Zhou Yi cursed all the way while Nangong Muyan ignored himpletely, dragging him straight into her room and mming the door shut with a loud "bang."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Nangong Muyan, what exactly do you want?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Zhou Yi red at the person before him in anger, straightening his disheveled clothes, only then realizing he had been dragged into a room.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
And there was even a bed inside!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Zhou Yi immediately became terrified, one hand clutching his cor, the other holding his belt, as he backed up against the door: "Don''t you dare!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Nangong Muyan smiled slightly, looking at Zhou Yi''s appearance of a chaste man ready to die for his virtue, and felt an urge to hit him.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"You misunderstand," Nangong Muyan said with a somewhat gritted smile, "I''m not going to sleep with you this time, don''t worry. I just want to discuss our marriage."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I won''t listen!" Zhou Yi refused tomunicate, dering firmly, "I won''t marry you either, give up on that idea! A woman like you—"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I''m pregnant." Nangong Muyan casually interrupted him.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Zhou Yi''s righteous words came to an abrupt halt, his eyes widening in disbelief at what he had just heard. After a while, he finally found his voice again: "Preg... preg... pregnant?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Nangong Muyan''s smile faded as she nodded seriously.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Is... is... is it... mine?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Nangong Muyan wanted to hit him again. She took a deep breath, silently repeating "stay calm, live long" several times in her heart before speaking: "I''m not some loose woman, you''re the only one I''ve been with."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
And in fact, he was the only one she had been with in both her lifetimes.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"How is this possible? Didn''t you drink the contraceptive medicine?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He had given the medicine to the inn''s servant at the time, instructing them to brew it and send it up, then went home himself without actually seeing Nangong Muyan drink it.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I did drink it," Nangong Muyan knew Zhou Yi was suspicious and exined further, "If I wasn''t going to drink it, why would I have bothered asking you to buy it?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Then how did this happen..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Zhou Yi stood in a daze, his hands falling limply from his cor and waist, something breaking in his eyes.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Who knows?" Nangong Muyan sighed, saying helplessly, "I only found out I was pregnant today, and then my mother threatened to kill herself. I had no choice but to tell them about you."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Zhou Yi fell silent, lowering his eyes to stare motionlessly at Nangong Muyan''s t stomach, feeling as if fate was ying a cruel joke on him.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Nangong Muyan looked at him, noticing he had indeed be much thinner than before. Previously, he had seemed somewhat foolishly carefree, but now that he was thinner, his features were more defined, making him appear more like a mature and steady man.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Nangong Muyan also knew that Zhou Yi hated her, and all of this was an undeserved disaster for him.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Thinking of this, she felt an unusual pang of guilt.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"After you marry me, I won''t interfere with your life. You can keep as many concubines as you want, is that eptable?" Nangong Muyan solemnly promised.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Zhou Yi nced up at her, tugging at the corner of his mouth self-mockingly: "Our Zhou family doesn''t have the custom of taking concubines."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Then how about I help you set up a separate residence for someone outside?" Nangong Muyan suggested sincerely. "As long as they don''t find out, I can even help cover for you."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Just shut up, I don''t want to discuss this with you. Let me have some quiet for a moment." Zhou Yi was in no mood for this.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Nangong Muyan obediently fell silent, crossing her arms as she waited for Zhou Yi to recover from the massive shock.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After waiting patiently for a long while, the person before her finally spoke, his voice as soft as a murmur: "Nangong Muyan, you''re really a bastard, how can you be so awful? Did I owe you something in my past life..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Nangong Muyan: "..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
In this world, only Zhou Yi could curse her to her face without making her want to kill him.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After another moment, Zhou Yi let out a long sigh, as if making up his mind, and raised his eyes to look at Nangong Muyan: "I will marry you, but there are some things we need to rify first."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Setting ground rules, I understand. Go ahead."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After all, she did owe him, so Nangong Muyan''s tolerance for Zhou Yi was unusually high.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"First, you can''t bully my parents."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Nangong Muyan quickly nodded: "Of course not."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"My family has many houses in the capital. After we marry, you can choose whichever one you like. My parents won''t live with us - you officials have too many rules, and my parents wouldn''t befortable with that."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Yes, yes, yes!" Nangong Muyan couldn''t ask for better - she didn''t want to deal with any mother-inw rtionship either.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Second, you can''t have any ill intentions toward my sister-inw anymore. Stay away from her and Brother Liu in the future, and stop doing evil things."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Alright." It would be difficult for her to do anything to Jiang Ning now anyway.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"And... you can''t bully me either."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Nangong Muyan''s heart seized - what kind of evil woman did Zhou Yi think she was!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Especially... you can''t force me to do that kind of thing with you again..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Zhou Yi continued, making Nangong Muyan''s breath catch and her blood pressure spike.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
So in Zhou Yi''s eyes, she wasn''t just venomous, but also a lustful person...<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"...Anyway, in the future, I''ll be the father, you''ll be the mother, and we''ll live peacefully while raising the child properly."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Now that sounded more reasonable, Nangong Muyan thought.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I agree to all of it."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
When they returned to the sitting room after clearing things up, both sets of parents had already settled on the wedding date and were discussing the timing of the betrothal gifts.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Seeing Nangong Muyan and Zhou Yi walk in side by side, four pairs of eyes looked over with concern, though mainly at Zhou Yi, given how strongly he had resisted earlier.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"We''vee to an agreement," Nangong Muyan saw through everyone''s thoughts clearly. "We will get married."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Nangong Ya and Luo Siyi immediately breathed sighs of relief, feeling as if a great burden had been lifted.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Hong Yuanping and Zhou Zhili looked at their son, then at Nangong Muyan standing to the side. Even if they had something to say, the timing wasn''t right, so they could only swallow their words.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Then, dear inws and Zhou Yi, please stay for a simple meal at our manor," Luo Siyi suggested with a smile. "Marriage is no small matter, and since we''re all arranging our children''s weddings for the first time, we should discuss more to avoid any oversights."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The Zhou family naturally had no objections.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Minister Nangong, Minister Nangong!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
A somewhat shrill voice came from outside the hall, followed by hurried footsteps. Everyone looked up to see Old Zhong leading in a pale-faced, beardless man wearing eunuch''s robes and holding a horsetail whisk.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Eunuch Liu!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Seeing this trusted eunuch from the emperor''s side, Nangong Ya immediately went to meet him, asking, "Has something happened?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Eunuch Liu hesitated upon seeing so many people in the room and avoided answering directly, only saying anxiously, "My lord, pleasee to the pce with me immediately!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Very well!" Nangong Ya agreed, then turned back to instruct Luo Siyi: "Siyi, please take care of entertaining our guests."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Yes, don''t worry about it," Luo Siyi nodded.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Nangong Ya apologetically cupped his hands toward Zhou Yi''s parents, then quickly left with Eunuch Liu.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Nangong Muyan watched her father''s departing figure, feeling that something major was about to happen. It wasn''t until five dayster, when the bells rang in the imperial city and she knelt before the Taiji Hall wearing mourning clothes as a member of a high official''s family, that she realized her premonition had been correct.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
At that time, Jiang Ning was still bent over watering vegetable seedlings halfway up the mountain at Fuling Temple.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Two men wearing official''s robes and gauze caps came galloping on horseback. From a distance, Jiang Ning saw them tie their horses at the foot of the mountain and hurry up toward Fuling Temple without a moment''s rest.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
A momentter, those two figures appeared again, and continuous bell tolls began to echo through the mountains, one after another in a regr rhythm, like an eternal chant.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The two men mounted their horses and rode away. Standing in the vegetable patch, Jiang Ning suddenly recalled some content from the leisure books she had read:<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"During national mourning, all temples, monasteries, and shrines within a hundred li of the capital must toll their bells thirty thousand times..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"All citizens of the imperial city must wear in clothes for a hundred days, and no music or marriages are allowed..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"All matters such as sacrificial ceremonies, court celebrations, and imperial examinations shall be postponed for one month..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Thinking of this, Jiang Ning quickly picked up her empty water bucket and headed up the mountain.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The imperial examinations had been suspended; she needed to go back to find Liu Ming''an.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The drum beats seemed to pound against people''s hearts one by one. Watching the birds startled from the mountain forest, Jiang Ning felt as if she was witnessing the calm before a storm.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0