"Fujun, why aren't you going to bed?"
The woman walked into the study that remained brightly lit the entire night.
"Are you writing a letter?"
Zhu Wuyang nonchalantly packed the letter and placed it in the bottom-most part of the cabinet. Smiling, he said, "It's something I plan on handing over to A Fu and the rest. No need to mind it."
He stood up and covered Linlang's body with the cloak hanging in the study. "The wind is strong at night. If you're sleepy, head to bed first. You don't have to wait for me."
As he said this, he hugged her back to the bedroom.
"I can't sleep without seeing fujun."
Linlang leaned against his chest and said coquettishly.
The man lightly rubbed her cheek and murmured, "If one day I pass... what will you do?"
"Pass what?" Linlang didn't hear him clearly.
The city lord seems to be very worried as of late. He often coaxes her to sleep then goes out alone and doesn't return before sunrise.
She never says anything, always seeming to sleep through it all.
Another month passed.
In a blink of an eye, it was time for Linlang to give birth.
Outside the delivery room, the man was pacing back and forth. The anxiety on his face was obvious to see.
It's been a day now. Why hasn't she given birth yet?
When he heard the heart-piercing cries, he wanted to rush in immediately but was stopped because his presence would only increase the pressure on her.
While his thoughts were in turmoil, there was a mishap on the other side.
"You say the young lady fell? How could this happen? Weren't you all properly looking after her?"
The informant merely lowered his head, not daring to speak.
Zhu Wuyang took a deep breath and barely suppressed the fire in his heart. "What is her current situation?"
"The midwife already arrived and is currently inducing her labor. The young lady is crying bitterly and says she wants to see her brother." The maid said cautiously, "Master, would you like to go and visit her?"
Zhu Wuyang gave her a cold look. "Withdraw."
As soon as the voice fell, there was a burst of crying coming inside.
They were the cries of a child.
He finally couldn't help himself and opened the door to enter.
The midwife said cheerfully, "Congratulations to the city lord. It's a young master! Mother and son are both safe!"
His anxious heart immediately eased when he heard those words behind him. On his face was an unconcealable smile. "Rewards! Rewards all around!"
"Fujun."
She called out softly.
Linlang's black hair was damp, and he felt distressed as he saw her lying there with a pale face.
Zhu Wuyang immediately stepped forward. Holding her hand, he said tenderly, "Furen has worked hard."
She laughed, "This little one almost tossed me to death."Please read this at onemachineshow.blogspot.com
The city lord followed her gaze to look at the small body beside her.
The newborn baby was wrinkled, and the hair on top of its head looked extremely soft. He was clenching his little fists as he cried like a kitten. The disjointed cries did not sound healthy at all.
"Fujun, pick him up and coax him. He might stop crying," said Linlang. He reached out and cautiously picked up the incredibly light creature. He didn't know if his posture was correct and turned to Linlang in embarrassment.
Linlang smiled at him and nodded.
He breathed a sigh of relief. When he looked down again, the little guy had fallen asleep. That reddened face had tear stains as he nestled adorably in his arms.
"It would seem that he prefers fujun." Linlang smiled. Her voice sounded a little tired.
Zhu Wuyang immediately told her to rest properly and ordered the midwife to take care of the young master.
He couldn't stay for too long. After asking the maids to take good care of his wife, he rode to the Fang family's home. He had to confirm his sister's situation.
Zhu Jinse gave birth prematurely. Her body was originally fragile, and her postpartum hemorrhage was much worse than he imagined. She was asleep for a long while before she woke up. Once she saw Zhu Wuyang standing next to her, she started to cry again. "Jinse thought she would never see Brother again."
His lips moved slightly before finally releasing a sigh.
"You are my sister. How could I abandon you?"
He will always remember that whenever he was imprisoned in the ancestral hall as a child, she would sneak inside to accompany him.
She cried harder than he did whenever he was struck with the board.
He swore to protect her forever, even if it meant giving up his life.
The siblings spoke for a while until they were interrupted by a loud cry.
The man smiled slightly. "My little nephew is quite energetic."
Zhu Jinse showed a triumphant smile on her face and called for someone to carry him over.
The boy weighing eight jin and six taels was crying so heartily that the entire Fang family could hear him. Grandmother Fang was very happy. Her grandson was simply handsome, the cream of the crop. Not even the next door's babe could compare to him.
The boy's hair was dark and swarthy, his eyelashes slender and thick, and the small red mouth made people want to kiss him.
Although he was a handful, that couldn't hold back everyone's overflowing compassion.
Because of this, Zhu Jinse could now walk with her head held high. Her current position in the Fang family was no different from an empress dowager. The grandmother-in-law was always coming over to inquire about her wellbeing. She was beyond pleased.
"Yuan'er, come here. Let your mother hug you."
But the other party didn't cooperate with her at all. He opened his mouth and cried loudly. He even urinated her.
Zhu Jinse really had the heart to give a beating.
The grandmother-in-law couldn't help but complain as she glanced at her. She promptly coaxed the darling baby then left.
Zhu Wuyang looked at the child several times.
"Brother, look, Yuan'er bullies me." Zhu Jinse deliberately said in a coquettish manner.
"You already have a child of your own yet you still complain like one." Then he withdrew his attention and teased his sister.
The atmosphere was pleasant. It seemed like they had gone back to the good old days.
Meanwhile, Linlang was resting in bed.
Someone came over with a bowl of chicken soup.
The person's black brocade boots stopped in front of her bed.
"You must be hungry. Have some soup."
The man's hoarse voice sounded in the room.
Linlang raised her eyes and saw his slightly reddened eyes.
So, she stretched out her hand and touched them. "Why did you cry?"
"The wind was too strong, so the eyes teared."
The butler refused to admit that the man bawling an hour ago was none other than himself.
Linlang thought that she should give him some face.
She lowered her head and obediently drank the soup from the bowl in his hands.
"Did you make this soup?" She asked, her eyes glancing at the injury on his finger.
"You think too much. Gentlemen stay clear of the kitchen. How can I cook?"
The little butler began to harden his words again.
That's right, he's jealous. He's jealous of that man for being her husband and for being able to rightfully watch over her. As for him, he can only act like a thief, and even if he cries from worrying, he had to watch out for people for fear of causing trouble for her.
She walked back from the gates of hell, but he was not the first one to comfort her.
He couldn't even hold the child lest it gave the truth away.
Was he not a spineless coward?
"You must be exhausted. Be sure to rest." The butler suddenly realized that his emotions were not right. He quickly ended the topic, packed his things, and prepared to step out.
Her slender and weak hand gently covered the back of his hand.
"The father of the child should name the baby."
At that moment, he felt that all his limbs had gone soft.
He couldn't muster any strength.
"Lao Gong, are you still angry?" Linlang kissed the corner of his lips.
The butler was dazed by her assault.
Angry?
Angry about what?
Is he angry?Please read this at onemachineshow.blogspot.com
He was currently spinning from the tenderness. How could he have the presence of mind to be angry?
This woman was truly cunning.
Because of the young master's, the city lord's mansion was brimming with joy.
However, after the addition to the family, the male lead was busier than before. Not only was he busy until late at night, but he was also rarely ever seen.
Everyone found this situation to be strange.
The smile on the city lord's wife strained over time.
Until one night.Please read this at onemachineshow.blogspot.com
While she was half asleep, someone gently kissed her forehead.
"Furen, I'm leaving now."
Linlang opened her drowsy eyes.
Under the swaying candlelight, half of his face was dyed with a faint shadow that softened his ordinarily cold eyebrows.
He kissed her forehead, brows, nose, cheeks, and lips. He kissed her tirelessly again and again.
Linlang turned to the side and propped her face with one hand. Her eyes did not open when she asked per usual, "Where are you going? When will you return?"
"I'm going somewhere far away. I might not be able to come back."
The man spoke softly, "So let me say first goodbye to you and Fu'er."
His palm touched his wife's soft and delicate face. "Why is this face so worn? Has that stinky boy been coming over to trouble you again?"
"Fu'er is very obedient and listens well. He sleeps as soon as he's full. He never troubles me." She lightly rubbed against his palm. "It's just that I've been missing fujun too much. I haven't seen you for several days. I feel awful. I don't even care to eat."
He felt a pang in his heart.
Is he not the same?
Linlang squinted her eyes open. They seemed to water as she said coquettishly, "Fujun, you haven't coaxed me to sleep in a long time."
"You're a mother now. Do you still need someone to coax you to sleep?" Zhu Wuyang smiled.
Even so, he still coaxed her to sleep.
Zhu Wuyang reached out his hand, gently moved the hair strands from her cheek, and tucked her in the quilt again.
Farewell, furen.
He glanced at the large red lantern hanging in the front gates. His black cloak fluttered as he turned the horse. He did not look back again.
Zhu Wuyang single-handedly rushed to the bandits' den on the nearby mountain.
These bandits burn, kill, and pillage. They did not shrink from any crime and had harmed a good number of girls. However, because of their cunning advisor and numerous experts, they were a difficult challenge to take on.
Zhu Wuyang wasn't sure that he would survive.
But this was also his original intention.
When he becomes a tragic hero, people would extol him, approve of him, and thereby be lenient to the hero's widow and progeny.
This was the last thing he can do for them.
As blood was blurring his eyes, he seemed to see Linlang walking with the child, smiling and saying that they should head home for dinner.
Yes, go home. He wants to go home.
They were waiting for him.
Zhu Wuyang tried to get up when suddenly, he staggered.
A sharp arrow shot through his chest.
He dumbly looked at the blood pouring out of him.
It wasn't stopping.
No, no, he wants to go back, go back...
His little ancestor is still waiting for him to go back to coax...
However, the blood continued to pour.
On this night, the soaring flames burned the bones buried on the mountain.
A person died.
A person idly strolled down the mountain.
"So foolish."
There was a faintly mocking smile at the corner of his mouth. His blood-soaked appeared ghostly against the backdrop of flames.