Wei Chenheng fell silent for a moment before saying, “I depart for the Northern Frontier tomorrow.”
Upon suddenly hearing he was leaving, Ning Wanwan looked utterly shocked.
It was only the third day since their wedding, and he was already leaving?
What about her mission to bear a child?
If she followed the original plot, Wei Chenheng would die on the battlefield, and she would not only be widowed but also bullied by the manor’s servants, falsely accused of adultery, and meet a tragic end.
Ning Wanwan stood frozen, at a loss.
System: [Did the host take the Fertility Pill during the intimate moment earlier?]
Ning Wanwan: [It happened too suddenly! There was no time to take it!]
Seemingly sensing Ning Wanwan’s worry, Wei Chenheng comforted her, “Stay well in the manor. If you need anything, you can ask Chun’er or Dong’er. I’ve also left a few servants at your disposal.”
“Why… so sudden?”
Wei Chenheng gave a faint smile and said gently, “The Northern Frontier is constantly invaded by barbarians, and the war is urgent. I should have set out a few days ago, but the wedding delayed me.”
“How can we part so soon after marrying?”
Her soft complaint carried a hint of dissatisfaction mixed with a maiden’s coquettishness, bringing a touch of warmth to his usually calm and indifferent eyes.
“Wanwan, are you reluctant to see me go?”
She let out a muffled “Mm,” paused, and then said, “Your servant wishes to accompany her husband.”
“This journey will take at least three to five years. The Northern Frontier is bitterly cold, desolate, and barren. You would suffer if you went.”
“Your servant is not afraid of suffering!”
“The military camp is filled with men. It’s not suitable for a woman.”
Ning Wanwan’s eyes lit up. Filled with men? All tall, handsome, grown men with eight-pack abs?
“But I truly don’t wish to be apart from my husband for even a moment.”
Her small hand held his large one, warmth passing between their palms. Wei Chenheng’s eyes flickered, emotions surging within him. He set down his chopsticks and soothed, “Be good.”
Those two softly spoken words carried an undeniable authority, stifling Ning Wanwan’s pent-up grievances. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she obediently agreed.
She thought to herself that if he were gone for three to five years, she would be left a grass widow in this world for that long. There were also a few troublesome figures in Wei Manor who might take advantage of Wei Chenheng’s absence to harm her—that would be a terrible loss.
Fortunately, there was still time.
In the afternoon, Ning Wanwan ordered her maids to prepare hot water, scattering flowers and scented agents for a bath and change of clothes.
This time, she made thorough plans. Taking out the Hundred Treasure Brocade Pouch, she directly swallowed a Double Dragon Pill, aiming to kill two birds with one stone.
As night fell, Ning Wanwan waited and waited until the night watchman’s final call, but Wei Chenheng was nowhere to be seen. Growing impatient, she got out of bed.
Fully dressed in her inner garments, she called Dong’er in.
“Where has the young master gone?”
“Replying to Consort Wan, the young master took a few servants to the outskirts of the city on urgent business.”
“What business?”
“This servant does not know.”
“Did he say when he would return?”
“He did not.”
“Alright, you may leave.”
Getting no answers, Ning Wanwan dismissed Dong’er, feeling disheartened. It seemed man proposes, heaven disposes. She lay back on the bed and soon fell asleep on her own, only to jolt awake at the rooster’s crow at dawn.
Feeling the side of the bed, there was no trace of a man. It appeared he had not returned all night.
The maids, hearing movement inside the room, entered with washing supplies and attended to her dressing, washing, and grooming.
“Did the young master return yesterday?”
“Replying to Consort Wan, the young master returned early this morning. Seeing you were still asleep, he instructed us not to disturb you.”
So he did come back?
Ning Wanwan had a sudden inspiration—the effects of the Double Dragon Pill she had taken last night hadn’t worn off yet.
She sat before the dressing table, where the pale yellow bronze mirror reflected the young girl’s peerless beauty. Her cheeks were naturally rosy without a touch of rouge, her lips moist and crimson, and her delicate neck was adorned with pearl earrings.
Today, she changed into a red dress, looking both enchanting and seductive, truly embodying the image of a fox spirit.
Since he was about to leave, she had no time to play the innocent white lotus; she would go straight for the vixen allure.
Just as she was about to rise, she saw Wei Chenheng’s handsome, chiseled face suddenly appear in the bronze mirror.
The man silently embraced her from behind, his thin lips slightly pursed, his deep eyes shimmering intensely, making her heart flutter.
“Wanwan looks especially beautiful today,” his magnetic, husky voice murmured by her ear.
“So my husband still remembers to come back?” she cooed playfully.
Noticing he had already changed into his heavy armor.
“There was an urgent matter outside the city last night.”
His long arms wrapped tightly around her, his words crisp and clear, “It was military affairs.”
Meaning it was a matter of the army, not something to be disclosed to her.
How could she not understand his implication? According to the plot summary, Wei Chenheng was abstinent and aloof, skilled at concealing his sharpness and rarely revealing his thoughts to others.
But after these two days together, abstinence seemed impossible, and aloofness appeared to be just a myth.
Ning Wanwan turned around and said gently, “Husband, you’ve worked hard.”
Wei Chenheng’s handsome features remained cold, the corners of his mouth pressed together as he subtly suppressed a trace of a smile.
He was a reserved man, unaccustomed to voicing such affectionate words.
Ning Wanwan asked, “Husband, have you eaten breakfast?”
“Not yet.”
“Shall we eat together?”
Wei Chenheng paused, his dark eyebrows slightly raised.
As if he had read her mind.