The nearby town was called Qingshi Town.
An Sheng ordered the troops to set up camp and rest. He himself boarded a simple horse-drawn carriage, shed his official robes for casual clothes, and, together with A Mei—both disguised as an ordinary merchant couple—and accompanied by the young Zheng Zi and several secret guards, entered the town.
A Mei loved lively places, so An Sheng instructed the carriage to stop on the busiest shopping street in the town.
Unable to hide her excitement and joy, A Mei was embraced by An Sheng as she jumped down from the carriage.
Her clear, bright eyes blinked not once as they took in the bustling street, her smile filled with innocent curiosity. “Husband, this place looks really lively. Oh, why are there so many stones displayed outside the shops?”
An Sheng’s deep, steady gaze never left A Mei. He wore a dark blue casual outfit. Seeing this, A Mei had deliberately changed into a simple blue dress—both to complement him and to appear more composed. Yet, in An Sheng’s eyes, she remained charming and full of life.
A smile tugged irresistibly at the corners of An Sheng’s mouth as he softly explained, “This Qingshi Town, also known as Yishi Town, lives up to its name. It’s famous for its unique stones—strange stones, elegant stones, rare viewing stones. Over the years, a mature industry has formed here. Naturally, shops selling stones are only increasing.”
A Mei let out an “oh” with her brows curved in delight, grabbing An Sheng’s large hand and pulling him into the crowd. “Husband, come quickly, let’s take a look too.”
“Look, husband, doesn’t this stone look like a rabbit? Here’s the eye, and here’s a paw.”
An Sheng leaned in to take a closer look and immediately found it amusing. “My lady, I think this looks more like a little dog.”
A Mei shook her head in disagreement. “No, no.”
She then cutely pointed a slender finger at her own fair cheek, sucking in her breath and puckering her lips before continuing, “Husband, a rabbit’s cheeks are plump like this, but a dog’s aren’t.”
An Sheng’s heart melted at the adorable, childlike expression on A Mei’s face. His eyes sparkled, and a smile spread from his lips all the way to his eyes. He quickly changed his tune: “You’re right, my lady. I think it’s a little rabbit too.”
With a triumphant tilt of her chin, A Mei pursed her lips in a smile. “See? A little dog probably wouldn’t be this chubby.”
At that moment, the shop owner who was trying to attract customers noticed them and approached with enthusiasm. But he only caught the tail end of their conversation and immediately chimed in without hesitation:
“Madam has a keen eye. This stone resembles a suanni—a mythical lion-like creature—and placing it in your home symbolizes good fortune. It does look quite similar to the pine dog figures we often see.”
A Mei: ...
An Sheng: ...
A Mei blinked, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. She decisively turned her head and shifted her gaze to another stone nearby.
An Sheng cleared his throat softly, trying to save face for A Mei: “These unique stones are naturally formed and chaotic in shape. It’s normal not to recognize them perfectly. Even I misjudged it, my lady.”
Those words made A Mei’s heart swell with sweetness, though on the outside she shot An Sheng a playful glare. “Hmph, my husband just knows how to coax me.”
An Sheng curved his lips into a smile. The two of them leaned close together, and he turned his head to whisper in A Mei’s ear, deliberately stretching out his words: “You’re the lady of the house, so of course I have to pamper and spoil you. When my lady is happy, naturally I’m happy too. A Mei, don’t you agree?”
As soon as An Sheng spoke, a look of pure joy and sweetness blossomed in A Mei’s eyes. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t suppress the high curve of her lips, and her moist, shining eyes locked onto An Sheng’s gaze.
An Sheng was nearly intoxicated by the warm, open affection radiating from A Mei. His own heart burned just as fiercely. He was certain that if they weren’t surrounded by the bustling street and the throng of people, A Mei would have already thrown herself into his arms, demanding kisses and embraces.
Sure enough, from An Sheng’s perspective, the next moment A Mei’s face was full of coquettish charm and bright smiles. She tugged at her sleeve; the lively street around them held no interest for her anymore. Her sparkling eyes darted left and right as she tiptoed closer to An Sheng’s ear, as if afraid someone might overhear. Her soft voice, tinged with shyness and anticipation, drifted into his ear.
She whispered,
“Husband, didn’t you say you’d take me to the inn? When are we going?”
An Sheng: …
After a moment, An Sheng’s expression remained calm, but his voice, slightly husky, sounded especially deep as he replied, “I thought we’d spend some time here first, stroll around a bit, and head there later.”
A Mei let out a small “oh” and blinked her eyes, full of hope as she looked at An Sheng. “Then, husband, can we go a little earlier? I don’t want to wander here anymore.”
An Sheng lifted the corner of his eye, a glint flashing in his gaze. His tone was perfectly sincere, as if he hadn’t caught her meaning at all: “Why do you want to go earlier? Isn’t it nice here? Don’t you usually love it when I take you out for a walk?”
A Mei pouted suddenly, shooting An Sheng a sideways glare. She couldn’t understand why her husband was suddenly so dense. She had already hinted so clearly—well, naturally, she wanted to…
Hmph!
At a moment like this, A Mei was too shy to say more. She turned her face away in embarrassment and decided to ignore her husband for a little while.
An Sheng’s eye and mouth twitched slightly as he struggled to hold back a laugh.
Suddenly, he grabbed A Mei’s small hand and, as if realizing something belatedly, said, “I get it now.”
A Mei didn’t turn to look at him but perked up her ears.
She heard An Sheng say with mock seriousness, “It’s cold out here, so my lady must be feeling chilly. It’s all my fault for not thinking ahead. I’ll take you to the inn right away.”
A Mei: …
She breathed in, breathed out, breathed in again, and then out once more.
Finally, not caring if anyone was watching, she reached her hand to An Sheng’s waist and, biting her lip, gave a fierce twist—through his thick clothes.
The next moment, An Sheng raised his eyebrows high, but his body remained perfectly still. He pressed down the little hand that was playfully tugging at his waist and decisively admitted his fault with a sincere tone, "Oh dear, it’s really my fault, truly my fault. Please don’t be angry, my lady! Please don’t be angry!"
A Mei let out a soft hum, her small lips puckering up high as she lowered her head to mutter quietly, "You did it on purpose, didn’t you, husband?"
An Sheng simply bent down, tilted his head, and cautiously glanced at A Mei’s little face. His voice was overly gentle, "Oh dear, let me see, is my lady really upset? I truly didn’t mean it. It’s just that you were so adorable just now, I couldn’t help but tease you a little."
A Mei turned her face away, her heart pounding a little faster at her husband calling her adorable. She wasn’t really angry, but she enjoyed that secret thrill and satisfaction that came from being gently coaxed by her husband’s soft words. She deliberately put on a stern face, but her tone inadvertently carried a hint of coquettishness, "Hmph, it’s always the husband’s way, isn’t it?"
"Don’t go to the inn, A Mei. Come on, let’s go home."
An Sheng: ……
