Chapter 108: True Feelings Revealed
The spare carriage was lined with thick, soft cushions, and the stove was burning brightly, dispelling the chill outside. However, the carriage was not only filled with warmth, but also with a heavy, almost suffocating sense of lingering fear and solemnity.
Gu Yangui carefully placed Su Wanrou in the softest corner, wrapping her tightly in a thick fox fur coat, leaving only her pale face exposed. He sat down close to her, his right arm still firmly encircling her body, as if she would disappear if he let go. His usually deep and sharp black eyes were now like two bottomless, icy pools, with turbulent waves surging within. His lips were tightly pressed together, his jawline taut like a knife's edge, oblivious to the tiny cuts on his face and hands that oozed blood.
Leaning against him, Su Wanrou could clearly feel his heart pounding wildly and uncontrollably beneath his chest, pounding against her eardrums and her heart. His trembling was clearly transmitted through their tightly clad clothes. It wasn't from the cold, but from an uncontrollable physiological reaction to extreme emotional tension.
"Husband..." Su Wanrou called softly, reaching out her slightly trembling hand to touch the wound on his cheek, "Your wound..."
Her hand was suddenly gripped by Gu Yangui mid-air. His palm was icy cold, damp with snow and mud, and the grip was so tight it almost hurt her. He lowered his head, his gaze fixed on her like a tangible object, his voice hoarse and broken, carrying an almost fierce urgency: "Don't worry about me! Tell me, are you really alright? What about your stomach? Are you feeling any discomfort? Are you dizzy? Do you feel like throwing up?"
He bombarded her with a barrage of questions, each word laced with an overwhelming sense of fear. He stared intently into her eyes, scrutinizing every subtle change in her expression, as if trying to discern whether she was concealing her injuries.
Su Wanrou's heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, aching and throbbing. She had never seen Gu Yangui like this before—so out of control, so vulnerable, so… panicked. The Duke of Zhenguo, who would remain unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, was now just an ordinary man who had almost lost his beloved wife.
She gripped his cold hand tightly, trying to warm him with her own warmth, her tone incredibly certain, even carrying a hint of reassuring tenderness: "It's really nothing, my husband. Look, I can still move, my stomach doesn't hurt at all, I just bumped my forehead and feel a little dizzy, and my body hurts a bit from the impact, but I'm sure I haven't broken any bones or affected the baby. Don't be afraid, both I and the baby are fine."
To prove she was alright, she even tried to move her body, but Gu Yangui held her even tighter in his arms.
"Don't move!" he growled, tightening his grip and burying his face deep in the crook of her neck. His warm breath sprayed onto her sensitive skin, rapid with the relief of someone who had just escaped death. Su Wanrou felt a dampness on her neck, not from snow, but... a scalding liquid.
Did he... cry?
This realization sent a jolt through Su Wanrou, as if her heart had been stabbed, a sharp, tingling pain spreading through her. She reached out and embraced his broad, slightly hunched back, patting him gently like a mother comforting a frightened child.
"It's alright, Yan Gui, it's really alright." She repeated it over and over, her voice soft yet firm. "You saved me, you arrived just in time. We're both fine."
Gu Yangui didn't look up, only letting out a low whimper like a wounded beast against her neck. All his strength, all his composure, crumbled the moment he confirmed she was safe. His mind replayed uncontrollably the image of the carriage veering off the road and overturning down the slope; every detail was like a poisoned blade, slowly torturing his nerves.
"I almost... I almost lost you..." His voice was muffled, thick with nasal congestion and an unprecedented sob. "Wanrou... I watched helplessly as... I was powerless to do anything..."
He finally raised his head, his bloodshot eyes gleaming, tears streaming down his smeared cheeks, leaving clear trails. This once mighty warrior, who had struck fear into the hearts of his enemies, now displayed his fear and vulnerability without reservation before her.
“If I had arrived a moment later… if I hadn’t grabbed the reins… if the carriage had overturned down the slope…” He dared not continue, each hypothetical scenario sending chills down his spine. He raised his trembling hand and gently stroked the bruise on her forehead, his fingertips moving with immense care, as if touching the most fragile treasure in the world. “Does it hurt?”
Su Wanrou finally couldn't hold back her tears. Not for the fright and pain she had suffered, but for his pain at this moment. She shook her head vigorously, tears sliding down her lips, tasting salty: "It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt at all. As long as you're here, I'm not afraid anymore."
She raised her hand and gently wiped away the tears and bloodstains on his face with her fingertips, her voice gentle yet firm: "Gu Yangui, listen to me, I am your wife, the Lady of the Duke of Zhenguo. I will not be so easily defeated. We have children to protect, and this family to safeguard. No matter what happens, I will strive to live on and stay by your and Mingxuan's side."
These words, like warm sunshine, gradually dispelled the crimson and madness in Gu Yangui's eyes. He looked deeply at her, at this young wife, fifteen years his junior, seemingly delicate yet possessing astonishing resilience. In her clear and resolute gaze, his frantic heartbeat finally calmed down little by little.
He lowered his head, gently pressing his forehead against hers, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, as if trying to inhale the comforting, faint jasmine scent emanating from her body, letting it permeate his very being.
“Wanrou…” he called her name, no longer “Madam,” but “Wanrou” with endless longing. “I can’t lose you. Never again.”
These words were like a key, completely unlocking his long-closed heart. All his past restraint and composure vanished in that moment.
“I know I’m much older than you, and I’m cold-hearted. I’m not good at sweet talk, and in the past… I may have even made you suffer.” He spoke softly, his voice still hoarse, but filled with unprecedented sincerity. “But from the first moment I saw you at the hunting grounds, my heart could never hold anyone else. Marrying you is not just for Mingxuan, but also for my own selfish desires. I want you, and I want you to stay by my side forever.”
Su Wanrou held her breath, her heart pounding like a drum. This was the first time she had heard his heartfelt confession so clearly. There were no flowery words, yet it was more moving than any sweet talk.
"This mansion only feels like a home because of you. Mingxuan has become cheerful and loves to laugh because of you. And I..." He paused, tightening his arms around him again, his voice trembling with a barely perceptible sob, "And because of you, I feel like a living, breathing person, not just a machine that knows only warfare and court affairs. Wanrou, you are the only light in my bleak life. If that light goes out, I..."
Su Wanrou reached out and gently pressed her finger to his lips, stopping him from saying anything ominous. Her tears flowed even more fiercely, but her face blossomed into an incredibly happy and radiant smile, like a rainbow after the rain.
"Fool..." she said with a sob, laughing and scolding, "How can the light go out? I will always shine, for you, for Mingxuan, for our child. Gu Yangui, I can't lose you either. You are my husband, Su Wanrou's husband, the father of my child, and my strongest support in this world."
Their eyes met, and all words seemed superfluous. The air was filled with the salty taste of tears, as well as an overwhelming sense of deep affection and the relief of surviving a catastrophe.
Gu Yangui lowered his head and gently kissed away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Then, carefully and tenderly, he covered her lips, which were slightly pale from blood loss and shock.
This kiss no longer carried any hint of testing or desire, only boundless tenderness, the ecstatic joy of regaining what was lost, and an unforgettable love. It was as gentle as a feather's touch, yet as profound as the ocean, enveloping the two tightly and merging them into one.
The carriage, escorted by guards, smoothly made its way to its temporary residence within the royal hunting grounds. Outside, the world was covered in snow and ice, but inside, springtime warmth filled the air, and love flowed freely.
Back at their temporary lodging, Gu Yangui, disregarding his dislocated left arm and disheveled appearance, personally carried Su Wanrou back to the inner room and carefully placed her on the bed. The imperial physician, who was already waiting, immediately stepped forward to take Su Wanrou's pulse.
Gu Yangui stood by the bed, his gaze fixed on the imperial physician's expression, as tense as a prisoner awaiting sentencing. Only after the imperial physician repeatedly confirmed that the lady had only suffered a fright, that the superficial injury on her forehead was not serious, and that although her pulse was slightly fluctuating, the pregnancy was stable and she only needed to rest and recuperate for a few days did Gu Yangui's tense nerves finally relax completely, and his tall body swayed almost imperceptibly.
He waved for everyone to leave, leaving only the couple in the inner room.
He sat on the edge of the bed, holding Su Wanrou's hand, gazing for a long time at her slightly furrowed brow as she slept, his heart filled with endless tenderness and overwhelming anger. The tenderness was for her, the anger was directed at the mastermind behind it all.
Today's events were no accident. Gu Yangui's wife had been brutally murdered right under his nose, in the royal hunting grounds! This was not only aimed at Wanrou, but also at his Zhenguo Duke's mansion, and at Gu Yangui himself!
His gaze gradually turned cold and sharp, like a drawn sword. All traces of his previous tenderness and vulnerability were gone; the ruthless and decisive Duke Zhenguo had returned.
"Get a good night's sleep." He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the uninjured spot on her forehead, his voice deep and firm. "I've got you covered. I won't let anyone who hurt you get away with it."
In her sleep, Su Wanrou seemed to sense his presence and promise. Her slightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and a reassuring smile even appeared on her lips.
Gu Yangui tucked her in, then got up and went to the outer room. His face instantly turned ashen, and he coldly ordered his trusted guards waiting outside, each word carrying a chilling intent: "Investigate! Dig three feet into the ground to find out the truth of what happened today! Whether they are human or ghost, I will make them pay the price!"
True feelings have been revealed, and deep love is etched into his very bones. What follows will be the Duke of Zhenguo's iron-fisted methods and thunderous wrath. Anyone who dares to harm his wife and children will surely suffer his overwhelming fury!
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