BDSMST -Chapter 199 Gu Yan’s Whisper: “Having You in This Life Is Enough”

The bonfire festivities continued late into the night. When the first firework, trailing a long luminous tail, shot up into the sky, the entire village of Woniu was bathed in a spectacular glow. The enormous noise startled the dragon-and-phoenix twin daughter, who was just beginning to feel sleepy. Her little mouth puckered, about to cry.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid,” Jiang Suishui murmured, holding her daughter tighter and covering her tiny ears with her hands, softly humming a lullaby.

Her older brother, however, was bold. Riding on Gu Yan’s shoulders, he excitedly pointed at the colorful explosions in the sky, giggling nonstop. His crisp laughter mingled with the fireworks’ crackles, adding a uniquely childlike charm to the night.

Gu Xuan stood aside, gazing at the fireworks, but his expression was far from the pure delight his younger siblings showed. He was observing the height of the explosions, the spread of the bursts, and the hues produced by different pigments, mentally calculating the ratios of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal.

“Let’s go. It’s crowded here. We can watch from the shipyard over there,” Gu Yan said, patting his son’s head to pull him out of his thoughts. He lifted the boy down from his shoulders with one hand and gently guided Jiang Suishui with the other. The family made their way through the bustling crowd toward the elevated shipyard near the harbor.

From there, the higher ground offered a panoramic view of the harbor lights and the fireworks, without the clamor of the square. The night sea breeze carried a coolness, and Gu Yan removed his outer robe, carefully draping it over Jiang Suishui and their daughter.

The twins, exhausted from a day of play, finally wore out. The daughter, cradled in Jiang Suishui’s arms and listening to her steady heartbeat and gentle humming, quickly fell asleep. The son leaned against Gu Yan’s legs, eyelids drooping, murmuring, “The fire… so big…” before finally falling silent.

Gu Xuan stayed to watch a while, then said to Gu Yan, “Father, Mother, I’ll go check below to make sure the sand and water buckets for fire prevention are ready. The wind is strong tonight, just in case.”

“Go ahead,” Gu Yan nodded.

As their son strode down the platform, disappearing into the night, Jiang Suishui whispered softly, “Xuan’er is starting to resemble you more and more.”

“He’s more sensible than I was at his age,” Gu Yan’s voice sounded especially low and steady in the night. “When I was ten, I was still in the military camp, sparring and thinking only of how to make a name for myself on the battlefield.”

Another volley of fireworks exploded over the distant sea, golden sparks cascading like a waterfall, briefly illuminating the couple’s profiles.

Gu Yan silently watched the glow, and after a long moment, spoke again, his voice carrying a calmness tempered by reflection. “Suishui, watching people of different skin tones dancing and drinking together tonight… I suddenly wondered, what was it I was really protecting before?”

Jiang Suishui remained quiet, simply listening.

“In the past, I thought I was protecting the borders of Da Xia, the emperor’s realm, the honor of the Gu family. I believed that defeating every enemy who dared invade was fulfilling my duty. All I saw were enemies and allies, victory and defeat.” His gaze shifted from the distant horizon back to the peaceful face of their sleeping daughter in Jiang Suishui’s arms.

“But now,” he extended his hand, gently touching his daughter’s soft cheek with his rough fingertips, careful not to disturb her sleep, “I understand. What I truly want to protect is Xuan’er, so he can study his mechanical devices in peace; this little girl, so she can sleep without worry; that mischievous boy, so he can laugh freely at the fireworks in the sky. It’s the old farmer in the square, proudly sharing the food he grows with everyone. It’s being able to turn back and see you.”

Fireworks continued to bloom one after another in the night sky, light and shadow flickering, outlining his features even more sharply. He said nothing romantic—he was merely stating a fact, a truth he had spent half his life learning.

From behind, in a completely protective embrace, he circled Jiang Suishui and their daughter into his arms. His broad, warm chest shielded them from the cold night wind.

“I used to think home was the marquisate in the capital, a plaque bestowed by the emperor, the ancestral tablets in the family hall. Until I met you, I realized home is the smoke rising from the kitchen, the light left for me at night, the children’s laughter, and the warmth in your eyes when you look at me.”

His chin rested lightly on the top of her head, warm breath brushing her ear.

“Others say you gave Da Xia an unprecedented era of prosperity. They call you the Protector Lady, a living saint. But to me,” he paused, tightening his arms to pull her deeper into his embrace, “you are simply my wife. You gave me a country I would trade my life for, and a home that taught me what it means to care.”

The final firework exploded in the night sky in its full glory, radiant and magnificent. Under that dazzling light, Gu Yan lowered his head, lips near her ear, and in a voice only they could hear, spoke clearly, word by word:

“Having you in this life… is enough.”

As the fireworks faded, the night returned to quiet, leaving only faint cheers in the distance and the sound of waves lapping against the shore.

Jiang Suishui did not reply. She rested in Gu Yan’s arms, slightly turning her head and lifting her face. Her hand covered his arm that encircled her, lightly gripping it. Though it was too dark to see her expression, Gu Yan could feel the warmth and strength in her hold.

She raised her other hand to caress his rugged cheek. Her cool fingertips brushed his warm skin. She said nothing, but in her eyes, reflecting the starlit sky, shone a light even more moving than the fireworks themselves.