Rebirth: So what if my husband is a little crazy? He loves me.

Chapter 3 Let's consummate our marriage

Gu Chang'an was almost stunned, unable to believe what he was hearing.

Shen Li looked at him. Twenty-year-old Gu Chang'an was not as composed as he was before his death in his previous life. Now he was not only younger and more handsome, but also strangely cute.

"Don't wrong yourself. Is there something you want me to do?" Gu Chang'an quickly calmed down and asked her.

He absolutely refused to believe that Shen Li would accept him, and assumed that Shen Li wanted to sacrifice herself for some reason.

He didn't want Shen Li to do anything that would make her unhappy.

"Yes," Shen Li replied.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Gu Chang'an's eyes, but he quickly asked, "Is it Liu Ling, the Minister of Revenue? His imprisonment will inevitably implicate the Crown Prince..."

“It’s not him, I won’t get involved in his affairs,” Shen Li interrupted him.

Even after many years, she still vividly remembers Liu Ling's incident.

Liu Ling, the Minister of Revenue, was impeached by censors for embezzling funds from the national treasury. The emperor was furious and handed Liu over to Gu Chang'an, the then Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, to investigate the whereabouts of the embezzled funds and his accomplices.

Liu Ling was a member of the Crown Prince's faction, and most of his embezzled funds were used by Crown Prince Li Heng to support his henchmen and cultivate relationships.

If the truth is found, the crown prince will face serious charges.

Li Heng came to beg her, and she had no choice but to ask Gu Chang'an to stop.

How could Gu Chang'an not listen to what she said? He relaxed his guard on Liu Ling, who then committed suicide, and the whereabouts of the million taels of embezzled money became unknown.

The emperor was furious and punished Gu Chang'an by deducting three years' salary and giving him two hundred lashes.

That was the first time Gu Chang'an, the emperor's favorite minister, had been tortured. His thin back was so thin that the bones were visible. She felt guilty and went to deliver medicine to him. Gu Chang'an's face was pale and bloodless, but he only said it was a minor injury and told her not to worry about it.

This person, he'll always do anything for her.

She was foolish in her previous life, so how can she let the tragedy repeat itself in this one?

“I can do it. The emperor won’t kill me; at most, I’ll receive some minor punishment,” Gu Chang’an said proactively.

Seeing the determined look on his face, Shen Li sighed inwardly. She hadn't even asked yet, but he was already going to do it for her.

That idiot.

"I told you I don't care about this. I just want you to stay with me," Shen Li explained sincerely.

After thinking it over, Gu Chang'an frowned slightly and asked cautiously, "Is it something else? You don't need to do this, just tell me."

Shen Li sighed helplessly. Gu Chang'an was indeed a suspicious and difficult man, a living Yama, whom even she didn't trust.

It seems that explanations are useless; only actions will suffice.

"Fine, go away. I'll get angry if you leave, and I won't be able to appease you." Shen Li snorted and turned away.

"No..." A look of panic flashed in Gu Chang'an's dark eyes: "I just don't want to wrong you. You've only just recovered, so you shouldn't get angry."

"Go away, and it's best if you never come back. I'd rather die of illness..." Shen Li said angrily.

"How can you say such angry words so casually?" Gu Chang'an said anxiously, "If you want me to stay, I will stay."

Shen Li immediately turned around, moved further into the bed, and patted the side next to her triumphantly: "Then take off your clothes now and lie down here."

Gu Chang'an lay flat on the bed wearing only a thin undergarment. The lights were off, and his body was as stiff as a stone.

Shen Li leaned closer.

This man exuded a chilling aura, a lingering ailment from his youth spent in the Ministry of Justice prison. He was also thin, and his collarbone was clearly visible even through his clothes.

Gu Chang'an felt that Shen Li's fingertips were hot, and every inch of skin she touched was burning. He was so burned that his mind went blank and his body became even stiffer.

"Gu Chang'an, how long have we been married?" Shen Li whispered in his ear.

“One…one year and three months…” Gu Chang’an stammered as he answered, his face turning red and his body temperature rising rapidly.

"Do you like me?" Shen Li moved her hand downwards. Although she was thin, her body was still very flexible.

Gu Chang'an had no idea what Shen Li was going to do. His body was completely immobilized by her touch. He lay there and said in an almost resigned tone, "Of course I like it."

"Actually, I've always liked you. How about we consummate our marriage tonight?" Shen Li leaned half her body against him and kissed his lips, completely following her instincts.

She had suppressed herself for too long in her past life, and she didn't want to wait even one more night.

"Mmm..." Gu Chang'an's pupils dilated the moment he touched those lips, and his hands instinctively gripped the sheets, the veins on the back of his hands standing out.

This was the first time in two lifetimes that the two had been so close, and Shen Li was nervous, unsure of what to do next.

While she was still feeling uneasy, she suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder.

Was she pushed away?

Gu Chang'an jumped off the bed almost immediately, his face flushed, his breathing completely disordered, and he stood there panting, unable to speak.

"You don't want to?" Shen Li asked, bewildered.

Reborn into this world, her beloved man has changed his mind?

"How could I..." Gu Chang'an stopped mid-sentence, closed his eyes to gather his thoughts, and then asked, "What exactly do you want me to do?"

Shen Li sighed and rubbed her forehead. So they still didn't believe her. She was in such a hurry, yet she still seemed so insincere.

"Is it to kill Liu Ling to silence him?"

"Or should I torture him into confessing, so he can frame another prince and help the Crown Prince eliminate his rivals?"

“I could even find an opportunity to secretly kill the old emperor and install that crown prince on the throne.”

He said angrily, "I can do anything you want. You don't have to suffer like this for him..."

Shen Li was stunned. She had only kissed him, and he was already plotting to assassinate the emperor and seize the throne?

Why does Gu Chang'an seem even crazier in this life than in the previous one?

"Although I, Gu Chang'an, am not a gentleman, I would never treat you with disrespect. If you have something to say, just say it. If not, I'll be leaving now."

Gu Chang'an was still furious, angry that she had been foolish and that she had sacrificed herself for someone who wasn't worth it.

After calming down, Shen Li realized that she might have been a bit rash. At this time in her previous life, she also had the only high fever in her life, and Gu Chang'an stayed by her side without taking off his clothes.

What was the first thing she did when she woke up?

It's about getting rid of him, making sure his dirty hands don't touch you.

What happened before that? It seems like they smashed the soup he had made and denounced him as a treacherous villain.

From Gu Chang'an's perspective, it's understandable that he would overthink things given his sudden change of attitude at such a crucial juncture as Liu Ling's imprisonment.

"Never mind, it's too late, you should go back to sleep." Shen Li sighed softly. These things really do need to be done slowly, not rushed.

Gu Chang'an sensed the disappointment in her tone and immediately realized he was wrong, though he didn't know what he was wrong about.

Shen Li tidied her blankets, closed her eyes, but after a long while she couldn't hear Gu Chang'an leave.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Gu Chang'an sitting on the floor with his back to her, leaning against the bed. His back, clad in an undergarment, looked particularly thin.

"Aren't you leaving?" Shen Li asked him.

"You said you were scared." He said without turning his head, "I'll keep watch so no one will disturb you. Go to sleep."

Shen Li sighed inwardly; this man was still so foolish.

"Come up and sleep here. I promise I won't force you to consummate the marriage, okay?"

She finally managed to trick him into bed again. At first, the two kept a distance from each other, but as she lay there, she felt cheated. Why couldn't she touch her own man?

So she turned around and leaned closer, asking, "Can I touch it, please?"

Gu Chang'an's Adam's apple bobbed, and he uttered a single word with great difficulty: "Mm."