“But…”
A Mei hesitated slightly, looking at An Sheng with her eyes blinking, innocent and adorable.
“You’re an imperial envoy, husband. Everyone’s practically shoving gifts at you. Why would I need to ask for bribes?”
An Sheng’s lips curled at A Mei’s blunt honesty. He reached out and lightly pinched her nose, letting out a laugh tinged with a teasing sarcasm. “Our household is one thing. You are another. They can’t be grouped together.”
A Mei pouted, furrowed her brows in thought, then suddenly her eyes widened with a gasp. They sparkled as she exclaimed in dawning realization, “I get it! They give you a share, and then I ask for another. They wouldn’t dare refuse, so naturally, we’d be overflowing with riches.”
With that, A Mei eagerly counted on her fingers to explain, “Last time when we worked with Minister Cui of the Justice Ministry, you weren’t even an imperial envoy and we still got plenty of perks. Now that you’re the real deal, every official up in Lindong will be crawling over themselves to butter us up.”
A Mei chattered on endlessly: “Silver notes are the easiest to grab. Gold and jewelry are fine too, but fragile big porcelain pieces are a hassle to transport. Like that Ruibao piece last time—it got all chipped on the road. If they try to gift us stuff like that again, they might as well just hand over cash instead.”
“Hehe, don’t worry, husband. With me around, our family fortune will only grow.”
An Sheng stared at A Mei, her eyes gleaming like a little money-grubber. The corner of his eye twitched slightly before he could stop it. He pressed his lips together, stifling a smile, and said, “Well then, this grand task is yours to handle, my dear.”
A Mei lifted her chin with smug pride, looking eager to jump into action. “Trust me, husband. They say nine out of ten officials are corrupt and cozy with merchants. I won’t go easy on them.”
A Mei blinked, then shot a sidelong glance at An Sheng. “Worried? That sounds weird, husband. I’m not a child anymore.”
At this moment, they were lying on their sides, A Mei curled into An Sheng’s embrace. He looked down at her bright, pretty face, and his gaze naturally wandered down her slender neck, lingering without shame on her round, soft chest—especially the cleavage pressed by their position. His eyes darkened with desire, his throat dry, but his words carried a layered meaning.
“Naturally, you’ve grown up,” he said, his tone thoughtful. “When you first married me, you were all thin and scrawny. Now? You’ve filled out everywhere.”
A Mei followed his gaze downward and instantly flushed crimson. Shyly, she covered her chest and shot him a pouty glare. “Oh, so husband was referring to that part growing.”
Then a thought crossed her mind. With a huff, her sweet voice took on a hint of reproach: “So husband prefers big ones. That explains why you were so rough with me when we first got married. You never wanted to kiss or cuddle… because I was too thin and dried-up, huh?”
An Sheng’s brow shot up at that, his face darkening. But seeing A Mei sneakily darting her big eyes at him, it was clear she wasn’t truly upset. His irritation evaporated. With a low sigh, he bit down on her ear in mock punishment, gently grinding his teeth against the flushed cartilage. “A Mei, do you really think I care about such things?”
A Mei nodded solemnly, not knowing when to quit.
An Sheng let out a resigned laugh, snatching her soft chest in one hand. As she let out a small moan, he kneaded with a bit more force than usual. His touch was teasing, laced with playful mischief, yet he couldn’t bring himself to be harsh. “Silly girl. Surely your little brain isn’t spinning with nonsense again. If I were such a lecher, wouldn’t I have filled the house with concubines by now? Why would I have married a skinny little thing like you?”
“Besides, haven’t I made my feelings clear enough? I told you before—before I married you, I had no interest in women at all. Do you really not understand why I’ve changed?”
His words sent a tremor through A Mei’s heart, a sweetness swelling inside her. She hummed in delight, burying her face in his solid chest, rubbing against him like a kitten. “I do. It’s because husband loves me. Only me.”
“Good to see you understand.”
A Mei suddenly grabbed his hand as it roamed over her chest. Her limpid eyes shimmered, filled with unspoken love and dependence. Softly, she murmured, “Husband, I was just throwing a little tantrum on purpose. Don’t be mad. I love you so, so much. You’re the best husband in the world.”
An Sheng’s face grew serious. “Remember this: you are my wife. No matter what you’re like, I love you. That’s all.”
A Mei hummed a sweet “Mm,” then lifted her head again, bashful, meeting his eyes before looking away. After a moment, she managed a shy whisper, almost inaudible: “But… I still want to grow a bit bigger. Then it’d surely be softer and more comfortable for you to touch. Don’t you think?”
An Sheng: …
