Gan Qiongying did not answer. She took a deep breath because she felt suffocated, and that breath made her cough.

Li Hua's voice came through at this moment, tinged with embarrassment and anger: "It's ugly, isn't it? I knew it!"

Why are you in such a hurry?

She vowed that no matter what the God of Wealth looked like, she would never say he was ugly...

Gan Qiongying immediately forgot about the corn on her eye and hurriedly opened her eyes to look at Li Hua's middle part. However, she soon realized that it wasn't that Li Hua was too hot, but that her own thoughts were too filthy.

Because Li Hua wasn't actually naked; he was wearing thick shorts under his trousers, just like the young men you often see in the modern world in summer who are shirtless but wearing shorts.

Although this kind of attire was a bit revealing by ancient standards, it was perfectly normal in Gan Qiongying's eyes.

Gan Qiongying was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly realized that what Li Hua had asked just now was not what she meant at all!

Her face flushed red, and she quickly pulled her wandering thoughts—which had been carried by eight horses to the edge of a cliff—back to reality.

"Ah!" Gan Qiongying exclaimed subconsciously, trying to ease the awkwardness.

The result startled Li Hua. Li Hua was shocked and immediately bent down, his hands trembling as he tried to pull at the pants piled up at his ankles.

But in his haste, he couldn't find the waistband, so he pulled hard, but not only did he fail to pull it up, he also fell to the ground.

Li Hua clenched her teeth tightly, her eyes were red-rimmed, and she made a series of rapid, gasping sounds.

This is absolutely embarrassing.

Li Hua was filled with regret. Why had he been so foolish? Why had he done such a thing?!

He showed his pain to others, and his first reaction was not shame, but fear.

He was afraid that if Gan Qiongying saw how ugly his legs were, she would hate him from then on.

During this period, Li Hua took charge of the princess's residence, and naturally took over the affairs of Gan Qiongying's former male lovers in the inner courtyard.

Those people were truly a diverse group, each with their own unique strengths.

Without exception, they were all exceptionally beautiful women, some even twins...

Li Hua sat on the ground, his vision gradually blurring. He didn't want things to be like this; it would only make things more embarrassing.

But the more he tried to pull his pants up to cover his legs, the less he could manage. Soon, because he used too much force, he tore his pants with a "rip".

At this moment, Gan Qiongying finally realized what was going on. She quickly knelt down next to him, grabbed the clothes he had taken off and draped over the screen, shook them out, and covered him with them.

This not only covered Li Hua's legs, but also his head.

After Li Hua was completely covered up, he stopped tearing at his pants and finally fell silent in defeat.

Time seemed to have been pulled back to the Prince Consort's Mansion more than a month ago.

At that time, Li Hua took off her mask, and in the end, she could only cover up her "ugliness" with something, just like she does now.

Li Hua was instantly filled with desolation, and the twisting of his legs was just like his true appearance, which he could never, and should never, be openly exposed to others.

He should have found a suitable opportunity to "die suddenly," as Zhongli Zhengzhen suggested; that would have been the most correct choice.

Li Hua sat on the ground, her clothes soaked through, feeling cold to the bone.

But tonight, just like that night, Gan Qiongying didn't personally reveal his true nature, and at this moment, there was no way she could let him cool down.

She quickly returned to the bedside, took the blanket, wrapped it around Li Hua, and then knelt down and hugged him.

Through the blanket, Gan Qiongying's voice sounded somewhat muffled.

"It's not ugly." She conveyed warmth to Li Hua through the blanket, her tone relaxed after the emotional rollercoaster.

“It’s really not ugly.” She hugged Li Hua tightly and said, “I just… didn’t realize it. I didn’t mean to think your legs were ugly.”

Yes, when Gan Qiongying noticed that Li Hua was wearing shorts, she knew that what he had shown her was not that thing at all.

His entire being was perfect, even his face, which was not shown, was something Gan Qiongying had seen before; he was like a celestial being descended to earth.

The only part of him that could be considered "ugly" was his legs.

Gan Qiongying admitted that she hadn't seen it clearly, but after a quick glance, she really didn't find anything wrong with it; it was just so long.

It had grown so long that you could hardly see the end of it, yet Li Hua still thought it was ugly.

Gan Qiongying knelt on the ground, holding Li Hua in her arms. Her voice was a mix of amusement and embarrassment. She lifted the blanket and leaned close to Li Hua's ear, saying through his damp robe, "I thought you were showing me... your... treasure."

Since Li Hua didn't really want anything to do with her, Gan Qiongying had nothing to be afraid to say or feel embarrassed about. After all, the persona she created for herself was that she was deeply in love with Li Hua.

So, breathing heavily, she said to Li Hua in a tone that was both embarrassed and expectant, "I didn't dare to look after my pants fell down. I kept my eyes closed the whole time because I was afraid you would think I was being offensive. I promised I wouldn't force you."

"You suddenly pressed my head down and made me look at it, and even asked me if I was ugly. I wasn't prepared at all..."

"You're thinking dirty thoughts, hahaha."

"I only opened my eyes when you got impatient, and then I realized you were showing me legs."

“They’re not ugly, my legs are really not ugly,” Gan Qiongying said.

Li Hua, burdened by two things, was already so ashamed that he shrank into a ball.

As a result, Gan Qiongying's explanation was like an unreasonable flood that ravaged the village, shattering the mental walls that Li Hua had painstakingly erected in just a few words.

Moreover, that chill from within was completely replaced by heat from the unwarranted shame and slight annoyance, flowing like magma from the ears to the heart, leaving nothing but barrenness and utter decay.

How could she... how could she have thought of that!

But once Li Hua accepted this explanation, there was no going back. She suddenly felt that every question she asked was a lewd and shameless outburst.

How could she possibly think of him as the kind of person who would ask such a question?

How could she possibly think of that!

Li Hua quickly stopped feeling cold and instead felt hot all over, as if she were about to catch a fever.

But Gan Qiongying kept holding him and explaining in a soft voice, leaving Li Hua completely at a loss.

Because he thought about it... no wonder Gan Qiongying would have the wrong idea.

They've been married for several months and lived together for so long, sharing meals, lodging, and going everywhere together, but apart from cuddling and sleeping at night, they haven't engaged in any other intimate behavior.

It's normal for her to misunderstand.

After all, she had so many male lovers, and she hadn't seen any of them during this period.

Is she...?

Li Hua was ashamed to think about it any further, but she couldn't help but keep thinking about it.

She probably wanted to have sex with him.

Just as Li Hua's mind was not quite clear, Gan Qiongying suddenly reached out from under the blanket and touched Li Hua's calf.

It was his somewhat deformed left leg.

Li Hua shuddered and gasped, instinctively trying to kick Gan Qiongying away. In the end, he only lifted her up slightly before gritting his teeth and putting her back down.

He simply gripped the blanket tightly with both hands, buried his head in it, and did nothing but breathe heavily.

Gan Qiongying slowly explored and found a slightly twisted spot, gently pinching it without any hint of intimacy.

Li Hua felt an unusual burning sensation coming from the injured area. The area that was being pinched and rubbed aroused layer after layer of numbness and itching, which then climbed up his spine and spread to his scalp.

Those scars that had never been touched before, like new leaves sprouting from the soil, became exceptionally sensitive.

They could even describe the shape of Gan Qiongying's palm through their senses.

Gan Qiongying was unaware that her actions at that moment could be described as "murder and arson".

She was still saying to Li Hua through the blanket, "You're not ugly at all. You have long legs and a great figure. Even though you have injuries on your legs, you can't tell anything at first glance."

"Stop overthinking. The ground is cold. You got wet in the rain, and now that you're injured, it must hurt a lot. Let me help you up."

Li Hua didn't get up immediately because... because he had undergone an embarrassing change, and he dared not move.

Gan Qiongying thought he was still upset because she hadn't responded to him immediately.

She said softly, "Lihua, we are husband and wife, husband and wife are one. What is yours is mine. How could I despise myself?"

Gan Qiongying transformed back into a gentle, kind, respectful, frugal, and accommodating wife, speaking eloquently because she knew that Li Hua hadn't suddenly become fiery and unbearable; he remained a virtuous gentleman, steadfast in his principles.

Just now, I don't know who was in the chaos, I didn't even dare to look at anyone.

After she finished speaking, she helped Li Hua to her feet. Li Hua stood up with her help, revealing her face. She didn't seem to be in any major abnormality.

However, he kept holding onto the blanket and wouldn't let go. Gan Qiongying tugged at it and said, "Your wet clothes are still inside. Take them out."

Li Hua stood motionless with his head down, without saying a word.

The atmosphere was a bit strange. Li Hua took two steps toward Gan Qiongying. He was already a tall man with long legs, and with a quilt draped over him, he looked like a moving small mountain, which was very imposing.

He gripped the blanket tightly with one hand to prevent it from falling apart, and with the other hand, which emerged from under the blanket, his long, slender, and fair hand moved swiftly, manipulating the abacus with countless silver taels, before reaching out and grabbing Gan Qiongying's hand.

He pulled Gan Qiongying towards him, and Gan Qiongying immediately bumped into Li Hua.

Gan Qiongying's fingers were gripped tightly by Li Hua, and Li Hua's grip kept increasing. Gan Qiongying hissed, but Li Hua did not let go.

For some reason, Gan Qiongying felt inexplicably nervous, and Li Hua looked up at her at this moment—his gaze was indescribable, deep and dark, like a bottomless abyss, as if a single glance would drag a person into it.

Gan Qiongying was momentarily stunned by his gaze. She blinked and looked again, only to see Li Hua quickly lower his eyes again, concealing the fluctuating emotions within them.

After a brief pause in breathing, Gan Qiongying felt a breath rise from her chest, stuck in her throat.

Li Hua opened his mouth, about to say something.

Suddenly, Man Yue's voice came from outside: "Princess, Physician Wu has been summoned."

At the same time, Sanjiu's voice rang out, "Princess, the medicine packet has been brought over as well."

Gan Qiongying breathed a sigh of relief, quickly pulled her hand away from Li Hua's, and hurriedly said to the outside, "Please come in quickly!"