FBC – Chapter 60 The Child Couldn’t Be Saved

Gu Hua’s lips were tightly sealed, leaving her barely able to breathe. Before she could catch her breath, she was lifted and placed onto a soft couch.

Only when she was nearly suffocating did those swollen lips finally get a reprieve.

Round after round, based on her previous two experiences, her fingertips should’ve gone limp long ago. But strangely, tonight she still had plenty of strength.

She looked toward the table and suddenly recalled the subtly different scent from the soup bowl earlier…

Ah, ginseng tonic?

No wonder she still had strength.

“Tired?” The man above her turned her face toward him, seemingly displeased with her distraction.

Gu Hua stared at him blankly and asked timidly, “What kind of soup was that earlier?”

Mu Junyan chuckled softly, then lowered his head and caught her earlobe between his lips, making her moan uncontrollably.

“Ginseng tonic,” he murmured huskily and seductively into her ear.

Gu Hua shivered uncontrollably.

So hateful!

He tricked her!

A sharp pain shot from her earlobe—he had bitten down hard.

She gasped from the pain and pushed at him.

Outside, the second night watch drum was beating even louder, and he still wanted to…

Heavens, how was she supposed to endure this?

“Master, it’s the second watch of the night.”

Panicking, Gu Hua pushed him with all her might and tried to twist away and escape.

But as soon as she got halfway off the couch, her ankle was seized, and she was dragged back…

That night, all the techniques Concubine Pei had taught her turned out to be completely unnecessary.

Mu Junyan seemed to have broken through his inner energy channels, treating her like a gourmet dish on a hot pan, flipping her over and over again until she was utterly spent, lying limp and letting him do as he pleased.

The night was silent, an autumn breeze gently rustling the ginkgo leaves, which fluttered down in golden cascades.

Gu Hua had melted into a puddle of water, sticky with sweat, tightly embraced in his arms. While he slept soundly, she struggled to keep her eyelids open, gazing at the moonlight pouring through the window.

Her mind was surprisingly clear.

She had seen with her own eyes how Yin Zhi, the one who’d caused her death, had been beaten so badly it was unbearable to watch. Was she dead now?

She had heard with her own ears Gu Wanru crying out in pain about her stomach. Was the child in her womb still alive?

She could feel the man tightly pressed against her back—his attitude toward her seemed to have changed. She should have been pleased, but instead, she felt uneasy.

Hearing his steady breathing, Gu Hua couldn’t help but turn her head slightly, catching a glimpse of his strong, proud nose.

Cautiously, she stretched out a finger and traced along his nose, then down to the lips that had ravaged her so wildly just moments ago.

Sharp like a blade, yet cool to the touch.

A man like this…

Was really quite good.

Suddenly, a warm sensation spread from her fingertip.

Her finger had been taken into his mouth—then came a sharp pain, and she instinctively tried to pull away. But the man only bit down harder.

Gu Hua flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger, muttering under her breath, “What are you, a dog?”

Her temper had grown, and so had her courage.

But somehow… even like this, he felt oddly endearing.

Mu Junyan released her finger, chuckled softly, then flipped her over.

His eyes, now open and darker than before, locked onto hers like a hungry wolf, his voice hoarse and frightening:

“What? Not enough? Want more?”

“N-no!”

Gu Hua was so startled her voice jumped an octave.

He laughed quietly.

Pressing a kiss to her slightly swollen lips, he whispered against her smooth cheek, “We still have a long future ahead. You have things to do tomorrow. Let’s get some proper sleep.”

Things to do?

She didn’t know she had anything planned.

The way he said it… made it sound like it was her own idea. Wasn’t he the one who was acting like a wild beast?

Gu Hua felt a surge of righteous indignation.

But since he was willing to let her off the hook, she was immediately pleased again.

With a sweet smile, she pecked his cheek hard. “Master is so good!”

Mu Junyan pressed her soft waist close and looked at her intently. “You mean that?”

Faced with his handsome face, Gu Hua swallowed nervously. “Of course I mean it! Is there any man in this world better than you?”

That was such a blatant lie.

Mu Junyan looked at her for a moment, his expression cooling back to indifference. He let go. “Sleep.”

Gu Hua muttered inwardly, This moody uncle is really hard to charm.

Mu Junyan had promised to send someone capable to help her. Would he keep that promise and arrange it tomorrow?

There was no time to delay.

Soon, Mu Junyan would be leading troops to the southern border. By then, even if Zhou Zhilan and Zhou Chunyu of the Duke’s household wanted to protect her, they wouldn’t be able to deploy people to investigate the Gu residence on her behalf.

Besides, the baby-switching matter was serious. Until there was solid evidence, the fewer people who knew, the better.

She couldn’t risk tipping anyone off.

With her mind buzzing with thoughts, she eventually drifted into sleep.

By the time she woke, daylight was streaming in.

Crap. She was still sleeping in the study in broad daylight.

Gu Hua quickly looked around—he was already gone.

She got up in a hurry. Just as she was about to dress, she saw a silhouette behind the screen.

“Dong Hua?”

“Yes, miss. You’re awake?” Dong Hua peeked in with a bright smile.

Gu Hua blushed. “Mm.”

“Would you like to bathe here or return to Yayun Pavilion?”

Dong Hua helped her dress.

Gu Hua was mortified and whispered, “Return to Yayun Pavilion.”

Once she was dressed, the two left together. Dong Hua took her through a small path from Wenhan Pavilion to Yayun Pavilion, avoiding any servants.

At Yayun Pavilion, Dong Qing was waiting by the side gate.

Upon seeing her, Dong Qing rushed forward. “Miss, would you like to bathe first or eat breakfast?”

After a night of exhaustion, just hearing “breakfast” made Gu Hua’s stomach growl.

“Eat first.”

The two maids worked efficiently. Dong Hua went to prepare the bath while Dong Qing served the meal.

Gu Hua ate her fill. The effect of the ginseng tonic had worn off, and fatigue washed over her again.

Soaking in the tub, she quickly dozed off.

Dong Hua and Dong Qing gently washed her. Seeing the marks all over her, they exchanged glances, their faces turning red.

Who would’ve thought the always cold and stern Duke Mu had such a wild side?

Gu Hua stirred from the rubbing, trying to open her eyes but her eyelids felt heavy as lead.

Dong Hua noticed her movement. “Miss, we’ll help you back to bed.”

Gu Hua murmured, “Mm.”

They carried her out of the tub, dried her off, dressed her in innerwear, and tucked her into bed.

In the blink of an eye, Gu Hua had fallen back into deep sleep.

Meanwhile, Chiyu stood outside Mu Junyan’s bedroom, frowning in thought.

His master never slept during the day. He had returned from the study and gone straight to sleep.

Was he that exhausted last night?

But wasn’t the young miss even more tired?

Last night, he’d vaguely heard the girl softly crying and begging to be spared. Who would’ve thought his lord, usually so domineering on the battlefield, would be just as domineering in… that.

Mu Junyan, unaware his guard was internally criticizing him, was sleeping unusually well.

Ever since he took command of the Mu army, he hadn’t had a truly restful sleep.

Even after returning to the capital, dealing with the court daily left him mentally exhausted.

This nap wasn’t long—just over half an hour—but it felt amazing.

Even his always-imperceptible expressions seemed brighter. He looked at Chiyu more warmly than usual.

Chiyu thought: Maybe this is a good thing.

As Mu Junyan got dressed, he called Chiyu in and gave him a few instructions. Chiyu’s eyes widened.

“You really want to assign Chiyan to follow Miss Gu? But he’s our best man for gathering intel!”

Mu Junyan gave him a cool look. “You object?”

“N-no, sir!” Chiyu bowed quickly. “I’ll summon him right away.”

“How is Yin Zhi?”

Just as he was turning, Chiyu stopped and replied, “She’s been settled. The Physician Sun has treated her. She’ll likely be unconscious for a day or two.”

“Mm.”

Jinkui anxiously waited outside. Seeing Chiyu exit, she quickly bowed. “Is the lord inside?”

No matter how much she hated Gu Wanru’s cruelty, that was still her mistress. If something major happened, the servants would be blamed first.

“What is it?”

“The young madam… lost the baby.”

Chiyu froze, then turned back to report.

Mu Junyan was fastening his belt. Upon hearing this, not a ripple of emotion showed on his face. “Let Zhou Chunyu handle it as per protocol.”

“Yes, sir.”

Chiyu exited and said expressionlessly, “Report it to Steward Zhou.”

Jinkui felt a lump in her throat. The master didn’t care at all.

Left with no choice, she went to find Zhou Chunyu.

She had spent the entire morning looking for the Physician Sun—no one claimed to know where he was.

She had even swallowed her pride to ask Shen Li, who ignored her completely.

Gu Wanru had miscarried and needed care…

Yin Zhi’s life or death was uncertain. If she had died, would she be thrown into a mass grave?

Jinkui walked along, wiping her tears.