Chapter 103

Just like before, Si Yanmo saw that scene from the past again.

At that time, Zhou Yanqing was about the same age as Sano. When he charged into battle, a long axe came crashing down on him.

He ducked to dodge, but his opponent slashed at his horse. Startled, he was thrown off, but he didn't dare to let his guard down and quickly got up.

Little did they know that the other party also had a long whip in his hand. That whip was not made of ordinary hemp rope, but was made of a series of sharp arrowheads strung together.

The foremost, longest, and sharpest one lashed out the moment Zhou Yanqing stood up, embedding itself in his chest.

Fortunately, the force wasn't too great; otherwise, given the sharpness of that whip, it would have easily pierced the body of a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy.

The man spurred his horse, cracked his whip, and dragged him several meters before the sharp object embedded in his chest finally dislodged due to the resistance.

That almost cost Zhou Yanqing half her life. Later, Qin Zixiu searched for countless sorcerers, doctors, and gu masters of all sizes in Qin territory before finally saving her life. But in this person's mouth, it all turned into a sentence: "It's all in the past."

Seeing Si Yanmo's eyes go from disbelief to terror, and finally red and brimming with tears, Zhou Yanqing regretted that she had listened to the bewitching voice and hadn't stopped her.

Let her know that she will still be heartbroken.

He could feel the little hand pressed against his heart trembling incessantly.

He grasped her hand, but instead of removing it, he moved it slightly to the left so she could feel his strong heartbeat.

"I'm perfectly fine, aren't I? Listen?"

Si Yanmo barely managed to hold back her tears. She regretted not paying attention to the scar before; she realized that Zhou Yanqing had always been so close to death.

She simply pressed her ears against it, as if that would make her feel more at ease.

"Zhou Yanqing, I will definitely save you."

This wasn't the first time she'd said this, but each time it seemed to be a different Si Yanmo saying it.

Zhou Yanqing felt as if a small hand had gently scratched her heart. He turned his head and kissed her ear. "I believe you."

The closeness between their hearts seemed to energize Ye Shengge even more, making her want to add fuel to the fire.

Zhou Yanqing finally couldn't resist picking her up and carrying her back to the carriage. There was a stove in the carriage, which made it much warmer instantly. He was no longer worried about Si Yanmo catching a cold, so he became bolder in his actions.

They removed their heavy, cumbersome outer garments and couldn't help but kiss each other, their breaths mingling with each other's.

The coachman, however, was in a difficult position. He seemed to realize what was happening inside, but dared not look or listen. He only hoped that the horse could run faster so that he could quickly take the two back to the Prince of Qin's residence.

Of course, Zhou Yanqing wasn't impulsive enough. He was afraid that others would see Si Yanmo's disheveled state when he got off the carriage, so he only tried a little and first comforted the person in his arms with his hands.

Upon returning to the Prince of Qin's residence, he jumped off the carriage with Si Yanmo in his arms, kicked open the door with his dark gold boots, gently hooked it shut again, and walked straight to the bedside.

"Amo, are you willing?" He pulled down the bed curtains and leaned over to her.

The woman in his arms blushed, but thought he was saying the same thing as always, and made a nasal "hmm".

The next second, upon seeing the other person's unexpected action, she quickly reached out and pushed him away.

"No! We don't seem to be talking about the same thing."

As soon as she finished speaking, her eyes lowered unconsciously and she saw that thing again. Her face instantly burned. She didn't know whether to look left or right, so she simply closed her eyes and shouted, "I'm not ready for that!"

Zhou Yanqing was already poised to act, but upon hearing this, she had no choice but to stop, realizing that the woman hadn't understood her.

His groin was throbbing painfully, but he forced himself to endure it, his hoarse voice sounding strained, "Is it... fear, or..." dislike?

He thought that Si Yanmo's initiative just now meant that their relationship was ready to do things that a married couple should do. Was it all a lie when she said she liked him before?

Si Yanmo held her hands tightly in front of her eyes and chose the former.

"I...I never did..."

These words actually relieved him; as long as it wasn't that she disliked him, that was fine.

However, the next second he seemed to realize something, "You didn't have that in your past life either? You and Zhou Junsong..."

Si Yanmo removed her hand from her eyes, met the man's burning gaze, and nodded. "No, he doesn't like me. He used to stay overnight at the concubine's place."

A hint of smugness flickered in Zhou Yanqing's eyes. She quickly conjured up an image of a pitiful little girl alone in her room, and tenderly kissed her forehead. "Then let's take it slow. I promise I won't do anything rash until you say you're willing."

After Si Yanmo agreed, he put on a pitiful expression, "But Amo can't ignore me, it's in so much pain, you miss me too, right?"

"How can you act pitiful at a time like this?" Si Yanmo really couldn't do anything with him, and blushed as she reached out to help him.

The two had helped each other countless times before, so they were quite in sync, and soon they both reached their peak.

She slumped into Zhou Yanqing's arms, apologizing for her earlier refusal: "I'm sorry."

"What's there to apologize for?" Zhou Yanqing put one arm around her and played with her hair with the other, puzzled by her apology. "We're husband and wife. These things should be done when both of us are willing. If you're not ready, then we'll take it slowly. Anyway, we have plenty of time. As long as you're by my side, I'm willing to wait for you forever."

"A couple?" The person in his arms seemed lost in thought, their eyes devoid of any sparkle.

He lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "Of course, you are my wife."

Wife… These are words that Zhou Junsong in his previous life would never have said.

In her past life, Si Yanmo had to obey that man. No matter what happened, she couldn't resist or disagree.

She was already out of favor, and if she rebelled, things would only get worse.

If Zhou Junsong hadn't been indifferent to her, she really wouldn't know what to do.

But with Zhou Yanqing, she didn't have to be a lady, she didn't have to be obedient, she could be willful. Even if he got really angry and imprisoned her, it was just to coax her in a different place.

At first, she thought that she would have to be more careful in this ruthless King Qin than in her previous life.

Not only did she not have any, she was even more unrestrained than at home.

It wasn't just because Zhou Yanqing loved her, but also because he was a very good person to begin with.

Si Yanmo seems to have finally begun to distinguish the differences between the two marriages.

She doesn't always live under someone else's roof, nor does she insist on spending her life with one person. Instead, she finds someone who can truly be herself while also having someone who is willing to tolerate her quirks and do everything possible to make her happy.

She looked up and met his dark eyes. "Zhou Yanqing, after everything is over... can we travel together to various places in Da Nan?"

She said...it's all over?

Zhou Yanqing froze, afraid she had misunderstood, and asked in a trembling voice, "You mean..."

“Once you and your sister are out of danger,” she added, seemingly finding it somewhat inappropriate, “there might still be others in danger, but we will handle it all.”

So...she won't leave me, right?

A wild horse seemed to be galloping wildly in his heart. He was still unsure and asked again, "So, in that case, will we be ruler and subject, or...?"

"Of course, it's the King of Qin and the Queen of Qin." The person in his arms smiled gently. "You don't want to?"

"Of course I'm willing! How could I not be!" He hugged her tightly, a tear involuntarily rolling down his cheek. "Then it's settled, you can't go back on your word!"

"Hmm...it depends on my mood." The girl couldn't resist teasing him and was punished by being tickled.

Say it again!

"Hahaha...it depends on my mood."

Say it again!

"I was wrong, I was wrong..."

Amidst the laughter, sparrows outside the window flew up from the snow-covered treetops, bringing with them a few snowflakes that sneaked in through the window cracks, landing by the window and quickly melting.

——

Another month passed. Although Si Yanmo would go to accompany her sister during her postpartum period, she did not abandon her own dog and would still come back at night.

Zhou Yanqing returned home a little earlier that day and happened to hear from Wu Guan that Sano had sent a letter, which had already been placed in the study.

He entered the study and went to his desk, but didn't see the letter. He glanced up and noticed two envelopes on the desk opposite him, the one prepared for Si Yanmo.

He walked over; neither envelope had a name on it.

This was something they had agreed upon from the beginning: no names could be written on the envelopes, nor could they be addressed to "so-and-so to open this letter," in order to prevent anyone with ulterior motives from seeing it and reporting it to the Southern Emperor, which could then be interpreted as collusion between the two places and a premeditated rebellion.

Zhou Yanqing originally thought it was a letter for him and a letter for Si Yanmo.

There were no secrets between them, just casual inquiries about each other's well-being. He casually opened one of the letters, only to find it wasn't a letter from Sano, but a divorce agreement.

Upon closer inspection, the handwriting on it was indeed his.

Zhou Yanqing then remembered that she had actually kept the divorce letter she had written when she first married Si Yanmo!

They agreed to divorce a year later, and now the Lantern Festival is almost here again. A year has passed, but they will not separate.

He shook his head, stuffed the divorce papers back in, set them aside, and opened another letter. Sure enough, this was Sano's letter.

He said that the clearing out of Wu Zhao's people here went relatively smoothly, and the weather was as Si Yanmo had said before, with much less snow, which was within the range that the Sak people could bear.

He dismantled the luxurious palaces that Wu Zhao had previously built at great expense, and redistributed charcoal to each household. Sak should be able to get through this winter.

Although some old men in the court were not convinced of his authority, he believed that things would get better and better.

He was right about this kid.

Zhou Yanqing was about to tell Si Yanmo the good news. Just as he stepped outside, he saw Wu Guan running over mysteriously and whispering, "Your Highness, did you and the Princess have another fight?"

Zhou Yanqing was puzzled. "No."

"Why did the princess start packing her luggage as soon as she got back? She seemed to be in a hurry and was quite flustered."

He frowned, his mind filled with doubt: Could it be that something happened to Si Yunyun?

He arrived outside the room of the two in the east courtyard, and before he even entered, he heard Zhao Wan ask Si Yanmo, "Your Highness, are we leaving now?"

"Of course, what time is it now? We agreed to leave at this time, so naturally we have to leave."

What was agreed upon back then?

Zhou Yanqing's heart sank as she recalled the divorce agreement she had just seen. Could it be that she was referring to a one-year agreement?