Chapter 328

"Huai An!"

"My lord!"

Zhao Changdu no longer showed mercy, casting an indifferent glance at Zhao Rou with eyes as dark as the abyss, cold and remote, "You are responsible for taking care of this matter."

Huai An arrogantly rested his chin on the hilt of his sword as he closed in on Huo Qiyan, "My lady, please come with me."

Zhao Rou gave a cold snort, pulled Huo Qiyan up and angrily said, "Since the Zhao family can no longer accommodate my Huo Qiyan, then we shall leave this place tonight, and stop being bothered by your Zhao family's incompetence!"

After saying that, she sloppily pulled Huo Qiyan out. Cheng, the hypocrite, hurriedly chased after them, "Miss Zhao, please wait for me...calm down..."

The absurd farce finally came to an end.

Gu Ying heaved a slight sigh of relief. The trays and porcelain plates from the Floating Flower Pavilion had been prepared by her long ago to deal with Huo Qiyan. She didn't expect they would come in handy today to finally get rid of that annoying madame Huo and bring some peace and quiet back to the Duke's estate.

She made a blessing gesture towards Zhao Hui who was still in the study, the smile at the corner of her mouth disappearing somewhat, "Father, let us take our leave."

Zhao Hui didn't say anything, just sat there with an awkward expression on his stiff face, waved his hand embarrassedly.

Zhao Changdu gave him a deep look without saying a word, then left the Ink Rhyme Pavilion, his face icy cold.

The two of them walked side by side on the way back to Changfeng Lodge, Yin Lan and Yanzhi following far behind holding lanterns, the moonlight clear and cold, scattering frost-like over the path.

The Duke’s estate was unusually quiet tonight, and her hand had been in the comforting warmth of the Heir Apparent’s the entire time. The Heir Apparent had been silent the whole way. Gu Ying knew he must be very disappointed with the Duke right now. Huo Qiyan was normally not allowed anywhere near the Heir Apparent, let alone drugging him. Even taking a few steps closer would get blocked by Huai An.

Yet today, for Huo Qiyan’s sake, the Duke made use of the Ink Rhyme Pavilion to lure the Heir Apparent into danger, and told Steward Zhao to invite the Heir Apparent to the study. That tea he drank must have been personally delivered by the housekeeper.

The Heir Apparent had always trusted Steward Zhao, which was why he lingered in the study for so long and...allowed Huo Qiyan to...

Thinking of this, her throat tightened slightly, and her heart felt stifled, making her stop in her tracks.

Those marks on Huo Qiyan’s body... She wondered who did that to her and whether the Heir Apparent, whose clothes were neat and eyes clear, had touched Huo Qiyan or not.

"Are you tired?"

His deep baritone voice came from over her head. Gu Ying regained her composure and looked up at the outline of the man's handsome features in the dim light. She smiled, "I'm fine."

Seeing her blushed cheeks and slightly panting, Zhao Changdu felt distressed and picked her up, "You ran so hurriedly, aren't you afraid of hurting our baby?"

Not wanting him to worry, Gu Ying put her arm around his neck, snuggling softly against him, rubbing affectionately, "Don't worry, our baby will be a good child and stay quietly in mommy's tummy without making a fuss."

A stream of warmth flowed through Zhao Changdu’s heart. The corners of his mouth slowly turned up, "Does your stomach hurt?"

Gu Ying said, "No."

Zhao Changdu muttered an "Mm," and carried her into the yard of Changfeng Lodge. Elegant palace lanterns hung under the eaves. Yin Lan and Yanzhi saw them this far before tactfully leaving them alone.

Only the husband and wife remained in the room.

Gu Ying noticed the Heir Apparent was a little different tonight. He was very quiet, sitting down after putting her on the couch, silently lowering his eyes. His chiseled side profile shone brightly in the candlelight, but his eyes were lonely and desolate, making people feel uneasy. Gu Ying hugged him almost instinctively. He had a heroic and majestic build, his black robe giving off an aloof and remote aura.

She put her arms around his slender yet strong waist, “Changdu, what’s wrong? You can tell me anything. I’m your wife and will always be by your side, helping you solve problems and relieve your worries.”

After a long silence, Zhao Changdu gave a self-deprecating laugh, “I drank that tea.”

Just a few plain words, yet full of suppressed anguish.

Gu Ying looked up at the man’s smooth jawline, feeling a sharp pain in her heart. She said hoarsely, "I know." Zhao Changdu sneered, “I just wanted to know if he really sees me as his son, whether he would put me in danger, but obviously, I overestimated him.”

The man was clearly smiling, yet his eyes were filled with raging pain.

Gu Ying gently stroked his tall nose bridge, eyes curving comfortingly. “It’s alright, Changdu. You still have me and our baby.”

Zhao Changdu chuckled softly. His big hand held hers as his voice grew even deeper, “That’s right, I still have you.”

She had been like a bright beam of light shining into his seemingly bottomless life since she was a child, pulling him back from the deadly dark night. And now, she was still by his side, never leaving.

He suppressed the lingering bitterness and disappointment in his heart, and drew her into his arms, resting his chin on the crown of her head. His dark phoenix eyes flashed deeply, “Don’t worry Ying, I didn't touch her. Those marks on her body were made by herself. I just stood there watching her act crazy. It was only disgusting with no interest at all. I was about to leave when you arrived.”

Gu Ying said, “I believe you.”

Zhao Changdu said gently, “Do you know how much I wanted to hold you when I saw you rush over anxiously?”

Gu Ying's face flushed slightly, “Hold me to do what?”

Zhao Changdu said solemnly, "Only by holding you can my heart be at ease."

"Oh my..." Being loved and cherished like this, having a man declare his feelings for her so blatantly, was still a first time occurrence in this life and previous life. Gu Ying recalled her lonely past in her last life being neglected by Jiang Yin and felt bashful with warmth flooding her heart. Not knowing how to reciprocate his feelings, she looked up and smiled, “Then...hold me for a bit longer?”

Zhao Changdu’s voice was somewhat hoarse. “Gladly.”

Gu Ying stayed in his arms for a while, then felt puzzled again. Looking up, she saw churning flames of heat in the man's intense, jet-black pupils and asked worriedly, "But what about the drug? Changdu, do you feel any discomfort?"

From the time she received the news to when she rushed to the Ink Rhyme Pavilion, there were also delays caused by Cheng blocking her way. He actually managed to suppress the effects of the drug completely and appeared nonchalant, sitting calmly in the study room interacting with Zhao Rou and company.

This man’s self-control...was simply too terrifying.

Zhao Changdu's mouth curved slightly. His scorching fingers caressed the girl's soft waist as he held her in his arms, "It's fine. Just a common Aphrodisiac Concoction."

Despite his words, the flames of desire in the man's eyes were like a whirlpool.

Gu Ying felt his tightening embrace growing hotter by the second under his burning gaze, "Anyway, it's still a drug. We need to think of a way to get the toxins out of your system completely...right?"

"Yes, we do." He moved closer to the girl, breathing lightly next to her ear.