Time Traveling: the Only Beloved Husband

On the morning of the tenth day, Shen Xiangyan accompanied Xia Rong to have breakfast early and then went to the Li residence. After the three of them gathered, they rode in a carriage to the Meiyuan on the outskirts. As the name suggests, the Meiyuan was filled with plum trees, and coincidentally, this year’s snow was heavy, so the plum blossoms in the garden were in full bloom. Sitting in the carriage, Shen Xiangyan thought it would be great to visit this garden just for the scenery, but unfortunately, being involved in these social engagements made even the best scenery merely a backdrop.

They arrived neither early nor late, but as soon as they got off the carriage, they saw a young man dressed extravagantly lecturing a servant boy beside him. The servant boy was trembling in the snow, whether from the cold or fear, it was unclear.

Shen Xiangyan took a closer look at this young man who was dressed particularly conspicuously. How to describe him? He was the type who seemed eager to adorn himself with gold and silver jewels all over. Not only did he wear three gold-studded gemstone rings on his fingers, but even the hairpin on his head gleamed with gold. If this image were placed in modern times, he would be the epitome of a flashy nouveau riche, just waiting for someone to pickpocket him.

Li Dongsheng also saw the man and spoke in a mocking tone, “That’s Zhang Ningyu from the Zhang family to the east. The Zhang family is known for shady dealings, and shoddy practices are commonplace for them. I don’t know if it’s because of their guilty conscience, but Old Master Zhang has changed two wives and married countless concubines, yet he still can’t have a child. Last year, in desperation, he brought this nephew back to raise as a son. This man originally came from a poor family and hasn’t seen much of the world. Once he entered the Zhang family, he was like a sparrow turning into a phoenix. But if you ask me, he’s just a piece of mud that can’t stick to the wall.”

Shen Xiangyan listened to these words and couldn’t help but remember this peculiar character. Indeed, this bizarre taste was unforgettable, even if one wanted to forget.

The three of them didn’t linger any longer. After exchanging their invitation cards with the servant waiting at the door, they were led inside. Along the way, the plum blossoms here were indeed beautiful. Shen Xiangyan thought he must pick one to take back, put it in a vase at home, and Rong’er would surely like it when she saw it.

Upon arrival, Shen Xiangyan saw Xia Xueliang, Xia Rong’s father, and respectfully greeted his father-in-law. Xia Xueliang was quite surprised to see his son-in-law. He never expected this person who was once thought to be a failure in the family to appear here. Shen Xiangyan didn’t pay much attention to his father-in-law’s thoughts. Even if he did have any ideas, what could he do about it? He paid his respects and took his leave.

Throughout the event, amidst the mingling and toasting, Li Xiangming introduced him and Li Dongsheng to many of his acquaintances. Although these people were polite to Shen Xiangyan, not everyone was particularly enthusiastic. After all, he only had a small incense shop under his control. Even if he brought out a few bottles of exotic perfume, they wouldn’t catch the eyes of these wealthy people.

After the day was over, Shen Xiangyan remembered to pick a particularly beautiful branch of plum blossoms to take home.

Back at home, he went straight to the Begonia Courtyard. Shen Xiangyan handed the plum blossom branch to He Miao and asked him to find a vase to put it in for Madam to see. Instead of immediately going to see Xia Rong, he went to bathe first. On such occasions, it was inevitable that there would be some scent of rouge. He felt extremely uncomfortable with the smell himself, so how could he possibly go to see Xia Rong with such a scent all over him?

When Xia Rong saw He Miao entering with a white glazed jade vase containing the plum blossoms, she realized that her husband had returned. Hearing He Miao say that the plum blossoms were specially brought back by her husband, Xia Rong was overjoyed. Her husband had been away from home the whole day, leaving Xia Rong feeling bored. Originally, she had planned to read a book in the afternoon, but as she flipped through the pages, all she could think of was her husband holding her and reading to her, making Xia Rong distracted all day long.

Xia Rong glanced at the plum blossoms and wanted to immediately find her husband, but upon entering the room, she discovered that he was bathing. Listening to the sound of water, she recalled a few days ago when her husband was drunk and had pulled her to bathe with him. She didn’t want to disturb him now, so she sat on the soft couch, intending to wait until her husband finished bathing.

When Shen Xiangyan finished bathing and came out dressed, he saw Xia Rong leaning on the soft couch, her small body curled up asleep. Shen Xiangyan smiled softly and didn’t intend to wake her up. It seemed she was waiting for him. He wondered how she had fallen asleep before him. He approached quietly, planning to pick her up and put her to bed.

In a daze, Xia Rong felt someone approaching, and a familiar scent reached her nose. She felt like she was leaning in a familiar embrace, as if it was her husband. She reached out and grabbed the person’s clothes, murmuring, “Husband.” Hearing Xia Rong softly calling him “husband” while leaning in his embrace, Shen Xiangyan felt his heart melt. He gently reassured her, “Yes, it’s me, your husband. Little Rong, go back to sleep.” In her half-asleep state, Xia Rong heard the familiar voice and snuggled into the embrace, allowing herself to drift back into a deep sleep.

When Xia Rong woke up the next day, she found herself not on the couch but in bed, vaguely remembering that her husband had carried her up last night. Not only that, she was now clinging to her husband like an octopus. Xia Rong bit her lip, debating whether to move her legs away from her husband’s body, fearing that any movement might wake him up. Now, not only did she use her hands to hold her husband while sleeping, but even her legs were tangled up with him. She wondered if her husband would think she was too frivolous when he woke up.

A normal man couldn’t resist his wife moving around on top of him so early in the morning. Shen Xiangyan endured it for a while, but seeing that the person on top of him was still restless, he decided to flip over and pin her down, kissing her fiercely for a while.

Since Xia Rong had turned fifteen, Shen Xiangyan thought he could endure this kind of thing for at most another year. Looking at the dazed expression on Xia Rong’s face after being kissed, Shen Xiangyan gently helped him put on his clothes. “Yesterday, I heard from Dongsheng that there will be a lantern festival on the fifteenth day of the lunar month. Would Xia Rong like to go?”

Xia Rong came to her senses, her big eyes blinking with anticipation. “I want to go, will Husband take Rong’er?”

“Since Rong’er wants to go so much, if Husband takes you, shouldn’t Rong’er give Husband something in return?” Shen Xiangyan asked with a smile after helping him put on his shoes. He had originally wanted to take Rong’er with him, but seeing the look of being bullied on his face, Shen Xiangyan couldn’t help but want to tease him further.

Xia Rong thought for a moment. It seemed that her husband really liked kissing her. She raised her tiptoes and quickly kissed Shen Xiangyan’s chin. “The favor you want… mmm…” Before she could finish her sentence, Shen Xiangyan pressed her head with one hand, then covered her mouth. His slippery tongue arrogantly intruded, causing Xia Rong to whimper twice. But then, thinking about the lantern festival on the fifteenth, she relaxed her body and let him continue.

As night fell on the Lantern Festival, Shen Xiangyan led the excited Xia Rong out of the house. “Rong’er, there will be a lot of people, so you must hold my hand tightly, okay?”

Xia Rong looked at their clasped hands, her eyes curved with joy, nodding in agreement. “I know, Husband, don’t worry, Rong’er won’t run around.”

As they walked along, they saw various stalls on both sides selling all sorts of trinkets and snacks, creating a lively atmosphere. When they reached a stall selling lanterns, Xia Rong’s eyes lit up as he stared at an exquisitely cute rabbit lantern. Seeing how much he liked it, Shen Xiangyan took out some money and bought it for him. Xia Rong held the rabbit lantern in one hand and Shen Xiangyan’s arm in the other, smiling brightly. Shen Xiangyan looked at his happiness and smiled even more tenderly.

After buying the rabbit lantern, Shen Xiangyan then took Xia Rong to eat various street snacks, such as sweet rice balls, spicy dumplings, and cold noodles with shredded chicken. Although these folk snacks were not as exquisite as those at home, they had their own unique flavors. In any case, Xia Rong was eating happily.