She was born more beautiful than most girls, with skin as clear and smooth as snow, and a figure as delicate as jade.
She looked soft and weak on the outside, with a slim waist and full hips, straight legs like jade, making one want to bully her.
It was rare to see Zhao Changdu let his guard down. When he glanced up, he did see the little girl covering her mouth with her bare hand, eyes red.
It's true, it's very easy to make her cry, his little girl.
Gu Ying pursed her lips, her fingers curled...and obediently rested on his shoulders.
This action was undoubtedly acquiescing.
A hint of a smile played on Zhao Changdu's lips as he leaned over to kiss the corner of her mouth.
Soon, the books and scrolls on the desk fell to the ground.
The wind and snow rustled outside the window, but it seemed like a hot summer inside the room.
...
The palace banquet was imminent, and the entire household was busy.
Cheng was also busy, even though Zhao's household did not have many people, everything had to be prepared properly for the trip to the palace, for fear that a single mistake would embarrass Zhao's household.
So she also had no time to find fault with Gu Ying and Huo Qiyun's unpleasantness.
It was just that Gu Ying had to copy scriptures and Huo Qiyun had to embroider a screen, so both daughters-in-law were extremely busy. Cheng could not find an opportunity to make trouble for them. She stayed in her treasured Bao Mo Hall, occasionally having tea with Zhao from the Huo family. The two women were plotting something, though nobody knew what.
Huo Qiyun went to Changfeng Pavilion twice but did not run into the Heir Apparent, feeling a little disappointed.
In addition, those concubines in Zhao Changxing’s residence came to pester her every day for no reason, leaving her mentally exhausted.
Everyone knew that she, the official wife, was not favored—she had not been able to bear a child for the Zhao household in ten years. Everyone could step on her and show off their power, scolding her for being a hen that could not lay eggs.
But if you really talked about it, with Zhao Changxing engaging in debauchery for so many years, and dozens of concubines and favored women inside and outside the household, how come none of them had borne him a son?
Lv Zhi brought in the freshly cooked five-red soup and wondered, "Mistress, could it be that not being able to have children is not your problem, but the problem is... on the Eldest Master's side?"
"Nonsense." Huo Qiyun’s health had deteriorated since marrying Zhao Changxing. Every time she had her period, her stomach would hurt terribly. She frowned, the thick fur blanket gifted by Gu Ying covering her lower abdomen, and said, "If someone heard you say that, how many lives would you have left to live?"
Lv Zhi instantly turned pale with fright. "I...I spoke out of turn."
Since ancient times, only barren land was difficult to plow; which ox was incapable of allowing the land to take root and sprout as long as it was fertile?
And...
Huo Qiyun thoughtfully caressed her flat lower abdomen. To prevent herself from conceiving Zhao Changxing’s child, she had taken quite a lot of medicine to cool her sex drive...
She also wondered if her current condition would allow her to conceive again.
She thought of Du uncontrollably.
When they were young, Du was already taller and more sturdily built than Zhao Changxing. Because he often fought with others, his muscles were exceptionally tight and firm.
She still remembered that rainy night... Du had come back to Changfeng Pavilion from worshipping the Lin family at Qingyun Temple, soaked and burning with high fever, lying on the floor of Changfeng Pavilion.
When she discovered him, he had already gone without food or drink and burned with fever for three days, but he was gripping a small medicine pouch tightly in his hand.
She thought he was going to die and cried out in fright, panicking and wanting to pull him up.
But she was too weak to move him no matter how hard she pulled, so she just stood there crying and staring blankly at his side.
Until night fell, she thought he was going to die.
There was no light in the darkness; Du was her only light in her long life. If this light went out,
She silently swore to herself that if he died, she would not cling onto life either.
Just then, a little pink bunny rolled in from a dog hole into Changfeng Pavilion.
The little pink bunny looked young, exquisitely gorgeous, about three or four years old. Chubby little cheeks, but sharp black and white eyes, as clean as a pool of water.
She asked anxiously, "Who are you, where are you from?"
But the little thing stumbled into the doorway of Changfeng Pavilion, trotted to Du's side in a few steps, and said, "Big sister, how can you be so silly? That's not how you save someone. To save big brother, you have to do this."
After speaking, the little thing lay down on top of her toward Du, stretched out her little chubby hands, pinched Du's straight nose with one hand and pried his jaw open with the other, then pursed her little mouth and just kissed him.
She was stunned and forgot to move.
But the little thing just kept kissing Du, mouth to mouth.
While kissing, she patted Du's cheeks and smacked her lips, "Big brother's lips are so soft, like candy, sweet."
She was extremely shocked and angry at that moment. This little girl! At such a young age, she actually dared to take advantage of Du. Who was she and where did she come from? What was she thinking?
Just as she was about to drive the little thing away, she saw Du, who had been lying motionless on the ground, suddenly flutter his long eyelashes.
She was overjoyed and threw herself into Du's arms, weeping.
But when she looked back, the little thing was gone.
She didn't think too much about it, just worried about Du’s health.
After crying for a while, Du groggily opened his eyes and woke up. He struggled to sit up, touching his slightly sore lips, "Was it you?"
She was really scared and sad, gazing at him tearfully, "It's me, Du, I've been here waiting for you."
At that moment, the look in Du's eyes, mixed with complex gratitude amid eternal desolation, she would never forget it—the sudden gleam of light in his eyes, like a dying man who had suddenly found a hope for life.
He was silent for a long time without speaking, his cheeks flushed slightly from the high fever.
The 10-year-old boy was so beautiful that he made her heart tremble.
"Du...how do you feel now?"
She was panicking and anxious in her heart, afraid that he would discover her lie.
Fortunately Du didn't notice anything amiss. He just said he was fine, struggled to get up, returned to the bed, threw her the medicine pouch, "I'll trouble you to put this herb in water and boil it for me to drink."
After speaking, he fell deeply asleep again.
She boiled the medicine and fed it to him to drink, then sat by his bedside, thinking that little girl was really bold—Du was as cold as a Buddha, she had never dared to get close to him, let alone kiss his lips.
But the little girl could kiss him unscrupulously, and even dared to touch Du’s nose and chin.
She turned her head and looked at the boy on the bed, leaning over, wanting to kiss him too.
But in the end, she didn't dare to kiss him...
"Mistress, Mistress?"
Lv Zhi's voice brought Huo Qiyun back from her memories.
Huo Qiyun looked up blankly.
Lv Zhi said, "The medicinal herbs were all sent by the Heir Apparent's wife from Changfeng Pavilion. We should check them again even though she doesn't seem to harbor malice, just to be safe, right?"
Huo Qiyun's eyes fell on the medicinal herbs and suddenly spotted wintergreen.
"Wintergreen?"
"Yes, Mistress. What's wrong?"
Huo Qiyun had a sudden inspiration in her mind. She bolted up straight from the couch, grabbing the wintergreen in her hand, "Did Gu Ying send these over?"
She was born more beautiful than most girls, with skin as clear and smooth as snow, and a figure as delicate as jade.
She looked soft and weak on the outside, with a slim waist and full hips, straight legs like jade, making one want to bully her.
It was rare to see Zhao Changdu let his guard down. When he glanced up, he did see the little girl covering her mouth with her bare hand, eyes red.
It's true, it's very easy to make her cry, his little girl.
Gu Ying pursed her lips, her fingers curled...and obediently rested on his shoulders.
This action was undoubtedly acquiescing.
A hint of a smile played on Zhao Changdu's lips as he leaned over to kiss the corner of her mouth.
Soon, the books and scrolls on the desk fell to the ground.
The wind and snow rustled outside the window, but it seemed like a hot summer inside the room.
...
The palace banquet was imminent, and the entire household was busy.
Cheng was also busy, even though Zhao's household did not have many people, everything had to be prepared properly for the trip to the palace, for fear that a single mistake would embarrass Zhao's household.
So she also had no time to find fault with Gu Ying and Huo Qiyun's unpleasantness.
It was just that Gu Ying had to copy scriptures and Huo Qiyun had to embroider a screen, so both daughters-in-law were extremely busy. Cheng could not find an opportunity to make trouble for them. She stayed in her treasured Bao Mo Hall, occasionally having tea with Zhao from the Huo family. The two women were plotting something, though nobody knew what.
Huo Qiyun went to Changfeng Pavilion twice but did not run into the Heir Apparent, feeling a little disappointed.
In addition, those concubines in Zhao Changxing’s residence came to pester her every day for no reason, leaving her mentally exhausted.
Everyone knew that she, the official wife, was not favored—she had not been able to bear a child for the Zhao household in ten years. Everyone could step on her and show off their power, scolding her for being a hen that could not lay eggs.
But if you really talked about it, with Zhao Changxing engaging in debauchery for so many years, and dozens of concubines and favored women inside and outside the household, how come none of them had borne him a son?
Lv Zhi brought in the freshly cooked five-red soup and wondered, "Mistress, could it be that not being able to have children is not your problem, but the problem is... on the Eldest Master's side?"
"Nonsense." Huo Qiyun’s health had deteriorated since marrying Zhao Changxing. Every time she had her period, her stomach would hurt terribly. She frowned, the thick fur blanket gifted by Gu Ying covering her lower abdomen, and said, "If someone heard you say that, how many lives would you have left to live?"
Lv Zhi instantly turned pale with fright. "I...I spoke out of turn."
Since ancient times, only barren land was difficult to plow; which ox was incapable of allowing the land to take root and sprout as long as it was fertile?
And...
Huo Qiyun thoughtfully caressed her flat lower abdomen. To prevent herself from conceiving Zhao Changxing’s child, she had taken quite a lot of medicine to cool her sex drive...
She also wondered if her current condition would allow her to conceive again.
She thought of Du uncontrollably.
When they were young, Du was already taller and more sturdily built than Zhao Changxing. Because he often fought with others, his muscles were exceptionally tight and firm.
She still remembered that rainy night... Du had come back to Changfeng Pavilion from worshipping the Lin family at Qingyun Temple, soaked and burning with high fever, lying on the floor of Changfeng Pavilion.
When she discovered him, he had already gone without food or drink and burned with fever for three days, but he was gripping a small medicine pouch tightly in his hand.
She thought he was going to die and cried out in fright, panicking and wanting to pull him up.
But she was too weak to move him no matter how hard she pulled, so she just stood there crying and staring blankly at his side.
Until night fell, she thought he was going to die.
There was no light in the darkness; Du was her only light in her long life. If this light went out,
She silently swore to herself that if he died, she would not cling onto life either.
Just then, a little pink bunny rolled in from a dog hole into Changfeng Pavilion.
The little pink bunny looked young, exquisitely gorgeous, about three or four years old. Chubby little cheeks, but sharp black and white eyes, as clean as a pool of water.
She asked anxiously, "Who are you, where are you from?"
But the little thing stumbled into the doorway of Changfeng Pavilion, trotted to Du's side in a few steps, and said, "Big sister, how can you be so silly? That's not how you save someone. To save big brother, you have to do this."
After speaking, the little thing lay down on top of her toward Du, stretched out her little chubby hands, pinched Du's straight nose with one hand and pried his jaw open with the other, then pursed her little mouth and just kissed him.
She was stunned and forgot to move.
But the little thing just kept kissing Du, mouth to mouth.
While kissing, she patted Du's cheeks and smacked her lips, "Big brother's lips are so soft, like candy, sweet."
She was extremely shocked and angry at that moment. This little girl! At such a young age, she actually dared to take advantage of Du. Who was she and where did she come from? What was she thinking?
Just as she was about to drive the little thing away, she saw Du, who had been lying motionless on the ground, suddenly flutter his long eyelashes.
She was overjoyed and threw herself into Du's arms, weeping.
But when she looked back, the little thing was gone.
She didn't think too much about it, just worried about Du’s health.
After crying for a while, Du groggily opened his eyes and woke up. He struggled to sit up, touching his slightly sore lips, "Was it you?"
She was really scared and sad, gazing at him tearfully, "It's me, Du, I've been here waiting for you."
At that moment, the look in Du's eyes, mixed with complex gratitude amid eternal desolation, she would never forget it—the sudden gleam of light in his eyes, like a dying man who had suddenly found a hope for life.
He was silent for a long time without speaking, his cheeks flushed slightly from the high fever.
The 10-year-old boy was so beautiful that he made her heart tremble.
"Du...how do you feel now?"
She was panicking and anxious in her heart, afraid that he would discover her lie.
Fortunately Du didn't notice anything amiss. He just said he was fine, struggled to get up, returned to the bed, threw her the medicine pouch, "I'll trouble you to put this herb in water and boil it for me to drink."
After speaking, he fell deeply asleep again.
She boiled the medicine and fed it to him to drink, then sat by his bedside, thinking that little girl was really bold—Du was as cold as a Buddha, she had never dared to get close to him, let alone kiss his lips.
But the little girl could kiss him unscrupulously, and even dared to touch Du’s nose and chin.
She turned her head and looked at the boy on the bed, leaning over, wanting to kiss him too.
But in the end, she didn't dare to kiss him...
"Mistress, Mistress?"
Lv Zhi's voice brought Huo Qiyun back from her memories.
Huo Qiyun looked up blankly.
Lv Zhi said, "The medicinal herbs were all sent by the Heir Apparent's wife from Changfeng Pavilion. We should check them again even though she doesn't seem to harbor malice, just to be safe, right?"
Huo Qiyun's eyes fell on the medicinal herbs and suddenly spotted wintergreen.
"Wintergreen?"
"Yes, Mistress. What's wrong?"
Huo Qiyun had a sudden inspiration in her mind. She bolted up straight from the couch, grabbing the wintergreen in her hand, "Did Gu Ying send these over?"
