"Baby, does that mean what I think it means?" Bai Suihe had quickly adapted to her new role as a mother, but she genuinely had no idea how to face her newfound husband. Now, with yet another layer of mystery added to the mix, she only felt a sense of trepidation.
"Daddy has returned too, but I can't communicate with him right now. We'll have to wait until he gets home."
The fetus in her womb was thoroughly joyful; it seemed she already had a very favorable impression of her father, Gu Kaiyuan, whom she had yet to meet.
"Are you saying your father can hear you speak, too?" For some reason, Bai Suihe felt a bit disappointed. She had thought this telepathy was a secret just between her and her baby, but now a third party was involved.
"Of course! Father, Mother, and I are connected by blood. Our family naturally shares a telepathic bond."
"What about the other people in the Gu Mansion?" Bai Suihe felt her heart jump into her throat. If too many people knew about this, could it even be considered a secret anymore?
"That's impossible, of course." Perhaps because Bai Suihe was well-rested, the baby managed to stay awake longer this time. "I can only do this with you and Father."
Bai Suihe breathed a sigh of relief. "Do you have a name, my baby?"
"...Mother, you and Daddy haven't had the time to name me yet." The baby's voice carried a hint of excitement. She, too, wanted a name of her own.
Bai Suihe spoke softly, "I might not have the final say on your formal name, but you can choose a nickname you like best."
She knew the rules of the Gu Mansion. Formal names were strictly dictated by the clan's genealogical register, just like the sons of the First and Second Branches—one was named Anliang, and the other An Wei. However, it was somewhat strange. The female lead, Gu Antong, was also named according to the generation character, which completely defied standard conventions.
"Mother, I don't know either. Why don't you pick one for me?"
"...Then I'll give it some careful thought," Bai Suihe replied. "I'll come up with a few options later, and you can pick your favorite."
Sensing that the baby was getting tired, Bai Suihe didn't dare keep her talking. After coaxing the baby into resting properly, she instructed the servants to fetch her meal from the main kitchen. She didn't know if the Gu Mansion was truly strapped for cash, but the meal was far from lavish. Not one to be picky about ready-made food, Bai Suihe ate her fill. Afterward, she used the excuse of feeling sleepy again to dismiss all the servants.
She turned and entered her spatial dimension. There weren't many changes here, but something looked off. Why did it feel like the rice stalks had gotten a bit shorter?
Summoning an apple, she casually wiped it on her clothes a few times and strolled through the space while munching on it. She glanced at the boiling water she had previously poured in various spots. Inside the room, the water maintained its initial temperature, but outside in the yard, it had already turned icy cold.
"It seems things only stay fresh inside this courtyard." Bai Suihe walked into the yard and noticed that the lychee shells she had tossed in the corner yesterday were gone. It appeared this space also possessed a self-cleaning function. Having such a miraculous treasure at her disposal made Bai Suihe feel even more grateful toward the child in her womb.
***
A carriage sped furiously along the official road. Sitting inside, Gu Kaiyuan stared blankly at the roof. He had clearly been poisoned by that venomous woman, Gu Antong, dying full of regrets. Yet, when he woke up, he found himself back at the estate.
He remembered that during the confiscation of their property, these estates had been seized and later bestowed by the Emperor upon the new nobility. Seeing his younger self again, he understood that he had encountered a miraculous twist of fate. Without even bothering to deal with the harvested crops at the estate, he immediately ordered his men to drive the carriage back to the capital overnight. The impending disasters had yet to begin. He wanted to go back and see his wife and daughter.
However, sitting in the carriage now, he felt lost once more. Clinging to his thirst for vengeance, he had constantly fought against the Third Prince and Gu Antong, solely dreaming of the day he could kill his enemies with his own hands. But thinking back on it now, the memory of his young wife's face and voice had seemingly blurred. Lifting the curtain and looking at the moonlight spilling over the road outside, Gu Kaiyuan still felt a sense of unreality.
"Third Young Master, the post station ahead is almost here. Should we stop and rest?" Lin Wei asked as he drove the carriage, knowing that at this speed, it was impossible for his master to sleep.
"We'll rest at the post station for the night," Gu Kaiyuan said. He had been rushing back at breakneck speed ever since he woke up, but along the way, he had thought things through—rushing back right now wouldn't change anything. Even if the men didn't rest, the horses needed to.
Lin Wei quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was the Third Young Master's guard, traveling at night was far from a wise move. If they really ran into bandits on the road, he wouldn't be able to handle them alone. The carriage pulled into the post station, and an attendant immediately came over to help secure it. Anyone who could afford a carriage—especially one drawn by two fine steeds—was a person of status, someone they absolutely could not afford to offend.
"Give us one top-tier room and two standard rooms," Gu Kaiyuan said. Naturally, he wouldn't mistreat his own men. They needed proper rest to continue their journey tomorrow. "Bring out your best wine and food."
He couldn't stop the disaster of their home being confiscated. After everything he had experienced in his past life, he only wanted to protect his wife and child in this one. As for his parents and brothers...
After the meal, Gu Kaiyuan didn't return to his room. Instead, he untethered a horse, leaving Lin Hua and Lin Wei to rest at the post station, and galloped all the way to the foot of a mountain. With no one around, he finally drew the sword from his waist and rigorously practiced every stance and strike.
When his wife and child suffered back then, he had known exactly who the enemy was. Yet, suppressed by his parents and brothers, he had held back his anger and endured it in silence. Later, once he was finally cleared of the false charges, he immediately ventured into the military camp alone. Relying on the pent-up rage in his heart, he climbed the ranks step by step until he eventually seized command of a regional army. Only then did he point his sword at the Third Prince.
He only hated that a single misstep had cost him the entire game, leaving him unable to exact his revenge. He blamed himself for being too impatient; if only he had waited a little longer... But this time, reborn and returned to the past, he could not simply watch the tragedy unfold once again.
The chief culprit behind all of this was Gu Antong. From the moment he woke up, he had mentally disowned that niece of his. He had already repaid his parents' grace and his brothers' bonds in his past life, and he could only hope they wouldn't go down that same disastrous path again.
A sharp sweep of his blade slashed forward, and the tangled, wild trees in front of him instantly fell in unison. Looking at the sword in his hand, he felt a pang of regret. This wasn't the Azure Blade he had stumbled upon later in life; its power wasn't even half of that weapon's. If he had the chance in the future, he would definitely go looking for it again.
After venting his frustrations, he finally returned to the post station. Seeing him come back safely, Lin Hua and Lin Wei—who had been standing guard the whole time—finally returned to their rooms to rest.
Lin Hua and Lin Wei had grown up with him since childhood and were his personal guards. The confiscation of their property had happened far too suddenly, leaving them no chance to react. Domestic servants like them were all taken away by the authorities to be resold. He had tried searching for them later, only to discover that both had met rather miserable ends. Since the raid and confiscation were inevitable, he needed to make advance arrangements for his trusted confidants. However, their deeds of bondage were still held in the public family vault. He would have to think of a way around that.
Carrying these thoughts, Gu Kaiyuan tossed and turned before falling asleep, but his slumber was highly restless, and he woke up several times throughout the night. Lin Hua and Lin Wei were also very worried about his unusual behavior. But lacking the power to share their master's burdens, they could only do their utmost to serve him well.