Chapter 723 - 725: So That’s How It Is
Jiang Yichun placed Dengdeng on a rattan chair near him, swiftly undressed, and jumped into the pool. He then ruffled Bai Ruozhu thoroughly under the guise of the hot spring water. To be fair, doing it in the water felt distinctly invigorating, leaving Bai Ruozhu nearly screaming.
Her face turned so red, almost as if blood were dripping from it. She didn’t know if it was because of the steam emanating from the hot springs, her shyness, or anger. But Bai Ruozhu now understood that when Jiang Yichun pursued her, he was cautious and gentle, but now he was like a wolf, tormenting her every day.
How despicable, how shameless!
Bai Ruozhu gritted her teeth and pinched the root of his thigh, hoping it would be painful enough for him to grimace. But she was weak, and it was slippery in the water, so she wasn’t able to use much force. Instead, she tickled Jiang Yichun, leading him to once again overpower her.
Bai Ruozhu felt like crying but had no tears. She resented that Dengdeng was having a good time playing with bath toys without even protesting his father’s actions.
By the time they left the Hot Spring Mansion, Bai Ruozhu was so tired she could hardly walk. She decided that she needed to work on her physical strength so she wouldn’t be so easily overpowered. She also decided to start practicing martial arts. One day, she would overpower him instead!
In a blink of an eye, it was Bai Ruozhu’s birthday. She got up early to get dressed, ready to have the longevity noodles cooked by her mother. Just the thought of eating the noodles cooked by her mother uplifted Bai Ruozhu’s spirits, even though she knew she wouldn’t see her parents for a while as she had to go to Capital City soon.
Jiang Yichun hugged her slender waist from behind and nudged his face against her back, with a reluctant demeanor that prevented her from getting to work. She turned her head back and gave him an annoyed glance, saying, "Stop being silly. Today is my birthday, and I’m going to have longevity noodles prepared by my mother."
"Ah? Today is your birthday? Why didn’t you tell me? I haven’t prepared any gifts." Jiang Yichun said with a hint of complaint, as if Bai Ruozhu was in the wrong.
Bai Ruozhu was instantly annoyed, glaring at him. "How could you, as a husband, not know your own wife’s birthday? You blame me for not telling you? I haven’t even started blaming you for not preparing a gift!"
Jiang Yichun, seeing her angry, chuckled lowly. "Alright, alright, you’re the birthday girl, and I won’t tease you. How could I not know your birthday?" He then mysteriously produced a beautifully crafted box and handed it to Bai Ruozhu, saying, "Here, your gift."
Upon seeing the box, Bai Ruozhu’s eyes lit up. The box was exquisitely designed in a Western style and adorned with tiny rubies.
The box itself was so luxurious that the contents most certainly had to be more valuable. She, drooling with anticipation, couldn’t wait to open the box, revealing a pocket watch.
It was a gold pocket watch with a crowned embossment on the cover, and a large ruby embedded in the center of the crown!
The pocket watch was ticking rhythmically. Although it couldn’t compare to modern watches in functionality, none could rival its grandeur.
Covering her mouth, Bai Ruozhu said excitedly, "This, this is a pocket watch? And it’s from the British royal family?"
"Yes, it’s a pocket watch, but as for it being from the royal family of some country, I wouldn’t know." Seeing the happiness on Bai Ruozhu’s face, Jiang Yichun was also all smiles.
Bai Ruozhu quickly threw her arms around his neck, cooing, "My dear husband, you are the best!"
Jiang Yichun, feeling quite smug, pointed at his cheek, indicating for Bai Ruozhu to give him a peck on the cheek. She eagerly obliged—after all, the gift had perfectly hit the mark.
Whether it was luxurious or not didn’t matter; she desperately needed a watch. It was a pity that there was no place in Danliang Country that sold watches. Although she herself was a modern person, she lacked the complex skills required to craft a watch.
She recalled the day she casually mentioned watches, and he took it to heart. This pocket watch must have cost a fortune. Did he borrow money previously just to buy this pocket watch?
Guilt washed over her as she pondered. Naturally, as a man, he wouldn’t ask his beloved woman for money to buy her gift. On the other hand, he definitely wanted to surprise her, hence the secrecy. But she had misinterpreted it, leaving her feeling guilty.
However, she wasn’t planning on revealing that she knew about Jiang Yichun borrowing money from Xu Huilin. He was also a prideful person; revealing it would only make him feel mortified.
Jiang Yichun, feeling quite smug, again pointed to his lips. Bai Ruozhu kissed him as instructed. But this time, he didn’t let her off as easily. His fingers weaved into her hair, his hand cradled the back of her head, and he kissed her passionately.
The passionate kiss left them both panting for breath, burning with desire. Bai Ruozhu, with both arms wrapped around his neck, pouted, "Mom and Dad are awake, and I need to go out. I’ll make it up to you tonight."
Jiang Yichun knew that she shouldn’t be late on her birthday. He tried to calm his raging body and replied, "Okay, I’ll go with you."
Having said that, he helped Bai Ruozhu hang the pocket watch around her neck, and kissed her forehead, saying, "As long as you like it."
Dengdeng woke at that moment and, seeing the glistening gold and ruby pocket watch around her neck, became incredibly curious. He ah-ah’d, reaching out his hands to play with it. Bai Ruozhu hurriedly tucked it into her collar, telling their son, "Good boy, Dengdeng, this isn’t a toy for children. It’s a precious gift from your daddy to your mommy."
Dengdeng sulked as he could not see the watch anymore and started to cry.
Jiang Yichun quickly scooped Dengdeng into his arms, saying, "Naughty boy! Real men don’t cry so easily. Daddy will find something else fun for you."
Bai Ruozhu, on the other hand, held her beloved pocket watch tightly. She instantly became a frugal mother, not letting Dengdeng play with it. Guessing that Dengdeng liked the color red, she promptly found a red coral bead necklace from the jewelry box and handed it to Dengdeng.
Dengdeng, with his nose sniffling, wasn’t completely satisfied, but at least he stopped crying.
The family of three tidied themselves and left the house. Bai Ruozhu went to greet her parents. Her birthday was the day her mother suffered; she would never forget that.
"Ruozhu, the hot longevity noodles are ready. Hurry up and eat," Lin Ping said, gesturing towards the bowl of noodles on the table.
Bai Ruozhu quickly went to eat the noodles while everyone else in the courtyard began to follow suit.