CHAPTER 367: 0232 USURPER

The lights were bright, Xu Chang’an stepped over the threshold, holding a thick floral jacket and spreading it out before Yun Qian.

The slightly yellowish glow fell on Xu Chang’an’s face, making him appear extremely unreal, as if he were about to be swallowed up completely by the intense light.

Yun Qian held onto the windowsill, staring blankly at him, and suddenly found another reason for the Celestial Dao Association to seek his help.

The girl rarely regrets.

But at this moment, she began to regret turning rain into snow.

The arrival of snow weather meant a drop in temperature, which thwarted her intention to "undress" for Xu Chang’an to see. If she didn’t do something to remedy this, it wouldn’t be long before Xu Chang’an would wrap her up like a dumpling and stuff her into a quilt.

This is having gains and losses, isn’t it?

Concern and warmth cannot be both embraced.

"Mi... Miss?" Xu Chang’an was startled as Yun Qian stared at him.

In his sight, Yun Qian furrowed her brows and, very uncommonly, puffed her cheeks, as if... sulking?

This scene inexplicably reminded Xu Chang’an of a little girl in his class when he was young, who puffed her cheeks in silence and did not speak to him until school was over.

Should Miss Yun have such an expression?

He pondered this for a moment before seeing Yun Qian suddenly stepping towards him in her embroidered shoes.

Xu Chang’an breathed a sigh of relief, handing over the floral jacket and said, "Miss, wear this, it’s warm."

But to Xu Chang’an’s surprise, Yun Qian didn’t even glance at the clothing he held, and walked up to him with a certain imposing manner without saying a word, almost colliding with him.

Xu Chang’an instinctively took a step back, but soon Yun Qian pressed forward again, and this time, the girl directly wrapped her arms around his waist, making herself appear as though embraced by him.

"What are you doing—" Xu Chang’an said.

Yun Qian held him and glanced sideways at the floral jacket, saying seriously, "Not this one."

"Not this one?" Xu Chang’an felt the warmth in his arms, his hand holding the floral jacket trembled a little, remembering the girl’s earlier words, ’There’s snow, you can wear the clothes you like.’

"This..." Xu Chang’an blinked faster, looking at the somewhat bulky floral jacket in his hand, decided to go against his conscience for warmth: "It’s quite nice looking."

"Really." Yun Qian tightened her hold on the clothes at Xu Chang’an’s waist, lowered her head, "No wonder they always choose you, because you like to bully me."

Because he always tends to bully, that’s why some systems choose him.

"Them? Who? Who chooses me." Xu Chang’an didn’t understand what Yun Qian was talking about.

"Nothing." Yun Qian said seriously, "I don’t want to wear this."

Xu Chang’an wrapped his arms around Yun Qian’s waist, asking, "Why?"

"I don’t like it." Yun Qian replied.

The indoor lights were dim, apparently, it wasn’t completely bright outside, the north wind bringing snowflakes hit the window lattice with a rustling sound.

Xu Chang’an kept one arm around Yun Qian’s waist, looking at the contrasting red and green winter jacket, blinked: "Don’t like it, should I throw it away then?"

"No." Yun Qian responded to Xu Chang’an’s words, lightly pushed him away, snatched the floral jacket from his hand, saying, "Can’t throw it away."

There were some patches left by Xu Chang’an on the jacket, it couldn’t be discarded.

"I was joking, don’t be so nervous." Xu Chang’an realized he was bullying again, coughed: "Miss, do you want to wear the clothes I like? I wasn’t lying, I really like this floral jacket."

He was telling the truth. No matter how beautiful the girl, wearing this red-and-green floral jacket, would look adorably silly, Yun Qian was no exception, so... he liked her dressed like this.

"I know you like it..." Yun Qian clutched Xu Chang’an’s sleeve, "But... today, it’s not this kind of liking I want."

She wants to be eaten like fruit, not worn humorously to make him happy.

"Isn’t Miss the most afraid of the cold?" Xu Chang’an glanced at the snow outside the window, avoiding Yun Qian’s gaze.

"Mm." Yun Qian nodded.

She was afraid of the cold, but wasn’t afraid now, because embraced by him, the warmth was comforting.

"Afraid of the cold, so isn’t it natural to wear thicker clothes." Xu Chang’an said.

"Not necessarily." Yun Qian shook her head, "You can hold me."

"..."

Seeing Yun Qian’s calm face, completely unaware of any shame, Xu Chang’an sighed softly, walked over and hugged her again: "Then, what if I’m not here?"

Feeling the warmth conveyed from the chest, Yun Qian said, "There’s always the option to light a brazier."

"Haven’t I lit one?" Xu Chang’an pointed to the brazier at the center of the room, where sparks slightly jumped: "The room isn’t much warmer, you have to be closer to feel warm, you can’t stay by the brazier all the time, right?"

Xu Chang’an thought... the image of Yun Qian sitting cross-legged next to the brazier, rubbing her hands, flashed in his mind.

It’s quite adorable. Seems... not impossible?

"One isn’t enough, have more." Yun Qian opened her palm, saying: "By the bed, desk, vanity, place them by the side."

"?" Xu Chang’an was stunned for a moment, then his eye twitched slightly, saying: "Then what about when picking flowers?"

"...Endure it?" Yun Qian’s tone rose slightly, as if considering the possibility, then added, "I can drink less water."

According to custom, not drinking water before bed naturally avoids needing to get up for picking flowers at night.

"Miss, do you think I should be praising you now?" Xu Chang’an lowered his eyelashes, his expression somewhat off.

"No need." Yun Qian leaned her body sideways, seeing Xu Chang’an bow his head, she took the hand warmer from her chest and hung it around Xu Chang’an’s neck, looking up: "Or, place a brazier in the West Pavilion, then it won’t be cold when picking flowers."

In short, place brazier wherever it’s cold.

She really liked braziers because they witnessed many of her and Xu Chang’an’s shared past, hence the status was slightly special.

Xu Chang’an: "..."

He deeply hugged Yun Qian, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"What’s the matter?" Yun Qian felt the sudden closeness and blinked her eyes.

"Miss, I believe I mentioned the carbon monoxide issue to you." Xu Chang’an spoke gently in Yun Qian’s ear.

"Carbon monoxide?" Yun Qian thought for a moment: "You said it was a type of coal?"

"Remember you lit two braziers in your room before, and then felt a tightness in your chest?" Xu Chang’an lifted his head: "Why don’t you remember?"

Apparently, only pain prompts memory?

"Opening the window for air solves it." Yun Qian looked at the brazier in the middle of the room, intending to leave Xu Chang’an’s embrace to open the window, but before exerting force, she was tightly held by the waist.

Xu Chang’an smiled, firmly clasped his hands together, then lifted up the hand encircling Yun Qian’s waist.

And slapped down.

"Slap!"

——

A hint of astonishment flitted across Yun Qian’s face.

Did she... just get hit?

And the place being hit was...

Yun Qian could feel the heat from her husband’s hand through the clothing, her calm face flushed slightly, as she lightly pushed against Xu Chang’an’s shoulder.