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"You called for me, huanghou?"
The door closes quietly behind Xie Yun as he bows low, and Zhou Fei looks up from where she is reading on the bed in her chambers. She is decked in full imperial robes, donned anew for their game this evening rather than kept on since the morning court session, and she skims her gaze idly up and down the flowy robes Xie Yun is wearing.
Xie Yun's outfit toes the line on being something a courtesan would wear. The draping, gauzy silks in gray and blue land just on the side of casual enough to prevent the court from falling into disarray at the sight of their emperor strolling the halls dressed like the concubine he is playing at for the night. Zhou Fei has left off even the minimal headdress she wears for court, but has otherwise attired herself in the embroidered high-necked robes and fur-trimmed cloak that are her right as empress-consort. Tonight, in this room, she is his empress who commands him, not his empress who rules at his side.
"Strip," she orders him coldly.
Folding his hands in another bow, Xie Yun obeys, unfastening his robes and letting each layer drop to the floor. He glances up at her as he finishes sliding his pants down, and swallows hard at Zhou Fei's disdainfully arched brow.
"Fold my things properly," she tells him. She then turns back to her book, assuming her order will be obeyed.
Out of the corner of her eye, Zhou Fei sees the way that Xie Yun flinches in on himself a little at the reprimand even as his cock hardens further. His hands are shaking a tiny bit, and he can probably feel the weight of Zhou Fei's diverted attention on his naked body, though he knows better than to look up before completing his task. None of it prevents him from keeping each crease elegant and precise as he folds his discarded clothing.
"Huanghou," he murmurs, bowing slightly beside the bed and holding out the folded pile.
"Place them on the stool," she tells him, and waits for him to obey. "Now fetch the collar and switch from the drawer."
"Yes, huanghou," Xie Yun replies quietly.
For tonight, Xie Yun is hers to command and use, a subject who serves at her whim. The knowledge settles snugly in Zhou Fei's hands. She watches discretely as Xie Yun retrieves the leather collar and thin, flexible rod from the cabinet by the wall.
When he returns to the side of the bed, Zhou Fei looks up before he can say anything, and tosses one of the cushions from the bed onto the floor beside her.
"Kneel."
Xie Yun sinks to his knees on the cushion and lowers his eyes respectfully as he holds out the two items.
"Chin up."
He looks up obediently, lips parting a little with lust as he meets her heated gaze. Zhou Fei swings her legs off the side of the bed to sit facing him. She reaches a hand out to tilt his chin up with her fingers, brushing her thumb over his mouth. It makes Xie Yun shiver a little, and Zhou Fei immediately softens.
"Cold?" she asks gently. Xie Yun shakes his head. Zhou Fei smiles in satisfaction and relief. "That's good. Do you remember your words?"
"Three for go, two for wait, one for stop," Xie Yun recites breathily.
"Very good," she murmurs, schooling her expression back into the same reserved focus she adopts when approaching a fight.
She takes the collar from his outstretched hands and stands up to walk behind him. The soft leather is settled snugly around his throat, the buckle warmed from both their hands as Zhou Fei fastens it at the back of Xie Yun's neck. His throat vibrates under her hands when he whines happily at the sensation.
There is a silky swish of fabric as Zhou Fei slides her cloak and embroidered overrobe off her shoulders and lays them on top of Xie Yun's clothes on the stool. Her lips quirk at the irony of her untidy handling of her own clothing, compared to where it sits on Xie Yun's immaculately folded set, but it is the spirit of the game between them that matters. Her things, her rules. She caresses Xie Yun's spine just to watch him arch needily into her touch.
"Mine," she murmurs, and Xie Yun shudders at her feet.
"Yes, huanghou," he replies. "Yours."
Zhou Fei rewards him by scratching her nails down his chest, catching on his nipples and making him moan. It always amazes Zhou Fei to see how beautifully Xie Yun submits to her. His cock sits hard and flushed between his spread thighs, a pretty blush spreading down his chest as well. She leans down to kiss his sweet, pink mouth.
Xie Yun kisses her back compliantly, sucking on her lower lip the way she likes, and opening for her tongue when she licks at his mouth. Zhou Fei always loves kissing her husband, including when he is his knees for her, pretending to be the empress's obedient concubine.
When Zhou Fei pulls back, she watches Xie Yun's eyes flutter open, and notes how dark and focused they are. Gorgeous as his wanting gaze is, she'll need to help him drop a little further under before they move on to the punishment she's set up, and so she tugs his head back using his hair before sitting on the bed, one foot pulled up so that she can rest her elbow on her knee after she takes the switch out of his hands and toys with it idly.
"Touch yourself for me," she instructs, in the careless tone that she knows drives him wild.
Sure enough, a bead of precome wells up on his cock as Xie Yun's hands clench a little where they are resting on his thighs. His cheeks blush red.
"How," he starts, then pauses to swallow hard, "how would huanghou like me to touch myself?"
Zhou Fei raises her eyebrows.
"Hand on your cock, pet, and stroke yourself like a good slut."
She watches Xie Yun bite his lip, hard, as he does as he's told and moves one hand off his thigh to slide his fist over his cock.
"Good boy," she tells him. "Keep it nice and light, that's it. And don't come without permission," she reminds him as an afterthought.
It's a very inspiring view. Zhou Fei feels herself getting wetter while watching Xie Yun gasp and whine as he touches his cock with torturously light strokes. His body twitches - a shift of his shoulders, his other hand tensing and loosening where it rests on his thigh - and his eyes cloud over as his expression settles into unthinking need.
"Feel good?"
"Yes, huanghou."
"And what do you say?"
"Thank you, huanghou," Xie Yun says, the words tripping over each other in his haste.
Zhou Fei purses her lips as she considers the sight in front of her.
"Tighter," she orders him.
Xie Yun obediently tightens his fist and lets out a full-throated moan on his next stroke. Zhou Fei tries to keep her satisfied grin off her face. He's worked up, and she knows she's judged the timing of her command perfectly when she sees him speed up into the steady rhythm he likes best, brushing his thumb over the head of his cock and moving his hips to fuck up into his fist as his eyes close with pleasure. Zhou Fei gives him a few more moments to enjoy it before addressing him sharply.
"Did I tell you to do that?"
Xie Yun's eyes fly open. As always, Zhou Fei is gratified and aroused by how quickly he stills his hips at her reprimand, the motion of his hand stuttering a little as he returns to the slow rhythm and tightened grip he is supposed to be using.
"No, huanghou, I'm sorry."
Zhou Fei watches his shoulders shake as he keeps his strokes slow, the precome that he'd smeared making a faint slick sound.
"Stop."
Already, his cock is standing stiff and dark red. Xie Yun lets out a soft cry as he wrenches his hand off his cock to grip tightly at his thigh.
"I didn't tell you to move your hand, either, did I? No, don't move it back, I think you've had enough for now. So distracted with what you need and want, pet. It seems like you need a reminder of what your purpose here is."
Just like she knew he would, Xie Yun begs, earnest and desperate and sweet.
"I'm sorry, huanghou, I'm sorry. I wish to please you. How may I please you?"
So perfect for her. Zhou Fei holds Xie Yun's gaze as she scoots back a little to sit more firmly on the bed, bringing both her feet down to rest on the edge of the bedframe below.
"Over my lap, pet. I'm gonna remind you who you belong to."
"Thank you, huanghou," Xie Yun says, reflexive and trance-like.
His eyes are blown and hazy as he stumbles to his feet in response to her tug on the collar, taking her hand to help guide him down across her lap. Zhou Fei helps settle him, making sure that his weight is secure on the bed and that his head is tilted comfortably against the mattress, before stroking her hand purposefully over his ass.
"I'm going to warm you up with my hand before I discipline you with the switch, okay? Use your words if it's too much, or if you're going to come. Can you give me a number, pet?"
"Three," Xie Yun replies immediately, the words drifting out on a contented sigh.
"Good boy. Now show me how good you can be while you take what I give you."
"Yes, huanghou," Xie Yun begins, but the words cut off on a sweetly shocked sound as Zhou Fei brings her hand down firmly on the swell of his ass.
It is the beginning of a string of gorgeous noises Xie Yun lets out while Zhou Fei reddens his beautifully laid out ass. She can feel where he must be painfully hard against her thigh, especially as each smack pushes his hips slightly down, but he lies obediently still for the spanking.
She is going to make him cry tonight. Zhou Fei has known that ever since he suggested flirtatiously over their short break for private tea this afternoon that maybe Zhou-nuxia should punish him later. Indeed, he isn't far off from crying now, limbs twitching as he moans desperately into the sheets, but she knows that she can make his body sing even more beautifully than this.
Zhou Fei strokes her free hand soothingly between the wings of his shoulder blades, admiring the lean curves of him, while her other hand shifts down to focus the next series of hits on Xie Yun's sensitive upper thighs. He keens, body tightening in unthinking protest.
"Shh," she tells him, gently squeezing the back of his neck where the collar sits. "Be good."
Whimpering, Xie Yun relaxes his muscles, slumping into the bed again with his ass laid out on her lap.
"That's it, pet. All mine."
She spanks him a few more times for good measure, before pausing to run her hand lightly over the flushed skin. The heat that greets her hand is intoxicating. So is the soft moan Xie Yun lets out at her touch. He must be so sensitive already. Zhou Fei picks up the switch from where she'd placed it next to her on the bed and skims it lightly over his ass to hear him moan again.
Taking a breath to steady herself against the heady rush of want, Zhou Fei brings the switch up and strikes him with it directly across his cheeks.
"Ah!" Xie Yun cries out.
"You know what happens if you don't behave, Xie Yun. Your huanghou expects her servants to do as they're told. Now take your punishment like a good boy."
"Yes, huanghou," he moans brokenly.
Each strike adds another red line to the pattern criss-crossing his ass and thighs. It's a slightly awkward angle with the switch, one that won't let her get a lot of force, but it's well worth it to be able to hold him down and feel him squirm in her lap.
Besides, Xie Yun usually likes the knowledge of being punished even more than he likes the actual pain. Zhou Fei braces her other hand on Xie Yun's lower back, a reminder for him to stay still, before aiming the switch hard at the sensitive crease of skin where his ass meets the tops of his legs. His feet kick as he sobs.
"Take your punishment like a good slut," Zhou Fei reminds him softly, keeping up an occasional commentary as she continues to lay into him. "Can you give me a number?"
"Three," Xie Yun responds breathlessly.
"Good boy."
She keeps a quick and steady rhythm with the switch, her other hand firmly pinning his torso in place, and listens to the soft cries that Xie Yun is letting out with each strike. Sometimes when they do this he will beg for mercy, but Zhou Fei thinks that tonight he is going to settle down into taking it quietly. She lets his abortive kicks go without comment for now.
The switch continues to snap through the air and land unpredictably on Xie Yun's bright red ass and thighs. Gradually, the tension leaks out of his body, until he lies limply under the unrelenting crop. His chest heaves as he sobs into the sheets.
"That's it," Zhou Fei murmurs approvingly, "that's my good boy."
Xie Yun moans low in this throat at the praise. Zhou Fei eases off, brushing the switch lightly back and forth over the angry lines marked on his ass while giving him intermittent, less harsh hits. After a little while, Zhou Fei sets the switch aside in favor of listening to Xie Yun's sobs hitch as she uses both hands to grip his abused flesh. His cock presses a hard, hot line against her thighs. She has Xie Yun exactly where she wants him.
"My good boy," Zhou Fei tells him, "my favorite, so well-trained and obedient for me, and all mine."
She reaches over to pick the switch back up, and holds it in front of Xie Yun's face.
"Kiss it," she orders, and Xie Yun lifts his tear-streaked face to obediently press his lips to the cane. Zhou Fei feels his cock flex as he does.
"Good boy."
It's clear that Xie Yun is still dazed from his spanking, as Zhou Fei expected. It's a beautiful look on him. She spends long moments stroking her hand up and down his back to ease him back a bit, admiring the view as she does.
These bedroom games that they sometimes play together are always a striking illustration of just how sweet her husband is for her, and often for her alone. Strong enough to hold up half the sky, confident and charismatic enough to bend the world to his bidding should he wish it, but always so pliant and eager to please in her hands. Challenging to convince to take up the mantle of emperor, but effortlessly easy to get on his knees for her and her alone.
After a while, Xie Yun's sobs quiet down and settle into gentle moans that rise and fall in time to Zhou Fei's hand petting his back.
"How are you doing, pet?" she asks.
"Good," Xie Yun replies sweetly. "Three, huanghou."
"Good boy," Zhou Fei tells him, carding her fingers through his hair. Xie Yun hums contentedly. "Such an obedient pet for me, even when I have to discipline you, hm? You always want to be good for me."
"Yours, huanghou," Xie Yun agrees.
He looks blissed out on sensation and submission, stretched out and trusting under her hands. Zhou Fei's chest aches with how much she loves him. Being able to take care of Xie Yun like this is just as big a part of why she likes these games as is the arousal of having him desperate and begging for pleasure. Zhou Fei has Xie Yun exactly where she wants him to be, hazy and sweet and receptive, and she intends to keep him there for a little while longer.
A shuddering sigh runs through Xie Yun's body as Zhou Fei smooths her hand one more time over his sore backside.
"I want you on your knees again. This time you can show me how good and patient you are now that you've learned your lesson, okay? You're going to service me with your mouth, pet, and do as I say."
"Ah," Xie Yun moans helplessly, "yes, huanghou, please."
"Good boy," Zhou Fei tells him.
She eases him off her lap with a supportive hand on his hip to help him kneel up, holding him steady as he steps shakily off the bed to sink back to his knees on the cushion on the floor. The hand she has holding the collar seems to help just as much as the steadying hand on his shoulder. Xie Yun whimpers when the beaten skin of his ass makes contact with his shins as he kneels down, and Zhou Fei gently shushes him, petting his neck.
It takes a moment to help Xie Yun shuffle a little closer to the bed. Once he is situated, Zhou Fei quickly sheds her trousers before sitting back down on the edge of the bed, and hooking a finger under the collar to pull Xie Yun's head between her spread legs. It makes him moan wantonly, eyes sliding shut as he starts to work his mouth over her wet pussy.
The gentle pressure of his tongue is a shock to her sensitive body, and Zhou Fei doesn't bother holding back her moan as she fists her hand in Xie Yun's hair to hold him in place.
"That's right, pet," she says a little unsteadily. "Show me what that clever mouth of yours is good for, my good boy. Pleasing me so well, so good for me on your knees."
His lips and tongue feel so good on her. All goading aside, Xie Yun really is exceptionally skilled with his mouth, in this as in all other things - not that Zhou Fei has many points of comparison, nor does she want for them. The constant needy moans that Xie Yun is letting out between her legs coax her to use him harder. Zhou Fei tries to hold back and let them both enjoy the languid pace for a little longer, but she has been wet and aching ever since she ordered Xie Yun to strip, and she cannot resist pressing his mouth just a tiny bit closer.
Her husband is counting on her to take care of him, and she will, but the intense, perfect sensation of Xie Yun licking her pussy and sucking on her clit are making Zhou Fei lose her head a little. She is scarcely making less noise than Xie Yun. Overwhelmed with the need to touch him, she brings her legs up to rest on his shoulders as her hand tangles further in his hair. Xie Yun lets out a desperate noise and tries to fuck her with his tongue in response.
This isn't going to last very long. At least Xie Yun is too far gone to mind.
"Give me your fingers, sweetheart," Zhou Fei tells him breathlessly. "Two of them."
She cuts herself off on a drawn-out moan as Xie Yun obediently slides two of his long musician's fingers into her, laving his tongue over her clit. It feels so fucking good. His eyes flutter open to gaze soulfully up at her through his eyelashes, seeking her approval and instruction, and the sight makes Zhou Fei's body seize a little in a wave of lust.
"Good boy," she tells him. He moans gratefully. "So well-trained, Xie Yun, so talented, aren't you? Curl your fingers - yes, like that. This is why you're my favorite. I should have you here every night, keep you on your knees for me all the time, my good boy."
Zhou Fei barely knows what she is saying anymore, lost in the roil of pleasure that Xie Yun is bringing her. His fingers press slow, perfect circles inside her as she clenches around them. She wants his mouth forever. She wants to come, she's close, and she urges Xie Yun on by reaching down to stroke the collar around his throat.
As expected, Xie Yun licks at her faster in response. His tongue is sloppy and soft as it works her clit. Each of his moans vibrates against her, a wonderful tease, and Zhou Fei gives in to the need to pull him in closer by the collar.
The slight increase in pressure is exactly what she needs. Her orgasm starts to ripple through her, building inexorably in intensity as Xie Yun continues to pleasure her with his mouth. Zhou Fei grinds her hips against his tongue and fingers, tipping her head back on a soft cry as Xie Yun circles his fingers delicately inside her.
"Good boy," she pants as she starts to come down from it. "Nice and easy, just like that, so good."
After Xie Yun's talented tongue has chased down the last tremors of her orgasm, Zhou Fei gently grips his hair to lift his head up, and eases his fingers out of her with a hand on his wrist.
Xie Yun blinks up at her, eyes all pupil, whimpering continuously as his chest heaves for breath. His mouth is red and slick and so, so pretty. Zhou Fei feels out of control with all the things she wants to do to him, all the things that she knows he would let her do to him like this. On balance, she thinks to herself a little wildly, it is probably a fair trade for how grounded she feels when she is at his side.
"A-Yun," she says, losing track of the pretense a bit, "do you want to come?"
He nods dazedly.
"You've been very good for me, Xie Yun," she continues, picking up the thread of the scene again. "You're lucky you're so pretty even when I have to punish you, hm?"
Xie Yun moans helplessly, his mouth falling open.
"Just like that," Zhou Fei tells him, reaching down to finger the collar and keep him moaning. "Mine to use, just like this. You've served me well tonight. Now come here."
She stands up to pull Xie Yun onto his feet, and guide him over to lay on the bed. The stream of needy noises he is letting out makes it difficult to distinguish any distress when his reddened, bruising ass touches the bed, but Zhou Fei isn't too concerned - she's pushed him farther in the past without issue.
It takes some coaxing to arrange Xie Yun's trembling form onto his side. Once he is settled, Zhou Fei lays down behind him and presses close, throwing one leg over his hip while her other thigh pushes up against his sensitive backside. The fabric of her robes, mercifully not the impossible to clean overrobe she had removed earlier, will still be just a little bit rough against his skin. Like this, she can murmur teasing filth into his ear while holding him pinned in place.
"Almost done, sweetheart. Just a little longer now."
Zhou Fei reaches over to pinch his nipples, just to revel in the way he jerks and cries out in her hold. She trails her hand down his chest to fist his dripping cock. Xie Yun shudders. After a few strokes, Zhou Fei reaches up to smear her hand through the slick that is still wet on Xie Yun's face from when he ate her out, before continuing to pump his cock.
It does not take long before Xie Yun is sobbing. His hands are curled in loose fists by his chest, and he makes no attempt to move towards or away from her touch, instead just taking it obediently. Zhou Fei rubs her leg against the curve of his ass. His cock feels like a brand in her hand, hot and twitching and leaking.
"Do you still want to come?" she asks him.
The question is punctuated with a series of nips behind his ear and trailing down the back of his neck. With her free hand, Zhou Fei pushes his hair out of the way, so that she can catch the edge of the collar between her teeth and pull gently.
"Ah!" Xie Yun gasps.
"That's not an answer, pet," Zhou Fei murmurs, falsely sweet. "I asked you a question. And good boys don't come without permission."
She continues to kiss and bite the slope of his neck and shoulders, marking out the places where she knows he is the most sensitive, jerking him off firmly as he cries.
"Please," Xie Yun finally manages to get out.
"Good boy," she whispers into his ear. "Now show me."
Two more strokes with her hand, a flick of her thumb over the weeping head of his cock, and Xie Yun is shaking to pieces in her arms as his cock pulses. She works him through it gently but firmly, waits until he is whimpering and boneless against the bed before letting go of his cock to wipe her hand on his side and hold him more closely.
"There you go, so good for me, A-Yun," she says softly. "You please me so well, I've got you now."
Zhou Fei waits until Xie Yun's breathing steadies before gently disentangling herself. She soothes him with soft touches as she gets up, checking that he is still drifting peacefully, and brushes his bangs away from his closed eyes before getting up to retrieve the cloth and basin of water that she'd set aside earlier.
Xie Yun murmurs contentedly as she wipes down his face and his stomach. They're both sweaty, and she'll draw a fragrant bath for him later, but for now this is enough to let him rest comfortably. Zhou Fei shrugs off the rest of her clothes and lies down on his other side. She pulls Xie Yun closer so that he can nuzzle into her shoulder.
"So sweet for me. Perfect. So talented, so gorgeous. You make me feel so good, A-Yun, and you look so good when you're mine. You took your punishment so beautifully for me."
It always takes Xie Yun a long time to come up from an intense scene like the one they've just done. Zhou Fei often worries that the soothing words she can offer him won't be enough, since they certainly can't compare to the easy affection that he offers up to her every day, but she is gradually getting better at the sweet praise that Xie Yun craves after a scene.
"I'm here," Zhou Fei says, pressing a kiss into Xie Yun's hair. It's peaceful, to lie curled together like this, and she feels a contented smile steal its way across her face.
"I've got you. I'm right here. For as long as you need."
In the quiet room, with Xie Yun in her arms, Zhou Fei finds a patience that she is unaccustomed to. Xie Yun's head rests its precious weight against her shoulder. The sweet nothings she murmurs to him are interspersed with gentle teasing and fond recollections, bits and pieces of past smiles, as she slowly works her fingers through the tangles in his silky hair.
The tie has come out of his ponytail at some point over the course of the evening, and Zhou Fei smooths the gathered hair down against his shoulders. Xie Yun shifts a little, but only to press himself closer to her.
"A-Fei?" he mumbles.
"I'm here, A-Yun. All yours."
Xie Yun lets out a contented hum.
"How are you feeling, sweetheart?"
"Good," he replies softly. The word sounds like a smile, pure and precious. Zhou Fei loves him so much.
"I'm glad. Do you want to rest here for a little longer?"
"Mn."
It's a happy, childlike demand that on this rare occasion is not driven by a desire to cheer her up - it's just for him, and Zhou Fei delights in granting it.
"Alright, sweetheart," she says affectionately through her smile. "We'll stay here as long as you like."
~
Later that evening, after they have both bathed and Zhou Fei has carefully brushed out Xie Yun's hair, they lounge joyfully back in bed as Zhou Fei reopens the jar of ointment.
"What do you think Yin Hecong would say if he could see what we were using this for, hm?"
"A-Fei," Xie Yun says, sounding very amused, "he did say it was for irritated skin. And this poor servant's skin has been very irritated!"
Neither of them can repress their chuckle this time.
It is, if anything, even more comfortable to be sharing each other's company now that they have settled in properly for the night.
Xie Yun is laying facedown on the bed, his hair spread out like a floodplain. It isn't quite as sleek as it is when he washes and brushes it himself, since even Zhou Fei's most painstaking efforts to use the correct products cannot reproduce his deft touch, but he always seems inordinately pleased with her results. And her Xie Yun certainly deserves to be pampered, ill-equipped though Zhou Fei may feel for the task.
The first touch of the ointment, warmed between Zhou Fei's palms, makes Xie Yun sigh happily.
"That's nice, A-Fei."
Even though Xie Yun is back with her and alert, his words have a mellow and buoyant undertone as they both bask in the pleasure and comfort of the evening.
"I'm glad," she tells him.
She keeps her touch gentle as she rubs the ointment into his ass and upper thighs. The concoction will, well, soothe the irritated skin, as well as help prevent any bruising. It's not strictly necessary - they've both undergone far worse discomforts - but there's no reason for Xie Yun to be at all uncomfortable. Besides, Zhou Fei has found that she very much wants to soothe away any hurts from their bedroom games after being the one to inflict them.
It is the second time this evening they have used the ointment. A year or so ago, following the first time she had spanked him, Xie Yun had flinched hard in surprised pain when she helped him into the warm bath, and Zhou Fei had felt like a monster.
He still insists that it's not necessary for her to use the ointment before helping him bathe, and medically speaking it's certainly useless, but what's the point of having him pliant and trusting in her hands if she can't spoil him? Her husband has yet to protest while she is doing so, much to her satisfaction.
"Any plans for the night?" Xie Yun asks her over his shoulder.
"I thought I might read for a bit."
"Zhou-daxia is going to read a book? Truly, the comforts of the imperial palace and the riches of the library - "
She smacks his ass, very lightly, and it startles a delighted laugh out of him.
"I was going to read your manuscript, Xie-meimei! Since I married a scholar who specializes in tragic poetry that only he can understand!"
"But surely Zhou-nuxia has a line of scholars who seek the honor of serving as her counsel?"
"Eh! Xie-meimei, do you want me to read your manuscript or not?"
Zhou Fei keeps her touch gentle as she finishes working the last streaks of ointment into his skin.
"Ah, okay, okay, this humble poet wishes for his patient wife to kindly critique his work."
Her task finished, Zhou Fei leans over him to whisper into his ear, "Then be good."
"Always," Xie Yun replies.
His smile is private and sweet between them, and Zhou Fei cannot resist leaning down to kiss him. They spend a quiet moment sipping in the give and take of their lips before she cups his cheek and moves back. She means to get up and retrieve the manuscript, so that she can read it out loud and gently rib him about difficult passages while he rests his head in her lap for the rest of the evening, but she is momentarily entranced by Xie Yun's sparkling eyes. She is so lucky.
"You're beautiful," Xie Yun tells her, an echo of her thoughts in reverse.
Zhou Fei has to take a shaky breath before she can respond.
"I'm not the one who's beautiful enough to make a living off my looks."
It makes him laugh, as bright and warm as a cowbell coming home, and she grins wide enough that her cheeks hurt. After a moment, his face settles back into the quiet smile that's just for her.
"My A-Fei deserves beautiful things."
After all they have done today, this is what makes her flush, and she turns away in a huff to rummage through the pile of papers on her desk. The manuscript in question is where she had left on top of a pile of a reports, and she grabs it before walking back over to their bed.
"Scoot over," she tells him.
She watches Xie Yun arch his spine like a cat as he rolls onto his side to face her. It only takes her a few brusque movements to shove the pillows against the headboard so that she can lean against them. Once settled, Zhou Fei pats her thigh in invitation, and Xie Yun places his head in her lap with a smile of pure adoration.
His breath is warm against her skin through the thin fabric of her inner robe. Zhou Fei brings her other knee up so that she can more easily hold the manuscript in place with one hand, and uses the other hand to stroke Xie Yun's hair. She only sighs once before starting to read.
~
The morning sun is bright on the walls of the palace, and a fragrant freeze flutters in past the parted curtains of their chambers. Zhou Fei is seated at the low table she and Xie Yun have in their living quarters, elbow propped on the table, munching on a mantou as her husband helps himself to the dumplings in chili oil.
"Do you want to ride out to the waterfall today?" she asks. "Since we don't have any council meetings scheduled until tomorrow afternoon. We could camp if it stays nice."
"A-Fei," Xie Yun pouts, "surely your poor husband deserves a break. After such rough treatment last night, how could I ride on horseback, ah? Besides," he continues with a conspiratorial smile, "even the most sparkling waters and verdant grass cannot compare to a day spent beside you in our humble home."
Zhou Fei rolls her eyes as she laughs.
"Sure, sure," she says. "We can spend the day side by side cooped up in our room. I'll peel lychees for you while you compose the next popular ballad."
"A-Fei is so good to me," Xie Yun says, grinning back.
They are interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Enter," Xie Yun calls.
Zhou Fei takes the opportunity to tear off another bite of her mantou.
Their steward enters the room, bowing low, but abiding by the standing instructions to palace staff to keep the prostrations to a minimum.
"Junwang, huanghou - the minister of foreign affairs has requested that the council convene to discuss a missive received from the southern border. He says that the matter is urgent, and humbly requests that junwang and huanghou attend and advise the council."
The last dumpling on the plate pauses halfway through its journey to Xie Yun's mouth as he takes in the steward's words. Zhou Fei smiles fondly as she watches. He plops his chopsticks onto his bowl and lets out a pained groan before replying.
"Thank you, Zhang Yuhao. Tell the minister and the council that we will meet at the next bell. Please have copies prepared of any materials."
"Yes, Junwang."
Zhang Yuhao bows again and closes the door on his way out.
Xie Yun lets out another theatrical groan, slumping over so that his chin rests on the table.
"Xie-daxia," Zhou Fei laughs, "you'll survive a council meeting."
"A-Fei," he whines, "how can you say that? You were so harsh last night, and you have no idea how sore I am this morning. There is no way I can sit through a council meeting until noon."
Zhou Fei smiles into her tea. "Stop flirting, Xie-meimei." She gathers her courage for a moment and then adds, faux-casual, "If don't want your ass to be sore, then you should behave."
She glances up in time to see Xie Yun's eyes widen slightly with lust before he huffs out a shocked laugh.
"Of course I will do as my huanghou says," he replies.
"Good," she says, teasing him back.
They both turn back to the remaining bites of their breakfast. If they are meeting at the next bell, there is enough time for them to get dressed, but not if they linger for too long.
"A-Yun," Zhou Fei says, swallowing the last of her tea, "I can cover the council today, I know you had things you wanted to work on. And you really should have a chance to rest."
"It's okay, A-Fei. We should probably both be there." He smiles at her, more serious than before, but just as affectionate. "We'll still be able to spend the day together, that's what's important."
All these years later, and Xie Yun can still make her blush in every conversation.
"In that case, I'll add the new tax code proposal to the agenda. We can sit with the council all afternoon," she jokes.
"A-Fei!" he protests, and it is lost in their shared laughter.