An Sheng looked down at A Mei's tender, impassioned expression, feeling both pity and deep affection in his heart.
However, he did not immediately respond to A Mei. Instead, his large hand resting on her waist gave the soft flesh there a couple of gentle squeezes. He raised the corner of his eye and let out a long sigh, "Well now, A Mei. I've been working myself to the bone out there these past few days. I finally make it home, and before I've even had a bath, a sip of water, or a bite to eat, you are already pestering me to serve you. Tell me, A Mei, don't you think you're being a little unreasonable?"
Hearing this...
When A Mei finally realized what he meant, she let out a small cry. She pulled at An Sheng's wide sleeve to cover her small face, blushing fiercely out of sheer embarrassment.
"Husband, A Mei was wrong."
A Mei buried her face into An Sheng's embrace, genuinely feeling that she had been a bit too demanding.
An Sheng looked down at the crown of A Mei's head. Holding back a smile, he feigned a calm tone, "Then tell me, where exactly did you go wrong?"
After a good while, A Mei's soft voice finally emerged from An Sheng's chest, "A Mei shouldn't have been so inconsiderate of Husband. When Husband said we should bathe together, A Mei thought Husband, Husband..."
An Sheng curled the corners of his lips, coaxing her, "Thought I wanted to do what?"
A Mei was so embarrassed she could almost cry. She stammered, "I thought Husband wanted to, wanted to..." She simply could not bring herself to say the rest of the words out loud.
But An Sheng refused to let her off the hook. His warm breath brushed against the top of A Mei's head, causing her to tremble uncontrollably.
"Wanted to do what?"
A Mei kept her face firmly buried in An Sheng's chest, wishing the ground would swallow her up from the shame. She bit her lip and refused to utter another word.
With a sweep of his hands, An Sheng lifted A Mei up in his arms.
"Ah!" A Mei gasped. She rested her hands against An Sheng's chest, her deeply flushed face meeting his burning yet restrained gaze.
With just one look, A Mei knew her husband was teasing her on purpose. She gave An Sheng a coquettish glare, "Husband, A Mei simply missed you, yet you deliberately make fun of me."
An Sheng lowered his head and gently bit A Mei's earlobe. "Where did you miss me?"
A Mei found this question familiar and immediately wised up. She cast a shy, timid glance at An Sheng, her eyes rippling with an unconscious, charming allure. She said in a sweet, delicate voice, "Does Husband not know where A Mei missed him?"
An Sheng's breath hitched, his entire being overcome with a fiery desire. His dark eyes fell upon A Mei's face. After a long moment, he spoke in a tone that was unnervingly calm, "Of course I know."
Adjacent to A Mei and An Sheng's bedroom was a bathing room. Right now, it was filled with swirling hot steam, the large wooden tub spacious enough for two people to bathe at the same time.
An Sheng rested against the tub with his arms spread wide, his eyes closed in enjoyment. In front of him, A Mei held a washcloth, carefully wiping An Sheng's chest.
"Husband, you've lost weight."
An Sheng's skin was naturally fair. As A Mei ran her hands over him, she could clearly feel that her husband's frame was thinner than before, and her heart ached terribly for him.
An Sheng had indeed been very exhausted these past few days. Finally able to relax for a moment, he let out a contented sigh. He opened his eyes, his gaze meeting A Mei's worried eyes. His mood improved greatly, and he coaxed her, "I haven't lost weight. A Mei told me to eat well, so no matter how busy I was, I never skipped a single meal."
Hearing this, A Mei blinked her sparkling eyes, and a bright smile finally bloomed on her small face once more.
Moved, An Sheng took the washcloth from A Mei's hand and spoke softly to his delicate wife, "You've washed me enough. Let me scrub you for a bit."
A Mei let out a soft sound of agreement, obediently turning around and leaning against the edge of the tub.
The young woman's skin was smooth and delicate. An Sheng discarded the washcloth altogether, placing his large hands directly upon her back to gently caress her.
An Sheng's hands had thin calluses on them. A Mei could not help but squirm, speaking in a sweet voice, "Husband, you should use the cloth. It tickles when you do that."
An Sheng raised an eyebrow and reluctantly picked up the washcloth again, wiping her gently.
"Husband, will you still be this busy in the future?" A Mei asked softly.
An Sheng sighed, "I will be busy, but no matter how busy I get, there won't be another time where I can't even make it home."
Hearing An Sheng say this, A Mei's worries instantly vanished. She couldn't help but mutter, "Exactly. No matter how busy you are, you must come home. Even a body made of iron couldn't endure it. Seeing Husband work so hard makes A Mei feel terrible."
An Sheng's heart felt warm and comforted. After finishing her back, he reached out and turned A Mei's body around, slowly moving the silky cloth down her neck bit by bit.
From this angle, her husband could see everything clearly. A Mei initially wanted to reach up and cover her chest, but she felt that would be acting too prudish. So, she obediently let her husband wash her. Not daring to meet An Sheng's gaze, she embarrassedly turned her head away, her small face red enough to bleed.
Overcome with shyness, she stammered to change the subject, "Husband, A Mei heard there's a market in the south of the city tomorrow, and a lantern festival at night. A Mei wants to go see it."
An Sheng nodded, "Mm, I will accompany you tomorrow."
A Mei turned her head in surprise to meet An Sheng's eyes. Her watery gaze held both joy and a trace of hesitation. "Doesn't Husband have to attend morning court tomorrow?"
An Sheng replied, "His Majesty granted me three days of rest. I will spend them properly accompanying you."
A Mei was instantly overjoyed, tossing all her shyness and embarrassment aside. She almost jumped up in the tub, happiness rippling in her eyes. "Really? That's wonderful! A Mei is so happy that Husband gets three days off."
The tub was slippery, so An Sheng firmly grabbed hold of A Mei's waist. "Careful now. The water is getting cold. Let's finish washing up and head back to the room."
A Mei was thrilled in her heart and gave a cheerful sound of agreement.
A Mei followed An Sheng out of the tub. They took clean towels, slowly dried their bodies and hair, and changed into fresh clothes.
Immersed in the joy that her husband would be keeping her company for three whole days starting tomorrow, A Mei failed to notice An Sheng's fiery gaze, which was now burning with desire.
The two of them dressed neatly. Just as An Sheng was leading A Mei toward the bedroom, she suddenly shook off his hand.
With a look of pure excitement, A Mei said, "Didn't Husband say you haven't eaten yet? A Mei specifically learned how to make a few new appetizing side dishes for you recently. I'll go make them right now, just wait for me!"
With those words, A Mei happily dashed off in a flash.
An Sheng, left standing frozen in front of the room: ...
