Mama's Princess is Daddy's Beloved

Though about Li Xue, things were not yet clear between the couple, still seeing both of them always so wordy about her, one thing was sure … to them, Li Xue has become something really known in their life. 

Shin Tinming never said anything in favor of the girl, but he also never spoke ill about her. He never stopped his wife talking about her at the dining table, nor restricted her from arranging gifts and dresses for her in a separate room, like in near future she would be bringing the girl to live with them. 

His recent attitude might look kind of ignorant to others, but knowing her husband well, Chen Rui can tell that slowly and slowly something was changing inside him. Something was making the man accept the girl. And the fact of this slow change itself was giving happiness and satisfaction to the woman. 

.

But now seeing him again getting so riled up over the simple thing, she could not understand anymore. 

"What there to be serious about, Tinming? This has been my job for years now and I have all grown used to it. It no longer troubles me or put me into stress." The Queen said, closing every file and folder, just to give the man all her attention. "Why are your hackles rising in my job?" She added, clearly seeing the displeasure written over his face. 

"Rui, don't you know what is there? You are asking me. Even if you know your work, I think you have forgotten things with the passing years." The man said, before turning gazing back at the file he had set down on the desk. "You know what you are thinking with this, is not possible. It's not allowed and is against the rules". 

But just as he completed his words, the woman stood up to her height to retort. "Against the rules? How come I have not seen anything mentioned anywhere? Tingming, do you think I should again go into the depth of the library to search the years aged files. It might be troublesome and time taking but I am sure, if I stay up for a week and read everything again day and night, I could recall the missing things". 

She said and it further made the man frown. 

"Rui, this is …" He started again. This time in a calm voice, much different than what he has used earlier. But before he could continue any longer, he was interrupted in a straight and sharp way. 

"There is no such rule mentioned, Tinming. I can be much surer about that than you" Chen Rui snapped in a slow voice of the lady, but the sharpness of the Queen was clearer within it. "Though in the past years of Chiboa, we tried the amalgamation of two trends of the country, I think this can be tried. And that's exactly what I am planning. I just don't understand why this field's arrangement is affecting you. Is this your concern for me or are you planning to get involved in my work field now?" 

Shin Tinming could longer say anything. Though there were just a few words, those few held every reason to stop any further words coming regarding the topic. 

"Are you sure about this, Rui? You know this culture and heritage of Chiboa are not a toy for us to play with. We are it's guardian, who has to protect it till the very end of our life." Finally, Shin Tinming asked in a defeated voice. This has always been him in front of her

Chen Rui smiled, nodding gently. "I know. Believe me I will stay guarding it with you by my side, always. Don't stress too much. I have plans and I am confident about it". 

The man smiled back, before gently caressing her hair behind her ears. "I believe you with everything. But that will never mean you can choose everything on your own. Why are you skipping your meals now?" He spoke in a care and concern laced voice. 

And the woman could only give in. "I was not skipping meals. It's just that today I didn't have it on time."

"It's the same. Skipping meals or not having them on time will only make you weak and affect your health. So, it's the same." He retorted back and the woman nodded to his words. 

"Fine! I got it. I will have my dinner on time from tomorrow. It was just today that I had so much to do"

"So much to do? If there was extra work today, why not ask a few more people to work for you? Are you now trying to tell the world that after so many years of our good marriage, I have become an insensitive one for you?" Shin Tinming asked, raising his brows and the queen could not control herself from rolling her eyes at him. 

"Tinming, will you stop your dramatics? You were much better in this when we were back in university, but now your skills are no more capable to make me laugh or make my heart skip a beat. So just …" she said before pausing to move her hands to lightly pat his cheeks. "Grow up!!" She added, before taking the files from the desk and walking away to keep it on the shelves. 

The man's jaws almost hung low at his wife's remark. His eyes followed her as he asked, "Huh? What do you mean? My words no more make your heart skip? Do you even know there are still women swooning over me.? Don't say something that you would regret later". 

"Haha ... really? Let me know when you next find such women." The woman chuckled out, keeping her back at him and her words instantly made the man pull his lips in a smirk. 

"Why? I said you will regret"

The woman turned around, only to give him a gentle smile and shake her head in denial. "Nope, it will not be a regret. I will just make better arrangements for you, after all, in all these years no other woman can know you better than me".  She teased to see the expression of the man fall. But before she could coax him back, a knock at the door changed her thoughts and in came a maid with a prepared table of dinner.