Soon, Xiao Zhengzi led the two doctors into the manor.
After taking her pulse, Imperial Physician Song left first. An Sheng kept Medical Officer Yao in the room. A quarter of an hour later, Medical Officer Yao finally emerged.
Lying in bed, A Mei was overwhelmed with embarrassment. She simply pulled the quilt up to cover her small face.
An Sheng reached out and pulled back the covers, revealing A Mei's flushed face. He was quite speechless. "Oh, my dear wife, why are you smothering yourself? What is there to be ashamed of?"
"How could I not be? Husband, you told her everything. It's so embarrassing." Whenever she recalled how her husband had bombarded the female doctor with all sorts of intimate questions, and the stiff, shocked expression on the medical officer's face, A Mei felt an unspeakable sense of bashfulness.
An Sheng raised an eyebrow and said patiently, "Since you were too embarrassed to ask, naturally I had to ask clearly. One cannot hide things from a doctor in such matters; it is only right to speak in detail."
In her heart, A Mei actually agreed with An Sheng's words. But agreeing was one thing; she still felt it was far too awkward. She gave a shy nod and a soft mm, opened her mouth, but did not know what else to say. She wriggled around on the bed, feeling bored. Gazing at An Sheng with moist, blinking eyes, she acted coquettishly, "Husband, I want to listen to a storybook. Will you read to A Mei?"
A maid came over carrying medicinal broth and candied fruits. An Sheng took the medicine bowl and used his other hand to help A Mei sit up. "Alright. Drink your medicine first, and I will go find a few of the most popular storybooks for you."
A Mei smiled sweetly. "Okay."
An Sheng said he would stay with A Mei for two days, and he truly remained at home to care for her for two days. On the third day, as soon as the hour of Yin arrived, An Sheng got up to attend the morning court.
With his scheduled days off over, things at the Inner Depot seemed to become busy again. For the next several days in a row, An Sheng left early and returned late. Other than sleeping, he did not even have the time to return to the manor for his three daily meals.
That night, An Sheng returned to the manor.
As soon as he entered the room, he saw A Mei sitting by the bed, sewing something by the candlelight.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?"
An Sheng walked over to take a look and found that what A Mei was threading her needle through was a small pouch. It was navy blue, embroidered with a few simple and elegant plum blossoms.
An Sheng narrowed his slender eyes, his face showing a mix of heartache and helplessness. "How can you be the one doing this kind of work? Are all the maids and servants dead?"
At these words, A Mei shot An Sheng a reproachful glare and said,
"I'm not tired, and I've been bored these past few days. There, it's done!" A Mei deftly finished the final stitch, tied the knot, and bit off the thread. Then, she raised a smiling face and handed it to An Sheng like she was offering a treasure. That beaming appearance instantly struck a chord deep in An Sheng's heart. "Husband, see if you like it. A Mei sewed this for you with her own hands."
An Sheng slowly took the pouch and held it in his hand. Touching the smooth fabric, he stared at it closely. His focused demeanor made it seem as though, through every stitch and thread, he was looking at A Mei's pure and passionate affection for him. Suddenly, An Sheng felt a surge of burning, joyous emotion well up in his heart, washing over him like a tidal wave.
He gripped the pouch tightly, then sat down next to A Mei. Throwing an arm around her, he pulled her into his embrace and gently rested his chin on the top of her head. His tone was unbelievably soft. "What made you think of sewing a pouch for me?"
A Mei gently rubbed her smooth cheek against An Sheng's chest, her words endearingly honest. "Since I prepare loose change for you to spend, I thought of sewing a pouch. If you carry it with you every day, just like the compass jade pendant you always hang at your waist, I hope it will make you think of A Mei whenever you see it."
"And also," A Mei lifted her head from An Sheng's embrace, her watery eyes meeting his deep, dark ones, "it has always been you doing this and that for me. I also want to be able to do a little something for my husband."
An Sheng's heart was incredibly soft at this moment. He slowly lowered his head, lightly touching her lips, and ultimately lost himself in that softness.
It was a soothing, gentle, and intimate kiss.
A Mei tilted her head back, proactively extending the tip of her tongue to entangle and meet with An Sheng's. Her whole body trembled slightly, turning into a complete puddle of softness. If not for the pair of arms supporting her, she would have long since gone limp.
A Mei let out a soft moan, her entire being teased into humming by the desire seeping from the depths of her heart to be intimate and entangled with her husband.
An Sheng ended the kiss. He first laid A Mei down properly on the bed, then stood up to take off his outer clothes before lying back down and taking A Mei into his arms again.
An Sheng pulled the covers over them, tucking them in securely. His gaze fell upon the flushed, misty corners of A Mei's eyes. At this moment, A Mei was staring at An Sheng without blinking, her expression betraying an indescribable hesitation to speak.
He narrowed his slender eyes slightly and asked in a low voice, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
A Mei opened her mouth, but seemingly feeling embarrassed again, she simply buried her face into An Sheng's chest all at once, her body shifting rather restlessly in his embrace.
In the past, it was only said that An Sheng was insatiable, but in truth, A Mei's body had long since tasted the sweetness and become just as terribly insatiable.
After being left empty for several days, how could A Mei be satisfied by the meager solace of that little kiss just now?
An Sheng stared at the crown of A Mei's head. He fell silent for a moment, then raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "Are you wanting it?"
A Mei suddenly felt a bit ashamed, but she was always terribly honest with An Sheng. She gave a quiet mm, and then took the initiative to grab An Sheng's large hand and place it on her own body.
An Sheng: ...
An Sheng withdrew his hand, reversed his grip to hold A Mei's small hand, and then locked her firmly in his embrace. He coaxed her patiently, "No. Your time of the month hasn't completely cleared up yet. We cannot do this."
A Mei pouted her small lips, looking terribly aggrieved. "But, but I just want to. It's fine when you aren't here, but when you are by my side, A Mei can't control it. It feels so uncomfortable."
"Besides, it's been nearly seven days. It's practically cleared up."
Helpless, An Sheng tried to reason with A Mei. "Practically cleared up means it still hasn't cleared up. We have to wait another two days. If you can't sleep, I'll keep you company and chat with you for a while."
A Mei gave a reluctant oh and poked the center of An Sheng's palm with her finger. "Then let's go to sleep quickly, Husband. You still have to wake up early after the hour of Yin."
As she spoke, A Mei's face revealed her heartache. "You sleep so little, Husband. Your days will be even more exhausting."
An Sheng let out a low sigh and slowly closed his eyes, his tone gentle. "Don't worry. If I get tired at noon, I'll take a short nap at the Inner Depot."
"Mm, that's how it should be."
"By the way, Husband, why have you been so busy lately?"
"Matters of the imperial court have always emerged one after another, endlessly. I'm actually quite annoyed by it too."
"Oh, there's one more thing. Douzi told me today that he recently made a good friend at the academy. Tomorrow is that child's birthday. The child wrote him an invitation early on, and he told me he wants to attend that child's birthday banquet."
"Douzi is slowly growing up, and in the future, he will gradually have his own social circle. Don't restrict him. How about this: you pick a few gifts from the storehouse and have Wu Da go with him."
"Mm."
...
The young couple held each other and exchanged intimate whispers for quite a while before finally falling into a deep sleep.
