Slow to mature after marriage

The two walked through the main hall and down the corridor.

Chengyuan Garden becomes even more secluded at night.

Lanterns lit one after another under the eaves, casting shadows of the two people that stretched sometimes long and sometimes short. The night breeze, carrying the moisture from the pond, drifted through the moon gate and gently brushed against their cheeks.

Bo Yan walked beside her, and didn't speak for a long time.

Mu Siwan didn't say anything either.

Bo Yan's hand was still on her waist, and he didn't let go.

After walking for a long time, he suddenly spoke.

"You clearly wanted to refuse just now, why didn't you say so?"

Mu Siwan paused, turning her head to look at him.

Bo Yan stared straight ahead, his profile outlined by the lantern light, making it impossible to discern his expression.

She looked away.

"I didn't want to refuse."

Bo Yan chuckled, but his expression was unreadable.

"Is that so, Mrs. Bo? You don't seem to be looking forward to this wedding."

It's more like completing a task that has to be carried out.

Mu Siwan thought for a moment.

"This is what I should do, and it has nothing to do with expectations."

She continued in a flat tone, "As Bo Yan's wife, attending the wedding is my duty. The old lady is getting on in years, and she must really want to see her grandson and his family happy."

Bo Yan paused for a moment, and the hand that was around her waist slowly fell down.

Sure enough, it was done in a task-oriented manner, without any personal feelings involved.

He chuckled lightly and mocked.

"Mrs. Bo seems to be more filial to me, her own grandson."

Mu Siwan remained silent for a long time.

It was obvious that the man in front of him was angry.

But she didn't understand why she should be angry.

Are you jealous of your grandma?

Does she think her grandmother treats her better than she treats herself?

Only after the two stepped into the courtyard did Bo Yan raise his hand to push open the door, and then she began to explain.

"There aren't many people who are good to me, and I just want to cherish them."

"But I also know that Grandma is good to me only because I am your wife."

"I'm very lucky."

So don't be jealous of such unreasonable things.

Bo Yan paused for a moment as he pushed the door open.

He turned his head to look at her.

The lantern light shone from behind, obscuring half of her face and making her expression impossible to discern.

After a long while, he looked away and lowered his voice.

"Go in."

-

As the two stepped into the courtyard, Mu Siwan stopped in her tracks.

Red lanterns hung under the eaves, several more than when we arrived. New paper-cut window decorations were pasted on the doors and windows, with faint patterns of dragons and phoenixes. Even the pillars were tied with red silk, swaying gently in the night breeze.

Bo Yan stood beside her, glanced at her, and suddenly burst out laughing.

"So that's what the old lady was planning."

Mu Siwan turned her head to look at him, not quite understanding.

He raised his hand and pushed the door open.

The hall had been renovated. A pair of red candles sat in the center, their flickering flames casting a warm red glow throughout the room. An embroidered tablecloth covered the coffee table, with several plates of pastries and fruit placed beside it.

Bo Yan walked in and pushed open the bedroom door.

The bed was covered with bright red bedding, and sprinkled with peanuts, red dates, and longans. A red candle burned on the candlestick, its flickering light casting an ambiguous warm hue over the entire room.

Mu Siwan stood at the door, looking at the bed, and remained silent for a few seconds.

"This is……"

"The bridal chamber," Bo Yan said lazily, leaning against the doorframe. "It was decorated by the old lady."

"Are we sleeping here tonight?"

"Um."

Mu Siwan nodded, went inside, picked up a peanut, looked at it, and frowned.

"Theoretically speaking, it should be very uncomfortable."

Bo Yan leaned against the door frame, watching her furrow her brow as she held the peanut, and suddenly burst out laughing.

"What should we do then? We've already laid them all out."

Mu Siwan put the peanut back and carefully examined the bed.

"We can sweep them to one side," she said, "and pile them up together to make room for sleeping."

Bo Yan walked over, stood beside her, and looked down at the bed covered with dried fruit.

"It's the old lady's kind intention."

Mu Siwan turned her head to look at him.

A slight smile played on his lips; it was unclear what he was planning.

"so?"

He reached out, picked up the peanut she had just put back, and waved it in front of her.

"So," he said, "just bear with it, you'll get used to it."

Mu Siwan looked at him.

He looked at Mu Siwan.

The two looked at each other, one suspicious, the other with a smile in his eyes.

Mu Siwan spoke up: "Are you serious?"

Bo Yan laughed out loud and threw the peanuts back onto the bed.

"Just kidding." He turned and walked towards the bathroom. "You get ready first, I'm going to take a shower."

-

When Bo Yan came out after taking a shower, the peanuts and red dates on the bed had been swept aside and neatly piled in the corner.

Mu Siwan sat on the edge of the bed, holding a copy of "A Guide to Harmony Between Couples," and was turning to the first page.

She looked up at him.

"This book..."

Bo Yan paused in the act of drying his hair.

"What's wrong?"

Mu Siwan held it up to show him the two simple little figures.

"From an anatomical point of view, this posture is incorrect."

He paused for a moment while rubbing his hair.

He looked down at her, the towel still draped in his hand, his hair wet, water droplets sliding down his hair, landing on his collarbone, and then disappearing into the neckline of his robe along the lines of his chest.

The heat from his recent shower hadn't dissipated yet, and he carried a faint scent of shower gel, different from usual, which inexplicably wafted into her nose.

Bo Yan stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly smiled.

"What position should I use?"

The man's voice was lower than usual, with a lazy, husky quality, as if he had just taken a shower. His eyes appeared exceptionally deep in the candlelight, holding something she couldn't quite understand, and were fixed intently on her face.

Mu Siwan tightened her grip on the book.

Several images suddenly flashed through her mind—the way he sat above her in the darkness, the curve of his eyelashes as he lowered his head to kiss her, the frequency of his Adam's apple bobbing when he called her name. Those images surged up without warning, like water bursting from a dam, unstoppable.

Mu Siwan's ears began to burn.

She slammed the book shut and tossed it aside.

"have no idea."

She stood up, avoided his gaze, and walked straight to the bathroom.

"I'm going to take a shower."

Try to keep your tone as calm as possible.

but--

She went the wrong way.

Mu Siwan paused, stood at the balcony door, and remained silent for two seconds in front of the tightly closed glass door.

A low laugh came from behind me.

Bo Yan leaned against the headboard, the towel still draped in his hand, his hair wet, and the smile on his lips impossible to suppress.

"You're going the wrong way, Mrs. Bo." He finally spoke up kindly, "The bathroom is over there."

Mu Siwan didn't turn around, but turned and walked in the other direction.

My pace quickened slightly compared to before.

Bo Yan stared at the figure disappearing into the bathroom door, then at the bright red ear.

The door closed.

He looked away and continued drying his hair.

Her shoulders trembled slightly, but she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Oops.

Mrs. Human Machine.

What happened today?

-

The sound of rushing water lasted for a long time.

Bo Yan leaned against the headboard and casually flipped through the book that Mu Siwan had just thrown far away—"A Guide to Harmony Between Couples".

The cover is red with gold lettering, and the first page features two simple little figures dressed in red.

The man raised an eyebrow, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

The old lady was quite considerate.

He flipped through a few more pages; the books were richly illustrated and presented in various postures. Some looked difficult to read, while others looked like they would strain his back. As he turned the pages, he wondered where the old lady had bought this book; it was quite up-to-date.

I flipped through about half of the book when the bathroom door opened.

Mu Siwan came out, her hair still wet, and she had changed into a light-colored nightgown. She walked to the dressing table and picked up a hairdryer.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bo Yan leaning against the headboard, still holding the book in his hand, his eyes lowered, reading intently.

A Guide to Harmonious Marriage

Mu Siwan paused for a moment.

That book...

She just threw it.

Suddenly, the poses of those simple little figures flashed through my mind, along with the look in his eyes when he asked, "What pose should I use?"

My ears started to feel hot again.

She looked away, pretended to be calm, plugged in the hairdryer, and started drying her hair in front of the mirror.

A buzzing sound filled the room.

The red candles flickered gently.

Ambiguity was scattered all over the place.