The water temperature slightly higher than body temperature, the misty fragrance filling the air, and the warm, tender hands behind him… all felt so comfortable that Cheng Chi closed his eyes.
The skin exposed to the outside had been tanned to a honey color, but the skin on his body still had clear texture, white and pure as jade.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but roll up her sleeves to compare the color of her arm with Cheng Chi’s… it seemed just a tiny bit darker than her skin… Zhou Shaojin smiled with pursed lips.
Sensing something unusual, Cheng Chi half-opened his eyes, taking in Zhou Shaojin’s playful expression completely.
His heart stirred. He sat up, turned, and hooked his arm around Zhou Shaojin’s neck.
Caught off guard, Zhou Shaojin stumbled and fell into Cheng Chi’s embrace.
Water quickly soaked through her clothing.
“Shaojin, I’m sorry.” Cheng Chi looked into her eyes, guilt flashing in his gaze. “I thought I could finish the work quickly. I didn’t expect things to be more difficult than I imagined. I wasn’t even by your side when you gave birth…”
“I’m fine!” Zhou Shaojin gazed at his handsome features, her heart pounding violently. Her mind felt as if it had been muddled by the hot steam, unable to think clearly. “Mother took good care of me, and Second Sister-in-law too. When I was giving birth to Yun Ge’er, she stayed with me in the delivery room the whole time and taught me how to nurse the baby… And Elder Sister—as soon as she got the news, she rushed over… Madam and Father also sent lots of supplements like ginseng, bird’s nest, and white fungus… They also said they would bring Little Brother to see me at Yun Ge’er’s hundredth-day celebration…”
Her voice grew softer and softer… Cheng Chi’s face drew closer and closer to hers… Her heart beat faster and faster…
Cheng Chi finally kissed those red lips he had dreamed of even in his sleep.
Delicate, tender, like soft egg custard—it made Cheng Chi close his eyes, yet he couldn’t help but devour her hungrily…
Zhou Shaojin felt all her strength being drawn away by Cheng Chi. It wasn’t until her chest was pressed painfully against the wooden tub that she came to her senses and struggled to push him away.
Cheng Chi lingered a few more moments before releasing her.
Zhou Shaojin said shyly: “The wooden tub… it’s pressing against me…”
Cheng Chi laughed heartily.
Joy instantly leaped into the corners of his eyes and brows, illuminating his face.
“Then take a bath with me.” As he spoke, he stood and pulled Zhou Shaojin into the wooden tub.
“No, no!” Zhou Shaojin thought about how she was still dressed.
“What’s wrong with it?” As Cheng Chi spoke, he raised an eyebrow. His originally cold and distant demeanor gained a touch of mischief, making his features even more vivid.
Uncle Chi is really so handsome!
Zhou Shaojin gazed at him with some infatuation.
Cheng Chi raised an eyebrow, his heart feeling as if a small beast inside wanted to leap out.
In no time at all, he had stripped off Zhou Shaojin’s wet sleeves and tossed them to the floor. It wasn’t until the water soaking into her skin felt a bit cool that she reacted.
“No, no!” Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed bright red as she wrapped her arms around her body, which was clad only in a deep purple belly band embroidered with large pink hydrangea flowers.
What would the maids think when they came to clean up and saw this?
How could she face anyone after this?
But she and Cheng Chi were reunited after a long separation. Cheng Chi had worked so hard in Kaifeng Prefecture—if she rejected him, wouldn’t that make him unhappy?
Zhou Shaojin was caught in a dilemma when Cheng Chi leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers, and asked in a deep voice: “Shaojin, there, day and night, I looked forward to coming back early. Did you think of me?”
His deliberately lowered voice was mellow and husky, yet contained a subtly intoxicating allure.
Zhou Shaojin became lost in it, saying foolishly: “I did. Every day I thought about Uncle Chi.” As she spoke, tears fell silently. “I wondered what Uncle Chi was doing? Whether he was thinking of me? Whether he was tied up with official duties? Whether he was working through the night…”
That infatuated gaze was like aged wine—even without drinking, Cheng Chi felt slightly tipsy.
“Silly girl!” He held her tightly in his arms and plunged toward that flower valley.
A muffled “Mm!” was blocked in her throat by Cheng Chi, but the pain made Zhou Shaojin’s eyes widen.
Cheng Chi laughed softly, using his palm to close her eyelids, biting her most sensitive earlobe and whispering: “Close your eyes!”
Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed with shame.
She was so afraid of seeing his slightly teasing gaze.
As if he could see through the desire for him hidden in her heart.
But with her eyes closed like this, the sensations below became even more distinct.
Swollen and full, a bit painful… making her think of that bulging mass when he was at rest.
If he was excited, it must be even more astonishing, right?
Zhou Shaojin’s face burned hot, half her body went soft, like duckweed attached to him, rising and falling with his movements, rejoicing with his joy, going wild with his abandon… until she could bear it no longer and clutched his firm, strong arms, whimpering softly.
“Shaojin, Shaojin.” Cheng Chi’s somewhat anxious voice sounded in her ear.
She looked up in confusion, like a lost kitten, making his heart stir uncontrollably. He couldn’t help but bite her ear and said: “Good girl, are you uncomfortable?”
Zhou Shaojin nodded.
The fullness inside her body withdrew.
She shook her head again.
Where did Uncle Chi go…
She opened her arms toward Cheng Chi, calling out “Uncle Chi” in a sweet voice.
Cheng Chi’s face darkened a bit.
But seeing Zhou Shaojin throw herself into his arms like a young swallow returning to the forest, holding him tightly, an indescribable, ineffable tremor surged from the depths of his heart.
“Shaojin.” He called her name softly, deeply piercing into her body. “Who am I?”
Zhou Shaojin’s body tightened. In a daze, she gasped: “Silang… Zichuan… Uncle Chi…”
“Uncle Chi?” Cheng Chi’s breathing was rapid and heavy.
“Uncle Chi…” Zhou Shaojin moaned sweetly in infatuation.
That person who protected her, loved her, cherished her…
Those past moments flashed vaguely through Cheng Chi’s mind one by one.
Perhaps, in her heart, he had always been her Uncle Chi—unrelated to generational hierarchy, unrelated to romantic love, just that person who made her heart flutter.
A smile slowly spread across Cheng Chi’s lips. He padded the area with a handkerchief, had the soft and pliant Zhou Shaojin lean against the wooden tub, and entered her body from behind.
Zhou Shaojin shuddered, almost making Cheng Chi lose control immediately.
Cheng Chi gently patted her snow-white, perky peach-like bottom, kissed her smooth, round shoulders, and roamed freely and wantonly among those flowers.
Without the warm embrace and unable to smell the familiar scent, Zhou Shaojin felt a bit afraid. She anxiously called out “Uncle Chi.”
Cheng Chi responded to her call again and again by her ear, murmuring to her: “I’m right here,” “Close your eyes, I’m inside your body!”
His warm voice soothed her tense emotions.
She could increasingly feel him… her face gradually burned again… her heart gradually calmed down… indulging in it…
Cheng Chi lovingly touched her hair, which seemed somewhat heavy after getting wet.
She was much stronger than he had imagined.
Alone, she helped him honor his mother, alone she bore him a child, alone she endured the long, long nights… Like resilient rock, no matter the wind and rain, she was always there waiting for him.
He buried himself deeply in her body, greedily breathing in her scent.
When Shaojin was with him, she no longer thought about the past.
They would get better and better.
They would hold each other’s hands and grow old together…
“Shaojin!” He called her name and took her earlobe into his mouth.
Zhou Shaojin no longer knew where she was.
She responded to him with soft sounds.
The delicate voice was like a kitten’s, making Cheng Chi’s heart itch.
※※※
By the time they had dressed and made their way to Tingxiang Courtyard, the vegetables in the kitchen had already been thrown out and replaced twice.
Yun Ge’er had large teardrops on his face, burping while listlessly nursing from the wet nurse.
Zhou Shaojin, who had been forcibly dragged over by Cheng Chi, didn’t dare look Old Madam Guo in the eye, wishing there was a crack in the ground she could crawl into.
Old Madam Guo suppressed her laughter and pointed to the kang table: “Sit down and eat!”
Cheng Chi sat down composedly.
Zhou Shaojin, however, was sitting on pins and needles.
Yun Ge’er, as if connected to his mother’s heart, spat out the wet nurse’s nipple and began crying loudly.
Zhou Shaojin quickly took Yun Ge’er, saying to Old Madam Guo and Cheng Chi in a voice as soft as a mosquito: “I’ll go nurse Yun Ge’er!” Then she fled outside.
But from inside the room came Old Madam Guo’s faint voice: “Good thing my grandson’s food supply is still intact?”
What did that mean?
It took Zhou Shaojin a moment to understand.
She was so embarrassed she buried her head as she ducked into the adjacent side room.
Cheng Chi, however, was perfectly at ease, as if discussing the weather, and instructed the maids to serve the meal.
Old Madam Guo laughed heartily.
Zhou Shaojin’s entire body felt hot all over.
“Seeing you two so loving and affectionate, I’m at peace.” Old Madam Guo said in a voice louder than usual. “At my age, I just hope for household peace, harmony among descendants, and filial daughters-in-law… You being like this is very good, very good. The first condition for household peace is a loving husband and wife…”
The old lady spoke with both humor and sincerity.
The flush on Zhou Shaojin’s face gradually faded.
Cheng Chi said: “Tomorrow morning I must enter the palace with Minister Zhang to see His Majesty. Shortly I need to visit Minister Song’s residence. I also need Shaojin to prepare some medicinal herbs for me. Old Master Song has been guarding the dike these past days. After all, he’s advanced in years. When he returned, he seemed unable to bear it. I’ll go check on the old master shortly.”
Old Madam Guo, also advanced in years, could empathize most readily. Hearing this, she quickly said: “Is it serious? Has he seen a physician?”
“Although he’s seen a physician, it was only a traveling doctor.” Cheng Chi said with some concern. “I’m afraid we’ll need to have an imperial physician examine him.”
“Then go quickly.” Old Madam Guo urged. “I have some excellent gastrodia here. Take it along with you as well.”
Zhou Shaojin also forgot her embarrassment. After finishing nursing Yun Ge’er, she helped Cheng Chi prepare the medicinal herbs to take to Old Master Song.
Cheng Chi took her hand and said: “See, Mother was very happy seeing us like this, wasn’t she? I wasn’t wrong!”
Zhou Shaojin took the opportunity to nudge him with her elbow and said: “Anyway, if you do this again, I, I, I’ll sleep separately from you.”
Cheng Chi, watching her threaten him so insincerely, couldn’t help but laugh. He held her and kissed her for quite a while.
The servants attending nearby all lowered their heads and retreated.
Cheng Chi received two more playful punches from Zhou Shaojin.
The two of them teased and played for quite a while before settling down.
Zhou Shaojin said hesitantly: “Should I go with you to Old Master Song’s place?”
After all, Grand Secretary Song had helped them quite a bit.
“Are you tired?” Knowing that Zhou Shaojin preferred to stay home doing needlework, copying scriptures, and such, Cheng Chi hadn’t even thought of having her go out for social calls. He said: “If you’re tired, just stay home and sleep with Yun Ge’er. Grand Secretary Song and our family are practically family friends—I can go alone!”