Lu Xingzhou carried Sheng Yuanyao to the backyard, but did not immediately cause trouble as A’Nuo had imagined. He had just finished eating, so he wasn’t that hungry. However, Guamei’s current proactive yet shy demeanor made her exceptionally captivating, a stark contrast to their previous camaraderie. It was as if the concept of marriage had directly unlocked a seal, making it quite intriguing.

Since they were tired of showing affection, they naturally shouldn’t do so in front of the children. It was better to have some private, intimate conversations to make up for the budding romance they hadn’t fully enjoyed. So, upon entering the backyard, they didn’t go straight into the house. Instead, they sat embraced on the covered walkway, looking up at the snow.

There had been light snow during the day, which grew heavier towards evening, transforming from an almost invisible drizzle into visible white specks. However, it was still sparse and scattered, gently swaying in the air. Sheng Yuanyao unconsciously leaned her head on his shoulder, comfortably wrapped her arms around his, and smiled sweetly.

It was wonderful to have such a legitimate moment; there was no comparison to just letting a brother have some fun.

“This year’s snow came a bit early. Usually, it’s about half a month later…” She admired it with a smile. “It’s quite strange…”

“Strange what?”

“I never thought snow was beautiful before. Growing up, I always thought snowball fights were the most fun on snowy days, and when I got older, I just found it annoying… But today, it looks so pretty.”

Lu Xingzhou chuckled.

“What are you laughing at?”

“I was thinking, when I first met you, it was around this time, exactly one year ago.”

Sheng Yuanyao paused. “Only a year? Why does it feel so long…”

“Because there were many things, and they were all different,” Lu Xingzhou said leisurely. “You went from a local commander of the Zhenmo Si to the Kanwu Si, then to the Cihou Camp, then to a general, became an envoy, and then were demoted to a doorman upon your return. You see, your experiences this past year are probably more than what you had in the three to five years before that.”

“Is it because I met a jinx like you that this commander has been so displaced?”

“Hey, actually, you went from a mere minor local official to a third-rank general, and your cultivation also…”

“That’s my own effort, General!”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Lu Xingzhou lowered his head and pecked her, her cheeks warm.

Due to her profession, Sheng Yuanyao’s skin should ideally have been more weathered, not as delicate as a young lady like Pei Chuyun, who was raised in seclusion. However, in the world of cultivation, this wasn’t the case. While her complexion wasn’t as unnaturally fair as Pei Chuyun’s, it was still rosy and smooth, never rough, and soft to the touch, like pecking a boiled egg.

Sheng Yuanyao softened a bit after being kissed, her eyes hazy. “Lu Xingzhou…”

“Hmm?”

“The family is already preparing the dowry list… But I told them not to bother. Firstly, you don’t care, and secondly, I have my own pre-arranged dowry.”

Lu Xingzhou understood her implication. “Qingyao Yuan.”

“That’s right.” Seeing that Lu Xingzhou was on the same wavelength as her, Sheng Yuanyao grew even happier. “That is our predestined divine fate, our destined dowry!”

Lu Xingzhou playfully touched her chin. “General Sheng, were you planning to marry me all along?”

“Hmph.” Sheng Yuanyao grunted twice, unsure how to respond, and after a moment, muttered resentfully, “Greedy, lecherous, despicable.”

Lu Xingzhou asked, “Then, General Sheng, will you accompany this lecherous, despicable scoundrel on a snowy night stroll through Qingyao Yuan?”

Sheng Yuanyao became even more delighted. Although she knew her mother’s hint today and was prepared to go straight into the room with him, knowing that the man’s intentions weren’t just about that, but about strolling with her in the place where their缘起之地 (yuánqǐ zhīdì, origin of their fate) began, filled the girl’s heart with immense sweetness. He wasn’t just after physical desire. Sheng Yuanyao felt she had truly seen through him, like a moth drawn to a flame, and insisted on marrying him along with the four other women. Her parents said it was a compromise, but she genuinely didn’t feel wronged.

“Of course we’re going.” Sheng Yuanyao still clung to his arm without getting up, swaying. “Carry me.”

Guamei had almost never acted so spoiled, which made Lu Xingzhou feel a pleasant tingling sensation. He quickly complied, picking her up. With a push of his feet, they soared on the wind, traveling gracefully amidst the falling snow.

Yuan Muyu had been silently listening to their little romance in her guest room, her mind mostly blank, without many thoughts. Actually, she and Lu Xingzhou had never shared such interactions. It had always been her teasing him, watching Lu Xingzhou blush, and then Lu Xingzhou would secretly take a little advantage, which Yuan Muyu knew but didn’t expose. When had there ever been such a public display, leaning on his shoulder, sharing intimate words, talking about dowries?

Suddenly, she felt that those memories of the past weren’t really worth reminiscing about… They never seemed quite normal. Is that why Xingzhou let go so quickly?

Also, Qingyao Yuan… was it Sheng Yuanyao’s? Yuan Muyu had even specifically visited that place to see the stone tablet of “Jianzi Mulan Hua” written by Lu Xingzhou. So why was Qingyao Yuan their place of origin? Was there anything special about it? Yuan Muyu instinctively followed them, trailing far behind, watching Sheng Yuanyao nestling her head in the man’s arms amidst the wind and snow.

Qingyao Yuan was just on the outskirts of the city, and at their speed, they arrived quickly. On a snowy night, it was naturally deserted; there wasn’t even a guest staying there tonight. Sheng Yuanyao had sent the manager away, once again turning the vast mountain lake garden into her own backyard.

Sheng Yuanyao grinned, pulling Lu Xingzhou’s hand to the lakeside. “Isn’t strolling here much better than your backyard?”

Lu Xingzhou also smiled. It was the middle of the night, deserted outdoors, dark and cold, a perfect ghost place, good for nothing… But with their cultivation, these were not issues. Good or bad wasn’t about the place, but the mood. Just like Yuan Muyu would only think this place was spooky.

Sheng Yuanyao led Lu Xingzhou on a leisurely stroll along the lake, saying, “Your sister and both our families said the betrothal gifts can be whatever we ask for, and she’ll provide however much. Are they so wealthy because they’re digging into Yanluo Dian?”

Lu Xingzhou replied, “Yanluo Dian doesn’t need to pay… My own family assets are quite substantial. I don’t have any specific demands; a few spirit stones can always smooth things over.”

“…I always feel that you and your sister are a bit distant and estranged, and you keep things quite separate, huh? She didn’t eat earlier, and you didn’t press her to stay.”

“You all should know that I was driven out of Yanluo Dian by her… Although any resentment I might have had was already vented when I thrashed her during the great competition in the sea, and now there’s no more hatred or resentment, a sense of distance is still inevitable. It feels like I can’t find anything to talk about. She was injured today, and my first instinct was to ask about it, but the words changed when they reached my lips.”

Sheng Yuanyao was stunned. “Why? She’s still willing to help you with the marriage proposal. Even if there’s estrangement, the familial bond is still there, isn’t it? You don’t even ask if she’s hurt; isn’t that a bit…”

“Hmm… I had some misguided thoughts back then, which makes it, how should I put it… for ordinary people, a very common concern, but when I say it, it sounds like lingering feelings, which easily causes her to misunderstand. Actually, I didn’t want it to be like this, it just seems deliberate… Tsk, I don’t really know how to get along with her normally now, and it will probably be difficult in the future too.”

“Misguided thoughts…”

Lu Xingzhou admitted frankly, “Yes, I pursued her, and she rejected me.”

“Oh ho, that’s not easy.” Sheng Yuanyao wasn’t jealous at all; instead, she was amused. She turned and looked at Lu Xingzhou several times. “Our deeply affectionate Young Master Lu, who looks at dogs with such emotion, actually had a day of being rejected.”

“It’s normal, not everyone can like everyone. Besides, her Dao path is like that, cutting off romantic feelings… There’s no solution to that,” Lu Xingzhou said. “Also, it might be because she raised me from a young age, so she has that feeling of looking after a child? I can imagine.”

“So Pei Lücha was afraid she would sabotage your marriage proposal, but you didn’t think she would.”

“That’s right, she has no interest in me, so why would she sabotage our relationship? What would be the point for her? At most, it’s a feeling like… her toy being snatched away?”

In the distance, Yuan Muyu closed her eyes.

Is that so? So that’s what you think.

It seems to make sense… All your perceptions were created by me… The perceptions from those original years were shattered and reshaped step by step during those one or two years of torment, on that cold, snowy night. This was the outcome I wanted to achieve, wasn’t it…? But even though I succeeded, why does it feel so painful?

Lu Xingzhou was clearly just casually chatting with Sheng Yuanyao, and it was Sheng Yuanyao who brought up the topic first. Naturally, he wouldn’t keep talking about “the woman who rejected her own husband.” They quickly moved on to other topics. But Yuan Muyu felt like she couldn’t hear another word, her ears ringing.

The two of them walked around the lake and naturally returned to the spot where Lu Xingzhou had once held Sheng Yuanyao to avoid Ye Wufeng’s assassination. Sheng Yuanyao chuckled, “Do you know… that guy named Chu Qingchen said that his ‘Qing’ and my ‘Yao’ made Qingyao Yuan sound very fated.”

Lu Xingzhou’s expression was serious. “Resolutely resist such imitative behavior. Does his ‘Qing’ even count?”

“Exactly!” Sheng Yuanyao turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “The moment you saved me, I thought, your Huo Qing, my Sheng Yuanyao, that is the true destiny ordained by heaven.”

“Not pretending anymore, huh? You fell for me then, and still called me ‘brother’.”

“Pfft, I don’t believe you couldn’t tell. I know you had Qingyao Yuan’s name in mind; you deliberately didn’t expose it, just wanting to take advantage of me without responsibility.”

“What advantage did I take of you?”

“You even snatched my hair tie, how can you say that…” Sheng Yuanyao bit her lower lip and pulled out a faded, yellowish dried grass ring. “Lu Xingzhou… this was the first gift you gave me. How can you say that…”

Lu Xingzhou was truly surprised that she still kept this item on her. It felt as if an arrow had pierced his heart, an indescribable sensation. Seeing Sheng Yuanyao’s smiling face, he could no longer hold back, embracing her tightly and lowering his head to kiss her. Sheng Yuanyao responded passionately.

As the young couple grew passionate, Yuan Muyu was as if struck by lightning. Huo Qing… that was Lu Xingzhou’s real name… She only knew it now, today. Qingyao, Qingyao, is that your destiny? But… my real name and yours could also form a destiny here, I also have a Yao (摇)… But they said Chu Qingchen’s Qing (轻) was an imitation. So, Ye Fuyao’s Yao (摇) is also. Like an imposter, secretly watching the happiness of the real couple. Yuan Muyu clutched her chest, again feeling her qi and blood stagnant, her blood churning.

As the young couple kissed, their passion grew. Lu Xingzhou whispered, “It’s windy by the lake… Shall we… go inside?”

Sheng Yuanyao knew what would happen if she went inside with the man. She felt a little shy, but more than that, anticipation. She softly hummed, “Mm.”

Lu Xingzhou lifted her into his arms. With a few swift steps, he ascended the nearby hill, entering the house where they had once strolled and cooked. Inside, shielded from the lake wind, it was warm, and the new bedding exuded the fresh scent of sun. Qingyao Yuan was merely a place for summer retreat and leisure; its conditions were not luxurious, far inferior to the current Lu Manor’s setup. Yet, as they looked at each other, they simultaneously felt that perhaps only this place was truly fitting for their bridal chamber.

Lu Xingzhou kissed her again. Sheng Yuanyao, yielding to his strength, sat on the edge of the bed, then slowly lay down, allowing him to cover her and kiss her. The kisses were no longer confined to her lips, falling like rain on her ears and neck. His hands were no longer limited to embracing her, but began to untie the girl’s accustomed warrior’s attire. Sheng Yuanyao submissively let him undress her, and then let his hands travel downwards. Before long, she was numb all over. They had been intimate before, but that was under a spell, her mind not entirely clear… This was truly and completely voluntary and anticipated, and it was so pleasurable, from body to soul… It could make a normally clear mind become as if enchanted, losing all normal thoughts.

“Yuanyao…” Lu Xingzhou leaned in again, murmuring in her ear.

Sheng Yuanyao was already more disoriented than if she were under a spell, and instinctively hummed, “Hmm?”

“Do we need to wait for the wedding night? It won’t be long.”

Sheng Yuanyao, her eyes hazy, held his head, her voice soft but resolute, “Isn’t this already our wedding night?”

Her long, slender legs actively wrapped around the man’s waist, like the Rangxiaohua (trumped vine) vines climbing across the eaves. The man finally stopped talking nonsense and quietly did what needed to be done.

After an unknown period, a warbling cry, and the Rangxiaohua fell. Sheng Yuanyao let out a soft groan of pain, and Lu Xingzhou quickly stopped moving. Sheng Yuanyao bit her lip, and suddenly asked, “Honestly, when did you start wanting to do this to me? I suddenly suspect you thought of it earlier than I did.”

You’re finally not a melon anymore… Lu Xingzhou honestly replied, “The first glance, when you were interrogating me.”

Sheng Yuanyao: “???”

“A female constable in uniform, how wonderful… And you’re so beautiful.”

Sheng Yuanyao was so angry she wanted to kick him off the bed. “You were a cripple back then, and you were already lusting!”

“We judge actions, not intentions. Besides, being crippled doesn’t affect that area… Does Commander Sheng want to try…”

“…It doesn’t hurt as much now, let’s try. If it’s fewer times than Long Qinghuang, I’m not done with you.”

Her voice gradually became intermittent, then turned into pleasurable gasps, too chaotic to form words. The exhilarated Guamei could never have imagined that someone would actually masochistically endure the tragedy she experienced on Longya in Yaodu that night.

In the darkness, Yuan Muyu trembled, clutching her ears against a column, slowly curling up on the ground.