Chapter 3

Holding Dadiao’s hand, I strolled slowly toward the garden.

My husband came along beside us.

He tried to take Dadiao’s hand, only for Dadiao to slap him away.

Dadiao kicked him too.

My husband fell flat on his face.

I held back a laugh and hastened to explain, “Don’t be so impatient, husband. Dadiao hardly knows you. When you put your hands all over him, he thinks you’re a lecher. After being in a place like that, he must hate anyone who tries to take advantage of him.”

My husband was like a man who had suddenly struck it rich and wanted to gorge himself. The sight of a beauty stopped him in his tracks.

He hurried to apologize and followed meekly beside us.

My husband was on my right.

Dadiao was on my left.

I held Dadiao’s hand.

What a lovely day~

We went back.

My husband went to his concubines’ courtyard.

The house wasn’t actually very large.

The concubines all lived in the courtyard next door.

Sometimes I could even hear my husband playing cat and mouse with the three of them.

All I could do was envy him.

Now I didn’t envy him anymore.

Because I had a male concubine of my own.

And such a beautiful one.

My husband was a minor official, so we didn’t have many servants.

I had only two women to attend me, and both were older women who did the rough work.

Because my husband had taken both my personal maids as concubines.

Once the women had mixed the bathwater, I told them to go rest and empty it in the morning.

Delighted at the chance to take it easy, they left at once.

They slept in the servants’ quarters.

I slept alone in this courtyard.

Luckily, I had Dadiao now.

I took his hand and led him into the steamy bathing room.

Spreading my arms, I said, “Help me bathe.”

He murmured an assent. Then his long fingers began fumbling with my clothes, brushing my skin in fleeting touches…

Only after I had Dadiao did I understand the joys of intimacy, of loving companionship, of pleasure so intense you could die from it.

My life before him had been wasted.

Especially once his body recovered. That lean, strong waist. Those sturdy arms. That endowment I couldn’t put into words!

Dadiao learned all sorts of ingenious, wicked tricks too.

He opened the door to a whole new world for me.

But the next day, neither of us could get up.

When my husband pushed open the door, we were still asleep in each other’s arms.

He called from outside, “My dear, Diao’er, it’s time for breakfast.”

I had never heard that cloying, ingratiating tone in his voice before.

I opened my eyes drowsily. Dadiao was right in front of me, his beauty nearly suffocating. Unable to resist, I leaned over and kissed him.

He opened his eyes and looked at me.

I looked back, brimming with affection.

Both my husband and I were deeply in love with him.

I hoped he could love me just as deeply.