Before dawn, Zhao Nanyu opened his eyes. His finely shaped brows furrowed slightly as he silently removed the hand someone had placed on his chest.

A fleeting flash of disgust passed through his clear, indifferent gaze.

He slowly sat up, leaning against the headboard of the bed, dressed in a light, thin garment. The collar was slightly open, revealing his fair chest. Resting his head in one hand, he casually studied the woman beside him, still asleep.

The woman in the bed had a poor sleeping posture, sprawled out in all directions, occupying most of the space. Her arms and legs were carelessly spread, with her legs brushing against his side.

Song Luan’s clothes were disheveled, and her long black hair fell messily over half of her face. Her lashes were long and thick, her skin smooth and delicate as if it could be broken with a touch. Zhao Nanyu’s gaze shifted downward, his interest piqued as he observed the small indentations of her waist. The blanket had long been kicked to the corner, revealing her slender figure which sparked all kinds of thoughts.

He continued to look at her for some time, his gaze darkening. Outside the window, the sky gradually lightened turning from black to dawn.

Song Luan had a nightmare. In her dream, she was running barefoot through a forest with a vicious wolf chasing her. She ran out of breath, and then she tripped and fell. Before she could get up, the wolf was already close, its eyes gleaming with malice. It bared its sharp teeth and lunged at her.

Then, Song Luan woke up in pain. She wasn’t sure if it was psychological, but she truly felt a faint ache somewhere in her body.

As she opened her eyes, she found herself locked in Zhao Nanyu’s gaze. His eyes were as clear as the night before, with no hint of emotion.

The morning sunlight filtered through the window and fell on his side profile, giving him the appearance of a gentle, refined gentleman. Zhao Nanyu raised an eyebrow slightly. “You’re awake?”

Song Luan silently pulled the blanket over her exposed skin, her voice coming out faintly. “Mm.”

Since Zhao Nanyu had the day off, he didn’t need to wake up early. He got out of bed, but instead of calling the maidservants to assist him, he stripped off his nightclothes in front of her and leisurely changed into a set of crescent-white robes. He then spoke to her. “I’m going to visit Grandmother today to pay my respects.”

Song Luan nodded. “Alright.”

Zhao Nanyu’s gaze sharpened, and a knowing smile curled at the corner of his lips. In the past, Song Luan wouldn’t have agreed so easily to something like this.

She had a poor relationship with the old lady—nine out of ten times, she would end up angering her, and after that, her own life wouldn’t be much easier.

So, every time they went to the main courtyard on the first day of the month, Song Luan would give him the cold shoulder, speak harshly, and only after getting all her anger out would she agree to go with him. It was quite amusing.

One could only wonder what had happened during his absence to cause such a dramatic change in someone like her.

Song Luan couldn’t read his thoughts, as she gazed at him with her wet eyes, hoping he could understand the meaning in them. She really didn’t want to change clothes in front of him, especially not yet!

Fortunately, Zhao Nanyu didn’t seem interested in her changing clothes. He said nothing, gave her one last deep look, and then walked over to the partition.

Song Luan no longer had to feel on edge. She crawled out from under the blanket, picked out a pomegranate-red ru skirt, and put it on leisurely. Only then did she realize that the discomfort in her body earlier had not been an illusion.

There were several clear marks on her waist, where delicate, porcelain skin had easily been left bruised, the purple and blue marks standing out starkly and painful just to look at.

She was puzzled—she had no idea how the marks had appeared or when they happened.

Everything had seemed fine when she bathed the night before, so how had she woken up to find these marks? Song Luan didn’t dwell on it, guessing that perhaps the terrifying wolf in her nightmare had caused her to hurt herself by instinct.

After dressing and washing up, Zhao Nanyu walked out of the partition, holding Zhiger hand. The father and son resembled each other to some extent with their cold aloof aura matching perfectly.

However, Zhiger’s eyes took after Song Luan’s—big and watery, capable of melting anyone’s heart.

The maidservants entered one after another, quickly setting up breakfast. The meal consisted of a few light dishes and white porridge.

Song Luan, being from Sichuan-Chongqing, couldn’t live without spice, so she pouted a little at the plain, watery food in front of her, clearly displeased.

Zhiger, however, was obedient. He let go of his father’s hand and climbed into his seat, sitting up straight, waiting to eat. Still young, he hid his thoughts well, but his eyes betrayed him.

The little one stole a glance at his mother, remembering that last night was the first time he’d slept in her room. Though the wall separated them, it felt like he could still smell the scent of his mother.

The atmosphere at the table was tense and quiet. Both father and son ate with refined manners, making no noise. Since they remained silent, Song Luan didn’t feel it appropriate to speak either.

The food on the table wasn’t to her taste. Song Luan barely ate, finding it tasteless, and soon set down her chopsticks. Zhao Nanyu gave her a quiet glance but didn’t say anything.

That, at least, hadn’t changed—she had always eaten little to maintain her slender figure.

Zhao Zhiger seemed like he wanted to say something, but he held back and didn’t ask his mother to eat more. Yesterday’s events felt like a dream to him.

Zhao Nanyu turned slightly, his voice soft and gentle. “Are you full?”

Zhao Zhiger nodded. “Father, I’m full.”

Zhao Nanyu stood up, then gently lifted him into his arms. Zhiger, with practiced ease, wrapped his arms around his father’s neck, resting his little head on his shoulder, calm and gentle.

He turned to Song Luan, speaking lightly. “I’ll take him back to the front yard.”

Song Luan understood the meaning behind his words. He was probably worried about the child staying with her. And rightfully so, given how poorly the original had treated the child.

Though she liked Zhiger and wanted to care for him well, she still didn’t feel comfortable stopping him.

“Mm… Okay.”

To get from the back yard to the front yard, they had to pass along a cobblestone path. As Zhao Nanyu carried him, Zhao Zhiger suddenly grabbed his clothes, burying his face against his chest. In a muffled voice, he said. “Mother hugged me yesterday.”

Zhao Nanyu paused for a moment, his steps halting. “Did she?”

His tone was indifferent, not particularly concerned.

Zhao Zhiger felt a little wronged. He had always been afraid of and disliked his mother, but just because she was a bit kinder to him yesterday, his heart wavered. However, he didn’t think his mother was pretending or had any ulterior motives.

He continued, “Uncle said Mother… isn’t sincere, but I… I don’t think so. She smells so nice, and I really like it.”

A faint ripple appeared in Zhao Nanyu’s calm eyes. He gently patted Zhao Zhiger’s head. “You’re still too young.”

He still didn’t believe that Song Luan could truly change. In the four years they’d been together, she had only worsened, committing countless wrongs with a vicious heart. Thinking of this, Zhao Nanyu’s gaze turned cold.

Though Zhao Zhiger was only four, he had daily tasks to complete, none of which could be neglected. Zhao Nanyu carried him into the study, his words firm yet not harsh, though his commanding presence was unmistakable. “Write well. Fill ten pages.”

“Understood.”

Zhao Zhiger was always well-behaved, rarely crying or asking for things, never causing trouble. He was unusually obedient for a four-year-old. Zhao Nanyu gently stroked his soft, round face. “If you do well, in a couple of days I’ll take you to the horse farm and let you pick a little pony of your own.”

“Thank you, Father.”

Zhao Nanyu left the study but did not immediately return to Huai Shui Residence. Instead, he summoned the people he had arranged in the courtyard. Standing beneath the magnolia tree, the dappled light fell perfectly across his handsome face. His crescent-white clothes accentuated his ethereal and refined demeanor, making him look like a noble and cultured scholar from a distance.

With his hands behind his back, he parted his lips and calmly asked, “While I was away, did Madam do anything unusual? Did anyone come to see her? Or did anything strange happen to her?”

The maid, standing before him with her head lowered, dared not meet his gaze. She quietly replied, “Madam hasn’t done anything, and no one has come to visit her.” After a moment of thought, she continued, “Just a few days ago, Madam suddenly fell ill. Before she fainted, she said her chest hurt, and she slept the whole day before waking up.”

Zhao Nanyu fell silent for a moment, his gaze slightly narrowing. He waved his hand, signaling for her to leave. He did not ask any further questions.

Falling ill, was it? That’s not surprising.

A faint smile tugged at his lips as he turned toward Huai Shui Residence. Song Luan, thinking he wouldn’t come anytime soon, had removed her shoes and socks and was lounging on the soft couch, bored, reading a novel.

When Zhao Nanyu entered the room, he saw her white, delicate feet swinging aimlessly in the air.

His eyes darkened, and his eyebrows twitched. Without making a sound, he appeared silently behind her. “I heard you were ill a few days ago?”

The sudden sound of his voice in her ear startled her so much that her soul nearly flew away in panic.

Sigh… Zhao Nanyu suddenly appearing is really frightening.

>>> 

Author has something to say: Zhao Nanyu: Ding! Your little darling has suddenly appeared.