攸舒瑶一愣，转头看向说话的春绿。
“大人的生辰？什么时候？”
“嗯……还有不到两个月，就是大人生辰了。”
What does his birthday have to do with her? You Shuyao thought to herself, but dared not say it aloud, for if she did, her words would surely reach Huo Jingsha's ears.
But... she had nothing of value; everything she possessed now was given to her by him. What could she possibly offer as a gift?
Seeing that You Shuyao remained silent, Xia Hong smiled and suggested, "Aunt Yao, you don't need to be too embarrassed. As the saying goes, it's a small gift with great meaning. So the gift doesn't need to be too expensive. What matters is the sincerity. I think you should choose something yourself to give to the master. He will definitely be happy."
“Yes, you’ve seen plenty of expensive things, so they’re nothing special. Only things made by the hand of someone you love can truly show how much they care about you, and you’ll surely treasure them.” Dongxue chimed in with a smile.
Oh… You Shuyao suddenly realized, all that talk was about making her do something herself. Since she'd been trained from a young age to seduce men, needlework was naturally no problem for her. Sometimes, winning a man's heart didn't necessarily have to be done in bed; you needed to possess other talents that would make a man fall for you.
Besides embroidery, she also has a smattering of knowledge about chess, appreciating paintings, playing musical instruments, and singing, so making some small gadgets is no problem for her.
Shu Yao asked curiously, "Do you know what the other concubines are planning to give to the adults?" Embroidery is nothing more than handkerchiefs and purses, but it wouldn't be very meaningful to give the same thing as someone else, so it's better to find out.
Clearly, the maids were very interested in this matter and had already found out the details. As soon as she asked, they immediately told her everything in detail.
Aunt Zhou made a sable vest for the master, Aunt Xu made a python-patterned mandarin jacket, Aunt Zheng sewed a pair of wrist guards, Aunt He was good at calligraphy and wrote a fan for the master, etc. The things made by these aunts were mostly personal items that could not be separated from what they wore.
So it seems everyone put a lot of thought into preparing gifts, and it would be a bit unreasonable for her not to be able to bring anything decent. Besides, Huo Jingsha is very vindictive and holds grudges. If she doesn't give him a gift for his birthday, he might come back and torment her to death.
“Okay, I’ve got it,” Shu Yao replied.
The four of them breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that she had agreed.
Before being assigned to take care of Consort Yao, the master had specifically warned them that their fates were tied to Consort Yao's. If Consort Yao prospered, they would all prosper; if Consort Yao did not prosper, they would not prosper either. Therefore, they desperately hoped that Consort Yao would continue to be favored by the master. When their master was in power, they, as servants, would also have something to be proud of.
The reason we deliberately brought up the matter of the master's birthday today was actually something we had been thinking about in private. The concubines in the back courtyard had started preparing gifts months ago, all of them considering pleasing the master the most important thing in the world. But seeing that Aunt Yao was completely unmoved, they were very anxious. So, Chunlu had no choice but to remind her.
It was said that Huo Jingsha would be away on business for several months, but he only took a month and a half to return before his birthday. Moreover, it was very sudden and without any warning. He didn't even ask his servants to go back to the mansion to inform him in advance. He just rode back alone, covered in dust.
Upon receiving the news that the master had entered the mansion, the concubines were overjoyed, their hearts pounding with excitement. But as always, he went directly to Shu Yao's courtyard.
When he entered Biyue Residence, You Shuyao was listening to Qiuyue play a piece of music. The news of his return to the manor had not yet reached her ears. She only saw him stride towards her courtyard without even taking off his cloak inside the house.
As soon as I entered the room, my eyes were fixed on her.
You Shuyao just stared at him blankly. After nearly two months apart, he rushed to her place as soon as he returned, without anyone following him or sending anyone to remind him beforehand.
Standing inside the room, Huo Jingsha's tall stature and imposing presence instantly filled the entire space with his aura. Before she could even react, he had already strode up to her.
"Get out!"
His eyes were fixed on her, but he uttered an order. With a swift movement, he pulled You Shuyao into his arms, while Chunlu and the others, upon receiving the order, quickly rushed out of the house like the wind, considerately closing the door behind them as they left.
Before You Shuyao could even speak, her lips were pressed down and sealed tightly, forcing her to passively accept his urgent, forceful, and unrefusable kiss.
The peace that had been so hard to find these past few days was completely shattered by this one passionate gesture. He made her feel his longing and the deep yearning in his heart for her.
"Yao'er!"
"Um?"
"Miss you."
The two short words, spoken lightly from his lips, contained boundless longing and tenderness, making her heart flutter even more than after the kiss.
In front of outsiders, he was cold, aloof, and ruthless; but in front of her, he made no attempt to hide his fervent affection. Gazing into the drowning tenderness in his eyes, her own reflection filled his pupils. He stared at her intently, as if trying to make up for all the time he had missed over the past two months.
Shu Yao was deeply moved. His expression told her that although he was away, his heart was always with her.
You Shuyao said nothing, but let his hot lips and tongue entwine with hers. He picked her up and carried her to the quiet room. He quickly removed their clothes and soaked them in the warm pool water. He continued to use his arms to trap her against the pool wall and kiss her.
He was so hot; his body felt like a fire against her skin, making her feel as if her whole body was on fire.
He reached for a towel, kissed her, and then personally washed her body. He then took her hand and asked her to wash away the dirt and bloodstains from his body as well. They were so intimately close, pressed together without any distance, that she could clearly feel his heartbeat, pounding just as fast as hers.
Looking down, she saw his body covered in various wounds, some deep, some shallow, some already scabbed over, indicating how dangerous his mission had been. He seemed to have endured brutal killings and countless bloody battles before finally returning safely to her side, but he didn't say a word about it, only stubbornly asking her again and again... "Yao'er, do you miss me? Do you miss me?"
"Yes!" she blurted out. She thought it was just a lie to appease him, but only she knew how much of it truly meant to her.
She thought that no matter how much mental preparation she did, or how strong her defenses were, they couldn't withstand his sweet words. This man... still influenced her to some extent.
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