In the courtyard, at the dinner party.

Zhao Rong knew that Qingjun, Qian'er and Yourong were all secretly looking at him, but he was unable to concentrate.

Because he is looking at 'himself'.

Zhao Rong looked at his reflection in the teacup, raised his head, and drank it all in one gulp.

The dinner continues.

Concubine Zhao Ling made the atmosphere of the dinner party harmonious and relaxed. At the curious suggestion of Mr. Yan and others, she also manifested her childhood sweetheart.

then.

A purple sword hung upside down in the courtyard.

A dreamy purple halo suddenly enveloped the walls of the courtyard on all sides, like the reflection of a lake and mountains.

The invisible sword energy, like the autumn wind, cleared the dark clouds over the courtyard, and the bright stars fell.

A mid-grade, first-class flying sword.

Everyone looked at it with different expressions, most of them sighed in surprise.

This was a flying sword of an absurdly high rank. In the past, it had only occasionally appeared in the rumors about the geniuses who were famous throughout the Nine Continents that they had heard on the mountain.

And now, it was right in front of them, in the heart of the dignified and elegant woman with autumn eyes who was toasting them.

In fact, this bamboo horse has already been famous for a long time.

Ever since it was born in Xia Chong Zhai that night, its name and rank spread throughout the two cities of Duyou on the second day. Three days later, from the mountains of Wangquezhou to the shores of the North Sea to the Thousand Islands of the South Sea, wherever immortals gathered, almost everyone knew about Zhao Lingfei of Taiqing Xiaoyao Mansion and her first-class, mid-grade Bamboo Horse Sword.

It is said that when the new Lord of Youlan Mansion got up at night and learned about this, he sighed and said to his subordinates: "The daughter of the Zhao family is as pure as a willow in the spring moon, and as elegant as the morning clouds."

The general meaning is that Concubine Zhao's grace is as dazzling as the willows in spring, and her talent is as bright and brilliant as the rising morning glow.

Zhu Yourong, Yan Jidao, Meng Zhengjun, Sima Duyi and others admired the sword under the moon, drinking with the starlight, autumn wind and sword energy.

Concubine Zhao Lingfei wanted to take the opportunity to brag about her husband, saying that it was his credit that her childhood sweetheart got promoted, but when she saw Zhu Yourong shaking his head slightly at her, she realized that too much is as bad as too little, and he might become annoyed.

Concubine Zhao Ling had no choice but to swallow her words and not disturb her husband from his solitude.

Later, halfway through the dinner, Concubine Zhao Lingfei stood up with Xiao Qian'er and solemnly toasted Zhu Yourong.

Thank you Mr. Zhu for giving the second daughter’s husband the calligraphy, which saved Xiao Qian’er and gave Zhao Rong a glimmer of hope at the critical moment in the bamboo forest courtyard.

In addition, there was her help in searching and rescuing Zhao Rong today.

The two women looked sincere.

Zhao Rong, who had been distracted, also stood up and raised his glass.

One man with two wives, the three of them thanked the woman in Confucian clothes together.

Afterwards, Concubine Zhao Ling asked Xiao Qian'er to take out a valuable gift to thank Zhu Yourong.

The gift was indeed not light, it was called whale-scented ink, and its main ingredient was collected from a certain type of whale that was on the verge of extinction in the depths of the North Sea.

This ink is very famous among the scholars in Jiuzhou Academy. It is a fine product among the study's elegant tributes and has many wonderful uses. It is a specialty of Beihai and is famous in academies all over the world.

This was originally a gift that Concubine Zhao Lingfei and Zhao Qian'er were going to give to their husband to celebrate his success in the exam.

But my husband is not in a hurry to use it right now, so I'll give it to Mr. Zhu first.

Zhu Yourong hesitated for a moment, then accepted it in front of Zhao Rong.

It can be considered as... accepting the apology from the two daughters of Concubine Zhao Lingfei.

Soon, the dinner was over, and Zhu Yourong, Yan Jidao and other teachers from the academy left and went back to rest.

Zhao Rong left the table and stood quietly for a while in the courtyard where the autumn wind was blowing, looking up at the starry sky to get rid of some of the smell of alcohol on his body.

He did not look at the petite figure of Xiao Qian'er who was carefully tidying up the main room not far away. He turned around and chose a room on the west side alone. He went in, closed the door, made the bed, folded the quilt, and went to bed in his clothes.

In the main wing not far away, Xiao Qian'er, who was kneeling on the big bed and spreading the quilt, paused, then quietly put away the two white handkerchiefs embroidered with "fat duck" in her hands, jumped off the bed, poked her head out of the room, bit her lip and looked at the west wing where Brother Rong'er was sleeping with the door closed.

On the alley not far away, Zhao Lingfei, who had just finished cleaning up the remnants of the dinner, had stopped walking at some point, and like Xiao Qian'er, she silently looked at the west wing...

Above the yard, the starry sky gradually became sparse.

It's late at night.

The sound of crickets and insects chirping could be heard in the distance.

The last light in the yard went out.

In the dark alley.

A slender and petite figure, holding a cup of fragrant hot tea, quietly came to the door of the west wing. She pushed the door tentatively with her small hand and found that it was not closed, but just ajar.

The petite figure looked back happily, and seemed to nod to a figure lingering not far behind her.

Then the petite figure gently pushed the door open and entered the room.

It seems like she wants to warm her husband's bed.

After Xiao Qian'er entered the room, she saw that there was no movement on the bed in the inner room in the darkness, and she immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

The girl quietly walked to the bed, picked up the teacup, took a sip of the fragrant tea, then slipped off her shoes and got into Zhao Rong's bed...

Not long after, the door of the west wing was gently opened again from the outside, and a tall and graceful female figure, holding a scented warm quilt, entered the room.

It seems that the weather is getting cold, so I need to add some quilts for my husband.

Concubine Zhao Ling held her breath and walked lightly to the bed in the inner room. The brocade quilt in her arms had been warmed in advance with a fumigation cage and hot water, and was soaked in a warm fragrance.

She picked up the teacup that Xiao Qian'er had put down with her bare hands and took a sip of the fragrant tea to rinse her mouth.

These are the habits of women in their boudoirs before going to sleep. Warming the bedding and rinsing the mouth with fragrant tea can make the mouth fragrant and moisten the tongue.

Therefore, a woman’s boudoir is also called a fragrant boudoir, and even dreaming is very particular, with a subtle fragrance floating in the air.

Concubine Zhao Ling first placed her husband's clothes, which had been fumigated with incense, on the hanger next to her so that he could wear them the next day.

Then she hugged the scented warm quilt and went to bed...

Zhao Rong did not fall asleep immediately.

He was still looking at 'himself'.

Of course he also noticed that Xiao Qian'er and Qingjun quietly went to bed, but he did not stop them.

At this time, Qingjun was sleeping on his left side, close to the bed.

Xiao Qian'er slept on his right side, in the inner position.

Three people share a pillow.

The last time the three childhood sweethearts slept together was a long, long time ago, when Xiao Qian'er had not yet become a maid in the fourth room. She was a little girl at the time and had just been taken out of the orphanage by him and Qingjun, living in the "secret hut" on the tree in the back mountain.

The three of them were playing house, but they slept together...

After many years, in the west wing of a farmhouse in the mountains far away from Da Chu, Zhuma and his two childhood sweethearts slept together again.

Only this time, the three of them were no longer playing house, but... a real king and wife.

In the darkness, the atmosphere was quiet at first.

Beside Zhao Rong, the two women did not move.

At a certain moment, Xiao Qian'er blushed.

Then, as if they had telepathic connection, Concubine Zhao Lingfei on the other side also blushed quietly.

Then Xiao Qian'er moved and buried her head in Zhao Rong's bedding.

He had taught her lessons in Hanjing before.

The second wife of the Zhao family was listening to the class seriously and taking notes with her little hands. She has become quite proficient at it.

So the quilt bulged up, and the girl went deep into her husband's quilt, not knowing what she was going to do.

Just as Zhao Lingfei, who was sleeping on the left side of Zhao Rong, covered her hot face with one hand, clutching a white handkerchief embroidered with a fat duck, and was about to get into the quilt to give instructions and help.

Zhao Rong, who was sleeping with his eyes closed, suddenly moved.

In the darkness, the man sleeping in the middle suddenly sat up, and through the quilt, he stretched out his hand to block the cute little head that was trying to push its way into the bed.

"Come out." He said in a tired tone.

"Mmm." Xiao Qian'er immediately and obediently crawled out from under the quilt.

She hadn't started class yet, and her books weren't even completely taken out.

On the bed in the dark, the girl with peach blossom eyes crawled out of the quilt and took two quick breaths of fresh air. At this moment, her hair was a little messy and she lowered her head as if she had made a mistake.

However, Zhao Rong did not seem angry about this.

He lay down again and covered himself with the quilt.

A soft voice floated into the ears of Xiao Qian'er and Zhao Lingfei.

"sleep."

So Xiao Qian'er lay back obediently.

Then, silence returned to the dark bed again.

The three of them shared the same pillow, breathing steadily and falling asleep peacefully.

At a certain moment, the two girls carefully reached out their hands one after another and tried to hug the arms of the man in the middle to sleep.

Seems a little nervous.

However, Zhao Rong did not move.

So, the two girls breathed a sigh of relief, hugged his strong arms, and fell asleep peacefully...

Next to the bed, there was a high west window, through which moonlight fell, casting silver light on the wooden footrest in front of the bed.

Three pairs of shoes were seen.

In the darkness where the moonlight cannot reach, three people have strange dreams.

…

Zhao Rong has been asking himself a question.

Ever since he quarreled with Qingjun Qian'er today, he suddenly asked himself...

What exactly does he want in this life?

He crawled up from the floor at the door of Zhao Rong's bridal chamber in the Duke's Mansion.

He found the jade that made him feel guilty in front of his mother's grave.

Then he quietly changed his direction, went north all the way with untold hardships and arrived at Duyou City, the end of the world.

What exactly is he looking for?

On the way north to Duyou City.

Zhao Rong witnessed what his good friend Lin Wenruo was ambitiously pursuing, and saw what his mentor and friend Liu Sanbian wanted to defend with bloodshot eyes and fists.

He himself also became a "good friend" and Su Xiaoxiao held on to the "things" she wanted to obtain with both hands.

But what exactly does Zhao Rong and Zhao Ziyu want?

Is it success and fame?

The students in the school care about vanity and compete for rankings, but he is free and easy.

He stood by and watched as the senior students in the academy competed openly and secretly for the seed enrollment quota.

Zhu Yourong appointed him as an assistant teacher of calligraphy class, and he was reluctant.

Yang Wuwei invited him to go to the seventh floor to study history, but he decisively refused.

The young emperor and Zhang Huizhi tried to persuade him to stay and help the country, but he shook his head and declined.

This time, the Great Li Fengshan was planned and worked hard only because of the guilt and responsibility towards Gu Yiwu and other students of the Justice Hall...

Is it to achieve great spiritual attainments and pursue immortality?

On weekdays, he practiced diligently and steadily.

However, when the sword spirit asked him to let go of all worldly ties, turn south to Xiaoyao Island, look for opportunities for the great way, and hone his cultivation, he refused early on.

In the Jixia Academy in Tunan Continent, there were obviously endless opportunities for great things to happen, and Tao Yuanran also said frankly that he was suited to the great stage where a hundred schools of thought contended. However, he still stayed in this secluded city at the end of the world.

Along the way, he obtained Taoist purple energy, Li Ji sword pills, Xia Chong Zhai wine and other great blessings. Although he was obviously a waste of talent, he gave them all to Lady Tianjiao just like Shancai Tongzi.

Moreover, not long ago, he could have clearly obtained more opportunities and treasures for free from the mythical transparent woman in the ruins, as long as he stayed with her. However, in order not to make the beauty outside worry and sad, he declined and turned back.

At the same time, he did not immediately check the body that had been repaired by the Pure White Cold Palace and the state of his cultivation after his physical strength was restored. Instead, he was determined to return and see the beauty first...

So……

Is what Zhao Rong really wants a beautiful woman and a gigolo?

He traveled thousands of miles, all the way north, formed a relationship with Su Xiaoxiao, returned the jade to Qingjun, and then personally took it back and restored the two childhood sweethearts' loyal love for him.

Three goddess-like beauties whom he had never dared to dream of in his previous life, all fell in love with him and were influenced by the ethics and customs of this world. They were devoted to him, opened their hearts to him, devoted everything to him, even loved him to the point of humility and regarded their husbands as their gods.

Moreover, as he said in anger not long ago, he could even bully them even more excessively and become a "faithless, shameless, immoral and rude person" that they could not do anything about. He would turn his hunting eyes to Zhu Yourong and ride on Shi Miezu to try to conquer this beauty who had a big bowl of gigolo.

Become a playboy who loves stamp collecting, live on all kinds of women, and take advantage of social ethics and customs. Don't be condemned by the world, and even be praised for your romanticism, leaving behind stories that are envied and respected by men in later generations.

So, is being a 'Peach Blossom Sword Master' who collects all kinds of gigolos and eats them all what he has always wanted?

Before today, Zhao Rong might have thought so.

He told Su Xiaoxiao that Qingjun's love for him was too much to bear and he wanted it all.

He said to Meng Zhengjun, "What's wrong with a seven-foot-tall man liking to live off women?"

He told Luo Xiu that the world outside was very interesting, but he thought the most interesting thing was the beauty before him.

He said to Lin Wenruo and Zhang Huizhi, "I will not give you my country's favor..."

This is what the former Zhao Rong thought he wanted.

But now.

He doesn't feel it anymore.

Today, he should have been reunited happily with his beautiful lady after going through numerous dangers, but he witnessed Qingjun and Qian'er jealously checking on him, and the constant fighting with the innocent Zhu Yourong.

Today, he was furious, but Qingjun Qian'er immediately softened and used humble and derogatory remarks to hurt themselves and deeply hurt him at the same time.

Zhao Rong suddenly felt tired.

Even when his right arm was torn off by Qin Jianfu and his head was stepped on by an old monster in the Jindan realm.

He had never felt so tired before.

Looking at Qingjun's sad yet brilliant smile when he spoke belittling words to her.

Looking at Xiao Qian'er's moist peach blossom eyes that were red from crying.

At that moment, Zhao Rong also felt bored, boring and unfamiliar.

This was not the kind of relationship and atmosphere he wanted with the beauties.

It's not the future life he wanted.

At that moment, by the lake of heart.

A man suddenly lowered his head and looked at his own reflection on the surface of the lake of his heart.

Start asking yourself.

What exactly is this 'thing' he wants?