Such a Mischievous Thing

Lily Evans looked up and saw Alexander Hayes holding a book, his eyes fixed intently on the words as if he were deeply engrossed in reading.

She suddenly felt puzzled. Based on Alexander Hayes’s usual temperament, he was always passionate and fiery—normally, he’d be holding her close, coaxing and teasing her with endless affection.

But what was going on today? Why had his personality suddenly changed, lying in bed and actually reading a book so seriously?

Feeling mischievous, Lily reached out and gently stroked Alexander’s ankle with her fingers, teasing him a little.

Alexander kept his eyes on the book, his face calm and collected, but secretly he clenched his teeth. The moment he felt her touch on his ankle, he gritted his teeth even harder, sensing the rush of blood and certain changes in himself. Without a word, he turned to the side, pulled the blanket over himself, and pretended to keep reading.

Lily glanced over, wondering why he wasn’t reacting at all.

Her playful spirit surged, and her fair little hand wickedly slid up along his ankle, slowly tracing up his pant leg... higher... and higher...

Alexander’s face was taut, forcing himself to stay calm, but he never expected that his little temptress would be so bold and take the initiative to tease him!

Lily’s hand moved quickly, soon finding undeniable evidence of his lack of composure. With a little squeeze, Alexander let out a muffled groan, set the book aside, and looked at his playful little wife with a face full of helpless restraint. He took a deep breath and said, "Darling, didn’t you say you were tired all day? Lie down and sleep!"

"Tsk tsk, can you really sleep like this?" Lily grinned wickedly, her grip tightening, making Alexander inhale sharply. In one swift motion, he pinned down his little troublemaker, took a deep breath, and said, "Little rascal, when I tell you to sleep, you sleep. You really are a naughty thing."

With that, he wrapped Lily up tightly in the blanket like a dumpling, tossed her to the innermost side of the bed, then lay down beside her and blew out the lamp to sleep!

In the darkness, Lily blinked, thinking to herself that something was definitely off with him today. He was acting way out of character. Normally, if she didn’t tease him, he’d be like a wild tiger, relentless in his pursuit, but today, even with her taking the initiative, he managed to hold back!?

Lily turned to look at Alexander beside her. From the sound of his heavy breathing, she could tell he was just lying there with his eyes closed—definitely not asleep.

Lily secretly glanced at the middle of the blanket and saw a noticeable bulge. She stuck out her tongue—he was still forcing himself to sleep, even in this state. He really was suffering.

"Hey, what’s up with you today?" Lily bumped Alexander with her shoulder, then poked her hand out from under the blanket and gently touched his cheek.

Just that one touch, and Alexander felt his blood surge again—he was about to explode! Still, he forced himself to say, "You’re always so tired, I can’t bear to wear you out. You’re so busy, if you got pregnant now, how would you keep up? You really are a little troublemaker. Here I am thinking of you, and your hands are still so naughty... Hmph, sleep, sleep!"

With that, Alexander turned over, determined not to look at the beloved woman lying next to him.

Lily was stunned for a moment, staring at Alexander’s back.

Hadn’t he always been jealous that Eugene Warren and Sean Hayes’s wives were both pregnant, secretly wishing she’d have a baby too? But now, he was actually putting her career and health first, changing his mind.

Lily remembered hearing stories back in the modern world—so many men, just to have kids, selfishly ignored the fact that their wives were at the height of their careers, insisting on having children and wrecking their wives’ ambitions, all while believing it was only natural for women to sacrifice their careers for motherhood and never feeling grateful.