In fact, it would be more accurate to say that the boy inherited those eyes from her. The woman was lively and stunningly beautiful, but her most captivating feature wasn’t her extraordinary looks, but rather her endless supply of shocking and outrageous ideas—ones that could frighten anyone!
According to her husband’s recent comment, her greatest contribution was accelerating the graying of his hair, making him look like Wu Zixu.
From this, one might conclude that marrying her was a stroke of bad luck, and no matter how beautiful her face was, it wasn’t worth such a sacrifice!
"Grandpa Lü said she should wake up soon!" the boy pouted.
"Well, ‘should’ wake up means there’s a whole range of possibilities, silly boy! Don’t waste your time in a woman’s boudoir—go fishing with your father!"
"No way! I don’t want to bring back another beautiful woman!" The boy cunningly glanced at his mother. "If I do, Mother will drink vinegar out of jealousy again."
"Son! Do you want to fly out the window?" The beautiful lady asked with a smile, but there was a dangerous glint in her eyes, like the calm before a storm.
The boy, far from being afraid, burst into laughter.
"I knew it! The reason you come here every day is because you’re afraid this beautiful lady will seduce Father when she wakes up, so you’re trying to win her over first, to make her grateful to you so she won’t have any improper thoughts about Father. You’re worried she’ll offer herself to Father because he’s the one who saved her!"
Twelve days ago, the boy’s father had gone fishing in the stream with a friend, only to rescue a beautiful woman who had been washed up on the shore. They quickly brought her back to the villa, only to be surprised that the legendary physician Lü Buqun, who lived on the mountaintop, was already there waiting. After giving the woman some medicine and stabilizing her life force, the physician said he had foreseen everything and that saving this woman would bring great benefits in the future—it was fate.
The physician even remarked, "This woman has a strong will, and it’s a miracle that even the child in her womb is clinging on so tightly!"
Because Lü Buqun had mentioned the words "fate" and "great benefits," it was clear that this beautiful woman would continue to play a role in their lives. This made the young lady uneasy, so she ordered her husband not to visit the woman—she would take care of her instead.
The beautiful lady responded to her son’s teasing by grabbing him by the collar and dragging him to the door! "Go find your father! You’re not allowed back in this room!" She barked at him and then slammed the door shut with a huff.
* * *
Where am I?
Jun Qiluo weakly opened her eyes, her throat dry and uncomfortable. Immediately, she realized that she wasn’t dead!
"Ah! You’re awake!" The beautiful lady rushed over, helping her sit up and bringing a bowl of porridge to her lips. With a crisp voice, she chattered non-stop, "I’m sure you’re curious about where you are, and who I am, right? You don’t need to speak—just focus on eating. I’ll tell you everything. This is a valley in Mount Hu, within Liao territory, in Jizhou of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. When you jumped off the cliff, you landed in the stream and were saved by my husband. You’ve been unconscious for twelve days, but luckily, you’re fine, and so is the baby. By the way, why did you jump from up there? You’re a Han, aren’t you? But you don’t look like you’re from around the Great Wall—more like a Southern beauty! Are you married? Is this baby allowed to exist? Do you want it?"
After feeding her a bowl of porridge, the young woman finally allowed Jun Qiluo to speak.
Jun Qiluo gazed at her for a long time. What an extraordinary beauty! Her entire being seemed to glow, making it hard to look away.
And her personality—it was quite unique, wasn’t it?
"I’m from Hangzhou. I’m not married... the father of this child... is a Liao man..." She bit her lip, waiting to see a look of disgust on the woman’s face.
But instead, the woman gently studied her for a long moment and then smiled.
"You love him, don’t you?"
Jun Qiluo suddenly recalled the moment she fell from the cliff, Yelü Lie’s heartbroken expression. Had she made a mistake? Did he truly care for her? Covering her face, she began to sob softly; she could no longer deceive herself. Heaven help her, she loved him too! No matter how much she hated him, she couldn’t erase that love!
The beautiful woman wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
"He broke your heart, didn’t he? But no matter what, that’s in the past. If you want to keep this child, you must take care of yourself."
"Thank you, madam."
"If you’re from Hangzhou and have relatives there, we can take you back to Hangzhou when we sail back to the Six Northern Provinces tomorrow. What is your name?"
"You’re from the Central Plains?" Jun Qiluo couldn’t help but be surprised. How could people from the Central Plains dare to venture into Liao territory?
The woman covered her mouth and laughed.
"Oh, don’t worry! This is a remote mountain valley; the Liao people don’t come here. The great physician Lü Buqun has been freely traveling between Helan Mountain, Tianshan, the Snow Mountains, and now Mount Hu for the past six or seven years—when have the Liao ever caused him harm? Right now, he’s waiting for the elusive orchid on the mountaintop to bloom so he can make medicine."
"Lü Buqun, the Divine Seer?" Jun Qiluo’s eyes widened in shock! The famous astrologer and seer, Lü Buqun, who had been renowned for fifty or sixty years, was still alive? And he truly existed?
"Yes, it’s him! If it weren’t for him, you probably would have died with regrets long ago. He’s gone back to the mountaintop now, but before he left, he said: 'Your fate is sealed in this life; step back and consider things, don’t force yourself into a dead end, and don’t drive yourself to the brink. What is meant to be yours will not escape you.'"
What could that mean? Jun Qiluo couldn’t think about it further, her mind constantly flashing back to those sorrowful eyes.
"Or do you want to stay and try to find the child’s father?"
"No! I must return to Jiangnan! I am Jun Qiluo. The clothes you’re wearing were embroidered at my family’s 'Golden Weaving Workshop.' You must be of high status, madam—may I ask your name?"
Wow! She was from the famous Jun family of Jiangnan! A household name!
The woman extended her right hand, shook Jun Qiluo’s hand, and softly said, "I am Su Huan’er, and my husband’s surname is Shi—Shi Wuji is my husband."
* * *
The Shi family’s merchant ship was docked at Laizhou Bay’s port. The Shi couple was saying goodbye to Jun Qiluo aboard the ship.
"Master Shi, Madam Shi, I will surely visit to express my gratitude for saving my life! I apologize for the trouble I’ve caused and hope you will forgive me!"
"Oh, come now! There’s no need for formalities at this point! Take good care of yourself and have a safe journey home. If you have a daughter, you can repay us by marrying her into the Shi family; my son is a fine boy, or we have another son who’s just two years old..."
"Huán’er!" Shi Wuji pulled his wife back to his side, stopping her self-praise and further attempts at enticing or persuading. He bowed respectfully to Jun Qiluo.
"Miss Jun, take care! If you ever need anything from Aolong Fortress, don’t hesitate to ask. Until we meet again!"
"Thank you," she responded politely, bowing slightly in return.
"Goodbye!" Shi Dingrui blew her a kiss before being carried off the deck by his father; the ship then set sail once more.
Shi Wuji—truly a remarkable man, worthy of being known as one of the wealthiest in the North!
They were indeed an unusual couple, often speaking in ways she didn’t fully understand. Perhaps this is what it means to be truly inseparable companions, living like immortals.
Yelü Lie…
She couldn’t help but feel heartache every time she thought of his gaze; it haunted her day after day!
Goodbye, Yelü Lie. From this moment on, our worlds will never intersect again. Let him think I’m dead—it’s better this way. He won’t come to disturb me anymore.
Then he’ll forget her, find someone else to cherish, and erase the memory of a woman named Jun Qiluo who briefly appeared in his life. He’ll never know that she bore his child; he’ll forget her forever!
Isn’t this the outcome she wanted?
He will eventually forget her!
* * *
By the time the Shi family’s merchant ship sailed into the Qiantang River, Jun Qiluo was already four months pregnant.
When she returned to Hangzhou, she would face a family conflict and the speculations of outsiders.
After mourning her presumed death, the sudden reunion left Jun Chengliu overwhelmed with emotion. Tears streamed down his face as he clutched his daughter’s hands, his voice trembling with urgency.
"Tell me, what kind of life have you lived these past few months? How did you survive such a disaster?"
In the living room, besides the father and daughter, there were also Jun Qiluo’s stepmother, her sister Jun Jangjuan, and the couple Jun Xiukun and his wife. Standing beside them was a beautiful woman holding Jun Xiukun’s newborn daughter, the latest concubine.
Jun Qiluo glanced around at everyone. Her earlier emotions had already settled during the journey, so she remained calm and composed as usual. This wasn’t the right time to speak, but they had all gathered out of concern for her.
She couldn’t tell the truth, could she? Even if she could, it would only be to her father; otherwise, her child would be at risk.
Jun Xiukun asked anxiously, "Five months ago, we received news that you and that caravan were completely wiped out. Many soldiers’ bodies were brought back, and now no one dares to do business along the Silk Road. Sister, you…"
"Xiukun," Jun Xiukun’s wife, Zheng Shuting, called softly, and Jun Xiukun immediately fell silent, retreating to stand behind his husband.
Jun Jangjuan shot them a disapproving glance and suggested, "Father, Sister has been on a ship for nearly two months; she must be very tired. Let’s let her rest first, and we can talk when she’s feeling better."
Jun Chengliu nodded.
"I almost forgot how tired you must be! Jangjuan, help your sister to her room to rest. We’ll talk about everything when Qiluo is feeling better!"
He was, of course, anxious to know about his daughter’s pregnancy, but he feared that the child was conceived under unbearable circumstances. He couldn’t bear the thought that his daughter might have been harmed or violated. But…
"Sister, let’s go!" Jun Jangjuan supported Qiluo and began to lead her toward the side door.
But Zheng Shuting raised an eyebrow and asked sharply, "May I ask if the child in your womb is legitimate?"
Jun Qiluo stared coldly at her brother-in-law. This was a man steeped in the rigid teachings of the sages for over twenty years, so stubbornly traditional that he had trained his wife to follow the "three obediences and four virtues," treating her husband as her world. Now, he dared to question her too? His eyes seemed to regard her pregnancy as a stain on his honor! He had always insisted that his wife keep her distance from her family, subtly criticizing Jun Qiluo for being an unladylike woman who dared to compete with men, predicting that she would face retribution. Now, was he eagerly awaiting that retribution?
"Thank you for your concern, brother-in-law, but Qiluo is unworthy of it. If you focus that attention on your studies, I’m sure you’ll do well in the provincial exams this year."
With that, she held her head high and returned to her room.
"Hmph! Immoral! Let’s go!" Zheng Shuting said with a huff, turning to leave.
Jun Xiukun and a group of maidservants hurriedly followed her out.
Jun Chengliu collapsed into his chair, exhausted, praying that heaven hadn’t been cruel enough to let his precious daughter endure a terrible fate. Otherwise, he would be the one deserving of punishment!
"My lord..." His wife hurriedly brought him tea and massaged his back.
She wasn’t Qiluo’s biological mother, so no matter how much she cared, it was like scratching an itch through a shoe—she couldn’t truly reach her. "At least she’s returned safely; don’t press her for answers anymore! Now that she’s back, you don’t need to worry about your work so much."
Jun Chengliu suddenly opened his eyes.
"No, I have to do something for her. So far, no one knows that Qiluo is actually Jun Feifan. We’ll tell everyone that Qiluo married a local man while traveling in the north last year, and that her husband recently passed away, which is why she has returned alone. Everyone saw that it was the Shi family’s ship from the north that brought her back, so this story won’t raise suspicion." He called for the steward. "Jun Darong, prepare a grand gift and send it to Aolong Fortress in the north to thank the Shi family for their kindness to our family. Also, when you’re in the north, stop by the ‘Golden Weaving Workshop’ and instruct them that from now on, any orders from the Shi family will be free of charge."
"Yes, sir!" The steward bowed and left.
Jun Chengliu sighed. Once this story spreads, everyone’s attention will be focused on Aolong Fortress in the north, and they’ll be less likely to question whether Jun Qiluo was ever married.
The most important thing now is to protect Qiluo’s reputation. No matter what, he couldn’t allow his daughter to be disgraced. If her reputation were tarnished, she wouldn’t be able to survive in this society.
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