Time Traveling: the Only Beloved Husband

Under her husband’s comforting words, Xia Rong gradually calmed down. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to speak her mind, “Husband, will you marry my elder sister?”

Seeing that Xia Rong had brought up this matter, Shen Xiangyan’s expression turned serious as he responded, “No, I will only have you. Not only will I not marry your elder sister, but I also won’t marry anyone else.”

Hearing this, Xia Rong felt much better, but she still wasn’t completely at ease. She continued to ask, “Then, don’t you want to marry another woman as your wife?” After asking, Xia Rong’s gaze began to waver, suddenly feeling a bit scared of hearing the answer.

Shen Xiangyan naturally didn’t want to, but the original owner of this body had once proposed to Xia Ji, which couldn’t be ignored. He thought for a moment and said, “I don’t want to. Previously, it was because of my parents’ orders and the matchmaker’s arrangements that I proposed. But when I saw you, dressed in your wedding clothes, looking so pitiful, I thought, how could there be such a person in this world? I just wanted to protect you and not let you suffer any grievances.” As he said this, Shen Xiangyan lifted Xia Rong’s chin, their foreheads touching, making her look directly into his eyes. “Rong’er, I only want you. Whether you are a man or a woman, I only want you, understand?”

In his eyes, Xia Rong saw herself, only her own reflection. Finally, she smiled happily. The pain in her heart was gone, replaced by a sweetness that quickly spread and filled her entire heart.

Seeing that Xia Rong understood his feelings, Shen Xiangyan straightened Xia Rong’s body and, with a serious expression, recounted everything that happened after they separated today. He first went to Master Shiji for tea, then was called away by a servant of Xia Rong’s mother. Realizing the servant’s suspicious behavior, he encountered a young master from the Zhang family on the way. He explained how he discovered it wasn’t Xia Rong who summoned him and how he planned for Zhang Ningyu to replace him in meeting Xia Ji at the pavilion, leaving nothing out.

Xia Rong was stunned by what she heard. They had nearly fallen into the trap set by her mother today. Remembering her mother’s words earlier, she shivered involuntarily, thinking about what might have happened if she had seen her husband and elder sister meeting secretly under those circumstances.

Shen Xiangyan held Xia Rong tighter. “Rong’er, I’m telling you this so you understand that your mother is not a simple person. Next time, if there’s no way around it, no matter what she says, don’t believe it. If she asks you to make any decisions, just push them onto me.” As he spoke, Shen Xiangyan gently stroked Xia Rong’s smooth hair. “For everything else, Rong’er, just trust me.”

Xia Rong was deeply moved and quickly nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Shen Xiangyan smiled with satisfaction. As long as his relationship with Xia Rong remained strong, there was nothing to fear from the Xia family.

“Rong’er, do you think your husband treats you well?” Having finished the serious talk, Shen Xiangyan couldn’t resist teasing Xia Rong a little.

Xia Rong nodded vigorously. “Husband treats Rong’er the best.”

“Since your husband treats you so well, shouldn’t Rong’er give him a little reward?” Shen Xiangyan said, leaning his face closer, clearly indicating that he wanted Xia Rong to kiss him. Although they had been married for a while and Xia Rong was still a bit confused about the intricacies of intimacy, he had become quite familiar with kissing. After all, being kissed daily would enlighten even the most clueless person.

Under her husband’s coaxing, Xia Rong momentarily forgot her shyness and lifted her head to plant a kiss on his lips. Shen Xiangyan’s heart soared at his little wife’s initiative. Relishing the cool and soft sensation from the kiss, he felt it wasn’t enough and eagerly kissed the spot that made his heart flutter.

When the not-so-gentle kiss ended, both were slightly out of breath. Xia Rong wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck, burying her face in his shoulder, and asked shyly in a low voice, “Husband, why hasn’t Rong’er had a baby yet? Isn’t it said that once you grow up, you will have one? Rong’er has grown by a year and still doesn’t have one.”

Shen Xiangyan was momentarily at a loss for words due to his little wife’s question. It was clear that his wife still had a child’s innocence, and it seemed no one had explained these things to him before marriage. Rubbing his temples and clearing his throat awkwardly, he asked, “Rong’er, before you got married, did no one ever talk to you about these things?”

Xia Rong, puzzled, asked, “What things?”

“You know, things related to the bridal chamber.”

Xia Rong thought of the picture book his mother had given him before the wedding, instructing him to read it carefully. He had only flipped through one page before putting it aside, finding the images of naked people embarrassing. His face flushed as he stammered and mentioned the picture book to his husband.

Shen Xiangyan looked at Xia Rong with a headache, feeling really frustrated with the Xia family’s irresponsibility for the first time. However, there was also a subtle sense of joy and excitement. His little husband was like an unripe fruit, and he was the beast waiting for this fruit to ripen. The thought of personally guiding this fruit to maturity filled him with anticipation. “When we get home, Rong’er, how about we take out that picture book and look through it together?”

Xia Rong was actually quite curious about the picture book, but he hadn’t dared to look at it himself. Now, with her husband asking, although embarrassed, she nodded slightly in agreement.

Seeing his agreement, Shen Xiangyan felt elated. After a bit more affectionate cuddling, Shen Xiangyan was about to blow out the light and hold Xia Rong to sleep. Suddenly, Xia Rong remembered something and stopped him, handing over the peace amulet he had previously sought. “Husband, keep this close to you. I heard that the peace amulets from Foguang Temple are very effective.”

Shen Xiangyan took the peace amulet and carefully traced its outline with his fingers before taking out a pouch from his clothes. This pouch was embroidered by Xia Rong, with a white base and blue edges, featuring orchid patterns that he had chosen. Shen Xiangyan carefully placed the amulet inside the pouch and put it close to his body. He then kissed Xia Rong’s fair cheek, full of joy, and said, “I didn’t expect my little husband to care so much for me. Don’t worry, I’ll keep this peace amulet close to me from now on.”

Shen Xiangyan took out the two strings of Buddhist prayer beads given to him by Master Shiji and handed them to Xia Rong. “These are from Master Shiji. You can keep them and play with them.” Master Shiji was a renowned and enlightened monk from Foguang Temple, and his prayer beads were highly sought after by many. Yet, Shen Xiangyan casually gave them to Xia Rong as if they were mere toys. If anyone with knowledge of their value heard this, they would be utterly dismayed.

—

While the couple was enjoying a harmonious moment, Xia Rong’s mother was in a fit of rage, throwing a teacup at the servant kneeling before her. “Useless fool! You can’t even handle such a simple task. What use are you?” The hot tea splashed over the servant, causing him to tremble with fear.

“Madam, please calm down. Don’t harm your health with anger,” Yuma quickly stepped forward to soothe her, seeing how furious she was. “This is partly my fault as well; it was my poor arrangement.”

Madam Xia, somewhat recovering from her earlier outburst due to Yuma’s calming efforts, sighed, “It’s not your fault, Yuma. It’s that boy from the Shen family who’s too clever, slipping through this trap.” She sighed again and then asked, “How is the young lady?”

Yuma had just returned from checking on the young lady. “The young lady threw a fit when she returned and punished one of her attendants. But she was asleep by the time I came back. Also, I had someone investigate the man who barged in today. He’s someone the Zhang family brought from the countryside two years ago. Madam, what do you think we should do about this?”

“A wild boy from who-knows-where can’t stir up much trouble. Spread the word among our servants to keep their mouths shut about today’s incident,” Madam Xia said, dismissing the matter. She believed that given the circumstances, the boy wouldn’t know who was in the pavilion.

Unfortunately, despite Madam Xia’s expectations, the incident somehow spread throughout Furong Town within a few days. The rumors grew increasingly exaggerated, becoming the town’s top gossip. Some said the Xia family’s young lady and the Zhang family’s stepson were secretly in love and meeting in private. Others claimed the Xia family’s young lady behaved improperly, seducing the Zhang family’s stepson. There were even whispers that the young lady was after the Zhang family’s wealth, driven by greed. Each rumor was told as if someone had witnessed it firsthand.

As a result, the young lady’s reputation was utterly ruined. By the time they tried to salvage her reputation, it was too late. Madam Xia, enraged and distressed, fell ill for over half a month, adding to the family’s woes.