After Marrying The Paranoid God of War (Rebirth) - Chapter 26.2

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After Huo Xi turned three, bedwetting became rare, but boys still had the habit of kicking off the covers. 

Before bedtime, Ruan An leaned over to tuck in Huo Xi, placing a few jade pillows by his small feet.

With a sweet smile, the little boy gripped the edge of the blanket, staring at her intently. 

Ruan An extended her fair index finger, gently scratching his nose, and asked, “Are you comfortable living with Grandpa? Did you make him angry?”

Huo Xi shook his little head but didn’t respond. Instead, he spoke in a childish tone, “Mother, give me a kiss, and I’ll tell you.”

Ruan An pinched his waist with both hands, showing no sign of annoyance. She replied to Huo Xi, “Didn’t we agree? Once you turn three, Mother won’t kiss you anymore. Only your wife can kiss you; other women can’t.”

Disappointed, Huo Xi lowered his eyelashes and extended his chubby hand from under the blanket, gesturing a number to Ruan An, saying softly, “Four years old. When I’m four, no more kisses from Mother.”

Ruan An moved her slender hand from his waist, unable to resist Huo Xi’s coaxing. She sighed, “Alright, at four.”

“Once you’re four, if you still ask Mother for kisses, I’ll tell your wife. She will definitely tease you.”

After saying this, Ruan An leaned down slightly, kissed Huo Xi’s forehead with a “mwah,” and gently instructed, “Go to sleep now.”

“Okay~”

The boy’s clear voice replied, and soon he obediently closed his eyelashes, entering a peaceful slumber. 

Ruan An exchanged a few words with the servant, and by the time she left Huo Xi’s residence, it was already late.

Today, she hadn’t found time to review medical principles, so Ruan An went to the study, bringing the book “Ling Shu Jing” from the desk to her inner room.

“Ling Shu” and “Su Wen” are two medical books that a healer must be familiar with. 

Although Ruan An knew their content by heart, she was afraid of making mistakes in some details concerning the patient’s life. Therefore, she always kept them fresh and at room temperature.

Huo Pingxiao, despite being a military general, occasionally spent his nights studying geography maps or researching military strategy and formations in the study.

Ruan An hadn’t entered his study before, but seeing Huo Pingxiao not in the bedroom and feeling less restrained, she adopted the habit from her time in Jiazhou, lying on the bed with her slender legs crossed, reciting the medical book with a lowered gaze.

As she read, she occasionally practiced acupuncture techniques with a suspended wrist and lifted fingers.

Due to her intense focus, Ruan An completely failed to notice that Huo Pingxiao had entered the inner room.

The candlelight in the bedroom was bright.

Huo Pingxiao stood silently in front of the four-poster bed, the front of his plain white inner garment slightly open, revealing a hint of firm and robust muscles.

His tall and straight body gradually blocked the candlelight on the stand.

Due to poor night vision, Ruan An found it increasingly difficult to see the words in the book, so she reached out her fair little hand to rub her eyes.

Feeling a bit puzzled, Ruan An still hadn’t sensed the man’s presence.

Before she could turn around to assess the situation, a shadow with a looming pressure suddenly approached her direction—

“So diligent.”

His eyebrows and eyes were jet black, and his robust facial features exuded a cold demeanor. However, his tone was nonchalant.

As Huo Pingxiao teased her, he casually picked up the forgotten socks by Ruan An’s bedside, and a smirk appeared at the corner of his lips.

“Thump, thump, thump.”

Upon hearing his familiar and deep voice, the girl’s heart suddenly raced, like prey being pursued. 

Ruan An, unsure of where to hide, frantically searched for an escape direction within the bed.

“Don’t move.”

Huo Pingxiao grasped her slender ankle and smoothly slid the socks back onto her right foot.

The soft fabric brushed over the tops of her feet and the soles, causing a faint tickling sensation. 

Ruan An helplessly trembled her eyelashes, about to say something to him.

However, the man, with strong arms, embraced her waist, guiding her in what seemed like a rough but actually controlled motion, gradually tilting backward to lie down. 

The candlelight flickered, and the clothing of the two rubbed against each other, responding to the gentle breeze from above.

With a soft “thud,” her cheek pressed against his sturdy shoulder. Though not very painful, Ruan An’s cheeks unconsciously tinted with a subtle blush.

She let out a soft murmur, attempting to sit up with her small hands, but the man, with robust hands, pressed down on her waist, preventing her from moving.

“Hold on for a moment.”

Huo Pingxiao’s Adam’s apple rolled slightly, his voice sounding somewhat huskier than before, saying in a hoarse tone.

The words were almost whispered into her ear, and the warm breath continued to infiltrate, the voice becoming more magnetic. 

Enduring the palpitations in her heart, Ruan An stopped struggling, merely nestling quietly in his arms, closing her eyes for a while.

In just a moment, Ruan An’s cheeks buzzed, sensing something different about him. 

She spoke with a hesitant tone, “Don’t hold me, I’m having my period… it’s uncomfortable for both of us, so please let me go.”

After saying this, she opened her eyes to look at him, and Huo Pingxiao also raised his eyes to meet hers.

Their eyes met, and in his pitch-black pupils, she saw the flickering candlelight reflecting not only in them but also in her small figure.

Ruan An blushed again and lowered her little head. However, Huo Pingxiao used his large hand to hold her chin, lifting her small face, and compelling her to continue looking at him.

“Give me a kiss.”

He said each word clearly, his eyebrows wicked, his tone carrying a hint of mischief. Then, he added a condition, “I’ll let you go if you do.”

Ruan An didn’t want to be led by him, and besides, she couldn’t let go of her inner reserve to kiss him willingly.

In fact, she and Huo Pingxiao hadn’t shared an intimate moment.

On their wedding day, his kiss carried a comforting touch, like a dragonfly skimming the water, brief and light.

Although Huo Pingxiao seemed unruly, in their interactions, he was a person with a sense of propriety. If she showed any resistance, he would promptly stop, never forcing her into anything.

In the past month, he hadn’t touched her again, showing patience as she adjusted to the idea of him as her husband.

Ruan An noticed all of this but still didn’t want to make it easy for him.

Seeing Huo Pingxiao loosen his grip a bit, she quickly sat up on the bed, playfully teasing him with a calm demeanor, “Why are you still acting like Huo Xi?!”

Huo Pingxiao was briefly taken aback, then furrowed his brows in confusion, asking, “What do you mean?”

“Huo Xi is a child, it’s normal for him to ask for a kiss from his mother. But you, how can you, at your age, still ask your wife for a kiss…”

Before she could finish the sentence with “Is it not embarrassing,” the man’s eyes suddenly sharpened.

Huo Pingxiao also abruptly sat up from the bed, his slender fingers decisively gripping the back of her delicate neck.

He coldly asked, “How old is that little brat? Still letting him get close to you?”

Ruan An, bewildered, tightly shut her eyes and instinctively lowered her neck, resembling a rabbit picked up by a hungry wolf.

“So, did you get close to him?”

Ruan An remained silent, but Huo Pingxiao saw through the truth and withdrew his chilly gaze.

She had indeed been close to Huo Xi, that little brat.

It seemed he needed to find a day to talk to Huo Xi about this.

***

Two days later, at the He Mansion.

Upon learning that Ruan An was not pregnant, He Xinruo, though relieved, still felt that this matter was a potential threat.

On the day of her return, she brought up the recent events with her mother, Lady Zhu.

In front of Lady Zhu, He Xinruo no longer needed to pretend to be virtuous and virtuous. She quickly poured out all the displeasure and frustration in her heart.

“Mother, you may not know. I’ve observed the appearance of that cousin from the Fang family, and it’s not inferior to Princess Consort Li Shuying. I wonder if she deliberately caters to the Duke of Dingbei’s preferences. She rarely dresses up, always presenting herself with a gentle and weak appearance, like plain water, lacking the air of a high-born lady.”

Lady Zhu comforted her daughter, saying, “She’s different from you. You have a father and mother in Chang’an, and the support of a clan. What does she have? The parents of that cousin from the Fang family passed away some years ago. She’s an orphan, and after marrying into the Huo family, she naturally has to prioritize her husband and rely on her offspring to stand firm.”

“For her, she can only count on the Duke of Dingbei.”

Lady Zhu’s words brought some satisfaction to He Xinruo’s heart.

Indeed, the cousin from the Fang family was only slightly more beautiful than her, and her husband was more formidable than hers.

But Huo Changjue is much gentler than Huo Pingxiao. Civil officials are always more considerate than military ones, and the Marquis of Dingbei has such an arrogant and unruly temperament.

Perhaps the cousin from the Fang family has to cater to Huo Pingxiao’s mood, being cautious every day. In comparison, she, who married into the family with a matching background, likely lives a more comfortable and content life.

If He Xinruo hadn’t forgotten the most important matter, she recounted the events of the tea-serving day to Lady Zhu.

At first, Lady Zhu didn’t think much of the cousin from the Fang family.

However, after hearing He Xinruo’s complete story, her slightly aged face became more solemn.

“You mean the cousin from the Fang family deliberately said in front of you that she has gained weight and her stomach has grown?”

As Lady Zhu said this, He Xin seemed to recall something. 

She thought carefully about that day’s events, feeling increasingly uneasy, and quickly asked, “Mother, are you saying that Lady Fang intentionally did it in front of me, to make me think she is pregnant?”

Lady Zhu looked at her intriguingly but didn’t immediately respond.

She initially thought that the cousin from the Fang family, coming from Shu, hadn’t seen much of the world and might just be a beautiful but naive girl.

However, after hearing He Xinruo’s account, Lady Zhu now believed that Lady Fang was definitely someone not to be underestimated.

She is very strategic and resourceful, understands patience and laying low, and can timely seize opportunities, exploiting men’s sense of guilt.

Listening to He Xinruo’s description of her, Lady Zhu felt that Lady Fang should be a woman who appears gentle but is internally strong.

Knowing her daughter well, Lady Zhu understood that He Xinruo, despite being assertive, might not necessarily win against the seemingly gentle yet tough Fang family cousin if left on her own.

It seemed that even though her daughter married into a prestigious family, as a mother, she couldn’t relax. She had to consider more for He Xinruo and ensure she didn’t fall behind in front of that Shu girl.

He Xinruo, still puzzled, asked, “But what is she aiming for?”

Lady Zhu, sensing the critical point of the matter, patiently explained to her daughter, “Tell me, besides having a slightly superior appearance, what does she have in the Huo family that’s better than you?”

He Xinruo gritted her teeth and replied, “Of course, it’s the offspring. Her child is almost four years old.”

Lady Zhu clicked her tongue and continued advising He Xinruo, “That’s it. The Huo family has two marquisates, and Huo Lang particularly favors her legitimate grandson. That cousin from the Fang family is undoubtedly demonstrating in another way. She keeps saying she has the legitimate eldest son of the Huo family, while you don’t. And when she gives birth to a baby boy in the future, another title of the Huo family may also belong to her son. “

After hearing this, He Xinruo suddenly realized.

So, that’s the case!

She was indeed not as insightful as her mother, unable to see through the deep scheming of the Fang family cousin.

Next time, she must remember not to judge people based on appearances, not to underestimate that little cousin who seems gentle and weak. 

TL: It’s funny seeing them thinking too much when Ruan An is just chilling.