Chapter 53: The Clingy Husband
Chapter 53: The Clingy Husband
Xiang Ling made her way to the dining hall as it was time for dinner. The voices of the refugees faded as she entered the inner courtyard where she and her husbands were staying.
When she arrived at the dining hall, Wei Guang, Li Xian, and Wen Zhe Yuan were already sitting around the table while An Mei was serving them food. The air was filled with the aroma of the delicacies that she and the girls had prepared. After eating bland and simple meals for the past couple of days, they finally had a chance to eat delicious food.
As Xiang Ling made her way toward the table, she noticed all three men turning their attention toward her. Their intense gazes almost made her freeze in her tracks but she somehow succeeded in keeping a straight face and made her way to the table before settling down in her seat.
"Are you alright?" The question came from Wei Guang and when Xiang Ling looked up at his face, she found him looking almost worried as he waited for her response. His eyes were fixed on her face as if he was studying her expressions.
Putting a little smile on her lips, she nodded her head to dispel his worries. It wasn’t like anything was wrong with her, she was just not used to their attention, and having their eyes fixed on her made her look anywhere but at them.
An Mei served her food and Xiang Ling was ready to dig in when she felt a cold shiver running down her spine. The very next moment, Xin Cheng and Li Dao Ming stepped inside the dining hall. While Xin Cheng took one of the two empty seats opposite her, Dao Ming settled down on the empty seat on her left.
She planned to ignore his presence completely but she soon realized that the man had entirely different plans.
"Ling’er, what have you cooked for the dinner? I’m starving." The man asked as he looked through the dishes that were laid out on the table.
While the sudden endearment only shocked Xiang Ling, it made Xin Cheng choke on the water that he just sipped to quench his thirst. The man stared at Dao Ming with his eyes wide open in pure shock.
"Ling’er? Since when did you both become this close?" Zhe Yuan questioned from where he was sitting at the end of the table, probably voicing out the thought that had taken over all the men present there except for the culprit.
Before Xiang Ling could have thought of a response, Dao Ming was already replying - "We are husband and wife. What’s so surprising to hear us call each other endearingly? Isn’t that normal?"
Wen Zhe Yuan opened his mouth to say something but then just closed it and became silent. On the other hand, Xiang Ling let out a small breath of relief, thinking that she could finally eat the food in peace. Much to her dismay, Dao Ming was far from done.
The man turned toward her and spoke, "Ling’er, why don’t you feed me? I want you to feed me the first bite with your very hands."
Xiang Ling felt a cascade of shock wash over her as Li Dao Ming’s request hung in the air, thick with implications. She glanced around the table, searching for a shred of support or intervention from her other husbands, but they remained caught in the unexpected tension that Dao Ming had brought to the dinner.
Wei Guang’s brows furrowed in confusion, while Zhe Yuan seemed to be assessing the situation with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. Li Xian’s expression betrayed a hint of disbelief as if he was trying to decipher the puzzle that had suddenly presented itself.
An Mei, who had been quietly observing, froze momentarily, her eyes widening in surprise before resuming her composed demeanor as she continued to serve the dishes.
Xiang Ling’s gaze flickered back to her fourth husband, his eyes fixed expectantly on her, awaiting compliance to his unsettling demand. She could feel her pulse quicken, her hands tensing against the edge of the table. This wasn’t what she expected when the man presented his side of the deal.
Suppressing the urge to protest, she attempted to maintain a facade of composure. "Ah Ming, please, there’s no need for such formality," she began, her voice sounding strained as she continued, "We are all capable of feeding ourselves."
Her words hung in the air, a feeble attempt to deflect the unexpected request that had settled over the table like a heavy shroud. Yet, Li Dao Ming remained undeterred, his gaze unwavering as he awaited her compliance. "Really, Ling’er? I thought we decided to start over this very morning." The warning was right there, hidden between the lines.
Xiang Ling felt a surge of frustration rising within her, mingled with a sense of helplessness. She knew that acquiescing to his request would only create trouble for her. She needed him to keep her secret if she wanted to stay away from further angering the Heavenly Empress.
Sensing the weight of their collective gaze upon her, she reluctantly relented, her fingers trembling slightly as she reached for a morsel of food from one of the dishes before her. With a forced smile, she extended her hand towards Li Dao Ming, the gesture feeling foreign and unnatural.
As he accepted the morsel from her hand, a self-satisfied grin played across his lips, a silent victory in the subtle power struggle that had unfolded between them.
Xiang Ling glared at the man, making it pretty clear that she wasn’t the least bit impressed with his antics. Yet, all she received in response was a smile from him that made her focus more on his beauty and less on the anger she was feeling.
Across the table, Xin Cheng’s expression had hardened, his jaw clenched in silent disapproval. The tension in the air was palpable. His gaze kept shifting between Dao Ming and Xiang Ling. He was undeniably the most upset person present at the table and Xiang Ling wondered why.