“Husband.”
An Sheng’s gaze fell upon A Mei, who was currently looking at him with such intimacy and dependence. He watched as she waited for him on the bed, her presence soft and delicate.
An Sheng’s breath hitched, trembling slightly.
His expression remained calm, yet his heart was racing, thumping with a frantic, wild energy like a predatory lion exhilarated to the point of madness.
A long-cherished wish had finally come to fruition. The sense of control and accomplishment he felt was intoxicating. To maintain his composure, he needed an outlet, a release.
He gazed at A Mei silently, drawing upon every ounce of endurance he had cultivated over the years.
An insatiable excitement ravaged his heart. Tenderness and a twisted obsession intertwined, giving rise to a desire more potent than ever before. An Sheng pressed his tongue against his teeth, barely managing to suppress the urge to simply seize what he wanted.
No, he could not frighten his wife.
Seeing that her husband hadn't moved to embrace her as he usually did, A Mei reached out her hand and pouted.
“Husband, why are you just standing there? Come to bed.”
As if remembering something, A Mei let out a small gasp. “Have you been so busy that you haven't eaten yet? I’ll get up and make you something.”
As A Mei started to sit up, An Sheng’s hand gently pressed down on her.
“I have already eaten,” he said.
A Mei gave a soft “oh” and naturally reached out to undo the buttons of An Sheng’s robe. She murmured, “It is so late. You should rest quickly. Don’t you have to wake up early tomorrow?”
An Sheng cooperated as A Mei helped him out of his outer robe.
A Mei scooted toward the inner side of the bed and lay down happily. She patted the pillow and blinked her bright, watery eyes, silently urging her husband to lie down beside her.
An Sheng’s eyes flickered with a dark, unreadable light. He did not lie down; instead, his hands reached for the sash of A Mei’s garment.
As he gently untied her sash, he spoke. “A Mei, His Majesty has issued a decree appointing me as the Commander of the Neixing Bureau. It is a rank-three official position.”
A Mei listened intently, giving another “oh.” Before she could say anything else, she watched as her husband began to slide the clothes off her body.
With her clothes being removed, his intentions for the night were unmistakable. A Mei’s face flushed instantly, overcome with shyness. She wasn't being coy—she truly enjoyed intimacy with her husband—but considering how late it was, she reached out and gave his shoulder a gentle, protesting push.
“Husband, you are so busy and have to wake up early tomorrow. Perhaps… we shouldn't?” she whispered sweetly.
An Sheng acted as if he hadn't heard her. His hands didn't stop until A Mei’s tender skin was revealed. His breathing grew heavy, and his voice turned hoarse. “We should.”
A Mei blinked her shimmering eyes, feeling bashful under his direct gaze. She stole a glance at his face; though his expression was neutral, she could sense a faint, trembling excitement emanating from him. It felt strange—a foreign sensation that stirred a tiny seed of trepidation and fear within her.
The moment that thought entered her mind, she pushed it away. How could she be afraid of her husband? Not wanting to dwell on it, she simply closed her eyes, her face crimson, and gave herself to him without reservation.
When An Sheng’s fingers brushed against her skin, the warm touch made her body quiver.
The corners of An Sheng’s lips curled upward. His A Mei was so sensitive, so authentically adorable.
He looked down at the woman beneath him—at her dependent, bashful state—and his burgeoning, uncontrollable desire was reined in by a surge of pure affection.
Finally, he kissed her fiercely.
***
“A Mei.”
“A Mei.”
“A Mei.”
An Gui called her name three times before A Mei finally snapped out of her daze and looked back. “Ah! Godfather, you called me?”
A look of doubt flashed in An Gui’s eyes. “Why are you so distracted? Do you have something on your mind?”
“No, not at all, Godfather,” A Mei denied quickly.
An Gui hummed in response. “What time did Sheng’er return to the manor last night?”
At the mention of her husband, A Mei stiffened. She shook her head unnaturally. “I don’t remember. It was very late, anyway.”
An Gui nodded and asked again, “What time did he leave this morning?”
A Mei thought of how her husband had exerted her the previous night, so much so that she had barely been able to wake up. She had been sleeping so soundly that she had no idea when he left. Her face turned beet-red at the memory.
“I was asleep,” she said sheepishly. “I don’t know when he left.”
An Gui gave her a meaningful look and said with a smile, “Sheng’er always says I spoil you, but now it seems he is the one who spoils you the most. Now that An Sheng’s status has changed and he is a high official, he must attend the morning court at the hour of the Tiger every day. As his wife, you cannot sleep in late anymore.”
An Gui’s words made A Mei’s face turn even redder. She felt both shy and resentful toward her husband’s behavior the night before, but these were things she couldn't explain to her godfather.
In the end, she could only grit her teeth in embarrassment and promise her godfather that she would serve her husband well and stop sleeping in.
In truth, many officials did not believe An Sheng deserved the appointment as Commander of the Neixing Bureau. Although he was the Emperor’s personal attendant, he had no notable achievements to his name. Even during his mission south with Cui Gudao, they had only managed to recover 3.8 million taels of silver—a figure hardly worth boasting about.
On the second day after the appointment, a particularly proactive official submitted a memorial, claiming that An Sheng lacked the virtue and merit required for such a heavy responsibility.
Since everyone had been vocally opposed to the Neixing Bureau during the previous day’s session, this official was exceptionally confident in his petition.
However, he quickly realized something was wrong. The Emperor sat upon the dragon throne with a grim expression. Even the Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet, who had been the loudest critics the day before, remained silent.
Even the subject of the petition, An Sheng, stood in his place without so much as batting an eyelid.
The silence in the court was stifling.
Soon, other officials moved on to different topics, and the court atmosphere gradually became more active again, leaving that official standing there with a flushed face, feeling as though he were sitting on pins and needles.
After the court session ended, the man walked out in a state of deep frustration. The officials he was usually friendly with had all hurried away, unwilling to be seen with him. Finally, an elderly official from the Ministry of Rites, unable to watch any longer, approached him.
“Lord Li, you are a fool!”
Lord Li felt as if he had found a lifeline. “Lord Ji, I am utterly perplexed. Please, Lord Ji, give me a straight answer.”
Lord Ji sighed. “Lord Li, you only see that Master Cui recovered a mere 3.8 million taels. But have you considered why His Majesty was so delighted after Master Cui and Commander An returned? Why he reinstated the Neixing Bureau specifically for him? Even the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War have stopped arguing over military funds. Everyone with eyes is turning a blind eye to this, yet here you are with no sense at all!”
