The next day.
Du Chun slowly woke up.
"You're awake, feeling any better?"
Gu Qianying sat by the bedside, holding a bowl of freshly prepared stomach-nourishing porridge.
"Qian... Qianying... it's you."
Du Chun was a little shocked. Having not eaten for three days, his lips were cracked, and his voice was low and hoarse.
"It's me. I'm fine now, don't worry."
Gu Qianying helped Du Chun sit up and lean against the bed.
Her slender fingers gripped his arm. As she drew near, he could clearly see her long, delicate eyelashes.
Du Chun's heart pounded.
She was taking care of him, wasn't she?
Taking care of him personally?
Was he dreaming?
Du Chun wished this moment could last forever.
"Stop staring. My sworn brother, you haven't eaten for three days, your body is weak, and you fainted because you were poisoned by a蛊毒 (gu poison) that was acting up. Now, the蛊毒 (gu poison) in your body has been resolved. All you need now is to rest well."
Sworn brother?
Yes, they had become sworn siblings, so she was taking care of him as a sworn sister, wasn't she?
Looking at the man walking in from outside the door.
A bitter smile touched Du Chun's lips.
The answer was already clear, wasn't it?
"You're awake?"
Nangong Mo pulled Gu Qianying up, snatched the bowl from her hand, and then sat in front of Du Chun himself.
"Drink the porridge!"
Nangong Mo commanded coldly.
Nangong Mo, as the highly cultivated Lotus Emperor, was not affected by not eating for a few days.
Although he had been somewhat disheveled the past two days, he was now wearing a snow-white robe, still possessing peerless elegance.
"I don't want to drink it. I'm not hungry. Take it away."
Perhaps it was because Nangong Mo had suddenly entered, or perhaps it was seeing Gu Qianying so easily hand the porridge she had brought for him to Nangong Mo.
Du Chun became "fussy" at this moment.
"You won't drink?"
Nangong Mo's voice grew colder than before: "You dare not drink the porridge personally brewed by my wife? Do you believe I..."
Before Nangong Mo could finish his sentence.
The bowl of porridge in his hand was already snatched by Du Chun.
The porridge was at a perfect temperature, not too hot to drink.
Du Chun finished it in one gulp, shoved the empty bowl into Nangong Mo's chest, lay down, and turned his back.
"I'm tired. You can leave now!"
He covered his face with the quilt, as if not wanting to speak further.
Seeing Du Chun like this, Nangong Mo felt relieved, assuming there were no further health issues.
Before leaving, Nangong Mo casually uttered a few words: "In this life, my wife will always be mine. You will never be able to marry her. However... I can make a concession and allow you to marry my daughter, to become my son-in-law!"
With that, Nangong Mo turned and walked out.
As he was about to step outside, an embroidered pillow was thrown behind him.
"Who wants to be your son-in-law? Get lost! Nangong Mo, I don't want to see you. Get lost!"
Perhaps it was seeing Gu Qianying safe and sound, or perhaps it was the feeling that as long as Gu Qianying was well, nothing else mattered.
What hatred, what possessiveness, all became unimportant.
If you are well, it is a sunny day!
As the embroidered pillow hit Nangong Mo, he turned back, his gaze slightly cold.
Du Chun immediately turned back again, lying with his back to Nangong Mo, pretending to be asleep.
Seeing him like this, Nangong Mo couldn't be bothered to deal with him.
Outside, Gu Qianying was admiring the snow-covered landscape.
A hand suddenly embraced her from behind.
"Aren't you cold? Be careful not to catch a chill."
As he spoke, Lu Zhu handed over a large red cloak.
Nangong Mo casually draped it over Gu Qianying, turned her around, and fastened it for her.
Gu Qianying was held by Nangong Mo.
Her not-yet-showing belly brushed against his snow-white robe.
"Du Chun is fine now. Did he eat?"
Nangong Mo wrapped the cloak tighter around her, leaving only her head exposed.
He raised his hand and flicked her nose, his face full of affection: "You only care about other men. If you act like this, your husband will be jealous."
His slender fingers had not yet been put down when Gu Qianying bit them, holding them in her mouth.
A tingling sensation spread.
Nangong Mo's body tensed, his Adam's apple bobbed, and heat surged within him.
"My wife, you little vixen..."
As the first three months of pregnancy were crucial.
Nangong Mo could only watch, unable to partake. He lowered his head and bit her lips fiercely.
His slightly damp fingers ran through her hair, cupping the back of her head, deepening his kiss.
The snow had stopped, and the houses were covered with layers of snow.
White snow lay everywhere, as if draped in a white garment. The world was a single hue, with jade branches and leaves, adorned in pink and white, beautiful.
And beneath the snowy landscape, even more beautiful were the embracing lovers.
Lu Zhu quietly retreated and silently ushered away the servants coming and going in the courtyard.
Elsewhere.
The Sixth Prince Murong Wei and the eldest son of the Gu family, Gu Yefeng, were in a side hall, drinking and eating meat.
Both stood by the window.
Their gazes followed the embracing couple not far away.
"Gu Yefeng, you know, it’s one thing for your little sister to marry someone, but why did she have to marry Nangong Mo? Look at how smug that guy is, making me uncomfortable in broad daylight."
Nangong Li mumbled after taking a sip of wine, then added with dissatisfaction: "My woman went into the palace to accompany your woman. I want to hug and kiss someone, but there's no one. Hmph!"
Gu Yefeng, holding a wine jar, his purple robe becoming even more vibrant against the backdrop of the white snow outside the window.
He suggested expressionlessly: "If you can't help yourself, you can go to a pleasure house. I'll keep it a secret for you."
Nangong Li raised an eyebrow, this suggestion was good.
"Alright, alright, let's go together."
Nangong Li hooked his arm around Gu Yefeng's neck, grinning.
"Get lost, I'm not going. I am a gentleman."
Gu Yefeng pushed Nangong Li away and kicked him to the ground.
Nangong Li's wine jar remained in his arms. He drank it in one gulp and threw the empty jar behind him.
But he didn't hear the sound of the wine jar hitting the ground.
However... the big-hearted Sixth Prince didn't realize that the empty wine jar he had thrown behind him was caught by someone else.
"If you're not going, then you're not going. Why did you kick me? You also say you're a gentleman, bah! If you're a gentleman, then whose child is Nangong Xuanning carrying?"
Gu Yefeng looked at him expressionlessly, his gaze sweeping past the person behind him.
"We are about to be married. It's different from your definition of going to a pleasure house. Sixth Prince, if you want to go, you can go by yourself. I absolutely will not go."
"Ha! Humph, as if you are all gentlemen, and only I am a playboy. So what if I am a playboy? So what if I go to a pleasure house? As long as I go secretly and don't let that woman Lola know, it'll be fine."
Nangong Li got up from the ground and brushed off non-existent dust from his robe.
Gu Yefeng's face remained expressionless.
"As long as you're happy."
With that, he walked around Nangong Li and out, as if Nangong Li were "plague."
Nangong Li looked bewildered.
Just as he was about to turn, his ear was grabbed.
"You want to go to a pleasure house, and you want to go secretly? Nangong Li, you're quite bold!"
The Southern Barbarian Princess pinched Nangong Li's ear, spun him around, her face full of anger.
"It hurts, it hurts! You woman, let go quickly! I was just saying it, I didn't actually go."
"Go to your grandma! Nangong Li, I'll let you taste the price of having other thoughts behind my back today!"
The Southern Barbarian Princess found a kitchen knife from the kitchen.
"Nangong Li, I'll cut off your thing today, so you won't cause trouble for me again!"
"Ah! No, no, my mother! You woman are too cruel! Don't cut it off, don't come over!"
"Stop! Don't run!"
Nangong Li ran, and the Southern Barbarian Princess chased.
The two of them chased each other from inside the house to the courtyard.
The snow covering the pavilion had been cleared.
Sunlight emerged. Although it was early winter, when the sun appeared, there was still a hint of warmth.
Gu Yefeng embraced the pregnant Nangong Xuanning from behind.
The two were affectionate, very sweet.
"Do you prefer a son or a daughter?"
Nangong Xuanning leaned into Gu Yefeng's embrace and shyly asked.
"Both."
"What if the child born is a bit ugly? Will you dislike it?"
Being held by the person she loved made Nangong Xuanning feel like a beautiful dream of happiness.
It felt unreal, yet so coveted, as if she didn't want to wake up.
"No, you are so beautiful, our child will naturally be beautiful. Even if it's a bit ugly, it's fine. It's our own child. How can a father dislike his child?"
Although Gu Yefeng was still cold.
His voice was softer than usual.
As the sun set, amidst the snow, three pairs of lovers, three scenes of happiness.
At this moment, outside the winding corridor pavilion, two old men with brooms were laboriously leading servants in the mansion to clear the snow in the courtyard.
The two old men were sweating profusely from exhaustion.
"Old Wu, I want to go back to the Immortal Realm, *sob*, I'm too tired."
"I want to go too, but... if we go back, who will take care of the little Lotus Emperor after he's born?"
"That's true. Then... forget it... forget it, for our little Lotus Emperor, we'll give it our all!"
Two days later.
On a ship by the sea outside the city.
Gu Qianying and the others officially set sail...