Chapter 284 - 281: Honey, Not There

Chapter 284: Chapter 281: Honey, Not There

Without a word, Jiang Xia pulled the soft body beside him into an embrace, burying his face against her. He took an intoxicating sniff of his wife’s scent and asked softly, "I thought you said we were sleeping in separate rooms. Why’d you sneak in while I was in the shower?"

"Isn’t this what you wished for?" Lin Yanwan’s face was bright red. ’To celebrate his birthday, she was offering herself up completely.’

"Are you Mrs. Claus?" Jiang Xia couldn’t help but laugh.

"Uh-huh~"

He nuzzled his cheek against hers. "My wife’s the best~"

"We’re just sleeping. Don’t get any funny ideas," Lin Yanwan said seriously.

"Are we really just sleeping?" Jiang Xia breathed softly against her ear. ’She came to my bed on her own and is still saying we can only sleep? As if!’

’He knew girls tended to be shy. Often, even when they wanted something, they had to orchestrate a whole scenario. In that case, he wasn’t going to hold back.’

Lin Yanwan whispered, "Stop it. You’re only going to make things harder on yourself."

’Jiang Xia wasn’t listening. He’d been reborn for over half a year, and he’d been pent up for just as long. Today, not even his mother-in-law showing up could stop them from making a baby!’

And he meant it!

He lowered his head and captured his wife’s soft lips. Lin Yanwan wrapped her arms around his neck, closing her eyes and responding with passion.

A long moment later, Jiang Xia rolled over, pinning her beneath him as he panted heavily. Lin Yanwan stared into his eyes, now clouded with desire, and cooed, "Darling, you can’t go there."

’Jiang Xia didn’t believe her for a second. The way she was lying there, completely at his mercy—how could that possibly mean she was saying no?’

"Babe, I’m starving."

He scrambled to pull off his pants, only to freeze solid the next second.

"What the fuck is this?"

"Hahahaha, it’s a pad, of course~" Lin Yanwan couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. She had put on this elaborate act just to see this one moment.

Jiang Xia was left speechless.

He was suddenly at a loss for words. His mother-in-law couldn’t have stopped him, but Aunt Flo certainly could.

’Damn it!’

Lin Yanwan reached out and patted his head. "I told you we could only sleep. No funny business. You just wouldn’t believe me. Feeling frustrated now, aren’t you?"

He felt the thickness of the pad, on the verge of tears. "Isn’t your period supposed to be in the middle of the month? It’s only the tenth today!"

"Didn’t you know? When a bunch of girls live together, their ’magnetic fields’ influence each other. Now everyone in my dorm is pretty much synced up." Seeing his crestfallen expression, Lin Yanwan was dying from laughter.

A muscle in Jiang Xia’s cheek twitched. ’Who the hell keeps track of that sort of thing?’

"You did this on purpose!"

"Nope. I’d just say you’re unlucky that your birthday happened to overlap with my period. You can’t blame me for that," she said with a smile.

’If she hadn’t gotten her period today, she never would have dared to hop into Jiang Xia’s bed so brazenly. He would have positively devoured her.’

"Then I’ll just wait seven more days!" Jiang Xia said through gritted teeth.

’He’d already held out this long. What were a few more days?’

"Once my period’s over, I’m going back to my dorm to sleep. Nyah nyah~"

"You vicious woman!"

"You should be grateful I’m even letting you hold me. And you’re still not satisfied." Lin Yanwan huffed softly. "If you’re unhappy, maybe I should just go back to my own room?"

"Satisfied, I’m satisfied."

Jiang Xia hastily pulled his wife back into his arms. ’Even if they couldn’t make a baby, he could still fall asleep holding her soft, fragrant body. Wasn’t that infinitely better than sleeping alone?’

Feeling his wandering hand, Lin Yanwan frowned slightly, pulling it out from under her shirt and pushing it away.

"You can’t lift my shirt. If I get cold, the cramps will be really painful."

"...Alright."

’Then he’d just have to touch her through her clothes. The sensation wasn’t as good, but she still felt so soft.’

"My tummy hurts. Rub here." Lin Yanwan guided his hand to her lower abdomen. The warmth radiating from his palm was perfect for soothing the pain.

"I’m starting to suspect this isn’t a reward for me, but that you were just looking for a human-shaped heating pad." Jiang Xia was exasperated, but he still dutifully rubbed his wife’s belly.

’He’d done this countless times in his previous life. Because of her weak constitution, Lin Yanwan had always suffered from painful periods. He even wondered if the reason they hadn’t had a child in eight years was related to her ’cold womb’.’

"Isn’t this a special kind of reward in itself?"

"Darling, this is a husband’s duty and responsibility."

Jiang Xia gently rubbed her flat stomach. ’He seemed to remember her having a little bit of a tummy. It had felt even more comfortable to touch than she did now.’

"It doesn’t feel as nice as it used to."

Lin Yanwan: "?"

"You’re too skinny now."

"Are you saying I used to be fat?"

"No, just... a little bit of softness feels better to the touch."

’Lin Yanwan was a little speechless. She was only eighteen, in the prime of her youth, when her figure was at its best. All her curves were in all the right places, how could she possibly be fat!’

Jiang Xia continued rubbing her abdomen, using his palm to transfer the heat from the friction evenly to her womb.

"Feeling any better now?"

"It hurts when you stop."

"I didn’t say I was stopping."

A small smile played on Lin Yanwan’s lips. ’Tonight, she probably wouldn’t be curled up under the covers, breaking out in a cold sweat from the pain. She could finally get a good night’s sleep.’

"I’ll go buy you some ibuprofen tomorrow. Take it when it hurts. Don’t just try to endure the pain; that’s actually worse for you."

"Mm."

She hummed softly in agreement, lying on her side in his arms as her eyelids grew inexplicably heavy.

"The weather’s getting colder, so you should start wearing more layers. Do you still have any of those heat packs?"

After waiting a few seconds without a response, Jiang Xia listened to her even breathing. He hadn’t expected her to fall asleep so quickly.

He smiled softly. The desire in his eyes had long since vanished, replaced by a simple wish to cherish her.

He couldn’t help but reminisce about all the years they had spent together, wondering whether what they shared was more romantic love or a deep, familial bond.

’Perhaps it was like the two halves of the yin-yang symbol, where romantic love and familial affection had achieved a perfect balance.’

"Honey, I love you," he murmured, leaning close to her ear.

Lin Yanwan didn’t speak, but she subconsciously snuggled deeper into his embrace, wanting only to be closer to him.

He buried his head in the crook of his wife’s neck and drifted into a deep sleep. In the middle of the night, the arm she was using as a pillow went numb. He retracted it slightly, shifted his position, and then hugged her tightly once more.

◇

「The next day, at the crack of dawn.」

Lin Yanwan’s eyes fluttered open. She slowly woke up, turning her head to look at his sleeping face. She couldn’t resist tickling his angular features with the ends of her hair.

’He had been so well-behaved last night, holding her securely as they slept. Even now, his palm was still resting on her lower belly.’

Blushing, she slowly guided his hand under her shirt. ’She’d consider this his reward.’

Half-asleep, Jiang Xia felt a tickling sensation on his face. He opened his eyes to see her radiant face and the strands of hair she was holding.

He leaned in and kissed her, a blissful smile in his eyes.

"Good morning, baby."