Xu Chang'an holds Yun Qian along with the blanket in a princess carry.
Yun Qian yawns, and naturally wraps her arms around Xu Chang'an's neck, gently resting on his shoulder.
This level of intimacy would logically be routine for both Yun Qian and Xu Chang'an, yet Xu Chang'an still can't help his heart beating faster.
Whether on Muyu Peak or in Beisang City, he is never lacking in affection from young maidens, but even with beauties like Zhu Pingniang… they can't stir a single heartbeat in Xu Chang'an.
Instead, it's Yun Qian, the one who has been with him for years, who always disrupts his mental realm.
Seven-year itch?
Xu Chang'an takes a deep breath, thinking to himself that now he truly is itching intensely.
The charm of a mature woman, those who haven't experienced it cannot understand.
The sky gradually darkens.
Yun Qian isn't exactly light; she's tall, taller than the 17-year-old Xu Chang'an now by a bit. When standing together, calling them a couple feels more like brother and sister.
Even calling them a mother and son would have some believe.
If it were Xu Chang'an's physical condition in his past life, he probably would have legs turn weak after taking a couple steps carrying Yun Qian, but now with cultivation, his constitution is much stronger.
Feeling his wife's soft breath, Xu Chang'an's face subtly heats up.
He actually stands stupefied in the courtyard.
"Why aren't you moving?" Yun Qian lightly taps the back of his neck, calmly asking, "Am I very heavy?"
His wife, Miss Yun, has a well-proportioned figure, naturally weighing more than thin and small girls, but Xu Chang'an isn't foolish; he knows how to respond.
"Not at all."
Xu Chang'an feels his wife's curvaceous figure, coughs twice, crosses the threshold holding Yun Qian, and places her on the bed, saying, "Miss, sleep a while longer, I'm going to make dinner."
"Mm." Yun Qian gently nods, then stretches lazily, her good figure fully exposed to Xu Chang'an's eyes. She turns, saying, "Help me with this."
Xu Chang'an is long accustomed to this; he gently helps Yun Qian untie her waist, changes out of the embroidered skirt, and then skillfully takes a casual dress from the wardrobe to dress Yun Qian.
When he's not home, Yun Qian can handle these things alone. But as long as he's around, Yun Qian insists he help with everything.
Yet Xu Chang'an does not get annoyed, rather he feels guilty.
After all, he used to be Yun Qian's steward, responsible for her living necessities.
Besides.
His Miss Yun is so beautiful, Xu Chang'an is happy to be depended on, far from rejecting it.
As soon as Yun Qian is done changing into her pajamas, Xu Chang'an turns to say, "I'll go make dinner."
"Wait." Yun Qian leans against the headboard, her long hair scattered, easily grabbing Xu Chang'an's clothing and saying, "Go wash first."
"Why?"
"Unpleasant smell." Yun Qian wrinkles her delicate brows slightly.
"Can Miss smell the Tiger Demon's blood scent on me?" Xu Chang'an is startled, thinking he is already in his sect deacon robe, which should have masked the Cyan-eyed Tiger's death scent.
Zhu Pingniang could smell it because her cultivation overwhelmed him.
How could Yun Qian smell it?
"Tiger Demon? What are you talking about." Yun Qian shakes her head, pointing at Xu Chang'an's neck and calmly says, "It's got a rouge scent."
Xu Chang'an is taken aback, somewhat guilty, quickly explaining, "I just met Steward Zhu, Miss, you know… she lives in the brothel…"
"I didn't ask." Yun Qian finishes speaking, turns her back to Xu Chang'an while lying down, saying, "Wash up then make dinner. I want steamed buns, the soup-filled kind. Call me when it's done."
"Understood." Xu Chang'an helps Yun Qian tuck in the corners of the blanket, then leaves.
"…"
When Xu Chang'an turns and leaves, Yun Qian only then turns back, looking in the direction he's going, her gaze landing on the two jugs of Jade Dew Xu Chang'an bought and the yellow wine gifted by the Wine Lady.
Her gaze fixes on the yellow wine.
Daughter Red Wine.
A bright light flashes in Yun Qian's eyes; it's not that she dislikes others fancying Xu Chang'an, but isn't her husband a bit too popular?
According to the stories Xu Chang'an wrote for her,
when encountering the husband's peach blossom situation, what should a wife do…
"Mm." Yun Qian sits up again, ties up her hair anew, gets out of bed, and walks to the wardrobe, picking out clothes Xu Chang'an bought for her.
She picks a bright red gauze robe, standing in front of the copper mirror, trying it on.
"…"
After Xu Chang'an boils water, he enters the washing room's mystical passage to change clothes.
"Rouge scent… is there?" He holds his clothes, only smelling a soap scent, nothing else.
When he heard Yun Qian say there was a rouge scent on him, he was startled.
No matter the temperament of a woman, they're extremely sensitive about things like these.
Yun Qian showed no anger, but Xu Chang'an still felt unaccountably guilty just being watched by her calm gaze, even though he hadn't done anything to betray Yun Qian.
Indeed, he finds it difficult to assert household authority in daily life.
Old wife, young husband, a steward's rise to household leader results in this, where he can't hold his head up in front of his miss.
Sigh.
Xu Chang'an takes out the jade talisman representing the entry qualification to Chaoyun Sect and the Beauty Fruit seeds Zhu Pingniang entrusted to him, putting them aside.
Although the system has given him a vast space to use, Xu Chang'an is not yet familiar with that space, so he doesn't plan to put non-system items into it for the time being.
Entering the bathtub in the bathroom, enveloped by hot water, Xu Chang'an slowly exhales a breath of turbid air.
What happened just now seemed very much like a husband returning home from a day of work.
If possible, Xu Chang'an doesn't much desire to cultivate, but it's unfortunate this world isn't as peaceful as the Huaxia of his past life, so to face potential disasters he must become stronger and stronger.
That way, he wouldn't regret someday in the future.
Squinting slightly, Xu Chang'an opens the system panel. Sure enough, since he stepped into the house, the Celestial Dao Points have risen like short-circuiting.
Was the previous scene dangerous?
Xu Chang'an thinks about Yun Qian pointing at his neck and saying there's a rouge scent, his mouth corners twitch slightly.
"Maybe… it really was quite dangerous?"
Xu Chang'an sits up a bit, vigorously scrubbing his neck, preparing to wash away all the rouge scent he inadvertently picked up while in Flower Moon Building.
"She said she wants soup buns, right? Late at night." Xu Chang'an shakes his head.
When Xu Chang'an and Yun Qian were on the island, he often cooked for Yun Qian according to past life styles, sweet soup buns were something Yun Qian frequently ate.
But…
He had just bought wine back.
Can't pair soup buns with wine, that'd be quite odd.
"Whatever, as long as she likes it." Xu Chang'an suddenly hears footsteps, after a slight pause, he sees the bathroom door suddenly open.
Amid swirling mist, Xu Chang'an sees Yun Qian coming in.