’t submit to your stepmother’s discipline. How can the Shen family have such a disgraceful child?”

Wu threw down her dish. Madam Mo tried to play the peacekeeper, but a servant suddenly reported: “Madam, the Crown Prince has sent someone.”

The servant only acknowledged Madam Mo, completely ignoring Wu. Annoyed, Wu let Madam Mo go with Shen Qingyuan and Chun Xi to the front courtyard.

After waiting a long time with no word from them, Wu prepared to send someone to check, but then Nanny Jia arrived at Songhe Courtyard with a blank expression: “The young master and young mistress have already departed for Xuzhou. Madam, your health prevents you from personally seeing the Old Madam off, so I am sent instead.”

Wu was dumbfounded. After a moment, she reacted: “That ungrateful child was supposed to go to Xuzhou to investigate a case, so why did that little she-devil go with him? And this time, you begged me to return. I stayed only one night, and now you want to kick me out again? Do you really think there’s no one left in the Shen family?”