Chapter 250: Overcoming Desires
Hot pot was the perfect choice for the season, especially since no one had to worry about the food getting cold. Usually, when cooking during a harsh winter, the first few dishes would be freezing by the time the final ones were served.
“This is called hot pot,” Sheng Wanyan explained as the steam rose around them. “The chicken soup base has been simmering all afternoon. It’s perfect for warming everyone up.”
“Alright, let me ladle the soup.”
Sheng Wanze stood up, happily taking on the role of the attentive younger brother to serve everyone in the family. He handed the very first bowl to Pan Yue, causing her to blush slightly under everyone’s gaze.
“Grandpa and Grandma should drink first,” Pan Yue murmured, trying to pass the bowl to Grandma Sheng.
Seeing how well the young couple got along, Grandma Sheng beamed with a warm smile and waved her hand in refusal. “Drink it, drink it. You’ve just finished your confinement period, so your body needs all the nourishment it can get. When we eat together as a family, we don’t worry about rigid rules. It’s a big pot, so warm yourself up quickly.”
Grandma Sheng’s kind words brought a bright smile to Pan Yue’s face. She felt incredibly fortunate to have married into such a sensible and loving household.
“Thank you, Grandma.”
“Good girl.” Grandma Sheng couldn’t be more satisfied with her granddaughter-in-law, who was both generous and deeply filial. Pan Yue had never once looked down on the Sheng family despite her own prominent background, and she had just blessed them with a beautiful new family member.
Sheng Wanze handed the second bowl to Sheng Wanyan. The two women who needed the most care in the family were his absolute treasures.
Sheng Wanyan accepted the bowl and took a sip, noticing a plump chicken leg resting inside. It was clear her brother doted on her. However, she immediately fished the chicken leg out and placed it into Grandpa Sheng’s bowl. Chicken leg meat was the softest and most tender part, making it perfect for the old man whose teeth weren’t what they used to be.
“You eat it, dear. I have plenty,” Grandpa Sheng urged.
His bowl was already overflowing with food piled high by Father Sheng, Sheng Wanze, and Gu Tingxiao. He was easily the most well-fed person at the table. Grandpa Sheng had spent the first half of his life marching on battlefields and fighting for his country, settling into a quiet, ordinary life for the second half. But he had raised a deeply filial son and grandson. Now, blessed with an equally devoted grandson-in-law, his golden years were filled with absolute happiness.
Seeing that his bowl truly couldn’t hold another bite, Sheng Wanyan gave up and decided to eat the chicken leg herself; her grandfather clearly didn’t need her small contribution. She glanced over at Grandma Sheng’s bowl and saw that it, too, was practically bursting with meat.
Well, it seemed no one was lacking. She had just been overly sentimental.
Sheng Wanyan took a fierce bite out of the chicken leg, while beside her, Gu Tingxiao continuously cooked fresh slices of meat and placed them into her bowl. Once she finished her soup, Sheng Wanyan began devouring the meat like a woman possessed. Her very first hot pot meal in this era was unimaginably delicious.
She wasn’t the only one enchanted by the aroma. The rest of the family fell completely silent, far too busy eating to talk. Hot pot had a unique charm—the more you ate, the more addictive it became. Anyone who tasted it once would never be able to forget it.
“This is an incredible way to eat,” Sheng Wanze managed to say between bites, looking at his sister with utter admiration. “You have a brilliant mind, little sister.”
He couldn’t help but feel proud of her intelligence. How could that small head of hers be so sharp? She was truly his sister. He mentally credited his own care during her childhood for her cleverness. Not only could she translate complex texts and formulate medicine, but she could even revolutionize the way they ate.
“If you like it, eat more,” Sheng Wanyan smiled. “We can try a different style next time.”
She was already planning a proper barbecue for their next family gathering.
Sheng Wanze nodded eagerly, already looking forward to it.
Hearing her son’s enthusiastic nonsense, Mother Sheng rolled her eyes. When did meat not taste good? Her son’s wits weren’t even a tenth of her daughter’s. She couldn’t help but wonder why Sheng Wanze hadn’t inherited more of her own intelligence.
“What do you mean, ‘next time’?” Mother Sheng chided, tapping Sheng Wanze on the head. “Having this much meat once in a while is a rare luxury. Do you think meat grows on trees? If you keep eating like this, you’ll bankrupt us, and the whole family will have to starve.”
Sheng Wanze rubbed his head, realizing his mother was right. Having such a lavish feast was a rare treat, given how precious and scarce meat was in this day and age.
“Little sister, let’s just stick to potatoes next time,” he joked, deciding it wasn’t wise to let his cravings ruin their finances.
Sheng Wanyan laughed, picking up a piece of tender, cooked potato and placing it in his bowl. “Since you love potatoes so much, Brother, have some more.”
With that, she picked up another piece of meat for herself. Sheng Wanze didn’t mind at all, taking a large bite of the potato. To his surprise, the slices were perfectly fluffy and absorbed the flavors of the dipping sauce beautifully. It wasn’t just him; even Mother Sheng was impressed, having never tasted potatoes prepared so deliciously.
The family enjoyed an incredibly cozy and satisfying meal, eating until everyone was far too full to move.
In the end, Mother Sheng and Pan Yue insisted on cleaning up the kitchen before they left. Since they had enjoyed such a wonderful feast, they refused to let a heavily pregnant Sheng Wanyan lift a finger.
The men carried the chairs back to their proper places, and Sheng Wanze carefully lifted the crib to carry little Huzi back to the living room.
Sheng Wanyan brought out some homemade sour plum juice she had prepared. A small glass after a heavy meal was perfect for aiding digestion and relieving that overstuffed feeling.
With everything tidied up, the family sat comfortably in the living room, sipping their tart juice and enjoying the sheer tranquility of the evening. Little Huzi remained fast asleep. Even though the rich aroma of the hot pot filled the apartment, the baby wasn’t disturbed in the slightest.
Fortunately, the residential courtyards were spaced well apart, meaning the neighboring households wouldn’t be bothered by the mouth-watering scent of their dinner.
After chatting for a while longer, Father Sheng and the rest of the family headed back across the lane. Gu Tingxiao immediately went to boil a large pot of water so Sheng Wanyan could take a bath and wash away the lingering scent of hot pot grease and smoke.
Once she was clean and refreshed, Sheng Wanyan curled up on the warm kang bed, waiting for her husband. A few moments later, Gu Tingxiao walked in, radiating heat from his own shower, his skin slightly damp. He grabbed a dry towel and sat beside her, gently drying her long hair.
Sheng Wanyan leaned heavily against his chest, her eyelids drooping as she began to doze off. Exhaustion pulled at her, and when she tried to shift her position, her limbs felt entirely weightless. Needing leverage to sit up, she blindly propped her weight up using her elbow.
“Ngh…!”
A low, sudden groan escaped Gu Tingxiao’s throat. Sheng Wanyan’s eyes flew wide open, and she stared down at her elbow in horror. In her sleepy haze, she had accidentally pressed directly against his most sensitive area.
“Are you okay?!” she gasped.
Panicking, she instinctively reached out to rub the spot she had hurt, but Gu Tingxiao swiftly caught her straying hand in a tight grip.
Sheng Wanyan immediately felt the sudden, rigid heat beneath her palm. Her face flared a brilliant crimson, and she tried to scramble backward to create some distance.
Ever since she had become pregnant, Gu Tingxiao had been living like a monk. Now that she had accidentally shattered his hard-earned restraint, how could he possibly hold back?
“Ah…!”
Before she could retreat, she found herself gently pinned beneath him. Gu Tingxiao braced his weight carefully on his forearms, ensuring he didn’t exert an ounce of pressure on her expanding stomach.
“Wife… I’m burning up,” he murmured, his voice thick and strained.
Sheng Wanyan swallowed hard, looking up at him with wide eyes. What was she supposed to do about his predicament?
“How about… you go take another cold shower?” she suggested tentatively.
Gu Tingxiao shook his head. He buried his face into the crook of her neck, taking a deep, shuddering breath to rein in his rampaging instincts. But his warm, ragged breath fanned across her sensitive skin, sending an intense, tickling shiver down her spine.
Intimate desires weren’t exclusive to men; women who had tasted the pleasures of the flesh felt them just as keenly. Sheng Wanyan felt a sudden, restless warmth blossom deep within her, as if a thousand tiny embers were dancing along her skin.
She did a quick mental calculation. She was already past her fifth month of pregnancy, and as long as they were careful, intimacy was perfectly safe.
Steeling her resolve, she wrapped both arms around Gu Tingxiao’s neck, pulled him close, and breathed a hesitant, whispered assent into his ear.
Gu Tingxiao’s dark eyes instantly flared with heat. He carefully helped her lie back, adjusting the quilt over her body, and completely devoted himself to his role as a husband. His wife was experiencing her own restless desires, and he intended to serve her with the utmost care and devotion.
Flipped entirely from his usual commanding persona in the field, he felt no embarrassment whatsoever, moving slowly and worshiping her body with exquisite gentleness.
