Chapter 32 I am pleased and willing to serve you. ...
The carriage returned to the Marquis's residence, and Lou Xueying and Li Pan first went to see Li's mother.
Li's mother was sitting in the yard basking in the sun, and Cui Cui was standing beside her, reading stories to her.
Upon seeing her son and daughter-in-law, Li's mother happily said, "You're back!"
Li Pan picked up the storybook from Cuicui's hand and flipped through it. The content was quite cliché, so he said, "What's the point of always listening to this? There are many theaters in the capital. I'll take you there another day. They sing and perform live, which is much better than just listening to dry stories."
Li's mother waved her hand: "No need, no need. You and Susu can go out for a stroll. You don't need to waste your time with me."
Lou Xueying smiled and said, "If Mother is interested, we can all go out and have some fun together. How could that be a waste?"
Li's mother: "Really, there's no need. I'm fine as I am now."
"Never mind." Li Pan put the storybook back in Cuicui's hands and said to Lou Xueying, "That's just how she is, so disappointing. If she likes listening to stories, let her listen to them. We'll go out and play later."
Li's mother wasn't annoyed, and just looked at them with a smile: "That's right, you young people go out to play, you don't need to worry about this old woman."
"But……"
Lou Xueying wanted to say something, but Li Pan pulled her away.
As Lou Xueying walked out of Li's mother's courtyard, she looked at Li Pan and hesitated, "When we were serving tea earlier, Mother told me that she wasn't very literate and that after arriving in the capital, she didn't dare to leave the house for fear of making a mistake and being ridiculed. Could it be that she wasn't exaggerating, but that it was true?"
“Of course it’s true,” Li Pan said. “She’s been in the capital for almost two months, and she’s only gone out a handful of times. Apart from going to your house to discuss marriage, she’s been moving into the Marquis’s mansion. Whenever she receives an invitation to a banquet, she lies and says she’s sick in order not to go.”
"How can that be?" Lou Xueying said. "We can't just stay cooped up in the mansion forever!"
“I can’t persuade her,” Li Pan said. “If you’re so capable, you go and talk to her.”
"Isn't she even a little curious about the excitement outside?"
“There is a little bit,” Li Pan said. “On the few times she went out, she would sit in the carriage and ask me what this was and what that was, and I would answer her. After I finished answering, I would ask if she wanted to get down and take a look, but she would say no.”
Lou Xueying remained silent.
In his past life, one of the reasons Li Pan requested to return to the northwest to guard the border was that his elderly mother could not adapt to life in the capital. But in this life, Li Pan clearly told her that his mother thought the capital was better and wanted to stay there.
In retrospect, the so-called difficulty in adapting was probably because Li's mother both liked the capital city and was afraid to go out and embarrass herself, so Li Pan didn't force her. As a result, the longer it dragged on, the less she saw people, and the less she dared to see people, creating a vicious cycle that ultimately made it difficult for her to integrate into life in the capital. Moreover, since Li Pan hadn't married in his previous life, Li's mother must have felt even more bored and stifled.
However, now that Li Pan has married her, is she really going to just stand by and watch Li's mother confine herself to this situation? On another level, if Li's mother gradually loses interest in life in the capital and starts to miss her old home in the Northwest, it would actually be beneficial to her. She could join forces with Li's mother to encourage Li Pan to take his military power back to the Northwest, away from the troublesome capital.
But... at least for now, it's clear that Li's mother still likes the capital; she just doesn't dare take the first step to test the waters. Li's mother is just a peasant woman who has finally found the opportunity to enjoy her later years. Is she really going to let her mother-in-law let this hard-won opportunity slip by for her own selfish desires?
Since we've already come all this way, can't we at least leave the elderly with some happy and joyful memories?
Lou Xueying took a deep breath and said to Li Pan, "How about this? Since Mother is afraid to go out, mainly because she's afraid of losing face, let's try not to see anyone and let her get familiar with the whole capital first. It just so happens that some of my father's students hold minor official positions in various places. Why don't we ask them to do us a favor and allow us to pass through some quiet and deserted government offices so we can enjoy the scenery along the way? What do you think, Lord Marquis?"
Li Pan couldn't help but smile after hearing this.
Lou Xueying: "What are you laughing at, Lord Marquis?"
“What you’re saying sounds very familiar,” Li Pan said. “The day I rescued you from the water, the next morning after the court session, your father called me aside and said the same thing to me.”
Lou Xueying asked curiously, "Father also invited the Marquis to go on an outing?"
“I told you frankly that I didn’t want to marry you, so your father compromised and said that since I was new to the capital, he could arrange for me to travel around.” Li Pan raised an eyebrow. “I was thinking, if he arranges for me to travel around, wouldn’t that mean he would know my every move? What if he manages to squeeze you in along the way? For example, if I’m on a boat trip and you suddenly pop out from some corner and insist on coming with me, I can’t just throw you off the boat.”
Lou Xueying: "...And then you refused?"
"certainly."
Lou Xueying's face fell: "In that case, I was presumptuous. Since the Marquis does not wish to travel with me, then I will not presume to do so. From now on, you can do whatever you want without calling me. If I go out, I will not call you either. As for your mother, you can take care of her yourself; I will not care about her anymore."
"No way," Li Pan laughed. "I was so short-sighted back then, how could I have known you were such a good person? I'm lucky to be worthy of you, okay? Actually, I haven't really explored the capital much yet. We'd be more than happy to have you show my mother and me, two country bumpkins, around!"
They chatted as they walked back to their house.
As soon as Li Pan entered, he closed the door behind him, put his arm around Lou Xueying's waist, and pressed her against the door. He lowered his head and chuckled softly, "Good Susu, please, take me and my mother out for a trip. Without you to lead the way, we don't even know where to go."
Lou Xueying glanced at her.
Li Pan leaned in and gently pecked her lips, his fingers sliding around her waist, making her feel unbearably ticklish, and she kept twisting her waist to avoid him.
"No...don't tickle me...I'll take you there, okay..." Lou Xueying frowned while laughing uncontrollably, "But...my father went to the government office, I'm afraid we'll have to wait until he gets home tonight..."
Li Pan stopped teasing her and just put his hand on her waist, saying, "It's better not to tell your father. Otherwise, if it alarms so many government offices, they'll think I'm showing off some kind of marquis's power. Just tell us where you're going to play, and we'll go out as usual. We'll do what the common people do."
Lou Xueying: "But isn't Mother afraid of losing face?"
“You just enlightened me. She’s not afraid of losing face herself, but she’s afraid of losing face for me. She’s afraid that if she does something wrong, it will affect my reputation as the Marquis of Wu’an,” Li Pan laughed. “If I go out on the street, I will definitely be recognized by the people, and then she, as my mother, will also be noticed, so naturally she’ll be afraid. But what if I disguise myself? If I don’t look like the Marquis of Wu’an, then no one will pay attention to us. Even if we do something wrong, we can just admit that we’re from the countryside. What’s the big deal?”
Lou Xueying exclaimed, "What kind of disguise?"
“That’s easy,” Li Pan said. “When I was a scout, I would often put things on my face to avoid attracting attention. If I was sloppy, I would put on mud and ash, and if I was more refined, I would stick on a big beard. If I had nothing, I would just cover half of my face with my clothes. Anyway, the northwest is windy and sandy, so it’s normal to dress like that.”
At this point, Li Pan couldn't help but stroke his chin: "But you, with your looks, aren't you more eye-catching than me?"
Lou Xueying: "Most of the time when I go out, I just visit a few shops. The customers there are all rich and powerful people who already know me. If I really want to go to some mixed-race places, I will wear a veil or hat."
Li Pan laughed and said, "You're only making things more obvious by hiding your true face. If I were a lecherous man, I would definitely lift your veil and see your true appearance."
Lou Xueying frowned and glared at him.
Li Pan: "Then it's settled. This afternoon you will take me and my mother out to play. If my mother refuses, I will tie her up and take her out."
Lou Xueying: "You're being rude. I'll go and say it."
Li Pan: "Okay, she likes you, she'll definitely listen to you."
After saying that, he pressed down on her waist and lowered his head to kiss her lips.
He was about to suffocate.
The night before last, she was nervous about entering the palace and only allowed him to be intimate once. She wasn't in good condition either, so he had to finish quickly. Last night, the two slept in separate rooms again, and for the first time, he experienced what it meant to be sleepless alone.
Now I'm finally back in my own room, and I don't have to worry about so much anymore.
His lips and teeth entwined eagerly with hers, and she tilted her head slightly, supporting herself on his shoulders with both hands, obediently responding to him. All the sobs she inadvertently let out, barely uttering a syllable, were swallowed whole by him.
He took half a step forward, his knee pressing firmly against her leg. Her back was against the door, and his movement caused the door to sway slightly, making a soft creaking sound.
"No...the sound..." She tensed up, turning her head away as she tried to make her voice clear.
Li Pan's kiss landed on her cheek, and he opened his mouth to nibble on her earlobe.
Lou Xueying's legs went weak, and Li Pan picked her up, holding her waist with one hand, and placed her on the bed inside the room.
Lou Xueying sat on the edge of the bed, flustered, and said, "Wait, wait! A kiss is okay... nothing else is allowed! It's daytime!"
"I know, I won't hurt you." Li Pan's heavy breathing brushed against her ear. "Don't move."
He stood on one leg, bent the other, his knee resting against her side, and leaned down. One hand pressed against the back of her head as they continued their passionate kiss, while the other hand lifted the hem of his shirt, and under its cover, he began to make his move.
Lou Xueying's face flushed red, and she froze. She didn't dare look at Li Pan, but he was so close; if she didn't look at him, what could she look at?
If she closes her eyes, her other senses become even more acute, making her feel even more uncomfortable than if she were looking.
Sensing her panic, Li Pan chuckled softly.
Lou Xueying saw the man's burning desire in his eyes, and even his palms were so hot. His tiger's mouth brushed against the back of her neck, stirring up a fine tingling sensation.
After an unknown amount of time, Lou Xueying suddenly felt a large hand tighten on the back of her head, and she was pressed against his shoulder.
He stopped all movement, only his heavy breathing remained, the hot breath from his mouth almost melting her.
Her forehead bumped against his broad, hard shoulder. She looked away, pursed her lips, and remained silent.
When his breathing finally calmed down, he turned his head and kissed her cheek: "So soft."
He then released her and went straight to the washroom.
As soon as he left, Lou Xueying immediately opened the window to ventilate the room.
A short while later, Li Pan returned, having changed into clean clothes.
He was in a great mood. Seeing Lou Xueying fiddling with a vase by the window, he went over, hugged her from behind, and said with a smile, "I see you have a lot of flowers and plants in your room at your parents' house. What do you like? We might as well go and buy them this afternoon. Now is the time to plant them. If we wait any longer, the weather will get too hot, and they won't sprout as well."
Seeing Lou Xueying staring at his hands, he spread his five fingers and showed them to her, front and back: "They're clean."
Lou Xueying: "..."
She tried to struggle, but couldn't break free from Li Pan's embrace. She muttered, "All you ever think about is this kind of thing."
"Then I'll only think of you when I see you." He kissed her again. "If I were to neglect you so quickly, then you should be worried."
The two lingered for a while longer, until the sun was high and it was time for lunch, before finally coming out of the room.
During the meal, Lou Xueying mentioned to Li's mother that they should go out for a stroll together in the afternoon. As expected, Li's mother refused again. Even though she said that Li Pan would disguise himself and not embarrass the Marquis's mansion, she still refused to go.
Lou Xueying put down her chopsticks, sat up straight, and said seriously, "Mother, if you really care about the Marquis, you should go out more often. Pretending to be sick is not a long-term solution. If the old lady of the Marquis's mansion is always sick and unable to go out, wouldn't that make the Marquis seem very unfilial? The Marquis's reputation will be tarnished."
Li's mother was stunned.
Lou Xueying took a breath and said, "Besides, running away won't solve the problem. If a guest comes to visit one day, won't you come out to greet him? Even if you do greet him, what if the guest starts talking to you and you don't know anything? Won't you be exposed again? You'll still lose face eventually, it's just a matter of time."
Li's mother had never thought of this before, and her expression changed. She even lost her appetite.
Seeing her looking distressed, as if she were struggling with an internal conflict, Lou Xueying smiled again and comforted her, "Mother, the Marquis is also new here. He couldn't take care of you much before, which is why you didn't dare to go out. But now that I'm married into the family, I grew up in the capital. Even if you just follow my example, you'll learn it. How could you make a mistake? The Marquis worked hard to earn military merits and brought you to the capital, but you don't even leave the house. If the ancestors of the Li family knew, they would be worried and say that you don't know how to enjoy your good fortune."
Upon hearing this, Li's mother couldn't help but chuckle. Looking into Lou Xueying's sincere and enthusiastic eyes, she let out a long breath.
"Sigh... What merit does the Li family have... Now that things have come to this point, if I, an old woman, don't go, I'd be utterly ungrateful. Fine, I'll just have to be brave and go out for a bit. This capital city isn't a den of dragons or tigers, what's there to be afraid of!"
Hearing this, Lou Xueying felt reassured: "That's right, what's there to be afraid of? There's so much fun to be had. After Mother takes her afternoon nap, we'll go out to play."
Li Pan nodded repeatedly to Lou Xueying from the side, showing his approval.
After lunch, the two returned to their room, and Li Pan couldn't resist lifting her up again.
Lou Xueying screamed and sat in Li Pan's arms, instantly dangling several feet off the ground.
"What are you doing?" She braced herself against Li Pan's shoulder, afraid to move lest she fall.
Li Pan laughed and said, "Good job, Susu, you're really amazing. You convinced my mother so quickly. In the past, I could talk myself hoarse, but she never listened to me."
Lou Xueying: "It's all because you don't know how to talk."
"Yes, yes, I can't talk, but you're the best at talking." Li Pan lifted her up and spun her around the room twice, which startled Lou Xueying so much that she hugged his neck tightly.
Her skirt fluttered like a butterfly, and the hairpins and ornaments in her hair jingled merrily.
Li Pan placed her on the bed, bent down to remove her jewelry, and then squatted down to take off her shoes.
Lou Xueying asked in surprise, "What's this all about now?"
"What's going on? I'm happy and willing to serve you." Li Pan chuckled. "Don't worry, I know you need to rest at noon too, so I won't bother you in bed. I'll just wait for your orders outside."
As promised, Li Pan did not come to the bed to disturb Lou Xueying's afternoon rest, but sat in the outer room.
When Lou Xueying woke up from her afternoon nap, she had just turned over a couple of times in bed when she heard him tiptoe in and peek his head in from behind the curtain.
"Awake?" he asked.
Lou Xueying hummed in response, her voice still slightly nasal from just waking up: "What time is it?"
He lifted the bed curtain and said, "It's only late afternoon, and Cui Cui hasn't come over yet. My mother probably hasn't gotten up yet. If you want to stay, you can stay a little longer."
Lou Xueying lay on the bed, looking at Li Pan, and suddenly felt a sense of disorientation.
She had never had such an experience before. When she woke up from her nap at noon, her husband was sitting on the edge of her bed, smiling and telling her that she could stay in bed a little longer.
When she was a concubine, the emperor would come to see her most of the time in the evening, and only a few times at noon. It was impossible that she was asleep and the emperor was left outside.
When the new emperor ascended the throne, in order to avoid being noticed, he would only come at night. She was always in a daze, sometimes sleeping and sometimes waking up, and there was no one around to talk to.
"My lord," she said softly.
"What's wrong?"
She stretched her arms out from under the covers and raised them straight in his direction.
Li Pan's smile deepened. He leaned down, wrapped her arm around his neck, put his arm around her back, and lifted her off the bed.
Lou Xueying leaned on Li Pan's shoulder without saying a word.
Li Pan said, "How can you be so greedy? You won't even get out of bed by yourself. Even the emperor doesn't get this kind of treatment."
Lou Xueying said softly, "If only... I could have married the Marquis sooner."
Li Pan was overjoyed and was about to say something teasing again when he realized she might get angry, so he changed his words and said, "Why not earlier? The war isn't over yet, and I can't even go home. Why would you get married? Now is the perfect time, it's not too late."
Lou Xueying smiled, hugged him, slowly leaned closer, and kissed the corner of his lips.
Li Pan felt as if he had been scratched by a cat.
Honestly, doesn't she know what time it is? They're about to leave, and she still dares to seduce him like this?
Li Pan took a deep breath, grabbed her chin, and warned, "No more playing around. If you want to play, play around tonight."
Lou Xueying stared straight at him and murmured, "Will the Marquis always be this good to me?"
Li Pan was taken aback, his expression turning strange: "Do you know what kind of question that is?"
"……What?"
“If I didn’t know you couldn’t possibly be one of the Quanrong, I would really suspect you were sent by the Quanrong to use your beauty to seduce me,” Li Pan said. “Who would ask such a question for no reason? Most likely they are going to betray me later and feel guilty, so they ask a random question in advance.”
The tender atmosphere was instantly shattered. Lou Xueying snapped out of her daze and glared at him angrily: "You've been reading too many romance novels!"
“I don’t have time to read any storybooks,” Li Pan said. “I’ve only occasionally heard Cuicui read a few lines to my mother, but it’s all nonsense. Sometimes I really wish my mother could listen to some more cultured books.”
Lou Xueying snorted, let go of him, and stretched out her leg: "I need to get ready, put on my shoes."
Li Pan glanced at her sideways, bent down, picked up the shoes, and put them on for her.
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