Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 363 Reunion After a Short Separation

On the way back, Lin Chen didn't stay in Nan Yue for long, but it still took him three days to get back to Nan Lin City.

Before even entering the city, we could see several people standing at the city gate in the distance.

Liu Shengxue stood at the front, wearing a plain white dress, her hair neatly combed, and her face expressionless.

But his eyes remained fixed on the end of the official road, like a waiting-for-husband rock.

Liu Sheng Piaopiao stood next to her, her little face flushed, clutching her sister's sleeve, her neck stretched out like a little duck waiting for food.

Yao Yao squatted at the foot of the city wall, idly drawing circles on the ground with a twig, muttering to herself, seemingly muttering something to herself.

Circles were drawn on the ground, one after another, like a battle formation.

Yan Da stood a short distance away with a group of Imperial City Guards, expressionless, like a few wooden stakes, standing there motionless.

As soon as the carriage appeared, Yao Yao was the first to jump up.

"They're back! They're back!"

She threw down the branch and ran this way, her skirt billowing in the wind.

Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, Yao Yao had already climbed onto the window and was hanging there like a koala.

"Husband! Why are you only just getting back! I'm so bored!"

Do you know what I've been doing these past few days? Counting ants! I counted all the ant nests along the city wall!

Lin Chen lifted the carriage curtain and flicked her forehead.

"What's the rush? Didn't you say you'd be back in a few days?"

Yao Yao covered her forehead, pouted, looked aggrieved, and had watery eyes:

"You said three to five days, but it's been half a month! I've counted the ants three times already!"

"We were delayed on the way." Lin Chen jumped down from the carriage and patted his clothes.

Liu Shengxue walked over, stood in front of Lin Chen, looked him up and down, and said softly:

"You're back?"

Lin Chen nodded: "Yes, I'm back."

He glanced at Liu Sheng Piao Piao behind Liu Sheng Xue.

The little girl was hiding behind her older sister, peeking out half her head to peek at him. Her eyes were red and swollen, like a frightened little rabbit, wanting to come closer but not daring to.

Lin Chen smiled at her: "Piaopiao, what's wrong?"

Liu Sheng Piaopiao shook her head, lowered her head, twisted the hem of her clothes with her fingers, and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz:

"No...it's nothing."

Yao Yao leaned closer and whispered to Lin Chen, her lips almost touching his ear:

"My dear husband, these past few days while you were gone, Piaopiao has been asking every day: When will my brother-in-law come back? Why hasn't he come back yet!"

He asked eight times a day and went to the city gate every day, saying he was taking a walk, but really he was just waiting for you.

Liu Sheng Piaopiao's face flushed red, as red as a boiled shrimp, and she quickly shook her head:

"No! I just... just came out for a walk! The air is nice near the city gate!"

Yao Yao chuckled: "The air is good? Then why don't you go for a walk in the north of the city? There are more trees there, and the air is even better."

Liu Sheng Piaopiao opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word; her face was so red it could bleed.

Looking at Liu Sheng Piaopiao's appearance, Lin Chen felt a little amused, but also a little guilty.

He walked over and reached out to pat her head.

"Alright, I'm back now, aren't I?"

Liu Sheng Piaopiao was stunned by the rubbing, her whole body stiffened, as if she had been acupunctured.

Her face turned even redder, but she smiled and didn't dodge.

At this moment, A-Yue got off the carriage.

Clutching her little bundle, she stood timidly to the side, her little face flushed.

Yao Yao, with her sharp eyes, spotted her immediately. She came over and circled around A Yue, looking her up and down like a security check.

"Husband, who is this?"

Lin Chen casually replied, "Brought back from Nanzhao."

Yao Yao blinked, looked at A Yue, then at Lin Chen, and suddenly realized what was going on. She chuckled, a knowing smile on her face.

"Oh—it was brought back from Nanzhao."

The word "oh" was drawn out for three syllables.

Lin Chen flicked her forehead again: "Oh what? Oh."

Yao Yao covered her forehead and said defiantly:

"I just said 'oh' to express my surprise!"

After saying that, he turned around, took A-Yue's hand, and smiled, his expression changing faster than turning the pages of a book:

"What's your name?"

Ah Yue whispered, "Ah Yue."

"Ah Yue! That sounds nice! My name is Yao Yao, we're sisters now! How old are you? I'm eighteen, how about you?"

"Ten...eighteen."

"Well... I came in before you, so I'll call you Sister Yue!"

"Come on, come on, I'll show you where you're staying. It's wonderful! The bed is super soft, and the blankets are super warm. I guarantee you'll sleep soundly!"

As A-Yue was being pulled along, she glanced back at Lin Chen, her eyes conveying a pleading look.

Lin Chenchong nodded to her and smiled.

A-Yue laughed along with her, and was dragged away by Yao-Yao, walking unsteadily.

Liu Sheng Piaopiao stood there, looking at A Yue's back, then at Lin Chen, a hint of something indescribable flashing in her eyes.

She lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers until her knuckles turned white, her lips slightly pouting.

Lin Chen saw this and asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

Liu Sheng Piao Piao shook her head, her voice muffled: "It's nothing."

He said it was nothing, but his lips were pouting so much they looked like they could hang an oil bottle on them.

Lin Chen looked down at her. The little girl had her head down, her eyelashes were trembling, and her lips were slightly pouting.

That expression, so pitiful, was both cute and funny.

Lin Chen suddenly laughed, leaned close to her ear, and whispered:

Are you jealous?

Liu Sheng Piaopiao froze.

Then her face flushed red instantly, from her neck to her ears, even the tips of her ears turned red, as if she were on fire.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word; her mouth opened and closed repeatedly.

Then he suddenly turned around, ran two steps and stopped, looked back at Lin Chen, stomped his foot, and ran off again.

This time it ran incredibly fast, as if a dog was chasing it.

Lin Chen stood there watching her back, laughing so hard he couldn't straighten up.

Lan Fenghuang walked over and said cautiously:

"Husband, you're teasing that young girl again."

Lin Chen looked completely innocent: "What did I do to tease her? I just asked her if she was jealous. Is that teasing? It's just normal concern."

Blue Phoenix rolled her eyes:

"What else can you call this but teasing? You know perfectly well what she feels for you, and you still ask her if she's jealous. Aren't you just stabbing her in the heart?"

She paused, then said:

"Besides, you know what that young girl is thinking."

She runs to the city gate every day, waiting for whom? Don't you have any idea?

Lin Chen chuckled: "Knowing is one thing, but I still have to tease her. Don't you think it's especially funny when she blushes?"

Lan Fenghuang was speechless: "You're just asking for a beating."

Lin Chen patted his chest: "Come on, come on, hit me, hit me."

Lan Fenghuang raised her hand to strike, but Lin Chen dodged backward, missing the attack.

Liu Shengxue watched the two bickering from the sidelines, expressionless, and spoke calmly:

"You're just bored."

Turned around and left.

Lan Fenghuang raised an eyebrow as she watched Liu Shengxue's retreating figure:

"Look, even her sister can't stand it anymore."

Lin Chen shrugged: "She's just jealous. She's thick-skinned and doesn't blush, so she can't stand me teasing others."

Without turning her head, Liu Shengxue's voice drifted over: "I can hear you."

Lin Chen immediately looked down at the ground, as if there was something attractive about it.

Blue Phoenix laughed heartily, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

At this moment, Yan Da walked over with his men, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"My lord, you must be tired from your journey."

Lin Chen waved his hand: "What's the trouble? I just went out for a stroll. Nothing much happened in the city, right?"

Yan Da shook his head: "Everything is fine."

"Okay, go do what you're supposed to do."

Yan Da nodded and left with his men.

Lin Chen stood at the city gate, stretched, and looked at the South Lin City before him.

I left for half a month, and when I came back, everything was still the same.

People came and went at the city gate, with vendors selling vegetables, meat, and candied hawthorns, their shouts rising and falling.

"Lamb skewers! Fresh lamb skewers!"

"Candied hawthorn berries! Big and sweet candied hawthorn berries!"

"Steamed buns! Hot steamed buns!"

Lin Chen smelled the aroma, and his stomach growled.

Lan Fenghuang stood up and brushed the dust off her skirt: "Hungry?"

"Um."

"Shall we eat at home?"

"Walk."

The two walked side by side into the city, with Lingbo following behind, dressed in flowing white robes, her face expressionless, like a ghost.

In the distance, Liu Sheng Piaopiao ran back to the mansion, plunged into his room, slammed the door shut, lay down on the bed, and buried his face in the pillow.

My heart was pounding like a drum.

His mind was filled with Lin Chen's words from earlier—"Are you jealous?"

She turned over, looking at the ceiling, her face still flushed.

"I'm just jealous, why should I? I was here first..."