Chapter 474

"Alright, Tang Ruan, you head to the lord's manor first. Leave the rest to me."

"Thank you, Sister Gu."

Tang Ruan blushed.

"No need, you little thing…"

Tang Ruan was eighteen; in twenty-six-year-old Gu Qing's eyes, she really did count as a little girl.

Tang Ruan held onto the stone wall of the hot spring and slowly made her way to the steps.

She trailed a half-transparent line of white spring water behind her.

Soon, that line was sucked into a crack in the rock and vanished.

Gu Qing rubbed her hands together, washing away the sticky impurities on them.

Then with a single leap she swam over to Zhao Chi's side.

She stood up, brushing against him.

Zhao Chi laughed and said, "What's wrong with Tang Ruan? How did you end up giving her a bath? She looks weak and limp, can't even stand on her legs. Is it because she hasn't recovered from the exhaustion of battle yet?"

Gu Qing giggled and said, "my lord, something good has happened — you'll definitely be interested."

"Something good?"

Gu Qing said with a smile, "Yes, you're going to be a groom again today."

"A groom? Tang Ruan?"

"Mm." Gu Qing nodded. "That little girl Tang Ruan just came to find me, saying her body felt very strange, very uncomfortable…"

Gu Qing told Zhao Chi everything that had just happened, exactly as it was.

Zhao Chi was stunned. "So that's what it was."

Gu Qing nodded. "Actually, you can't blame her. I also felt something strange last night — more than usual I wanted to… it was really hard to hold back."

Zhao Chi knew it was the effect of the territory's special trait taking hold.

No wonder her expression hadn't been right.

Zhao Chi sighed. "For something like this she should have come to me. Why did she go to you instead?"

Gu Qing said with a smile, "Darenni Society?"

"Me?"

Zhao Chi asked himself — how could he possibly refuse something like this?

This world wasn't the old world anymore.

There was no one-man-one-wife constraint here.

Still, if Gu Qing had strongly opposed it, Zhao Chi really would have had to think it over.

But from the look of things, Gu Qing not only agreed, she even took the initiative to help.

Gu Qing said with a smile, "I could tell from the look on your face that you'd definitely agree. Sooner or later she's yours anyway — you can't possibly let Tang Ruan end up in someone else's bed, right?"

Zhao Chi nodded.

Of course something like that was impossible.

Gu Qing went on, "For one thing, Tang Ruan didn't know how to bring it up with you; for another, she didn't know my attitude. Although I'm also your subordinate, after all… there's an order of first and last, don't you think?"

Zhao Chi nodded instinctively.

Gu Qing said with a smile, "So she came to find me. I briefly explained the things to watch out for to her, and washed her squeaky clean. my lord, just go ahead and savor her as you please."

Zhao Chi also laughed and said, "Why do you make it sound like cooking and preparing a dish?"

Gu Qing said with a smile, "In front of you, my lord, we are the dishes. Last time I didn't know, so I didn't clean up on purpose, and the result was you got something not clean. I've always felt bad about it."

Zhao Chi waved his hand. "It's nothing. Not clean is perfect."

That remark sent Gu Qing into a fit of laughter.

"my lord, don't talk nonsense. Alright, you hurry up and go too — go rescue poor little Tang Ruan. She's been uncomfortable the whole night."

Tang Ruan already wrapped herself in a bath towel and was slowly walking toward the lord's manor.

This sort of thing was already plain as day.

Then there was no need to be coy about it.

Zhao Chi braced his hands on the bank and vaulted ashore in a single leap.

"Alright, but what about that inherited trait…"

"Oh, what inherited trait — give it all to her! Otherwise this first time won't be perfect. my lord, you stand there and don't move, I'll help dry you off."

Gu Qing also leapt ashore and helped wipe Zhao Chi dry.

"my lord, I've also told Tang Ruan about the pregnancy thing, and she knows what to do too, so you don't need to have any reservations — give it everything you've got. I'll be outside listening to see how long Tang Ruan's singing can last."

Zhao Chi laughed and said, "Alright, then I'll give you yours tomorrow."

"We'll talk about tomorrow. Giving hers to her tomorrow is fine too."

Zhao Chi didn't waste any more words.

In two or three strides he caught up with Tang Ruan.

He scooped her up in a princess carry.

"Eek!"

Tang Ruan got a fright.

Her body tensed, instinctively wanting to struggle.

But once she realized it was Zhao Chi, her body instantly went limp again.

"my lord? Please put me down, I can walk on my own."

Tang Ruan heard the giggling of the female craftsmen around her, shrank into Zhao Chi's arms, and didn't dare lift her head.

Zhao Chi shook his head. "Don't be embarrassed. If you're already like this now, I'm afraid you won't even dare leave the room later."

Hearing this, Tang Ruan nodded against his chest.

She finally poked her head out, face flushed red as she faced the teasing gazes of the others.

They soon entered the lord's chambers.

The sheets and bedding inside had already been replaced with fresh ones by Gu Qing.

Clean and neatly spread.

The moisture that had seeped into the bed board earlier had also dried, leaving only pale white water stains here and there.

Zhao Chi gently laid Tang Ruan on the bed.

Tang Ruan clutched tightly at one corner of the bath towel, clearly very nervous.

Her body was also unconsciously tense.

Seeing her like this, Zhao Chi knew he couldn't rush, and there was no need to rush.

This state only happened once.

He could take a bit more time to appreciate it.

Besides, letting her relax would allow her to cooperate better later.

Zhao Chi sat beside her and took her hand.

Tang Ruan obediently reached out her hand.

It was just holding hands, nothing to it.

Tang Ruan's hands were slightly smaller than Gu Qing's, but equally soft.

Slender fingers, with rounded, crystal-clear nails.

Zhao Chi began chatting with her casually.

At first, Tang Ruan only responded passively, only speaking when asked.

But after chatting for a few minutes, she gradually relaxed and returned to her usual state.

Only her legs were pressed tightly together.

As if afraid something would come out.

Soon, the two of them got to talking about last night's battle.

"Last night really was all thanks to you. Otherwise we would surely have been defeated, and once defeated, the consequences would have been unthinkable. Fortunately, we had you."

Tang Ruan shook her head. "It was nothing. The reason I could do all this is because you, my lord, gave me such excellent talent and improved traits. Only then could I do it. Thank you, my lord."

Zhao Chi laughed. "That's not the same. If someone else had your conditions, they might not have done as well. You've now leveled up 3 times in a row—you're already the highest-level person in our territory."

Hearing this, Tang Ruan seemed to grow interested.

She propped herself up to sit.