Time was pressing. After the sacrificial ceremony, Lu Nianfu did not linger. She only saw Liu Yuantong and Nanny An, and then the group embarked on their journey back.
Half a month later, due to being delayed by heavy rain, the group, who were supposed to arrive in the afternoon, finally reached the capital late into the night.
The night sky after the rain was a clear azure, with a dazzling river of stars. Gu Yanchen, flashing his Rui Prince's jade token, finally knocked on the city gate. Five carriages entered one after another, slowly proceeding on the quiet streets to No. 133 Hulu Street.
Lu Nianfu had slept in the carriage and was still in good spirits when she got home. Qingmiao, who had been startled awake, was in a hurry, her face full of anxiety. As soon as she saw Lu Nianfu, her voice was choked with tears, "Miss, you're finally back."
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Qingmiao nodded vigorously, "Miss Feng is missing."
Lu Nianfu was stunned, "What do you mean missing? When did she go missing?"
"Just a few days after you left, she was no longer seen. This servant went to find Shopkeeper Yan and asked for his help, but there's been no news so far."
Gu Yanchen said, "You're quite smart, knowing to find Yan Qing. Alright, I know about this. Go prepare water for your young lady to bathe. I'll take care of Miss Feng's matter."
Qingmiao breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to the kitchen.
As soon as the master returned to the mansion, the sleeping residence was already awake. The diligent Aunt Cui was busy starting the fire and cooking a late-night meal. The kitchen was bustling with activity. Lu Nianfu told Qingya and Mian'er to rest, then took out dry clothes from the cabinet. Just as she was about to ask Gu Yanchen to change, she saw that he had already undressed, leaving only a pair of underpants.
Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and firm muscles. His wheat-colored skin shimmered enticingly in the candlelight.
Lu Nianfu quickly turned around, "The water isn't here yet, why did you take off your clothes?"
Gu Yanchen smiled slightly and took a few steps closer, "Wife, the mourning period is over. We should consummate our marriage!"
Pity that he could see but not eat, he had been celibate for a whole three years.
Lu Nianfu's face instantly turned red to the roots of her ears. She pushed him away, "Xinyao is missing, and you're still in the mood?"
"It's no big deal. The capital is this big, how can she not be found?"
Lu Nianfu looked at him suspiciously, "You know where she went, don't you?"
He had a good relationship with Prefect Feng. If he didn't have some information, how could he be so calm upon hearing that his old friend's daughter was missing?
"That girl is focused on revenge. It would be strange if she stayed in the mansion obediently. Don't worry, everyone has their own destiny. She's smart and won't get into trouble that easily."
His confident tone greatly eased Lu Nianfu's anxiety, "Really?"
"Want to make a bet? If I'm right, you have to listen to me in bed, how about that?" He drew even closer, his warm breath spraying by her ear, giving her goosebumps.
She quickly took a few steps back, "You're overthinking it."
Gu Yanchen laughed, "Perhaps I am. Even if we don't make this bet, you'll still have to listen to me in bed."
Lu Nianfu stomped on his foot fiercely, then quickly ran out of the inner room, muttering as she ran, "Scoundrel."
With this commotion, the unease about Feng Xinyao's disappearance was somewhat dispelled. Soon, Qingmiao prepared the water, and Lu Nianfu comfortably soaked in the hot water filled with flower petals. However, she occasionally glanced warily at the door, fearing that Gu Yanchen might suddenly barge in.
As it turned out, he hadn't appeared by the time she was dressed.
Upon asking, she learned that he had already gone to the kitchen to find something to eat and had even taken clothes to rinse himself off in the bathroom beside the kitchen.
Lu Nianfu: ...
Clearly, it was a good thing he hadn't come to peek at her bathing, but for some reason, she still felt tricked.
When it came to sleeping, Lu Nianfu was always the most proactive. She usually slept until noon, and after nearly a month of traveling, she certainly wouldn't get up early. But the fact that Gu Yanchen hadn't woken up yet was unusual.
She rubbed her eyes and looked out the window. It was already dawn.
Gu Yanchen kissed her forehead, "What are you looking at, Madam?"
"Why haven't you woken up yet? Don't you have morning court today?"
"I still have three days of leave. What's the rush to go to court? However, since we've been away for over a month, we should go to the palace to pay our respects to the Emperor."
Lu Nianfu was a bit displeased, "I have to go too?"
"Of course."
"But the Emperor probably wouldn't want to see me, would he?"
Gu Yanchen's gaze was a little strange, "Why would the Emperor want to see you? When you were at the Marquis of Guangling's mansion, you only paid respects to the Marchioness, didn't you?"
What was there for a father-in-law to see his daughter-in-law?
Gu Yanchen still called the Marquis of Guangling "father," but he refused to call Madam Fang "mother" anymore.
Lu Nianfu: ...
"Alright then, I'll see the Empress."
After seeing the Empress, she would inevitably have to visit the Marquis of Guangling's mansion. Although she had been acknowledged by the royal family, there was still the kindness of twenty years of upbringing. If she were to abandon them now, others might say that the Marquis of Guangling's mansion had mistreated him, but they would also criticize Gu Yanchen for being ungrateful.
Even if they had raised him roughly, they had still raised him to adulthood, hadn't they?