When Gu Zhao woke up the next day, it was already broad daylight.
This was truly an uncommon occurrence. After all, ever since he entered the palace at the age of eight to serve as the emperor's study companion, 3:45 in the morning had become his fixed wake-up time.
Whether it was a holiday or a festival, a day for morning court or a day of rest, even if he had stayed up all night, he would always rise punctually at 3:45 AM.
But last night... Gu Zhao looked at the little lady lying in his arms, her limbs tightly entangled with his, sleeping peacefully.
At 3:45 AM last night, they hadn't even gone to sleep yet.
The lingering, vivid scents of last night still hung within the bed curtains, feeling as surreal and dreamlike as an illusion. Yet the taste of it far surpassed any dream he had ever had of tangling with her in the past.
After a night of absurdity, being able to hold the person he had yearned for day and night in his arms, enjoying this rare moment of tenderness and intimacy between them, made Gu Zhao reluctant to wake up, even though he was already awake.
If only he didn't wake up, perhaps this moment could last forever.
Beneath the quilt, there was no barrier between them, only seamless intimacy.
Outside, it was still deep winter, and it seemed the heavy snow beyond the window hadn't even stopped.
Gu Zhao couldn't understand what was wrong with himself. He had spent the entire night, having her so many times, yet he was still not satisfied.
It was as if the moment he got her, he began to crave her again.
The more he got, the more he craved.
The more he craved, the more he demanded.
Again and again, he simply couldn't stop.
Gu Zhao gently rubbed his cheek against the hair of the person in his arms.
However, someone was completely exhausted and would not allow him to act recklessly again.
Gu Zhao gently raised his hand, tucking the hair that clung to her sweaty forehead behind her ear, lest it disturb her peaceful slumber.
As he lifted his arm, a sharp pain shot from a distinct bite mark on it.
It wasn't just on his arm. His neck and shoulders were also covered in marks left by her.
When she was asleep, she looked so peaceful.
It was truly hard to imagine that this little lady, who was usually so rational and calm, and who looked so demure and obedient right now, could be so... so wild under the cover of night.
Thinking of something, Gu Zhao looked at the bite mark on his arm and laughed silently.
Sharp teeth and a sharp tongue, biting people until it hurt.
A fiery temper, cursing people fiercely.
Fierce in a fight, without a shred of reserve.
If you singled any of these out, none of them sounded like compliments.
But because it was her, every single one of these traits became a virtue. He loved them all, loved them to death.
Gu Zhao touched the stinging bite mark on his neck, unsure if it had bled. Recalling the scene from last night when, in the heat of passion, a certain someone had bitten down viciously and refused to let go, he knew she was venting, taking revenge. Yet, looking back on it, he only felt a profound sweetness.
But his smile only lasted for a moment before it faded.
He had said, just one time.
One time, and it was over.
What belonged to him was over.
He had said they would make a clean break.
Yes, he was indeed the one who said that.
But they hadn't even been separated for a moment, and he was already starting to regret it.
He didn't want it to end. The idea that once he had her, he would be freed from his obsession—he had completely overestimated himself, and underestimated her.
Wrong, wrong, he was completely wrong!
Having her only made him want more!
Inside the warm bed curtains, beneath the quilt where the two embraced, the places where their bodies pressed together were so hot they were even sweating a little.
And it wasn't just sweat.
Last night had been too chaotic. He couldn't control himself, couldn't even think straight. The two of them had fallen asleep in a state of extreme disarray, neither remembering to clean up.
Perhaps because it was too hot, Zhu Qingyu, though not fully awake, still felt uncomfortable. Leaving Gu Zhao to his reminiscing and longing, she turned her back to him and rolled out of his arms, dragging more than half the quilt with her.
Suddenly losing all warmth and plunged into lonely, chilly isolation, Gu Zhao resigned himself to his fate. He lay there for a moment before finally getting up, haphazardly throwing on his inner robes, and heading to the outer room to fetch a basin of water to wash her.
The water temperature was just right. Wringing out a soft towel, Gu Zhao climbed back onto the bed. Just as he was about to dig the little lady out of the quilt to clean her up, he suddenly froze.
A flash of red seemed to have just caught his eye.
Gu Zhao looked to the side and saw the bloodstain on the bedsheet.
Fresh blood.
For a long while, Gu Zhao stood frozen in place, holding the towel. He looked at the little lady wrapped in the quilt with only half her head showing, then at that unmistakable patch of red, unable to process what was going on.
Impossible!
How could it be!
She had a husband, and she loved him so much that she was almost willing to sacrifice everything for him.
There were many other possibilities.
For instance, her monthly cycle might have arrived, but she had personally told him that her cycle was very regular, and it wasn't due now.
It could also be that he was too agitated last night, lost his sense of proportion, and ended up hurting her.
Last night, someone had indeed asked him to slow down, but he simply couldn't do it, which angered her. That was why she had scolded him and bitten his arm so fiercely.
No, no matter how much he lost his sense of proportion, he wouldn't be so reckless as to cause that kind of injury.
Besides, towards the end, he wasn't the only one intoxicated by it. Her broken voice clearly carried notes of pleasure and passionate surrender.
Someone who was hurt wouldn't act like that.
Then, there was only one possibility.
The most impossible thing had actually become the truth.
In that instant, Gu Zhao didn't even know how to think; his mind went completely blank.
Yes, he had said he wanted to sever all ties with her, to make a clean break, but that was because he was in too much pain, too much despair.
Pained because she loved Zhang Jingyan so much, and despairing because, loving her husband that deeply, she would never give him a chance.
But what if... what if she and Zhang Jingyan weren't actually husband and wife?
Perhaps it was because Gu Zhao started thinking so intensely that the air inside the bed curtains grew hot again.
Zhu Qingyu felt too warm under the quilt. She kicked it away and groggily opened her eyes.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Gu Zhao half-kneeling by the bed, holding a towel, looking at her with a gaze that was shocked, confused, incredulous, and yet filled with a thrilling joy.
God, it couldn't be!
Being stared at so intently by him, Zhu Qingyu instantly sobered up.
Everything from last night had been too chaotic. She had practically passed out from exhaustion and had no time, opportunity, or energy to consider this issue.
Clutching the quilt, Zhu Qingyu sat up and looked at the crime scene of their wild behavior from the night before.
This makes no scientific sense, she thought. She was twenty-six, an adult woman; the probability of this happening was so low that even she had overlooked it.
Zhu Qingyu was just trying to figure out how to bluff her way out of this—for example, by striking first and accusing him of hurting her.
But Gu Zhao didn't give her the chance to bluff. He didn't even ask a single question before making a resolute conclusion:
"Zhu Qingyu, you and he are not a real married couple."
Gu Zhao leaned down, embraced her, and pressed his forehead against hers. His voice was seductive, yet laced with a hint of grievance:
"We are."
