He was murdered after his family was wiped out and left with no descendants; his whole family knelt

Chapter 36 Handkerchief

Her heart leaped into her throat. She nervously tidied her hair at her temples, straightened her clothes, and clutched the purse in her hand as she watched the figure approach.

When Xiao Er reached the depths of the artificial hill, Liu Wan'er softly imitated a cat's meow.

The sound was like that of a female cat in heat.

Xiao Er immediately followed the sound and crawled into the artificial cave.

As soon as I bent down to come in, a soft, delicate body snuggled into my arms.

The sweet fragrance emanating from the woman filled Xiao Chengyan's nostrils, and his eyes and brows were full of smiles.

His large arm was around the woman, stroking and roaming her back, as he chuckled.

Did you miss me?

Liu Wan'er snuggled very close, burrowing deeper and deeper into Xiao Er's arms, and mumbled softly,

"I miss it so much, I'm dying to think about it."

Although Xiao Er was flirting with Liu Wan'er, his eyes were still alertly scanning the surroundings, and he pulled her further into the cave.

Liu Wan'er took out a delicate purse from her bosom and handed it to Xiao Er, saying shyly,

"Second brother, you asked me to make you a purse last time. Wan'er spent many days making it. Second brother, take a look and see if you like it."

Xiao Chengyan accepted the purse with an arrogant expression, feeling inexplicably smug and satisfied.

He had only made a casual joke, but she took it to heart and actually went to the trouble of embroidering one for him. Who wouldn't like such a gentle and understanding woman?

The purse was extremely exquisite, embroidered with the two stars of Kuiwen, and adorned with a lake-blue tasseled silk ribbon and white jade beads. The stitches were fine and tight, and it was clear that it had taken a great deal of effort to make.

Kui Xing and Wen Qu Xing govern literary fortune and both have the auspicious meaning of wishing success in examinations. Xiao Er will be participating in the imperial examinations next year, so this omen is really good, and he is naturally even more satisfied.

He pinched Liu Wan'er's cheek and said.

"This purse is so well made, I'll have to keep it safe and cherish it. You've given me such a generous gift, what do you want as a reward from me?"

Seeing that Xiao Er liked it, Liu Wan'er was also delighted. She nestled sweetly into his arms and said coquettishly,

"I don't want anything, except that I pricked my hand with a needle while making a purse. It hurts a lot, and I still have two holes in my hand. I need my second brother to blow on it to make it feel better."

As she spoke, she held out her two soft, white, and delicate hands to Xiao Er, pouting and staring with her innocent big eyes in an attempt to please him.

Xiao Er was overjoyed. He grabbed those two soft, white hands and kissed them repeatedly, his eyes beaming with delight.

"Are you feeling any better now, my goodness?"

Liu Wan'er felt a ticklish sensation from the kisses and twisted her body coquettishly.

“After my second brother kisses me, all the pain will naturally disappear.”

Such subtle flattery is irresistible to any man, and Xiao Chengyan was also somewhat bewitched at this moment.

He reached into his inner garment, untied a dark blue handkerchief he used to fasten his undergarment, and stuffed it into Liu Wan'er's hand.

The handkerchief still carried the man's warmth. Liu Wan'er looked down and her face turned bright red with fright.

She tossed the handkerchief into Xiao Er's arms, then covered her face in embarrassment.

"What filth? I don't want it!"

Xiao Er wasn't annoyed; a lewd smile played on his lips as he stared intently at Liu Wan'er.

That handkerchief was a gift from a prostitute when Xiao Er went to visit a brothel; it was embroidered with erotic scenes of men and women having sex.

To please Xiao Er, the prostitute embroidered his courtesy name, Yi'an, on the item.

Xiao Er, a nobleman from a prominent family, was used to being well-behaved. When he first saw the hot handkerchief, he threw it away as if it were a hot potato. But when the night was quiet, he would take it out to look at it again. The more he looked at it, the more excited he felt. So he carried it with him every day and wore it, feeling a kind of indescribable sense of secret indulgence.

Seeing that Liu Wan'er's ears were so red they looked like they were bleeding, he found it even more amusing.

When she refused, he made up lies to deceive her.

"You don't want it? This is a fine tribute from a foreign land. Ordinary people would never see it in their lifetime. This fabric has a unique fragrance. Now that the weather is cold, if you wore this handkerchief in the spring, butterflies would chase after you as you walked in the garden."

Liu Wan'er hesitated as she looked at Xiao Er. Xiao Er then held the handkerchief to her nose, and a unique fragrance, unlike anything she had ever smelled before, wafted out.

But this is not a wonderful fragrance at all; it's just honey from wildflowers that the girls in the brothel use to please their customers.

"If you don't want it, then forget it. There are plenty of people who will."

Xiao Er didn't tolerate her and was about to put the handkerchief back, a hint of impatience showing on his face.

Upon seeing this, Liu Wan'er quickly snatched the handkerchief and stuffed it into her bosom.

After coaxing Xiao Er a few more times, the displeasure on Xiao Er's face was finally dispelled.

The two embraced and kissed for a long time, so much so that Xiao Er wanted to take her right away.

But there wasn't enough time; we were about to have lunch.

The two hugged for a while before separating, and Xiao Er said with lingering affection,

"Let's have lunch together. I don't get to see you very often to begin with, and you're even pretending to be sick to avoid me."

A warm feeling washed over Liu Wan'er, and she felt incredibly sweet. Looking at the tall, handsome man in front of her, she pursed her lips and nodded.

Completely satisfied

"Second brother, go first. I'll change my clothes and then come over."

A meal is being served in the main hall of Fushou Hall.

Qiao Qingshu and her two younger sisters had just reached the door when they saw Xiao Chengyan arrive with a smug look on his face.

Qiao Qingshu smiled.

"Second brother, we were just about to send someone to look for you, and here you are! Come in and have a seat and eat."

Xiao Er looked satisfied, and his face naturally showed happiness.

"Sisters, please go first."

He bowed and ushered the Qiao family's younger sisters inside, personally lifting the curtain for them.

This made the second and third Qiao sisters laugh, all saying that Brother Xiao was a good person.

The weather has been getting colder lately, and Madam Qiao is not in good health. The room was already quite warm, and everyone took off their cloaks and coats as soon as they entered, feeling no chill at all.

The elders were already seated inside, and Qiao Jizhou had also arrived.

Even Qiao Antai was led over by a maid and sat at the very bottom of the table.

All the proper masters of the Qiao family are present, making today's meal undeniably formal.

Qiao Qingshu, Xiao Chengyan, and others also took their seats.

Qiao Qingshu's two maids had returned to their positions at some point.

Late Autumn and Winter whispered a few words in Qiao Qingshu's ear, then stood quietly to the side to serve their master by washing his hands and drinking tea.

As the dishes were being served, Liu Wan'er lifted the curtain and came in, adding a stool to sit down as well.

Madam Xing sat to Qiao Qingshu's left, and Old Madam Xiao sat to Qiao Qingshu's right, flanking her and treating her with utmost courtesy.

Madam Xing served food to Qiao Qingshu,

"Good child, you need to eat more nourishing food. Look how thin you are, it really breaks my heart. You need to take good care of yourself these days so you'll look beautiful when you get married."

The old lady of the Xiao family also said,

"Yes, Shu'er, you should eat more."

Sitting in the main seat, Old Madam Qiao looked at her beloved granddaughter, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

"Good child, I've discussed it with the matriarch of the Xiao family, and we've almost reached an agreement. How about we set the date for the eighth day of next month?"

Qiao Jizhou also happily echoed,

"This is a once-in-a-century good day!"

Everyone looked at Qiao Qingshu, waiting for her to nod.

Qiao Qingshu lowered her eyes and smiled.

"Grandmother, I'm afraid it won't work."

Everyone was taken aback.

Everyone looked at Qiao Qingshu in confusion, and the lively atmosphere just moments before suddenly froze.