Chapter 204

Gu Jiu Ling followed behind Xiao Yin, he took her hand and they walked toward the gate in the night.

Xiao Yin took off his own cloak, draped it over Gu Jiu Ling's shoulders, and also put the hood over her head.

Gu Jiu Ling, wrapped up thickly like a bear, asked in a low voice, "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll know when we get there!" Xiao Yin's voice held a smile, his tone hoarse with a hint of sultriness.

Gu Jiu Ling had no choice but to follow him, quickly arriving at a flower arbor built not far from Peach Blossom Pavilion; she had been busy these days and didn't know when it was erected.

By the palace lamp light, seeing the fresh mud at the arbor's corner, Gu Jiu Ling thought it must have been built just these few days; she never expected that this rascal, despite being so ill, had secretly built her a flower arbor, and it's quite close to Peach Blossom Pavilion.

Jiu Yue and those little maids surely all know, hum! They all teamed up to keep it from her alone.

Xiao Yin somehow produced a silk ribbon, gently covered Gu Jiu Ling's eyes, and whispered with a smile, "Follow me!"

"What's this, so mysterious!" Gu Jiu Ling laughed, placing her hand in Xiao Yin's broad palm; he carefully took her hand and step by step walked into the arbor.

Just as they entered the arbor, a fragrant floral scent greeted them; Gu Jiu Ling instantly felt refreshed.

Her lips involuntarily curled up; letting Xiao Yin be her eyes, he led her hand forward.

Gu Jiu Ling felt she had walked a few more steps forward, then she stopped; Xiao Yin stood behind her, carefully removing the silk ribbon covering her eyes.

Gu Jiu Ling's eyes suddenly brightened; the arbor's ceiling was inlaid with night pearls, emitting a soft, lustrous light.

All around were pure white jade-like blossoms, nearly all in bloom, glowing with a jade hue under the night pearls' halo.

Gu Jiu Ling stood in this sea of blossoms, her whole self dazed, incredulously gazing at the beautiful sight, her breath almost catching.

She stared blankly at everything before her, opened her mouth but didn't know what to say, so beautiful it made her forget to breathe.

She instinctively turned to look at Xiao Yin; Xiao Yin's lips curled slightly as he whispered with a smile, "As the saying goes, seeing a blossom open means continuous good fortune."

"You've seen so much today, lifelong good fortune! Jiu Ling, we will surely reap sweetness after bitterness! You're so good, how could you lack good fortune?"

"From now on I'll try not to implicate you, but you and your child in your belly must be well."

Gu Jiu Ling moved her lips but couldn't speak; her heart felt filled with something, impossible to put into words.

"You... you've been keeping watch here for how many nights?"

Xiao Yin laughed: "After bringing these flowers here, I've slept here every night; tonight they finally bloomed!"

Gu Jiu Ling lifted her head and smiled at Xiao Yin, but the smile in her eyes was odd, feeling like she wanted to eat him.

Xiao Yin's smile froze slightly, and he instinctively stepped back.

Gu Jiu Ling gritted her teeth: "Do you know your condition? You absolutely can't stay up late!"

Xiao Yin quickly stepped back again and said: "In the days before court, the editors of the Hanlin Academy were whispering in the duty room, saying girls love blossoms most; Editor Sun said he gave a pot to a lady of the Hongyi Courtyard, and that lady smiled at him for a month!"

"I either do nothing, or I give you, Princess Consort, the best and most! Moreover, that Editor Sun's lover in the Hongyi Courtyard is truly ugly enough! I..."

"You went to the Hongyi Courtyard?" Gu Jiu Ling slowly hugged her belly.

Xiao Yin hurriedly turned and fled, while fleeing he said: "Princess Consort, calm down; I did go, but I was investigating something... ah!"

Gu Jiu Ling, holding her belly, couldn't outrun him; she squatted, picked up a clod of earth from the flowerpot, and threw it at the back of his head.

"This scoundrel doesn't cherish his own body, doing these useless things; if he doesn't rest, he might literally work himself to death."

After Xiao Yin fled, Gu Jiu Ling turned and sat in the midst of the blossoms, cupping her face to admire them.

"Really... so beautiful! But it's too costly for the Prince."

The next day after Gu Jiu Ling got up, she found some disorder in the Peach Blossom Pavilion courtyard; Jinzhi also rose early and voluntarily helped her tidy clothes, but Gu Jiu Ling chased her out to play in the outer room.

Previously she didn't know Jinzhi's identity, that was fine; now she knows Jinzhi is General An's daughter, it wouldn't do to treat her as a servant.

Two honest-looking maidservants carried clothes in to change Jinzhi.

Jinzhi still wasn't used to being the mistress, feeling a bit awkward; later seeing things being moved from Peach Blossom Pavilion to the Eastern Garden, she realized the Prince felt crowded having her and Gu Jiu Ling together in the pavilion, so he ordered the Princess Consort to move to the Eastern Garden.

Jinzhi instantly realized she had done something outrageous; forcibly staying in Peach Blossom Pavilion had seriously disrupted the Prince and Princess Consort's daily life.

She hurried into the warm pavilion, gestured to Gu Jiu Ling, telling her she didn't need to move to the Eastern Garden; she would stay in the Spring Scout Pavilion.

Gu Jiu Ling was startled, about to speak, but Jinzhi had already taken her leave with her attendants, heading to her own courtyard.

Jiu Yue pursed her lips and smiled softly: "Miss Jinzhi probably still isn't used to it; she's like someone you raised yourself, clingy, and thus forgot the Prince's feelings."

"You can't blame this child; whoever faces such a great change loses their sense of security, but gradually it will get better."

"When you few have free time, go keep her company."

"Yes!" Jiu Yue and Yun Duo and the others promptly replied.

Gu Jiu Ling composed herself and said: "Yun Duo, go tell Master Zuo to ask if he has any ancient remedies for treating a scalded throat; if so, have him gather them and send them to the Wangfu."

"Yes!" Yun Duo hurriedly turned and went out to attend to the task.

Gu Jiu Ling focused her gaze on the outside, where deep red plum blossoms were in full bloom, and silently made calculations.

As for Jinzhi's memory recovery, it involves neurological issues; for now it's hard to treat, needing an opportunity.

Her voice hoarse from poison smoke, and even has obvious scalds; that's also not easy to treat, but just a matter of time.

On the contrary, the easiest to treat is her face, but her face needs a skin graft; she must find a chance to see if Jinzhi's skin can be used, since she crawled out of a fire scene, unsure if any good skin remains.

There really isn't any; instead, we must first cultivate artificial skin from her space laboratory, which requires comparing it with Jinzhi's skin tone—this is not something that can be done overnight.

These instruments and such, she has already hidden them in the annex of the Peach Blossom Pavilion; most are in the clinic, personally overseen by Zuo Feichen.

"Master!" Ling Feng stood at the door, bowed and said, "Prince, please come over to discuss matters!"