A Mei naturally refused An Sheng’s request to “play in the water” together, but he still coaxed and carried her all the way to the stream he had mentioned.
The moment A Mei saw the mountain stream flowing quietly before her—crystal clear, sparkling in the sunlight, and utterly pristine—she immediately changed her mind.
She untied her outer skirt and handed it to An Sheng. Then she removed her shoes and socks, bent down to hitch up her thin inner skirt and undergarments, revealing her fair, smooth arms and calves, and slowly waded into the stream.
The delicate current slid over her skin like silk, bringing a soothing sensation. A Mei let out a contented sigh, then waved to An Sheng with a smile as radiant as a flower. “Husband, it feels wonderful. Take off your shoes and come play for a while too.”
From An Sheng’s vantage point, the clear water reflected the woman’s tender, pale skin, translucent as pearls. The murmuring stream and the woman’s bright laughter formed a scene as beautiful and captivating as a painting.
For a moment, An Sheng found himself staring.
When A Mei saw that her husband neither answered nor moved, she pouted and called out again, “Hey, Husband, come over here. I’m calling you! Weren’t you the one who said you wanted to play in the water with me?”
An Sheng finally came to his senses. He removed his outer robe and casually spread it over the grass, placing A Mei’s clothes on top of it. Then he rolled up his trouser legs and stepped into the stream.
The moment he reached A Mei’s side, she suddenly scooped up a handful of water and splashed it straight into his face.
Her crisp laughter rang out like a silver bell. “Haha, Husband, was that fun?”
An Sheng was not annoyed in the slightest. He wiped the droplets from his face with one hand, then tapped a finger against her fair cheek and smiled. “You little rascal.”
A Mei pushed at him, wrinkled her nose, and stuck out her tongue. She looked both adorable and comical as she declared with perfect justification, “If we’re going to play in the water, then this is how we do it. Come on, Husband, let’s have a water fight.”
Seeing her childlike innocence and carefree delight, An Sheng’s chest trembled faintly before he finally laughed aloud. He bent down and swept his arm through the water, then flicked a few droplets toward A Mei’s evasive face. His voice was gentle and filled with indulgence. “Since my wife wants to play, then I suppose I have no choice but to see it through to the end.”
Soon, laughter and splashing water mingled together, and both their clothes and hair were soaked through.
A Mei was completely lost in the fun. In front of her husband, she was utterly uninhibited, laughing freely and joyfully. Gradually, as the thin fabric of her inner garments became drenched, the graceful curves of her lovely figure began to show through.
Her wet hair, silky as thread, clung messily to her cheeks and shoulders. Yet A Mei remained completely unaware of how alluring she looked. She merely pouted at An Sheng, her eyes bright, and pleaded sweetly, “Husband, help me move my hair aside. It’s all stuck to my face.”
An Sheng felt his breath catch as he gazed at his tender young wife, who looked like a delicate lotus emerging from the water.
She was clearly pure and guileless to an almost unbearable degree, yet in An Sheng’s eyes, she possessed an irresistible charm and allure.
Desire surged violently in the depths of An Sheng’s eyes. His gaze was filled with a fierce, twisted longing, and in an instant, he had reached the very edge of losing control.
His desire for A Mei had always come this easily, without warning.
A Mei, naturally, remained oblivious. When her husband failed to move, she used her own hand to brush the wet hair from her face, then bent down again to search the streambed for pretty pebbles.
“Wow, this one’s beautiful! Husband, come look—ah!”
As she spoke and turned around, her head collided with a solid chest.
A Mei covered her head. It did not really hurt, though it startled her. She looked up and glared at An Sheng, then complained coquettishly, “Husband, when did you come up behind me? You didn’t make a sound at all. You startled me—I bumped right into you.”
An Sheng’s expression was somber, but his movements were exceedingly gentle. He extended his arm and drew A Mei into his embrace, covering the back of her head with his broad palm. Lowering his head, he kissed her forehead and cheek in turn. “Does it hurt?”
A Mei shook her head. “No, no, it doesn’t.”
As she spoke, she held up the pebble in her hand for An Sheng to see, her face full of delight. “Husband, look. Isn’t it pretty? Shall I give it to you?”
Then she added, “Oh, Husband, don’t hold me so tightly. You’re squeezing me.”
An Sheng’s expression became unreadable. Only when that word—“hurt”—reached his ears did he manage to restrain himself and loosen his grip slightly. Yet the bulging veins and faint trembling in his palm still revealed the violence and impulse hidden beneath his forced restraint.
He took the pebble from A Mei’s hand and closed his fingers around it. A moment later, he was gripping it so tightly that it creaked.
A Mei frowned at the sound, puzzled. “Why are you squeezing it so hard, Husband?”
Then she pushed against An Sheng’s chest and peered through the clear water, searching carefully. Her eyes suddenly brightened. “All right, Husband, let me go. I want to pick a few more over there.”
But A Mei pushed once, then again, and then a third time. She still could not move him.
She looked up in confusion, only to find herself staring into a pair of deep eyes filled with blazing intensity and domineering heat.
A strange tension tightened in A Mei’s heart—not fear, but something else. She swallowed and softly called, “Husband.”
An Sheng’s gaze was fathomless. The corners of his lips curled upward. He first ran his scarlet tongue over his lower lip, then pressed it against his teeth. Staring fixedly at A Mei, he revealed a peculiar smile and slowly ground his teeth, as though filled with some strange desire and excitement.
“My wife, this setting is truly rather evocative. I really want to bully you—to make you cry. Don’t worry, this place is completely cut off from the outside world, with not a soul around. Even if you scream as loudly as you can, no one will hear you.”
A Mei: “…”
A Mei remained curled up in An Sheng’s arms for quite some time. Gradually, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. At last, she blinked and spoke in a soft voice. “Oh, Husband, you’re such a tease. That’s so embarrassing. Loosen your arms first—don’t hold me so tightly. I have something to show you.”
At her words, An Sheng immediately released her.
A Mei then nimbly twisted free from his embrace and sprang toward the edge of the stream. Barefoot, she stood atop a large rock, stuck out her tongue at An Sheng, and giggled. She looked charming and spirited. “Hmph! Haha, Husband, catch me if you can!”
An Sheng raised an eyebrow, a glimmer passing through his eyes. The curve of his lips deepened as he advanced toward A Mei through the stream, one step at a time.
“My wife is becoming more mischievous by the day. You actually dared to trick me? Just wait and see how I discipline you.”
A Mei showed not the slightest sign of fear. Seeing that An Sheng was about to reach her and knowing she could not evade him, she simply plopped down on the grass. Her limpid eyes fixed on An Sheng as she held out her arms toward him, blinking with an especially obedient and adorable air. Pouting, she began to plead sweetly, “Oh, I’m so tired, Husband. I don’t want to play anymore. My clothes are all wet, and I feel so uncomfortable. Husband… please don’t bully me anymore, all right?”
Sure enough, An Sheng finally let out a sigh, his face full of indulgent affection. He reached out and lightly hooked a finger against A Mei’s nose. “All right. I won’t tease you.”
With that, he removed A Mei’s soaked undergarment and wrung it dry. Then he fetched a clean towel and carefully dried her damp hair. By the time her hair was mostly dry, her clothes had dried as well, so he helped her put them back on.
Finally, he crouched down with his back to A Mei and turned his head toward her. “Since my wife is tired, shall I carry you home?”
A Mei’s heart was already brimming with warmth and sweetness. She happily climbed onto the man’s back and couldn’t resist leaning forward to kiss An Sheng’s ear. “All right. My husband is the best. A Mei likes you the most.”
