This person was sometimes truly stubborn, and always had some strange principles. For instance, in the past when she kept urging him to let her pay his bills, he just wouldn’t agree. There was even once when he went to eat at Yilou with the three new imperial scholars from that year, but he still settled the bill before leaving.

He wouldn’t spend a penny of her money or borrow even a bit of help from her.

How could he be like this?

Shen Xiling was both angry and helpless. After thinking it over, she felt it might be her own fault – she had never had the opportunity to demonstrate her reliability in front of him. So to prove her capability, Shen Xiling detailed and slightly exaggerated her recent achievements before him, explaining how she had secretly operated with Master Gong, how much leverage she held over officials in the Great Wei court, and how she had threatened Gu Juhan to finally get to see him – laying it all out completely.

This was indeed beyond Qi Ying’s expectations.

He had thought Gu Juhan brought her to this desolate mountain out of softheartedness, but there was actually such a complex background.

This little girl… keeping quiet while making such big moves.

However, her actions were truly too risky – what if Gu Juhan had truly hardened his heart to kill her? Naturally the things in her hands could be entrusted to others and would still cause the Wei court to be wary, but it would inevitably invite trouble upon herself.

He didn’t want her to have even a bit of danger.

But at this moment, the little girl lying on his lap and looking up at him had eyes that were somewhat too bright, clearly waiting for his praise. If he said something else now, it would be too much of a killjoy. He thought about it – in any case, he would always keep her protected by his side from now on, so these matters should be left for him to handle personally.

Therefore, Young Master Qi didn’t say any superfluous words at the time, only pretended to be very appreciative as he stroked the little girl’s hair, praising: “Mm, truly clever.”

Though these words were brief, they still pleased the easily satisfied Shen Xiling. She was quite content, but then immediately discovered that though this person had praised her, he still had absolutely no intention of discussing those conspiracies with her, making her even more anxious.

She hit him once, saying somewhat angrily: “Then tell me! Could I possibly ruin your plans?”

Qi Ying smiled but didn’t take up this topic. Just then a bird landed on the loquat tree, making pleasant chirping sounds. He looked up at the treetops and pointed to the bird among the leaves, asking her: “Look, what kind of bird is that?”

An obvious diversion.

He wouldn’t tell her those things. In his heart, perhaps she truly was no longer a child, but she was still someone he was determined to protect. He could share good times with her, but absolutely didn’t want to bring her through hardship. He would handle those matters himself – as for his little girl, she didn’t need to worry about such things at all.

Shen Xiling was truly about to be angered to death by this person, but she couldn’t make him listen to her and could only sulk by herself. He laughed and gently kissed and coaxed her. She really was hopeless – after being coaxed for just a while, her anger dissipated. She even followed his wishes and looked up at the treetops, actually going to identify what kind of bird it was.

She looked and said somewhat disinterestedly: “Isn’t it just a sparrow?”

“Is it?” He seemed quite interested and observed for a while longer. Only after the bird flew away did he casually add: “I think it looks more like an oriole.”

Shen Xiling had no mood to debate with him whether some irrelevant bird was a sparrow or an oriole. She felt dejected beside him for a while, then went to the kitchen to cook.

Speaking of it, many things in life were indeed quite mysterious.

Take time, for instance – originally such a concrete and irreversible thing, yet when encountering a certain person it seemed to completely lose its effect. That person seemed able to replace time, and seemed to be time itself, capable of bringing you back to the past and making one become like their younger self.

They had this kind of meaning for each other.

As long as they were together, all the changes they had experienced separately over these years, all the wounds left on them would disappear. They could easily return to their former passionate state, everything exactly the same as before, even the way they looked at each other hadn’t changed at all – equally tender, equally intimate.

Though perhaps there were some changes… such as at night.

Years ago when they were together, both were very restrained, but ever since that incident a few days ago… everything became different.

Young Master Qi had originally still wanted to observe gentlemanly conduct, thinking that since they hadn’t married after all, being together every night wasn’t very proper and it would be better to restrain himself. However, no matter how firm his daytime resolve was, when night came he couldn’t help but waver.

But this really couldn’t be blamed on Young Master Qi.

His little girl was indeed somewhat too alluring. Previously she had merely been beautiful, but now she had gained some feminine charm. Moreover, she always looked at him with that hesitant expression, always seeming to be seducing him. Any ordinary man couldn’t withstand such temptation, and Young Master Qi ultimately couldn’t escape convention either. The result was that the indulgence of that night was frequently repeated afterward, and no one could do anything about it.

Sigh.

To be fair, Shen Xiling also enjoyed being intimate with him, but girls would naturally feel somewhat shy at such times. Moreover, every time he looked at her, those phoenix eyes held fire, and Shen Xiling, being thin-skinned, was too embarrassed to meet his gaze.

He… he was truly too wicked.

The time before sleep after their passion had faded was what Shen Xiling loved most.

At these times it would be very quiet between them, and neither had much to say, but silence seemed to be the best intimacy. They would often hide in the quiet, silently enjoying the most tender companionship. At these moments he would considerately and gently massage her waist. If she was still crying or having a little tantrum then, he would hold her and coax her. Whether he was wrong or not, he would apologize and say he was wrong. If she asked where he was wrong, he would say he was wrong everywhere.

His temper was so good there were no words for it, always coaxing the little girl to happiness.

That day she was being restless in his arms again, refusing to sleep, chattering about various idle topics. Later, somehow she had a sudden whim to pinch her own face, then frowned and asked him if she had gotten fatter recently.

Qi Ying smiled, glanced at her, then reached out to pinch her other cheek: “Have you?”

“Yes,” Shen Xiling said with certainty, then touched her waist, her expression becoming even more certain. “I have gotten fatter.”

Seeing Qi Ying didn’t believe her, she pulled his hand to gesture around her waist, asking: “Look, haven’t I gotten fatter?”

Qi Ying grasped her waist, only feeling that her small waist was so slender he couldn’t encompass it with one hand. When he touched it, he didn’t even dare use force, afraid he might accidentally break it.

What getting fatter – complete nonsense.

He sighed and said: “I don’t think so…”

But Shen Xiling remained very certain, thinking her recent weight gain should be due to a relaxed heart making one plump… They had been living together in these mountains for nearly half a month now. Recently she had been happy every day, and even her usually poor appetite had improved considerably. Sure enough, she had gained weight.

She didn’t think getting a bit plump was bad, but at this moment, touching her waist, she suddenly had a whim and said: “…Could I be pregnant?”

This made Young Master Qi cough.

He was somewhat helpless and pinched her face again, saying: “How could you show so quickly?”

Shen Xiling didn’t understand these things very well, but thinking carefully, it seemed indeed one shouldn’t show pregnancy so quickly – for instance, her sister-in-law Qin Shi had only shown pregnancy after three or four months when she had children.

She nodded and leaned back into Qi Ying’s arms. Her earlier liveliness disappeared as she became quiet, as if she had something on her mind.

She thought for a while, then asked him somewhat hesitantly: “Then… if I really became pregnant, what would we do?”

This precautionary planning was very reasonable – indeed, she very likely could become pregnant.

Not to mention that first night’s uncontrolled scene, just these past few days, he had again…

Shen Xiling’s cheeks were red as if drunk, yet her heart also felt somewhat empty and lost.

Though they had reconciled as before during this period, he still never told her about his circumstances or his plans, which inevitably made her feel somewhat panicked and worry… that he had no intention of having a future with her.

She knew there were countless difficulties between them. Not only were there countless complications on his side, but her situation was also a tangled mess. For instance, she was already remarried – even if there were extenuating circumstances and hidden reasons, could she still enter the Qi family’s doors in the future? Could she still become his wife? If she didn’t have this status, would they have children together?

Shen Xiling didn’t know.

Of course she wasn’t a greedy person and didn’t covet perfect fulfillment in everything with him. She could treat their current time together as something she had stolen, and if she had to return it later, she understood that would be natural. But ultimately, any person would inevitably harbor some attachments. She hoped that even if there actually wouldn’t be any outcome between them, he could at least consider their future together somewhat…

She was thinking these rather depressing thoughts when she suddenly heard him say: “Naturally we would have the child.”

Naturally we would have the child.

Without hesitation, decisive and clean.

Shen Xiling looked up at him in surprise. He was looking back at her with a frank expression. Seeing her surprised look, he even raised an eyebrow and asked with a laugh: “What’s so surprising about this?”

His certainty instead left Shen Xiling somewhat speechless. For a moment she didn’t know what to say. She felt her heartbeat quickening, and after a long while she managed to squeeze out a sentence, asking him: “…Have the child? But we…”

But we… do we really have a future?

Qi Ying understood the unfinished second half of her sentence, feeling somewhat sighing in his heart.

This little girl… she wasn’t even certain whether they had a future together, yet she gave herself to him like this?

Really…

He felt she was very foolish like this, yet his heart filled even more with pity for her – just like in the past, she could always so easily make his heart ache.

He embraced her, letting her lean against his chest, while his other hand gently patted the back of her hand. At that moment he really wanted to give her promises and set her mind at ease, but the future had too many variables – even he couldn’t control them. Therefore, after long contemplation, he ultimately chose to tell her the truth: “I also don’t know what will happen to us in the future. Perhaps I will lose this time.”

Hearing these words, though Shen Xiling knew he was being honest, her heart still couldn’t help but feel somewhat downcast. Just as she was about to respond, she heard him add: “But if I have offspring in this lifetime, it will definitely be your child.”

Shen Xiling froze.

This wasn’t a particularly sweet-sounding statement – it even seemed too plain and ordinary. But when it fell into Shen Xiling’s ears, her eyes moistened.

She understood his meaning.

He couldn’t guarantee their ending would definitely be good.

But even if it was bad, they would bear it together.

He had bound their fates together.

Author’s Note: I’m speechless