A Mei’s legs were already weak by the time she got down from the carriage.
Seeing that she nearly stumbled and lost her balance, An Sheng immediately caught her securely in his arms. His gentle voice carried a careful, ingratiating note. “See? I told you—I’d carry you. My lady really shouldn’t push herself.”
That only made A Mei feel even more embarrassed and indignant. She pouted coquettishly and shot him a fierce look. “No! I’m the lady of this household. What would people think if they saw my husband carrying me into the residence?”
An Sheng raised an eyebrow and said darkly, “Who would dare say a word? I’ll kill them.”
A Mei glared at him again and muttered petulantly, “It’s all your fault, Husband. Couldn’t you have… couldn’t you have…”
An Sheng curled his lips into a smile and bent down, bringing his ear close to her mouth. “Couldn’t I have what?”
In an instant, waves of crimson spread across A Mei’s fair cheeks, betraying her overwhelming embarrassment. His warm breath brushed against her delicate earlobe, leaving it flushed pink. Somewhat flustered, she pushed at An Sheng, trying to make him move farther away. In a small, resentful voice, she said, “Hmph! Couldn’t you have waited a little longer? Why did you have to do it in the carriage? It was so embarrassing…”
An Sheng continued to stare intently at her bashful expression, the corners of his lips raised high. His face was filled with satisfaction and teasing amusement. Knowing full well how mortified she was, he deliberately tormented her further.
“Doesn’t my lady think that changing locations once in a while adds a certain charm? Besides, you were clearly enjoying yourself. If I hadn’t covered your mouth, you wouldn’t have been able to hold back those sounds. Even your panting alone was enough to drive me wild.”
“Husband! You… you, stop talking!”
A Mei quickly covered An Sheng’s mouth with her hand. As she spoke, her entire body trembled with embarrassment. Honestly, her husband was impossible! Even though only the two of them could hear him, saying such things in broad daylight still made her feel mortified.
But An Sheng still refused to let her off.
The next moment, a soft, moist sensation swept across her palm.
A Mei’s eyes widened.
Her husband was licking the palm of her hand!
Once, twice, three times…
A Mei instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but An Sheng gripped her wrist firmly.
She stared at him in shock. For a moment, she even forgot to breathe. The man maintained his usual cool, solemn expression, but beneath the depths of his eyes surged a scorching emotion, like a wild beast finally released from its cage.
“Even my lady’s little hands smell so sweet. I truly adore them. I could kiss them forever and never have enough.”
His words were intimate to the extreme, and his voice was low and husky. On the surface, he looked perfectly proper, but in private he was utterly shameless. His words instantly made A Mei’s face flush scarlet. Desire stirred within her, leaving her eyes hazy and her heart fluttering.
Still, A Mei had not forgotten that they were standing in front of the main entrance. At last, she glared fiercely at An Sheng in embarrassment and anger, though the moment she opened her mouth, all her forcefulness vanished.
“Husband, you—you aren’t finished yet?”
An Sheng finally stopped teasing her. Instead, he wrapped an arm securely around her waist and guided her toward the An residence, soothing her as they walked.
“All right, all right. I won’t tease you anymore. Since my lady won’t let me carry her, I’ll escort her back inside with my arm around her. Good girl.”
From An Sheng’s perspective, his wife had stopped protesting. She merely lowered her eyes and obediently followed him into the house.
At last, the two of them entered their room and closed the door.
A Mei moved to the bed and sat down properly.
When she looked up again, she was smiling at An Sheng with alluring charm. In a sweet, delicate voice, she called, “Husband, come here.”
An Sheng’s brows twitched, and his heart began to pound. He swallowed and hurried over to sit beside A Mei. Reaching out, he pulled her into his arms. His eyes flickered as he pressed his face against her flushed cheek and spoke in a deep, unhurried voice.
“My lady, it’s broad daylight. Why have you called me over to the bed?”
His solemn, self-righteous act made A Mei’s eyelid twitch. She drew a deep breath and finally lost her patience. Reaching out, she pinched the soft flesh at An Sheng’s waist and twisted it hard, her face full of haughty indignation.
“Hmph! No wonder Lord Cui said you were shameless, Husband! You’re becoming more and more of a hypocrite!”
“Ow! My lady, my darling, go easy! I was wrong!”
An Sheng cried out exaggeratedly. As he dodged, he took advantage of the moment to pounce on A Mei, knocking her backward onto the bed and pinning her beneath him.
A Mei immediately wrapped her arms around An Sheng’s, taking the initiative to offer him a sweet kiss.
Then she opened her limpid eyes and gazed at him. She looked innocent and obedient, yet there was an indescribable allure in her expression. With a soft, coquettish hum, she complained in a tender voice. Her eyes glistened with moisture, carrying a hint of grievance and an even stronger suggestion of lingering desire, as though she had been wronged.
“Husband, you’re awful. You covered my mouth like that. It felt good, but I didn’t like being treated that way. I don’t care—I want more. Hmph! This time, you have to satisfy me.”
The moment A Mei finished speaking, An Sheng’s gaze changed.
…
…
…
No one knew how much time had passed. It was deep in the middle of the night when water was finally called for in the room.
By then, A Mei had already fallen into an exhausted sleep.
An Sheng fetched a warm, damp cloth and carefully wiped every inch of her soft, fragrant body clean.
Then he gathered her into his arms and slowly caressed and studied every part of her.
Indeed, An Sheng had recently developed a strange habit: before falling asleep, he always had to stare at A Mei for a long while.
It was a gaze so strange and obsessive, so hungry and feverish, filled with greed yet also with overwhelming satisfaction.
Anyone else subjected to such an eerie, unwavering stare would have been unable to rest, trembling with unease and fear.
But A Mei was different.
She was already sleeping soundly, giving tiny snores. Even in her dreams, her body instinctively curled toward her husband, seeking to draw closer—to get just a little closer…
