Chapter 111

Glossary

儿 | er | (lit. child) diminutive marker used as a form of endearment

“Zhu Zhu, I have the impression that you don’t really like your mother.” On the way back to the city, Yun Shi Wei voiced the question in his mind. Having gone to war for several years, he had mastered the art of observing others and could pick out what they were feeling from their expressions and each of their movements.

“Second Cousin, you really don’t resemble the previous Second Cousin, who didn’t have a brain, at all. If I didn’t know you especially well, I would have thought you had been possessed by an evil spirit.” Ruan Zhu had been thinking about something. Upon hearing her Lord Husband’s question, she couldn’t help but to side-eye him.

“If I was still the same as before, how could I have the achievements I do now?” Yun Shi Wei chuckled: “I think you are in conflict with Maternal Aunt and don’t treat her as warmly as you do with Maternal Uncle. Don’t children like to act spoiled towards their parents? The way you treat Maternal Aunt is just like how one would respect an elder.”

Ruan Zhu tilted her head, appearing both melancholy and doubtful: “Second Cousin, let me ask you something. Am I important or are the children important? If our child and I were to simultaneously fall into a river, who would you save first?”

Yun Shi Wei scratched his head, his eyebrows knitting together: “Zhu Zhu, this question is really hard to answer. Of course you’re important, but the child is also important too. Losing the child will cause me pain, but losing you, my life will completely lose meaning. We can always have more children. In any case, it’s not like we can’t have more.”

This was the reason why, in the most pivotal part, her previous father would rather save that woman and escape, leaving his biological daughter to be crushed into pieces by stone.

Having to see her child die before her eyes–impossible, she could never do it. Men were not the ones that gave birth so they didn’t understand the emotion in carrying one’s own flesh and blood. She carried each child for ten moons. From the moment she could feel each child’s movements within her belly, maternal love engulfed her.

To men, their beloved woman was far more precious than their child at any point in time. But if one said her previous father regarded romantic love as important, then how could he have liked the old and hated the new and done such a thing as abandoning her mother? He also treated Qin Hai Dong, that adopted son, very well, much better than how he treated her, his biological daughter.

In her previous world, she had met with tragedy after tragedy because of her father’s heartlessness. Having transmigrated, how could she allow the tragedy to continue?

It was true that she didn’t like Madam Ruan, and to the point where she disliked the idea of her entering the doors of the Ruan residence’s entrance. But she disliked even more the idea of Ruan Zi Xu inviting a strange woman inside. If the lady then led in a Zhang Hai Dong or a Li Hai Dong, she’d go insane.

“Second Cousin, you have four developed limbs and a simple mind. There are many things you don’t understand.” Ruan Zhu sarcastically spoke but knew the current Yun Shi Wei was capable of supporting both heaven and earth and was the epitome of the three words ‘a masculine man.’

“You have the cheek to mock me? Watch as I make it so that you won’t be able to get out of bed tonight.”

From the day her milk had stopped to the present, over twenty days had already passed. Her monthlies hadn’t arrived yet, but his desire to have a child had grown stronger and stronger with each passing day. He stretched his hand inside her clothes to tickle her underarm, watching as she collapsed into his lap in uncontrollable giggles, feeling extremely content. Abruptly, those bright eyes became filled with tears and he hastily let go.

“Zhu Zhu, are you all right? I was too forceful. Does it hurt?”

Ruan Zhu shook her head. She had been feeling sentimental. Drinking Meng Po’s soup in the underworld wasn’t actually a bad thing as one could forget the past world’s shadows and everything could start again from nothing.

Traveling to Lao Shu Village required ten-plus days and the return journey also called for that amount of time. When they had almost reached Guan Ju Villa, situated near the shore of Lan River, they found their way had been blocked by the vast crowd ahead of them.

Ruan Zhu pushed open the carriage’s window to look ahead but saw the wharf was a boiling cauldron of voices with people rubbing shoulders as they moved in an endless throng……Perhaps to haul merchandise or to run over to embrace their loved ones.

With a turn of her eyes, the several dozen large ships docked by the Lan River’s shore entered her view. Their anchors had been thrown and all of their sails furled. Group after group of sailors headed down from the ships, each resembling travelers that had finally returned home after many years away with excitement on their faces as they frantically waved their hands and shouted something.

“The ships have entered port. This happens every day and there is no reason to agitate the commoners. We will stay here a while longer and pass once the crowd has lessened.” The imperial bodyguards had stepped forward to clear the way but were stopped by Ruan Zhu. Though she was now a member of the honorable imperial clan, she couldn’t do something like using her position to bully others.

Lan Zhou had the largest wharf in Tian Chu, and the event of several dozen large ships docking at once had happened before. But when had it been as lively as it was today?

Ruan Zhu stepped out of the carriage, feeling disquieted for some reason.

Her eyebrows gracefully knit together as she stared at the moored vessels in the distance.

At this time, a man with a tall and broad stature headed down from a majestic ship. The crowd resembled the tide as they withdrew on both sides, opening up a path. When the man had finally reached the shore, he swept his eyes over the throng of people for a very long time, his face revealing disappointment.

Even though they were far apart, and even though she hadn’t seen him in years, Ruan Zhu still recognized him and could sense his current mood. Tears rapidly fell down her face. But there were too many people on the wharf, and the more anxious she became, the harder it was to cram between them.

Yun Shi Wei had also noticed him. With a large leap, he jumped on top of their carriage and shouted towards the figure far away: “Eldest Brother!” He used his internal force to transmit his voice very far, so like a thunderclap bursting from the sky, his words suppressed the clamor of the crowd.

Yun Shi Yi swiveled to look in their direction. His eyes first landed on his brother before moving again, dropping onto his wife, where his gaze remained fixed, unable to look away.

In a flash, Ruan Zhu’s cheeks were stained with tears. Unable to say anything, she continued to wave at him.

This man that was like a mountain, ah! She had transmigrated next to him with a soul full of pain from her past world, and he had shown her boundless care and built a safe haven for her with his solid arms, always using tender and careful words to cherish her in every possible way.

As long as he was there, she would feel the warmth of time.

While Yun Shi Yi neared his wife, a team of valiant soldiers stepped ahead to open the way for him, and the crowd that had been blocking the road quickly shifted to either side.

It was an afternoon in late autumn, with a cool breeze gently blowing past. But sweat still seeped from Ruan Zhu’s palms. Her heart madly pounded in her chest as she warmly, excitedly, stared at the man heading in her direction.

“Wife, I’ve returned.” Yun Shi Yi had finally reached his wife. He had only walked several hundred meters, but his heart had been anxious the entire time, wishing he could fly over to be by her side.

Ruan Zhu raised her head, taking in the man who often appeared in her dreams.

He was still as handsome as before. The layer of black stubble on his chin set off his attractive, mighty, and angular face. His bright pupils were as if they had been lathered in light and were permeated with his life’s experiences, emotions, and vigor. While he silently gazed at her, his eyes expressed the sincerity of his feelings.

“Eldest Cousin!” Ruan Zhu didn’t care that the wharf was completely crowded, didn’t care how many pairs of eyes were watching. She threw herself into his embrace and tightly encircled his neck with her arms.

Yun Shi Yi hugged his wife’s waist, pulling her soft body against his chest. He still didn’t feel like this was real, as if this was only something in a dream. The Heavens knew how many times he had held her like this in them.

“Eldest Cousin, take Zhu’er away, away from the wharf, to a place with no one, to the ends of the earth……” Ruan Zhu leaned against his chest, softly begging. At this moment, she only wanted to be alone with him. What Guan Ju Villa; what Tian Chu; what superior life of the imperial clan–none of that was important.

Yun Shi Yi noticed a small boat docked several meters away from them and carried his wife over without saying anything. Once aboard, he instructed the boatman to quickly take them offshore and then strode into the ship’s cabin.

The small boat slipped further and further away from the shore, heading downstream.

Yun Shi Wei’s eyes were sincerely full of well wishes and he smiled as he shook his head: “Zhu Zhu, you said you’d give me a son but my hopes are dashed once again. The next time we meet, I won’t let you go no matter what you say.”

Aboard the small boat, Yun Shi Yi placed his wife on top of the bed then drew all the curtains. The cabin immediately dimmed.

They could see each other’s glittering eyes with the feeble light remaining in the room. Practically at the same time, they moved to hug each other tightly, frantically kissing.

He first kissed her cheeks, lapping up her tears before swallowing them……Then he moved to her lips, stealing the fragrance inside.

She was kissed to tears and new teardrops immediately poured out again. Her small hands scrabbled at his clothing, removing his blue cheongsam and his inner jacket. Her hands then moved lower, but felt a metal chain. Surprised, she pushed her hands into his trousers, feeling a bit, before removing his pants. My God!

“Eldest Cousin, what in the world are you wearing a chastity belt for?”

Yun Shi Yi laughed: “You do not know how unrestrained the females of the West are. Their saliva flows as soon as they see a man to their liking and their actions are faster than that of a rabbit’s. If I didn’t protect myself so closely, I would have probably long been eaten clean by them.”

“So it was like that!” The ancient female Westerners were all coarse and even Athena, their goddess of wisdom and beauty, was a prostitute, parading herself ostentatiously through town without any clothing. It was fine if one wasn’t decent, but she even instigated the females of an island to sell themselves.

“Since you were returning and had to stay on the ship for so long, you should have taken off the chastity belt, right?” She stroked his body. He had tanned. Being on the open sea had caused him to become even sturdier and his muscles were now more prominent, a symbol of his strength and beauty.

“Taking it off would be more troublesome.” Every time he recalled the lingering scenes of affection with her, his desire would always challenge his rationality. Using the chastity belt to secure his expanding member was, on the contrary, a much better idea.

“Poor Eldest Cousin.” She saw a key hanging from a red rope around his neck. Taking the necklace off, she unlocked the chastity belt, allowing the chain to fall from his crotch. She stretched her hand to stroke the freed member……

It was as if Buddha had found its master. The rod immediately responded to her passionate touch, and quickly swelled, become gigantic in a short moment.

Noticing a pot of water on the nightstand, she dabbed their clothes in water and wiped him clean. She quietly commanded: “Eldest Cousin, stand up.” She wanted to please him, to console his heart that had been alone for so many years.

He stood up as instructed, and she kneeled in front of him, her head fixed against his abdomen. Holding that fiery source of heat, she opened her small mouth to take him in deeply, all the way in……

He gently moved forward and lowered his head to look at her, panting: “My darling, I always dreamt of your shadow every evening during these few years we were separated, over a thousand days and nights. Suddenly seeing you makes everything feel as if it is not real.”

She couldn’t respond and continued to use her mouth in this most pleasurable act. Her hands also weren’t idle. One hand held the base of his desire while the other bypassed his firm buttocks to gently touch the sensitive spot underneath his member. Their fluids flowed uncontrollably, dripping down her snowy white skin all the way to the floor.