WORDS. CELEBRATES ITS 100TH EPISODE! We'd offer you cake, but...
Who gets the 100th word?
https://tapas.io/episode/22632071
I see most here are sharing comic panels. I hope it's okay if I share part of my last novel post.
Chapter 12 (Pt 4):
Jié Qiáng took Mîn Jíng’s hand and led her toward her courtyard. He didn’t say much to her as he kept looking at her and smiling. By the time they reached her private room, he had piqued her curiosity.
“Why do you keep smiling at me?” she asked while Sī opened her door and set Xiù Xiù down to run to her bed.
“Several reasons,” he answered and brushed his finger across her nose. “The first is the way you handled Ju-Long. Second is your unwavering faith in me and in our love. Third would be what’s waiting for you inside.”
He nodded his head toward her opened room and she leaned in to look.
“Ah ah,” he said, stopping her from entering. “Before you go in, you have to promise to let me tuck you into bed tonight.”
She laughed. “You’ve tucked me into bed every day you’ve been here. Why would tonight be any different?”
He smiled and pulled her into his arms.
“Maybe tonight I’ll want more,” he whispered into her ear.
She gasped and he laughed as she blushed profusely.
“I heard you’re good at weiqi,” he continued. “I would like to play a game before I leave you for the night.”
She looked down in embarrassment for where her thoughts had taken her, though she was sure he intended to be suggestive. She laughed at herself and his teasing and replied with a nod.
He kissed her forehead and led her into the room. As she entered and looked around, she saw their wedding robes hanging on two wooden robe racks.
“They were delivered while you were with the children,” he told her. “What do you think?”
Mîn Jíng’s eyes grew wide as she ran over to them. She pulled at them to stretch them completely so the bottoms could fan out across the floor.
“They did all of this in four days,” she exclaimed in wonder. “It’s breathtaking!”
Jié Qiáng smiled and nodded. He let her look a few minutes more before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her to him.
“Are you hungry, my little crane?” he asked.
She nodded and called Sī over.
“Please have dinner brought from the kitchen and water for fresh tea,” she instructed. “You can leave for the night after it arrives.”
Sī bowed and left them alone to do as she was told.
As soon as she was gone, he held Mîn Jíng close and kissed her. When he finally pulled his lips away, she huffed.
“You only asked me about dinner so you could have me alone,” she accused, though she didn’t mind.
Jié Qiáng laughed and refused to let her escape his embrace.
“What’s wrong with that?” he wanted to know.
He walked her over to her bed with her still in his arms and made her sit on the edge.
“What are you doing?” she asked frantically, looking toward the door to see if it was closed.
She watched him crouch before her to lift her leg and reach for her boot, and she breathed a sigh of relief. He laughed softly at her shyness as he removed both boots. When he was done, he reached up and held her face in his hands.
“Never lose that modesty,” he told her gently. “It makes you all the more beautiful to me.”
She smiled and looked into his eyes, overwhelmed at how much he loved her for being herself.
“Stay with me all night,” she whispered.
He rested his hands on her hips and watched her closely. Surely, she didn’t mean what it sounded like she meant.
“After we’ve eaten and played weiqi, don’t return to your room,” she continued. “I’m not asking for anything improper. I only want you to be with me tonight and to wake up with you here.”
He sat on the edge of the bed beside her and held her hands. Her request seemed innocent enough but he worried.
“Are you having nightmares?” he asked.
She shook her head and smiled at his concern. “I want to be in your arms. You’ll keep your clothes on!” she blurted and he laughed loudly.
“Shall we start a round of weiqi while we wait for the food?” he asked.
He didn’t wait for her answer before pulling her up with him. He walked with her to a board he saw set up near a window.
They played until the food arrived, then talked about a variety of things while they ate. By the time they were through, Mîn Jíng couldn’t stop yawning. Jié Qiáng drank the remainder of his tea and stood from the floor. He held out his hand and helped her up when she grabbed it.
As he led her to her bed, she watched him closely. She wondered if he would honor her request to only sleep, and she wondered if she would want him to.
He removed his belt together with the sword and hung them from the corner of the carved wooden railing at one end of the bed. He turned to see her staring with wide eyes, wondering if he would remove anything else. He smiled and pulled her closer.
“You don’t expect me to sleep with that on, do you?” he asked and kissed her forehead. “I’ll turn around so you can dress for bed,” he offered.
She watched him turn as he removed the leather wraps on his forearms and hurriedly changed her clothes. Once again, she jumped into bed and pulled up the blanket before he turned back around.
He laughed to himself, familiar with this ritual they had done for the last few nights. When he heard her climb into bed, he turned and went to her. He removed his boots and climbed over her to lie against the back of the bed, and then he opened his arms.
She didn’t hesitate to move over and snuggle against him. When he wrapped his arms around her, she noticed he was still uncovered.
“Won’t you get cold?” she asked. “We can share the blanket,” she offered and tried to pull it over him.
He grabbed her hand to stop her.
“Love,” he said quietly, “if I lay under the blanket with you, I can’t promise we’ll only sleep.”
He smiled when she gasped and released the blanket. He held her face and gave her several small but slow kisses.
“Goodnight,” he whispered against her lips. “Sleep well, my darling wife.”
When his head relaxed onto the pillow, she relaxed into his arms. They fell asleep soundly and didn’t awake again until morning.
