RATMOFANF: Chapter 17

 Character Glossary

· Li Ling (李陵): The Heir of the Zhenguo Duke Manor.

· Shen Jingxiu / Lady Shen (沈静姝/沈氏): The female protagonist, Li Ling's wife.

· Third Young Lady, Jin Yan (三姑娘瑾嫣): Li Ling's younger sister.

· Grand Princess Fu Xi (福熹大长公主): Li Ling's mother.

· Ziyun (紫云): Jingxiu's personal maid.

· Stewardess Po (管事婆子): The stewardess at the deer park.

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Chapter 17: He Just Likes Being Served by Her

When they reached the foot of the mountain, they happened to meet the party sent by the Grand Princess to fetch them. The procession of carriages and guards traveled a while longer and finally arrived at Lù Yuán.

Li Ling dismounted first and went to the carriage to help Jingxiu alight.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

The stewardess waiting at the garden entrance helped the Third Young Lady down from the carriage, then turned and said to Li Ling with a smile, "The Princess ordered the main rooms in the Xièshuǐ Jū area to be prepared yesterday. Heir, please take the Lady there to rest for a while."

Before Li Ling and Jingxiu could respond, the Third Young Lady said impatiently, "I want to stay in the Hundred Flowers Garden, in the same room I stayed in before."

The stewardess hurriedly replied with a smile, "It has long been prepared for the Third Young Lady." Then, she signaled to a young maid behind her and instructed, "Ling'er, take the Third Young Lady over first. Attend to her well."

With that, the stewardess led Li Ling and Jingxiu towards their accommodation. They arrived at Xièshuǐ Jū in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

This residence was built by the water, facing a vast, boundless lake in front and backed by a waterfall over a hundred zhang high. It was like a paradise.

After the stewardess showed the two inside, she took Ziyun to where the servants would stay. Only the two of them remained in the room. Jingxiu had traveled by carriage and hadn't been exposed to the rain. Li Ling, having ridden a horse, was inevitably damp from the rain despite wearing a rain cloak.

As Jingxiu used a dry towel to wipe the rainwater from him, she asked, "I didn't hear yesterday that you were coming too?"

Li Ling greatly enjoyed moments when his delicate wife bustled around him, attending to him. He stood obediently before her, his face unusually soft, his tone carrying a hint of indulgence. "The roads are slippery in the rain. I was worried about you."

Jingxiu truly hadn't expected he had really come for her sake. She stopped her hands, straightened up, and stood before him, momentarily at a loss for words. Instead, she gave him a faint, sweet smile.

Her powdered face slightly bashful, her lovely smile radiant.

Li Ling's throat moved. He stretched out his arms and tightly encircled her slender, soft waist, leaning down to cover her cherry-like, moist lips.

Jingxiu was stunned by his sudden action, taking a long moment to regain her senses. She hurriedly pushed him, mumbling, "Stop fooling around. Be careful someone sees."

When he came over, Li Ling had seen there were no servants outside, so he felt less restrained. Thus, he simply turned a deaf ear to Jingxiu's words. At this moment, the warm, soft body of the woman in his arms had him utterly captivated.

The more Jingxiu struggled, the more fervent his kisses became.

(read @cherrybombhertranslations.blogspot)

Soon, Jingxiu had lost the strength to resist, allowing him to kiss her passionately.

In her dazed state, Jingxiu felt a wave of dizziness. Li Ling picked her up and placed her on the large sandalwood table beside them.

Jingxiu, confused, mumbled, "What are you doing?"

Li Ling didn't answer. He parted her legs and reached to undo her dress.

Only then did Jingxiu understand. She quickly grabbed his hand and said urgently, "How can we? We have to go see Mother-in-law soon."

Li Ling was already like an arrow on the bowstring—it had to be released. He replied in a hoarse voice, "It'll just be a moment."

"Heir, Lady, the Princess asks you to come dine with her." A knocking sound came from the door; the Grand Princess had sent someone.

Seizing the moment Li Ling was distracted, Jingxiu quickly slipped down from the table, caught her breath, and called out to the person outside, "Thank you, Matron. The Heir and I will come right away."

"Then this old servant takes her leave."

Seeing her clothes were in disarray, Jingxiu quickly took off what she was wearing and went to find new ones from the luggage.

She was wearing a tight, flesh-colored undergarment. As she bent over the luggage searching for clothes, her rounded posterior was pointed directly towards Li Ling.

Li Ling steadied his mind and turned away.

Jingxiu dressed neatly, checked herself repeatedly in the bronze mirror. The lip color on her lips had been smeared by Li Ling. She reapplied it and lightly dusted on some rouge before feeling reassured.

"Let's go. We mustn't keep Mother waiting," Jingxiu said as she walked out, calling for Li Ling.

The two left the room. Seeing his sullen, displeased expression, Jingxiu couldn't help but let out a "pfft" of laughter.

Li Ling gritted his teeth, lowered his gaze to look at her, and said in a deep voice, "You still dare laugh? Just wait and see how I deal with you tonight."

Jingxiu hadn't expected him to stay the night. He had to go to the camp for his duties during the day, and this place was extremely far from the military camp.

She asked in surprise, "Does the Heir plan to stay here overnight today?"

Looking at his little wife's wide, round almond eyes, the corners of Li Ling's mouth curved into a slight arc. He replied with a hint of cunning, "Originally, I hadn't planned to stay. Now, I've changed my mind."

Jingxiu couldn't quite laugh anymore.

Li Ling took her hand and led her forward. Seeing her sullenness along the way, he said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "If you remain as docile as you were earlier until bedtime, I might go easy on you tonight."

As docile as she was earlier???

Jingxiu was somewhat puzzled. She turned her head and looked at Li Ling in confusion.

Li Ling made a wiping motion towards his face.

Only then did Jingxiu understand he was referring to her wiping the rain from him earlier.

This man! He just liked being waited on by her!

She had only been tender and attentive earlier because she was touched that he had come through the rain to see her off. Did he expect her to treat him like that all the time?

Jingxiu shook off his hand and threw him a fierce glare.

(read @cherrybombhertranslations.blogspot)

Li Ling gave a half-smile, looking at his little wife. "Fine. Then don't beg for mercy tonight."

When they arrived at the Yǎsòng Jū where the Grand Princess resided, the Third Young Lady was already there. The two paid their respects to the Grand Princess properly. They had only exchanged a few pleasantries when the Third Young Lady, unable to contain herself, clamored that she was hungry and urged for the meal to be served.

They had set out early in the morning and only had a few pastries in the carriage at noon. A growing child couldn't stand missing a proper meal.

The Grand Princess ordered the meal to be served, and the family sat down together to eat.

The Grand Princess hadn't expected Li Ling to follow them, let alone guessed he had come for his new wife. Her son had a cold nature; even during his newlywed period, she didn't think he would act clingy.

"Boyue, have duties at the camp been busy lately?" The usually taciturn Grand Princess asked her son.

Before Li Ling could respond, the Third Young Lady, who had been eating intently, looked up in puzzlement: this was the first time she had seen her mother speak during a meal, and it was such mundane, small talk.

Li Ling was also somewhat surprised, but his expression remained unchanged as he replied respectfully, "Replying to Mother, duties at the camp have not been busy lately."

If he said they were busy, wouldn't that expose the fact that he was clinging to his new wife? He didn't want people to think he was hopeless.

It wasn't that he was clinging to her. He was just a bit worried about the slippery roads in the rain. He was merely fulfilling a husband's responsibility towards his wife.

He was a grown man; what would it look like for him to cling to a woman?

If anyone should be clinging, it should be her clinging to him—that would be the proper order of things.

"Then why did you come here with us?" The Third Young Lady finally voiced the question she had been holding back.

Li Ling, caught in his internal struggle, was momentarily speechless by his sister's question, not knowing how to respond.

Jingxiu knew he wasn't a man of many words. She replied, "Since this wife and my husband married, we haven't paid our respects to Mother together. These past few days, taking advantage of the lull in camp duties, my husband came along."

The Grand Princess nodded slightly.

The Third Young Lady glanced at Li Ling and pursed her lips.

Who are you trying to fool?

When they met her elder brother on the road earlier, her sister-in-law was clearly as surprised as she was. If the two had agreed to come together to pay respects to their mother, why would that be the case?

Could it be that this Second Brother came for his wife? Would he overstay his welcome?

That would really spoil the fun!

(End of Chapter)

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