Gu Ying looked at him amusedly, "So the Qilin Army didn't actually have anything happen right?"
The man chuckled lightly, "Mmhmm, I took the chance to send them away, and at the same time disguised those assassins as the Qilin Army before burying them underground, making them think the Qilin Army was dead. This happened to eliminate their apprehension above."
Gu Ying tutted twice. This man, as expected, she had still looked down on him.
She had worried the whole way that he would be suppressed by the reborn Jiang Yin, but she didn't expect that this was actually a truly cunning and scheming fox.
What did it matter if Jiang Yin had the advantage?
He still may not be a match for the resourceful and skillful Crown Prince who could turn his hands into clouds to cover his hands into rain.
Zhao Changdu lazily lay on the couch, resting his head on his hands as he openly displayed his body for the young girl to see.
The girl's slender and pale white fingers landed on his abs, gliding over the scar. Tingling numbness welled up.
He reacted instantly.
"So Gu Ying came a thousand miles to find me. Gu Ying's deep affection and loyalty have moved me deeply in my heart."
Gu Ying's eyes were full of doting attention, not noticing his change at all as she looked up and said, "What's this about, I should be good to Changdu since you're good to me."
Zhao Changdu's eyes darkened somewhat as he pulled her down into his embrace, letting her lie against his chest. "That won't do. A married couple's kindness lasts a hundred days. I want to repay Gu Ying's kindness right now with my body."
Gu Ying's ears turned red as she struggled slightly. "No need, no need..."
The man's breath was low and seductive, carrying a charming and enchanting quality. "It's been a month without it. Isn't Gu Ying going to compensate me a little?"
Gu Ying smiled innocently. "Changdu I just became pregnant."
This seductive little pregnant woman really wore him out.
Zhao Changdu rubbed his teeth in frustration as he brought his fingertips to caress her moist lips before pulling her by the waist and lowering his head to kiss her.
Her soft, sweet fragrance mingled with his.
Gu Ying soon lost herself in his kiss as she lay on top of him, her gaze unfocused.
But he was exceptionally passionate, kissing from her lips all the way to her neck and going lower. He gently kissed her belly for a good while.
He lifted his head to look at her, his deep and bright phoenix eyes were shockingly heart-stopping under the candlelight.
Gu Ying's gaze tangled with the heat in his eyes, blushing bashfully as her body tensed up. She didn't even remember later how she fell asleep.
But the long night was long. And she wasn't the one suffering.
In her fuzzy sleep, she felt someone get up again to take a cold shower before coming back fully dressed.
"Little vixen."
"Just you wait until after you've given birth. You'll get what's coming."
Gu Ying slept fuzzily, no longer bothering with him. She dreamed of a chubby little baby lying in her arms, smiling oh so sweetly and cutely at her.
It just melted her heart.
...
After Gu Ying arrived at the military camp, the Crown Prince rarely went out, accompanying her every day instead.
Even though her stomach was still flat without any movement, he felt like the child in her belly could already hear its father and mother's voices. So occasionally he would lie on her stomach and chat with the child, then take the chance to take all sorts of liberties with her.
Whenever Gu Ying was teased by him until her breathing grew chaotic, she would be frustrated.
Sometimes she would lose control of herself and want...
But her current condition didn't let her have other thoughts.
Every time, she would send a certain someone off to sleep elsewhere, but he would sneak back into her bedroll halfway through the night without fail.
The bed in the military tent was so small, how could it hold all his flailing long limbs?
Luckily the Crown Prince was exceptionally warm to nestle against. Being held by him as she slept gave her a sense of peaceful, quiet days that calmed her mind.
Although it was peaceful, those ambiguous red marks across his chest were something she had bitten out little by little with her teeth.
The Crown Prince called her a little steal-eating cat.
Only caring about her own pleasure without regard for his life and death.
Gu Ying smiled harmlessly as she provoked then briskly left him. "Who told me I'm a pregnant woman right now Changdu. For the baby's sake we have to be abstinent!"
Zhao Changdu sighed deeply in frustration. He really was shooting himself in the foot.
Just let her gloat for now. He would take care of her properly after she gave birth.
For now, let her have her way.
The disaster victims gathered from Xianlin Town had already been together for some days. The great earthquake had already passed, leaving behind a dozen or so aftershocks.
Luckily the disaster victims were all sleeping in military tents, so other than the damaged houses, there was no threat to human life.
The supplies Ning Changan bought were enough to feed everyone for a period of time.
Since things had already come to this, they should start building a new home where everyone could settle down and make a living. She didn't need to worry about these matters.
The Crown Prince's planning and strategies along with Ning Changan's logistical preparations were sufficient.
Her cousin had received word of her pregnancy at the south bank of Li River and was hurrying back on fast horses.
Gu Ying wanted to tell him not to rush back pointlessly. But he sent word that the child in her belly was his first little nephew. No matter what he had to hurry back to take a look.
There were still several months until the child's birth.
Gu Ying couldn't dissuade him so she let them be.
Her body was prone to fatigue. Ever since finding out she was pregnant, she had been exceptionally careful, taking medicine on time every day to protect the fetus. And at first she absolutely refused to get out of bed unless necessary.
Only after the fetus was stable did she dare to move around.
She didn't know why, but when she didn't know she was pregnant it was fine. But after finding out she was pregnant, she started vomiting... When it was severe, it felt like her stomach was about to be vomited out.
She was already being careful enough, but she didn't expect a certain someone to be even more prudent than her.
He didn't allow her to move around. Wherever she wanted to go he had to carry her himself.
He personally fed her the meals spoonful by spoonful. Before Doctor Shen allowed her to get out of bed, he didn't permit her to walk an extra step.
If it wasn't for her insistence, he probably would have stared at her every move even when she bathed and changed clothes.
Gradually, the disaster victims also found out that the Crown Prince doted on this young girl to his heart's content.
Some even said this girl got pregnant by the Crown Prince on purpose to tie herself to him.
As a result, the others became somewhat more disdainful and contemptuous of Gu Ying.
She was just a woman who curried favor by her looks. How could she compare to half of Shen Ruxu!
When she was free, Gu Ying would chat with the women in the camp and teach the children to read and write.
Although everyone felt she had an easygoing personality and good looks, they still believed the philanthropic Shen Ruxu was better in their hearts.
Especially since Shen Ruxu's health still wasn't fully recovered, yet she had already started treating the newly arrived disaster victims. She also asked Gu Ying daily how she was doing.
As a result, the people liked the silent and compliant Shen Ruxu even more.
Shen Ruxu's reputation was very high among the disaster victims. There were many rumors in the camp.
As long as the Crown Prince had explained things to her, Gu Ying believed him.
So Gu Ying took things very openly, not bothering to haggle with the disaster victims.
She wouldn't do anything to Shen Ruxu for now as long as Shen Ruxu kept to herself and didn't actively provoke her.
...
That day, as usual Shen Ruxu came to the main tent to take her pulse and check the fetus.
The Crown Prince and Ning Changan were out surveying the terrain and weren't in the tent.
Shen Ruxu's legs weren't fully healed yet so she hobbled in one leg at a time. She entered with lowered gaze and a compliant expression, kneeling before Gu Ying. "Miss Gu, this inferior woman has come to take your pulse."
