The man’s gaze was as gentle as moonlight in the dead of night. A trace of helpless amusement shimmered in his eyes.
“Not really.”
Seeing that he had only managed to squeeze out two words after such a long pause, An Jin had no intention of letting him off so easily.
She strolled over to stand in front of him, pretending not to understand.
“How is it not?”
She deliberately emphasized the title.
“Brother Gong?”
The last two words carried a teasing lilt. Mischief sparkled in her lively eyes.
Leaning closer, she poked his expressionless cheek.
“Miss Tao seems cheerful and outgoing, while you’re quiet and reserved. If this were one of those storybooks, the two of you would make quite a pair.”
Gong Yue raised a hand and rubbed his forehead.
It seemed he truly had no way of dealing with her.
Without warning, he pulled the little troublemaker into his arms and lowered his head, capturing her endlessly chattering lips with his own.
“Mmph…”
An Jin immediately fell silent.
All thoughts of teasing vanished.
A faint sheen of moisture appeared in her eyes as she looked up at him, almost as if begging for mercy.
Laughter flickered in his eyes.
Only then did he slowly release her.
Flushed with embarrassment, An Jin lightly punched him.
Gong Yue caught the hand that had been stirring up trouble and explained,
“I only stayed at the manor for two years. How could that count as childhood sweethearts?”
An Jin froze.
Two years?
Confusion filled her eyes.
“Two years? Didn’t you come to the manor when you were ten? If you only stayed for two years, then you were only twelve when you left. Where did you go after that?”
Gong Yue fell silent.
Just when An Jin thought he wouldn’t answer, he finally forced out three difficult words.
“Fengyu Tower.”
An Jin was stunned.
Then an overwhelming ache filled her heart.
Gong Yue rarely spoke about his past.
She couldn’t imagine how a twelve-year-old boy had survived in the martial world.
Nor could she imagine what he had endured in a place like Fengyu Tower before eventually becoming the greatest swordsman in the world.
A dull pain spread through her chest.
Taking his hand, she gently placed it against her stomach.
Her voice was soft and comforting.
“You won’t be alone anymore. You’ll have me, and our child.”
Emotion stirred across Gong Yue’s face.
A hoarse reply escaped his throat.
“Mm.”
…
Old Master Tao entered his daughter’s courtyard.
After dismissing the servants, he turned toward Tao Qing with a dark expression.
“Qing’er, your behavior yesterday was completely unacceptable.”
Tao Qing had been lying on her bed crying.
She raised her swollen, reddened eyes and stubbornly lifted her chin.
“Father, you know I’ve liked Brother Gong since I was little. How am I supposed to accept that he’s already married? And now they’re even having a child.”
Seeing his daughter in such a pitiful state, Old Master Tao became even angrier.
He flung his sleeve aside and pointed at her.
“What does it matter if he’s married?”
He snorted.
“As you said, there was no formal betrothal, no matchmaker. Who even knows about this marriage?”
His eyes narrowed.
“If you can make Yue’er accept you while he’s staying at the manor, I naturally have ways to ensure the two of you are married properly and gloriously.”
Tao Qing stared blankly.
Even her tears stopped.
“Then… what about Brother Gong’s current wife?”
Old Master Tao clasped his hands behind his back.
Avoiding the question entirely, he replied,
“You don’t need to concern yourself with that. If you truly manage to make Yue’er fall for you, he’ll deal with that wife himself.”
Tao Qing’s lips parted.
She wanted to argue.
Brother Gong wasn’t that kind of heartless man.
But her Father continued before she could speak.
“You see Yue’er as the man you love. I see him as my future son-in-law.”
He sighed.
“You’re my only daughter. Your talent for martial arts is mediocre, and you’re lazy whenever you can get away with it. How are you supposed to manage this enormous manor in the future?”
He paused before adding,
“Men are all the same. They always crave novelty. That woman may be beautiful, but she’s pregnant now. You’re still in the prime of your youth. Why worry about lacking an opportunity?”
Confusion flashed through Tao Qing’s eyes.
His words completely overturned everything she had believed.
As she looked at her beloved Father, he suddenly seemed like a stranger.
“Listen to me,” Old Master Tao said. “Go apologize to that woman tomorrow. Get along with her. That’s the only way you’ll have opportunities to see Yue’er regularly.”
His expression became serious.
“If you miss this chance, do you really think you’ll ever see him again?”
Tao Qing’s fingers tightened around the bedding.
Conflict filled her face.
She truly loved Brother Gong.
But if she did nothing, she would spend the rest of her life watching him love another woman.
Watching them grow old together.
Taking a deep breath, she finally nodded.
“I understand, Father.”
Only then did Old Master Tao smile.
“I’ll be waiting for good news.”
…
The next day, Tao Qing abandoned her usual martial attire and changed into a proper dress and hair ornaments.
The courtyard where Gong Yue lived was called Qinghe Cottage.
It wasn’t far from her own residence, and she knew the path by heart.
When she was five years old, she had heard that a boy had come to stay at the manor.
Curious, she had run over to see him.
At the time, Brother Gong had only been a little over ten years old.
Yet he had already been unusually mature and composed.
He was also a martial arts prodigy.
Nothing like the noisy, mischievous boys his age.
Using her status as the manor master’s daughter, she had demanded that he play with her.
He had ignored her entirely and continued practicing his sword.
Later, she obediently asked him to teach her swordsmanship.
He still ignored her.
She had always been spoiled at the manor.
Being treated so coldly for the first time should have made her angry.
Yet she simply liked him.
The more he ignored her, the more she wanted to seek him out.
She had long grown accustomed to his icy demeanor.
She had always assumed that was simply his personality.
But yesterday she had witnessed him caring for another woman with incredible gentleness and tenderness.
The memory made her both jealous and aggrieved.
After all, she had known Brother Gong first.
She would win him back.
Unlike that woman, she wasn’t weak and delicate.
That woman couldn’t even get out of a carriage without Brother Gong helping her.
She was practically useless.
Just then, a beautiful melody drifted through the air.
The sound snapped Tao Qing out of her thoughts.
Only then did she realize she had already arrived at Qinghe Cottage.
The music was coming from inside.
Frowning slightly, she stepped through the entrance.
The scene before her was like a painting.
The swordsman held his blade as he moved gracefully across the courtyard.
Every movement was smooth and powerful.
Brilliant flashes of steel cut through the air.
Not far away, a woman sat beside a stone table.
Her fingers lightly brushed across the strings of a guqin.
The melody flowed like a gentle stream, clear and melodious.
The music and swordplay complemented one another perfectly.
The sword of the greatest swordsman in the world was normally sharp and deadly, filled with killing intent.
How could it be so tender and affectionate today?
The answer was obvious.
The swordsman was deliberately adapting his movements to match the woman’s music.
The dance of sword and melody intertwined.
Occasional glances exchanged between them filled the air with a subtle intimacy.
The atmosphere itself seemed to grow thick and warm.
This was probably what people meant by harmony between sword and music.
The pair radiated a beauty and tranquility that felt beyond the mortal world.
As though no one else could ever step between them.
A complicated feeling rose within Tao Qing.
Could she really destroy a relationship like this?
No matter how jealous she felt, she had to admit the truth.
The two of them were perfectly matched.
Like a flawless pair of jade ornaments.
The music suddenly stopped.
An Jin turned toward the figure standing awkwardly at the entrance.
“Miss Tao?”
The music ceased.
The sword stopped as well.
The swordsman looked over with an indifferent gaze.
Yet somehow, that calm glance alone placed immense pressure on Tao Qing.
For a moment, she didn’t know whether to advance or retreat.
Gathering all her courage, she squeezed her eyes shut and blurted out,
“I’m sorry! I came to apologize! I shouldn’t have said those things yesterday!”
A soft laugh reached her ears.
Tao Qing immediately opened her eyes.
Embarrassment and annoyance surged through her.
She had already apologized.
How dare this woman laugh at her?
Yet when she met An Jin’s clear and gentle eyes, her anger inexplicably faded away.
An Jin found the girl rather amusing.
She looked as though apologizing was harder than walking to her execution.
So straightforward.
So innocent.
Completely incapable of hiding her emotions.
To be honest, An Jin didn’t dislike her.
Her earlier display of jealousy had only been to tease Gong Yue.
“There’s no need to apologize, Miss Tao.”
She smiled warmly.
“I didn’t take yesterday’s incident to heart.”
Seeing that An Jin’s attitude was sincere and her gaze free of mockery, the knot in Tao Qing’s chest loosened.
She stepped closer.
“Your guqin sounds wonderful. Could you teach me?”
Tao Qing secretly congratulated herself.
If Brother Gong liked gentle and refined women, then she would learn to become one.
Besides, learning music would give her a reason to visit every day.
An Jin looked surprised.
She had expected Tao Qing to dislike her.
She certainly hadn’t expected this request.
The original Yao Wei had possessed exceptional musical talent.
Back during a palace banquet, it was her guqin skills that had earned the Empress Dowager’s favor.
Since An Jin had inherited Yao Wei’s memories, she naturally inherited those skills as well.
That morning, she had noticed Gong Yue practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.
Seeing an unused guqin nearby, she had casually played a few pieces to accompany him.
She never expected Tao Qing to enjoy the music.
Besides, pregnancy had left her with plenty of free time.
Teaching someone could help pass the days.
And having someone to talk to wasn’t bad either.
Her eyes curved into a smile.
“Of course.”
…
Before she knew it, Tao Qing found herself seated beside the woman she supposedly disliked.
She hadn’t even noticed when Gong Yue left.
All she knew was that the woman smelled pleasant.
In a soft voice, she explained finger placements, notes, and techniques.
Occasionally, she even guided Tao Qing’s hands directly.
Her hands were soft.
Smooth.
Was this how Brother Gong had been bewitched?
This woman truly had her methods.
Even she had nearly fallen under the spell.
“Miss Tao, do you actually want to learn the guqin?”
An Jin sounded helpless as she noticed Tao Qing’s wandering attention.
Embarrassed, Tao Qing turned her head away.
Then she suddenly noticed the elegant hairpin in An Jin’s hair.
“That hairpin is beautiful. Where did you buy it?”
She wanted to learn how to dress like this too.
At the mention of the hairpin, a blush immediately colored An Jin’s cheeks.
Looking slightly shy, she replied,
“Brother Yue made it for me.”
What?
Tao Qing nearly lost control of her expression.
Brother Gong was the greatest swordsman in the world.
How could he spend his time carving hairpins for women?
And even dance his sword to accompany her music?
The determination that had nearly wavered earlier instantly strengthened again.
“I’ll learn.”
She sat up straight.
“I’ll definitely learn. I’ll come again tomorrow.”
And she kept her word.
She came every single day.
Although she rarely saw Gong Yue when she visited, she stubbornly persisted.
…
Time passed little by little.
An Jin’s stomach gradually grew larger.
Perhaps because of the system, she experienced almost none of the discomfort normally associated with pregnancy.
Her complexion became healthier and more radiant with each passing day.
One afternoon, Tao Qing arrived at Qinghe Cottage once again.
She found An Jin reclining by the window on a cushioned couch, carefully embroidering something.
Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating her porcelain-white skin.
Even the fine hairs on her face were faintly visible.
“Sister-in-law Wei’er, what are you making this time?”
An Jin looked up.
“Qing’er, you’re here.”
Lowering her gaze, she smiled gently and stroked her swollen stomach.
“I’m embroidering a bellyband for the baby.”
Most women lost some of their beauty during pregnancy.
Yet An Jin seemed even more beautiful than before.
Motherhood had added a soft radiance to her.
Everything about her appeared warm and gentle.
The sight naturally drew people closer.
No matter how many times Tao Qing saw her, she was still amazed by her beauty.
Yet she couldn’t help thinking bitterly:
So Brother Gong was just another shallow man who cared about appearances.
She flopped down beside An Jin and examined the embroidery.
Then she frowned.
“Why are they all pink? Do you prefer daughters?”
“Yes.”
“What if it’s a boy?”
An Jin answered with complete certainty.
“It will definitely be a girl.”
Tao Qing blinked.
“How do you know?”
An Jin merely smiled.
Seeing that she wasn’t going to explain, Tao Qing changed the subject.
“Sister-in-law Wei’er, do you know what Brother Gong and my Father have been doing lately?”
She leaned closer.
“There are a lot of strangers staying at the manor recently. The other day, I overheard Father talking about something mysterious in his study. I think they mentioned a sword manual.”
A few years ago, many outsiders had gathered at the manor as well.
Not long afterward, enemies had attacked.
If Brother Gong hadn’t arrived in time, Yungu Manor would have been wiped out.
The incident had left a deep scar on Tao Qing.
“A sword manual?”
An Jin froze.
Could it be the sword manual from the original storyline?
The very one that eventually led martial artists from across the jianghu to surround Gong Yue, resulting in Yao Wei’s death during childbirth?
In an instant, all the warmth drained from her body.
The peaceful months she had spent here had nearly made her forget.
She was still living in a dangerous world ruled by blades and bloodshed.
Forcing a smile onto her face, she said,
“When Brother Yue comes back, I’ll ask him about it.”