Qiu Su frowned slightly at Xiao Shun's submissive demeanor. Huang Tao, however, didn't care about anything else. She placed the hand warmer in Qiu Su's arms, put her hands on her hips, and was about to start a fight. Qiu Su quickly pulled her back and scolded her in a low voice, "Why are you getting ready before you've even said a word?"
Huang Tao stuck out her tongue, rolled her eyes, and stepped forward to tug at Xiao Shun's sleeve, saying, "Little brother, come here, I have something to ask you."
"Oh, you're right. If there's anything I know, I'll definitely let you know."
"No, no, let's talk from a distance." Huang Tao grabbed his arm and dragged him outside. Xiao Shun had probably never been in contact with a woman like this before, and his face turned bright red. Qiu Su looked at his red face and her doubts deepened.
"Come on, come on! I really have something to ask you. What kind of person is my young lady? The young master never told you to be careful. You kindly let her go so she wouldn't get cold. Otherwise, if she gets sick, can you bear the consequences? If the young master blames you, just say I knocked you out and carried you away." Huang Tao persisted, while also giving Qiu Su a look.
Xiao Shun blushed and was a little annoyed, but he couldn't break free from her grasp and didn't dare to really hurt her. He hesitated for a moment and was then pulled out of the yard by Huang Tao's brute force.
Qiu Su smiled as she watched Xiao Shun being pulled away by Huang Tao. She couldn't tell the others apart, but Xiao Shun must be someone from the Emperor's side; he didn't look like a man at all! Cough, is it not a good way to put it?
The snow was already quite thick, crunching underfoot. Qiu Su walked steadily over, glancing at the candlelight inside the door, a tender feeling rising in her heart. They'd been together for so long, and Pei Yuan's private life had been remarkably clean. Even though he'd been busy lately, he hadn't picked up any unwanted scents when he came home.
Qiu Su had always thought she would live a carefree life on Qingyuan Mountain, but now she felt like a wife waiting for her husband. Before they had any arguments, every time he came home, she would even sniff him to see if he smelled of perfume. She didn't think much of it at the time, but looking back, she always found it amusing. People, they always change.
Qiu Su pursed her lips and smiled, pushing the door open to go in, but stopped when she heard her own name called.
"...She's pregnant, so naturally she can't do these things!"
"Ziqing, have you forgotten your original intention? Marrying her back would make it legitimate to start a rebellion. Seeing that Sun Hu is already starting to make a move, if we don't act now, we will be in a passive position, and every step we take will be difficult."
Sun Hu? Isn't he the regent? Qiu Su clenched her fists and held her breath.
"What do you want me to do? Let Susu lead the troops while she's heavily pregnant? Or send her and her child to the Regent's Palace as hostages?" Pei Yuan's tone was clearly not good.
“Your Highness, please allow me to say something. Miss Qiu is a good girl, but there are some responsibilities she must shoulder. Your Highness is hesitant to make a decision now, but these are things that must be done after the birth of the young master. However, these are matters for later. The most urgent task is to find a way to put the Regent Prince at ease. If he falls ill now, not only will Your Highness be unprepared, but the Emperor's life will also be in danger. He is Your Highness's only remaining family member.”
Prime Minister Pei? Qiu Su closed her eyes briefly, a sense of sorrow rising in her heart.
"So? Prime Minister Pei, you also think she should be sent to the palace?"
"This old minister, haha, thinks it's not a bad idea either."
"Let me think about it."
Perhaps it was because it was late at night, but even with the hand warmer tucked in her arms, Qiu Su didn't feel warm. A chill seeped from her heart to her limbs, making her shiver uncontrollably. She wandered back along the same path, completely dazed, and just as she reached the courtyard gate, she heard it open behind her. Qiu Su instinctively wanted to run, but wisely stood still.
She couldn't escape, nor could she flee. Some things were destined to happen from the moment she descended the mountain; she had simply been avoiding facing the truth. Putting everything else aside, just consider the present: if she left Prime Minister Pei's residence, there would be only one consequence: she would be captured by those with ulterior motives. Then, what would become of her and her child?
The crunching sound of footsteps on the snow grew closer behind her, and Qiu Su shivered, hiding her hands, which were bleeding from being pinched by her nails, inside her sleeves.
"Why is Susu out?"
"Ah." Qiu Su handed over the hand warmer in her hand. "I brought you a hand warmer."
Pei Yuan looked at the two extra footprints on the snow and said with a tight smile, "It's too cold, let's go back early."
Qiu Su walked out with her head down. Pei Yuan noticed her slightly flustered steps and quickly followed, taking her hand. Qiu Su's hand trembled, and she stiffly turned back with a smile, saying, "I stood there for a while. Uh, these snowflakes are really beautiful. I was momentarily stunned. You should get some rest too."
I'll come see you in a bit.
"No need!" Qiu Su interrupted loudly, then realized she had answered too quickly, and said with a forced smile, "I'll go back and sleep."
Pei Yuan sighed and softened his voice, saying, "Don't overthink it, I'll come see you in a bit."
Qiu Su pulled her hand away from his, lowered her head, and said, "Then, I'm leaving. Huang Tao is waiting for me. Oh, and Xiao Shun, Huang Tao dragged him away. It was unintentional, don't..."
"Sigh." Pei Yuan interrupted her with a sigh, "At a time like this, he can still remember a servant, so his mind seems to be working properly. But why does he become so confused when it comes to himself? Don't worry, I won't punish him."
Qiu Su wanted to smile, but she no longer had the strength to force a smile. She nodded, stood for a moment, then steadied herself and continued walking. Pei Yuan followed her for a while, watching her enter the house and close the door behind her. Only then did he sigh and turn to go to his study. Qiu Su knew that the person behind her had been following her all along. Ever since she entered the courtyard, the mountain lord had been at her side. But the more he did this, the more frightened she became. After entering the house and turning to close the door, her legs went weak, and she slid down onto the doorframe.
The mountain lord's damp nose touched her face. The slightly cool sensation brought Qiu Su back to her senses. She hugged the mountain lord and sighed, "Mountain lord, do you miss the blue eye? I miss it."
The mountain lord seemed to understand her words, grunted twice, squatted down beside her, and nuzzled her lower back with his head.
"Sigh, I'll get up." Qiu Su tried to sit on the cold ground. "I'll sit for a while longer, then I'll get up. Mountain Lord, if... can you find Qingyuan Mountain yourself? Find Blue Eye and go live in the forest with it. Remember to stay away from people; they are the most insidious things in the world."
"Miss?" Huang Tao pushed the door but couldn't open it, so she knocked on the door worriedly.
Qiu Su took a breath, leaned against the door to get up, quickly walked a few steps to the inner room, and groped her way under the covers to lie down.
"Miss." Huang Tao ran in, lit a candle, and saw Qiu Su lying facing inward. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Miss, you scared me. The young master said you came back first. Why didn't you light a candle when you came back? Miss, don't sleep in your clothes. Be careful not to catch a cold."
Qiu Su waved her hand, "I'll lie down for a while, you can go out. I'll take care of myself."
"oh."
Huang Tao beckoned the mountain lord to go out, but Qiu Su quickly said, "No, let it stay with me."
"The young master forbids it from getting close to the young lady."
"It's sleeping on the floor. Ziqing, he's not coming tonight."
Huang Tao peeked at Qiu Su suspiciously, and seeing that there was nothing wrong, she said, "Alright then, Miss, don't let it sleep on the bed. If the young master finds out, he'll punish it again."
Hearing the door close behind her, Qiu Su slowly curled up, tightly hugging her bulging belly, and after a long while, she sighed as if she were both crying and laughing.
When Pei Yuan returned, Qiu Su was already asleep, curled up like a baby, still dressed. The Mountain Lord, who was huddled under the bed, let out a soft whimper when he saw Pei Yuan enter and shifted to the side.
Pei Yuan, unusually, didn't chase it away, but simply patted its head gently. The mountain lord happily spun around in place, then ran to the charcoal brazier and nestled there.
Qiu Su didn't sleep soundly; her brows were furrowed the entire time. Pei Yuan stared at her brows for a long time, then gently lifted her up, carefully taking off her cotton-padded coat and robe. He then took off his own clothes and slipped inside. Pei Yuan held Qiu Su and helped her lie on her side, gently kissing her brow and whispering, "Su Su, you have to trust me. I won't let anything happen to you or the baby."
Qiu Su's eyelashes trembled, just as the candle burned out with a crackling sound, plunging the room into darkness. A tear then slid down her cheek and disappeared without a trace into the quilt.
41
41. Marry if you want...
Qiu Su didn't sleep all night, but her body remained stiff and she didn't even turn over. Pei Yuan, who was holding her, also seemed to be sleeping restlessly, occasionally trembling as if startled from a dream, and then opening his eyes to see the person in his arms gently patting her back.
Just after the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), Pei Yuan was awakened by a noise in the courtyard. Qiu Su, whose body was stiff on one side, took the opportunity to open her eyes as well.
"What's wrong?" Even Qiu Su didn't expect to be able to speak so calmly. Perhaps she had already made up her mind in the middle of the night. Some things, she still had to rely on herself.