Daily Life of a Powerful Official Supporting His Wife

Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen
Xie Junling, with the help of a servant, was submerged in the tub. He closed his eyes and held his breath for a moment, then opened them in the steamy bath.

He recalled what Lu Bao'er had said, and he felt angry. Why did Lu Bao'er reject him so much? Did she look down on him? Or did she meet some strange man in Kyoto and tempt him?
Xie Junling secretly glanced at his chest underwater. He didn't think he was any less handsome than other men. It was obvious that Lu Baoer was blind to dislike him.

Although Xie Junling looked frail, his torso, usually concealed by his wide-sleeved, crane-feather white shirt, was actually quite impressive. The wet water droplets now stained his well-defined skin, and the tips of his hair floated on the surface like ink, adding a touch of hidden allure.

His eyes were red, perhaps from anger, or perhaps from the moisture. He tied his hair back in place, put on his pure white undergarment, and then returned to the inner room, donning his outer robe.

Lu Baoer, already satiated, sat by the fabric bedstead. The room had two entrances, and a corridor around it housed her favorite dressing table. A bright red twill curtain hung from the bedstead, and gilded hooks held a gauze-like drape. Further out, a row of mahogany hangings were carved with the words "Many Children and Grandchildren."

Lu Bao'er was tucked away there. Perhaps the candlelight was too dim, but the distinct light and shadows of her features were clearly outlined, giving her eyes a deeper depth. Xie Junling and Lu Bao'er had never been married in a formal ceremony. Back then, their supposed marriage was a matter of his calculating, half-hearted consent, and the other's muddled obedience to their parents' wishes. Honestly, he hadn't given Lu Bao'er the wedding, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He had let her down, letting the silly girl suffer.

He lowered his long, thin eyelashes, which were like black feathers. The anger he had felt at Lu Baoer's nonsense disappeared. He took a deep breath and walked over to Lu Baoer and asked, "Why aren't you sleeping yet?"

Lu Baoer put the pearl hairpin in her hand back into the eight-treasure box and smiled: "My husband, have you finished washing? Come to the bed quickly, it's cold outside."

She rolled to the corner of the bed and curled up her feet to make room for Xie Junling.

Xie Junling asked, "Is it because the candlelight is too bright that you can't sleep? Are you afraid it will be too dark after the lights are turned off, so you're forcing yourself to sleep and wait for me?" Lu Baoer was furious and asked him, "Does my husband miss me so much? Can't I just wait for you to fall asleep together because I'm thinking about him?"

Hearing this, Xie Junling's mood improved a lot. He snorted inwardly, thinking that Lu Baoer still had some conscience.

Before he could even feel happy for a quarter of an hour, Lu Baoer murmured softly, "The hot water bottle is too hot. Without my husband to warm the bed, my hands and feet are cold tonight."

"..." So he is a human-shaped hot water bottle?

Xie Junling rolled up his blanket and fell asleep alone. He curled up into a cocoon, and no matter how hard Lu Baoer pulled, she couldn't touch him. Since they were sleeping with separate blankets, how could Lu Baoer keep warm?
She was stunned. She had never thought Xie Junling could hold such a grudge! How could a grown man like him hold a grudge against a little woman like her?

Lu Baoer fell asleep angrily. As the night deepened, Xie Junling opened his eyes in the dim light. He glanced at Lu Baoer, who was sleeping in a sprawled state, and reluctantly covered her with the quilt again.

Xie Junling hesitated for a moment, but still extended his broad palm to wrap around Lu Baoer's slender fingers, dispelling the cold. He just felt a little sympathy when he saw the little girl kicking off the quilt and getting cold, but he didn't feel sorry for her being cold, so don't misunderstand.

Xie Junling didn't know if Lu Bao'er hadn't taken good care of herself since she was a child, but her hands and feet were always cold in the winter. He thought he should find a doctor to see her and take good care of her health.

(End of this chapter)