An Sheng directly carried A Mei into the room.
Walking all this way, A Mei felt an indescribable sweetness and gratitude, but after all, with so many people watching, she couldn’t help feeling shy. As soon as the door closed, she blushed, twisted her body, and wriggled out of An Sheng’s arms, murmuring with embarrassment: “Husband, put me down quickly. Oh, husband, this makes A Mei feel so awkward.”
An Sheng set her down and raised an eyebrow with a teasing smile: “What’s there to be embarrassed about? What, can’t I carry my own wife at home?”
A Mei pressed her lips together and cast a sidelong glance at An Sheng, lowering her head shyly. Then she looked up again, casting a tender, coy glance at him, the corners of her mouth lifting uncontrollably as she spoke softly, always saying what was on her mind to An Sheng: “Actually, husband, I’m truly delighted that you treasure me so. It’s just… it makes me feel a little flustered when others see it.”
“Oh, you,” An Sheng said with a sigh, a smile curling at the corner of his lips. Then he walked to the window and opened it.
A Mei looked up, puzzled: “It’s so cold out. Why are you opening the window, husband?”
An Sheng turned back to look at A Mei as he heard this. The warm sunlight shone behind him, casting shadows across his face, giving him a fleeting look of coldness, gloom, and unpredictability—yet the moment his eyes met A Mei’s sparkling, dewy gaze, everything softened instantly.
An Sheng beckoned to A Mei: “Come here. Come over.”
A Mei curiously followed, poking her head out, and immediately widened her eyes, her gaze bright with wonder. With a gasp: “There are so many wintersweets here! They’re so beautiful!”
An Sheng pulled her close with one arm, holding her against his chest, while his other hand took hers: “A few days ago, you said this cold season was boring, with no place to enjoy the view. Does this meet my wife’s approval?”
A Mei’s eyes curved into crescents with laughter as she nodded repeatedly, unable to resist asking An Sheng: “It’s really beautiful! By the way, husband, how did you know there was such a large wintersweet grove behind this inn?”
An Sheng chuckled, raising an eyebrow with a smug, mysterious air: “Who am I? Of course I know everything.”
A Mei’s eyes instantly sparkled: “Right, right! My husband is the most capable—of course he knows everything!”
That adoring, playful little expression in A Mei’s eyes made An Sheng’s heart soften to a mush.
Then a tightness rose in An Sheng’s throat, and spurred by impulse, he began leading A Mei toward the bed. He said: “You’re used to taking an afternoon nap. It’s not too early now. How about I accompany you for a little rest?”
A Mei clung to the windowsill, refusing to let go, shaking her head repeatedly: “No need, no need. I don’t want to sleep. I want to keep looking a bit longer. If you’re tired, husband, you go sleep on your own.”
An Sheng’s face immediately darkened.
But A Mei wasn’t looking at his face, so she was completely unaware. She grinned, staring at the vast grove of wintersweets for a while, then, on second thought, couldn’t help grumbling: “It’s pretty, sure, but it’s a shame the wintersweet fruit can only be looked at and not eaten. Such a waste of so much land.”
An Sheng suddenly spoke up: “Is my wife hungry?”
A Mei blinked and shook her head: “Not hungry. We just had some snacks in the carriage, didn’t we?”
As she was speaking, a gust of cold wind hit her face. A Mei opened her mouth: “Ah… Ah-choo!”
An Sheng frowned and immediately reached out to close the window: “Enough, stop looking for now. Don’t catch a cold.”
“Hey, husband, close it later!” A Mei reached out to stop his arm.
“No.”
“But I still want to look,” A Mei coaxed.
“Be good, listen to me.”
“I don’t want to…” The word “want” was still trailing off when she met An Sheng’s stern yet irrefutable refusal: “If you’re not obedient and catch a cold, I’ll have to punish you.”
Seeing A Mei’s pout so exaggerated it looked like she could hang an oil pot from it, An Sheng sighed helplessly, pulling her toward the bed while coaxing: “Wife, when I say no, I mean no. It’s still early. Let me keep you company for a little sleep, alright?”
“Fine,” A Mei said sulkily.
An Sheng suddenly raised the back of his hand to A Mei’s forehead.
A Mei spoke carefully, a little meek and timid: “Husband, don’t worry. A Mei really isn’t cold. That gust carried the scent of flowers, and my nose just itched, that’s why I sneezed.”
A Mei suddenly looked so pitiful that An Sheng’s heart tightened. He felt a pang of guilt—was his tone just now too cold and had frightened her? At once, he softened his expression and lowered his voice: “Hmm, sweetheart, don’t worry. I was just concerned for you, which is why I was a bit strict. Of course, I wouldn’t really punish you.”
A Mei immediately curved her lips into a charming, lovely smile at An Sheng, her watery eyes blinking: “A Mei knows. How could husband bear to punish me? Husband, can’t I open the window and look a little longer?”
An Sheng: …
An Sheng’s expression soured. He reached up and rubbed his temples, looking weary, and said softly: “A Mei, I’m a bit tired. Help me change my clothes.”
A Mei pouted reluctantly, reaching out to undo An Sheng’s waist sash and then the frogs on his collar.
An Sheng’s eyes flickered with shadows and light. He cooperated with A Mei’s movements, slipping off his clothes in a few swift moves, then lunged forward and pinned A Mei onto the bed.
A Mei felt the world spin and couldn’t help gasping. Once she regained her senses, she shot An Sheng a playful, reproachful glare and complained: “Husband, what are you doing? You scared me!”
As An Sheng began untying A Mei’s clothes, he said: “Naturally, I’m doing what will make my wife’s body feel pleasure.”
A Mei froze, then suddenly understood. She turned her face away awkwardly, a blush spreading across her cheeks, as she chided: “Ah, so that’s it! No wonder you wouldn’t let me look at the wintersweets and insisted on sleeping with me. The wine was just a pretext.”
By now, An Sheng’s breathing had grown heavy. He tore open A Mei’s undergarment and kissed her tender, delicate skin, murmuring as he did: “You’re right, darling. I’ve been thinking of you so much ever since we were in the carriage.”
A Mei squirmed under his touch, letting out low, breathless moans.
“A Mei has been thinking of husband too.”
An Sheng teased her, biting gently at a soft spot: “Where?”
A Mei whimpered softly, her entire body flushing like a ripe peach, sobbing as she stammered: “Husband, you know already, why do you have to ask A Mei?”
An Sheng’s grip unconsciously tightened.
“Husband, be gentle!”
“Alright, I will be gentle.”
“Husband, did we bring the box?”
“I did.”
“When did you bring it, husband!”
“Naturally, I take it wherever my wife goes.”
“But… I didn’t know?”
“There are plenty of things my wife doesn’t know. Sweetheart, don’t get distracted at a time like this.”
…
