Chapter 30: I Will Do My Best to Cooperate with My Husband
Page 1 of 3
“Yan’er… Yan’er, when you do this, it makes me very uncomfortable.”
Xu An was beginning to feel a little afraid of the girl, so he answered honestly.
“Ah! I’m sorry, husband. I didn’t know having you hold me while I slept would make you uncomfortable.”
“You don’t have to indulge me. I can sleep by myself.”
The petite girl spoke in a flustered voice, clearly afraid that Xu An might become angry.
She also felt that she had gone too far.
Her husband had been busy all day and must surely be exhausted. He ought to have a good rest, yet she had behaved so thoughtlessly!
Hearing this, Xu An immediately realized that she had misunderstood him.
“Yan’er, don’t overthink it. That’s not what I meant. I mean, you’re a woman and I’m a man. When you act like this, it makes me imagine things.”
“Hee-hee, I thought you didn’t like it. So that’s what you meant.”
The petite girl brightened at once.
As long as her husband was not angry, she was willing to do anything.
To her, her husband was the most important person in the world!
Perhaps seized by some newfound courage, the girl reached out her small hands and gently embraced Xu An’s head. Drawing her delicate face close, she spoke in an exceedingly tender voice.
“You don’t have to feel troubled, husband. I’m your wife, so you can do whatever you want with me.”
“I… I’ll do my best to cooperate with you.”
Xu An was momentarily dazed and swallowed hard.
He had to admit that those words were far too tempting. They were practically a test of his self-control.
“Ahem! Ahem!”
Xu An cleared his throat several times before saying, “Yan’er, stop. Weren’t you unable to sleep? Come here. I’ll hold you while you sleep.”
He felt that he could not let the girl continue speaking.
Her voice was even more deadly than physical contact.
“Thank you, husband.”
Delighted, the petite girl burrowed into Xu An’s embrace. “You’re so kind, husband.”
Xu An could only smile helplessly as he naturally drew the girl into his arms.
The unique fragrance of a young woman immediately drifted toward him.
That night, Xu An did not fall asleep until well past midnight.
The girl, however, soon drifted into a deep sleep after Xu An held her.
…
At dawn, when the sky had only just begun to pale, the petite girl woke early.
She had slept wonderfully and felt completely refreshed.
When she realized that she had awakened in her husband’s arms, the scenes from the previous night came rushing back to her mind.
Her face instantly flushed red.
She had no idea what had come over her. How could she possibly have said such things last night? It was simply too embarrassing to face!
Page 1 of 3
Page 2 of 3
At the thought, she hurriedly slipped out of the room as quietly as possible and began preparing breakfast.
Her husband was going to the city today, so she had to work quickly.
There was no sign that Xu An had awakened.
He had stayed up far too late the night before and simply could not wake up.
After about an hour, the petite girl finally finished preparing breakfast.
There were the last two eggs, a pot of white rice porridge, and several scallion pancakes.
Perhaps drawn by the aroma of breakfast, Xu An and Mu Qingqing both woke up and left their rooms at almost the same time.
After regulating her breathing the previous night, Mu Qingqing had finally managed to suppress her injuries for the time being. Her complexion had improved considerably.
Even so, a complete recovery would still require a long time.
“I heard that you woke up last night, miss. How are you feeling? I was actually planning to go into the city today and find a physician to treat you.”
Xu An greeted Mu Qingqing with a smile.
“Thank you for saving me. I will remember this kindness.”
“However, there is no need to trouble yourself over finding a physician. And please do not reveal the severity of my injuries to anyone. Otherwise, you will both be in danger. I am saying this for your own good.”
Mu Qingqing studied Xu An.
The man before her possessed a scholarly air and a rather refined bearing. He was also exceptionally handsome, with a gentle smile that never seemed to leave his lips. For some inexplicable reason, he inspired a certain measure of goodwill.
Still, Mu Qingqing merely gave Xu An a slight nod.
With her experience, how many handsome and distinguished young talents had she not seen—more than a thousand, surely?
Although Xu An appeared somewhat more remarkable than ordinary men, in her eyes, he could only be considered average.
He was not worth holding in particularly high regard.
Had he not saved her and done her a great favor, she might not even have spared him a second glance.
From Mu Qingqing’s words, Xu An roughly guessed that her injuries had likely been sustained while pursuing a criminal.
As for why she did not want news of her condition to spread, it was probably because she feared the culprit might come looking for her.
“If you do not see a physician, then your injuries…”
Xu An put on a concerned expression.
He was not truly worried about her wounds. He simply wanted to make his presence felt before her.
“My injuries are none of your concern. I know my own condition.”
“From now on, I will be staying at your residence for a while. I may have to impose upon you.”
“Heh, in that case, I shall respect your wishes. Please stay here and recover without worry. My wife and I will not reveal a word about your condition to anyone.”
Xu An spoke with exaggerated courtesy. “As for this so-called debt of gratitude, you need not take it to heart. I did not save you with the intention of receiving anything in return.”
He thought to himself that if she would not let him find a physician, at least he would save the expense.
Mu Qingqing had met countless people in her life. Otherwise, a woman could never have risen so successfully through officialdom, reaching at such a young age a position many people could never attain even after a lifetime of effort.
At a glance, she saw that Xu An was not entirely selfless.
A sly glint flashed through her eyes, and she assumed an expression of solemn admiration.
“Young sir, you truly are a man of noble character, a good person who seeks no reward. Such virtue is exceedingly rare. I have wronged you with my suspicions; please forgive me.”
Xu An felt thoroughly pleased by her words.
No wonder she was a trusted favorite of the emperor. She certainly knew how to speak, and even her praise was so pleasant to hear.
Page 2 of 3
Page 3 of 3
“Rest assured, young sir. I would never go against your wishes and place you in an immoral position.”
“As for the debt of gratitude, I shall keep it in my heart from now on. I will never mention it again, nor will I offer any tangible repayment and thereby tarnish your noble and spotless character.”
Mu Qingqing cupped her hands toward Xu An, wearing an utterly sincere expression.
“What?”
Xu An’s expression froze.
Inside, he was cursing furiously.
What was wrong with this woman? She had spent years in official circles—how could she be so clueless?
I was speaking ironically! I was merely being polite. Surely you understand that I still expect some repayment?
What use was it for her to keep such a tremendous debt of gratitude in her heart?
Xu An was deeply frustrated.
If he had known she was so incapable of reading the situation, he would never have put on such an act.
Wait!
Xu An was quick-witted. Otherwise, he could never have earned two master’s degrees in his previous life. He immediately grasped what was happening.
For a woman to rise to such a high position, ability and family background were only part of the reason. She must also have possessed an exceptional understanding of social conventions and human relationships. How could she fail to see that he was merely pretending to be polite?
If she truly lacked that much discernment, then no matter how capable she was, she could hardly have become one of the four great detectives of the Six Fan Gate, an organization so highly valued by the emperor.
Since she had already seen through his intentions yet had deliberately spoken that way, she was clearly teasing him.
Damn it!
Who would have thought this woman was so devious?
After figuring everything out, Xu An cursed inwardly.
Watching Xu An suffer in silence, Mu Qingqing laughed to herself.
That was what he got for putting on an act before her!
Did he really think she could not deal with him?
Just as she eagerly awaited his next move, Xu An’s reaction disappointed her.
“You flatter me, miss. Judging from your extraordinary bearing, you clearly did not come from an ordinary family. I imagine you must be a person of tremendous distinction.”
“Whereas I am merely a common villager from the mountains. In terms of family upbringing, education, character, learning, and every other aspect, I am certainly not fit to hold a candle to you. If I have offended you in any way, I hope you will be magnanimous enough to forgive me.”
Xu An’s expression remained perfectly calm, without the slightest ripple.
But inwardly, he swore that regardless of whether this woman’s words had been sincere, he would get something out of her.
Otherwise, after carrying her several miles along the mountain road through sheer toil, would all that effort have been for nothing?
Hearing Xu An’s words, Mu Qingqing could not help but take another look at the frail scholar before her.
“I never expected this fellow to possess such composure. Not only did he show no trace of vulgar greed, he even used the matter of character to turn the tables on me. I truly underestimated him.”
“How interesting.”
A faint smile appeared at the corners of Mu Qingqing’s lips, and she suddenly developed a slight interest in Xu An.
Page 3 of 3