In the adjacent guest room, the window was wide open. Wind carrying snow whistled in, yet the man sitting on the windowsill remained motionless as his clothes fluttered wildly, as if he felt no chill at all.
Gu Yanxi didn’t know what he was thinking about, but no matter what crossed his mind, it always settled on those eyes—sometimes calm, sometimes puzzled, sometimes sharp, sometimes resolute—revealing the true nature their owner sought to conceal.
He had encountered too many women. Most were full of schemes, while the kind-hearted ones never lasted long. Whether forced or by choice, they would taint themselves, striving to become the ultimate victors.
He couldn’t help but wonder: if Hua Zhi were in such circumstances, what would she do? Would she assimilate to protect herself, or would she outsmart them all and rise to the top?
But his time spent with her along the way made him realize he might be mistaken. If it were Hua Zhi, she would likely disdain such games and instead devise a plan to escape early on. Even high walls and grand courtyards couldn’t confine her—unless she was willing, just as she had once chosen to remain within the Hua family’s inner quarters.
He never imagined he would one day admire a woman, and this admiration only grew with each passing day.
He was well aware of what such deep interest in a woman meant. How novel this feeling was! In his twenty-four years of life, it was the first time he found a woman so admirable, so pleasing in every way. If he missed this one, who knew if he’d ever be lucky enough to meet another? His luck had never been good.
Gu Yanxi gave a wry smile, catching a snowflake on his fingertip and watching it melt into a droplet that moistened his skin. It seemed his luck had taken a turn for the better—how rare it was to encounter a woman who wasn’t afraid of him. Moreover, she got along so well with Shaoyao.
A knock came at the door, and from the rhythm alone, he knew who it was. Without turning his head, Gu Yanxi said, “Come in.”
Shaoyao first peeked in, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on him. She closed the door and shuffled over, fidgeting and touching things here and there, her expression clearly hesitant.
“What did Hua Zhi say?”
Shaoyao started. “Heir… Yan Ge, you were eavesdropping!”
“If I were eavesdropping, I wouldn’t need to ask you what she said.” Gu Yanxi looked at Shaoyao, who had filled out a bit, his gaze remaining indifferent.
Faced with this version of the Heir, Shaoyao actually felt more at ease. The Heir she knew was never as gentle and accommodating as he appeared in front of Hua Hua.
Thinking of Hua Hua, Shaoyao’s heart grew heavy. She slid down to sit against the wall. “Yan Ge, actually, it’s not that I don’t remember anything from the past at all.”
Gu Yanxi lowered his head to look at her.
“Sometimes I dream about things at night. I know they happened many years ago when I was very small, only about this tall.” Shaoyao gestured with her hand. “I had my hair in little buns and loved chasing after a little brother. He was very good to me—he would hold me and give me treats. In the dreams, there’s often an incredibly beautiful woman too. She smiles at me, combs my hair, and says that when I grow up, she’ll marry me off close by. If my husband’s family dares to bully me, she’ll have that little brother storm their house to defend me.”
Shaoyao lifted her head to meet Gu Yanxi’s gaze, her smile pure and unguarded. “I know that little brother is you, Yan Ge, and that woman was our mother, wasn’t she?”Gu Yanxi neither nodded nor shook his head. Those past memories were too heavy—it was enough that he remembered them. Since Shaoyao had chosen to forget, it was best she never knew.
Shaoyao didn’t mind either way. In her heart, she was already certain: Chen Qing had followed Yan Ge for many years, and she could tell his attitude toward her was different from how he treated others.
She didn’t want to know what had happened before—it must have been unpleasant, judging by her face. All she needed to know was that Yan Ge was her brother.
“I want Hua Hua to become my sister-in-law more than anyone else. She’s so wonderful—I’m sure she wouldn’t tolerate anyone speaking ill of me. But Yan Ge, that’s not the life Hua Hua wants. To her, being the Heir’s consort is far less appealing than living freely.”
Leaning against the wall, Shaoyao tilted her head back and looked at the rather mediocre inn. “Earlier, Hua Hua asked me if you had a wife. I thought she might be interested in you, but she was only worried that it would be improper for her to ride with you if you were already married. She said she’s given up on the idea of marriage. When the time is right, she’ll find a refined little house to live in, watch the sun rise and set, and lead a leisurely life. Yan Ge, she was saying that for you to hear.”
Listening to this, Gu Yanxi wasn’t the least bit surprised. He had overstepped boundaries, and such an intelligent woman couldn’t have failed to notice. She neither pretended ignorance nor considered seeking a protector—she must be confident she could support the Hua family on her own.
Just like this journey to the northern borders. Even without him accompanying her, she would have managed it, at most enduring more hardship and fatigue.
No one knew just how resilient she could be.
When the Heir didn’t respond, Shaoyao couldn’t resist making things explicit. “Yan Ge, do you like Hua Hua?”
Gu Yanxi looked at her with an expression that said, “Are you stating the obvious?”
Shaoyao also felt she’d asked a pointless question. Not to mention how he treated a woman—the Heir had never been this attentive even to the Emperor. If it wasn’t affection, what else could it be? “How much do you like her?”
Gu Yanxi thought seriously for a moment. “Enough to want to bring the Hua family back, so she doesn’t have to travel to the northern borders in bitter cold or scorching heat. What degree would that be?”
Shaoyao pondered but still couldn’t grasp the extent, so she simply asked another question. “Then do you want to marry her?”
“With the Hua family’s troubles unresolved, do you think she would marry? What do you think would happen to the Hua family without her?”
It would collapse completely! Shaoyao nodded in understanding. But knowing Hua Hua as she did, she was certain Hua Hua’s declaration about not marrying wasn’t just empty words.
“Yan Ge, you wouldn’t force her, would you?”
“I want a wife, not an enemy.” Gu Yanxi recalled that rainy night, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “If I forced her, could I ever sleep peacefully again?”
Shaoyao wholeheartedly agreed. “Hua Hua would definitely take you down with her.”
Gu Yanxi gazed out the window at the snow swirling wildly in the howling wind. What he admired and valued was the unyielding, responsible Hua Zhi who dared to venture to the extreme north with just a few companions. Even her occasional fierceness seemed endearing to him. But that didn’t mean he wanted to become the target of her ferocity.
How much did he like her?To worry about what worries her, do what she does, think what she thinks, protect what she protects, to stand shoulder to shoulder with her, to see her smile at me, to shelter her from wind and rain, to become the first person she thinks of when facing difficulties...
What degree is this?
Probably, the degree of wanting to become the one and only person in her heart.
"Today, you ride my horse and take her with you."
Shaoyao blinked, "Yan Ge, have you forgotten your horse once kicked me flat on my back?"
"Not today."
Shaoyao understood—it had kicked her before because Yan Ge allowed it!
PS: Double update today.
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