Anna has basically never seen Karenin change clothes.
They did not attend banquets together very often. On the one hand, it was because Karenin was not keen on socializing, and on the other hand, Anna was not keen on it before. The couple had the same idea for their banquet — to be profitable.
Husbands have never found anything wrong with such thinking.
Karenin doesn't think there's anything wrong with his wife being a party-loving person, as long as he can maintain a decent face, advance and retreat in a certain way, he won't interfere with his wife's idea, and he can even give himself all the support. It's just that after he really had a wife, a suitable three-point view, despite having a different temperament, but a caring enough wife always made Karenin feel that God had indeed blessed him with enough luck.
"I didn't notice this before." Anna said, she was sitting on a soft chair with her right hand propped up, looking at her husband with her chin resting.
"You have noticed." Karenin said lightly, and put some pomade on his hair for the last time. Then turned his head and continued to remind me exactly when that happened.
Anna laughed: "Well, I just didn't pay attention to the process."
"It's very popular recently to let a strand of hair hang down, don't be so rigid." Anna said with a smile, wanting to see how Karenin would respond.
"Not all trends are suitable for me." Karenin put the pomade box back on the table, looked at Anna with blue eyes, as if he knew what his wife wanted to hear, and said, "I am a conservative."
Anna put down her hands as if she was amused, her eyes sized up her husband, showing a look of pride.
Karenin looked at his wife who was smiling happily, then looked down at the small brush, and said, "Anna, come and help me." As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the light in his wife's eyes.
"What do you want me to do?"
The wife looked a little eager to try, Karenin raised a smile on the corner of his lips, and gestured to the former with his hands that he could help.
"I can definitely do a good job." Anna said holding up a small brush, and gently brushed off some fine hairs on the clothes. She did it so meticulously, as if she was taking a job seriously, but This is also part of Karenin's love for Anna.
"Do you like them?" Anna asked, her voice full of anticipation.
Karenin looked into his wife's eyes, then nodded in the affirmative.
"like."
Anna held Lenin's arm, and the latter's gaze was a bit questionable at first, but finally returned to calm.
These small details have been slowly familiarized with time. The official's obviously polite concession has made his wife more arrogant and indulgent, but so what, if a man like Karenin is not happy, then no one can do anything to him.
Anna looked at them in the mirror, looked away from the clothes, just looked at Karenin intently, then half leaned on the other person, and smiled.
"Look, we're together," she said silly.
"Of course we are together." Karenin pointed out rationally.
"Yes." Anna agreed, without further explanation, but her smile deepened. Sometimes men don't understand women's romantic thoughts, but there is no need to interfere with the good mood at the moment.
The sound of carriage sparkling is no stranger, and the journey to the ball will never be lonely. Although there was so little conversation at the moment, because Karenin told her before leaving that he had to think about some official matters in the carriage.
When Karenin brought up this matter, he was not obsessive like ordinary men, nor did he just mutter in apologetic manner. Just like some ordinary couples, even a high-ranking official in Russia only told his wife in a negotiating tone.
And just like Karenin's attitude, he seems to have known for a long time that his wife will not embarrass him.
Therefore, Karenin was absorbed in thoughts of official documents, while Anna herself took up an idle book.
Each other is silent and does not disturb each other. But wives will always look at their husbands from time to time, while husbands will occasionally stretch out their hands unconsciously and touch their wives lightly to confirm her existence. He smiled at this unconscious movement, and then gently touched back.
It's like talking and replying.
"Are you still with me?"
"Yes, of course, I'm always by your side."
This kind of small habit is silent, even if the person concerned does not think carefully, it will not be discovered, and this has become a treasure in the wife's heart.
Arriving at the residence of Prince Yuspov, getting out of the carriage, Anna took Karenin's arm and went in.
The concierge took them to the banquet hall.
On the gorgeous Persian carpet, there were laughter and laughter, the wine glasses were staggered, the candlelight was brightly lit, the faces of the young women were charming and charming, and the corners of the eyes and brows of the men seemed to have the unique charm of the upper class.
Anna's cousin, Betsy, was also invited. She was wearing a rose red dress with a coquettish figure, smiling coquettishly in the crowd, so conspicuous. And this conspicuous lady also discovered Anna in the first place, as if she had been watching her.
"You are here at last, dear Anna."
Betsy came up and kissed Anna on the cheek.
She looked at Anna with fascinated eyes, and exclaimed in a tone: "How beautiful, I have never seen such a dress before."
Mrs. Betsy's words drew the eyes that were originally entwined on Anna again, and provided them with a fair excuse.
"And your husband. My dear Karenin, how handsome you are!" Betsy turned her eyes in Karenin's direction.
"You are also today, still beautiful." Karenin bent slightly, and quickly touched Betsy's back joint with his lips.
His hand-kissing standard is so standard that people can't fault it, but it is also considered too cruel by some people.
"You really haven't changed at all." Betsy said with a deep smile, and then cleverly started another topic, "Are you still busy implementing that law recently?"
The corners of Karenin's mouth twitched slightly. He naturally knew that Betsy didn't really like him, and he wasn't interested in his career at all, but he knew that only by following Betsy's words could he complete tonight's social interaction.
Anna accompanied Karenin, looking around occasionally.
She saw a woman who had been with Betsy leave quietly, and the latter looked up.
Those charming eyes made Anna recall the identity of the other party in her mind—Vronsky's sister.
Not long after Vronsky's sister quietly left, a young man with greasy hair and pink face also left. When the man left, his eyes met Anna, his blue eyes stayed on Anna for a few seconds, and then he blinked at her.
Anna looked away as easily as possible, then turned her head suddenly to look at her husband.
When she saw Karenin's cold jawline, high nose bridge, and slightly drooping upper eyelids, she breathed a sigh of relief and moved closer to him.
Before long, the men talked more and more happily, and the women decided to divide into two circles: one for the men and one for the women.
Anna stayed in the circle of women, a little bored.
The banquet held by the Duchess Yuspov is not very new. If there is anything special, it is that Lenat, who should have been taken care of by his side, has been gently pushed in this banquet. Come out, like her mother said, it's time for him to face these things.
This slender boy was timid, but he didn't flinch, reminding Anna of Alexei who was still in the military academy.
Compared with Renat, Alexei undoubtedly suffered more unfair treatment. That child also has beautiful facial features that ordinary teenagers don't have. His pupils are light-colored, his mind is clear, and there is a rare stubbornness in his bones.
Anna misses each other a little bit. So when Renat greeted her, she gave the boy a gentle smile and asked him what he was doing today.
"Study, ma'am." Lenat was obviously a little surprised, but quickly controlled his emotions, and then answered, and then added, "It's from the Bible."
Hearing Lenat's answer, Anna couldn't help but look at the child again, and then smiled.
"My husband loves this chapter too."
"Your husband?" Lenat paused for a moment, looking at the tall man among the men without any defense.
When Anna saw the boy look away, his eyes were a little confused. Maybe he didn't believe that people like Karenin would like the Bible, but he still smiled innocently.
"I think your husband is a good man."
Anna lamented Renat's maturity, and was moved by his comment, so she couldn't help looking at her husband, looking at his tall and thin figure holding a wine glass, the corners of her mouth sometimes pursed, sometimes with With a polite smile.
Anna felt fine.
In this world, Karenin already has the respect given to him by many people of the same sex, as well as the admiration given to him by women like her, and today, there is such a child, although it cannot be verified, but Anna believes that it is a real compliment . A child also gave Karenin an evaluation.
These good comments made Anna feel a sense of pride in being a wife.
The more she loves Karenin, the more she hopes that he can get more love and people's approval. Even though he probably didn't need it, Ana would always be happy for him if it turned out to be true.
As if sensing Anna's gaze, Karenin turned his body slightly and looked over.
The eyes of the four met, and the voice of the Duchess happened to sound. She announces that the ball is about to begin, and that the first dance she intends to leave to Anna and the others, as a token of gratitude.
Anna felt that she had never received so much attention except on her wedding day.
When she recovered, a hand was in her sight.
This hand was familiar, so familiar that even if she didn't touch it, Anna knew it was warm and generous.
There are thin calluses on the fingertips, which don't look like working people's or soldiers'. Not sweaty easily, not fatty, not painfully thin, but just right.
"Anna?" Karenin called in a low voice, reminding her.
Anna smiled and passed her hand like it was her wedding day, she just never doubted her trust in this hand, and it turned out that she was right.
Karenin takes Anna to the dance floor.
He's not the type to dance to orgasm, but he can't go wrong either.
Anna was not Karenin's first dance partner, and it may be fair to say that his wife was not the best dancer either. However, only this person in front of him made Karenin really feel the joy of dancing. object.
This dance is not too lingering, very polite, just right. From an outsider's point of view, it seems that this is a couple who respect each other as guests. The age gap makes them have no affectionate emotions. The spectators appreciate and watch with a considerate or secretly mocking mood, but only on the dance floor people know.
"You don't seem to be getting very good at dancing, Alexei," Anna whispered.
"I think it should be enough for you, Anna." Karenin said lightly.
Anna looked up, feeling soft.
"There are really stars in his eyes." Anna thought with a smile.
That night, at the end of the dance, on the way back, Anna decided to carry out her plan.
This plan is actually to repay Karenin's previous concern.
Karenin wasn't the only one who cared about the ball, so did Anna. It's just that she doesn't intend to let others know about this concern.
Getting out of the carriage, when they returned to the house and Karenin went to the study to find a document, Anna quietly prepared everything.
When Karenin returned to the bedroom, his wife was looking at him with her hands behind her back.
"What's the matter?" Karenin asked, he was still wearing that dress, the clothes looked more gorgeous than usual, but the meticulous buttons and hem were so strict, which showed that the host hadn't changed.
In front of outsiders, Karenin always raises his head slightly when he asks questions habitually, and clenches his right hand slightly, as if preparing to tidy up his clothes to keep himself decent.
But in front of Anna, this reserved and arrogant attitude became like a gentle lamb.
When asking questions, he would walk towards his wife unconsciously, looking at her at the same level, and the blue eyes under the eyelashes seemed extraordinarily focused.
Anna can't resist all this.
That focused expression, as well as the accompanying low voice, everything looks very charming.
If there was anyone in the world who caught Karenin off guard most of the time and couldn't be coldly assigned to some sort of distance-distance list, it was his wife.
So, when the kiss fluttered to the corner of his lips like a butterfly in the candlelight, all Karenin could do was kiss back gently after getting familiar with him.
The husband has implemented the spirit of a gentleman into every corner of his life. Even though those restrained kisses made people feel a little regretful, those focused expressions and the occasional glimpses and tenderness left on her body were enough to make up for everything.
Anna took a step back, a pair of gray eyes became bright, as if hiding stars in them.
The dark red satin shawl that was originally on her shoulders slipped down, revealing two thin suspenders, which went around the direction of the collarbone and rested quietly on the warm skin. It seems that the softness of the fabric itself is dyed with the moist feeling of the skin.
Karenin's eyes moved involuntarily, and he almost wanted to raise his hand to caress his wife's shoulder, but the etiquette he followed stopped him.
Karenin raised his eyes slightly, looked at his wife's smile, and guessed, "What do you want to show me?"
Hearing Karenin's words, Anna's smile became wider. She almost wanted to give him another kiss.
"How amazing it is!" she thought. A few months ago this gentleman would never have grasped the meaning of these tastes. Instead of wasting time guessing, he might as well figure it out with his clever brain, or tell her that he didn't understand the meaning of such a time-wasting act.
"Yes. But I don't want to give you anything, my dear Alexei." Anna said with a smile. She adjusted the shawl with one hand, took Karenin's hand with the other, and said as she walked: "Let's go to the balcony."
The balcony was originally quite satisfactory.
There are good views here, but for more than two decades, no one will appreciate them. And since the hostess here has come, the balcony seems to be a distinguished guest who has been carefully decorated.
The lush plants have matured, climbing hard around the wall, finding the most suitable position on the white railing, and surrounding it quietly. Some hard-working vines have bloomed proudly, not as warm as roses, but they are also quite beautiful and pleasing to the eye.
Anna asked people to place round tables and chairs here, and there were two pure white camellias in the thin-necked vase, hanging their necks gracefully like swans.
Next to the vase are two bottles of wine and two transparent goblets.
Anna walked to the table, ran her pale fingertips across the two bottles of wine, then tilted her head and asked:
"Red wine, or it?"
Karenin frowned slightly, and then said, "You don't like drinking." He used an affirmative sentence.
"Yes." Anna still smiled.
"But I want to drink with you today."
She looked a little blushing, but she pretended to be calm.
"This is a return gift."
"Returning the gift is very important." She emphasized, and her face seemed to be getting redder and redder.
Knowing what this meant, Karenin glanced at Hua, and then sat down without objecting.
"Let me choose." Anna announced.
"It's mine, it's yours."
She blinked: "Isn't it a fair distribution?"
Karenin received a questioning signal from his wife and nodded slightly. Then, the expected smile appeared on his wife's face.
In the glasses are two beautiful liquids of different colors.
One cup of dark, one cup of light.
Anna sat opposite Karenin.
Unlike the usual dining table, this small round table is like an umbrella and can accommodate up to two people. One more person cannot take care of it.
Now, Anna can easily reach the other person's face just by reaching out.
As she thought about it, she picked up her wine glass and took a sip.
The taste of the wine is not good. For those who don't like wine, the taste of tannin seems to be purely to set off the delicious food.
But Karenin was different. Although the latter did not like the contents of the glass, it was obvious that Karenin knew how to taste wine.
In a relaxed state, Karenin's blue eyes will narrow slightly, and he will take a sip from time to time, and the wine will slowly slide into his throat as he swallows. At that time, his Adam's apple will look like something cute Same, roll it a few times smoothly, and then, the taste of the wine slides to a deeper place with the temperature in the mouth.
Anna put down the wine glass, folded her hands, her slender fingers rested on her forearms, like tender lotus root. Then she asked curiously, "Alexis, when was the first time you drank?"
"Seven years old."
"tasty?"
"Not a good memory."
Anna laughed, propping her cheek with her right hand and continuing to ask, "Why?"
Karenin recalled a moment and said: "I went to my father's study as usual that day, and he obviously forgot that I would see him at that time. When I went in, my father was drunk and he seemed in a bad mood. Great, and then he poured me a glass of wine."
"Instead of checking my work, he offered me a glass of wine and insisted I drink it all."
"Have you drank?" Anna put her hand down and left with a smile on her face.
Karenin froze for a moment, then nodded.
"Yes."
His long eyelashes wanted to hide his expression, but the hand on the table was gently held.
"That was a bad memory, but at least it's a pleasant one today, isn't it?"
"Yes." Karenin replied, with a vaguely relaxed smile.
Because of this episode, Anna began to talk about recent interesting things while drinking wine. As for Karenin, he seemed to have turned back into the silent man again, but the gentle look in his eyes became more profound as time passed.
When Anna felt that she was almost drunk, Karenin was also a little drunk.
She saw that the man's original posture was upright, but now he was sitting in a slightly relaxed posture, and his eyes, no matter how interesting Anna said, were always focused on her.
This expression made Anna's soft body suddenly feel an impulse. She half stood up, and the shawl in her hand slipped down, revealing a large piece of moonlight-like skin.
She stumbled over, and just as she was about to fall, a pair of strong arms caught her.
"Catch me." Anna said with a smile, her words were coherent, but her eyes were already a little erratic.
Following Karenin's strength, she sat down and spun around a little. When she raised her eyes, she realized that she was already sitting on the other's lap, in a very ambiguous posture.
But now she couldn't blush anymore.
Alcohol made Anna feel light, a very unreal feeling. However, the temperature in her arms made her feel at ease.
"You're drunk." Anna said calmly first, looking at each other with a pair of eyes, with a very serious expression.
When she saw the faint blush on Karenin's cheeks due to alcohol, she laughed again, and couldn't help but said, "Do you know why I want to drink with you?"
"Why?" The drunken man showed a rare tender attitude, and gently stroked the woman's hair with his right hand, as if he didn't mind the woman's drunkenness.
Anna half-closed her eyes, and after enjoying the comfort for a while, she approached Karenin and whispered in Karenin's ear, "To give you myself."
After realizing that the movement of the hair being stroked stopped, Anna moved her body and raised her head slightly.
She didn't seem to be drunk at all right now, as if she was expecting an answer.
The faces of the two people were extremely close, and between their breaths, it seemed that something woven by emotion was closely intertwined in their sight.
The lips were gradually touching together, and Anna saw Karenin's eyes turned a deeper blue. She knows what that means.
The slightly thin lips gradually turned into something that people couldn't look away from before Anna's eyes. Therefore, before reason stopped her, Anna had already blinked her eyes, leaned closer, and gently pressed her tongue on those lips. On the lower lip with light lines, he licked it.
Then, when she wanted to move away, Karenin's hand stopped her.
Then, the lips pressed down.
Anna's hand was pressed on the table, and she unconsciously knocked over the wine glass. The clear liquid smeared on the light-colored tablecloth, and then splashed on the ground into irregular water droplets as the corner of the table slumped.
The mellow aroma of wine diffused in the air, and the night was getting darker and darker. The stars and the moon seemed to be whispering something.
Anna heard what Karenin said, but she couldn't make out what she said, but it must be the words she wanted to hear.
"I love you, Alexey."
"Yes, I love you too, Anna."