Back at the Lu family home, Yingniang and Lu Xiaomei were anxiously waiting. Hearing the door open, they rushed to open it.

This was Yingniang's first time meeting Lu Yanzhao. Although she already knew that Gu Nanjiao was married, and had heard from Lu Xiaomei that her brother was an exceptionally talented scholar, handsome and learned, and a perfect match for her sister-in-law, she was still stunned when she saw him in person. But she quickly recovered and looked at Gu Nanjiao with concern: "Is she alright?"

"It's nothing!" Lu Yanzhao said, then looked at Gu Nanjiao with a puzzled expression, as if asking her why there was another person in the house, and a woman at that.

Gu Nanjiao quickly explained, "She is the female tutor I hired for my younger sister, named Yingniang. She has nowhere to go now, so she is temporarily staying in my room."

So that's how it is. Lu Yanzhao didn't think much of it, but he smiled slightly, feeling good: he and Gu Nanjiao could share a bed again.

"Okay!" Lu Yanzhao simply agreed and carried Gu Nanjiao into his room.

After settling Gu Nanjiao in, Lu Yanzhao discovered that there were no medicines for injuries at home. He quickly gave a few instructions and then hurriedly left.

Lu Yanzhao arrived at the cabbage grove with a deep expression, his aura chillingly cold.

Zhang Hu hurriedly went to greet him, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Brother Zhao, you're back."

Lu Yanzhao nodded and asked Zhang Hu, "I think I saw Wang Fu in the room before I jumped down. Did she run away?"

Before Zhang Hu could speak, Zhang Ergou chimed in, "Brother Zhao, your wife is really something! She stripped that woman naked. Now that she's drugged, let's go all the way and let her reap what she sows. She'll probably find out tomorrow that she was slept with by the most disgusting beggar, hahaha..."

"Well done, but reaping what you sow is far from enough. Tiger, Dog, I'll need your help again tonight..."

...

Upon learning that Gu Nanjiao was safe and sound, Lu's mother rushed home, followed by Bai Su and Bai Luochen. When Lu's mother saw Gu Nanjiao's swollen face and wrists, she was heartbroken and burst into tears.

Upon hearing the news, Lü Siniang arrived with Gu Qingyan.

A group of people suddenly arrived at the house, and Yingniang and her younger sister quickly went to boil water to entertain them. After learning the whole story, Lü Siniang angrily put her hands on her hips and cursed Wang Fu. Gu Qingyan, on the other hand, remained silent with a gloomy face.

He must have had the audacity to kidnap his precious daughter. Even if he's just a poor scholar, he'll get justice for her.

Seeing that she was surrounded by people who cared for her so much, Gu Nanjiao felt very gratified.

She felt truly happy because she had many people around her who cared for and loved her, making her feel very warm and at ease. She felt deeply grateful to these people who loved her and had stayed up all night worrying about her.

She is very lucky to have such family and friends. With such care and love, her future life will surely be very colorful. At the same time, Gu Nanjiao should also cherish the people around her. He jumped down without hesitation, and Gu Nanjiao saw all his anxiety and heartache.

Although there were no serious incidents, Gu Nanjiao also gained a lot of sweetness, and her heart was full.

Gu Qingyan sat for a while, but the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Without even saying goodbye, he hurriedly left to find Zhang Yan.

Seeing that Gu Nanjiao was unharmed, Bai Su and Bai Luochen took their leave.

Gu Nanjiao was exhausted and quickly fell asleep. Lu's mother and Lü Siniang had taken care of her for most of the night. Seeing that she was asleep, Lü Siniang said goodbye to Lu's mother and went home.

When she returned, she found that Gu Qingyan was gone. Lu Siniang was a little annoyed. Her daughter had such a big problem, and he left without even saying goodbye. Lu Siniang had a lot of complaints about Gu Qingyan's behavior.

Lu Siniang had truly wronged Gu's father. Gu Qingyan secretly went to see Zhang Yan, the county magistrate, for the sake of Gu Nanjiao's reputation. He couldn't reveal that his daughter had been kidnapped. When he saw his daughter covered in wounds, barely escaping death, Gu Qingyan was heartbroken.

He wanted Zhang Yan to secretly send his constables to raid the brothel and arrest the person who had harmed his daughter, out of consideration for their past friendship.

Unexpectedly, they encountered Lu Yanzhao on his return journey. Upon seeing each other, they seemed to understand each other's thoughts. Thus, the father-in-law and son-in-law worked together. Lu Yanzhao gathered a group of beggars to line up at a brothel, while Gu Qingyan, along with County Magistrate Zhang, seized the opportunity to raid the brothel. They then pinned the crime on Wang Dafu's concubine, Yang Meiqin.

Let them fight like dogs, none of them will escape.

...

When Gu Nanjiao woke up, she saw Lu Yanzhao watching over her without blinking.

A slight stirring ran through her heart, and she couldn't help but recall the moment Lu Yanzhao kissed her under the bridge. She clearly heard her heartbeat slow down by half a beat, a feeling she had never experienced before.

She got up and sat down next to Lu Yanzhao, bringing her head close to his chest. Sure enough, her heart felt like a large stone had been thrown into a calm lake, rippling in circles, both itchy and sweet.

She felt that she also liked Lu Yanzhao, and she approached him to confirm her feelings.

Now that she's certain, and Lu Yanzhao has clearly expressed his feelings, then... she'll date Lu Yanzhao.

Feeling the unusual docility and obedience of the woman in his arms, Lu Yanzhao's eyes flickered slightly, and his heart pounded. He swallowed hard and said, "My father-in-law just came by, but seeing you sleeping soundly, he went back. However, neither my father-in-law nor I will let Wang Fu and Yang Meiqin off the hook this time."

Gu Nanjiao said coldly, "I will handle it myself."

Lu Yanzhao gently pinched her cheek: "I know you're capable, but you don't need to worry about this. Just focus on recovering. With me and your father-in-law here, those two will be lucky to escape with their lives."

Upon hearing this, Gu Nanjiao couldn't help but laugh.

She suddenly realized how wonderful it felt to have someone protecting her.

Lu Yanzhao laughed too. He pressed his face against Gu Nanjiao's, wanting to take the opportunity to kiss her, but found that Gu Nanjiao's forehead was very hot: "Do you have a fever?"

"Huh?" Gu Nanjiao was bewildered. Her head had been hurting, and she thought it was because she bumped into Wang Fujia and choked on water, but she didn't expect to have a fever.

Are you cold?

She hadn't felt cold before, but when she heard Lu Yanzhao ask that question, Gu Nanjiao suddenly shivered.

"I'm cold..."

With a voice that sounded aggrieved and a little coquettish, Gu Nanjiao said, "I'm also dizzy, I want to sleep a little longer." As she spoke, she grabbed the thin blanket and wrapped herself up tightly.

People with high fevers often feel very cold, and Gu Nanjiao couldn't help but shiver. Lu Yanzhao had his mother brew some herbal medicine and bring it over. After drinking the medicine, Gu Nanjiao still felt cold and shivered, saying, "Lu Yanzhao, please bring out my winter blanket and cover me with it."

Lu Yanzhao frowned: "Why isn't the medicine working?"

Gu Nanjiao said irritably, "How can it be effective so quickly?"

Ancient Chinese herbal medicines are nowhere near as effective as modern fever reducers. Even with fever reducers, it takes at least half an hour to take effect. If only there were fever reducers, she really didn't want to drink this thick, bitter medicine a second time.

Just as Gu Nanjiao was feeling sentimental, Lu Yanzhao suddenly got up and stepped forward, pulled back Gu Nanjiao's thin blanket, and silently entered her bed, naturally reaching out to hug her.

"Let me hold you while we sleep, it'll be much warmer that way."

Gu Nanjiao was speechless. She felt that Lu Yanzhao was even hotter than her, as if he were on fire. Even his breathing became heavy. She didn't know if he had a fever.

"Do you have a fever too? I feel like you're hotter than me."

"I—didn't!" Lu Yanzhao's voice was a little hoarse, as if he was trying hard to restrain something.