Chapter 9 – Hopeful (I)

As soon as she stepped inside the room, Lady Guan was lifted off her feet. With a surprised cry and struggle, she quickly turned her head to look at who dared to do so, only to face her husband's roguish grin.

Upon seeing her husband's face, Lady Guan ceased her struggling, which let Lord Guan maneuver her into a more comfortable hold - a bridal carry. Laying her head on the nearest shoulder, Lady Guan placed one hand on the other, patting it. “Be quiet. Suixi has fallen asleep just now."

“Are you tired?” Lord Guan asked as he carried her to the heatable brick bed while rubbing her arm, from the shoulder to her wrist. “Our mother may have shown favor to our younger brother, but it’s not permanent. Don’t let it bother you.”

At that, Lady Guan smiled softly, touched by her husband's worry. Leaning into his embrace, she wrapped her arms around his neck while laying her head on his chest. “Our brother’s wife is the daughter of the magistrate. How dare I compare myself with her? Please don’t worry about it. Actually, my mother also treats me well.”

With a scoff, Lord Guan turned his gaze towards the top of his wife's head. After leaning in to nuzzle the soft bundle, Lord Guan responds. “It doesn’t matter whether she is the daughter of the magistrate or not. Women married to the descendants of the Guan family are not different in status. Anyway, she is your sister-in-law, she should be showing you some respect.”

“She is polite to me.” Lady Guan said in a soft tone as her hand moved to stroke her husband’s chest, comforting him. She knew him well. Although he was a scholar, sometimes he was bad-tempered and easily irritated.

With a soft sigh, Lord Guan lowered Lady Guan onto the heatable brick bed, his eyes filled with warmth as he looked at her. "Luo-er… you know…" He said, the gleam in his eyes turning fiery as his eyes turned darker with desire. “If you give birth to a son, our mother would treat you better.” He mumbled as one hand made its way to his wife's waistband, hovering over it.

Suddenly, although her husband did not mean anything in a negative way, Lady Guan felt upset and depressed. Lowering her head out of guilt, she could not help but briefly be lost in her thoughts. Ever since she gave birth to Sui Xi, she had not experienced any signs of having another child - a son. To Madam Luo, bearing Lord Guan a son had now become a duty and a burden, which ultimately stressed her out at times.

Seeing that his wife was preoccupied with her thoughts, Lord Guan took the chance to unravel his wife's waistband, push her down and...

Moments later, Lady Guan could be heard releasing sweet and fitful moans as she held her husband's broad shoulders. ‘With this… I hope I bear a son!’ she thought.

The next day, Lord Guan exited the residence with a spring in his step. Meanwhile, Lady Guan went to serve breakfast to her mother-in-law. In her room, Lady Guan coaxed the matron to get up from her bed, helped her freshen up then accompanied her to eat, frequently placing food into the matron's bowl. At the tail-end of the meal, the doors to the matron's room were slid open.

Her sister-in-law, the Second Lady Guan, who was also known as Madam Tan, gracefully walked in while carrying her child, Taiyu.

“Mom, I’m here with Taiyu to present my respects to you.” Madam Tan said as she lowered herself onto her knees, bowing slightly while stably holding her child to her chest. At Madam Tan's words, Old Lady Guan's gaze fixed on her and her little son, her lips forming into a small smile.

“Aiya, you came here so early. In the future, you don't need to come and pay respects. You just take good care of Taiyu, alright?” Old Lady Guan said as she coaxed her grandson to come into her arms. Watching him wobble out of his mother's grasp, Old Lady Guan's smile deepened, her eyes forming into crescents.

With that, Madam Tan lifted her head and straightened her body. Her eyes fix themselves onto her son before drifting over to her sister-in-law, the First Lady Guan. "Sister, you're also here. You came here much earlier than me, ah. It’s not polite if I don’t pay my respects to you, too.” Madam Tan said, performing a perfunctory and short bow after.

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