The large procession departed from Wei Manor, heading toward the borderlands.
Wei Chenheng settled Ning Wanwan into his private carriage. This carriage had been custom-made under his specific orders—not only was it suited for long journeys, but its interior space was also enlarged, over twice as wide as typical small carriages.
Resting inside the carriage was perfectly comfortable.
Once Ning Wanwan entered the carriage, Wei Chenheng asked with concern, “Where did you fall earlier? Does it hurt? I have some wound medicine prepared here—”
“Husband,” she interrupted him in a sweet, coquettish tone.
The man paused, his brow furrowing slightly. “What’s wrong?”
She nestled her head against his chest and said softly, “Wanwan isn’t hurt. Just now, seeing how you protected me, you have no idea how happy it made me.”
His heart softened, and he replied gently, “Since you’ve married me, you are my person. I will naturally protect you and keep you safe for the rest of your life.”
She lowered her head and said meekly, “Meeting you, husband, is Wanwan’s great fortune.”
Meeting me is your great fortune, Wei Chenheng!
If she hadn’t thought quickly on her feet earlier and framed Gu Qingyi, she would surely have been left behind in Wei Manor as the easily bullied Consort Wan.
Hearing her words, he felt a surge of joy.
Suddenly feeling grateful that he had brought her along, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, only to hear her let out a soft “ouch.”
The man paused and looked down at her with a puzzled expression.
The young woman’s smile faltered slightly as she pointed at his armor and battle attire. “Husband, this armor is too hard. It’s pressing against Wanwan and it hurts.”
Wei Chenheng immediately said, “I’ll take it off.”
With that, he removed the armor and placed it neatly on a small table nearby. Now dressed in a gray robe, he returned to her side.
Before he could embrace her, she had already wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest and inhaling his faint, fresh scent. In a sugary voice, she said, “Husband, you treat me so well.”
Her flurry of sweet words came one after another, soothing him until his expression relaxed.
The originally stern look on his face gradually gave way to a hint of a smile. Yet the young woman continued to squirm restlessly in his embrace, and before long, he began to feel a stirring.
This was exactly what Ning Wanwan had hoped for.
She calculated the timing—the effects of the fertility pill would last for another five hours. As long as she could be intimate with him within those five hours, she would undoubtedly complete her mission perfectly.
He stared at her, his gaze lingering.
“Husband?” she called out sweetly.
“Husband… you…”
He gently kissed her tender red lips.
The rouge from her lips stained his, carrying a faint sweetness with a floral fragrance.
It added a touch of decadent charm to his otherwise cool demeanor.
As if to comfort her, he stroked her hair and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead.
The carriage traveled along the road.
Her hairpins came loose, and her dark tresses tangled.
…
A long time passed before the carriage gradually slowed.
The young woman lay limp in his arms, her cheeks flushed.
Her slightly upturned eyes held a faint smile. “Again?”
Startled back to her senses, she weakly pushed away his mischievous hands and pleaded in a soft, coquettish voice, “No more.”
“Scared?”
Her voice was soft and pleading, “Husband, your wife admits her mistake.”
Several hours had passed.
He lifted her rosy little face, dotingly kissing her cheeks again and again. He adored seeing her thoroughly flushed appearance—each blush a mark he had left behind.
He felt with absolute certainty that she belonged to him.
To him alone.
He raised his hand to tuck her disheveled hair behind her ear. The clarity that had just returned to his eyes was tinged with renewed desire as he restrained himself and said hoarsely, “I’ll let you off for now.”
Did that mean he intended to have her again tonight?
Ning Wanwan was utterly exhausted, too weary to protest. She cooed softly, “Husband, Wanwan is hungry.”
She hadn’t eaten since waking up, had endured his rough treatment, and been tormented for hours. She was both exhausted and starving, on the verge of collapse.
“Didn’t you get enough earlier?”
Her face flushed crimson. This usually icy-faced man became unmistakably bold when intimate, leaving her utterly bewildered. Embarrassed and irritated, she complained coyly, “Husband, stop teasing Wanwan! If you continue like this, Wanwan will really get angry!”
Seemingly pleased with her reaction, the man curled his lips and suddenly called out to the coachman outside, “A Sheng, how much longer until we reach the post station?”
The coachman A Sheng replied, “Young master, about one li more.”
Wei Chenheng said, “We’ll rest at the post station.”
A Sheng responded, “Yes.”
A Sheng’s voice was neither loud nor soft, but it was perfectly clear. Ning Wanwan seemed to recall something and whispered, “Could A Sheng have heard us earlier?”
Feigning confusion, he asked, “Heard what?”
She bit her lip and lightly pounded his chest with her small hand, only to have it captured in his palm and fervently kissed.
The man chuckled deeply, “You were crying out so loudly—not just him, but even passersby could have heard.”
Ning Wanwan’s cheeks burned red as she shot him a resentful glare.
His thin lips curled slightly as he teased, “Wanwan was quite bold earlier. Why are you shy now?”
Her face flushed again. In the heat of passion, she had screamed without restraint, completely absorbed.
She had momentarily forgotten they were in a carriage—with a coachman driving it. Her loud cries must have been clearly audible to him.
Suddenly, she felt she didn’t want to live anymore.