During the early morning court session today, Emperor Chengde announced that a winter hunting expedition would be held at the royal forest in the capital's suburbs three days later. He requested that all capital officials of the fourth rank and above could bring their families along.
During dinner, An Sheng mentioned this matter.
A Mei was gnawing on a chicken leg. Hearing this, she looked up in surprise, mumbling while chewing, Ah, it is so cold, do we really have to go hunting with His Majesty?
An Sheng picked up the empty little bowl in front of A Mei, skillfully scooped a bowl of hot soup for her, and then personally fed it to her lips with a spoon. Have some soup. Eat slowly, do not choke.
A Mei took a sip from An Sheng's hand, swallowed her food, and listened as An Sheng patiently explained to her:
The spring, summer, autumn, and winter hunts are all conducted by the emperor in accordance with the seasons and regulations. They hold extraordinary significance, and it is not something we can simply choose not to attend.
A Mei let out an Oh, and asked, Then do I still have to wear my official mandate dress when I go?
An Sheng saw right through A Mei's little thoughts at a glance and chuckled softly. No need. There are no dress code requirements for the families of officials during this winter hunt.
A Mei's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled charmingly. That is wonderful. This mandate dress is ugly and baggy, yet the collar is so tight. It is not comfortable to wear at all.
An Gui, who was beside them, could not bear to listen anymore. He coughed softly and shot A Mei an indescribable look. A Mei, you should not say such things carelessly outside.
A Mei giggled. She first exchanged a glance with An Sheng, then stuck her little tongue out at An Gui. Do not worry, Godfather. A Mei knows that trouble comes from the mouth. But we are at home, and there are no outsiders here.
Saying this, A Mei reached under the table to tug at An Sheng's lapel and blinked at him. Husband, am I right?
An Sheng nodded with a smile. Yes.
An Gui: ...
At this time, Douzi was full. He put down his bowl and chopsticks, looking curious. Sister, Brother-in-law, is the hunting expedition for hunting? Is Brother-in-law going to hunt too? Are there tigers and big black bears there?
An Sheng recalled for a moment. There are, but black bears should be hibernating in this season. We might not necessarily encounter them on this trip.
A Mei's eyes widened. Husband, is that not very dangerous?
An Sheng let out a soft laugh. Naturally. However, our family will mainly be following His Majesty. If we really encounter danger, all the officials in the hunting grounds, top to bottom, will lose their heads.
A Mei understood and grinned. Not to mention anything else, following His Majesty guarantees that our lives will be safe.
...
Just after finishing the meal, Xiao Zhengzi brought over a few letters for An Sheng to review.
An Sheng then took A Mei back to the study first.
These contained important case details sent from the borders and various regional branch offices of the Inner Depot over the past month.
An Sheng sat in front of the desk, lowered his eyes, and read quietly with a gloomy face.
A Mei felt a little bored, but not wanting to disturb her husband, she simply found a pen and paper and started practicing calligraphy at the other end of the long desk.
However, as she wrote, A Mei became somewhat absent-minded, her eyes repeatedly drifting over to An Sheng.
At this moment, An Sheng's expression was indifferent. His look seemed to remain unchanged from beginning to end. If Wu Da or Xiao Zhengzi were here, they would definitely notice the increasingly dense murderous aura that had inexplicably filled the room, as well as the biting coldness and gloomy malice radiating from An Sheng.
That feeling would make any outsider's blood run cold.
But A Mei was different. In her eyes, her seriously working husband was so majestic and charming. She was so delighted that she could not get enough of looking at him.
Perhaps A Mei's burning gaze had truly reached a point where it could not be ignored. An Sheng raised an eyebrow, his deep black eyes striking straight into A Mei's heart.
A gentle curve formed at the corners of An Sheng's mouth as he asked in a low voice, Why are you looking at me like that?
A Mei's heart trembled under An Sheng's gaze. She felt a tingling numbness in her heart and a sense of shame, like she had been caught peeking. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she lowered her eyes and replied shyly, No, it is nothing.
An Sheng raised his eyebrow. He put down the documents in his hand, stood up, and took a few steps to A Mei's side. He leaned over slightly, his figure almost completely enveloping the petite A Mei.
A Mei suddenly felt that her breathing was no longer smooth, and her whole body inexplicably grew hot.
Just then, a warm and wet sensation suddenly came from the base of her ear.
An Sheng placed a kiss by A Mei's ear, his warm breath spraying against her skin. I clearly saw it all. You were staring at me just now, Madam. Why are you suddenly getting shy?
A Mei's little face instantly turned beet red, and she stammered, A Mei... just likes... looking at you, Husband. I am not shy, it is just, it is just...
An Sheng asked, Just what?
A Mei looked up and gave An Sheng a coquettish glare. With a soft cry, she simply acted spoiled and said, Husband, A Mei wants to go back to the bedroom with you. Can you not read your letters and things a bit faster?
Now it was An Sheng's heart that began to pound wildly!
His deep black eyes were instantly covered by that familiar, maddening, overwhelming, and fanatical desire that seemed to want to swallow A Mei whole.
An Sheng swallowed hard. He fell into a suspiciously silent pause for a moment, then gently pulled A Mei into his arms. He spoke softly, incredibly gentle.
Be good. I am done with my work. Tonight, I will certainly love you properly, Madam.
A Mei pursed her lips, no longer caring about shame or coyness. Her body and mind had long turned into a puddle of mush, becoming exceptionally greedy for intimacy with her husband... wanting more...
She leaned softly against An Sheng, reaching out to cling to his neck. Looking up to meet An Sheng's eyes, her own eyes were moist and sparkling. Her little mouth opened and closed as she said delicately, Then, Husband, shall we go back to our room?
An Sheng immediately seized the opportunity. Accompanied by a small gasp from A Mei, he scooped her up by her waist.
An Sheng's breathing grew heavy as well. Holding A Mei, he strode toward the door and kicked it open with one foot, saying as he walked, Yes, we are going back right now!
An Sheng walked incredibly fast. Within a few breaths, he had kicked open the bedroom door and then kicked it shut behind them!
When A Mei was placed on the bed, she instinctively rolled inward the moment she touched the mattress. She suddenly realized something.
Wait, Husband!
An Sheng stood firmly in front of the bed, looking down at A Mei on the bed from above. He was slowly and methodically unbuttoning his own clothes. Hearing her, he raised an eyebrow slightly, his voice husky. What is it?
A Mei was blushing with embarrassment. Husband has not bathed yet. Hot water has already been prepared in the bathing room. Hurry and go.
An Sheng's movement of unfastening his knot buttons paused. He was silent for a moment, then refastened the buttons. He took a deep breath, exhaled, and after repeating this for a few breaths, he ground his teeth and said, Fine, I will go wash together with A Mei.
A Mei nimbly slid under the covers, pulling the quilt up to completely cover her head. Her soft, timid voice traveled through the blanket to An Sheng's ears. A Mei already washed before Husband came home. Hurry up and go, Husband. A Mei will wait for you.
A Mei could not see that at this moment, An Sheng's slender eyes were slightly narrowed, his expression taut, and the muscles on his cheeks twitching slightly. It was hard to imagine how much willpower it took him to suppress that uncontrollable, surging desire and maddening excitement bit by bit.
Alright. Wait for a moment, Madam. I will be right back.
