Outside, snowflakes fell softly, while inside the warm and cozy house, dragon and phoenix red candles burned silently, occasionally making a soft popping sound, which only made the whole room more tranquil and peaceful.

Such a snowy night seems especially suitable for sleeping.

Through the floor-length crystal bead curtain, Tang Ning washed off her makeup, removed her exquisite phoenix crown, and lay down on the bed. She was originally chatting excitedly with He Lanruo on the soft couch, but as they talked, her voice gradually faded.

He Lanruo, who had brought up another topic, waited for a while without getting a reply. He looked up in surprise and saw Tang Ning sleeping soundly against the headboard through the gap in the beaded curtain. Even in her sleep, the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, as if she was having a good dream. He Lanruo also subconsciously raised the corners of his mouth.

He remembered that when women got married, they would usually get up very early, and with the busy day, there was no time to rest. It was perfectly normal for Tang Ning to be tired after that.

No wonder I fell asleep while chatting with him.

Just as she was thinking this, He Lanruo, who was looking at Tang Ning, suddenly frowned.

He noticed that Tang Ning was probably too sleepy and had fallen asleep against the headboard, but her upper body was sticking out of the blanket. Although the bridal chamber was warm with burning charcoal, it was snowing outside, and the young girl's health had never been very good. If she slept like that all night, she probably wouldn't feel well the next day.

With this thought in mind, Helan Ruo could no longer lie still. After hesitating for a moment, he quietly got off the couch, gently lifted the beaded curtain, and tiptoed to Tang Ning's side.

Seeing her sleeping in such a shapeless position, Helan Ruo shook her head, sighed softly, took two steps forward, gently put Tang Ning's arm under the quilt, and then pulled the quilt up to cover her neck, tucking it in lightly.

Perhaps Tang Ning was too tired that day, or perhaps He Lanruo was just very gentle; after a series of movements, Tang Ning showed no signs of waking up.

Because Helan Ruo was tucking the blanket around Tang Ning, she half-squatted in front of Tang Ning's bed. When she looked up, she met Tang Ning's sleeping face directly.

He had already thought Tang Ning was very beautiful when he saw her through the beaded curtain, but he hadn't expected that seeing her now in the dim candlelight would make her unadorned face appear even more radiant and beautiful. Moreover, perhaps because she was asleep, she seemed exceptionally well-behaved and endearing.

With just one glance, Helan Ruo felt her breathing become slightly disordered.

Even, deep down, he couldn't help but feel an urge to take care of and cherish her for the rest of his life.

He Lanruo didn't know how long she had been squatting there watching Tang Ning's sleeping face, but suddenly, as if possessed, she reached out and gently touched Tang Ning's cheek, which was so soft it was almost excessive.

However, after just one touch, Helan Ruo's heart pounded like a drum, and he didn't know what was wrong with him.

Such behavior is completely ungentlemanly, yet he still seemed bewitched and touched Tang Ning's cheek again.

Just then, the dragon and phoenix candle wick burned with another crisp sound, instantly waking Helan Ruo from her slightly delirious state.

He looked at Tang Ning, who was still fast asleep and oblivious, in disbelief. He immediately sat up and took two steps back. When he came to his senses again, he was already lying on his own soft couch.

Lying face up, Helan Ruo stared blankly at the space above her head. The fingers that had just touched Tang Ning's cheek, hidden under the blanket, unconsciously rubbed together, as if she could still feel that soft, delicate touch.

When Helan Ruo realized what she had done, she hurriedly loosened her clenched fingers and closed her eyes to cover up her mistake.

Stop...stop thinking about it...

What on earth is he thinking?!

Didn't we agree to be good friends with Tang Ning? Why, why...?

Can he still be called a gentleman?

I can't think about it anymore!

She's asleep, she'll be fine once she's asleep.

Yes, go to sleep now.

So, with these mixed thoughts swirling in her mind, Helan Ruo forced herself to go to sleep. She didn't know how much time had passed before the man's slightly disordered and rapid breathing finally began to calm down.

He Lanruo's current favorability rating: 88.

Upon hearing the system notification, Tang Ning, whose eyes had been closed the whole time, slightly curled her lips.

As night fell, the snow fell heavier and heavier, but gradually stopped just before dawn. By then, the capital city was already covered in a blanket of white.

The next morning, Tang Ning and He Lanruo were awakened by the knocking of the maids outside the door.

Tang Ning, who had just opened her eyes and found everything in front of her so unfamiliar, was still a little dazed.

It wasn't until the intermittent conversations of the maids outside the door could be heard that...

"...Why is there no sound? Could it be that the young master and his wife haven't woken up yet? Sister Chuntan, should we knock again?"

“Of course, the lady needs some time to get ready. If we don’t wake them up, we might even miss the tea ceremony.”

Chun Tan's steady voice also came in.

Serve tea!

Just those two words jolted Tang Ning awake, and she sat up instantly.

As soon as she turned her head, she met Helan Ruo's gaze through the beaded curtain onto the soft couch.

Then, as if by telepathy, the two of them began to move.

He Lanruo immediately began tidying up the soft couch where she had slept all night, while Tang Ning hurriedly stuffed the blankets on the couch into the wardrobe on one side.

The two returned to the bedside, which was covered with peanuts, red dates, lotus seeds, and longan.

With a sigh of relief, Tang Ning was about to call the maids and servants outside the door to come in when she accidentally caught sight of He Lanruo's dazzlingly white handkerchief on the bed. She quickly covered his mouth, forcing Tang Ning to swallow the words that were already on the tip of her tongue. Then she frowned and looked at him in confusion.

What's wrong?

These four words were clearly written in Tang Ning's beautiful almond-shaped eyes.

Having understood the look in her eyes, Helan Ruo coughed lightly and then pointed to the handkerchief with a slightly flushed face.

Tang Ning, somewhat puzzled, followed his finger and looked over, then bent down to pick up the handkerchief.

Before she could even lower her voice to ask Helan Ruozi what the problem was, she saw the other party take out a jeweled dagger from a drawer to the side.

Then, to Tang Ning's astonishment, he casually slashed his finger with the dagger, and bright red blood immediately gushed out.

"What are you doing..."

Before Tang Ning could finish speaking, she saw He Lanruo wipe all the blood from her fingers onto the handkerchief in her hand.

Tang Ning, who had been watching his actions in stunned silence, frowned as she looked at his still bleeding fingers. "He Lanruo, what are you doing? Why would you hurt yourself for no reason?"

Tang Ning's question only made He Lanruo's face turn even redder.

"After the wedding night, the old women in the house will check your blouse. If there's no bloodstain, it's easy to explain to my parents, but my second uncle and the old lady will probably use it as an excuse to ruin your reputation, so..."

He Lanruo explained it in a halting manner.

"Fallen petals?"

"It's blood..."

He Lanruo had never been so embarrassed in her entire life.

Especially after he explained, Tang Ning still seemed a little confused, which made him so embarrassed that he didn't know what to do.

How could Tang Ning not understand? It's just that, on the one hand, Madam Qin was probably too busy with her and Qin Qianqian's wedding to give her daughter a proper premarital health lesson. How could she possibly know? On the other hand, she found it interesting.

Look at Helan Ruo, her face flushed red, awkwardly searching for her head on the ground—isn't that hilarious?

Fortunately, Chun Tan and the others outside the door quickly relieved He Lanruo's embarrassment by knocking on the door again.

"Come in."

He hurriedly called out that.

So, with the sound of the door being pushed open, a group of maids and servants rushed in, braving the cold wind outside. Some helped Tang Ning get dressed and wash up, while others made the bed and folded the blankets for the two of them, each with a clear division of labor.

However, Helan Ruo directly refused the maids' service, saying that he was used to taking care of himself and didn't need them.

So the maids had no choice but to obediently wait aside.

Meanwhile, the old nanny who was making the bed for Tang Ning and He Lanruo was the eldest princess's attendant. As soon as she saw the blood-stained handkerchief on the bed, her eyes lit up. She then ordered someone to put the handkerchief away and looked at Tang Ning sitting in front of the dressing mirror with even more affection in her eyes.

Seeing this, Helan Ruo subconsciously winked her right eye at Tang Ning in the bronze mirror.

Seeing him like this, Tang Ning pursed her lips, but before she could smile, she noticed that Chun Tan, who was gently styling her hair, had a mischievous look on her face.

She discovered it.

Early in the morning, the young master was already exchanging glances with his daughter through the bronze mirror.

She saw it all.

Tang Ning, having understood the meaning in her eyes, immediately reached out and gave her waist and abdomen a light pinch.

The twisting made Chun Tan's mischievousness even more pronounced.

Tang Ning simply ignored her.

This girl has gone astray too. She used to be so composed and mature, but now she's gone astray as ever.

Early in the morning, amidst such a cheerful atmosphere, Tang Ning and He Lanruo finally finished getting ready.

The newlywed couple followed the already cleared path inside the mansion and headed straight for the main courtyard.

On the first day of their marriage, the newlyweds are required to serve tea to the elders in their family to formally acknowledge the new bride as one of their own. This is considered another kind of ceremony to completely recognize the new bride as family.

Seeing the old nanny she had sent nod with a smile, the princess, who had been on tenterhooks, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It's good that they've consummated their marriage, it's good that they've consummated their marriage.

She was terrified that her son would marry a girl just to be a figurehead, and that he would still be thinking about Ji Muqing. She would be heartbroken if that happened.

Now, she can finally relax.

Therefore, Princess Qingping smiled even more sincerely and warmly at Tang Ning.

When Tang Ning served her tea, she immediately presented her with a generous gift and took off her priceless purple jade bracelet, putting it on Tang Ning's wrist. Tang Ning refused, but she insisted, holding Tang Ning's hand and saying many heartfelt words. Almost instantly, everyone present understood just how satisfied she, as the mother-in-law, was with Tang Ning as her daughter-in-law.

With Princess Qingping's exquisite gift setting an example, the subsequent gifts simply couldn't stand out in comparison.

Tang Ning was slightly surprised by He Lanruo's second uncle.

He had a kind and generous appearance, always smiling and welcoming, and the gifts he gave were equally lavish. Who would have thought that in private, he was actually a treacherous villain who relied on the old lady's power to frame his own nephew time and time again?

It's really...

You can know a person's face but not their heart.

Tang Ning sighed inwardly; this scene of recognizing people and serving tea was almost over.

Almost as soon as everyone was recognized, the other elders in the Duke of Guo's mansion returned to their respective courtyards, while Tang Ning and He Lanruo had breakfast with the Princess and her husband in the main courtyard.

Before leaving, the eldest princess didn't forget to pull Helan Ruo aside and give her a few more instructions. She said that he was now married and had a wife, and that he should work hard and not be as dissolute as before. Otherwise, he would not only cause his family to worry, but also make his wife worry as well.

These words were spoken by the Eldest Princess to Helan Ruo in private, deliberately avoiding Tang Ning.

Therefore, even Tang Ning was unclear why He Lanruo, who had been in high spirits, suddenly became depressed after exchanging a few words with the Princess.

Tang Ning followed behind him, puzzled, and saw that he was walking faster and faster, taking bigger and bigger strides.

After chasing for a while, lifting her skirt, Tang Ning realized she couldn't keep up. She quickly took a few steps, grabbed He Lanruo's sleeve, and said breathlessly, "Slow down, I can't keep up, the road is a bit slippery..."

Hearing Tang Ning's words, He Lanruo suddenly came to his senses. He looked down at Tang Ning's slightly flushed cheeks from running all the way, and an indescribable sense of guilt welled up inside him.

"I...I'm sorry. I forgot you were still following me. I won't do it again."

He Lanruo's apology was very sincere.

Seeing him like this, Tang Ning, who wasn't angry to begin with, suddenly broke into a soft smile on her fair face buried in her fur collar. "Why are you apologizing? I'm not blaming you. I just wanted you to take smaller steps so I could keep up."

Seeing Tang Ning's smile, He Lanruo felt as if her smile had instantly entered his heart, and an indescribable warmth flowed through his heart.

"Alright, I'll walk slowly, and I'll make sure you keep up, okay? You probably haven't been to the Duke of Guo's mansion before, have you? It's still early, how about I show you around? Although it's snowed, the scenery after the snow has a unique charm, doesn't it?"

He Lanruo said this with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Tang Ning, who had long wanted to take a stroll, immediately nodded, and then she watched as the other person directly handed her their sleeve.

Before Tang Ning could ask a question, He Lanruo explained, "The roads are slippery after the snow. Although most of the snow in the manor has been cleared, the roads are still slippery. Holding onto my sleeve will make it easier to walk."

"good."

Upon hearing this, Tang Ning immediately reached out and grabbed He Lanruo's sleeve.

The two wandered around the Duke's mansion, one introducing things and the other looking around, and time passed by unnoticed.

When they arrived at a house surrounded by bamboo, Tang Ning keenly noticed that He Lanruo, who had just cheered up, had once again become depressed.

Seeing this, Tang Ning lowered her eyes slightly, then pointed curiously to the house in front of her and asked, "What's that? It's such a beautiful house, can I go in and take a look?"

Hearing her question, Helan Ruo's eyes flickered for a while before she suddenly took a deep breath and nodded slightly to Tang Ning. "That's the room I usually use to store... miscellaneous items. You can go if you want, but it's a bit messy inside. If you want to see it, I can lead you there. The rest of you can wait here, okay?"

"good."

Tang Ning agreed with his opinion, and then followed He Lanruo to that room.

Well, others may not know the significance of this house to Helan Ruo, but how could Tang Ning, who knows the whole story, not know?

After all, in the story, the original owner had argued with Helan Ruo more than once over this house, which pushed Helan Ruo further and further away until the two became like strangers.

Even Tang Ning didn't expect that on her very first day of marriage, He Lanruo would be willing to share everything in the house with her.

This is truly astonishing.

Yes, what's inside is none other than...

"Wow!"

As soon as Tang Ning opened the door, she was genuinely amazed to see the room full of wooden puppets of all sizes, their sitting, lying, and standing postures, and their various outfits.

He Lanruo not only uses a falsetto voice to tell stories to the dolls, but he also makes them. The joints of each doll are very flexible, and when they actually move, many of their movements are almost unintentional to humans. Not to mention the truly exquisite clothes on them. It is said that even these clothes were made by He Lanruo... by someone else.

Haha, yes, no matter how capable he is, he can only make dolls. Needlework and embroidery are too difficult for him.

However, he came up with the designs for all the clothes. For each doll he made, he had already conceived of its personality, what it ate, and what it wore.

That shows a lot of effort.

"These, these, and these—don't tell me you made all of these yourself!"

Tang Ning turned to look at He Lanruo in disbelief.

Looking into her bright, sparkling eyes, Helan Ruo, who had been feeling uneasy, suddenly felt a unique joy welling up inside her.

"Um."

He nodded.

"You're amazing! Seriously, how did you do that? Did you learn these from the street performers in the North District? No way, I want to see! Can you show me right now?"

"Now?"

"Uh-huh!"

Tang Ning nodded vigorously.

So the two of them huddled together in the small room, one making the doll and the other watching. However, when it came time to paint the doll's face, Tang Ning felt that He Lanruo's painting skills seemed a bit clumsy. The two dolls she had received earlier already showed this flaw. Unable to bear it any longer, she took over the doll and began to concentrate on painting the face of the newly made one.

Finally, Helan Ruo stared in disbelief as the small face he had envisioned came to life under Tang Ning's pen.

Seeing his surprised expression, Tang Ning immediately raised her chin triumphantly, "How is it? Much better than your drawing, isn't it?"

After saying that, Tang Ning proudly raised the doll in her hand, her lips curving into a wide smile, looking like she thought, "It's so pretty, I'm so great."

He Lanruo, who was initially somewhat shocked, couldn't help but burst into laughter. After laughing, he stared intently at Tang Ning's flawless profile. "Don't you think I'm wasting my time on trivial pursuits? The young master of the Duke's mansion doesn't study or practice martial arts, doesn't strive for merit, but instead spends his free time playing with these useless things. Don't you think I'm unambitious and feel disappointed?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Ning immediately turned to look at him in surprise, "Would you give up studying and practicing martial arts for these things?"

"Won't."

"Will you become addicted to it and unable to break free?"

"Won't."

"Would you refrain from making achievements and striving for success when necessary?"

"No, not at all."

"That settles it."

Tang Ning said matter-of-factly, "Other people might enjoy playing chess or playing musical instruments in their spare time, while you like making these pretty dolls. Everyone has different interests and hobbies. Why is it that they are considered leisurely and refined, while you are considered unambitious? Also, I saw that your martial arts skills seemed quite impressive before. I imagine you haven't slacked off for a single day in all these years. In that case, is it bothering anyone if you do something you like in your spare time?"

"But what if outsiders find out..."

"Outsiders are outsiders, aren't they? Your reputation as a spoiled brat is already so well-known, are you actually afraid of what outsiders say about you?"

Tang Ning said this with a smile.

Upon hearing Tang Ning's words, He Lanruo felt as if a heavy stone that had been weighing on his heart for so many years had suddenly been lifted away.

He had loved these things since he was a child, and he had been scolded by his parents, ridiculed by his second aunt, and disappointed by his grandmother more than once. Even Mu Qing... After learning about his hobby, Mu Qing looked at him with strange eyes and hinted to him more than once that he should spend more time on writing.

Only Tang Ning, only Tang Ning told him that it was not shameful for him to have such a hobby, and that it was no different from other people's hobbies of playing the zither and chess.

With just this thought, Helan Ruo, whose heart was filled with warmth and tenderness, looked at Tang Ning with a tenderness that even he himself did not realize.

Perhaps he really made the right choice in marrying this woman. They've only been married for a day, and he's already starting to look forward to their future life together.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Helan Ruo couldn't help but think of this.

If he weren't afraid of startling Tang Ning, he would even... he would even want to pull her into his arms at this moment of smiling...

He Lanruo's current favorability rating: 90.

Leaving Helan Ruo's secret base, Tang Ning, who had acquired a beautiful wooden doll, suggested to the other party that he must bring her next time he made a doll, simply because his skill in painting the doll's face was too poor. Did those faces do justice to such a beautiful doll? She could easily do that for him.

"good."

Besides "good," Helan Ruo really couldn't think of any other word to describe it.

He focused almost all his attention on Tang Ning, and when she almost fell, he immediately caught her.

Chun Tan, who was watching from the side, was full of amazement. However, after going into the room just now, she felt that the relationship between the young master and his wife had improved.

Never mind, whatever the reason, as long as the girl is doing well, she's happy.

That evening, during dinner, thinking that the next day was the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Tang Ning, who had never seen what the Lantern Festival in the capital was like, immediately pestered He Lanruo to take her out to see it.

Unexpectedly, before she could persuade Helan Ruo, Princess Qingping sent someone to speak.

We've just gotten married, so let's not go out for the Lantern Festival yet. Let's all stay home and have some fun together.

Upon hearing this message, Tang Ning wilted like a frostbitten eggplant.

Seeing how much she wanted to go out and play, Helan Ruo's eyes lit up and an idea popped into her head.

The following evening, after the guards at the Duke's mansion had finally relaxed, Helan Ruo, who had jumped down first, stood outside by a secluded wall and stretched out her arms, reassuring Tang Ning, who was sitting on the wall, that she could jump down without worry, and that she would catch her.

Gritting her teeth, Tang Ning leaped into He Lanruo's arms.

The two then used this unorthodox method to leave the mansion when the princess lowered her guard.

Meanwhile, also around dusk, after hearing from his personal eunuch that the Persian female slave with the exotic fragrance had arrived at the Chunhong Brothel, the largest brothel in the capital, Situ Yin left the palace on a whim.

Because he hated the way people looked at his face, Situ Yin picked out a mask with green faces and fangs from a nearby stall and put it on.

On the other side, Tang Ning, who had already arrived on the street with He Lanruo, was stunned when she saw the bright red characters above the head of the masked man in black standing by a stall just a dozen meters away from her.

Situ Yin.

System score: 92.

Current favorability rating: ?

54088's response: ???

Tang Ning: ? ? ?