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

Chapter 242 I'm a Double Standard

In the small courtyard next to the main house.

Liu Shengxue sat by the window with a zither on her lap.

Moonlight streamed in through the window cracks, illuminating the strings of the zither with a cold, white glow.

Liu Shengxue sighed softly and gently plucked a string on the zither.

"Zheng—"

A soft sound, exceptionally clear in the still night.

Liu Shengxue watched as the strings of the zither trembled slightly before slowly calming down.

She then recalled what had happened at the old lady's courtyard earlier that day.

The courtyard was full of women, chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.

The old lady patted the seat next to her, gesturing for her to sit down.

Liu Ruyan handed her a segment of orange.

Zhao Mingyue smiled at her.

Even Ye Qingying, who usually doesn't talk much, nodded to her.

No one treated her like an outsider.

No one was on guard against her.

No one... regarded her as a concubine.

Liu Shengxue slowly raised her hand and plucked the string again.

This time it was a series of sounds.

The beginning of "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate".

She played very softly, as if she were talking to herself.

The moonlight shone on her face, outlining her profile.

The pale yellow shirt, the white magnolia hairpin, and that cool face with a hint of complexity.

She was playing when she suddenly stopped.

His fingers trembled slightly as he pressed them on the strings.

She remembered what Lin Chen had said earlier that day.

"You should go to Grandma's place to admire the flowers too. There aren't that many rules at home."

"Wives and concubines should be treated equally; don't make it like a palace intrigue."

Yagyu Yuki took a deep breath and her fingers returned to the strings.

The sound of the zither drifted out of the window, across the courtyard, and towards the distant moonlight.

In the Blue Phoenix Courtyard, Lin Chen's ears twitched.

Blue Phoenix heard it too, and lifted her head from his embrace:

"Is that Yagyu Yuki?"

Lin Chen hummed in agreement.

"She plays so well," Lan Fenghuang said softly.

Lin Chen smiled:

"good."

Lan Fenghuang looked at Lin Chen:

"Husband, aren't you going to go and see?"

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow:

"What are you looking at? We're busy right now, do you want me to go to her room?"

Blue Phoenix smiled slightly:

"That's your wife too."

Lin Chen rested his head behind his head and said lazily:

"I'll stay with you tonight, no changing the venue."

Blue Phoenix paused for a moment, then smiled, and continued with her head down...

The distant sound of the piano was intermittent, like moonlight, faint and indistinct.

……

Early the next morning.

Lin Chen opened his eyes; it was just getting light.

Blue Phoenix was still asleep, breathing softly, with a slight smile on her lips, probably dreaming of something wonderful.

Lin Chen quietly got out of bed and dressed.

Before leaving, he glanced back at Lan Fenghuang.

The girl looks smaller when she's asleep than when she's awake.

Like a child.

Lin Chen smiled, pushed open the door, and went out.

Lin Chen stood in the courtyard and took a deep breath of the cool morning air.

When the Dragon Tiger Guiding Technique is practiced, the joints all over the body crackle and pop like firecrackers.

After a few rounds, I've made up for all the energy I expended last night, and I feel as energetic as if I'm on drugs.

He stopped his attack and glanced at the sky.

The eastern sky was just beginning to lighten, and the courtyard was quiet except for a few birds chirping.

Lin Chen strolled over to Liu Shengxue's courtyard.

There was no one in the courtyard, and the zither was still placed by the window. The lingering sound of last night's "Phoenix Seeking Its Mate" seemed to still be floating in the air.

Lin Chen went straight into the inner room.

Pushing open the door, I saw that Yagyu Yuki had just woken up.

She was sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing only a thin, soft swaddle blanket that hung down her body.

Her hair was loose, and her face still looked sleepy.

She looked up when she heard the door open.

He was stunned when he saw that it was Lin Chen.

In that glance, the confusion hadn't completely faded when something else was added.

I couldn't quite put my finger on whether it was panic or something else, but my body tensed up slightly.

Lin Chen leaned against the door frame, looked Liu Shengxue up and down, and his eyes flickered slightly.

Liu Shengxue felt uncomfortable under Lin Chen's gaze, so she lowered her eyes and unconsciously clenched the edge of her swaddle.

Lin Chen spoke calmly, his tone gentle, but there was a hint of command in his words.

"Get up and help me cleanse and bathe."

Liu Shengxue raised her eyes to look at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen didn't say much, he just stood there and waited.

Liu Shengxue pursed her lips and stood up.

The swaddle swayed with her movements. She walked to the clothes rack, took out an outer garment and put it on. Her fingers, which were tying the ties, paused for a moment before tying them.

He didn't speak throughout the entire process.

Lin Chen didn't say anything, he just looked at Liu Shengxue.

Liu Shengxue fastened her belt, walked over, and said with her eyes downcast, "I'll go prepare the water."

Lin Chen hummed in agreement.

……

The bathroom was steaming hot.

The water in the wooden bucket was just right, neither too hot nor too cold.

Lin Chen took off his clothes, sat down, leaned against the tub, and closed his eyes.

Liu Shengxue stood beside him, holding a towel, and wiped his back.

The movements are gentle, one at a time.

Lin Chen closed his eyes, a look of enjoyment on his face, and said softly:

"The piano playing was quite good last night."

Liu Shengxue paused for a moment.

"The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate," Lin Chen continued, "I played it smoothly towards the end."

Yagyu Yuki didn't reply.

Lin Chen opened his eyes, turned his head to look at Liu Shengxue, and asked, "Why did you stop playing later?"

Liu Shengxue lowered her eyes: "It's late at night, I'm afraid of disturbing people's sleep."

Lin Chen smiled and said, "Who are you bothering? Lan Fenghuang listened to your playing last night and even praised you."

Liu Shengxue glanced at Lin Chen, then lowered her eyes, her gaze filled with complex emotions.

Lin Chen turned back and closed his eyes: "Keep wiping."

Yagyu Yuki continues.

The bathroom was filled with steam and quiet except for the sound of water.

After a while, Lin Chen suddenly reached out and grasped Liu Shengxue's wrist, which was holding the handkerchief.

Liu Shengxue froze.

Lin Chen didn't open his eyes, but simply said, "The towel is cold."

Liu Shengxue looked down and confirmed it.

She withdrew her hand, soaked the towel in hot water, wrung it out, and continued wiping.

Lin Chen didn't say anything this time.

But that hand still retained the warmth of her wrist.

As he was wiping, Lin Chen suddenly opened his eyes and turned around.

Liu Shengxue held the handkerchief in mid-air, looking at Lin Chen.

Water flowed down Lin Chen's chest, following the lines of his abdominal muscles, and dripped into the water.

Lin Chen stared straight at Liu Shengxue.

She was wearing a plain-colored shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing a section of her forearm.

Her face was a little red from the steam, no longer the cool and aloof person she usually was.

Lin Chen reached out and pinched her chin.

Liu Shengxue's eyelashes trembled, but she didn't flinch.

Lin Chen stroked her chin with his thumb, his tone casual: "Do you know why I had you serve me?"

Liu Shengxue looked at him without saying a word.

Lin Chen smiled and said, "Because you are a concubine."

That's a very direct statement, so direct it's almost hurtful.

Liu Shengxue's eyes flickered slightly, but he still didn't speak.

Lin Chen released his grip, leaned against the side of the tub, looked at Liu Shengxue, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said calmly:

"I've said before that wives and concubines are equal. No one in the family treats you like an outsider, and no one sets rules for you."

Lin Chen paused, then chuckled softly: "But those are them."

Liu Shengxue looked at Lin Chen without saying a word.

Lin Chen grinned: "I'm different. I'm a hypocrite."

Yagyu Yuki was taken aback.

Double standards? What double standards?

Before she could react, Lin Chen suddenly reached out and put his arm around her waist.

He pulled it into his arms.

Liu Shengxue plunged into the bucket, splashing water all over the floor.

She propped herself up against Lin Chen's chest, her clothes completely soaked and clinging to her body, revealing her curves.

Lin Chen didn't give her a chance.

He lowered his head and kissed her.

Liu Shengxue struggled, but couldn't move.

Lin Chen finished kissing her, raised his head, and looked at her.

Liu Shengxue was panting, her face flushed red, whether from water or something else.

Lin Chen pinched her cheek: "This is how you serve someone during a bath."

Liu Shengxue looked at Lin Chen with a very complicated expression.

Lin Chen didn't care about that.

He reached down and grasped her waist.

Lift it up.

……

The sound of rushing water lasted for quite a while.

Liu Shengxue's hairpins were scattered, her hair was wet and clung to her face, and water droplets clung to her eyelashes, making it impossible to tell whether it was bathwater or something else.

The sun was rising higher outside the window.

The courtyard was quiet, with only the sound of water coming from the bathroom, occasionally interspersed with a suppressed groan or two.

By the time the sound subsided, the water had cooled down.

Lin Chen came out first, dried himself off, and put on his clothes.

Looking back, I saw that Liu Shengxue was still soaking in the tub, leaning against the side, with her eyes closed and her face flushed.

Lin Chen finished dressing and said calmly:

"Rest for a while before getting up, don't catch a cold."

"Also, if you're going to play the piano again tonight, play something cheerful. 'Phoenix Seeking Its Mate' is too plain."

Lin Chen smiled after speaking, then pushed open the door and went out.

The footsteps faded into the distance.

Liu Shengxue sat in the tub for a while, and when she got up, she twitched the corner of her mouth.

Finally, he sighed softly and gently wiped his body.