"There is me in you, and you in me." he replied with a smile.
For a moment, she was lost in thought. This seemed different from what her mother had said, who had advised that a couple should respect each other like guests. Jian Nan Xiao's mother, on the other hand, had said that as a woman, one should not interfere too much with her husband and should quickly bear him children.
But Song Xiuyuan said that wasn't called a couple.
"Will you not take concubines in the future?" she asked, looking up at him.
"My lady, having you is enough for me. Others are like dirt in my eyes," Song Xiuyuan said, meeting her gaze frankly.
It was hard not to be moved by his words. She suddenly remembered someone and asked, "If, in the future, someone were to exchange their future for a position by your side, how would you handle it?"
Song Xiuyuan smiled faintly at her words, but his gaze was unusually firm. "My lady, having you is enough for me. I don't want anyone else, only you."
Hearing this, Xue Xingyue's heart warmed. Zhao Xiuzhu, you will be disappointed. Your most desired cousin Zhaoyan, no one else wants him?
"My lady, what are you thinking about?" Song Xiuyuan suddenly moved closer. The faint scent of her body lingered on him, making him savor the moment.
"Song Xiuyuan, why are you so close to me?" She only then realized how close they were, a mere fist's length apart.
"My lady, I..."
Feeling Song Xiuyuan's warmth, she immediately understood. She took a step back and gritted her teeth, "Song Xiuyuan, where has your formerly ascetic self gone?"
Ascetic? Song Xiuyuan heard this and his eyes held a hint of allure. "My lady, who told you I was ascetic? If you don't believe me, why don't you try and find out?"
"You... you showed it!" She clearly saw his ascetic appearance every time she saw him. Could it be... she frowned, looking at Song Xiuyuan and asking, "Song Xiuyuan, don't tell me you are a..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Song Xiuyuan covered her mouth with his hand and whispered, "There's someone outside."
Someone? What did that mean? So, everything she had just said could be heard outside? Oh heavens! She wished she could die of shame right away.
Outside the door, Mu Xingzhi was excitedly listening to the conversation inside, his heart filled with exhilaration, thinking all the credit for this should go to him. If he hadn't been secretly giving Xue Xingyue strong medicine every day, how could they have gotten together so intimately?
Suddenly, he was thrown aside by a powerful force, landing on the ground. It took him a while to recover. He wailed on the ground, crying out in pain.
The culprit, however, stood at the doorway and brazenly said, "Young Master Mu, eavesdropping on private conversations is not a good thing."
"I wasn't eavesdropping," Mu Xingzhi said righteously.
Even if he was listening, it was only natural, as he still wanted to know if his medicine had any effect.
After the Crown Prince's wedding, it was time for the annual royal hunt. This year, due to the arrival of envoys from three countries, the royal hunt required more preparation and expense.
And all of this fell upon Song Xiuyuan.
Therefore, Xue Xingyue had not seen Song Xiuyuan for several days. However, this was good, as she was still having trouble facing Song Xiuyuan after their intimate encounter, and this gave her time to adjust.
Since the Crown Prince's wedding, the Ninth Princess had not returned to the Sima Mansion. The Crown Princess was also very quiet and had even sent some gifts to the Sima Mansion. However, Xue Xingyue learned all of this from Qin Er Niang after she left her room.
Song Xiuyuan had forbidden anyone from telling her what was happening outside until she left her room.
"Miss, you should come out more. The sunlight is just right now, no need for shade," Qin Er Niang said as she walked over with tea and pastries, seeing Xue Xingyue sitting in the courtyard.
Xue Xingyue looked up at the distant scenery and said lightly, "The scenery is still the same."
"Miss, if you are tired, Qin Er Niang will help you back," Qin Er Niang said.
"It's alright, I'm not tired yet," Xue Xingyue shook her head.
Suddenly, there was a commotion from outside, and she could even hear Wu Hen's voice. She looked at Qin Er Niang and said, "Qin Er Niang, go and see what's happening?"
Qin Er Niang nodded and went out.
After a while, Qin Er Niang still hadn't returned.
Xue Xingyue frowned. She stood up, and a figure appeared before her. "Miss."
She looked up, startled by the person before her. She took a step back because the man standing in front of her had a very dark complexion. However, after looking for a while, she realized his face was somewhat familiar. Calling his complexion dark was an understatement; it was more of a wheatish skin tone, and his eyes were dark and bright.
Seeming to notice her confusion, the man coughed a few times. "Miss, I am Feng Qing."
"Feng Qing?" She couldn't reconcile this man with the delicate Feng Qing she remembered. They were not the same person! "How did you become like this?"
Feng Qing chuckled a few times. "Miss, doesn't this look more masculine?"
Xue Xingyue twitched her lips and nodded. "Yes, it certainly has a certain charm."
She suddenly remembered that after that incident, she had not seen Feng Qing again. This seemed to be the first time she had seen Feng Qing since her troubles. She had asked Wu Hen, who had said that Feng Qing was severely punished by Song Xiuyuan for failing to protect her properly. Seeing Feng Qing now, it seemed to be his appearance after punishment.
"What exactly happened outside?" She felt Feng Qing would know.
"Han Wei is here," Feng Qing said, looking at her.
Xue Xingyue was slightly taken aback, her gaze subtly darkening. "What did he come here for?"
Feng Qing: "Qi Yu Yuan has been unconscious for three to five days, and he kept calling out..." He paused. Seeing that she showed no particular reaction, he continued, "He was calling for you, so they probably want to ask you to see him."
Xue Xingyue snorted upon hearing this. "If he's sick, he should find a doctor. Why is he looking for me? I'm not a doctor!"
"Miss Xue, I, Han Wei, have come to request an audience," Han Wei's voice could be heard from outside at that moment.
Feng Qing narrowed his eyes and said, "Miss, I'll drive him away."
As he was about to leave, Xue Xingyue thought for a moment and called out to Feng Qing, "Let him in."
Feng Qing was stunned. "Miss, if you don't wish to see him, I will drive him away immediately."
"Let him in. Otherwise, if he doesn't want to leave, you might not be able to drive him away." Who was Han Wei? He was the commander of the Qi Kingdom's Imperial Guard, with great martial arts skills. Qin Er Niang, Wu Hen, and Feng Qing combined might be his match, but if it came to that, it would become known to everyone.