Early in the morning, Little Bean carried a small stool outside and sat by the front gate, staring wide-eyed down the street. He waited and waited, gazing toward the end of the road as if his eyes might pierce through it.
No matter how the maids and servants attending him tried to persuade him, he refused to return to the residence. He insisted on waiting right there by the gate.
At last, Old Master An Gui came outside. Seeing him, he could only laugh and cry at the same time. “Little Bean, your uncle knows you miss your sister and brother-in-law, but they won’t be back until after noon at the earliest. There’s no point in coming out so early to wait for them.”
Douzi, however, was determined. He lifted his little face and gave An Gui a radiant smile. “Uncle, it’s all right! I don’t mind waiting. I want Sister and Brother-in-law to see me the very first moment they come home. What if they return early and I haven’t come outside yet? Then I’d miss them.”
An Gui smiled affectionately. “All right, then. If you want to wait, go ahead. This old man will go inside and wait there. If you get thirsty or hungry, tell the servants to take care of you. Don’t force yourself to endure it.”
“Mm! I know, Uncle!”
——
The Imperial Envoy’s party had only just entered the city when Emperor Chengde sent someone to summon An Sheng to the palace.
An Sheng had originally intended to enter the palace to report on his duties anyway, so he nodded at once. Then he turned to A Mei beside him and said, “My wife, I’ll have someone escort you home first. I’m going to the palace to make my report. I’ll return home later. If I don’t make it back until late and you’re tired, go to bed early. Don’t wait up for me.”
“Mm, all right.” A Mei nodded obediently. “Then I’ll go home and wait for you, Husband.”
Once A Mei had left, An Sheng hurried into the palace with the officials and attendants traveling with him.
……
“Sister! Brother-in-law!”
They were still some distance from the An residence when A Mei, sitting inside the carriage, suddenly heard Douzi calling from outside.
She lifted the curtain and leaned out to look. Sure enough, Douzi was racing toward the carriage from the front gate, looking utterly delighted. As he ran, he continued shouting at the top of his lungs:
“Sister! Brother-in-law!”
A Mei couldn’t help laughing. This child!
She was just as happy to see him. She quickly ordered the carriage to stop and stepped down. The next moment, Douzi threw himself into her arms. He hugged A Mei tightly, and though he was smiling, his eyes soon reddened.
“Sister, Sister! Sob… Sister, I missed you so much!”
A Mei hugged her younger brother, her face filled with emotion. She cupped Douzi’s little face in her hands and saw that he looked ready to cry. Her heart ached for him.
“Good boy, Douzi. I missed you too. Oh, why are you crying? You’re a little man now. You can’t burst into tears at the slightest thing.”
Douzi sniffed hard. His face flushed slightly as he pressed his lips together, then he raised a hand and wiped his face. Straightening his little chest, he declared, “Mm, I won’t cry. I’m a little man now.”
As he spoke, he rose onto his toes and peered past A Mei into the carriage behind her. He asked in confusion, “Huh? Sister, where’s Brother-in-law?”
“Your brother-in-law still has official business to attend to. He won’t be back until later.” A Mei led her younger brother toward the An residence. When she saw the little stool by the gate, she blinked and looked at Douzi.
“When did you come outside, Douzi? Have you been waiting for a long time? You must have been getting impatient, weren’t you?”
Douzi shook his head, his bright eyes blinking as he looked up with an obedient, sensible expression. “I haven’t been waiting that long. I knew Elder Sister and Brother-in-law were coming home today, and I was so happy. Of course I wanted to see you sooner, but I wasn’t anxious at all while I waited.”
A Mei’s face blossomed into a smile. She patted Douzi’s little head, touched. “You really are such a good little brother to your sister.”
Just then, An Gui and A Mei’s father, having received word, came out of the residence to greet them. A Mei’s eyes lit up. Taking her younger brother’s hand, she hurried forward, a broad smile on her lips.
“Godfather, Father!”
An Gui’s face creased with a smile as he nodded. “You’re back. At last, you’re home.”
A Mei nodded eagerly, her smile radiant. “I missed home so much along the way. Oh, Godfather—my husband went to the palace first to report back to His Majesty. He’ll return to the residence later.”
An Gui nodded. “Mm. As an imperial envoy, Sheng naturally had to report to the palace first upon his return. All right, let’s not stand around out here. You’ve traveled a long way—go inside and rest. Your godfather will prepare a welcome-home feast for you.”
“All right. Thank you, Godfather!”
—
It was already well past midnight when An Sheng returned home.
He first went to the bathhouse to wash up, then made his way quietly back to their room.
The moment A Mei heard him, she sat up in bed and called softly, “Husband.”
An Sheng had assumed she was already asleep. He paused in surprise, then walked toward the bed as he loosened his clothes, his voice low and gentle.
“It’s so late. Why is my wife still awake? Didn’t I tell you not to wait up for me?”
“I couldn’t sleep while you weren’t home. Let me help you change,” A Mei said, moving to get up. Before she could climb out of bed, An Sheng gently pressed her back down.
“Lie still. It’s so late—how could I bear to let my wife tire herself out?”
He quickly pulled off his outer robe and tossed it aside, then climbed into bed. With one sweep of his arm, he drew A Mei into his embrace.
They lay on their sides, facing one another. He kissed her cheek softly, then rested his forehead against hers. Smiling tenderly, he teased her in a quiet voice, “What’s this? Are you so attached to me that you can’t even sleep when I’m not beside you?”
His words made A Mei’s cheeks flush. She shot An Sheng a reproachful look, then turned her face away shyly.
“What are you saying? You went to the palace to report to His Majesty and were gone for so long without coming home. They say serving a ruler is like living beside a tiger—how could I not worry? How could I possibly sleep?”
To be missed and cared for so deeply by his young wife filled An Sheng’s heart with an overwhelming tenderness and love. His arms tightened around her, and he wished he could fold her entirely into his heart.
But afraid of holding her too tightly, he soon loosened his grip. Even so, one large hand could not resist drifting over her soft curves, growing increasingly improper...
“Ah!” A Mei caught the mischievous hand beneath her nightclothes and turned to glare at An Sheng. In a soft, sweet voice, she said, “Husband... stop teasing me. Oh—now that it’s past midnight, do you still have to get up at the fifth watch of the hour of the Tiger to attend morning court?”
An Sheng gave a quiet hum. “Naturally.”
A Mei raised an eyebrow, her voice lifting slightly as she urged him on with both concern and impatience. “It won’t be much longer now. Husband, shouldn’t you hurry up and go to sleep?”
An Sheng had no mind for sleep at all. His heart was burning, and his desire to kiss and entwine himself with A Mei was overwhelming. His large hands were clasped around her soft breasts, kneading them with unmistakable intent, while his breathing grew heavier. Slowly, he spoke, his voice rising at the end with a strange, seductive lilt. “With my wife in my arms, how could I possibly sleep right now? I can always make up for it with a nap at the Inner Depot tomorrow. Why don’t we—”
Before An Sheng could finish, A Mei used all her strength to catch his hand. Her little face turned solemn as she said with utmost seriousness, “No. Even if you can’t sleep, you still have to. Stop touching me and let’s go to sleep. Tomorrow is your first morning court session since returning to the capital, so you must be well rested and alert!”
“Don’t worry, Husband. Once we lie down, I’ll behave properly and won’t cling to you at all. I’ll make sure you sleep soundly and comfortably.”
An Sheng: “…”
“No, wait. Did my wife truly not understand what I meant?” An Sheng looked at her mournfully and asked in a low, aggrieved voice.
A Mei immediately glanced sideways at him, pouting. “Of course I understood. But just look at the time! If we keep carrying on, will you get any sleep? You don’t have to sleep, but I still do. I’m not doing it.”
At last, An Sheng could hold back no longer and let out a quiet laugh. His chest trembled slightly, and he could not resist planting a deep kiss on A Mei’s cheek. His voice was filled with indulgent affection as he murmured, “All right, all right, we’ll sleep. Once tomorrow’s business is over and I come home in the evening, I’ll show you some proper affection. Then my wife won’t be allowed to refuse me again.”
A Mei nodded without the slightest trace of coyness. “Mm. Then you must finish your duties and return home early. Don’t come back as late as you did tonight.”
An Sheng: “…”
