How could Song Luan possibly stay asleep after being gripped so hard? But she dared not act pitiful in front of Zhao Nanyu. Swallowing hard, she subtly scooted further inward on the bed and offered a sheepish smile. “I’m just a light sleeper. It’s not your fault.”

Blaming him? She wouldn’t even dream of it.

Zhao Nanyu paused for a moment, seemingly caught off guard, then gave a quiet “Mm.” His deep, piercing gaze lingered on her, making Song Luan’s cheeks flush uncontrollably. She averted her eyes, refusing to meet his.

The moonlight outside bathed the room in a silvery glow, creating an ambiance thick with unspoken tension.

Without warning, Zhao Nanyu turned and edged closer to her, propping himself up on one hand near her ear. He stared at her intently for a long moment before slowly lowering his face. His soft lips hovered just shy of her cheek.

Song Luan clutched the bedsheet tightly beneath her trembling fingers. His searing gaze left her entire body feeling weak, her face burning brighter with each passing second—until even the tips of her ears glowed crimson.

Zhao Nanyu took note of her every subtle reaction. Amusement flickered in his heart; this was a side of Song Luan he’d never seen before. She had never blushed in front of him before, much less shown any trace of shyness.

The moonlight painted her delicate face in pale, luminous hues, her skin flawless like fine porcelain. Tinged with rosy warmth, she was as exquisite as a fragile flower—a sight that awakened the caged beast hidden deep within Zhao Nanyu. And perhaps, just a little, stirred his desire to torment her.

Song Luan’s anxiety built by the second. Quietly, she tugged the blanket up toward her chin. “Let’s just go to sleep.”

Zhao Nanyu’s hand suddenly clasped the back of her neck. His crimson-tinged eyes shimmered with a predator’s gleam as the corner of his cool lips grazed her jawline.

Just as Song Luan thought he was about to take things further, the man—nearly pressing his full weight over her—unexpectedly let go.

“Mm, sleep then,” Zhao Nanyu said lightly.

Song Luan lay stiffly beside him, her mind nearly exploding from overthinking. Zhao Nanyu’s actions suggested closeness, yet she could see through his frosty eyes—there was hardly a trace of genuine affection. What was all the gripping and leaning about tonight? What did he want?

Still, there was one positive takeaway: the murderous intent in his eyes seemed much milder compared to when they’d first met.

That said, her neck hurt where he had gripped it.

She pitied herself, truly. Aching waist, sore lips—it was all too much.

Zhao Nanyu’s routine was astonishingly strict. No matter how late he went to bed, he always woke at the crack of dawn.

When his eyes opened, it was no surprise to find Song Luan’s limbs sprawled over him. Her soft, delicate arms clung tightly to his waist as she snuggled into his chest like a newborn kitten, defenseless and unaware.

Zhao Nanyu glanced at her for a moment and sighed. He wasn’t sure if he was lamenting his own leniency or her naivety. Oddly enough, he didn’t mind her proximity this morning. She carried a faint, sweet fragrance, her body warm and pliant against his. Truth be told, it wasn’t uncomfortable—it was actually… pleasant.

After he rose, washed, and dressed, he ate his breakfast without disturbing her. When he left for the palace, she was still fast asleep.

Song Luan slept soundly for the first time in ages. By the time she woke, daylight had fully poured into the room. Not spotting Zhao Nanyu anywhere, her mood brightened considerably.

Humming a cheerful tune, she climbed out of bed and began leisurely dressing for the day.

She felt that Zhao Nanyu didn’t appear nearly as cruel and ruthless as depicted in the book. His looks were beautiful and refined, and while his heart might be a bit harsh, as long as you didn’t offend him, he wouldn’t hold a grudge.

Song Luan thought over the timeline. She hadn’t yet made him suspicious or wronged him, and although the original owner had incurred Zhao Nanyu’s wrath, with some time and effort on her part, she could make things right. She might not become a wealthy and noble lady, but her life would certainly be spared. Even if she were to die, it wouldn’t be in such a humiliating way.

With that thought, the dark cloud above her dissipated, and the world seemed bright and full of spring sunshine.

The weather that day was also favorable, clear skies stretching far and wide with the sun shining high.

The warm breath of early spring slowly filled the air, and the branches outside the window swayed in the breeze, with flower buds blooming one by one. The yard was infused with the sweet fragrance of magnolia.

It was lovely, and her mood was lifted by the pleasant scent.

After having stayed mostly indoors since arriving, Song Luan decided to take advantage of the lovely weather and explore the estate.

No one stopped her when she left Huaishui Residence, but once she entered the main courtyard, the servants from other houses quickly avoided her, bowing their heads as if they hadn’t seen her.

Song Luan couldn’t help but feel both amused and vexed. It was likely that the original owner’s notorious temper and cruel nature had made the servants fear her, as they all scurried to avoid her presence.

The Zhao family was a prestigious, well-established clan with immense wealth. Their estate was vast, with the elders occupying the eastern wing. The younger generation, however, only had Zhao Nanyu living in the west wing, and the only benefit was the peace and quiet.

After walking around the estate for a while, Song Luan began to feel a bit tired. The original owner wasn’t exactly the strongest person, so she sat down in a pavilion to rest. After a while, she decided there was nothing particularly interesting, and returned to Huaishui Residence.

When she got back, Zhao Nanyu had also just returned after finishing his business at the Ministry of Justice. Song Luan felt a slight shock in her heart upon seeing him. It was strange how often Zhao Nanyu had appeared in front of her these past few days, but usually, he only came when he had something to discuss.

Standing in the sunlight, Zhao Nanyu’s appearance was exquisite—his head slightly lowered, looking calm and collected to an almost perfect degree. His light-colored pupils seemed to gleam with a soft glow under the sun.

With a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips, he said. “You’re back.”

Though it was just a simple greeting, Song Luan couldn’t help but feel that there was something subtly different in his tone.

Song Luan stood still, not taking another step forward. She straightened her back, trying to appear confident, and nodded. “Mm.”

Zhao Nanyu narrowed his eyes, a deeper smile forming in his gaze. “Where did you go?”

The question was clearly unnecessary—this whole estate was full of his people, and whatever she did or said was impossible to hide from him.

But Song Luan hadn’t realized that yet.

She replied casually. “I just walked around the estate.”

Zhao Nanyu seemed to believe her words and didn’t press further. However, upon hearing from a maid earlier that she had been wandering the Eastern Courtyard after returning from the palace, a sudden surge of wrath rose within him.

In the past, she wasn’t someone who didn’t roam the estate, but she always did so with some ulterior motive, ever-changing in her plans. Last time, she had gone looking for his older brother.

His elder brother, as the eldest legitimate grandson, had been favored since childhood. In recent years, he had also been thriving in the court, not to mention his decent looks. So, it was no surprise that Song Luan had taken an interest in him.

Now that his brother wasn’t home, she still sought out that area, likely eyeing another man.

At this thought, Zhao Nanyu’s eyes grew progressively colder, his gaze seeming to freeze bit by bit.

Song Luan suddenly felt the air grow colder, raising her eyes to him. She swallowed nervously, unable to comprehend why he seemed so angry for no reason.

She cleared her throat twice, attempting to lighten the tension. “I wasn’t wandering aimlessly. I just wanted to check if the flowers in the back garden had bloomed yet.”

Zhao Nanyu, following her lead, asked, “Have they bloomed?”

Song Luan nodded honestly. “Yes, they have.”

The peonies were in full bloom in April.

” Shige was called over to the old lady this morning,” he suddenly said. “Let’s go, we need to pick up the child from the main courtyard.”

Song Luan naturally followed along, responding with a simple, “Okay.”

The old lady was a peculiar person. Though her temper wasn’t particularly good, she was generally kind to her juniors, except when it came to Zhao Nanyu. If they didn’t go pick up the child today, the old lady would definitely not release Shige on her own.

The couple walked together, one ahead of the other. The man was tall, and the woman was petite, making for a perfectly matched pair when seen from behind. They passed through two long corridors and walked through the back garden before nearing the main courtyard.

From a distance, Song Luan could already hear a few familiar voices, accompanied by mocking laughter that reached her ears.

“Really? Did third uncle really scold second brother after morning court today?” Zhao Bo asked.

“I’m not lying to you. When has third uncle ever needed a reason to scold? He never cares about the occasion or Zhao Nanyu’s face. This time, I don’t even know what your second brother did to make him upset, but third uncle pointed at his nose and scolded him.” came the reply.

Zhao Bo’s interest piqued as he was always eager to hear about his second brother’s misfortunes. “What did third uncle say?”

“‘Good-for-nothing! You won’t listen to your own father, just like your mother. Always causing me trouble,’” the person mimicked Third Master Zhao’s tone. There were even worse insults that remained unsaid.

Zhao Bo laughed louder, almost reveling in the mockery. “It’s the truth, though. His mother was certainly not worthy of consideration. I heard she even wanted to marry into the family back then.” He sneered before adding, “Did she think just having a son would solve everything? What a joke.”

“Exactly.”

The two of them grew more and more excited, exchanging one insult after another, it seemed endless.

Song Luan listened with her heart in her throat, shrinking back as she sneaked a glance at the man beside her. To her surprise, his face remained unchanged, as if he hadn’t heard a thing—calm and composed as ever.

The voices from ahead grew louder again, laced with sharpness.

“Second brother is like a joke, and that wife of his isn’t any better, constantly stirring up trouble. Even after having a child, she’s still hanging around, trying to cozy up to our eldest brother. Does she really think we can’t see what she’s up to?” Zhao Bo spat and sneered.

Song Luan: What’s going on??? She didn’t remember this part!

She stomped her foot, about to explain to Zhao Nanyu, when more voices cut through. “I just heard that she took a walk around the east courtyard again, probably trying to charm someone! Second brother is really unlucky, tsk tsk.”

Song Luan was immediately agitated. She grabbed Zhao Nanyu’s sleeve, her voice urgent and frantic, “That’s nonsense!”

The words came out before she even realized it. Zhao Nanyu froze for a moment, and Song Luan’s face turned red. She had used such crude language.

She quickly muttered three “pardon me” sounds, “Ah, I didn’t mean to say that!”

Zhao Nanyu’s dark eyes turned toward her, his gaze locking on her steadily. The intensity of his stare made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. In a moment of panic, she blurted out, “It’s not me! I didn’t do it! I don’t know anything!”

His gaze remained unchanging, as cold as ice.

Song Luan gritted her teeth, deciding to throw all caution to the wind. She suddenly lunged into his arms, locking her hands tightly around his waist, and began to sob dramatically, “I swear it’s not me! He’s lying! He’s trying to frame me! Husband, you have to believe me! I’m so pitiful, wahhhh!”

Fearing he still wouldn’t believe her, she added, “Husband, my feelings for you are as clear as the heavens and earth!”

Zhao Nanyu’s hand, which had been suspended in the air, slowly descended to rest on her back, gently soothing her. Hearing her last words, he couldn’t help but laugh, though it was a quiet, almost mocking sound.

Song Luan… in moments like these, she was truly adorable.

She was so cute, in fact, that he wanted to hide her away, protect her from everything.

=^_^=
Author has something to say: A’Luan is a bit awkward…

Luan: “I’m scared, there are always scheming people out to get me!”

A’Y: “It’s good that you’re scared, hehe.”