How could someone be unhappy living in a matriarchal society?

Chapter 57 First Meeting with He Mian

Chu Ci's hand slipped inside Shi An's clothes and touched a smooth, delicate skin.

Like white jade.

Shi An would occasionally let out a soft moan when her sensitive spots were touched.

Despite feeling somewhat ashamed, he completely indulged Chu Ci's actions, offering no resistance and obediently accepting everything.

This submission made Chu Ci's heart overflow with even more tenderness.

She could clearly sense that Shi An's dependence on her had become even stronger since the incident with Zhao Qing.

Their relationship seems to have reached a new level.

This made Chu Ci very happy.

She liked seeing Shi An trust and rely on her, and hoped that she could always protect and cherish him.

Chu Ci's hand gently stroked Shi An's back, starting from the tailbone and moving upwards along the spine.

Shi An's breathing gradually became rapid, and her body trembled slightly.

When Chu Ci's hand finally landed on the back of his neck, Shi An felt a tingling sensation on his scalp and involuntarily snuggled closer to Chu Ci.

His eyes were unfocused, his lips slightly parted, and he softly called out, "My lady~ My lady~"

That coquettish voice was like heavenly music, captivating Chu Ci.

This caused her to bite Shi An's earlobe and gently lick it.

Shi An's body trembled violently, as if he had been electrocuted.

He couldn't help but let out a muffled groan, gripping Chu Ci's shoulders tightly with both hands, his nails digging into her flesh.

Chu Ci burst out laughing at his adorable reaction.

Shi An immediately felt ashamed, so she picked up the blanket and buried herself in it, refusing to come out.

Chu Ci looked helplessly at the little mound bulging under the covers and coaxed softly, "Shi An, don't be shy, I won't laugh anymore, come out."

Shi An said in a muffled voice, "No!"

Chu Ci patiently continued to coax, "I was wrong, I shouldn't have laughed."

Shi An still ignored him.

Helpless, Chu Ci could only hug him and the blanket together, and said softly, "Don't be angry, I was only laughing because you're cute."

After hearing this, Shi An slowly lifted the blanket, revealing a rosy little face, and looked at Chu Ci with a somewhat aggrieved expression: "Really? You're not mocking me?"

Chu Ci assured her repeatedly, then reached out and pinched Shi An's cheek: "Of course, I'm definitely not mocking you."

After much effort, Shi An was finally appeased by Chu Ci.

"Okay, let's go to sleep."

"Mmm." Shi An nestled in his wife's arms and obediently closed his eyes.

At this moment, his heart was tightly intertwined with Chu Ci's, as if no difficulty could separate them.

Since he no longer goes to Lianhua Town to sell goods every day, Chu Ci tries to buy whatever he needs at the village market.

This greatly increases the chances of her running into Li Yu.

That day, Chu Ci was selecting vegetables at the market when she suddenly heard a familiar voice: "Sister Chu Ci, what a coincidence to meet you here."

Chu Ci turned her head and saw Li Yu standing not far away, staring at her with burning eyes.

When Li Yu saw Chu Ci again, his eyes were glued to her and he couldn't take them off.

She looked even more beautiful, exuding extraordinary charm in every gesture, seemingly quite different from before, which particularly attracted him.

Chu Ci nodded politely and replied, "Yes, it's quite a coincidence."

Then he turned around and continued picking out vegetables, not wanting to get entangled with Li Yu any further.

After all, Li Yu's previous actions all revealed his affection for her.

But Chu Ci didn't like him and didn't want him to misunderstand.

But Li Yu wouldn't give up. He walked up to Chu Ci and said with a smile, "Sister Chu Ci, how have you been lately...?"

Chu Ci interrupted him, saying calmly, "It's fine."

Li Yu nodded quickly and agreed, "I haven't seen you much lately."

Chu Ci glanced at him, but did not answer. She simply picked up a bunch of green vegetables and put them into the basket.

Seeing this, Li Yu moved even closer and asked, "Sister Chu Ci, can we still be friends in the future?"

Chu Ci frowned, thinking to herself how difficult this person was to deal with, so she didn't answer and simply turned and left.

Li Yu quickly chased after her and followed behind her until there were fewer people around before she began to reveal her true feelings.

"Sister Chu Ci, actually, I've always had feelings for you. I was too impulsive before, and I might have put pressure on you. If you're willing, I can pursue you slowly..."

Chu Ci's expression changed, and she interrupted him rudely: "I'm sorry, I have no feelings for you. Please don't bother me anymore."

After saying that, she hurriedly left the market with her basket, without even buying any eggs.

As Li Yu watched Chu Ci's departing figure, a sense of loss welled up in her heart.

As a man, being avoided like the plague is truly embarrassing.

However, he was not discouraged.

After all, it's understandable that someone as outstanding as Chu Ci would be rejected.

He knew he couldn't compare to Shi An in either appearance or physique.

But he understood that matters of the heart often have a sense of novelty.

Once Chu Ci's enthusiasm for Shi An fades, perhaps he will have a chance.

At this moment, all he could do was appear in front of Chu Ci as frequently as possible, so that she wouldn't easily forget him.

Time flies, and it's already mid-October, with the weather gradually getting colder.

Chu Ci and Shi An both changed into thick clothes to ward off the severe cold.

Today, Shi An finally completed the embroidery work "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix".

Therefore, Chu Ci decided to take him with her to the He residence to deliver the mission.

Two maids stood in front of the He residence; they did not recognize Chu Ci and Shi An.

But when they saw Shi An holding the token Chu Xun had left for them, one of the maids stepped forward, examined it carefully, and after confirming that it was genuine, smiled and said, "Please wait a moment while I go and inform him."

After saying that, she turned and left, leaving another maid to wait.

Not long after, the maid who had delivered the message returned and led Chu Ci and Shi An to the courtyard where He Sheng was.

The environment inside the He Mansion is very pleasant, with exquisite pavilions and towers dotting the landscape. A winding stream flows gently through the area, with lush trees lining the banks, creating a picturesque scene.

Shi An didn't appreciate the scenery much, after all, the brothels in Kyoto were much more beautiful than this place.

Chu Ci was not attracted by the beautiful scenery in front of her either, after all, she had even stayed in the mansion of the martial arts alliance leader.

Both of them were worldly people, so they were not too surprised by such a sight.

The maid who was leading the way saw all of this and couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards them.

In the garden, Chu Xun was focused on watering the flowers. After being reminded by the servant, he saw Chu Ci and Shi An arrive. Chu Xun immediately smiled with delight and put down the watering can to greet them.

"It's been a long time, Madam Chu, Young Master Shi," Chu Xun greeted them warmly.

Chu Ci clasped his hands in a respectful bow and said, "Greetings, Lord Chu."

Shi An, who was standing to the side, also bowed to Chu Xun, following Chu Ci's lead.

"There's no need for such trouble. Come on, Shi'an, come inside with me. Madam Chu, please wait here for a moment." Chu Xun said, and went into the house first.

Shi An responded and then looked at Chu Ci.

Chu Ci nodded to him, indicating that he could go without worry, and Shi An followed Chu Xun into the house.

At this moment, several servants came over and took over the work that Chu Xun had not finished, continuing to water the flowers.

Seeing this, Chu Ci found a corridor and sat down to enjoy the scenery.

Before long, a young man dressed in a blue robe came over with his attendant.

He Mian saw a young woman sitting on the veranda by the stream, enjoying the view from afar.

Only when I got closer did I realize how beautiful this woman was.

The sky was overcast at this time, and the sunlight was completely blocked by the clouds.

The cold white light shone on Chu Ci, making him look like a jade statue.

He Mian glanced at it and couldn't look away.

In this world, if a woman is married, she will usually put her hair up to show that she is married.

However, today Chu Ci's hair was only half loose, which led He Mian to misunderstand.

He thought Chu Ci was still unmarried, and he couldn't help but feel secretly happy.

He Mian carefully tidied her hair and clothes, then turned to look at the servant Nongmo beside her.

After receiving a nod of approval from Nongmo, he slowly walked towards Chuci with a perfectly timed smile on his face.

"Who are you, lady? And why are you sitting here?"

When Chu Ci heard He Mian's question, she looked up and her gaze fell on him.

Being gazed at by such a beautiful woman, He Mian couldn't help but feel a little shy.

But he tried his best to remain calm and show the demeanor of a refined gentleman, striving to make every movement elegant and proper.

However, the man in front of Chu Ci did not cause much of a stir.

She simply replied truthfully, "I am here waiting for my husband."

Upon hearing this, He Mian first showed surprise, then his expression turned somewhat ugly. He asked incredulously, "You...you're already married?"

Chu Ci nodded in agreement.

Seeing her master's distressed expression, Nongmo felt a surge of anger and couldn't help but ask, "Since you're already married, why don't you tie your hair up?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Ci subconsciously touched her hair but did not reply.

She has always been free-spirited and unconventional, and doesn't care about these formalities, so she dresses according to her own preferences.

Seeing that Chu Ci did not reply, Nongmo became even angrier and raised her voice: "Why aren't you saying anything? Didn't your family teach you basic manners and upbringing?"

Chu Ci frowned slightly and said calmly, "Indeed, no, my whole family is dead."

Nongmo was immediately choked and couldn't say a word.

Seeing this, He Mian glanced at Nongmo lightly, her eyes carrying a hint of warning, "Alright, Nongmo, you're getting more and more unruly."

Nongmo was originally a fiery person, and when she heard He Mian say this, she couldn't help but feel a little wronged.

But he still dared not disobey He Mian's orders, and could only lower his head and whisper, "Yes, Master."

He Mian looked Chu Ci up and down for a while, feeling only regret.

Recently, his father has been looking for a wife for him, but no matter how many he looks, none of them are satisfactory.

He finally met a woman who made his heart flutter today, but it turned out she already had a husband, and his mood immediately soured.

He Mian grew up in Kyoto from a young age, and his status and position were extremely prestigious.

His grandmother was a veteran official who served three dynasties and had been a tutor to the princesses; while his maternal grandmother was a renowned censor-in-chief who handled political affairs as the prime minister's deputy, and was therefore known as the deputy prime minister.

Growing up in such a family background, He Mian lived a life of comfort and pampering from a young age.

In addition, as the youngest child in the family, he was pampered by everyone and developed a personality that could not tolerate the slightest grievance.

Now, along with his mother He Sheng, he has been transferred to this desolate place, far away from his relatives and friends in Kyoto and the bustling city life, which makes him depressed and extremely gloomy every day.

Not only that, but they also have to endure the hassle of blind dates.

At this moment, after being politely rejected by Chu Ci, his face instantly turned gloomy and ugly, and he lost his smile.

He stared at Chu Ci and continued to ask, "Where does your husband come from? What brings him here?"

Chu Ci was quite perceptive to changes in other people's emotions, and naturally noticed He Mian's change in attitude, but she didn't care about it.

"He and I came here to find Mr. Chu Xun, we have something to discuss."

He Mian was slightly surprised: "Father?"

Chu Ci nodded in response, while secretly surprised to find that this person was actually the offspring of Chu Langjun.

I never expected that Chu Langjun, who looks so young, would already have such a grown son.

Inside the room, Shi An carefully unfolded her meticulously embroidered "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" for Chu Xun to see.

Every stitch and every thread was sewn with his heart and sweat.

Chu Xun gazed at the artwork, marveling at it.

The hundreds of birds depicted on the fabric are so lifelike that they seem to fly right off the cloth, making one want to reach out and touch them to determine whether they are real birds or just patterns in the embroidery.

The phoenix at the highest point is even more breathtaking. Its feathers are bright and dazzling, and the details are so exquisite that one can almost feel its majesty and holiness.

In particular, the phoenix's eyes feature a striking yellow and red color scheme, which contrasts sharply with the traditional black pupils, adding to its mystique and divinity.

The entire embroidery is like a magnificent and colorful painting, making the originally ordinary living room appear exceptionally "grand".

Chu Xun was captivated by the painting, but Shi An still had some concerns: "If you, Chu Langjun, don't like the color of the phoenix's eyes, I can change them to black."

"No!" Chu Xun said firmly, "Don't change it. I absolutely love this embroidery."

After saying that, he carefully reached out and gently touched the exquisite phoenix, as happy as a child, seemingly unable to put down the embroidery.

"My mother-in-law will definitely love it this time; she has always adored these bright and vibrant colors."