“Clear my name?”
“That’s right!” A Mei blinked, utterly convinced, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
An Sheng raised a hand to his forehead.
For the first time in many years, he suddenly experienced that rare feeling of helplessness, along with a deep sense of exasperation.
Then An Sheng gave a slight shake of his head. The corners of his lips curved into an indulgent, helpless smile, and he sighed. “You…”
A Mei stared at him. “Husband, what did I do?”
An Sheng struggled not to laugh. He spoke slowly, his tone strangely mocking and dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, my dear lady, when I heard you say, ‘Clear your name,’ I was so startled I didn’t know what to do with myself. Even your husband, shameless and headstrong as he usually is, couldn’t help feeling guilty and ashamed.”
A Mei: “…”
An Sheng lowered his eyes and gazed down into her moist, limpid eyes. He watched as her rosy little lips opened and closed.
“B-but…”
A Mei’s expression was sincere and pure, filled with utter seriousness. “I don’t agree with what you said, Husband. Isn’t there a saying that those who hold a position should fulfill the responsibilities that come with it? His Majesty placed you in this position and gave you such authority precisely so you could do these things, didn’t he? In any case, I don’t care. In A Mei’s eyes, no matter what happens, you’re always right.”
As she spoke, A Mei suddenly reached out and pinched An Sheng around the waist. Her bright eyes flashed fiercely as she gave a delicate little huff. “Hmph! And don’t you dare say things like you feel guilty or ashamed. I won’t allow you to speak of yourself that way!”
“All right, all right. Whatever my wife says is right. Your husband will listen to you.” An Sheng’s lips curved high, and his eyes were filled with satisfaction and delight.
A Mei gazed into An Sheng’s deep eyes. At that moment, his eyes seemed to sparkle like brilliant fireworks in the night sky, making her heart skip a beat.
Without warning, a faint blush spread across A Mei’s cheeks. She pressed her lips together in a smile, shot An Sheng a coy, reproachful glance, then turned her head aside and let out a soft, petulant hum. “You’ve always been so good at sweet-talking me, Husband.”
Just then, she seemed to think of something. Her little face grew serious once more as she looked back at An Sheng, a trace of worry in her eyes. “Husband, do you think those officials will really go to the Ministry of Justice and accuse you tomorrow?”
An Sheng first brushed the hair from her temple in a soothing gesture, his voice gentle and low. “Don’t worry, my wife. I’m not so easily brought down.”
Then he gave a cold snort. His eyes instantly turned vicious and cutting, dark malice showing plainly in his expression. With a half-smile, he said, “As for whether anyone will actually dare to accuse me tomorrow, that’s hard to say. It depends on whether they have the courage.”
How could A Mei possibly feel reassured after hearing him say that? Her brows drew together even more tightly, and the worry in her eyes refused to fade. She reached out and clasped An Sheng’s large hand, speaking in a muffled voice. “Husband, what should we do now? We can’t just sit around and wait, can we?”
An Sheng turned his hand over and enclosed her soft little hand in his palm, gently rubbing it. He had not intended to say much, but seeing the worry on his young wife’s face softened his heart. In the end, he could only patiently explain, “You really must stop overthinking. His Majesty is on our side. He publicly warned them in court today. There isn’t a fool in the imperial court; they all understand perfectly well that everything I’ve done, both openly and behind the scenes, has been authorized by the Emperor. As for this so-called bullying through influence, the influence I’ve relied on from beginning to end has been the Emperor’s. To oppose me now is to oppose His Majesty. They’ll have to think very carefully before doing that.”
An Sheng had made things so clear that A Mei’s heart finally settled. But when she heard that he would be going to work at the Inner Depot later, she refused to let go of his hand no matter what.
She blinked and spoke in a coaxing, negotiatory tone. “Husband, I don’t want to be apart from you. Can I go to the Inner Depot with you today?”
An Sheng raised his brows and studied A Mei for a moment before the corners of his lips lifted. “My wife, official business is dull and terribly boring. I just heard that a new jewelry shop has opened in the northern part of the city. Why don’t you go—”
“Oh, honestly! How can you be thinking about jewelry at a time like this? Nothing matters more to me than you, Husband.” A Mei cut him off with a delicate cry.
Then she planted both hands on her hips, looking very much as though she were about to make a scene. “Husband, haven’t you realized it yet? I don’t want to be apart from you for even a moment. Whatever happens, I want to face it with you. From now on, A Mei is going to stick to your side every step of the way. If you won’t agree, then you’re not going anywhere today. You’ll stay here at home and keep me company. And if you dare leave A Mei behind, I’ll cry right now.”
As she spoke, A Mei wrapped both arms tightly around An Sheng’s arm, clearly determined to cling to him until he gave in.
An Sheng: “…”
An Sheng looked as though he were sighing and laughing at the same time. “All right, all right. You’ve made it sound so serious—how could I possibly dare leave you behind? I promise I’ll take you wherever I go. Happy now?”
He appeared utterly helpless before A Mei, indulging her without the slightest resistance. Yet if one looked closely, one could clearly see starlike points of light dancing deep within An Sheng’s eyes, shining with extraordinary brilliance.
…
