From the end of summer to the beginning of the following spring, the two of them traveled together, following the travel journal and passing through countless towns and cities.
When the first snow fell, Gong Yue would gather snowwater for her to brew tea whenever she felt like it. In spring, he would pluck peach blossoms at their fullest bloom and tuck them into her hair.
Spring was vibrant and radiant. People flocked outdoors to enjoy the season and admire the flowers. Far from the capital, the rules were less restrictive. Young men and women who had fallen for one another met in secret, children ran across the grass flying kites, and laughter filled the air everywhere.
In a secluded corner, a man sat beneath a tree with one leg bent, leaning against the trunk. A sword rested in his hand as he carefully carved a small piece of sandalwood.
“What a handsome gentleman. Would you honor me by taking a stroll with me?”
A young woman approached leisurely and knelt beside him with a bright smile.
An Jin was deliberately teasing him. Everyone else was out enjoying the beautiful spring scenery, yet he had hidden himself away here, quietly carving wood.
Perhaps because she had spent so much time traveling, the unhealthy pallor that once lingered on her face had long disappeared. In its place was a healthy, luminous complexion. The peach blossom he had picked for her still rested among her hair, making her already striking features appear even more dazzling.
The two sat very close together. The ribbons of her dress had fallen across his robe, creating an unintentional intimacy, though she seemed entirely unaware of it.
Gong Yue smiled softly.
Reaching up, he removed the peach blossom from her hair and replaced it with the hairpin he had just carved, testing how it looked. Noticing a few imperfections, he lowered his gaze and resumed carving with his sword.
Ever since the period shortly after they left the capital, when assassins had pursued them relentlessly, the swordsman’s blade had rarely tasted blood.
These days, it was mostly used to carve hairpins for her.
An Jin shook his arm in dissatisfaction.
“Pay attention to me.”
The man lowered his eyes, a faint smile curving his lips.
“It’s almost finished. I’ll accompany you afterward.”
Seeing that he still refused to stop, An Jin pretended to be angry and quickly stood up.
“Hmph. What a cold-hearted gentleman. Fine, I won’t talk to you either.”
A little boy was chasing after his kite, laughing as he ran. By chance, he headed directly toward An Jin.
Because she had her back to him, she never noticed the danger approaching. Likewise, the boy failed to see her.
The two collided head-on.
“Ah!”
An Jin cried out in pain.
Gong Yue’s expression changed instantly.
His movements were astonishingly fast. He caught An Jin before she could fall, while the little boy landed squarely on the ground with a painful thump.
“S-Sorry…”
The child realized he had caused trouble. Holding his sore backside, he apologized, tears gathering in his eyes.
An Jin had been frightened as well. A faint ache spread through her abdomen, and she assumed it was from the impact. But seeing the boy on the verge of tears, she gently comforted him.
“I’m fine. Just don’t run around so carelessly next time. Be more careful.”
The little boy wiped his eyes, bowed politely to her, and then hurried away.
Once he was gone, however, the pain in An Jin’s abdomen intensified. Her face grew steadily paler.
Gong Yue immediately sensed something was wrong.
Without hesitation, he lifted her into his arms.
“I’m taking you to a physician.”
“Brother Yue…”
An Jin’s nose stung with emotion. What terrible luck.
Meanwhile, Gong Yue was blaming himself.
He had been careless. He should have paid more attention to her surroundings.
He spoke softly, coaxing her.
“Be good. We’ll be there soon.”
With a tense expression, he strode into the medical clinic carrying her in his arms.
Standing there with a dark face and a sword at his side, he looked almost like a god of death.
The physician felt a chill run down his spine.
“What happened to this lady?”
Gong Yue clearly explained the situation and her symptoms.
“She was bumped into by a child. Her abdomen has been hurting ever since.”
The physician took her pulse.
The frown on his face gradually relaxed.
“It’s nothing serious. Madam has been pregnant for over a month. The collision disturbed the fetus slightly. I’ll prescribe some medicine to stabilize the pregnancy, and she should be fine.”
“What?”
An Jin had been listlessly resting against Gong Yue’s chest.
Upon hearing those words, she immediately lifted her head.
Her face was filled with shock and confusion.
But after the shock came overwhelming joy.
Her hand instinctively moved to her lower abdomen.
Her gaze softened into something as gentle and tranquil as a still lake.
It was difficult to imagine that a child was growing inside her flat stomach.
The baby had come so quickly that she had not noticed at all.
Remembering what the system had told her about this child’s fate and tragic ending, An Jin’s eyes gradually became resolute.
She would protect this child with everything she had.
And she believed Gong Yue would protect them both as well.
Turning her head, she noticed that Gong Yue had frozen completely.
The sight made her laugh.
“Brother Yue, we’re going to have a child. Aren’t you happy?”
The man appeared almost mechanical in his sluggishness.
The coldness in his eyes vanished at once, replaced by endless tenderness.
He gently drew her into his embrace, as though he were holding the entire world.
“I am.”
Those two simple words were nowhere near enough to describe how he felt.
It was like snow weighing down frozen branches before melting into the mouth of a traveler dying of thirst.
The ice transformed into warmth that flowed through his limbs before sinking deep into his bones.
His parents had died when he was ten.
At twenty, he had avenged his Father and become famous throughout the martial world with a single sword.
Ever since then, he had wandered alone, with no family and no attachments.
Every New Year, when families gathered together and countless lanterns illuminated the night, he would be resting somewhere beneath the open sky or sleeping atop a tree branch.
The sound of fireworks celebrating other people’s happiness would always wake him.
That was why he disliked fireworks.
Whenever he saw them, he remembered those lonely nights spent awake in the wilderness while everyone else celebrated.
But later, whenever he watched fireworks, all he could think of was the sight of the young woman in his arms, smiling with happiness.
The martial world was dangerous.
Today, someone might die beneath his sword.
Tomorrow, he might fall beneath someone else’s blade.
Just as his Father, once regarded as the finest swordsman in the land, had fallen.
He had never thought about the future.
Not until that day in the forest outside the capital, when a young girl stumbled and collapsed before him.
Now he had a wife.
Now he had a child.
In over twenty years of living beneath constant danger and uncertainty, he had never imagined he could possess such a beautiful future.
The shadows that had lingered in his eyes for years seemed to scatter at last.
For the first time, they shone brightly.
…
Half a month later, at Yungu Manor.
“Father, is Brother Gong really coming today?”
A young woman dressed in a goose-yellow martial outfit stood eagerly at the entrance.
Her eyes searched the road expectantly.
Old Master Tao sighed helplessly.
“The letter said today. That’s all I know.”
Tao Qing pouted at her Father in dissatisfaction.
Before long, a carriage appeared in the distance.
She immediately recognized the man driving it.
Tall and broad-shouldered, with a sword on his back, he sat casually atop the carriage with one leg bent.
His deep features and carefree bearing gave him an effortless charm.
The carriage slowly came to a stop before the manor gates.
As his face became clearer, Tao Qing felt her heart pounding wildly.
“Brother Gong!”
Ignoring her Father entirely, she hurried forward.
Her round, lovely face was flushed red.
“Brother Gong, it’s been so long. Do you still remember me? How long are you staying at the manor this time?”
The man’s expression remained indifferent.
“Until my wife gives birth.”
Wife?
Wife?!
The smile froze on Tao Qing’s face.
Before she could process the words, Gong Yue had already turned and lifted the carriage curtain.
Carefully, he helped a woman descend.
The woman possessed a slender figure.
Turning slightly, she smiled softly while tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
The simple movement carried an effortless elegance that immediately put others at ease.
An Jin was also examining the place where they would be staying for the next several months.
The scenery was beautiful.
The manor occupied nearly half the valley, peaceful and secluded.
It was an ideal place to nurture a pregnancy.
Continued travel would not be good for either her or the baby, so Gong Yue had brought her here.
The owner of the manor was one of Gong Yue’s Father’s old friends.
Five years ago, Yungu Manor had nearly been destroyed by enemies. Gong Yue’s intervention had saved the entire family.
The young woman before her must be the manor master’s daughter.
She appeared seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in bright colors and carrying herself with confidence. A whip hung at her waist, marking her as a daughter of the martial world.
Everything about her radiated freedom and vitality.
She was completely different from An Jin.
In both her previous life and this one, An Jin had rarely interacted with outsiders and was not particularly skilled at socializing.
Still, out of courtesy, she offered a gentle smile.
For the first time in her life, Tao Qing understood the meaning of feeling inferior.
She had never seen such a beautiful woman.
Even without makeup, the woman was breathtakingly stunning.
Subconsciously, Tao Qing touched her own face.
Suddenly, the rouge she had carefully applied before meeting Brother Gong seemed laughably ridiculous.
“After all these years, Yue’er is already married.”
Old Master Tao smiled warmly.
“When did this happen? Why didn’t you send someone to inform me? I would have prepared a wedding gift.”
Gong Yue had no desire to discuss his relationship with others.
“We were traveling. There was no need for formalities. Wei’er and I loved each other, so we married. We didn’t make a public announcement.”
Tao Qing’s heart twisted painfully.
Gong Yue had always kept women at a distance.
She had liked him for years and had always believed she would eventually marry him.
How could he suddenly have a wife?
And now that wife was even pregnant.
This woman might be beautiful, but she clearly knew no martial arts.
She looked delicate and fragile, someone Brother Gong probably had to care for all the time.
How could he like a woman whose only virtue was her face?
Perhaps because resentment clouded her judgment, the words left her mouth before she could stop them.
“Without a matchmaker or formal betrothal gifts, doesn’t that make her a concubine?”
Gong Yue’s dark eyes turned icy.
A chilling pressure filled his gaze.
Tao Qing felt as though she had fallen into an endless winter.
“Qing’er! What nonsense are you talking about?”
Old Master Tao’s expression darkened.
“Come apologize immediately.”
Already wounded by the look of disgust from the man she admired, Tao Qing was now publicly reprimanded by her Father.
Her face alternated between pale and red.
Stamping her foot, she turned and ran away.
“You foolish child…”
Old Master Tao looked embarrassed.
Smiling awkwardly, he said,
“Qing’er is still young and immature.”
Then he turned to An Jin.
“Yue’er’s parents passed away early. There were no elders in his family to arrange these matters. Since Yue’er acknowledges you as his wife, then you are his wife. Please don’t take Qing’er’s words to heart.”
An Jin was not angry.
Their relationship required neither recognition nor approval from anyone else.
She could see how much Gong Yue respected Uncle Tao.
And since he was considered an elder, she politely bowed.
“Please rest assured, Uncle Tao. Your daughter is straightforward and speaks her mind. I haven’t taken it personally. We may have to trouble your household for nearly a year.”
Old Master Tao laughed heartily.
“It’s no trouble at all. Not only did Yue’er once save our lives, but for Brother Gong’s sake alone, I would gladly look after both of you.”
“Come, come. You must be exhausted from the journey. I’ll show you to your quarters.”
The courtyard he arranged for them was excellent.
Hidden away along a winding path, it remained quiet even when guests visited the manor.
“This was Yue’er’s courtyard back then. Everything inside has been left untouched. Once I learned you were coming, I had people renovate it. Take a look around. If anything is unsatisfactory, I’ll have it changed immediately.”
Not only that, Old Master Tao even assigned an entire group of servants to attend them.
Having grown accustomed to living alone with Gong Yue, An Jin politely declined.
“Did you live here before, Brother Yue?”
After everyone left, An Jin carefully inspected the room.
She wanted to find traces of Gong Yue’s younger years.
Yet she found nothing.
Just like the small cabin in the forest outside the capital, every place he stayed seemed merely a temporary resting point.
Nothing ever anchored him.
Nothing ever remained behind.
“Mm. After my parents died, Uncle Tao took me in for a while.”
“Oh?”
The ending note of An Jin’s voice lifted slightly as a meaningful smile appeared on her face.
“So you and Miss Tao could be considered childhood sweethearts?”
Anyone with eyes could see Tao Qing’s feelings for him.
The way she had eagerly called him “Brother Gong” the moment she arrived made it obvious.
An Jin was not foolish.
Of course she had noticed.
At her words, Gong Yue’s hands, which had been unpacking their luggage, suddenly paused.