Chapter 479: A Kiss
Hua Zhi casually sketched a design and set down her brush. "I've asked the servants to create another type of playing cards. Wait until they're made and I've approved them before you arrange for mass production."
"Are they more difficult to make than these playing cards?"
"Yes, and there are more material options available too. For lower-cost versions, wood or stone can be used, while jade can be reserved specifically for nobility."
Gu Yanxi nodded in agreement. Neither of them mentioned presenting them to the palace, as they never intended to let others know he was the one directing this behind the scenes. The palace had become a place without secrets nowadays, so he hadn't even explained in detail to the Emperor.
Feeling the hand warmer had cooled considerably, Hua Zhi felt somewhat aggrieved that her modern soul was sharing a room with her romantic partner yet they hadn't even shared any intimacy. What's more, Yanxi was being considerate of her reputation. Well, if the mountain won't come to me, then I must go to the mountain, right?
Placing the hand warmer on the table, Hua Zhi extended both hands. "I'm cold."
Gu Yanxi was momentarily startled, then almost laughed upon realizing her intention. He found this side of A Zhi truly... adorable. Yes, that was the word - adorable. A term usually inapplicable to her now fit perfectly.
Of course he would indulge her.
Gu Yanxi walked over and picked her up as if she were a child, then sat down on the chair himself. Cradling the petite figure in his arms, he wrapped her tightly in her cloak. Though doing this for the first time, he appeared completely natural.
"Why hasn't your health improved? I'll find an excuse to have Shaoyao come out of the palace in the next few days."
"Even if she examines me, I'll still need time to recover. I know my own body - it's not getting worse, but complete recovery won't come easily." Leaning against her personal furnace, Hua Zhi felt utterly comfortable. This warmth was far superior to any hand warmer. "But having her come out would be nice. It's been a while since I last saw her."
Gu Yanxi nuzzled the top of her head and whispered close to her ear, "Winter is difficult for him. The Emperor rarely allows Shaoyao to stray far from him these days."
"He's fallen ill again?"
"He caught a chill at Haoyue's place the other day." Gu Yanxi felt the hand warmer and placed it back beside A Zhi's hands before wrapping the cloak around her again.
"Speaking of Haoyue, I just remembered something. When she first traveled using the identity of the Seven Stars Cult Leader, she demonstrated genuine ability. I once suspected she might be the Celestial Master or possess medical skills. That holy water she used to attract followers - you had Shaoyao's master test it and confirmed it contained medicinal properties. Was her identity ever verified later?"
"It was never confirmed. It's as if she truly emerged from the mountains for worldly experience as she claimed. Our investigation only traced her sudden appearance in a village under Yuzhou's jurisdiction, with continuous mountain ranges behind that village. She had planned her origin story from the very beginning."
"She also claimed her destined marriage awaited in this mortal world." Hua Zhi laughed. "Now she's entered the palace as a consort, and if we're being technical, consorts are still concubines. Could this be her so-called destined marriage?"
"She appeared too conveniently with unclear origins. That's why I've always suspected her connection to the Chao Li Tribe."Hua Zhi thought for a moment and shook her head. "It shouldn't be someone from the Chao Li Tribe, but it must be someone with ulterior motives. When she recommended herself to you, she claimed to be skilled in divination and capable of assisting you. At that time, your identity was the leader of the Seven Constellation Bureau, meaning she targeted you from the very beginning. But why you and not a prince? The leader of the Seven Constellation Bureau may appear powerful, but everyone knows you're an isolated minister. The Emperor wouldn't allow you to marry early, and yet she claimed she could assist you."
Hua Zhi looked up at him. "Assist you with what? Usurping the throne?"
Gu Yanxi covered her mouth—she truly dared to say anything!
Hua Zhi pulled his hand away. "There's no one else here."
"She believes I will become the final victor." Holding her hand back in place, Gu Yanxi shared his discovery. "She hinted at this multiple times. I've never been able to understand where her confidence comes from."
"Is it possible... she has experienced these events before?"
Gu Yanxi lowered his head to meet her gaze. "Like Zhuang Zhou's butterfly dream?"
"Something like that. Actually, if it weren't for me, all the prophecies she mentioned could have come true. Have you never suspected me?"
"I prefer to believe you are a variable—the best possible variable for Daqing, for me, and for the Hua family." Gu Yanxi pressed his forehead against hers, his voice slightly hoarse. "Without you, the Hua family might have suffered greatly, Little Six might have died young as Haoyue predicted, Wu Yong might have succumbed to poison long ago, and I would still be running around putting out fires everywhere... What reason would I have to doubt you? You've benefited so many people, yet you're the only one who has paid the price."
His warm breath brushed her face as their eyes locked. Hua Zhi wondered if her gaze revealed anything, but her heart swelled with trust. She smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons, her voice soft and tender from being hushed. "I have you, haven't I? This is the most worthwhile deal I've made in this lifetime!"
Gu Yanxi nuzzled her forehead, unable to resist kissing her delicate nose, then moving lower to her lips.
Hua Zhi opened herself completely, offering no resistance, willingly parting her lips to welcome him. Their tongues intertwined, not with lustful intimacy but with profound tenderness, as if this was always meant to be, an inevitable step in their relationship.
"A Zhi..." Foreheads still touching, Gu Yanxi sighed her name softly. He had promised the Hua family to restrain his passions and uphold propriety, but he seemed to have overestimated himself—he couldn't control his desire to be close to A Zhi.
Breathing lightly, Hua Zhi's expression showed unreserved delight. After over a year of knowing each other, they had finally kissed—she felt it had been such a long time coming! If this were her previous era, they would have worn out the bedsheets by now!
Gu Yanxi, who had initially worried about being too forward, couldn't help but chuckle softly at her reaction. His A Zhi was truly... unique.
"You're mine now." Hua Zhi tapped Yanxi's lips with her finger.
Gu Yanxi smiled, his eyes dripping with honeyed affection. "Yours, all yours. Take me quickly—no returns or exchanges."
Hua Zhi hummed lightly. Given their current relationship, there was no need for returns. If they were to part, it would be as simple as clapping hands and going separate ways. But now was a time for joy, so she wouldn't spoil the mood with such remarks. After all, the Emperor didn't have many years left—she and Yanxi had a long future ahead of them."Should the Hua family continue keeping its doors closed or start interacting with other families?"
"There aren't many families worth interacting with anyway. Besides, with a household full of women, it's not appropriate to frequently socialize outside. Who knows how much gossip that might invite? We'd be better off closing our doors and living our own lives. Still, there's no need to actively avoid social obligations either - we should attend the necessary weddings and funerals to maintain proper decorum."
Gu Yanxi thought the same - neither avoiding nor being overly active, just maintaining basic social propriety.
The two of them whispered intimately to each other. Gu Yanxi found himself completely captivated by A Zhi's rare display of vulnerability and coquettishness, wishing he could tear out his very heart and offer it to her.
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