In this situation, Squire Su panicked, his face flushing red instantly, looking both comical and ridiculous. He glanced at the beauties behind him, then looked at the others, finally meeting Eunuch An's gaze.
"Eunuch An, this... this humble commoner, I..."
Eunuch An's eyes were venomous and sharp, his lips pressed almost into a straight line. He finally let out a cold laugh, his piercing voice carrying a terrifying chill: "Squire Su, you've caused me quite a trouble. Enough, I must go and placate my wife now. You'd best watch your step, Squire Su."
...
A Mei returned to her room, fuming. She didn't even know why she was so angry, but an uncontrollable irritation welled up inside her for no reason.
A short while later, a soft knocking sound came from outside the door.
A Mei's heart was in turmoil, still pounding wildly. Hearing the noise, she abruptly stood up. The movement was too sudden, knocking a teacup from the edge of the table she was sitting at onto the floor.
The person outside, hearing the commotion and fearing something had happened inside, pushed the door open directly.
A Mei met Eunuch An's face, feeling awkward, uncomfortable, and ill at ease. She simply turned her body away and was about to bend down to squat, intending to gather the shattered pieces of the teacup from the floor.
Before she could squat, Eunuch An, who had hurried over, helped her up: "Careful, you might cut your hands. Let me clean this up."
A Mei felt a little awkward. Watching Eunuch An bend down to pick up the fragments, she couldn't help but feel threads of sweetness stirring in her heart, yet on her face, she still imitated Eunuch An's expressionless demeanor, whispering, "How can you do such chores? Let the servants handle it."
"You? What's this? A Mei isn't calling me 'husband' anymore?" A layer of frost surged in Eunuch An's eyes. His hand gripping the shards unconsciously tightened. The next moment, a trace of blood trickled from his palm. Eunuch An glanced at the bloodstain, raised an eyebrow, and then deliberately hissed through his teeth.
Hearing this and seeing the crimson blood on his hand, A Mei immediately set aside her previous awkwardness. She hurriedly moved close to Eunuch An's side, anxious and distressed: "Where is my husband hurt? Does it hurt?"
Eunuch An stared intently at A Mei, casually tossing the fragments aside. The frost in his eyes gradually dissipated: "It's nothing."
A Mei grew anxious. She carefully took hold of Eunuch An's hand: "How can it be nothing? Husband, how could you be so careless?"
A Mei examined the cut closely. Though not very deep—what wouldn't even count as a wound in Eunuch An's eyes—it made A Mei instantly panic. She hurriedly ran to the cabinet, opened it, and searched for wound ointment and white cloth.
Eunuch An simply stood there quietly, watching her. At that moment, golden light from outside flooded in. The light from the window spilled wantonly over A Mei's figure, casting a mingling of hazy light and shadow that outlined the young girl's flustered and helpless appearance. For a moment, it made Eunuch An hold his breath.
Eunuch An thought, this is his woman. How wonderful.
A Mei had Eunuch An sit on a stool, carefully applied the medicine, and bandaged the wound, only then letting out a sigh of relief. Once her emotions calmed down, she couldn't hold back any longer and softly called out:
"Husband."
Eunuch An looked at A Mei expressionlessly and gave an acknowledging hum.
Recalling the earlier scene, A Mei was actually mortified. Seeing that Eunuch An seemed unwilling to say much, she simply pulled his arm and plopped herself down onto his lap.
A Mei nestled comfortably against Eunuch An's shoulder and said out of the blue, "Husband, A Mei will listen to everything husband says from now on and serve husband well."
Eunuch An raised an eyebrow, his arm bending to encircle A Mei's waist, a slight curve lifting the corner of his mouth: "They say women are fickle, and now I believe it. Weren't you just saying outside that I wasn't allowed in your bed?"
Remembering her earlier tantrum, A Mei's face flushed crimson with shame. But recalling those beautiful women, she felt both guilty and coquettishly protested, "Wasn't it husband who asked A Mei to play along with the act? Why blame me now?"
Eunuch An's eyes narrowed slightly: "I thought you might accept those women on my behalf, to complete the reputation of this lecherous fellow. I didn't expect my wife to throw such a big fit."
"So husband wanted to accept those women after all." A Mei pouted her little mouth, speaking with grievance. Then she stared at Eunuch An with a serious expression, not hiding her feelings at all: "We can playact in other ways, but this absolutely won't do. Husband is so wonderful, A Mei can't let other women snatch husband away. Especially when husband kept staring at those women, A Mei felt very uncomfortable."
A Mei's words initially pleased Eunuch An, but towards the end, his brows furrowed slightly, his voice turning sharp: "When did I ever stare at women?"
A Mei retorted, "You clearly did!"
Thinking of those women's beauty and charm, A Mei felt unbearably upset. Her clear, dark eyes glared at Eunuch An, with an expression on the verge of tears: "Those women are so beautiful, with good figures, and they know how to serve people. Does husband like that type?"
Looking at A Mei's willful manner, Eunuch An was momentarily at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He hooked the tip of A Mei's nose with his finger and said, "What nonsense are you talking about! Don't be mischievous with me here. In the palace I've seen all kinds of beauties. How could these possibly catch my eye?"
Hearing this, A Mei initially found it reasonable, but upon second thought, her little face immediately fell.
Noticing A Mei's suddenly sullen expression, Eunuch An raised a puzzled eyebrow, sighing inwardly at how quickly a woman's mind could change. He softened his tone: "What's wrong now? I didn't accept those women, why are you unhappy again?"
If earlier A Mei's jealousy had been a woman's instinct, now A Mei felt inferior. She was utterly mortified, burying her face against Eunuch An's chest to hide.
"Then how could someone like A Mei ever catch husband's eye?"
A Mei's voice was as small as a mosquito's, but Eunuch An heard it clearly.
Eunuch An was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled lightly, the laugh carrying pleasure.
"I truly don't know how, but you did catch my eye."
Eunuch An rarely revealed his feelings to A Mei. He spoke leisurely: "When I first saw you, you were timid, faint-hearted and ignorant, utterly terrified of me and would cry at the slightest word. But as time went by, you grew less and less afraid of me. Now not only are you no longer afraid, you even know how to give me the cold shoulder."
A Mei quickly shook her head. Sitting on his lap, she twisted her body and reached up, her hands climbing to Eunuch An's neck as she looked at him with innocent dependence: "A Mei would never give husband the cold shoulder. Husband treats A Mei better and better, so of course A Mei isn't afraid of husband anymore."
Eunuch An responded with a hum, his expressionless face regaining its usual aloof sharpness, yet his hands carefully supported her waist, afraid she might lose her balance.
Suddenly, A Mei tightened her grip on Eunuch An's arms, using the force to lift herself up slightly, and planted a kiss on Eunuch An's lips.
The kiss was very light. After kissing him, A Mei just stayed there obediently, her eyes moist as she looked at him.
"Husband, kiss A Mei."
Eunuch An directly lowered his head and captured A Mei's lips with his own.
