344: Chapter 344 The Wife's Tenderness: A Massage for an Old Married Couple

The afternoon sun filtered through the window lattices, casting long shadows on the purple sandalwood floor of the banquet hall.

The clamor in the hall had faded. A few clever maids were briskly clearing away the leftovers from the tables.

Su Qingge stood by the table, directing the maids to properly store the untouched rare spirit fruits. As the first wife of the Xu Family, she not only had to maintain harmony in the harem but also manage this massive family estate in an orderly fashion, leaving no room for gossip.

Xu Chen walked up behind her without a word, reaching out with his broad palm to rest it on Su Qingge's slender, fragrant shoulder.

"Just leave these trivial matters to the servants. Why do you need to do everything yourself?"

Xu Chen's voice was deep and gentle, carrying a hint of undeniable concern.

Feeling the warmth and pressure on her shoulder, Su Qingge was slightly taken aback before her tense body completely relaxed.

She waved her hand, signaling the maids to withdraw.

Soon, only the husband and wife remained in the vast banquet hall.

"Husband, you are overpraising me."

Su Qingge didn't look back; she simply leaned her head back, resting it securely against Xu Chen's chest and letting out a comfortable sigh.

"With my Quasi-Saint cultivation, how could I be tired by such small things? It's just that today is the full-moon celebration for the Dragon and Phoenix Twins. There are rules and etiquette I must oversee personally to be at ease. If any mistake were made, wouldn't people mock our Xu Family for lacking discipline?"

Xu Chen looked down at the dignified and steady woman in his arms.

He recalled the cold and untouchable Tai Chu Saintess the System had scanned back then.

Who would have thought that after marriage, she would shed all her auras and willingly manage this increasingly large family in this domestic inner court, even cooking for him?

"Rules are made by people. In our home, your happiness is the greatest rule."

Xu Chen's thumbs pressed gently against her cervical spine. A stream of pure Hongmeng Creation Qi flowed from his fingertips, slowly injecting into Su Qingge's body to soothe the slight fatigue in her Meridians.

"Besides..." Xu Chen leaned close to her ear and lowered his voice, his tone carrying the teasing of an old married couple, "you are now our family's most hardworking and meritorious first wife. Every woman in this harem is a little ancestor; without you to keep them in check, the backyard would have been turned upside down long ago."

Hearing Xu Chen's blunt praise and complaints, Su Qingge couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

The usually dignified Tai Chu Saintess, now in this hall without outsiders, finally revealed a charming naivety and dependence reserved only for Xu Chen.

She turned around, wrapping her arms around Xu Chen's waist and pressing her cheek against his broad, solid chest.

"So Husband knows how many romantic debts he's incurred. Sister Mingkong and Sister Yue'er are both used to giving orders; only Husband can keep them in line. Anyone else wouldn't be able to handle this 'blessing'."

Su Qingge's tone held a hint of reproach, but her eyes were filled with deep affection.

In the Xu Family, no matter how many stunning beauties Xu Chen brought home, she never had a single complaint. For she knew that in this seemingly dissolute man's heart, she, the Empress, always held an unshakable position.

This confidence from being favored and respected was the key to her managing this massive harem with such composure.

"Alright, let's not talk about them. This afternoon belongs only to the two of us."

Xu Chen picked Su Qingge up horizontally by her waist.

"Husband..." Su Qingge exclaimed, instinctively hooking her arms around his neck as a blush crept onto her fair cheeks. "It's broad daylight, and we're still in the banquet hall..."

"What's there to fear? Who would dare come in and disturb us?"

Xu Chen laughed nonchalantly and strode out of the banquet hall carrying Su Qingge.

Following the quiet corridor, the two returned to Su Qingge's exclusive Bedchamber.

Xu Chen gently placed her on the soft bed, took off his outer robe, and leaned against the headboard. With a sweep of his long arm, he pulled Su Qingge back into his embrace, letting her rest comfortably against his shoulder.

Leaning in his arms, Su Qingge toyed with the jade pendant on his lapel, her voice as soft as a dream.

"Counting carefully, Dabao can already run all over the place now. A few days ago, the Old Ancestor even praised the Chaos Bell within him for its magnificent aura, saying he would surely become a great talent in the future. Time really flies."

A nostalgic smile played on her lips, her eyes full of the tenderness of peaceful times.

"Back then, I was solely focused on cultivating at the Tai Chu Holy Land; I didn't understand anything about romance. My head was full of pursuing the Great Dao. Who would have thought I'd be married into your home by a single betrothal gift from you, the Young Master of the Imperial Clan? Husband, do you still remember what happened on our wedding night?"

Xu Chen laughed along with her, his fingers running through her smooth long hair.

"How could I forget? That night, the red candles burned bright, and you were so nervous you didn't even know where to put your hands, sitting on the edge of the bed like a wooden statue. If I hadn't seriously used the excuse of 'clearing your Meridians' to patiently teach you step-by-step, you, the high and mighty Tai Chu Saintess, would have likely made a fool of yourself in the bridal chamber."

"Husband, you're teasing me again!"

Hearing Xu Chen expose her past, Su Qingge bashfully punched his chest, her dignified face turning so red it looked like it could bleed.

"Back then, I thought Husband was a gentleman and that Dual Cultivation could truly raise one's Realm... Who knew Husband was full of bad ideas, with so many tricks and ways to torment me..."

Her voice grew smaller and smaller, finally turning into a coy pout that made Xu Chen laugh heartily, his chest vibrating slightly with the sound.

The sunlight spilled through the window onto the bed, enveloping their figures in a soft halo.

Unknowingly, the sun began to sink in the west.

Leaning in Xu Chen's arms, Su Qingge's breathing became long and even. Enveloped in Xu Chen's secure aura, the first wife, who had been working hard for days, finally fell into a deep sleep.

Xu Chen quietly watched Su Qingge's peaceful and beautiful sleeping face, his eyes filled with thick tenderness.

He carefully withdrew his arm, took a thin blanket from the side to cover Su Qingge, and tiptoed out of the Bedchamber.