Daily Life of a Powerful Official Supporting His Wife

Chapter 6

Chapter Six

It snowed again tonight, the flakes soft as icing sugar, piling up against the window frames, reflecting the warm yellow candlelight, which was quite cozy. There used to be a pot of precious camellia in the yard, and when it bloomed, it looked like shingles, layer upon layer, a truly beautiful sight.

Because it was the dead of winter in December, the caretaker had it moved back to the greenhouse, so Lu Baoer didn't see it. Therefore, there were only some delicate bamboos and trees in her yard.

Xie Junling was a little unhappy with the green scene. He thought that next spring, he would have someone plant some rich flowers and plants for Lu Baoer to enjoy.

Having just finished dismissing a maid, Xie Junling was afraid that his thunderous approach would frighten Lu Baoer. He was not the type to be good at coaxing people, so after thinking it over for a long time, he said stiffly, "Are you living well?"

Hearing this, Lu Baoer smiled brightly: "I feel pretty good with my husband here."

This is Lu Baoer's first time living in such a big house, it would be a lie to say that she is not afraid.

She didn't understand the rules of Kyoto and was afraid of making a fool of herself, always feeling that someone in the mansion was watching her every move. But Lu Baoer's way of dealing with things was also rough and simple. She understood that Xie Junling was the master of the mansion, and she was the master's wife, so she was only second to Xie Junling.

What rules could she possibly talk to him about? What servant would dare discuss rules with their master? So as long as she relied on Xie Junling, she could still run rampant in her own house without any problems.

Although this tactic was overbearing, it was practical. Xie Junling also saw some clues and felt helpless about her crude methods, but was also extremely fortunate. At least he was behind her, helping Lu Baoer to use her power to bully others and deal with any dirty things.

As the night deepened, Lu Baoer felt sleepy. She wanted to take off her coat and get on the bed, but Xie Junling showed no sign of leaving. When they were in the old country house, Xie Junling always left when the lights were turned on, leaving her alone in the house to rest. Back then, the old house was not big, with only three or four empty rooms, so Xie Junling had to sleep next to her. How come there is not even a spare room for Xie Junling in such a large official residence now?

Lu Baoer was a little puzzled and asked, "Husband, won't you go to the Hanlin Academy tomorrow?"

The old maid had told her that Xie Junling was now working for the government, going to the Hanlin Academy every morning at dawn to do his work. He had to set off at dawn. Fortunately, Xie Junling's house was a gift from the emperor and was close to the palace. Otherwise, he would have had to wake up before dawn to travel, and he would have been exhausted.

Lu Baoer still had a bit of the qualities of a good wife, so she urged Xie Junling, saying softly, "Husband, is it time to go to bed?"

Xie Junling read in the main room for a long time, but he couldn't really read anything. The place was filled with the scent of girls' perfume, and Lu Baoer was a heavy lover of perfume, so the whole main room was a scented cave that made people lose their minds.

He stayed here and refused to leave, simply to delay time. He didn't know what to say, so he frowned slightly and said, "I will stay here tonight."

Hearing this, Lu Baoer's face flushed red, and her whole body seemed to be boiling with anger. She opened her cherry lips and stammered, "Husband...will you sleep here?"

Xie Junling found her shy look funny and nodded awkwardly.

Lu Baoer bit her lower lip and looked at Xie Junling with a pair of misty eyes. There was a coquettish emotion in her eyes, which made Xie Junling feel a little uneasy.

Lu Baoer whispered, "Husband, I... I'm not ready yet. It's probably not appropriate for us to sleep together." Xie Junling was stunned, then he understood the meaning behind her words and chuckled. He found Lu Baoer amusing, and for some reason, he felt a little teasing. He asked her, "It's okay, I don't mind."

"But...but I do mind." Lu Baoer almost bit her tongue. Why hadn't she realized before that Xie Junling was such an impatient person? If she had known earlier, she would have squeezed a few more people into the room. This way, she wouldn't have suffered.

Lu Baoer put on a bitter face, which made Xie Junling a little unhappy. Was he not handsome enough or what? There were countless women who wanted to sleep with him, so was it worth her to be so disgusted?
Xie Junling sneered and said, "Do you hate me so much?"

"No! How could I hate my husband!" Lu Baoer defended anxiously.

"Then why do you look so reluctant to sleep with me?"

Lu Baoer was sweating profusely. She twisted her fingers, realizing for the first time that the fire in the room was too strong, making her chest feel tight and short of breath. She stole a glance at Xie Junling, who was now calmly drinking tea from the teacup, his long, slender fingers lifted. He was always so elegant and steady, as if Lu Baoer was the only one feeling anxious.

Lu Baoer was a little discouraged. She muttered, "I'm just not ready to sleep together yet..."

Xie Junling sneered, "With just a few pounds of flesh on your body, do you still expect me to sleep with you? I'm sleeping in the same room with you just to keep up appearances. You know, you just arrived in the mansion. If I distanced myself from you, wouldn't you be annoyed by those idle people who would come to you and make trouble? This is a good opportunity for me to consolidate your position as the wife of the first house and give you some face."

Is that really the case? It turned out she had misunderstood Xie Junling! Lu Baoer breathed a sigh of relief, yet she couldn't help feeling a little unhappy. She secretly glanced at the front of her clothes. Her figure hadn't grown yet, and it was indeed a little flat like a pancake. She immediately sighed heavily.

Not to mention that the man didn't like her, even she herself was a little disgusted by her skinny little body.

Lu Baoer stopped being so pretentious. She took off her outer garment and asked the old nanny and Liu Xiang, who were waiting outside, to remove her makeup and comb her hair. When she finished and got on the bed, Xie Junling was already sitting beside her in his middle garments.

Lu Baoer touched the bed, thinking about the old nanny's instructions, and decided to sleep outside. That way, if Xie Junling wanted to drink some tea or something, she could serve him or call the maid to light the lamp and come in.

But when Xie Junling saw this, he waved his hand and let her sleep inside.

Lu Baoer called out in confusion: "Husband?"

Xie Junling had heard the old nanny's instructions, and he was a little dissatisfied. He whispered to Lu Baoer, "You can follow the rules outside, but don't be too particular about it at home. For example, when it comes to sleeping tonight, there's no need to ask others. Just do what makes you feel comfortable. Just sleep on the inside, so you don't have to kick off the quilt and roll off the bed in the middle of the night, forcing me to reach out and get you."

The first half of Xie Junling's words sounded quite pleasant, but when he got to the second half, Lu Baoer immediately became dissatisfied. She mentally bashed Xie Junling, while arguing, "You were the one who rolled off the bed!"

Xie Junling chuckled and said, "Very good. This kind of vigor and vitality is what my wife should be like. Why do you have to pretend to be gentle and considerate? It's not like you."

"..." Lu Baoer's breath choked, and she almost spit out a mouthful of blood. Ah, so angry, how could she miss such a husband? It would be better to sleep in separate rooms.

(End of this chapter)