Chapter 314 – The Enigmatic Far West, A Marriage Alliance with the Ice Folk - Part 1
When a husband and wife met again after a long separation, naturally the first thing they did was relive old dreams. Yet Li Yuan’s body was simply too powerful; for an ordinary woman like Xue Ning, it was more than she could endure. So he lay on the bed, moving with great care, never taking the initiative, letting his wife guide everything.
Only when sweat was streaming down her back did Li Yuan tug her gently into his arms and murmur, “That’s enough.”
“It’s clearly not enough,” she whispered, still trying to rally.
“No, it is.” He pressed a broad palm to her shoulder and stopped her.
How could she resist his strength? Her shoulders twitched once, twice, then went still beneath his hand.
“I’m sorry,” Xue Ning said quietly. She wrapped her long legs around him like a cicada clinging to a tree, determined to fulfil a wife’s duty.
“Don’t wriggle,” Li Yuan whispered, tightening his embrace. Only then did Xue Ning settle.
Silence fell.
Li Yuan’s eyes drifted to the gauzy dress hanging from a bamboo rod and then to the shimmering heat outside, cicadas shrilling in the trees. His thoughts wandered.
“Dearest, you should take a few more wives,” Xue Ning said softly. “Seventh rank, even sixth rank if you can. More children will only help you.”
Although she had taken rejuvenation pills, Li Yuan could feel the frail, illness-ridden soul inside the body in his arms. Tonics and rest kept her going, but only just.
Had she lived pampered behind mansion walls, she might have remained healthy. Instead she had travelled dusty roads, exhausted herself, and single-handedly run an enterprise of daunting size. Sickness was inevitable.