Since when exactly, Pei Huai’an had started paying extra attention to Shen Yunshu’s figure was unclear. Ever since Yunshu’s injury, she could no longer exercise every morning like before. He was very worried that her hard-earned, toned figure would slacken, so every night he had to touch and check whether the firmness of her chest and abdomen remained as before.
Indeed, these days Yunshu was mostly resting and taking plenty of nourishing medicinal dishes. A thin layer of soft flesh had grown around her waist, which felt noticeably less firm than before. But to keep him from worrying, Shen Yunshu lied and said it was just as tight as before.
He gleefully grabbed her hand, urging her to touch it a bit longer. As she did, he pressed her hand downward.
In the past, whenever he made her do such things, she would shyly hide in his arms. But after so many times, Pei Huai’an had thickened his skin. Instead of hiding, he stared at her intently.
It was clearly him who should be embarrassed, yet it was she who blushed deeply.
Tonight, however, he didn’t pull her hand to press on his body. Instead, he made an even more outrageous request.
“Wife, may I touch you?”
“No… ah.” Before she could refuse, that large hand had already slipped inside her clothes like a swimming fish.
His hand was larger now that he had grown taller, seemingly wider as well, instantly covering most of her.
Shen Yunshu let out a soft moan instinctively. The man opposite her, feeling that soft, full touch, had flickering flames ignite in his dark eyes.
“Pei Huai’an,” Shen Yunshu held his hand, “Don’t do this.”
Yet those broad, long fingers refused to be moved, gripping her tightly. He seemed even less able to bear it than she was. His voice took on a hint of desire: “Wife, I want to hear you call me ‘husband’…”
He never mentioned it, but she realized she had never called him that before.
Previously, she would remind her younger sister not to always call Pei Huaijin by his full name. But now, when it came to herself, she discovered she had always addressed her husband by his full name.
Her divorce papers had long since been torn up. She should have changed how she addressed him.
“Hus—” Shen Yunshu parted her lips, but found that a simple word became unexpectedly difficult to say.
Probably because he was a year younger than her, deep down she still saw him as a little brother.
Seeing her struggle to say the second character, Pei Huai’an grew a little dissatisfied. His hand gained a touch of gentleness, softening between her fingers, causing her breath to suddenly quicken.
“Wife, you’re being naughty. Why won’t you call me husband?”
The younger brother who had once been obedient now became the controller, using his gentle fingers and movements to punish her for refusing to change how she spoke.
Shen Yunshu’s breathing became erratic; the harder she tried to say the word, the more impossible it became. He increased the punishment, burying himself against her front and biting the ties of her collar, slowly pulling them apart…
Shen Yunshu tried to push him away, but he restrained her single-handedly. While effortlessly holding her slender wrist pinned above her head, his nimble tongue untied the last knot on the collar.
Her underclothes were lifted and piled upon her collarbone. That mischievous hand finally withdrew. Pei Huai’an raised his head and fixed his gaze on her, murmuring softly, “Wife, you’re so beautiful…”
Seeing where his eyes landed, Shen Yunshu’s cheeks burned hot. “Pei Huai’an, close your eyes.”
But he was no longer the obedient little dog she once knew. The fire in his eyes flickered with green light—a hungry wolf cub.
The hungry wolf spoke again with words like a tiger and wolf: “Wife, may I kiss you?”
“No!” she refused in panic.
But by then, he no longer heard her words or looked at her, his gaze locked on a single spot as his breath slowly approached.
He said one kiss, but clearly it was not just a kiss, nor just one.
Once he had her lips, he refused to let go.
The wolf cub starved for so long eagerly began to feast, each bite fiercely impatient.
Not only his sharp fangs, but also his perfectly shaped nose and the faint stubble brushing against her tender skin.
Shen Yunshu let out a few cries of pain, struggling in vain, her whole body flushed like a fully cooked shrimp.
Unable to break free, she could only breathe softly and plead, “Gentle, gentle…”
Fortunately, he listened, slowing the pace of his feast. His large hand came back over her, holding her as if she were a treasure, savoring her slowly…
It no longer hurt, but the stimulation only increased, causing her to tremble.
Her breathing grew short again. He was too heavy, and she used both hands to support herself as he pressed down like a small mountain, making it hard to breathe.
“Hus…band,” she finally managed the word, “Get up, I can’t breathe.”
His movements paused. His head buried in her chest slowly raised, his thick gaze fixed on her face. “Wife, what did you just call me?”
“Husband.” After saying it once, she added, “You’re too heavy, I can’t take it.”
“It’s my fault,” he said. With a stretch of his long arms, he sat up, then pulled her up as well. Curling his legs a bit, she gained some space, just enough as before. “Is this better?”
Shen Yunshu tried to close her loose collar, but he forbade it, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
Her shoulders lifted slightly, the hills and valleys between them more enticing than ever.
He happily sank back into the tender spring colors, the scent of jasmine filling his mouth and nose.
The situation was about to become uncontrollable. She tried to get him to stop, and though he still held her, she could still move a little.
Inevitably, she brushed against him.
He suddenly hugged her even tighter, his body trembling violently, then stiffened, frozen in place.
“What’s wrong?” she lowered her eyes and asked.
He slowly lifted his head, his previously excited expression replaced with a slight tremble in his clear eyes, panic and uncertainty written across his face. “Wife, I…”
He finally released her and put her down.
“I… my pants are dirty.”
Shen Yunshu was momentarily stunned, then realized what he meant. “Then… do you have a change of clothes?”
He lowered his head bashfully. “No, I was too focused on coming to see you. I didn’t think to bring a change of clothes.”
With no one else around, Shen Yunshu refused to call servants in the middle of the night to find him new pants. Instead, she said, “Then take them off. I’ll have someone bring a basin of water for you to wash them. You can dry them by the stove overnight…”
She didn’t mind hot water; cold water would be the problem.
“All right.”
Shen Yunshu tidied her clothes, quickly pinned up her hair, put on a cloak, then opened the door to have someone bring a basin of water—warm or cool, but quickly.
The maid on duty soon brought a basin of warm water. Shen Yunshu didn’t call the maid in, but took the water herself and set it on the table. She wet a cloth and handed it to the man on the bed. “Take off your pants and use the cloth to wipe yourself…”
He fiddled under the quilt for a while but didn’t give her the pants. Instead, he took the cloth and started wiping himself, murmuring, “Wife, I’ll wash it myself…”
Before, Qing Wu had always helped him wash, but after delivering him to the Shen household tonight, Qing Wu had gone back.
How could she expect him to wash his pants?
“You wash it yourself?” Shen Yunshu couldn’t help laughing. “You have other pants you could wear. Why stand there washing?”
That was true.
Thinking of the image, Pei Huai’an laughed as well. He pulled the crumpled pants out from under the quilt and handed them over. “Then… thank you, wife.”
“What is this…”
Shen Yunshu took the pants, soaked them in the basin, and began rubbing the dirty spots.
Pei Huai’an curled up under the quilt, watching her hazy, beautiful profile. When she bent her head to wash, a lock of black hair fell onto her forehead, swaying lightly with her movements.
It occasionally obscured his view. Several times she brushed it behind her ear, only for it to mischievously fall again, making her sigh, but she didn’t care.
Pei Huai’an couldn’t stand it either. He got out of bed, went behind her, and wrapped that strand of hair around her hairpin, finally solving the problem.
“Why did you come down?” Shen Yunshu turned back instinctively, realizing he wasn’t wearing pants, quickly looking away. “Go back, it’s cold outside.”
“Not cold,” he said, holding her from behind. “I just cleaned them. They’re still a bit wet, just drying…”
Shen Yunshu nudged him with her elbow. “Shameless.”
“Wife, don’t look back. Then I won’t be ashamed.” He rested his chin on her shoulder, stretching out his hand to invite her to wash together.
The next moment, she slapped his hand away. “Don’t mess around. It’s just a little dirt, no need for four hands.”
Pei Huai’an shook the water off his hand and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing close to pester her. “Wife, you’re really good. I’ll wash your underclothes for you in the future.”
What nonsense was that? His wife’s underclothes were to be washed by him?
Mentioning underclothes reminded her of something. “Did you steal one of my undergarments before?”
“You caught me.” Actually, he had searched everywhere and couldn’t find that piece. He knew she had found and taken it back secretly, but she never mentioned it, and he acted as if he’d stolen it himself. Ever since they shared a bed, he didn’t need that undergarment anymore.
“Why did you steal my underclothes?”
Thinking of what he had done with that piece, Pei Huai’an grinned and dodged the question. “Wife, better not ask. I’m afraid if I told you, you’d scold me…”
Hearing that, Shen Yunshu immediately guessed the truth, smiling and chiding him once before letting it go.
The pants were soon washed. Shen Yunshu turned to hang them by the incense stove to dry. The clingy man followed closely behind. After she hung the pants, he scooped her up, rolling with her back into the warm quilt.
His hands and legs tangled around her.
Without the layer of fabric between them, Pei Huai’an was quite comfortable. “Wife, I find it more comfortable sleeping without clothes…”
“How could that be?”
“Really. Try it yourself.”
“No, I’m used to sleeping with clothes.”
He took off his shirt and tossed it outside the quilt, then pressed close again, exclaiming exaggeratedly, “It’s really comfortable, wife, you should try it…”
He immediately reached for her collar ties.
Shen Yunshu pressed his hand down, laughing as she scolded him. “Stop it, it’s late. Let’s sleep.”
Pei Huai’an saw her smile and took it as permission. Boldly, he used both hands and feet to strip her bare in no time. Before she could get angry, he held her close and apologized, “Wife, don’t be mad. I just want to be close to you. Nothing else…”