"What kind of restraint, you mentioned it just now." Yun Qian looked at Xu Changâan, puzzled: "Should a wife be reserved in front of her husband?"
"I... should be, right." Xu Changâan was also a bit unsure due to Yun Qianâs question.
"You also have moments when you think slowly." Yun Qian picked up the earring in her hand and said, "Whether a wife should be reserved in front of her husband is not whatâs important."
Whatâs important is whether Xu Changâan likes her to be reserved.
Just like rouge isnât important; itâs the person who uses it that matters. Xu Changâan just talked to her about this, but then he couldnât figure it out himself.
Xu Changâan quickly realized Yun Qianâs meaning. The corner of his eye twitched slightly, and before he could speak, Yun Qian said to him.
"So do you like me to be a little more reserved?"
Xu Changâan: "..."
His silence at this moment is the best answer.
He used to be Yun Qianâs steward and was already reserved enough. Now that theyâre husband and wife, thereâs no need to pretend when alone.
"I knew you didnât like restraint." Yun Qian walked over tenderly, gently hugging Xu Changâan, and said softly in his ear, "Thatâs why I want a place to hang my jewelry, to wear an earring."
"Again because I like it?" Xu Changâan couldnât figure out Yun Qian was reasoning with him, yet he was often no match for her in this regard.
His talk of restraint, Yun Qian understood clearly what he truly thought.
Miss Yun is like his mirror, gently bringing his hidden "darkness" to light.
With such a wife around, why worry about not reflecting on oneself daily?
"Yes, because you like it." Yun Qian nodded.
Xu Changâan suddenly became serious and earnestly said, "If you yourself wanted to wear earrings, I would certainly agree, even though I might feel pain when pierced."
Xu Changâan could accept Yun Qian wanting to wear earrings to look better; after all, itâs important for women to please themselves.
But if she debases herself to please him, Xu Changâan naturally resists it.
"Whatâs the difference?" Yun Qian asked.
"You should want things for yourself."
"I want children, but I canât conceive. Wearing an earring is simple."
Xu Changâan: "..."
The air was filled with a strange atmosphere.
After a moment, Xu Changâan helplessly said, "Miss, I find youâre good at reasoning, even when youâre not reasoning."
"?" A small question mark appeared over Yun Qianâs head.
"Nothing, not reasoning is also a ladyâs privilege." Xu Changâan rubbed his brow, "Why suddenly want to wear earrings, canât clip-on ones work?"
"Because you didnât kiss me." Yun Qian gave Xu Changâan an unexpected answer.
"Âż"
It was now Xu Changâanâs turn to have a question mark over his head.
"If I canât satisfy you, I must find other ways. You like earrings, so Iâll get one, as compensation." Yun Qianâs tone was very steady; clearly, thatâs what she thought; otherwise, she wouldnât suddenly change her mind not wanting clip-ons and opting for pierced ears.
Simply smearing some rouge on the lips for her husband wasnât enough compensation, especially since he compared this rouge to the ones from Beisang City, such a lightweight gesture is even less a good refusal of intimacy compensation.
"Miss, you didnât smudge your makeup, wasnât that for me too?" Xu Changâan suddenly said.
"Let bygones be bygones." Yun Qian seriously said.
Xu Changâan was amazed by Yun Qianâs train of thought, but couldnât help it; he could only say, "If I kiss you now, can you not wear those earrings?"
"Reason," Yun Qian looked at him.
"I only understand a little, never mind... letâs explain in detail." Xu Changâan picked up the gilded earrings and recalled, "Wearing earrings initially came about because some girls were too lively and unwilling to adhere, and someone thought to pierce a hole in their ears and dangle an ear jewel, to remind them to live prudently, and act cautiously. At that time, the act of piercing ears wasnât as favored as now, and girls were entirely in a passive position."
In ancient times, earrings werenât good things; if common women wore earrings unsuitable for good jewelry... it truly was just piercing a ring in their ears, used for pulling during husband or motherâs instruction.
Very degrading.
While Xu Changâan didnât necessarily despise such things, the symbolic meaning of earrings somewhat exists.
"Is this important?" Yun Qian didnât think it was.
"Miss, there are many old monsters in the Immortal Sect, who knows how long they have lived?" Xu Changâan looked out the window at the Immortal Sectâs scenery, "Immortal cultivators are also human; maybe some older generation cultivators still hold ancient thoughts and dislike earrings?"
He thought very carefully.
For example, if a cultivation senior takes a liking to Yun Qianâs talent but dislikes her earrings, it would be a problem.
"So thereâs no need, do you understand?" Xu Changâan patiently explained.
"... I understand." Yun Qian understood Xu Changâanâs meaning and was silent for a while.
In comparison, what cultivators think and Xu Changâanâs preference, which is more important to Yun Qian?
No doubt, itâs the latter.
After thinking for a while, Yun Qian raised her head and said, "Is it that only if those with ancient ideas are gone can I wear earrings you like?"
"You havenât given up yet." Xu Changâan looked at Yun Qianâs ears covered by her black hair, very helplessly: "Miss is already the most beautiful to me; if itâs what you truly like, itâs fine, but for me, thereâs really no need, not worth the cost."
"Not worth the cost?" Yun Qian couldnât understand Xu Changâanâs words.
"If I take a measurement of my liking for Miss... um, assume the full score is one hundred; then itâs one hundred." Xu Changâan stated the truth with no blush: "Even if you wear earrings, itâll still be one hundred; it canât turn into one hundred and one, because a full score is full. So just for the novelty of earrings to endure pain is not worth it."
"Itâs worth it." Yun Qian said decisively: "Even a little bit of novelty is worth it."
Xu Changâan mentioning novelty wasnât good; it only strengthened Yun Qianâs determination.
"Did I... did I say something wrong?" Xu Changâan smiled bitterly.
"No." Yun Qian took out a ribbon and tied her long hair into a gentle style Xu Changâan liked, then slowly said, "You see... youâre reluctant to scold me normally; having an earring would be more convenient, and you like it, so it should be a win-win."
Miss Yunâs soft, slow tone was like coaxing a child.
"Win-win... Miss, I have no temper left." Xu Changâan pinched his brow, completely at a loss for words.
Xu Changâan wouldnât force Yun Qian to change because itâs something she wanted; itâs her individuality.
"Letâs talk about this later." Xu Changâan couldnât reason better than Yun Qian, so he resorted to dragging the issue: "The Elixir Field issue is still unresolved; Iâm not in the mood for these things."
"Hmm." Yun Qian responded well to this; she wasnât in a hurry, just reminded: "So, you mentioned those who may think wearing earrings is not good..."
"Not important." Xu Changâan casually said: "I thought too much; Miss will enter Muyu Peak soon."
Among those girls, if anyone thought earrings were lowly and bad, theyâd be driven out by everyone long ago.
Xu Changâan had seen it, even his teacher, a Daoist nun without "feminine charm," wore earrings.
"Understood." Yun Qian acknowledged, thinking if itâs not important, then never mind.
Certain things she can do, but if it displeases her future husband, that would indeed be pointless.
Xu Changâan doesnât like it, sheâd also try to be "kinder," and let them live.
"Alright, letâs talk about what Miss wants." Xu Changâan smiled: "Just now, desperately racking your brains isnât just because I like it."
Yun Qian surely has other reasons.
"I want to wear earrings you personally gave me." Yun Qian looked at the golden earrings: "And not use othersâ."
Thatâs her real reason.
And itâs an incredibly compelling one.