Сhарter 3: Tentаtivеly oрening her mоuth: “…Нusbаnd?”
Liu Неуu was thе militаrу phуsiciаn who had lоng sеrved bу Gu Chаngсе’s side, роssessing ехсерtiоnаl mediсal skills.
Тhus, Gu Тang trusted him deeрly.
Nоw, she wаs lооking аt him with wide, eхpeсtаnt еуes.
Тhe mаn beforе hеr ехрressiоn softened slightlу, роndеring fоr a moment.
Тhеn hе said, “Тhen it shоuld be fine. Shе just nееds tо take twо mоre dosеs of mediсinе tо сonsоlidаte her recovery.”
Нe hаd mаnу рrеssing mattеrs to attend tо.
Aftеr eхamining Shеn Zuihuan, he packed his things into the medicine chest and turned to leave.
Thinking to himself that there was someone outside anxiously awaiting his news.
But in the next moment, he was unexpectedly grabbed by the sleeve by Gu Tang.
She asked anxiously, “Uncle Liu, if she’s fine, why doesn’t my mother recognize me?”
At these words, Liu Heyu stiffly turned his neck to look at Gu Tang.
…What did she mean… not recognize her…
Liu Heyu knew that his general and his wife had a strained relationship.
Because of this, the wife also disliked the young lady.
If she had said she didn’t want this child anymore, he wouldn’t have been so shocked.
But not recognizing her… what did that mean?
Before he could react, he heard the young girl before him say tearfully, “Mother also said this year is the third year of Yuanshou…”
“Clang—”
The medicine chest in his hand fell to the ground.
He lowered his head, looking at Shen Zuihuan’s bewildered expression.
Then glanced at Gu Tang, who was on the verge of tears.
His expression shifted several times.
Finally, in a voice tinged with alarm, he asked her, “…Does your father know about this?”
Gu Tang sniffled and replied, “I just told Father…”
She stole a glance at Shen Zuihuan out of the corner of her eye, then leaned closer to Liu Heyu, lowering her voice, “But Father is afraid Mother doesn’t want to see him, so he’s been waiting outside.”
He clapped his hands together and said urgently, “With such a big matter at hand, what’s there to worry about! Quickly call your father over!”
He suspected Shen Zuihuan might be suffering from amnesia.
But he couldn’t explain it clearly to a little girl like Gu Tang, so he hurriedly told her to fetch her father.
Gu Tang was stunned by his shout.
Liu Heyu was usually the gentlest person, never one to raise his voice like this.
She nodded blankly, seeming to realize this was no small matter.
She hurriedly ran outside to call her father.
Meanwhile, Liu Heyu asked Shen Zuihuan a few more questions.
Mostly about events that had happened after the third year of Yuanshou.
But Shen Zuihuan knew nothing about any of them.
Whenever she tried to think deeply, she felt a splitting headache.
The more he asked, the graver his expression became.
Shen Zuihuan was exhausted by his barrage of questions, her already dizzy head growing even more strained.
Her dark eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and she occasionally let out heavy breaths.
She was truly uncomfortable.
So she tilted her head against the carved pillar beside the square couch.
At that moment, the outer door was pushed open.
A man dressed in black, tall and handsome, strode in briskly.
A black waistband cinched his slender and sturdy waist, which sat high on his frame.
Broad shoulders and long legs.
His features were sharp and handsome.
Only the scar extending from his brow bone to just below the corner of his right eye gave him a stern and intimidating air.
Behind him, Gu Tang followed closely, her short legs struggling to keep up.
As Shen Zuihuan watched the man approach, for some reason.
Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
She found the man familiar, vaguely guessing who he might be.
But she couldn’t help herself from shifting her body further toward the inner side of the couch.
The man noticed her instinctive movement.The darkness in his eyes deepened, a pang of pain in his heart.
He stopped his steps just in time at the moon gate, maintaining a distance neither too far nor too close from her.
His jaw tightened, slightly raised, as he asked Liu Heyu in a low voice, “How is my wife now?”
Liu Heyu sighed and shook his head.
“General, I believe Madam may have developed amnesia due to the high fever from falling into the water the day before yesterday…”
…General. Shen Zuihuan shifted her gaze to the man.
He was indeed… Gu Changce.
The tender youth she had just met yesterday had suddenly transformed into the appearance of a mature man today.
…And had become her husband.
Shen Zuihuan’s expression was complex, unable to articulate the feelings in her heart.
Upon hearing that she had developed amnesia, Gu Changce’s moist, pale lips instantly pressed into a straight line.
His expression also grew solemn.
Then he heard Liu Heyu say, “…She only remembers events before the third year of Yuanshou.”
Before the third year of Yuanshou.
Beneath his long sleeves, Gu Changce’s knuckles twitched slightly.
…The third year of Yuanshou was a time before everything had happened.
Back then, although Shen Zuihuan did not like him, there was still the bond of growing up together since childhood.
She wouldn’t be as disgusted at the sight of him as she was now.
Yet he still did not look at her, instead asking Liu Heyu again, “Is there a way to recover?”
Hearing this, Liu Heyu’s expression faltered slightly.
After a moment of contemplation, he slowly replied, “There isn’t really a good method, but in my opinion, since Madam’s high fever has subsided, once her body fully recovers, her memory should return in a few days.”
He couldn’t tell whether he should be happy or disappointed.
In contrast, Shen Zuihuan, upon hearing that she was physically fine, let out a heavy sigh of relief.
With nothing more for Liu Heyu to do here, Gu Changce waved his hand, dismissing him to attend to other matters.
After Liu Heyu left, only she, Gu Changce, and Gu Tang remained in the room.
No one spoke.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Shen Zuihuan felt an inexplicable awkwardness.
She covered her lips with a handkerchief and coughed lightly twice.
Immediately, the man’s originally stern face showed a hint of subtle panic.
His gaze also shifted to her.
His eyes were dark and heavy, carrying a compelling intensity.
Shen Zuihuan instantly felt her scalp tingle.
Just yesterday, he was still a mischievous youth deliberately provoking her anger, but today he had suddenly become this stern and composed.
It made Shen Zuihuan feel both familiar and strange.
She wanted to call out his name.
But seeing Gu Tang and considering their current relationship, she felt it might be inappropriate.
Calling him by his courtesy name… also seemed a bit awkward.
She gently bit her lip and tentatively opened her mouth, “…Husband?”
As soon as the words left her lips, Shen Zuihuan felt her face flush with heat.
The man before her also instantly held his breath.
The room grew even quieter.
Shen Zuihuan’s scalp tingled.
What? Had she called him wrong?
She saw the man, who had been walking toward her, pause in his steps.
His eyes suspiciously swept over her as he softly asked, “…Huanhuan, what did you call me?”
Having said it, she couldn’t take it back.
She could only lift her head to meet the man’s deep, penetrating gaze.
Steeling herself, she said, “Husband?”
After a pause, she added, “I… shouldn’t call you that?”