RATMOFANF: Chapter 98

 Glossary

·Li Ling (李陵): The Male Lead, Shen Jingxiu's husband.

·Shen Jingxiu (沈静姝): The Female Lead.

·Wang-shi (王氏): Shen Jingxiu's stepmother.

---

Chapter 98: Li Ling Had Been Smitten with Her Long Ago

Jingxiu propped herself up on an elbow, looked at Li Ling, and said, "I always thought you were someone who prized rules and propriety above all. I never imagined you valued true feeling this much as well."

Li Ling looked back at his wife and replied, "In your eyes and heart, did you really see me as such an iron-hearted, cold, and unfeeling person?"

Not exactly, but Jingxiu simply hadn't expected Li Ling to be so considerate of his brother's feelings in the matter of Li Xiang and Jiao Xing.

Jingxiu was silent for a moment, then looked at her husband and asked, "Before you met me, did you ever fancy any other young women?"

Li Ling answered bluntly, "No."

Jingxiu made a skeptical sound. "On Lantern Festival night, didn't you mention to me that three years ago, while viewing the lanterns, you encountered an exceptionally beautiful young lady?"

She pinched Li Ling's nose. "You had just come of age back then, right when romantic feelings first stir. Since that woman left such a lasting impression after just one meeting, it's clear you were smitten then too. It's just your restrained nature held you back from doing anything improper."

Li Ling looked at his wife, smiled, and replied, "Who says my nature restrains me from acting improperly? That very year, during the Dragon Boat Festival, I encountered that young lady again."

She and Li Ling had met during the Dragon Boat Festival three years ago. Could it be he had feelings for someone else back then too?

Jingxiu's originally playful expression immediately fell. She replied sourly, "I never knew you had such frequent romantic encounters."

Li Ling shot a look at his little wife. "More than just frequent?"

He glanced at his little wife's gradually cooling expression and continued, "It's just that although the young lady was beautiful, she was rather clumsy. During the Dragon Boat Festival boat outing, she actually fell into the river. Fortunately, I fished her out."

Li Ling suppressed a mischievous smile. "With such a life-saving debt, nothing could repay it. Later, she had no choice but to pledge herself and become my wife."

Only then did Jingxiu realize Li Ling had been teasing her all along. She hit him playfully, scolding, "You! You look so proper, but you love to make fun of people."

Li Ling caught her delicate fist, laughing. "You're so dull, I can't be bothered teasing you."

Jingxiu retorted, "How am I dull?"

Li Ling replied, "Three years ago, during the Lantern Festival, we actually met on Chang'an Street. You don't even remember?"

He tapped the tip of her nose. "A man as handsome as I am, and you could forget me in an instant? How could I possibly call you someone with charm and wit?"

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Seeing Li Ling didn't seem to be joking further, Jingxiu asked, puzzled, "We really met during the Lantern Festival three years ago? Why don't I have any impression at all?"

Li Ling replied, "That day, you were enjoying the lanterns with Wang-shi and your two younger sisters. You were wearing a lotus-pink cloak with sapphire-blue piping."

Seeing his wife still wore a blank expression, Li Ling continued, "You and your second sister were engrossed in guessing lantern riddles under a lantern. Your handkerchief fell to the ground without you noticing. I kindly picked it up and returned it to you."

Li Ling looked at his wife and asked, "Do you remember now?"

Jingxiu struggled to recall for quite a while, then mumbled, "Before I married, I did have a lotus-pink cloak with sapphire-blue piping."

Li Ling said triumphantly, "So, you do remember."

Jingxiu silently shook her head. "The cloak you mentioned, I remember that."

She looked at Li Ling and replied earnestly, "But I truly don't remember seeing you. As for you picking up my handkerchief, I have absolutely no impression."

Li Ling's face instantly darkened. He sat up, pinned his little wife down, reached his large hand to her sides, and began tickling her. "You ungrateful little thing! When I mentioned this the other night while viewing the lanterns, I saw you had no reaction. You actually really didn't remember me!"

Jingxiu, tickled unbearably, couldn't help laughing while protesting, "How can you blame me? There were so many people on the street, how could I possibly remember?"

Li Ling stopped, scowling at her. "I'm this handsome, and I actually bent down to pick up your handkerchief for you. We were barely a step apart, and you couldn't remember?"

Jingxiu said, laughing, "I'm truly sorry. I really don't remember."

Li Ling reached for her again, gritting his teeth. "You wretched girl, truly infuriating. It seems I really need to teach you a proper lesson."

Jingxiu caught his hand, pleading, "Alright, alright, stop fooling around."

She broke free from Li Ling, straightening her terribly mussed sleeping robe, and scolded him, "What does it matter whether I remember or not? Haven't I still become your wife in the end?"

Li Ling shot her a look and lay back flat on his pillow.

Jingxiu coaxed Li Ling, "I wasn't married yet back then. Even if I encountered a man on the street bending to pick up my handkerchief, how could I look directly at him? After all, 'see no impropriety'."

"Good husband, don't be upset with me."

He naturally understood his wife was a noblewoman who adhered to proper conduct. Understanding was one thing, but knowing she truly hadn't remembered him still left him feeling a bit off balance.

Jingxiu truly hadn't known they'd met earlier. She leaned over Li Ling and asked, "So, did you like me even back then?"

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

She gently kissed his lips. "Were you already captivated by my beauty then?"

Li Ling scowled at her, snorting in reply. "You certainly know how to flatter yourself."

Jingxiu cupped his face, bringing hers close, and pressed on, "Did you fancy me even then? Is that why, during the Dragon Boat Festival boat trip, as soon as you saw it was me who fell in, you jumped in without regard for your own safety?"

Li Ling moved her hands away, firmly refusing to admit it. "No."

"If it was, just admit it. Why not?" Jingxiu wheedled on top of him. "I won't laugh at you if you admit it, and I won't tell anyone either."

Li Ling pushed his little wife away. "I said no, so it's no. There's nothing to admit."

His little wife clung to him again, teasing playfully, "I thought you rescued me by chance. I always believed you married me, a girl from a minor family, out of a sense of responsibility and helplessness. I never knew you had been deeply smitten with me all along."

Li Ling's mouth remained stubbornly hard. Seeing his little wife wouldn't let it go, he simply turned onto his side. "I'm tired. I want to sleep."

Right now, in the pitch black, nothing could be seen clearly anyway. If there were even a sliver of light to see Li Ling's face at this moment...

It would be redder than a monkey's bottom.

The person behind him finally quieted down. Before long, a slender little hand crept into his sleeping robe.

The corner of Li Ling's mouth secretly curved into a faint, beautiful arc. Through the robe, he decisively caught the mischievous little hand, pretending to be serious, "In the middle of the night, what are you trying to do?"

The person behind him didn't speak. After a while, another little hand slowly slipped inside.

Li Ling's eyes flickered. He turned over, cleared his throat, and looked at his little wife, asking very "seriously," "What are you trying to do?"

Then, those moist, cherry lips pressed against his. His lips and teeth were instantly filled with a fragrant scent. Immediately after, that warm, soft, jade-like body rolled into his arms.

How could Li Ling possibly keep up the pretense any longer? Gasping heavily, he leaned over her. His blazing eyes glanced down at the charming little wife beneath him, and he gave a devilish smile. "Heh, you walked right into this yourself."

(End of Chapter)

---

read @https://ko-fi.com/cherrybombber for ADVANCE CHAPTERS!!

(dropping 5 CHAPTERS DAILY for 7 days in my kofi <33 pls support me guys luv y'all)

← prev next →