The night sky was like a dark blue curtain, with the bright moon overhead, stars twinkling, and all was quiet.

The couple had just finished their second bath and were embracing each other in the bedroom.

"Yan Yan~ just tell me, what's wrong with Sheng Yi's head? Why does he want to send Chen Di to America?" Shen Bei'an was a little dazed, resting his head on Gu Nan'an's arm, when he suddenly remembered something.

Gu Nanyan was almost asleep when he heard Shen Bei'an's words. He gently patted Shen Bei'an's back and said, "It's not exile, it's protection." He then lowered his head and kissed Shen Bei'an's hair.

“Protect…protect?!” Shen Bei’an suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed Gu Nan’an’s arm.

Gu Nanyan knew he couldn't sleep now, so he opened his eyes, got up, grabbed a cushion from the side, placed it behind him, and helped Shen Bei'an sit up.

The couple had just finished their honeymoon and didn't have much of a fight.

“Hmm,” Gu Nanyan ignored the bathrobe and pulled Shen Bei’an into his arms, “The capital will be in some chaos later. Do you remember that Warring States game at night?”

“I…I remember.” Shen Bei’an slowly pressed his face against her chest. “It was Sister Tian who planned it, and in the end, Seventh Sister won.”

That game was only briefly mentioned in the original book, and the female protagonist of the original book also seems not to have participated.

But from that game, he learned that the original plot seemed to have changed.

Because the female lead's protagonist aura seems to... no longer work.

Gu Nanyan chuckled softly, wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer, tilting his head slightly and resting it on his head. "It doesn't count as Young Master Fu Jiu. It was Mu Qian who said it to Young Master Fu Jiu at the Fu family banquet."

Two warm lips pressed against his earlobes, his voice low and hoarse, "The 'Seven Heroes' battle held at night was far less boring than that utterly pointless game underground." His tone was full of sarcasm as he finished speaking.

The strong are cowardly, yet they raise their swords against the stronger; the weak are cowardly, yet they raise their swords against the weaker.

"Yan... Yan Yan, what do you mean?" Shen Bei'an felt that his brain was not working properly.

“A… self-righteous game played by so-called 'chess players.' A disgusting gathering held every three years.” Gu Nanyan closed his eyes and placed a kiss on his earlobe.

"What does Young Master Fu mean by this?" Shen Bei'an felt a damp itch on his earlobe. In the darkness, the two embraced, but he didn't make any moves. Instead, he moved even closer to Gu Nan'an.

"He wants to find some people; things are going to get chaotic in the capital soon. That game was just the fuse."

A change organized by a few passionate young people.

"So Sheng Yi wanted to protect Chen Di, which is why he sent Chen Di abroad?" Shen Bei'an understood. Sheng Yi wasn't exiling Sheng Jingchen, but protecting him.

"Mm." Gu Nanyan kissed him. "My uncle and aunt have a loving relationship, and my cousin is several years older than Jingchen, so it's usually my cousin who disciplines Jingchen. Besides, Jingchen's personality really needs to be changed."

"So, Gu Nanyan, you think Chendi is childish?!" Upon hearing this, Shen Beian shoved Gu Nanyan aside and kicked him to the ground. "Turn on the light."

He twisted his neck, sat cross-legged on the bed, and looked down at Gu Nanyan, who had been kicked to the ground.

Gu Nanyan, caught off guard, was kicked to the ground by his husband: ...

With one leg bent and her hand supporting her on the other, she rubbed her temples helplessly, now fully awake. "An'an, that's not what I meant."

"So what do you mean?" Shen Bei'an sneered. "If there's danger, you let Chen leave. Isn't that treating Chen like a child? Then why didn't Young Master Fu let Sister Tian leave? And Little Ye, Young Master Ye didn't say anything either. Why is it that Chen has to leave the capital? Oh, right, and you too. If there's really any danger here, you'll probably let me leave first."

"So, you're just talking nonsense." Shen Bei'an crossed his arms and stared straight at her.

Gu Nanyan pressed the tip of his tongue against his lower teeth, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

My husband's grown up, he's not so easy to fool anymore.

"Now, I'll give you two choices." Shen Bei'an gave her a deathly smile. "First, let's make it clear and go to bed; second, go to the study, and you can come back to the bedroom whenever we talk."

"Of course, if you still want to lie to me, think it over carefully." He said through gritted teeth.

Gu Nanyan didn't get up, but sat on the carpet. "My older cousin didn't send him to America, but rather through America and other countries before going to Fuyun Island." He rested his chin on one hand, his eyes sparkling, and a faint smile appeared on his lips, making him look absolutely beautiful.

“Fuyun Island!” Shen Beian’s pupils constricted; this place was mentioned in the original book.

It exists independently of the seven continents, and is governed by five major powers, with many smaller powers dependent on these five powers.

"My eldest cousin originally wanted Jingchen to go to Jingning Mountain and enter the Elite Academy. But Jingchen failed. He has wasted these years and spent too much time playing around. Jingchen does need training now, so my eldest cousin plans to have him... join the army."

Gu Nanyan twisted his neck with one hand.

Jingchen is no longer suited for a political career.

Given the extent of her chaotic private life, there's no need for anyone to report her.

"Beautiful women grace the stage during the grand performance of Shengliu"—who in the entire capital doesn't know this saying?

"Join...join the army?!" Shen Bei'an couldn't help but retort, "But Brother Chen studied at Peking University back then, he..."

"An'an," Gu Nanyan's eyes narrowed slightly, like a beast lurking in the night, ready to deliver a fatal blow to its prey! "Imperial regulations stipulate that citizens of the Empire who have reached the age of twenty have the right to decide whether or not to join the army."

Shen Bei'an unconsciously lowered his arms from his chest, bracing himself behind him to prevent himself from collapsing. "So, you all planned this all along. Just waiting for Jing Chen... to fall into the trap, right?"

The fact that they didn't get into the elite academy was simply their arrangement!

Shen Beian was well aware of Sheng Jingchen's abilities. He genuinely didn't know the requirements for entering the Elite Academy, but the original book described Sheng Jingchen as such.

A playboy actually schemed against Xie Yunyu!

How could someone like that... how could they possibly...?

Gu Nanyan stood up and moved closer to him, placing her hands on either side of him. "Well, my eldest cousin has taken over the group, and my third cousin has entered politics and is now in Tianjin. The other cousins ​​have also made their own arrangements. But the only exception is that none of the direct descendants of the Sheng family in this generation have joined the military."

“An’an is right. It was a path that Jingchen was arranged for long ago.” Her eyes were smiling, but it only made Shen Bei’an feel fear.

"It's just to compensate Jingchen for letting him have more fun these past few years. Letting Jingchen join the army is the best choice for both him and the Sheng family."

Shen Bei'an tilted her head back following Gu Nan'an's movement, her eyes reddening and glistening with tears, barely able to speak, "Compensation? You arranged his life, yet you say it's the best choice for him?"

"Gu Nanyan, have you already planned out my life?"

——

The author is currently brainstorming ways to finish this book by December 12th, so you guys can start thinking about who should write the side stories!