A Mei waited anxiously at the estate for An Sheng to return home.
Seeing her eyes full of spring and her heart pounding like a little deer, unable to contain her joy, An Gui couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
An Gui put down his chopsticks and said earnestly, "A Mei, haven't you already seen Sheng'er? Look at you, what kind of lady of the house is as restless as you?"
A Mei was so happy in her heart that she didn't care about this at all. Blinking her watery eyes, she said, "Godfather, I'm just so happy."
An Gui started lecturing again: "As the mistress of the An estate, no matter what happens, you must be steady, composed, and calm."
Beside them, A'mei's father chimed in, "That's right, A Mei, your godfather says this for your own good."
A Mei immediately nodded like a chick pecking at rice: "Mhm, Godfather, Father, I know, I know!"
"By the way, Godfather, why isn't my husband back yet?"
"How long does it usually take to report to His Majesty? It's already noon. Does the palace provide meals?"
"No, my husband mentioned before that the food in the palace isn't good, so he definitely wouldn't eat much. Godfather, Father, you go ahead and eat. A Mei can't eat anymore. I'm going to the kitchen to make a few side dishes so I can eat with my husband when he gets back."
An Gui: ...
A'mei's father: ...
An Gui got a headache from A Mei's chattering and simply waved his hand:
"Go on, go on. I'll head back to my room after eating. You don't need to call me for dinner either. Tell Sheng'er that he doesn't need to come pay his respects to me when he gets back; we can talk tomorrow."
A'mei's father also added, "Douzi said yesterday that he wanted to eat the stuffed duck from Fusheng Restaurant. When he finishes his classes, I'll take him out to eat. You don't need to call me and Douzi for dinner either."
A Mei: ...
...
An Sheng finally returned to the estate.
As soon as he walked through the door, A Mei joyfully greeted him, briskly and naturally taking off An Sheng's cloak and handing it to the waiting maid.
An Sheng waved away the maids and naturally held A Mei's small hand, watching as a timid blush gradually crept up her small face.
An Sheng's large hand gently stroked A Mei's small hand. The soft touch in his palm carried a hint of chill. An Sheng frowned slightly. The underfloor heating in the main hall was burning strongly, making the room temperature comfortable, unlike the freezing cold on the streets outside. After a moment's thought, An Sheng asked softly, "Did your time of the month come while I was away?"
A Mei's small face instantly turned from light pink to a deep, blood-red hue. She cast a shy glance at An Sheng and whined coquettishly, "Oh, Husband, how can you ask such a question as soon as you get home?"
However, despite her inner shyness, A Mei answered honestly, "It came once."
An Sheng asked again, "Is the abdominal pain still unbearable? Have you been taking your conditioning medicine?"
Touched beyond words by her husband's care, A Mei replied obediently, "A Mei drank all the medicine. Although my stomach still hurts, it's much better than before, and the pain isn't too severe."
An Sheng gave a hum of acknowledgment, his expression easing slightly, and let A Mei lead him inside.
As they walked, A Mei asked, "Did you eat in the palace, Husband?"
An Sheng replied, "I haven't."
A Mei beamed with joy, "A Mei knew you wouldn't have eaten. You must be tired and hungry from the journey. Hurry up and eat first. The bathing room is all prepared. After you are full, you can go take a bath, and A Mei will scrub your back and give you a massage."
A Mei's chattering and jumping with joy looked extremely cute and charming in An Sheng's eyes.
A tender smile curled on An Sheng's lips. To A Mei, it felt like her husband was full of endless affection and indulgence for her. Her heart raced uncontrollably, and for a moment, she felt too shy to look into her husband's eyes.
A Mei didn't know that, where she couldn't see, An Sheng's eyes gradually deepened, roaring and surging with emotion. He took a deep breath, feeling as if something had shattered in his heart. He covertly ground his teeth, barely suppressing the primal urge to ravage and claim her.
An Sheng had always been like this: the more he wanted something, the more he craved it, the more he could endure and restrain himself.
An Sheng asked calmly, "Where are Godfather and Father-in-law?"
Hearing her husband ask this, A Mei suddenly became shy and fidgety. She looked at An Sheng bashfully: "Godfather and Father are really something. They knew you were coming back to the estate, but they both said there was no need to call them for dinner tonight."
Speaking of this, A Mei glanced up at An Sheng, pursed her lips, and shyly buried her face low, her voice soft and sweet: "Husband, please don't misunderstand and think that Godfather and Father don't value you. A Mei knows in her heart that it's because A Mei showed too much joy. They saw it, and they did this to give A Mei and Husband some time alone."
An Sheng's eyes slightly lifted, "Mhm, no wonder."
A Mei nodded heavily. Suddenly remembering something, she first pulled An Sheng to sit at the table, then pulled her hand out of his, and started pouring water and setting out the bowls and chopsticks.
"Husband must be hungry. Please eat first."
"I am indeed hungry," An Sheng's eyes burned bright. His lips twitched, revealing a soft curve toward A Mei, and then he slowly picked up his bowl and chopsticks and began to eat.
Inside the steam-filled bathing room.
A Mei was panting slightly as she scrubbed An Sheng's back. When she was almost done, she used her hands to splash water over his bare back to rinse it. Then, she squeezed the powerful muscles of his arm, squeezed again, and couldn't help but say, "A Mei feels that Husband's muscles are much firmer. Mhm, Husband has indeed been eating well."
Thinking of how his wife had unpretentiously stripped off her clothes and followed him into the bathtub just moments ago, and seeing her serious and cute little appearance now, An Sheng was instantly amused. He turned around and pulled A Mei into his arms with one hand. The sudden skin-to-skin contact made the two, who had not been intimate for a long time, instantly feel a tingling sensation.
As soon as A Mei entered An Sheng's embrace, she wrapped around him like an octopus. The strength she used was even tighter than how he held her.
A Mei's eyes suddenly turned red. She felt incredibly aggrieved and almost burst into tears. Holding back her cries, she murmured, "Husband, A Mei missed you so much. I missed you so much I was going crazy."
With her soft and delicate body in his arms, An Sheng felt his heart melt. Feeling guilty, he carefully coaxed her, "Be good, I know. I missed you terribly when I was away too."
It would have been better if he hadn't said that. Once he did, A Mei's tears couldn't stop falling again.
"Oh my, why are you crying again? Sweetheart, didn't you already cry in the carriage? Stop crying now, haven't I returned?"
A Mei cried heart-breakingly, eventually hiccuping while complaining, "Boohoo, A Mei is actually happy, but I just can't help it. It's all Husband's fault for being so heartless, leaving A Mei all alone at home for so long."
"Yes, yes, it's my fault, all my fault. I promise you, I will never leave A Mei alone again. I will never leave A Mei again."
An Sheng softly coaxed the sulking little wife in his arms. His voice was as gentle as the warm spring sun, slowly seeping into A Mei's heart bit by bit.
"Really? Husband, you must swear on it." A Mei's tear-soaked eyes stared pitifully at An Sheng, choking with sobs, looking utterly wronged.
His response to her was a gentle, kneading caress and a dense shower of tender kisses.
Ansheng placed soft kisses along A Mei's forehead, but just as his lips slowly trailed lower, A Mei pushed him away.
A Mei sobbed and sniffled her nose. "Husband, do not kiss me just yet. I am all snot and tears. Wipe A Mei's face first before you kiss her."
Ansheng: ...
