After Marrying The Paranoid God of War (Rebirth) - Chapter 47

The warm embrace of the man gradually relaxed Ruan An’s will, and for a moment, the girl felt a sourness in her nose and her limbs became increasingly weak and powerless.

 

Huo Pingxiao’s tall body shielded her from the chilly autumn wind, his warm and slightly rough palm carrying a comforting meaning, rubbing the soft flesh of her neck over and over again.

 

Still unsettled, Ruan An suddenly grabbed the sleeve of his robe with a tightening grip.

 

She felt like a sprout trapped in a crack, once it received the sunshine, it no longer wanted to burrow back into the damp and dark ground.

 

Ruan An took a deep breath, greedily absorbing the nourishment he provided, and slowly closed her eyes in his embrace.

 

The female servants and nannies from the Gao family of the Minister’s residence stood by the palace gate, their expressions a bit unnatural, even awkward.

 

Madame Gao felt that this couple, though married for half a year, seemed like newlyweds, very much in love.

 

She found the scene before her quite remarkable.

 

So the notorious Yama could be so gentle to his woman.

 

Quite tender.

 

Madame Gao was about to bid farewell to the couple, wanting to return to the Minister’s residence to rest early.

 

After attending today’s palace banquet, she felt she had shortened her lifespan by a few months!

 

Before she could speak, Madame Gao felt as if a beast lurking in the night was staring at her, a sharp gaze suddenly falling on her, causing her to shiver, her body going rigid.

 

Huo Pingxiao’s hand was still protectively holding the head of the person in his arms, but he coldly looked towards her, his expression carrying a questioning intent.

 

Madame Gao suddenly realized that when she was leaving the palace gate earlier, her expression when mentioning the cousin from the Fang family was somewhat severe, probably leading Huo Pingxiao to think she was scolding his delicate wife.

 

The little cousin was scared witless, shrinking silently in his embrace, and Huo Pingxiao naturally misunderstood.

 

Ironically, Ruan An was covered in blood.

 

Wasn’t this like taking a live example of a cruel mother-in-law bullying a fragile and delicate wife?

 

Huo Pingxiao’s voice was as cold and sharp as a blade, asking, “What exactly happened just now? Why is the lady of the Marquis covered in blood?”

 

He usually returned from the military camp late, so by the time he got back, Ruan An should have returned from the palace banquet.

 

But when he heard the drumming in the city, signaling the curfew was near, he could no longer stay at the residence and immediately rode his horse to the Chentian Gate.

 

Madame Gao, who was usually timid in front of Huo Pingxiao, her stepson, did not dare to prompt Ruan An to explain for her, unsure of what to say. The surrounding female servants also lowered their heads, not daring to breathe loudly.

 

At this moment, Ruan An finally regained her senses and also heard the man’s harsh words.

 

“Lord Marquis.”

 

Ruan An suddenly called out to him, then explained, “It has nothing to do with the mother-in-law. Consort Chen had a premature birth at the palace banquet, and she did not trust the attending physician. I was urgently asked to help with the delivery, which is why I got blood on me. Fortunately, consort Chen and the child are safe, and it has not brought disaster upon the Huo family…”

 

Mid-sentence, Ruan An broke free from Huo Pingxiao’s embrace and also looked up at him.

 

When their eyes met, Huo Pingxiao’s eyes, dark as ink, gradually returned to calm.

 

Madame Gao finally breathed a sigh of relief.

 

But then, Ruan An gently asked Huo Pingxiao, “Lord Marquis, since you misunderstood the mother-in-law just now, shouldn’t you apologize to her?”

 

Madame Gao was slightly startled.

 

She thought, the cousin from the Fang family was getting a bit too presumptuous.

 

How could she speak to Huo Pingxiao like that? Given Yama’s temperament, wouldn’t he scold her?

 

But since the cousin from the Fang family was willing to speak up for her, Madame Gao was somewhat touched.

 

However, the storm she expected did not come. Instead, a barely noticeable smile appeared on Huo Pingxiao’s lips.

 

He slightly lowered his eyes, but his gaze was fixed only on Ruan An, who had a serious expression. Slowly, he said, “I’m sorry, my lady.”

 

——”It’s because I was too worried about her.”

 

Madame Gao’s expression was one of utter astonishment, even disbelief, as she widened her eyes.

 

My goodness, the living Yama actually apologized to her!

 

Although she knew that Huo Pingxiao was very fond of his cousin from the Fang family, she always felt that whenever Ruan An spoke, Huo Pingxiao would surely pick a fight.

 

The cousin from the Fang family really had some skills; she actually managed to tame such a proud man as the living Yama!

 

On the way back to the Marquis of Dingbei’s mansion, Ruan An sat in the smoothly moving carriage, suddenly wanting to see Huo Pingxiao outside.

 

Just as she lifted the curtain with her little hand, Huo Pingxiao also glanced at her.

 

After Ruan An’s gaze met his deep eyes, the man’s action of reining in the horse carried a sense of control, and he commanded her in a low voice, “Put the curtain down, lest you catch a cold.”

 

Huo Pingxiao, riding a red Dawan horse, had a cold expression, and the aura around him was also low, almost as if he was in a bad mood.

 

Ruan An immediately let the curtain down, naturally unclear about the reason for his sudden anger.

 

But in front of Madame Gao just now, his attitude was rather indifferent, so it shouldn’t have been because of what she said that he got angry.

 

Then what was it for?

 

Ruan An couldn’t figure out his thoughts, so she intertwined her slender white index fingers, continuously making circles.

 

Finally, the carriage arrived at the Duke’s mansion. Ruan An lifted the curtain again, and by this time, it should have been the female servants like Bai Wei who would help her out of the carriage.

 

Huo Pingxiao had already jumped down from the horse and walked straight towards her. The man’s thin lips were tightly pressed, and he silently held her horizontally in his arms.

 

The man’s actions were quite domineering, and he didn’t allow her any chance to struggle.

 

Ruan An was caught off guard and let out a soft exclamation.

 

Huo Pingxiao held his wife more securely in his arms and commanded Bai Wei in a low voice, “Prepare the water quickly to serve the lady for her bath.”

 

Once again, Ruan An found herself in Huo Pingxiao’s broad embrace, her feelings incredibly complex. His presence was clearly dangerous and dominant, yet it inexplicably gave her a great sense of security.

 

Helplessly, she closed her eyes, knowing she was covered in blood and sweat, and naturally wanted to wash away all the dirt as soon as possible.

 

After bathing quickly, Ruan An changed into clean clothes. Listening to the distant sound of the timekeeping device, she felt that it wasn’t far from dawn.

 

Not far away, the light was still on in Huo Pingxiao’s study.

 

Ruan An, with her hair still half-wet, tiptoed towards that place, wanting to ask him why he was angry outside earlier.

 

After entering the room, Huo Pingxiao seemed to be concentrating on a geomancy map, casually flipping a dart that glimmered with a cold light in his long hands. The sharp aura around him gradually faded, but he still didn’t look very gentle.

 

“Dear husband.”

 

As soon as the gentle words of the girl fell, Huo Pingxiao suddenly looked up at her.

 

Standing under the warm yellow candlelight, Ruan An’s skin, softened by the hot water, took on a light pink hue. Her long lashes were dripping with water droplets, and her eyes were tender and weak.

 

Without makeup, she looked younger than her age, not appearing like a woman in her twenties, so using the identity of Fang Ran caused no suspicion.

 

But indeed, in her teens, she had borne him a child.

 

Huo Pingxiao’s thoughts gradually recalled the stubborn girl from Apricot Blossom Village. Years had passed, and she seemed to have changed, yet also seemed the same.

 

Ruan An had already walked up to him. Although Huo Pingxiao was accustomed to taking the initiative, he hadn’t figured out the reason for her sudden visit, so he did not speak.

 

The man’s silence, on the contrary, made Ruan An feel oppressed. When she looked up at him, his dark pupils also reflected her bewildered face.

 

Ruan An immediately avoided Huo Pingxiao’s gaze again.

 

“What do you want to say?”

 

Huo Pingxiao finally spoke, asking in a low voice.

 

Ruan An had thought of many excuses during her bath, but when it came to speaking them out loud, she was still stumbling and incoherent.

 

It was only after the event that she suddenly realized how deep and wide the implications were. The former dynasty’s officials and the forbidden court’s consorts might mistakenly think that the Huo family was taking sides or forming cliques for personal gain because of her actions.

 

She truly shouldn’t have forgotten what her identity was now.

 

Now, she was not only a doctor but also a mother of a young child, the wife of the Marquis of Dingbei, a daughter-in-law of the Huo family, and a distant relative of the Pei country’s public house.

 

Huo Pingxiao respected her profession very much, allowing her to open a medical hall and sit in consultation, and even spent a lot of silver to let her manage a medicinal garden. He let her do whatever she wanted, never needing her to worry about the middle affairs.

 

Yet, she almost caused such a big trouble for the Huo family and the Marquis of Dingbei’s house. Huo Pingxiao must be very disappointed in her.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Ruan An suddenly choked up, apologizing to him.

 

Huo Pingxiao’s eyes were slightly startled, not immediately understanding the reason for Ruan An’s apology.

 

“I will never act so recklessly again… I know today was a fluke… if something had happened…”

 

Ruan An’s voice gradually became tearful. She wanted to say that she had been an orphan since childhood and was not like the noble ladies born into high families who had the consciousness of sharing the honor and disgrace of the family rooted in their blood. She only knew to follow the instinct of a healer to save people.

 

But she wasn’t sure if such an explanation would make Huo Pingxiao think she was making excuses.

 

Ruan An closed her eyes, ready to wait for Huo Pingxiao to speak.

 

Whether he blamed or scolded her, she would accept it.

 

“Ah Xu.”

 

He called her softly, and suddenly, Ruan An felt a weight on the top of her head.

 

When she opened her eyes, she found that the man had rubbed her slightly wet hair with his big hand.

 

Huo Pingxiao deliberately leaned down his body to be on the same level as her, staring at her evasive eyes, and said in a gentle voice, “It’s okay as long as you’re alright.”

 

The two didn’t say much more in the study. There were less than two hours left before dawn.

 

After Huo Pingxiao carried Ruan An back to the bedroom, he naturally didn’t stay idle.

 

Ruan An suddenly felt that Huo Pingxiao was very different tonight.

 

The man clasped her wrist, and while their lips and teeth interlocked, the sense of desire on his body was still strong but also carried some other emotion that she couldn’t identify.

 

Huo Pingxiao patiently waited for her response, strong yet not lacking in gentleness and warmth.

 

The bright moonlight gradually shone through the silk curtain, spilling over the two of them.

 

He kissed Ruan An’s tearful, dazed eyes, swallowing her soft murmurs. His breath was warm and comforting, occasionally whispering those words that made her blush and heart race in her ear.

 

Ruan An, in a daze, suddenly realized that it was getting light outside the window. She must not have slept long, indeed having been agitated until daylight.

 

The man lying beside her, Huo Pingxiao, must not have slept. Seeing Ruan An wake up, he suddenly hooked her slender neck, his breathing restrained and deep, rather fiercely bending down to kiss her lips.

 

The man, strong and assertive, held her tightly in his embrace.

 

Ruan An was immobilized, also revealing his thoughts. She did not refuse but asked in a stammering voice, “You haven’t slept all night… Can your body take it?”

 

Huo Pingxiao chuckled softly, nibbling on her earlobe, and said in a deep, magnetic voice, “If there were a battle, it would be common for your husband to stay up several nights in a row. What’s this in comparison?”

 

As he spoke, he suddenly overpowered her, lowering his tone, and coaxingly said, “Dealing with one of you is still more than manageable for me.”

 

Ruan An turned her face away, deliberately avoiding his intense gaze.

 

At this moment, a terrified voice from Ze Lan came from outside the bedroom, “Young master, you cannot barge in now, the Marquis and the lady… have not yet gotten up…”

 

Ruan An was terrified, but heard Huo Xi stubbornly retorting with a babyish tone, “Hmph~ You’re lying, I clearly heard talking inside.”

 

After saying this, Huo Xi shouted into the room again, “Dad, Mom, I heard you talking! Grandmother told me about yesterday this morning, I want to see Mom! Let me in~”

 

Ruan An was panicked and hurriedly tried to get up and dress.

 

However, Huo Pingxiao held her wrist with a deep gaze and mouthed to her, “Ignore him, let’s continue.”

 

Ruan An was both ashamed and anxious, her cheeks almost bleeding. Even if Huo Xi was stopped by the female attendants from coming in, this was not acceptable!

 

Huo Xi was very worried about Ruan An’s situation and was pondering over strategies on how to bypass the female attendants’ interception to see his mother.

 

“Little devil.”

 

Huo Pingxiao’s lazy voice came from behind the screen, the man walked out of the bedroom, his sharp eyes slightly narrowed.

 

He pointed a finger in the direction of the little “bun” and sternly scared Huo Xi, “If you keep this up, you won’t have any brothers or sisters in the future.”