Chapter 360 A Short Separation is Better Than a New Marriage

Chapter 360: A Short Separation Rekindles Love

Two strangers returned home, both vying to play with the child, leaving Xiao Hua wide awake all night.

The door creaked open as Zhao Xiping entered, drying his hair. The little girl, who had been lying on the bed moments ago cooing and babbling, immediately turned her head toward the sound.

"Are you taking care of her alone at night?" Zhao Xiping asked.

"No, there’s a servant woman too. She sleeps on a mat by the bed. If Xiao Hua has an accident or needs anything, she goes out to fetch warm water," Sui Yu replied, turning sideways to flip the baby over and make space for her to lie on her stomach, looking up at her father. "There’s a stove outside the room. Before bed, Cui Sao adds a layer of hot coals and places a pot of water on top. By the time it’s needed at night, the water stays warm."

"Now that I’m back, I’ll take over these tasks."

"How long can you stay home this time? Will you be leaving again?"

"A month. Once the cotton blooms, I’ll ride with Master Du to inspect Jiuquan and Zhangye. I’ll be back in half a month," Zhao Xiping said, sitting on the bed. "Each place has its own Agricultural Supervisor keeping watch, so I don’t need to stay there all the time. I’ll check on things at the end of June and again in late August. Once the cotton harvest is over, I won’t need to travel anymore."

Xiao Hua protested with a whine—this little girl already had a sense of territory and didn’t want him sleeping on their bed.

Zhao Xiping pretended not to understand her expression. He scooped her up and laid her on his stomach, reclining halfway before pulling his wife to rest her head on his shoulder.

With Sui Yu nearby, Xiao Hua didn’t resist. She lay on the rising and falling belly, trying hard to lift her head and study the unfamiliar face before her with great seriousness. But she couldn’t hold it up, and soon her little head drooped, plopping onto her father’s belly.

Zhao Xiping chuckled, his belly shaking with laughter. Xiao Hua, startled, let out a surprised squeal.

He took a deep breath, puffing out and sucking in his belly, rising and falling like a rocking chair to amuse her.

Finally, Xiao Hua giggled.

"At last, I hear your laughter," Zhao Xiping said, satisfied. Her tiny voice was softer than cotton fluff.

When his belly stopped moving, Xiao Hua let out a confused "ah?" So he continued the game, puffing out and sucking in his belly, using himself as a rocking chair.

After a while, the child fell asleep on her stomach. Zhao Xiping gently stroked her cheek, then her head, and finally her back.

"Her temperament is different from Xiao Zai’s," he murmured.

"Mm."

"Does she cry often?" he asked.

"Not much. She cries when she’s hungry, wet, or just waking up. She’ll also cry if she’s unhappy, but she’s easily distracted," Sui Yu replied.

"You’ve worked hard," Zhao Xiping said, rubbing her back.

The sleeping child was moved to the foot of the bed. In her dreams, she felt the same gentle rocking from earlier, accompanied by faint creaking sounds, lulling her into deeper slumber.

Milk trickled onto the sheets, some flowing down the curves of her body, warmth gradually cooling. In an instant, his mouth eagerly lapped up the moisture, leaving only a glistening trail—like a clear mountain stream.

His tongue circled her nipple, his hot breath brushing her skin. The sound of swallowing filled the air.

Sui Yu glanced down, only to meet her husband’s rapt gaze. Flustered, her eyelids flushed pink, and she hastily grabbed a cloth to cover her face.

He took it, breathed in its scent, then tossed it aside. He propped himself up, his gaze urging her on.

The creaking bed and whispers lasted well into the night. When the door finally opened, the night breeze rushed in, carrying with it the sound of flowing water and chirping insects from behind the house.

She lay lazily sprawled on the bed, lifting her head slightly to watch the man outside.

He returned, content, with a basin of water, wringing out a cloth. He looked up and asked, "Still good at taking care of you?" Sui Yu laughed softly.

Zhao Xiping also smiled, "Want me to clean you up?"

"I'll do it myself. Go check on Xiao Hua—it's almost time for her to pee. Make sure she doesn’t wet the bed." Sui Yu had regained her composure. She took the damp cloth and wiped herself thoroughly, then swiftly picked up her undergarments and shorts to put on.

At the other end, Zhao Xiping had just picked up his daughter. The drowsy little girl instinctively nuzzled toward him, drawn by the scent of milk. Noticing something wrong, she immediately burst into tears.

"Coming, coming." Sui Yu took the child and instructed, "Go fetch another ladle of water."

The diaper wasn’t wet. Sui Yu deftly removed it and held the child to help her relieve herself. The lingering flush of arousal on her face hadn’t fully faded, yet the tender love of motherhood already overflowed from her eyes.

The intertwining of maternal softness and allure was, for a man, like the strongest aphrodisiac—an extreme contrast that stirred the urge to ravage. Zhao Xiping was spellbound, staring dumbly, repeatedly suppressing the restless impulses in his heart.

His gaze burned into her—how could Sui Yu not feel it? Once she’d settled the child, she shot him a look, half-shy, half-annoyed. "The water?"

"Oh." Zhao Xiping swallowed hard and went out to ladle some warm water.

"The cloth—make sure it’s clean."

"Wet it, then wring it out."

He followed every order mechanically, handing her the damp cloth and standing before her, unmoving.

Sui Yu shot him a glance. She lifted her undergarment and carefully wiped herself. Under the faint moonlight, the damp streaks glistened like crystal.

Once the baby was latched, Sui Yu leaned against the foot of the bed, cradling her. She sat at an angle, her gaze drifting toward the door.

She knew the man was feasting on her with his eyes, but she refused to look at him.

The wooden bed creaked as someone sat beside her. Zhao Xiping reached out, turning her face toward him. Their eyes met, and he kissed her softly—full of tenderness, every movement gentle as a butterfly landing on a petal.

Fifteen years of marriage had made Zhao Xiping as familiar with Sui Yu as his own hands. He was accustomed to her presence, needing her as instinctively as food or water. Their love should’ve mellowed by now, yet his heart still raced for her, just as it had when they were newlyweds. She drew him in, even when he knew her teasing was deliberate—he willingly took the bait.

Xiao Hua, her belly full, fell asleep again. The pair sat close at the edge of the bed, their silhouettes entwined in the dim light.

Summer mornings broke early. As the sky lightened, the chickens spilled out of their coop to forage, their soft clucking filling the air. The sleepless man carried the soiled bedsheet outside, gently closing the wooden door behind him.

The morning breeze was cool. The pink bedsheet spread over the river’s surface, the wet fabric darkening to brick-red.

The brick-red sheet hung dripping on the clothesline in the yard. Zhao Xiping wiped his hands and went to move the stove, emptying the remaining ashes.

Little Zai, hearing the footsteps pacing the courtyard, got out of bed and opened the door. "Dad, you’re awake already?"

"Not early—the kitchen chimney’s already smoking." Zhao Xiping beckoned. "Come wash up. I just fetched water."

Spotting the soaked bedsheet, Little Zai grinned. "Did little sister wet the bed again?"

"Yeah."

Once father and son had finished washing, Zhao Xiping led his son outside, asking with concern how many more characters he’d learned and whether he’d practiced martial arts that morning.

"Here, let me measure you." Zhao Xiping pulled his son close, comparing their heights. "You’ve grown a bit taller. Your mother said your legs hurt last month—are they still hurting?"

"No, not anymore. Mom made Dream Mom cook big bone soup for me every day. She said my legs hurt because I’m growing too fast. Dad, did your legs hurt when you were growing up?"

Zhao Xiping nodded, though back then, there’d been no bone soup to drink. He never even knew why his legs hurt—he just endured it, gritting his teeth through the pain even during busy farming seasons.

He crouched down, examining his son’s legs—ankles, knees, shins, joints.

"None of it hurts." Little Zai wrapped his arms around his father’s shoulders, his voice thick with worry. "Dad, you’ve gotten so dark—and so thin."

"Share a bowl of your hearty bone broth with me, and I won't be skinny in a few days."

"Alright!"

Zhao Xiping stood up and pointed at the rooster a short distance away, saying, "Let's race and see who's faster."

Before he finished speaking, the little one took off like a shot. Zhao Xiping let him get a ten-count lead, then went all out to chase after him.

Their breathing fell into sync a few steps apart. As the distance between father and son narrowed, the little one was overtaken but kept running with all his might.

The rooster rolling in the dust was startled into flight. Zhao Xiping planted his foot in its dust wallow, turned around, and loudly counted, "One, two, three, four..."

"I'm coming!" the little one shouted.

"You're fourteen counts behind."

"Give me two more years, Dad. I'll definitely beat you," the little one panted.

Zhao Xiping laughed heartily. "Fine, I’ll wait."

"When does your sister usually wake up?" he asked.

"Soon, around this time."

Zhao Xiping immediately hurried his son back in long strides. Entering the room, they saw the little girl on the bed already awake, sucking on her fist.

"Sister’s hungry," the little one said, leaning in to give two noisy kisses. "Good morning, sister!"

"Bring her over. I’ll change her diaper," Zhao Xiping said, worried that if he showed his face, Xiao Hua would cry again. Only by sticking close to mom and baby could he get near the little girl.

Finally, Zhao Xiping ushered the boy out and carried his daughter to her sleeping mother for feeding.

Sui Yu opened her eyes to the sight of her husband’s weather-beaten face. Seeing him filled her with genuine joy.

"I missed you," she whispered.

Zhao Xiping bent down to kiss her, gently smoothing her disheveled hair. "Go back to sleep. Leave the baby to me. I refuse to believe I can’t win over this adorable little lady."

Sui Yu reached up to touch his face. No wonder the saying went that absence made the heart grow fonder. After two months apart, this man was downright irresistible in her eyes—more husband than father now.

"You didn’t sleep?" she asked.

"Too busy thinking about seeing you and Xiao Hua."

Sui Yu suppressed a smile.

Once Xiao Hua was full, Zhao Xiping scooped her up. Holding the little girl’s hand, he waved it at Sui Yu. "Daddy'll take you to find your brother and uncle."

Xiao Hua started to fuss, but the next moment, the door opened, and she was in her brother’s arms. With him around, she no longer insisted on her mother.

For five days, Zhao Xiping used his son as a buffer, waiting on his daughter hand and foot. Finally, he won her over—now, the little girl would reach out for him willingly.

As the weather grew hotter, Zhao Xiping thought Xiao Hua’s hair was too long. He spent an entire day carefully trimming her downy hair.

"How’s that? Not bad, right? Shorter hair makes Xiao Hua’s eyes look even bigger," Zhao Xiping bragged, glad his skills were still sharp.

With her hair shorter, the little girl’s chubby cheeks were fully visible—big eyes, fair skin, and utterly adorable for anyone who loved children.

"In terms of cuteness, Xiao Hua’s almost catching up to her brother," Sui Liang teased, refusing to let go of his niece while reassuring the little one, "In your uncle’s eyes, you’re still the best."