A Mei was truly exhausted; she slept right through until the dead of night.
She hadn't woken up because she had slept enough, but because she was starving.
It made sense. She had entered the palace early in the morning and only had breakfast all day. At noon, she went to An Sheng's living quarters in the palace, and before she could even eat...
"You're awake? Are you hungry?"
In the darkness, An Sheng's voice was unusually hoarse.
A Mei was currently being held in An Sheng's arms. The firm, powerful sound of his heartbeat reached her ears, transmitting through his thin skin.
A Mei gave a soft hum and began to mutter her complaints, "I'm so tired, hungry, and sleepy right now."
"It's so dark. Why didn't you light a candle?" She sniffled as she spoke. "What is that? It smells so good."
An Sheng soothingly kissed the top of A Mei's forehead, then threw back the covers and got up to light a candle. Once the room was brightened, he walked over to the table, poured some meat porridge—which had been simmering over a low flame on a delicate little charcoal stove—into a bowl, and brought it over to the bed.
A Mei leaned against the headboard. An Sheng gently blew on the hot porridge in the spoon, waiting until it was the right temperature before feeding it to her. His movements and expression were filled with the utmost care and patience.
A Mei lowered her eyes and began to eat in small, delicate bites.
After finishing the bowl, A Mei pouted her small lips and looked at An Sheng pitifully. "Husband, I'm still not full. Is there any more?"
"Yes, yes, there is." A hint of joy flashed in An Sheng's eyes as he immediately went to serve her another bowl.
A Mei quickly finished the second bowl.
An Sheng asked in a low, gentle voice, "Do you want to eat a little more?"
A Mei shook her head and shot An Sheng a glance—a look that was coy, reproachful, and laced with an indescribable intimacy. She suddenly put on a stern face, but her words were caring: "You should go have a bowl too, Husband."
At this moment, An Sheng only felt a burning heat in his heart. He instinctively replied, "I am not hungry."
A Mei, however, pouted and gave a delicate huff. "Hmph, you definitely haven't eaten either. Hurry up and eat a little. If you don't eat, don't even think about getting back into bed."
An Sheng's eyes suddenly grew hot, and his breathing tightened. It took him a long moment before he responded with a trembling voice, "Alright, I will eat right now."
An Sheng ate quickly and urgently, downing a bowl of meat porridge in just a few gulps. Watching him, A Mei couldn't help but let out a soft cry of alarm, "Husband, eat slower, don't burn yourself."
As soon as the words left her mouth, An Sheng set the bowl down. Before A Mei could even see clearly, he strode over to the bed. The next moment, she felt a heavy weight on her body as that familiar scent drew near. An Sheng buried his face in the crook of her neck, gently pecking and kissing her skin.
"My sweet A Mei, are you no longer angry at me for bullying you during the day?"
As he spoke, his warm breath brushed past A Mei's ear, making her flush with an uncontrollable, feverish heat.
His words made A Mei's mind uncontrollably flash back to the romantic, intimate skin-to-skin encounters they had shared earlier that day. Her body went a bit soft again, and she obediently nestled into An Sheng's embrace without another word.
An Sheng lifted his head slightly, gazing at A Mei's lowered eyelids which hid her emotions. His gaze then fell onto her slender neck, which was covered in dense hickeys and various bite marks.
Seeing A Mei remaining silent, he suddenly felt a wave of panic and hurriedly explained, "A Mei, I apologize to you. I admit I lost my mind. I lived in that room in the palace for a long time; it's like my own possession, my territory. You are my wife, and taking you there gave me this strange, boiling excitement in my heart. It was truly incredibly gratifying! A Mei, I didn't mean to torment you like that on purpose." A trace of tension actually seeped into his words.
"Is your body aching from exhaustion? My sweet A Mei, if you truly resent me, how about you hit me to vent your anger?"
A Mei suddenly huffed, then wriggled her body.
An Sheng instantly clamped down on her waist, preventing her from escaping. Then, he dominantly lowered his head and kissed her, kissing her deeply, his tongue lingeringly entwining with hers.
A Mei instantly felt a tingling sensation run down her spine, her entire body turning to mush.
"Mmph... tired..."
An Sheng finally ended the kiss. He pressed his face close to hers, nose to nose against A Mei's small face. His slightly hurried, scorching breath lingered in the space between them.
His voice was gentle, carrying an almost unbelievable sigh as he murmured:
"A Mei, my wife, my baby."
A Mei suddenly blushed, feeling her heart trembling and quivering in that moment.
She was about to drown in An Sheng's gentle affection.
A Mei finally lifted her eyes. Her dewy gaze met his—a look that was clearly as tender as water, yet laced with greed, and so familiar that it brought her complete peace of mind.
On A Mei's flushed, charming face, there was a deep sense of reliance and love, along with a hint of playful reproach. "Husband, you really always have a justification for everything. Sometimes, you are truly so domineering toward me."
An Sheng immediately admitted it. His deep eyes, fixed on A Mei, were full of fiery passion. His entire presence firmly enveloped her. "Yes, towards you, I am just this greedy and insatiable."
A Mei shrank into An Sheng's embrace as if she had no bones.
She let out a small yawn. Her body still felt lethargic; as expected, it was easy to get sleepy after a full meal.
However, she still gathered her spirits, barely keeping her eyes open. By the light of the candle, she carefully traced the gentle lines of the man's face.
Traces of sweetness and endless affection welled up in her heart.
This was her husband.
She began to mutter softly, "Hmph, Husband is the worst. You know I love you, and you know I will always forgive you, yet you still go so overboard. But well... tired as I am, it felt good too. It just felt so good that I truly couldn't handle it anymore. You can't be so unrestrained with me every single time."
An Sheng immediately admitted his fault. "It is my fault. From now on, I will definitely be more considerate and mindful of my wife's wishes."
A Mei hummed in agreement and narrowed her eyes. "However, you did say you would let me do whatever I want to punish you, right?"
An Sheng raised an eyebrow, a flicker in his eyes, and gave an affirmative grunt.
A Mei lifted her chin and gestured toward the pillow with her lips. Understanding her meaning, An Sheng lay down on his side and pulled A Mei into his arms. A Mei nuzzled into An Sheng's embrace, found a comfortable position, and slowly closed her eyes. "I'm sleepy. I'll deal with you tomorrow."
Once A Mei was fast asleep.
The room was completely silent.
An Sheng finally opened his mouth.
"Alright."
