The two of them were silent for a while. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, they had been too busy to even have a rare moment of quiet and leisure.
Before long, the faint sound of a carriage rumbled from afar.
Zhao Changdu's long eyelashes quivered, and a glimmer of light emerged in his deep, dark pupils.
Ye Qingchi’s brows furrowed. He turned around, about to head back to the infirmary.
Zhao Changdu called out to stop him. His handsome brows raised slightly as he asked, “Don’t you want to see Gu Ying?”
Ye Qingchi glared at him. “No. Stay away from her too. Don’t forget, she’s still pregnant.”
He could die, but no harm must come to his aunt's daughter.
Otherwise, even in the netherworld his grandfather would not let him off.
Zhao Changdu's expression grew heavier and darker. The candlelight spilled before the doors of the infirmary onto his chiseled features, the straight bridge of his proud nose looking obscurely dim.
Ye Qingchi left blithely.
Zhao Changdu clenched his fist, watching as the carriage slowly drew nearer. His lips were pressed tightly into a line.
"Stop the carriage."
Ten steps away, the man stopped the carriage.
On the journey here, Gu Ying had been pondering over the origin of the plague in Yueyang City. Hearing that familiar rich baritone she hadn't heard in so long, her heart gave a great leap and her eyes instantly grew hot.
Without a second thought, she flipped open the carriage curtain and jumped right out of the carriage.
From afar, Zhao Changdu watched the little girl leaping down, shaking his head helplessly. “Be careful!”
She was going to be someone's wife soon, yet still so absentminded and reckless.
Upon seeing him, Gu Ying hitched up her skirt, about to run towards him. She wore a gossamer silk skirt with silver, red and gold Forever Bright peach blossom embroidery, a light green ruqun vest, and a brocade-trimmed fur cloak over it all, looking like a peach blossom that had just bloomed this spring day - elegant, refreshing, and redolent.
Zhao Changdu immediately stopped her with his stern, cold expression. "Gu Ying, stand right there. Don't come over."
Gu Ying's fine brows twisted in distress. Her delicate face looked even more pitiable in the dim candlelight. "Why?"
Zhao Changdu gave a helpless chuckle. "I'm filthy."
He had wrapped a thick black scarf over his mouth and nose, leaving only his sharp eyes peering out from below his straight dark brows. Bruise-like shadows circled his eyes, and weariness and grief weighed down his proud features despite his attempts to hide them.
He had clearly lost quite a bit of weight, his figure tall and slender, clad in dark blue robes that accentuated his trim strong physique.
Even from this distance, her heart ached at the sight of him.
"I made a sachet out of pomegranate flowers I’d been meaning to bring over to you."
"Do you know how worried I was when you didn’t come see me for so long?"
"It was this husband's fault," he replied softly. He wanted to, but there was too much to handle. Whenever he could squeeze in a moment in the dead of night, he would peer over the high enclosing wall for a glimpse of her. But later he stopped coming...because he could no longer go.
Seeing him so readily admit his mistakes made Gu Ying swallow back all the words crowding in her throat. "Changdu..."
"Gu Ying, stand right there."
Gu Ying felt her eyes grow hotter and hotter, on the verge of tears. "Could it be that you are..."
Zhao Changdu looked upon her reddened eyes, his heart aching profoundly. But he had no way of going over to take her in his arms and reassure her that he was fine.
Being able to see her now, to know that she and their child were doing well, was enough for him to die without regrets.
"Now that you've seen me, get in the carriage at once. I'll have someone escort you back."
Gu Ying gazed at him pitifully. "Does Changdu really want me to leave so soon?"
Zhao Changdu's face darkened. "Go. Quickly."
Gu Ying looked fixedly into his obsidian eyes, standing there quietly for a moment.
Zhao Changdu suppressed his longing for her and turned to head towards the infirmary.
But before he had climbed up the stone steps...
He felt a light breeze blow against his back. Then, two soft delicate hands wrapped tightly around his waist.
His body tensed up instantly as his large hand seized her icy hands. He scolded angrily, "Gu Ying, you--!"
Gu Ying nestled her face against his sturdy back, breathing in the lingering sandalwood scent that was so familiar. She nuzzled against him, her voice muffled, "I'm not leaving. Now that I'm here, I don't plan on going."
Zhao Changdu pried her stubbornly clasped fingers off and turned to face her. He had wanted to rebuke her harshly at first, but seeing her hopeful little porcelain doll face, he couldn't bear to say anything too harsh.
Gu Ying held her palm out towards him. "Here, for you. A sachet."
Zhao Changdu lowered his eyes to the exquisitely embroidered sachet in the girl's palm, conflicted emotions warring inside.
"Could it be Changdu doesn't want to see me?"
"Our little one in my belly is already three months along. Have you not thought of him?"
Zhao Changdu pressed his lips thinly together, his gaze falling upon the girl's sweet and beautiful face. With his right hand, he cupped her soft cheek, his fingertips gently caressing her full flesh. His eyes brimmed with restrained desire and thick longing.
Gu Ying's eyes sparkled brightly, her thick curled lashes fluttering up gently. She smiled, "When I had nothing to do, I gave him a little nickname - Nianbao. It works for either a boy or girl. Changdu, do you want to feel him kick?"
After a long pause, Zhao Changdu let out a sigh. He took the sachet from her and gathered her tightly in his embrace, his voice low and husky, "Gu Ying, you really are my bane."
Gu Ying beamed, slipping her arms around the man's taut waist contentedly. "Don't be scared. With me here, we will surely come to no harm."
Zhao Changdu rested his chin on the warmth of the girl's sloping shoulder.
He had never feared death before. As a military man who had charged bloodily into battle for years, his head had long ago been tied at his waistband.
But now, holding his most beloved girl in his arms, he was suddenly afraid of dying.
Zhao Changdu's long arms tightened slightly around the girl's slender waist, then quickly relaxed, afraid of hurting little Nianbao. Torn by conflicting emotions, his usually stoic handsome brows knit tightly together.
After being held so intimately for a while by the prince, Gu Ying's cheeks grew warm despite their isolation. She pulled back to look up at him, her voice gentle yet firm. "Changdu, shall we go to Qingjiang Manor? I have something important I must tell you."
Zhao Changdu gripped her little hand tightly. "Alright."
And so the man reluctantly agreed to let her stay.
But he did not plan on letting her into the infirmary.
As they left, Gu Ying peeked curiously towards the rows of orderly infirmary houses.
From within rose waves of agonized wailing, setting one's teeth on edge. It was even more viscerally terrifying than the wide street where the Ning Residence was located.
Despite the late hour, it was clear not many people could fully fall asleep. In the crammed rooms, a few hunched figures shuffled busily about.
She could not make out clearly who those people were, yet felt as if they loomed taller than ordinary people.
"Come with me," the man's voice was low.
"Mm," Gu Ying hastily pulled her attention back and slipped her hand into his.
Qingjiang Manor was not far from the infirmary and Yueyang Prefecture as well.
As they entered through the front gate and headed further in, passing lush clusters of banana trees, they arrived at the study room the prince lived in.
At the door stood a man with refined features, his arms full of thick folder-wrapped dossiers.
The two of them were silent for a while. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, they had been too busy to even have a rare moment of quiet and leisure.
Before long, the faint sound of a carriage rumbled from afar.
Zhao Changdu's long eyelashes quivered, and a glimmer of light emerged in his deep, dark pupils.
Ye Qingchi’s brows furrowed. He turned around, about to head back to the infirmary.
Zhao Changdu called out to stop him. His handsome brows raised slightly as he asked, “Don’t you want to see Gu Ying?”
Ye Qingchi glared at him. “No. Stay away from her too. Don’t forget, she’s still pregnant.”
He could die, but no harm must come to his aunt's daughter.
Otherwise, even in the netherworld his grandfather would not let him off.
Zhao Changdu's expression grew heavier and darker. The candlelight spilled before the doors of the infirmary onto his chiseled features, the straight bridge of his proud nose looking obscurely dim.
Ye Qingchi left blithely.
Zhao Changdu clenched his fist, watching as the carriage slowly drew nearer. His lips were pressed tightly into a line.
"Stop the carriage."
Ten steps away, the man stopped the carriage.
On the journey here, Gu Ying had been pondering over the origin of the plague in Yueyang City. Hearing that familiar rich baritone she hadn't heard in so long, her heart gave a great leap and her eyes instantly grew hot.
Without a second thought, she flipped open the carriage curtain and jumped right out of the carriage.
From afar, Zhao Changdu watched the little girl leaping down, shaking his head helplessly. “Be careful!”
She was going to be someone's wife soon, yet still so absentminded and reckless.
Upon seeing him, Gu Ying hitched up her skirt, about to run towards him. She wore a gossamer silk skirt with silver, red and gold Forever Bright peach blossom embroidery, a light green ruqun vest, and a brocade-trimmed fur cloak over it all, looking like a peach blossom that had just bloomed this spring day - elegant, refreshing, and redolent.
Zhao Changdu immediately stopped her with his stern, cold expression. "Gu Ying, stand right there. Don't come over."
Gu Ying's fine brows twisted in distress. Her delicate face looked even more pitiable in the dim candlelight. "Why?"
Zhao Changdu gave a helpless chuckle. "I'm filthy."
He had wrapped a thick black scarf over his mouth and nose, leaving only his sharp eyes peering out from below his straight dark brows. Bruise-like shadows circled his eyes, and weariness and grief weighed down his proud features despite his attempts to hide them.
He had clearly lost quite a bit of weight, his figure tall and slender, clad in dark blue robes that accentuated his trim strong physique.
Even from this distance, her heart ached at the sight of him.
"I made a sachet out of pomegranate flowers I’d been meaning to bring over to you."
"Do you know how worried I was when you didn’t come see me for so long?"
"It was this husband's fault," he replied softly. He wanted to, but there was too much to handle. Whenever he could squeeze in a moment in the dead of night, he would peer over the high enclosing wall for a glimpse of her. But later he stopped coming...because he could no longer go.
Seeing him so readily admit his mistakes made Gu Ying swallow back all the words crowding in her throat. "Changdu..."
"Gu Ying, stand right there."
Gu Ying felt her eyes grow hotter and hotter, on the verge of tears. "Could it be that you are..."
Zhao Changdu looked upon her reddened eyes, his heart aching profoundly. But he had no way of going over to take her in his arms and reassure her that he was fine.
Being able to see her now, to know that she and their child were doing well, was enough for him to die without regrets.
"Now that you've seen me, get in the carriage at once. I'll have someone escort you back."
Gu Ying gazed at him pitifully. "Does Changdu really want me to leave so soon?"
Zhao Changdu's face darkened. "Go. Quickly."
Gu Ying looked fixedly into his obsidian eyes, standing there quietly for a moment.
Zhao Changdu suppressed his longing for her and turned to head towards the infirmary.
But before he had climbed up the stone steps...
He felt a light breeze blow against his back. Then, two soft delicate hands wrapped tightly around his waist.
His body tensed up instantly as his large hand seized her icy hands. He scolded angrily, "Gu Ying, you--!"
Gu Ying nestled her face against his sturdy back, breathing in the lingering sandalwood scent that was so familiar. She nuzzled against him, her voice muffled, "I'm not leaving. Now that I'm here, I don't plan on going."
Zhao Changdu pried her stubbornly clasped fingers off and turned to face her. He had wanted to rebuke her harshly at first, but seeing her hopeful little porcelain doll face, he couldn't bear to say anything too harsh.
Gu Ying held her palm out towards him. "Here, for you. A sachet."
Zhao Changdu lowered his eyes to the exquisitely embroidered sachet in the girl's palm, conflicted emotions warring inside.
"Could it be Changdu doesn't want to see me?"
"Our little one in my belly is already three months along. Have you not thought of him?"
Zhao Changdu pressed his lips thinly together, his gaze falling upon the girl's sweet and beautiful face. With his right hand, he cupped her soft cheek, his fingertips gently caressing her full flesh. His eyes brimmed with restrained desire and thick longing.
Gu Ying's eyes sparkled brightly, her thick curled lashes fluttering up gently. She smiled, "When I had nothing to do, I gave him a little nickname - Nianbao. It works for either a boy or girl. Changdu, do you want to feel him kick?"
After a long pause, Zhao Changdu let out a sigh. He took the sachet from her and gathered her tightly in his embrace, his voice low and husky, "Gu Ying, you really are my bane."
Gu Ying beamed, slipping her arms around the man's taut waist contentedly. "Don't be scared. With me here, we will surely come to no harm."
Zhao Changdu rested his chin on the warmth of the girl's sloping shoulder.
He had never feared death before. As a military man who had charged bloodily into battle for years, his head had long ago been tied at his waistband.
But now, holding his most beloved girl in his arms, he was suddenly afraid of dying.
Zhao Changdu's long arms tightened slightly around the girl's slender waist, then quickly relaxed, afraid of hurting little Nianbao. Torn by conflicting emotions, his usually stoic handsome brows knit tightly together.
After being held so intimately for a while by the prince, Gu Ying's cheeks grew warm despite their isolation. She pulled back to look up at him, her voice gentle yet firm. "Changdu, shall we go to Qingjiang Manor? I have something important I must tell you."
Zhao Changdu gripped her little hand tightly. "Alright."
And so the man reluctantly agreed to let her stay.
But he did not plan on letting her into the infirmary.
As they left, Gu Ying peeked curiously towards the rows of orderly infirmary houses.
From within rose waves of agonized wailing, setting one's teeth on edge. It was even more viscerally terrifying than the wide street where the Ning Residence was located.
Despite the late hour, it was clear not many people could fully fall asleep. In the crammed rooms, a few hunched figures shuffled busily about.
She could not make out clearly who those people were, yet felt as if they loomed taller than ordinary people.
"Come with me," the man's voice was low.
"Mm," Gu Ying hastily pulled her attention back and slipped her hand into his.
Qingjiang Manor was not far from the infirmary and Yueyang Prefecture as well.
As they entered through the front gate and headed further in, passing lush clusters of banana trees, they arrived at the study room the prince lived in.
At the door stood a man with refined features, his arms full of thick folder-wrapped dossiers.
