After dinner at night, Anna received a request.
"tell a story?"
Charlie raised his head and looked at Anna eagerly: "But we always need a bedtime story."
"But you often tell me to treat you as adults." Anna said deliberately.
Charlie and Andre looked at each other and held back their smiles.
Andre looked at his aunt: "Except for this."
"It's not against the rules," Anna said, and then saw the blond boy wink at him and glance at Alexei.
Ana understood the confidence conveyed by the boys, and she was delighted by their thoughtfulness.
She tilted her head and thought for a while. To be honest, she has never told a story to others, which is not something she can do well. However, she can always try.
"Anushka, warm up the fireplace," said Anna, and Anushka responded.
"Okay, boys, go get Alexei over here, and sit somewhere you like. I'll get you some hot milk."
"I don't like this." Andre showed a disgusted expression.
"There is no story without milk, boy." Anna said deliberately serious, and Andre finally compromised by pursing his lips.
"Come on, baby who doesn't like milk," Charlie teased, and ran upstairs before getting his ass kicked in return.
"Don't disturb Alexei!" Anna yelled from behind, and the boys stepped more lightly, but they continued to push and play along the way.
It didn't take long for the sofas by the fireplace to be almost full.
Anna was sitting on the sofa to the right, Andrei, Charlie, and Alexei were sitting on the couch in turn.
The boys were all carrying hot milk, and the steaming milk had a warm and sweet smell.
After Anna stared at them and finished drinking, she thought about it and began to tell a story about a boy and a horse.
The prototype of that story is a little girl who suddenly knew that her family was bankrupt, and was finally forced to leave her good life and her friends and move to the countryside. She needs to re-adjust, not only to life, but also to the mentality after being away from money and fashion. A horse made her understand the preciousness of life and the preciousness of friends, which cannot be given by money.
The story is not long, and it ends after about twenty minutes.
"It's strange that I'm not bored without a duel." Charlie smacked his lips.
"Actually, I don't think it's realistic." Andre shook his head, seemingly determined to comment on the story from the most rational place.
"If a young master with a good family background suddenly goes bankrupt, it is impossible for that girl to marry him. She has no way to disobey her parents and family, if they still plan to hang out in this circle."
Anna looked at Alexie: "What do you think?"
The blond boy raised his head from his contemplation, and there was a smile in his pale gray eyes: "I think he is very brave."
"That's right." Andre agreed.
"I'd like a horse like that, too," said Charlie suddenly. "Can we go for a ride tomorrow?" He seemed suddenly intrigued, and Andre was enthralled.
"Then what about you? Alexie." Anna asked the blond boy again, who smiled shyly, "If it's possible?"
Ana laughed. "I'll ask Alexei later." She paused. "But now, boys, it's time for you to go to bed."
"But it's still early." Andre struggled.
"No, now is your bedtime. You can be free from time to time, but your schedule cannot be changed. I didn't bring you here to spoil you." Anna said, and then drove them back to the room.
The two little ones went upstairs unwillingly, Alexey paused for a moment, and then asked: "Can I read a book for a while before going to bed?"
He asked her for advice, and Anna was very happy about it, which at least showed that Alexie's heart was really open. If it was before, she didn't doubt that he would obediently go to sleep without saying anything.
"Of course you can, but don't be too late, okay?"
"I will, auntie, good night." Alexey smiled, with a little blush on his slightly pale cheeks. People can't help but treat him better when they look at it.
"Good night, Alexie."
After the children left, there was only the sound of firewood beeping in front of the fireplace in the living room. Anna tidied up, then turned around and walked to the second floor with her skirts in her hands.
She knocked on the door of the study and went in.
Karenin frowned slightly, and raised his eyes to look at his wife after sensing Anna coming in.
Anna knew he was busy, and there was obviously something bothering him, because when he looked up at himself, his brows were still furrowed.
"It's okay, you can do your work first, Alexei." Anna said with a smile, she didn't leave, she took a book and sat down on the sofa not far away, looking very stable and comfortable.
"Call me in ten minutes, Anna." Karenin softened his voice. Although the official business was a bit tedious, it was obvious that his wife's considerate approach made him have to do it.
"Take care of yourself." Anna responded with a smile.
Then there was silence, save for the occasional flickering of the light from the wick.
From time to time, Anna would look up at Karenin's situation. She was not relieved until she saw the slight frown between her brows slowly unfolding.
About twenty minutes later, Karenin recovered from his official business. He glanced at the time on his pocket watch and pursed his lips. Then he turned his head to look in the direction of the sofa, and found that his wife had fallen asleep leaning against the back of the sofa. The books are spread out on the knees, ready to fall at any moment.
Karenin held his breath, then got up, and walked lightly and steadily to the sofa.
He bent down, and his firm arms gently encircled Anna's body. When he hugged Anna, the person in his arms made a dreamlike sound.
"Are you going to sleep?"
After these half-dream and half-awake words were spoken, his wife put her hands on his neck and pressed her cheek to him.
Karenin glanced at the documents that had not been fully processed, then looked away, and said, "Yes."
After he finished speaking, he saw a small, soft smile blooming at the corner of his wife's mouth.
"Sleep, we want to be together."
The words are still a little unconscious, muttering like a child, and rubbing against each other.
Karenin felt that what he was hugging was not a warm body, but some soft animal.
Then he looked down at his wife under the light, from the ebony black hair to the smooth forehead, and under the outline of delicate eyebrows, the closed eyes had thick and slender eyelashes. Finally, Karenin's eyes fell on his wife's rosy lips.
Looking down from the red lips, through the soft jawline, to the neck, and then down, beyond the collarbone, the excessive whiteness reveals a little undisguised scenery from the neckline.
Karenin is a normal male, with rouyu naturally.
This is a woman, his wife.
Karenin also knew the beauty of his wife without touching her directly, but only with his eyes.
But at the same time, he always had such a cognition in his heart.
The soul hidden in this mature body is still immature and ignorant.
If it wasn't naive, how could he make such a bold request after meeting for the first time.
And in the post-marriage, Karenin took Anna's efforts every bit in his heart. From the beginning, there were still a few traces of doubt, but now it has turned into trust.
However, no matter how much she pretends to be mature and stable, she is still just a young girl after all...
Therefore, in this unsuspecting situation, being trusted, and hearing the kind of "sleeping together" like a child's raving, this Russian high-ranking official who is always serious and calm can't help but laugh.
But in the end still not.
Mr. Karenin always wanted to maintain his dignity no matter what, so at most, when no one was watching, he smiled lightly, whispered through the warm air in the room, and expressed his unique ambiguous gesture. , drifting slowly into Anna's dream.
In the dream, she vaguely heard her husband asking her in a deep, smiling voice if she really knew the meaning of sleeping together.
"Of course I know." Anna responded in her dream.
The so-called sleeping together means more than just feeling warm and safe in your arms, and I really won't make you wait too long...
The guarantee in the dream was a bit too clear, and it was mixed with some ups and downs. When Anna really woke up, the sky was only hazy and not yet clear.
She felt the warm breath, raised her head slightly and saw the man's tall nose bridge and clear lip line.
Only when he fell asleep, Karenin's lips would be in a relaxed state. But on weekdays, when you sip it, they always look too serious and cold.
At this moment, when they are not restrained by the master's will, they fully reflect their original posture.
It's a soft, pale lip color, with the upper lip a little thinner than the lower lip. Not as full as when I was young, but still healthy. The lines given to a man by time are more generous and merciful in this man.
Anna raised her body slightly, leaned closer to the other party, and printed a kiss on the corner of the beautiful and soft lips, and then fell asleep again under the hazy light and drowsiness.
After Karenin got up at dawn, Anna got up too.
Under Karenin's puzzled eyes, Anna told Karenin what she didn't have time to finish yesterday.
Karenin was buttoning his cuffs, thought for a while and said: "After breakfast, let's go for a ride."
"Really?" Anna was a little happy, and then asked, "Will it delay your work?"
"I'll adjust it." Karenin buttoned up his cuffs, and then said, "You need to change into lighter clothes, Anna, to be safe."
"It's a pity, I didn't bring my riding clothes." Anna was a little regretful, but she still seemed very happy. She went to the wardrobe to choose, and showed Karenin.
In the end they all agreed that a less body-hugging sky blue dress would be more appropriate.
"You change, Anna, I'll tell them," said Karenin, and received a kiss from his wife.
"Thank you, Alexei!"
The joyful expression on his wife's face made Karenin smile a little too. Of course Anna didn't see it, she was going to change clothes.
Although he wanted to miss more, Karenin turned around and walked to the door, opened the bedroom door, and then closed it gently.
In the final analysis, in Karenin's heart, her wife was simply a child who had not grown up. He wants to see her carefree and cheerful smile, and he is willing to change his life and make concessions for this smile. Most of the time, he also wants to monopolize these smiles. It is precisely because of this cherishment that even he himself is so stubborn that he will not allow himself to make mistakes.
They still have a lot of time for the so-called sex or something more advanced. Because, he can always wait for her to grow up.