Lu Qi had just finished a day of military duties and entered the room, bringing with him a chill. The charcoal fire burned brightly in the warm chamber, and Shen Zhao was reclining on a soft couch, a storybook in her hand, covered with a thick blanket, her belly slightly protruding. Hearing the noise, she lazily lifted her eyelids, and upon seeing Lu Qi, a sly smile immediately appeared in her eyes.

"Oh, General Lu is back?" She put down her storybook and deliberately dragged out her words, "Was it hard training the new recruits today, or... did you get a second glance from some vice-general's daughter and feel pleased?"

Lu Qi strode over, first bending down to kiss her protruding belly, then taking off his cold outer robe, squeezing onto the soft couch, stretching out his long arm to pull her and the blanket into his arms, rubbing his chin against the top of her head, and sighing contentedly: "What little lady? With my 'big bad wolf' who's always getting angry around, who would dare to look at me? I'm exhausted, let me hug you to recharge."

Shen Zhao found a comfortable spot in his arms, her fingers restlessly poking at his firm chest, her tone lazy and tinged with a hint of smugness: "That's more like it. The little guy was quite a handful today, kicking me several times. He must be like you, full of energy."

"Isn't it good to be like me?" Lu Qi chuckled, his large hand covering her lower abdomen, feeling the throbbing of life inside, his eyes so tender they could melt water. "When he/she comes out, I'll teach him to ride horses and shoot arrows, and you'll teach him... um, teach him how to 'tease' his/her future wife?"

Shen Zhao chuckled at his antics and playfully punched him: "You're so frivolous!" She tilted her head back, her almond-shaped eyes gazing at him with a watery light, "Seriously, has Kang Kang written to us? What's going on between him and that Miss A Yuan?"

“I just received a letter the day before yesterday,” Lu Qi said, playing with a strand of her long hair. “It said everything is fine. As for Miss A Yuan… the letter didn’t say it explicitly, but the smugness in her words was so obvious, tsk tsk, I think she’s even more smug than when I was pursuing you. I guess good things are coming soon, and there will be another happy event in our household.”

Shen Zhao's eyes lit up: "Really? That's great! Kang Kang is gentle by nature, so he needs a lively girl to match him! That Miss A Yuan sounds like a wonderful person!"

"Nothing is as wonderful as mine." Lu Qi lowered his head, precisely capturing her lips, lingering and caressing them, melting all his longing and the day's weariness into this tender kiss. Inside the warm chamber, only the soft crackling of the charcoal fire and the mingled breaths of the two remained.

The morning light in Liuxi Village always carries a gentle warmth, as if nourished by the stream and vegetation. A thin mist, like a veil, lingers among the thatched eaves and bamboo fences of the village houses. A few crowings of roosters and barking of dogs awaken the slumbering mountain valley.

In the quiet mud courtyard at the end of the village, the fire in the stove had long since died down, but the air still held the faint scent of herbs and the warmth of the firewood from the previous night. Xiao Chengkang pushed open the creaking door, took a deep breath of the crisp, grassy air, and stretched his limbs. After several days of rest, thanks to the blood-activating and stasis-removing medicine he had prepared himself and A Yuan's meticulous care, the slight bruising from his fall down the hillside had completely disappeared.

A-Yuan also came out. The wound on her arm had been bandaged with a new, clean cloth, and her complexion was much rosier than when she first arrived. She was carrying a clean bamboo basket containing several clean pieces of cotton cloth and a small medicine bottle.

"Brother Kang Kang, shall we go change Old Man Li's dressing first today?" A Yuan asked, her voice clear and bright. After spending several days together, she had memorized the names of several elderly and sick people in the village who needed special care.

“Hmm,” Xiao Chengkang nodded, taking the basket from her hands. “The sore on Old Man Li’s leg seems to be healing quite well these past few days. We’ll check his pulse again after changing the dressing today.” He paused, his gaze falling on a few thriving plantain plants by the courtyard wall. “After changing the dressing, if it’s still early, let’s go to that sunny slope on the back hill. I think I saw a patch of sand ginseng growing well when we passed by a couple of days ago; it’s about time to harvest it.”

"Okay," A-Yuan replied, a faint smile and anticipation in her eyes.