After Tao Qing left, An Jin remained uneasy for the rest of the day.
Gong Yue returned unusually late that night. By then, darkness had completely swallowed the sky.
Again and again, An Jin glanced toward the doorway.
Only then did she notice that snow had begun to fall outside.
The sight made her realize how quickly time had passed.
They had already been staying at Yungu Manor for more than six months.
Yungu Manor lay far to the north, where winters were long and bitterly cold. The rooms were damp and chilly, so charcoal braziers had been lit early in the season. The gentle warmth made people drowsy.
An Jin usually went to bed early.
Now her head kept nodding forward with exhaustion, yet she stubbornly refused to sleep.
Only when someone suddenly lifted her into their arms did she jolt awake.
Her hand instinctively grabbed the person.
“Brother Yue?”
Her voice was thick with sleepiness.
Gong Yue looked down at her gently.
“Mm. If you’re tired, why didn’t you go to bed?”
There had been times before when he returned home late.
But in the past, she would already have been asleep.
Carrying her to the bed, Gong Yue was about to head to the washroom when An Jin suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
Nervousness flashed through her eyes.
“Brother Yue… what have you been busy with lately?”
He immediately noticed something wrong in her expression.
“What’s the matter?”
“I…”
Her eyelashes trembled.
Her lips parted slightly.
An Jin didn’t know how to explain the fear and anxiety that had been haunting her.
In the end, she simply lowered her head and whispered,
“The baby and I both miss you.”
At those words, Gong Yue’s expression softened instantly.
He lowered his head and rested his ear against her swollen belly.
Looking up at her, he asked warmly,
“Has the baby been bothering you again today?”
An Jin shook her head.
“She’s always very well-behaved.”
Then she remembered that he still hadn’t answered her original question.
A hint of grievance appeared on her face.
“Why won’t you tell me what you’ve been doing lately? Is there something that even I can’t know?”
Ever since leaving the Embroidery House, they had been together almost constantly.
Why was he suddenly so busy now?
Seeing her pout, Gong Yue smiled faintly and lifted her face.
“I’ve been investigating the truth behind my Father’s death.”
An Jin froze.
Gong Yue continued quietly.
He had always believed he had already avenged his Father.
But Uncle Tao had recently informed him that he might have killed the wrong person.
The true culprit could still be alive somewhere.
Because of that possibility, he had spent recent weeks investigating the events of that year.
Then he suddenly paused.
A tear had slipped down An Jin’s cheek.
His fingers gently wiped it away.
“Why are you crying?”
An Jin lowered her head in embarrassment.
Pregnancy made emotions harder to control.
The fear and frustration she had been suppressing had suddenly overflowed.
She hadn’t expected herself to cry.
Gong Yue’s expression grew serious.
“I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you.”
His voice was low and gentle.
“I just didn’t want you exposed to the uglier side of the martial world.”
“So that’s why…”
An Jin murmured softly.
As the day of childbirth drew closer, her uneasiness only grew stronger.
But she couldn’t possibly ask him to stop searching for the truth about his Father’s death.
That would be unreasonable.
Far too unreasonable.
…
When Gong Yue finished washing and returned to bed, he found that the young woman who had been desperately fighting off sleep had already drifted off.
After lifting the blanket, he discovered that she was curled up tightly in an uneasy position.
Even in sleep, her delicate brows were furrowed.
His hand gently smoothed them apart.
Lowering his gaze, he silently reflected on his recent behavior.
He had spent his days helping Uncle Tao manage manor affairs.
He had spent his nights investigating his Father’s death.
Somewhere along the way, he had neglected her.
Because she seemed to get along well with Tao Qing, he had assumed she wasn’t lonely.
Apparently, he had been too complacent.
Given everything she had experienced, she had never possessed much sense of security to begin with.
He should have stayed by her side more often.
Regret flickered across his eyes.
Drawing her into his arms, he silently apologized.
…
When An Jin woke up again, she found herself nestled against Gong Yue’s chest.
Winter had arrived in full force.
His body was warm and comforting.
The warmth made her instinctively want to move closer.
She sat up slightly.
Her long black hair spilled across her chest.
Still half asleep, she blinked blankly.
“You didn’t go see Uncle Tao today?”
“Mm.”
Gong Yue brushed her hair aside.
“I’ll stay with you for the next few days.”
“Oh…”
An Jin was delighted at first.
Then she hesitated.
“What about your Father’s case?”
“So many years have already passed.”
His voice remained calm.
“A few more days won’t make a difference.”
His fingers swept away the loose strands of hair around her face.
“Be good. It’s still early. Sleep a little longer.”
The way he acted as though nothing in the world was more important than her left An Jin completely dizzy with happiness.
All her worries vanished.
She obediently lay down and fell asleep again.
…
However, not long after making that promise, Gong Yue received new information from Old Master Tao.
The real murderer behind his Father’s death had allegedly been found.
The man was supposedly hiding in a nearby town.
After hearing the news, Gong Yue thought about it for a long time.
Eventually, he decided he should make the trip.
…
That morning, he rose before dawn.
His plan was simple.
Go quickly.
Return quickly.
Hopefully, he would be back before his wife even woke up.
But the moment he picked up his sword, a panicked voice rang out behind him.
“Where are you going?”
Gong Yue turned.
An Jin stood there wearing only a thin inner robe.
Even the loose clothing couldn’t conceal her heavily pregnant stomach.
Her black hair hung loose over her shoulders.
Her pale face had turned white from the cold.
She looked fragile and pitiful.
Gong Yue sighed.
He immediately wrapped a cloak around her.
“Why did you get up?”
His brows knitted together.
“Aren’t you cold?”
An Jin ignored the question completely.
Grabbing his sleeve tightly, she asked stubbornly,
“Where are you going?”
This time, he didn’t hide it.
“To kill someone.”
An Jin frowned.
For some reason, the fear inside her intensified.
She had awakened from a nightmare with her heart pounding.
The first thing she saw was Gong Yue preparing to leave.
A terror she couldn’t explain surged through her.
Without thinking, she had rushed out of bed to stop him.
Moisture gathered in her eyes.
“Do you have to go today?”
Gong Yue fell silent.
As a killer, no one understood timing better than he did.
Miss one opportunity, and the next might require an even greater price.
An Jin felt utterly lost.
Looking at him almost pleadingly, she whispered,
“Can you stay?”
Her voice trembled.
“I’m afraid.”
She didn’t even know what she was afraid of.
They had lived here for more than six months.
Yungu Manor was already familiar.
Yet an overwhelming sense of dread threatened to drown her.
The last remnants of Gong Yue’s resolve shattered.
“Alright.”
He cupped her pale face.
His voice became impossibly gentle.
“I won’t leave.”
His forehead touched hers.
“I’ll stay with you until the baby is born. Is that enough?”
He was no longer alone.
He had a wife now.
A family.
People who worried about him.
He could no longer act as recklessly as he once had.
Everything else could wait.
At that moment, he had no idea how grateful he would one day be for this decision.
…
Winter naturally made people lethargic.
An Jin was already eight months pregnant.
There were many things she could no longer do.
So she spent her days sitting on a cushioned couch, embroidering tiny bellybands for the baby.
Beside her, Gong Yue would patiently separate embroidery threads for her.
When he finished, he would lean against the doorway and carve hairpins with his sword.
The days passed peacefully.
Quietly.
Contentedly.
Exactly the kind of life they had always hoped for.
Neither of them found it boring.
…
Every time Tao Qing saw them glued together all day long, her teeth ached from jealousy.
Even so, she was too embarrassed to interrupt them.
Inwardly, she cursed herself.
She had once boldly declared that she would steal Brother Gong away.
Now the couple’s child was nearly due.
The atmosphere between them was so intimate that no one could possibly squeeze themselves in between.
Still, she had gradually come to terms with it.
That woman was, more or less, worthy of Brother Gong.
She would stop trying to interfere.
Once the baby was born, she would become the child’s godMother instead.
After all, she had practically watched the baby grow up.
Feeling newly enlightened, Tao Qing marched proudly toward the main courtyard.
She intended to tell her Father that she was giving up on Brother Gong.
Even if she couldn’t manage Yungu Manor alone, she could always find another man just as capable.
What she didn’t expect was to be stopped at the entrance.
“Miss, the Manor Master ordered that no one is allowed inside.”
Tao Qing glared.
“Do I count as ‘no one’?”
Since when could she be barred from seeing her own Father?
Without hesitation, she shoved the guard aside.
“Move.”
The guard looked miserable but didn’t dare stop her again.
…
The moment she entered the courtyard, she felt something was wrong.
There wasn’t a single servant in sight.
Everyone had apparently been dismissed.
Suspicion grew in her chest.
What was Father doing?
Why was everything so secretive?
Just as she reached the study door and prepared to knock, a familiar voice drifted from inside.
“No matter how much I probed, Gong Yue never revealed anything about the sword manual.”
Tao Qing froze.
Her Father’s voice continued.
“My original plan was to have Qing’er marry him. Once that happened, the sword manual would naturally become ours. Unfortunately, the girl was useless.”
Tao Qing’s pupils contracted violently.
Horror flooded her eyes.
Another voice spoke.
“What about the sword manual now? Fengyu Tower keeps pressuring us. If we can’t get it, we’re finished.”
Old Master Tao sounded completely unconcerned.
“Isn’t Gong Yue’s wife still here?”
A sinister smile entered his voice.
“The two are deeply in love, and she’s carrying his child. Once we capture her, are you worried Gong Yue won’t hand over the sword manual?”
The other man laughed.
“Everyone in the martial world knows Gong Yue treasures that beauty like his life. But with Gong Yue around, who would dare touch her?”
Old Master Tao’s cloudy eyes gleamed.
“No.”
He smiled coldly.
“You can go now.”
“I’ve already released false information claiming his Father’s murderer is hiding in a nearby town.”
He chuckled.
“Knowing Yue’er, he’ll definitely investigate.”
“And I’ve already made arrangements.”
“Once he leaves, he won’t be coming back anytime soon.”
Killing Gong Yue might be impossible.
But delaying him would be easy enough.
The other man burst into laughter.
“Old Tao, you’re truly ruthless.”
“First you killed your sworn brother for the sword manual, and now you’re targeting his son.”
Tao Qing felt her blood turn cold.
Killed his sworn brother?
The voice continued.
“Still, that kid was clever. At twelve years old he already dared venture into the martial world alone. I suppose that only proves how powerful the Gong Family Sword Manual really is.”
Old Master Tao sneered.
“Friendship means nothing in the martial world.”
“Only power and status are real.”
Then he snapped impatiently,
“Enough talking. If we’re any later, Gong Yue will return.”
“Fine. I’ll go capture the woman now.”
…
Tao Qing covered her mouth tightly.
Tears streamed down her face.
Her entire body trembled.
So that was the truth.
Her Father hadn’t encouraged her to pursue Gong Yue because he cared about her happiness.
It had all been for the sword manual.
Her Father had murdered Gong Yue’s Father.
And now he intended to kill Sister-in-law Wei’er too.
A chill ran down her spine.
No.
Uncle Gong was already dead.
Nothing could change that.
But Sister-in-law Wei’er could not die.
She absolutely could not allow her Father to treat Gong Yue so cruelly.
Leaping to her feet, she circulated every bit of internal energy she possessed and dashed down a shortcut toward Qinghe Cottage.
She had always been lazy when practicing martial arts.
No matter how often her Father scolded her, she never changed.
For the first time in her life, she hated herself for it.
Why hadn’t she trained harder?
Faster.
Faster!
Her meridians burned from overexertion.
Blood rose in her throat.
Still, she didn’t dare stop.
She was terrified that if she arrived even a moment late, she would find Sister-in-law Wei’er lying dead on the ground.
…
By the time she reached Qinghe Cottage, tears covered her face.
Sweat and tears soaked the strands of hair stuck to her forehead.
Her vision had become blurry.
She slammed the door open.
“Sister-in-law Wei’er!”
Her voice cracked from panic.
An Jin, who had been enjoying the snowy scenery in the courtyard, jumped in surprise.
Wrapped in thick winter clothing, her figure appeared slightly rounder because of her pregnancy.
Her small face peeked out from a ring of fur trim, making her seem even more delicate.
Frowning, she asked,
“Qing’er? What’s wrong?”
Thank goodness.
Thank goodness she had made it in time.
Tao Qing’s heart felt ready to burst from her chest.
She rushed forward and grabbed An Jin’s hand.
“Quick! Come with me!”
“Where are you taking her?”
A cold voice interrupted.
An Jin was already eight months pregnant.
Her movements were naturally cumbersome.
Tao Qing’s sudden tug nearly caused her to lose her balance.
Before she could stumble, Gong Yue stepped forward and caught her.
Then his gaze landed on Tao Qing.
The look in his eyes was far from friendly.
Tao Qing stared at him.
Her mouth opened.
Yet none of the words would come out.
Tears poured from her eyes once more.
Thank goodness.
Brother Gong hadn’t left.
As long as he was here, Sister-in-law Wei’er would be safe.
Sobbing uncontrollably, she cried,
“Brother Gong… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
An Jin and Gong Yue exchanged confused glances.
Neither understood what was happening.
An Jin gently patted Tao Qing’s trembling shoulder.
“Qing’er, don’t be afraid.”
Her voice was warm and reassuring.
“Tell us what happened.”
Tao Qing cried even harder.
She kept shaking her head.
She didn’t dare tell them everything.
Because she knew that if she did, Brother Gong and her Father would become mortal enemies.
She didn’t want her Father to die.
Nor did she want Brother Gong to be hurt.
Finally, she forced the words out.
“Brother Gong…”
Her voice broke.
“You have to leave.”
“This place isn’t safe anymore.”
She looked desperately between the two of them.
“Someone wants to capture Sister-in-law Wei’er and use her to force you to hand over the sword manual.”