“Young General possesses great skill, truly masterful at picking locks. I am truly impressed, impressed indeed!”
Ling Mohan retorted without backing down, “My dear wife, you flatter me. My humble trick, I would never dare to display before you.”
“Young General needn’t be humble. This lock-picking skill, I cannot compare to your finesse,” Feng Jin sneered. From now on, the locks on the doors would have to be filled with lead, and she would see how Ling Mohan would pry them open.
Ling Mohan was unconcerned. He directly threw off the covers and lay down on the bed. This bed was indeed comfortable. He had to admit, Feng Jin had a knack for enjoying life.
Compared to Feng Jin’s bed, the one in his own room could hardly be called a bed. It was simply a plank of wood. Lying on it, tossing and turning, he couldn’t find an ounce of sleep. Instead, he felt his whole body aching.
This was why he resorted to such a measure, playing the gentleman thief. Fortunately, his lock-picking skills had not gone to waste, and he had entered so easily.
He had not expected, however, to actually endure a kick from Feng Jin. Truly unlucky!
“Get up, this is my bed. If you want to sleep, go back to your own room.” Seeing this, Feng Jin directly grabbed the man’s hand, intending to pull him up and throw him out. However, the man gained the upper hand, firmly gripping her wrist.
With a slight exertion of force, Ling Mohan pulled Feng Jin onto the bed. Before she could react, his tall, sturdy body pressed down on her.
Their noses touched, and they exchanged breaths.
Being so close, Feng Jin felt immediately uncomfortable. She pushed against the man’s chest, saying, “Hurry up and get up.”
“My wife’s bold pronouncements today still echo in my ears. It’s the first time I’ve known you to have such high aspirations.”
Ling Mohan taunted deliberately. He had been overjoyed to go to Prince Jing’s mansion to bring Feng Jin back home, only to unexpectedly overhear Feng Jin’s grand pronouncements, which had greatly surprised him.
“I am speaking the truth, all for Lin Yuwei’s good. Besides, what man among you isn’t fickle, always favoring the new and forgetting the old? We women should be independent and self-reliant, firmly grasping the reins of finances. Even without a husband, we can forge our own path.”
As an independent woman of the new era, Feng Jin’s thinking was always progressive. Women must be independent, not dependent on men for survival, to live a life uniquely their own.
“Then you shouldn’t instigate Lin Yuwei and sow discord in her marital relationship.”
“This is not sowing discord, it is giving Lin Yuwei a piece of advice, to have her own thoughts and live for herself. How is this sowing discord? It’s like playing music to a cow with you.”
Feng Jin felt vexed. She forcefully pushed the man away and looked down at Ling Mohan, coldly stating, “If you men are allowed to be fickle, are we women not allowed to plan for our own futures? Must we wait until we are discarded as unwanted wives to make our plans?”
Having said her piece, Feng Jin directly snatched the quilt, covered herself, and turned her back.
Ling Mohan stood by the bed, pondered for a long time, then tiptoed to lie beside Feng Jin. He reached out, pulled the little woman into his arms, and said in a low voice, “You don’t need to plan for yourself. I will never be fickle. In this life, you are my only wife, and there will never be a second person between us.”
Feng Jin, buried in the quilt, heard the man’s voice, and a smile involuntarily curved her lips. Finally, the fellow had said something pleasing to her ears.
…
The next morning, when Feng Jin opened her eyes, she saw Ling Mohan lying beside her, which was unusual.
According to his usual schedule, Ling Mohan would have long since disappeared by this time. Why was he so strange today, still sleeping soundly?
Feng Jin turned sideways to gaze at the man’s face. Heaven was truly unfair, bestowing upon him such good looks, and then making him accomplished in both civil and military arts, as if gathering all good things unto himself.
After staring at the man’s face for a long time, Feng Jin, as if guided by a demon, reached out and gently caressed his features. Just as Feng Jin was lost in thought, she suddenly heard the man’s voice, as if he had just woken up.
“I didn’t expect my wife to covet my looks so much, even secretly touching me while I slept.”
Ling Mohan’s lips curled into a smile, his tone carrying a hint of playful teasing. Today, he had merely indulged in a moment of laziness and not woken up early, yet he was rewarded with such a pleasant surprise.
In the past, he detested this troublesome appearance the most, and he even more disliked people discussing his looks. Yet today, this very thing he most disliked was attracting Feng Jin.
Ling Mohan was overjoyed. It seemed his appearance was somewhat useful.
“My wife, if you find my appearance handsome, you may look at me openly. Why be sneaky? I permit you to look to your heart’s content.”
After saying these words, Ling Mohan actually leaned his face a little closer to Feng Jin’s.
At this moment, Feng Jin regretted her actions immensely. Why had she been so impulsive and reached out to touch him?
“My husband’s appearance is naturally superior, truly breathtaking. Especially his skin, which is as fair as snow, his complexion like solidified fat. Your beauty is such that even the most renowned courtesans in the pleasure houses cannot compare to even a tenth of yours…”
Feng Jin continued regretfully, “It is a pity that my husband is a man. If you were a woman, you would surely become famous in the capital, rivalling the flower queens of the pleasure houses.”
Ling Mohan’s handsome mouth twitched twice. His face turned ashen. Indeed, he shouldn’t have expected Feng Jin to say anything good.
These words were even more outlandish than those of the patrons in the pleasure houses. He, a man, felt ashamed hearing them, yet Feng Jin said them with a calm expression, as if it were nothing.
“You, a young lady, where did you learn such foolish words?”
“Anyone can learn these words after hearing them once. Don’t the patrons in the pleasure houses tease the girls like this? Tell me, have I learned well?”
These were all things she had learned from television. She wondered if they were similar to reality.
Ling Mohan’s complexion deepened further. His well-defined hands clenched into fists, veins bulging on the backs of his pale hands.
She learned these words from patrons in pleasure houses. Could it be that Feng Jin had been to a pleasure house?
This impression surfaced in his mind, and Ling Mohan’s face immediately turned extremely grim. He grabbed Feng Jin’s wrist and asked, voicing his suspicion, “Have you been to a pleasure house?”
Feng Jin immediately understood the source of Ling Mohan’s anger. Not afraid of making things worse, she continued, “Of course I have. With my looks, I would be the top… courtesan…”
As she spoke the last word, Feng Jin’s confidence waned. It was truly because Ling Mohan’s expression at this moment was terrifyingly dreadful.