Chapter 107

"Then you don't need to..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to push the person away, but she realized that if she stood up, she would be completely exposed.

Zhou Yanqing, knowing that she wouldn't dare to get up, couldn't help but push her luck, stirring the water in the bathtub with her fingers, causing the flower petals to float, "So many flower petals? Madam still says she's not a little flower fairy."

He leaned close to Si Yanmo's ear, inhaling the fragrance of her hair with a hint of greed, and spoke again in a hoarse voice, "Now I finally know where the floral scent on Madam comes from."

Si Yanmo felt hot all over from his words and reached out to push him away, but he grabbed her and pulled her back, making her seem like she was trying to refuse him.

"What, does my wife wish for me to bathe with you?"

"Zhou Yanqing!" The person in his arms was truly angry now. "Get out of here right now!"

Seeing that things had gone too far, Zhou Yanqing quickly regained his serious demeanor, took out the bell he had found, and said solemnly, "Who said I was alright? I just saw this and it seemed somewhat familiar. I would like to hear what you have to say about it, Madam."

Si Yanmo was also taken aback when she saw it. She took out her hand and picked up the bell. Water droplets slid off her hand and dripped into the bell. She shook it, and the sound was still clear and crisp.

She seemed to remember something, "It must have been after I fell off my horse that my mother went to the Yunji Temple to pray for it, and I kept it with me. Later, we found that it didn't seem to be of much use, so it became just an accessory."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanqing felt a mix of emotions.

When he gave Si Yanmo the bell, he thought the woman resembled Yun Ji and inexplicably felt it suited her.

Unexpectedly, she actually had an identical string of beads, which she had obtained from the Yunji Temple.

He couldn't help but grasp Si Yanmo's hand, which was holding the bell. "Is Amo really a flower fairy? How come she's so destined to be with a goddess?"

Si Yanmo was amused by him, "So are you going to worship me? Build me a temple so your descendants can make offerings to me every day?"

“Okay, but not a temple.” Zhou Yanqing looked at her with a smile in her eyes.

"What is that?" she asked.

Amidst the rising steam, his gaze fell upon Si Yanmo's eyelashes, glistening with water droplets. Her eyelashes rose and fell with her breath, and water droplets settled beside her beauty mark, slowly sliding down her cheek.

He couldn't resist kissing her, gently wiping away the moisture with his kisses, and then rubbing her lips downwards.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally released her, his hand still gripping her chin. His voice was unsteady from his heavy breathing. "Be buried with me in the Qin King's Mausoleum. Not only will future generations have to make offerings to us every day, but even if the Qin King is replaced, you will still have to offer incense to us. What do you say?"

Si Yanmo was caught off guard by his sudden kiss, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she rested her hands on the edge of the bathtub.

“Who said I was going to be buried with you?” she muttered softly.

This time, however, instead of the puppy's aggrieved reaction, a man's low, hoarse voice replied, "So you want to be buried with someone else?"

Seeing the woman's flushed nose and cheeks, he lightly pecked at them on the two spots.

Si Yanmo was flustered and a little irritated by him, "Can't I be buried by myself?"

“Then I’ll stay with you, Madam. If you don’t want to be buried with me, you can leave me a corner in the tomb so I can watch over you.”

Zhou Yanqing seemed completely unconcerned about what she said, and just looked at her with those affectionate eyes, as if trying to see right through her.

Feeling embarrassed by her gaze, Si Yanmo stammered, "Wouldn't that really make me a dog?"

"Didn't I say? I'd be your little dog, that's fine too."

I just couldn't hold back anymore!

Zhou Yanqing launched another attack on those crimson lips, leaving her momentarily unable to resist.

"Zhou... um... I still want to... take a shower..." She tried to speak during the pauses between breaths, but could only manage to utter a few words.

"It's alright, I'll help you wash." With that, the man's hands lifted her back and pulled her into his arms, splashing water that soaked his clothes.

He didn't care at all; he just wanted to kiss the person in his arms as much as he wanted.

Si Yanmo was speechless: How come this person is like this whether he's drunk or not?

The bath was finished in such a daze that the maid didn't dare to come and bring her clothes when she heard the noise. It was Zhou Yanqing who put his own coat on her and carried her back.

Si Yanmo was now completely red, like a boiled shrimp. She wrapped herself in her blanket as soon as she entered the room and ignored everyone.

Zhou Yanqing then held the person in his arms with satisfaction, a slight smile playing on his lips, "Isn't Madam going to dry her hair? It won't be comfortable if the blankets get wet."

The person in his arms was silent and had her eyes closed. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, so he went to get a towel and gently dried her hair.

Silence fell all around, with only the occasional chirping of birds.

Zhou Yanqing wasn't sure if she was asleep, and said softly, "Amo, sometimes I really feel that you were sent by heaven, especially when I learned that you had a past life. I think it must be our destiny now. Maybe God also wants us to live and save each other."

Si Yanmo remained silent, as if she were truly asleep.

He grew bolder and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Amo, it's a good thing you came. Otherwise, I think my past life must have been very boring. I wanted to do everything but accomplished nothing, and in the end, I inexplicably lost my life."

“Although you always say that there may be no gods in this world, I think Yunji must exist. She sent you to my side and let me know that I can have so many wonderful things in my life.” He dried the last strand of hair, picked it up, and kissed it devoutly. “Amo, if I can live, I want to marry you again.”

After saying all that, the person on the bed still showed no signs of waking up, so he simply blew out the candles, lay down next to her, and held her in his arms.

This is where his loved one lived when she was a child, yet it makes him feel incredibly at ease.

As he fell asleep, the person beside him opened their eyes, touched his cheek, and laughed, "Silly dog!"

——

The next morning, Si's parents prepared breakfast and kept asking him if he had a headache the day before. Their enthusiasm was unbelievable, making him feel a warmth he had never experienced before.

During the meal, he secretly took Si Yanmo's hand and said, "Shall we come and stay here often in the future?"

Si Yanmo knew his little scheme but didn't expose him. "But didn't you say that the Prince of Qin can't freely enter and leave Nandu?"

Reminded by her, Zhou Yanqing felt a little discouraged, but then she quickly thought of something else, "Then let's bring my father-in-law and mother-in-law over. It doesn't matter where we do business, right?"

Si Yanmo was amused by him and put a piece of meat on his plate. "Then you can tell your in-laws!"

Breakfast passed in laughter, but things became tense after arriving at Hechunlou Restaurant.

"Take the things out."

Upon hearing Si Yanmo's words, Tan Muhe carefully took out a guqin from the box behind him. The guqin was wrapped in cloth in three layers, showing how meticulous the custodian was.

When the outer fabric was lifted, what was revealed to everyone was a beautifully crafted garment, with patterns made of mother-of-pearl, which looked very valuable.

This is the "culprit" who caused the Tan Yin family to be wiped out.

Ironically, when the fortune teller Chen Tingyu slandered the Tan Yin family, it wasn't for revenge or political disagreement, but simply because of this valuable guqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument).

This item was passed down through six generations of the Tan Yin family and was even bestowed by the late emperor. Chen Tingyu took a liking to it and initially said he wanted to buy it. However, when he saw that Tan Yin was unwilling, he had ulterior motives and directly framed the entire family.

Tan Muhe gently stroked the strings, his eyes filled with sorrow and anger. "A zither, a river of blood. Sometimes I really wish I could go back in time and smash this zither."

But now he can't anymore; this instrument has become the lifeblood of his entire family.

Si Yanmo understood him perfectly well. Back then, she was falsely accused of being a witch because of the so-called "favor".

She was just a little luckier than Tan Muhe; she really did go back to the past and change her destiny.

She may not be able to help Tan Muhe save his parents now, but at least she can help him and the Tan family clear their name.

According to their plan, Zhou Yanqing would meet with the Southern Emperor and spread rumors that the treasure he presented to the Southern Emperor contained this ancient zither. As long as the Southern Emperor still wanted it, he would definitely find a way to get it.

"What if he doesn't want it anymore?" Zhong Zihe felt that this plan was unreliable. If Chen Tingyu didn't want it anymore, wouldn't they lose both money and their man?

Before Si Yanmo could speak, Tan Muhe retorted, "No, I know Chen Tingyu. When my father realized that the guqin was the cause of our deaths, he hid it and told me that if I survived, I must take the guqin with me, and maybe one day it could clear our family's name. Even though the King of Qin told them that the guqin was lost, Chen Tingyu still sent people to inquire about it in the years that followed. I encountered him a few times."

“He will definitely not give up.” Tan Muhe’s eyes were firm.

As expected, the next day Zhou Yanqing went to the palace to meet the emperor and happened to meet Chen Tingyu there as well.

After he finished explaining the treasures he had presented, Chen Tingyu's eyes lit up. As he left, he secretly approached him and asked, "May I ask if the precious zither that Your Highness Prince Qin presented to His Majesty was the one passed down in the family of Grand Commandant Tan Yin?"

Seeing that the fish had taken the bait, Zhou Yanqing quickly put on an act, "This...this king did not know, but I found this good thing among the common people and wanted to present it to Your Majesty. Why do you think it belongs to that monster's family?"

How did he find out?

Chen Tingyu sneered inwardly. He had longed for this zither for over twenty years, and the patterns on it made it instantly recognizable.

But now that this item has been presented to the Southern Emperor, how can he obtain it?

While he was deep in thought, Zhou Yanqing preemptively put on a terrified expression, "If what you say is true, sir, this is something from that demon's family, carrying ominous signs. I have already presented it to His Majesty, wouldn't that be a sin?"

Chen Tingyu was reminded by his words that he could indeed "destroy" the zither by claiming it was an ominous sign.

He feigned profundity: "How about this, let me perform a divination. If it truly belongs to that demon's family, then it can only be destroyed by burning. However, Your Highness need not worry. Ignorance is no excuse. I will explain properly to His Majesty and will not let His Majesty take his anger out on you."