Huo Jingsha composed herself, quickly took a step forward, and greeted them with a smile.

When Shu Yao saw her husband return to the shed, raindrops were sliding down his forehead and his half-wet official robes. She gestured to Dong Xue to hand him a cotton towel.

Huo Jingsha didn't take it, but stared at her intently and commanded, "Come here and wipe it for me!"

She pursed her lips, handed her son to Dongxue to look after, got up and walked over to him, taking out a handkerchief from her bosom to wipe the raindrops from his face.

"Will it take much longer?" That was the question she wanted to ask him when she let him in, mainly because she was worried that her son might catch a cold.

"Soon, we can go back once the incense in the incense burner has burned out." Huo Jingsha held her hand, which didn't feel as warm as before.

"Well, don't stay out in the rain for too long, or you'll catch a cold." After thinking for a moment, she still said these words of concern.

Huo Jingsha was deeply moved by his wife's love and care.

“Yes, sir, if the rain gets any heavier, the carriage might not be able to make it down the mountain, and the young master and madam might slip and fall.” Yue Ping stepped forward and said.

"Alright, tell the people to clean up the offerings. We can go back to the manor now," Huo Jingsha announced.

After everything was packed, Huo Jingsha and Shu Yao sat in the front carriage, while Xiao Bao, who was asleep, sat in the back carriage with several maids.

"My lord, after death, people just want peace and quiet. If I die in the future, you don't need to go to so much trouble to worship me. Besides, when a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. No matter how many rituals you perform, it may be meaningless. Who knows if the person being worshipped can still feel the sincerity of the living?" Shu Yao said leisurely.

Huo Jingsha clenched her fists and pulled the person beside her into her arms. "You should tell Xiaobao about this later. If you die, I will go with you. How can I pay my respects to you then?"

Shu Yao curled her lips indifferently, "Why bother? If I die before you, you should live a better life afterward. There are so many women in the world... You can fall in love with me too..."

Before she could finish speaking, he silenced her with a kiss, followed by a fierce and relentless kiss. He pressed his lips against hers as if punishing a wicked person, not stopping until she cried out in pain.

"You Shuyao, if you dare say such things again, I'll bite you to death. You know I always keep my word, and I'm not a womanizer who falls in love with every woman I meet. I fell in love with you because you are you, and I can't fall in love with anyone else because they are not you, understand?" He was really angry, his eyes were as fierce as knives, and the fingers that were gripping her chin tightened, completely devoid of the tenderness he usually showed her.

"Do you really love me?" Shu Yao's eyes welled up with tears. If she loved her, why would she want to treat her like that? Or did she truly love him before, before her interests clashed with his?

Huo Jingsha was somewhat surprised, and her body trembled slightly.

"If you really do pass away before me, can you allow me to love and marry someone else?"

“I really don’t think it’s impossible!” This time Shu Yao was particularly insistent and did not change her mind because of his intimidation. “I’m already dead, and I don’t need you to continue to watch over me. It’s the most important thing to make the living happy. I just want you to be happy, Jing Sha… I want you to be happy.”

Although he understood her true intention—that she wanted what was best for him—his face still darkened.

"What happiness can I talk about without you? If I die, will you fall in love with someone else? Will you abandon me and spend the rest of your life happily with that person?"

Just imagining this scene made him want to swing his sword and kill people, venting his anger by destroying the world.

"How can women and men be the same? If I remarry, I'll be considered unchaste. Now that I've married you, I'll be a member of the Huo family from birth to death." She suddenly said with annoyance.

This is the tragedy of being a woman. Like those concubines in the backyard, they are given away like gifts. What right do they have to express their own opinions? The husband is the god. If Huo Jingsha wants them to die, they must die, including himself, the legal wife.

Upon hearing this, his earlier gloom vanished, as if a gentle breeze had swept over him, and his mood instantly brightened considerably. "Yes, how could I forget? You are mine in life and in death, and you cannot live without me!"

He glanced at her with a smile.

Shu Yao sighed, wearily resting her head on his shoulder. "You are my husband now, the one who is with me day and night. I think, if one day I were without you, how could I sleep?"

Huo Jingsha was overjoyed upon hearing this. "Me too. If my Yao'er were gone, I'm afraid I would be unable to eat or sleep at night."

"My lord, your future is bright, and you will surely rise to great heights. I hope that when you reach the pinnacle, you will still remember what I said today and not forget who I am while embracing other women," she said pointedly. She remembered having a similar nightmare on their wedding night, in which he said he had fallen in love with someone else and could no longer be with her. Now, she thought it might have been an omen.

Huo Jingsha's expression immediately changed, and he pointed to the sky and swore, "I, Huo Jingsha, cherish you as my own life. How could I possibly betray you? Yao'er, do you not trust me?" Her words were an insult to him, a waste of his sincere heart, and he could not accept them.

Shu Yao glanced at him sideways. "Husband, don't be nervous. I'm just reminding you. Don't forget your promise to me. It doesn't mean I don't trust you."

She had witnessed his unwavering resolve even in the face of stunning beauties, his extraordinary willpower, and she had seen him spoil her rotten, indulging her every whim. In the year since their marriage, they had been inseparable, their love boundless, making her seem to have forgotten the agony of being tortured by him in her previous lives. If… if after the ninth day of next month, he could still be devoted to her wholeheartedly, refraining from doing anything to harm her, then she would never betray him in this life.

"Hmm." His tense expression finally eased. "Since my wife mentioned trust... shouldn't you also..."

He should also tell her everything that Qi had said to her.

"What's wrong? Is there something you want to ask me?" Seeing his hesitant expression, Shu Yao deliberately asked, feigning confusion. If he could take the initiative to be honest with her, she could forgive and forget, and perhaps even mercifully lend him a hand. But if he chose to continue to hide it and try to get away with it, the nature of the matter would change.

Looking at her innocent face, completely oblivious to everything, Huo Jingsha was equally conflicted. He sighed, finding it truly difficult to ask. His wife was beautiful and charming; it was normal for her to attract admirers. However, compared to that, he was even more conflicted about whether to tell the truth. There were only two possible outcomes: either Shu Yao would generously forgive him, but he doubted what woman could be so forgiving in this situation; or she would hate him and never give him her heart again.