As the lady of the An household, A Mei had plenty of matters to attend to.
After having breakfast with her godfather, she went to the study and began sorting through the household accounts from the time she and her husband had been away.
By the time A Mei emerged from the study that afternoon, her shoulders were sore from all the calculating. She reclined halfway on a chaise longue while a maid gently kneaded her shoulders.
Spring had already arrived in the capital, and the weather was gradually warming. Swallows and cuckoos had alighted on the trees outside. A Mei had the maid open the window and leisurely watched the birds flitting from branch to branch, enjoying a rare moment of peace.
She was so engrossed that she failed to notice the room falling silent for a moment. Then the pressure on her shoulders subtly changed, becoming even more soothing.
Just as A Mei was comfortably narrowing her eyes, her drowsiness taking hold, a familiar male voice suddenly sounded beside her.
“My lady, is that comfortable?”
A Mei’s eyes flew open. She turned sharply toward the person beside her, astonished and delighted. “Husband, when did you get back? So soon!”
An Sheng continued massaging her shoulders, his eyes filled with tenderness. “Mm. No matter how busy the official business is, it can’t all be dealt with in a single day. Naturally, I had to come home early and spend more time with my wife.”
His words made A Mei’s heart grow even sweeter. She nodded happily, then reached up and clasped the large hand at her shoulder. “A Mei’s had enough, husband. Stop massaging me before you tire yourself out.”
With that, she rose from the chaise longue and led him by the hand to the table. They sat close together, and she personally poured An Sheng a cup of tea.
“Husband, did you go see Godfather?”
An Sheng took a sip. “Mm. I just came from his place.”
A Mei nodded, her brows curving with delight, and began firing off questions.
“Oh, I almost forgot to ask—was His Majesty satisfied with how your assignment went?”
“That Lord Tan who argued with you before—he didn’t go complain to his grandfather and cause trouble for you, did he?”
“Husband, husband, do I really not have to hand over all those jewels and ornaments to His Majesty? And also…”
“Enough.” An Sheng rubbed his forehead helplessly, cutting off her questions. He reached out and lightly tapped the tip of her nose. “My dear wife, do you really think I’ve gotten this far for nothing? There, don’t worry. Trust me and put your heart at ease. As for those jewels and ornaments—if I say they belong to my wife, then they belong to my wife. So long as you like them, I won’t hand them over even if His Majesty himself—or the Jade Emperor—comes demanding them.”
A Mei’s eyes lit up, and her smile became even more radiant.
Then she wrapped both arms around An Sheng’s and refused to let go. Raising her little face, she gazed at him with bright, dewy eyes full of admiration and pride.
“Mm! My husband is the very best!”
Her adorable expression stirred something in An Sheng’s heart. He raised a brow. “The very best?”
A Mei’s eyes sparkled as she answered with absolute certainty. “Mm!”
“Then what does my wife think I’m best at?”
Without the slightest hesitation, A Mei blurted out, “You’re the best at everything!”
“Heh.” An Sheng laughed freely. He simply rose to his feet, bent down, and swept the stunned A Mei into his arms before carrying her toward the bed.
It was only after he set her down that A Mei recovered her wits. “Ah—husband, what are you doing?”
An Sheng said nothing. With one hand, he pulled off his outer robe and tossed it to the floor. Then he caught hold of A Mei’s lower leg and removed her shoes and socks before leaning over to tug at her sash.
By then, how could A Mei not understand what he intended? She hurriedly covered her sash with both hands, embarrassed and indignant. “Hey, hey, hey! Husband! What are you doing?”
An Sheng was in no hurry to strip her. Instead, he pressed himself over her and buried his face against the fragrant hollow of her neck, inhaling deeply. His voice was husky as he asked, as though it were perfectly obvious, “What do you think I’m doing? Surely my wife knows.”
“No, you can’t.” A Mei’s little face flushed even deeper. She pushed at An Sheng’s chest with both hands. “It’s broad daylight, and the sun hasn’t even set yet. Why are you in such a hurry? We can do it tonight. Ah—don’t take that off…”
An Sheng ignored her completely. With ease, he restrained both her hands and pinned them above her head. His other hand began loosening her clothes. His lowered eyes hid his expression as he murmured, “This is where my wife is being unreasonable. If I wait until night, it’s too late; if I start early, it’s too soon. If you keep being so willful, I may have no choice but to punish you.”
His words made A Mei’s heart pound. She squirmed beneath him and began coquettishly pleading, “Oh, husband~ It’s not that I think it’s too early. Besides, Douzi waited for you all day yesterday. Before leaving for school this morning, he was still saying that he’d come home to look for his brother-in-law as soon as classes ended. He’ll be back soon, and by then…”
Before A Mei could finish, An Sheng lifted his eyes and stared straight at her. The heat and frenzy churning in their depths were all too familiar. He ran his tongue over his lower lip, the corners of his mouth curving into a dark smile, his eyes already deep and unreadable.
“Don’t worry, my lady. Douzi’s classes won’t end for a while yet. I can keep track of the time. We’ll be done before he gets back.”
A Mei: …
For a moment, A Mei had nothing to say. She obediently lay there, no longer objecting even though her hands remained pinned above her head. She let her husband undo her sash, lifting her hands and arms in cooperation to make it easier for An Sheng to remove her clothes.
As her inner and undergarments slipped away, An Sheng began undoing his own clothes with one hand. A Mei turned her head aside shyly, lightly biting her lower lip as she waited in meek silence. The sight made her look especially alluring in An Sheng’s eyes.
After a while, when the two of them were completely bare, A Mei opened and closed her mouth several times before finally speaking in a shy murmur.
“Th-then, husband, lower the bed curtains. It’s too bright. I’m embarrassed.”
An Sheng finally kissed her. His movements were gentle, considerate, and endlessly patient, quickly making A Mei’s body tremble. Her eyes grew hazy, and soft moans escaped her lips as desire took hold.
The large hand immediately released its hold on her wrists, allowing her soft hands to wrap themselves around his waist. He kissed his way downward, teasing her as he breathed heavily.
“That won’t do. My wife is so beautiful—I want to have a good look at you.”
“Good girl.”
…
No one knew how much time had passed. As their breaths mingled, An Sheng fetched the xiangzi.
A rustling sound followed.
…Deleted…
…Deleted… (These two passages could not be included here.)
“Good girl. Relax. I’ll be gentle. I promise I’ll make you feel good…”
…
A Mei bit down hard on the corner of the blanket. After her hurried breathing finally eased, her voice was hoarse beyond recognition. Pointing at a certain object that had spilled from the xiangzi, she complained with a coquettish whine,
“Then I want to try that on my husband too.”
“All right. You and I have always given one another whatever we desire. Since my wife likes it, I’ll obediently let you have your way with me.”
“Then teach me, husband.”
“All right.”
…
