The two women finally stopped seeing it had no effect on either the host nor Luo He. But they clearly knew their husband was intentional in suppressing his desires.
Wei Chen stood at the entrance of his residence, completely unbothered by the seen that just unfolded right Infront of him.
His sad expression was non the less arranged into the appropriate smile of a gracious host. "Welcome, welcome," he said warmly.
"I am honored by your visit. Please, come in. You must be weary from your journey." But even as he spoke these pleasantries, Luo He noticed.
There was sorrow beneath that smile. Real sorrow, carefully concealed but definitely present.
It was in the slight tension around his eyes, in the way his shoulders carried an invisible burden, in the careful way he maintained his composure.
Wei Chen led them through the corridors toward the main hall. "Rooms have been prepared for you and your wives. You must rest till lunch is prepared."
"Actually," Luo He interrupted smoothly. "We cannot stay long. We are traveling to the Wu Kingdom for the wedding. We stopped here only for lunch before continuing on our way.
We will need to depart within a few hours." He said calmely. "Ah," Wei Chen said, something flickering across his face. Disappointment, or perhaps relief.
"Then we should not delay. Come, the meal is being prepared." He said carrying them down stairs with disappointment. He was so great at masking emotions he disserves a trophy stating this credential.
As they settled at the dining table, the servants began bringing out dishes. Luo He had made his request to his wives before arriving at Wei Chen's residence.
And now, even during lunch, they were executing it. The reason was simple as stated. Wei Chen had once, years ago, mentioned his wife's accomplishments and beauty.
In a way that had vaguely annoyed Luo He. A subtle boasting, a gentle superiority in his tone.
Luo He, surely considered such competitive social displays beneath him yet he had also never forgotten the account.
He had decided it was time to remind Wei Chen exactly what kind of wives Luo He possessed. Wives, like in plural.
So he had instructed Jin Mulan and Ning Jia to act more affectionate toward him than they normally would. "I want him to see what I have." He said.
And now he was clearly regretting his choice. It was an unusual request from a man who in his daily life, was decidedly not expecting affections.
Luo He loved his wives. Yes. Deeply, but he maintained strict boundaries about physical displays of intimacy. Too many cuddles, too many kisses made him uncomfortable.
He was simply not a man who thrived on constant touch or public displays of devotion. But Luo He was also a man who considered social norms beneath him.
He had no bottom line when it came to society's expectations. If he decided something should be done, he did it, regardless of what others thought.
And his wives, having lived with him for years, had adopted that same stubborn indifference to convention.
So when he asked them to display overwhelming affection, they had agreed without hesitation.
Now, during lunch, they were giving him exactly what he had requested. But they were also taking full advantage of the opportunity he had accidentally opened for them.
Jin Mulan leaned close to him, her movements graceful and deliberate. "Let me feed you this," she said softly. Lifting a piece of delicately prepared fish toward his mouth.
"You've been traveling so hard." Before he could respond, Ning Jia was adjusting the silk cushion behind his back. "You must be tense from the journey." She murmured, her hand lingering on his shoulder.
The thing was, and Luo He realized this immediately. His wives normally did not get to do this. In their daily life together, he maintained boundaries.
He loved them, but he didn't encourage constant physical attention. He found it exhausting, uncomfortable even.
So when he gave them permission to act affectionate in front of Wei Chen, what he had actually given them was rare authorization to indulge in all the physical intimacy they had been quietly craving for years.
They were not simply following his instruction. They were exploiting the opportunity.
Jin Mulan found excuses to touch his arm. Ning Jia adjusted his robes unnecessarily. One poured his tea while the other fussed with his hair.
They fed him from their own plates. They leaned against him. They exchanged knowing glances, acknowledging that this was a rare gift, this permission to pamper their husband openly.
Luo He sat increasingly rigid, his discomfort evident in the tightness of his jaw, the controlled way he moved his hands. He had wanted to impress Wei Chen.
Instead, he found himself trapped in a display of affection that, while technically authorized, was being executed with far more enthusiasm than he had anticipated.
He could see what was happening: his wives were taking full advantage of the rare moment when he could not reasonably punish them for excessive affection.
Because he had, after all, asked them to be affectionate. It was clever. It was calculated. And it was working.
Wei Chen watched all of this with polite interest, though Luo He could see the man's attention was divided. His gaze kept drifting.
His responses were delayed. His mind was clearly elsewhere. "Your wives are very devoted," Wei Chen observed, a slight smile playing at his lips.
Perhaps genuine appreciation, perhaps something else. "They are obedient," Luo He replied tersely, as Ning Jia pressed another morsel of food toward his mouth. "Which is sufficient."
But even as he said it, he saw the slight smile that passed between his wives. They knew exactly what they were doing.
And they knew he couldn't stop them without admitting that their excessive affection was bothering him. Which would contradict his own request.
It was during this moment of particular vulnerability. When Ning Jia was adjusting his collar and Jin Mulan was insisting on cutting his food into smaller pieces.
That Luo He noticed Wei Chen's attention waver completely. The man's gaze drifted toward the upper chambers of the residence.
"Your wife does not join us for lunch?" Luo He asked, his tone casual despite the observation. Wei Chen's hand froze for just a moment. "She is... indisposed. Ill, actually."
"Ill," Luo He repeated, studying the man's face. The exhaustion there. The carefully suppressed worry.
The way he said the word as if it were insufficient to describe what was truly happening.
"Yes. For some time now. The physicians..." Wei Chen paused, and Luo He could see him struggling with whether to continue. "They believe she may be possessed."
"By a demoness. The symptoms are... unusual. Yellowing of the skin. A fever that won't break. Dark urine."
"The physicians have tried everything. Even sorcerers tried various exorcisms." He added.
Luo He set down his chopsticks. Both his wives immediately moved to attend to him, but he waved them away. One of the few times during lunch he had done so.
He studied Wei Chen's face carefully. The sorrow. The desperation. The barely concealed fear of a man watching his wife slip away.
And being told it was supernatural when every instinct told him otherwise. "I see," Luo He said quietly. Then, his tone shifting to something almost sardonic.
"I'm quite good with demons actually," Luo He said. His tone dripping with sarcasm. He glanced deliberately at his two loving wives.
They were still hovering around him with barely contained affection. "Remarkably skilled with handling demonesses, in fact." He said proudly.
Jin Mulan's eyes widened slightly. She understood the barb immediately. Ning Jia bit back a smile. "Show me this demoness of yours."
Luo He continued, turning back to Wei Chen. "I'm certain I can manage her." He said.
Wei Chen led him to the upper chambers. His wife lay in the darkened room, her once-beautiful features drawn with fever and suffering.
The yellowing of her pale skin was unmistakable. Even from the doorway, Luo He could smell the particular scent of bile buildup in the bloodstream due to his highly accurate sensors.