White pastries adorned with sesame seeds, meticulously shaped into segments, with clusters of "worms" of various sizes pressed together; if their color was changed, theyād look more like meaty larvae than desserts.
Xu Changāan even specially used a bamboo skewer to draw lines, creating segments of flesh so that some of the worms appeared to lift their heads, some lay low, and others seemed to roll over.
They actually varied in form.
If it were a carving, Yun Qian would love it, treating it as a treasure to collect.
But if it was for eating, even Yun Qian couldnāt muster any appetite upon seeing it.
Because she could eat better things here at Xu Changāanās place; she wanted the best. Knowing how incredible her husbandās culinary skills were, her tone became suppressed upon seeing this unpleasingly shaped plate of pastries.
To bring out such snacks when sheās hungry?
"Are you bullying me?"
Yun Qian said calmly, one hand resting on her leg, her eyes unwavering as she looked at Xu Changāan, "Want to see me in trouble?"
"..."
Xu Changāan listened to Yun Qian, unsure whether it was a complaint or a playful tease, standing there in a daze for quite a while before looking at the plate in his hand.
Itās not that ugly, right?
Xu Changāan reached out to poke at the pastries in the plate, thinking he had tried to make them as cute as possible.
It was indeed to help Yun Qian get accustomed and to test her attitude towards worms in advance.
"Does Miss think Iām willing to bully you?" Xu Changāan asked.
"Yes." Yun Qian nodded and said, "Sometimes you donāt want to wear me out, but other times you donāt mind."
Just like when Xu Changāan wants her to wear those brightly colored, somewhat gaudy clothes and she sees him silly grin at her.
That could also be a form of bullying.
Yun Qian clasped her hands together on her abdomen and then looked up to ask, "Is this a punishment for me not cultivating properly?"
Because she resists cultivation due to her elixir field, he was unhappy?
Xu Changāan was taken aback, then seeing Yun Qianās suppressed mood, he immediately said, "Miss is already cultivating well. Senior Wen praised your efforts. Donāt push yourself too hard."
He repeatedly stressed the importance of cultivation to Yun Qian but didnāt want to give her too much pressure.
"Mm..."
Miss Yun is willing to compromise on many things, as long as they are things he asks for.
But food is very important to her.
Her husband often says, "Eating well is a blessing, knowing how to eat is wisdom."
Sheās a girl who can eat; she just needs to focus on eating, and as for what to eat, that complex, intelligent question is left to Xu Changāan.
So Xu Changāan will devise various delicious options for her; the delicacy level of his pastries represents part of his attention and feelings for her.
Thus, with such an unsightly pastry, Miss Yun truly couldnāt bring herself to eat it.
"Forget it." Yun Qian gently kicked off her embroidered shoes, turned onto the bed, scooted in a bit further away from Xu Changāanās "special-made" pastries, and seriously said, "Iām hungry, go make something thatās beautiful and tasty."
Yun Qianās tone on the word "beautiful" seemed to grit slightly, exerting some force.
āā
The sunset gradually descended, and some of the orange-red afterglow spilled in from outside the window, altering the brightness in the room, with Xu Changāan standing in the light holding a plate, while Yun Qian shrank on the bed, buried in the shadow of the sunset.
"...?"
Xu Changāan looked at Yun Qianās "fearful" expression in her eyes, stupidly standing in place with the plate, he guessed Yun Qian would resist, but didnāt expect she would be this resistant.
"Miss?"
Xu Changāan took a few steps forward with the plate.
Yun Qian on the bed maintained her usual calm demeanor, showing no sign of panic, but she secretly moved back a few inches.
Xu Changāan took another step forward.
Yun Qian continued to retreat, and after several rounds, she had moved to her limit, sitting on her pillow, leaning against the bed fence, with nowhere to retreat.
Yet Xu Changāan still didnāt let her off, continuing to crowd her.
Yun Qian watched as he approached, saying, "You also say youāre unwilling to bully me."
Xu Changāan heard and halted, coughed dryly, and felt slightly flushed.
Initially, he indeed wanted to approach Yun Qian, but once he realized she was "frightened" and retreating, the nature of things changed; a "gentle" Miss Yun like this was rare, and he couldnāt help himself for a moment.
Therefore, upon being accused of bullying, Xu Changāan could only admit it and couldnāt further argue.
"Miss, are you afraid of worms?" Xu Changāan asked.
In his mind, Yun Qian was fearless.
"Worms? Not afraid." Yun Qian said.
"Then why not eat it." Xu Changāan was puzzled.
Yun Qian stared at him for a while, then slowly said, "You ought to ask yourself, not me."
The issue isnāt why she wonāt eat, but why Xu Changāan made such things to give her.
Being questioned by Miss Yun, Xu Changāan knew he was in the wrong and sheepishly replied, "Thatās true."
Yun Qian stared at him.
At first, with Xu Changāanās culinary skill limit set, regardless of what it was, she would eat it.
But something deliberately made ugly, she didnāt like.
To give an analogy, that feeling was akin to her husband being obviously good-looking but deliberately trying to appear ugly.
Or having inherently great talent in cultivation, yet it wasnāt being valued.
Not that itās pearls cast before swine, but it genuinely made her unhappy.
"Why donāt you just try it?" At this moment, Xu Changāan hadnāt given up on his purpose and said, "Itās just the appearance thatās lacking, but Iāve specially made it, and it will definitely suit Missās taste."