Inviting the Moon to the Farmhouse

Chapter 186: Careful Testing

Xia Yao carried the wine and roast chicken he had bought home.

He said he would be back late, but he arrived half an hour earlier than usual.

He walked into the courtyard but didn't see Xia Lanyue. He then searched for her figure by house to house.

He only found out that Xia Lanyue was not in the last room.

Xia Yao felt uneasy. He casually tossed the things in his hand onto the table and returned to the main house.

I don't know what he's worried about, but judging from his expression, he looks very lonely.

But not long after, Xia Lanyue returned.

Hearing the noise, Xia Yao jogged into the yard and looked at Xia Lanyue, who had just returned, his tone reproachful, "Where have you been? Why are you so late?"

Xia Lanyue glanced at the sky and frowned. "Is it late?"

"Mm," Xia Yao nodded.

"Heh," Xia Lanyue couldn't help but laugh when she saw his aggrieved expression. "What do you want to eat tonight?"

"Tonight... oh, I bought meat," Xia Yao said, then turned and walked towards the main house. Realizing something was wrong, he went back to the side house and took out the meat.

Seeing that there was wine and meat, Xia Lanyue said she would just prepare a dish and went into the kitchen.

"Where did you go today?" Xia Yao asked casually as he helped Xia Lanyue start a fire.

Xia Lanyue spent the whole day inquiring about Dai You in town, "Looking for Dai You."

"No news from him?"

"No," Xia Lanyue thought for a moment, feeling that she could take this opportunity to tell Xia Yao about her relationship with Dai You, "Xia Yao, actually, Dai You, and me..."

But when it came to actually opening her mouth, she found it difficult to say it.

Xia Yao noticed her troubled expression and said, "Dai You is fine."

Xia Lanyue was taken aback. "Nothing?" She quickly understood what Xia Yao meant. "You know where he went?"

“I’ve heard some things,” Xia Yao said.

"Where did they go?" Xia Lanyue asked anxiously.

“They went in the direction of Gwangju,” Xia Yao said.

Why did he go to Gwangju? Was it because he was heartbroken and left? He didn't even say goodbye. Xia Lanyue's mood immediately soured.

Xia Yao noticed Xia Lanyue's low spirits and comforted her, "It's good that he's gone. The higher-ups are arresting people right now, so he won't be discovered if he hides away."

Xia Lanyue was stunned. She then realized that Xia Yao was implying something else; he probably already knew what Dai You had done, but how much did he actually know about Dai You? Unsure, Xia Lanyue asked, "You think he's good at hiding?"

Xia Yao smiled meaningfully, "Don't you want him to be alright?"

Now Xia Lanyue was certain that Xia Yao knew about Dai You's prison break and had intentionally let him go! Instantly, her heart was filled with gratitude. "Thank you."

"Why are you being so polite with me?" Xia Yao said with a genuine smile.

However, Xia Lanyue quickly realized that since he knew about Dai You, he must also know about Jiang Di! Jiang Di was different from Dai You; could Jiang Di be in danger? She tentatively asked, "Do you have any news about anyone else?"

"Others? Who are the others?" Xia Yao's smile vanished.

"Hmm...it's the person I asked about a few days ago," Xia Lanyue asked softly.

"Jiang Di?"

"Hmm," Xia Lanyue thought that Xia Yao might be testing her attitude by deliberately not saying anything.

"I heard some news," Xia Yao said.

Xia Lanyue was nervous, but dared not show it. "How is he? Did he get caught?"

"It's hard to say," Xia Yao glanced at Xia Lanyue, "We still need to continue searching for the person. Whether we can find them or not, we'll see."

Xia Lanyue glanced at Xia Yao, then hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but didn't.

“From now on, I’ll come back every day and tell you about his recent situation, okay?” Xia Yao said.

Xia Lanyue was taken aback. Was this Xia Yao? He usually got jealous whenever Jiang Di was mentioned, but today he seemed like a completely different person! Was he waiting for her to speak so he could find fault with her?

Xia Lanyue decided not to respond.

Seeing her puzzled look, Xia Yao dropped his ingratiating smile and reverted to his usual arrogance, "Fine, don't listen if you don't want to."

Xia Lanyue observed Xia Yao, trying to guess what he was up to.

Unable to get a reply from Xia Lanyue, Xia Yao simply stopped looking at her and continued adding firewood.

Xia Lanyue finally couldn't help but say, "The fire is too strong, don't add more firewood. Tell me if you have any news about him."

Xia Yao looked up at Xia Lanyue, his eyes filled with complex emotions, so complex that Xia Lanyue couldn't decipher them. He didn't say anything, only responding with a soft "Mm."

Xia Lanyue had originally planned to ignore Xia Yao for a few days, but Xia Yao behaved very well, and Xia Lanyue had no reason to refuse him, so she let him do whatever he wanted every night.

Xia Yao looks thin, but he works with great energy and doesn't seem tired at all.

Xia Lanyue had never wished for her period to come so quickly as she did now.

Finally, after Xia Lanyue begged for mercy, Xia Yao agreed to take a day off.

"A-Yue, let's get married," Xia Yao said, embracing Xia Lanyue beside him.

Xia Lanyue's heart skipped a beat. Perhaps she was too excited, thinking about how her relationship with Xia Yao was about to come to fruition. She was so happy that she wanted to cry. "Yes."

Hearing Xia Lanyue's agreement, Xia Yao laughed out loud with joy, "I'll go see a sorcerer tomorrow and choose an auspicious day."

"Mmm," Xia Lanyue also began to happily look forward to the future.

However, thinking of Dai You, Xia Lanyue felt a little regretful. "Is there any news about Dai You?"

"Not yet," Xia Yao thought of something and slapped his forehead. "Oh dear, how could I forget? My brother-in-law isn't coming. The wedding is missing an important person. I need to arrange for someone to find him tomorrow."

“Actually… it’s okay if he doesn’t come,” Xia Lanyue stammered. “Even if we find him, he might not be willing to attend the wedding.”

"Why?" Xia Yao asked, puzzled. "Oh, about the time you two were angry, he won't hold it against you, so you don't need to worry about it."

Xia Yao didn't understand Xia Lanyue's thoughts and just kept talking to himself.

Xia Lanyue knew in her heart that Dai You wouldn't attend the wedding, because it would be torture for him. Moreover, she hadn't told Xia Yao about their relationship yet, and if Xia Yao knew, he wouldn't want him to come.

But should she really tell Xia Yao? Their relationship had finally stabilized, and she didn't want to cause any more trouble.

As long as Dai You doesn't tell, then no one will know this secret.

"By the way, Acheng is coming tomorrow and will stay at home for two days. Let's prepare his meals tomorrow too," Xia Yao interrupted Xia Lanyue's thoughts.

Upon hearing this news, Xia Lanyue was immediately enraged. "What is he doing here?!"

"I needed to talk to him, so I had him come," Xia Yao released Xia Lanyue and looked down at her. "You... don't mind, do you?"

Xia Lanyue rolled her eyes, turned her back to Xia Yao, and didn't say anything.

Xia Yao gently shook Xia Lanyue, "Then I'll tell him to come less often in the future. Give me some face and don't cause trouble tomorrow, okay?"

Xia Lanyue remained silent, leaning her body even further to the side.

Xia Yao chuckled, put his arm around her waist, and pulled her close to him. "Is it okay?"

Xia Lanyue remained silent.

Xia Yao could tell she was throwing a tantrum, so he didn't say anything, but leaned over and kissed her neck, sucking on it little by little.

Xia Lanyue felt her neck tighten. "What are you doing? There will be marks."

"Is that alright?" Xia Yao tilted his head and looked at Xia Lanyue.

Xia Lanyue still didn't want to respond.

Xia Yao plunged down again and continued his actions, but this time, his hands began to wander haphazardly.

Xia Lanyue quickly pushed Xia Yao's hand away, "Hey, we agreed that I'd be resting today."

Xia Yao propped himself up on his arms, trapping Xia Lanyue beneath him. "If you don't agree to my request, I won't agree to yours either."

After saying that, Xia Yao leaned down and was about to kiss her again, but Xia Lanyue stopped him in time.

Xia Lanyue placed her hands on Xia Yao's chest and said helplessly, "I promise you, I promise."

Xia Yao laughed and rolled over onto the bed, "I knew A-Yue was the best."

Xia Lanyue sighed helplessly, trying to ease her displeasure. But soon, an idea struck her: she still had the croton oil that Dai You had given her, which could come in handy.

Xia Lanyue was secretly delighted.