Chapter 83: On Shamelessness

After rinsing her mouth and preparing to wash her face, Su Nanxing said, “Let’s just bathe. I’ve brought the hot water.”

Tao Ming glanced at the bathtub, which was higher than her waist. She measured it with her hands, saying, “It’s so tall—how am I supposed to get in?”

Su Nanxing, mixing the bathwater, replied, “I’ll carry you in.”

Tao Ming murmured in agreement, undressed, and waited by the tub.

As she sank into the hot water, Tao Ming felt her whole body relax. She sighed, “So much better.”

Su Nanxing reached over and gently massaged her temples. Tao Ming closed her eyes to enjoy it, and before she knew it, she’d fallen asleep.

Seeing that Tao Ming was sleeping, Su Nanxing lifted her from the tub, dried her off, placed her on the bed, covered her with a light blanket, and lay quietly beside her.

Tao Ming’s sleep was restless. She dreamed she was alone in a desolate field, wild grass growing everywhere, the sky a gloomy gray with dark clouds pressing down, threatening to engulf her at any moment.

As she stood lost and helpless, a pair of blood-red eyes appeared in the clouds, accompanied by a chilling voice: “You’re nothing but a vessel.”

Terrified, Tao Ming shouted at the eyes, “What kind of vessel?”

The eyes vanished, leaving her unanswered.

Su Nanxing noticed Tao Ming’s breathing became rapid and her brows tightly knitted. Knowing she was having a nightmare, he reached out to gently embrace her, whispering at her ear, “Don’t be afraid. I’m right here.”

Whether it was his words or not, Tao Ming’s brow gradually relaxed, her breathing steadied, and she sank into deep sleep.

When Tao Ming awoke, she opened her eyes to find Su Nanxing staring at her. She sighed, “You’re always watching me. Don’t you ever sleep?”

Su Nanxing rubbed her brow, saying, “Just now you were having a nightmare, shouting ‘Husband, don’t leave me!’ so loudly it woke me up.”

Tao Ming rolled her eyes. “Oh please! Even in my dreams I wouldn’t say something like that.”

Su Nanxing protested, “Can’t you soothe me a little?”

Tao Ming replied without much feeling, “Husband, you’re so handsome!”

Su Nanxing was thoroughly dissatisfied. “That’s too perfunctory!”

Tao Ming ignored him and turned to check on the two little ones, still sound asleep. She asked, “What time is it?”

“You’ve slept for more than three hours. It’s still well before dawn.”

Tao Ming frowned. “Why does it feel like they’re sleeping longer and longer? They should’ve woken up by now.”

“They’re young and easily adapt to the local biological clock. You, on the other hand, will need more time.”

Tao Ming nodded and sat up to wash. Noticing she wasn’t wearing anything, she asked, “Did I fall asleep in the bath?”

Su Nanxing’s gaze was deep and silent as he stared at her.

Tao Ming quickly slipped on a nightgown and stepped over Su Nanxing to wash up, thinking to herself that his appetite was growing.

When she returned, Su Nanxing pulled her to his side. Tao Ming said irritably, “At least let me rest a bit. Didn’t we already last night?”

Su Nanxing’s voice was muffled. “A day here is equivalent to several days on Earth!”

Speaking of time, Tao Ming asked, “That girl who was struck by lightning looked about my age. How old is she?”

Su Nanxing’s expression soured. “Why bring her up?”

“Based on what Nuonuo said earlier, the time conversion between Weishui and Earth is about five to one, so a year here equals five years on Earth. But from what I’ve observed, people here don’t seem to grow five times faster than on Earth!”

Su Nanxing thought for a moment. “You can’t use years for the conversion. It should be days. Here, a day is about sixty hours, so it’s just over twice as long. Growth speed depends on a lot of factors—diet, sunlight hours, sleep. Calculating at about double seems accurate.”

Tao Ming had thought she understood Weishui time, but now she felt dizzy. “You never answered—how old is that girl?”

Su Nanxing felt a headache coming on. Why wouldn’t she let this go?

Seeing his frown, Tao Ming added, “I just want to get a sense of the basics here, to see how much difference there is between those who cultivate and those who don’t.”

Su Nanxing, seeing her so persistent, finally said, “I don’t know how old she is, but her brother is about the same age as the Seventh Prince.”

“Then why hasn’t she married yet?”

Su Nanxing quietly reached out to touch Tao Ming’s arm, saying, “Wife, the education system in Weishui is different from other worlds. Any family with some lineage arranges cultivation for their children from birth, based on their aptitude.”

“If their aptitude is poor, they might die young, leaving no descendants. If it’s slightly better but not up to standard, they might never leave the family estate. Of course, the standards differ depending on the family’s power.”

“Only descendants who can bring benefit to the family have the chance to leave the estate and start socializing.”

Tao Ming sighed, “So people like me would be locked up in the courtyard for life!”

Su Nanxing traced her brows with his finger. “With your beauty, if you were in a small family, you’d be out socializing early.”

Tao Ming angrily slapped his hand away. “So it all comes down to looks!”

Su Nanxing chuckled, “What’s wrong with valuing looks? Aren’t you addicted to handsome men in games? I’m right here, a living, breathing man, yet you don’t even notice me!”

She was speechless—he made too much sense.

Thinking of the handsome men in her games, Tao Ming’s mind wandered.

Seeing her daydream again, Su Nanxing leaned down and kissed her lips, mumbling, “Let’s see you think about other men again!”

Tao Ming found it amusing, responding as she kissed him, “But they’re just imaginary!”

“Imaginary or not, it’s unacceptable!”

...

Nestled in Su Nanxing’s arms, Tao Ming grumbled, “Once again, I’ve boarded your pirate ship!”

Su Nanxing held her with satisfaction, his voice lazy, “How can serving my wife be called a pirate ship?”

Tao Ming knew there was no winning with Su Nanxing over such things—if she argued, she’d just end up on the pirate ship again. She hurried to change the subject, “Come on, let’s get back to business.”

Su Nanxing pinched her little mouth in protest. “Were you not paying attention earlier?”

Tao Ming shook her head quickly, and Su Nanxing let go. Tao Ming forced a smile, “Of course I was, I wouldn’t dare not to!”

Su Nanxing shifted her upward, making her more comfortable, and asked, “Earlier, I saw you were in a bad mood. What did your parents say?”

Tao Ming pouted. “My father said my mother is pure-hearted and doesn’t want her to know too much, so only he waited for me.”

Su Nanxing nipped her pouting lips gently. “Don’t overthink it. In my eyes, you’re pure-hearted too.”

“Blindness is an illness—it needs treatment!”

Seeing Tao Ming puffed up with anger, Su Nanxing reached out to pinch her cheek, finding it delightfully bouncy.

Tao Ming shook her head left and right but couldn’t escape his hand. She tried to bite him, but couldn’t reach, her lips brushing against Su Nanxing’s palm, tickling her.

Tao Ming huffed, giving up. Su Nanxing reluctantly withdrew his hand, laughing, “You’re even more fun than before!”

“I’m not a toy!”

Su Nanxing pressed close. “I’m your toy—come play with me!”

Tao Ming pushed him hard. “Where’s your shame?”

Su Nanxing looked innocent. “What is shame? Can you eat it? What’s the use of such a thing?”