Yun Yao focused on cleaning the windows intently, but her thoughts drifted away.
She thought of her encounter with Du Gu Ye, and the familiar face seemed to still be before her eyes.
She heaved a sigh softly, wishing only to live well now, waiting for the child in her belly to be born and then raising her two children as they grow up.
In the courtyard, the figures of Zhou Bo and Zhou Auntie moved tirelessly back and forth.
Dog Egg wasn't idle either; his small figure scurried around, helping to hand over some small items.
The sunlight shone on them, as if it were a warm and cozy painting.
After a while, Yun Yao felt somewhat tired, so she put down the rag and found a chair to sit down and rest.
Seeing this, Aunt Zhou quickly put down what she was doing, brought over a cup of water, and said, "Madam, you shouldn't overexert yourself. There's work here for us to do."
Yun Yao looked at Aunt Zhou, smiled as she took the cup of water, and said, "Aunt Zhou, you're also hardworking. In the future, let's live together and enjoy life. Although my place isn't very rich, it's quiet and peaceful. As long as I have something to eat, there will never be a lack for you."
Hearing this, Aunt Zhou's eyes instantly misted over with tears. She was deeply moved and her voice trembled as she said, "Madam, you are a truly great-hearted person. We are old and just want to find a peaceful place to live. Then raise Dog Egg up. Being able to meet you, Madam, is our blessing. We will do our utmost to serve you and dare not have the slightest lapse."
Days passed by, and the life in the mansion gradually fell into a regular pattern.
Yun Yao often sat in the courtyard, watching Dog Egg play, and feeling the movement of her unborn child within her.
When she had time, she taught Dog Egg to read and write. Dog Egg was clever and quick to learn.
Seeing this, Zhou Bo and Aunt Zhou felt grateful to her and did their best to take care of her and the family.
At night, the moon shone high above, casting a silvery light.
The mansion was particularly quiet, with only the occasional chirping of insects.
Yun Yao lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. The face of Du Gu Ye, with his dark and handsome features, kept flickering through her mind.
If it were just a similar appearance, she might not be so concerned. But that's precisely what made her uneasy - it was the reincarnation of Mò Jué...
In such a situation, she really could not maintain a calm mind.
Though it has been several lifetimes, the memories of the beast world dimension are still so clear, as if they happened just yesterday.
Yun Yao toss and turn, unable to sleep. Even the Du Gu Ye in the Heavenly Number One Suite at the Yiyi Inn, was having a hard time sleeping.
Du Gu Ye lay in bed with his eyes wide open, completely unable to sleep.
The scene of their encounter on the street kept replaying in his mind like a dream.
Her figure, those eyes full of countless words, and the familiar feelings she unconsciously revealed all made it difficult for him to overlook and unable to fall asleep at ease.
He could feel that this widow was very important to him.
Important enough for him to protect her with his entire life, even at the cost of his own life.
Du Gu Ye found this thought amusing, but it was indeed a thought that resounded deeply within him.
As if missing out on this woman would leave him with regrets for the rest of his life.
He tried to recall if he had ever seen her before or if he had lost any important memories.
But no matter how hard he thought, he could not recall any memories of her at all.
Even the impression was absent.
Du Gu Ye was certain that they did not know each other and had never met before.
A sudden wave of agitation rose in his heart, and he tried to force himself to sleep, allowing his thoughts to calm down.
Yet, the more he tried to sleep, the more vividly the image of the widow appeared in his mind.
He didn't know when he fell asleep; in any case, he ended up dozing off in a daze.
However, he did have a dream.
In the dream, Du Gu Ye found himself in a strange beast world. Surrounded by dense primeval forests and towering ancient trees reaching the clouds, the air was filled with primal and mysterious scents.
There were no traces of humans here; instead, there were various kinds of animals.
These animals were either running or flying. What shocked him even more was that these animals could transform into human forms in an instant, demonstrating incredible powers and wisdom.
In this strange land, Du Gu Ye found himself transformed into a giant black snake named Mò Jué. Its scales shone with a dark glow under the sunlight.
In this land, he was a rare strong being.
He also had a gentle and beautiful partner, Yun Yao, who was originally an abandoned female. He had rescued her by chance and then brought her back to the tribe.
She was intelligent and kind-hearted. She knew how to make pottery, make salt, recognize various foods, and even mastered the art of medicine.
She knew a great deal. Under her guidance, the Black Snake tribe grew stronger and stronger, becoming the most dazzling presence on the land.
Eventually, she united the entire beast world.
They lived a very sweet and happy life. They also co-parented thirty adorable little snake babies, each of whom was intelligent and gifted with unique abilities.
Before Du Gu Ye could continue the dream,
The dream suddenly turned sharply downward, and the scene switched to the street market that day.
The familiar figure appeared once again.
The woman before him was obviously a pregnant widow, but her eyes seemed to coincide with those of the intelligent and witty woman from the beast world.
She stood there, gazing at herself with complex and profound eyes, as if she had a thousand words she wanted to say but couldn't finish.
Du Gu Ye's heart was ruffled with layered ripples.
Du Gu Ye awoke from his dream, drenched in sweat. The moonlight shone through the window, illuminating his pale face.
Du Gu Ye sat up, his eyes eager, as if the long-forgotten emotions in his heart were being reignited.
He had a hunch that the widow, perhaps, really had an unbreakable connection with him.
"Come in!" Du Gu Ye looked towards the door and called out in a deep voice.
A dark-clad and stern man answered his call and knelt down on one knee.
It was Yun Yin, Du Gu Ye's personal bodyguard.
"Your Highness, may I know what your orders are?"
"Go and investigate. I must know who theWidow I met on the street is, as well as all of her information and past. Everything, no matter how trivial it may be, I must know."
Du Gu Ye's voice was indisputable, but it also hid a trace of undetectable eagerness.
Yun Yin, though feeling puzzled, dared not ask too many questions.
"Yes"
He replied with reverence and withdrew swiftly.
Du Gu Ye sat alone by the bedside, gazing at the moonlight outside, his mind filled with numerous thoughts.
Time flew by, and several days had passed.
On this day, Yun Yin suddenly appeared in front of Du Gu Ye and respectfully said: "My Lord, the information on the widow has been retrieved."
Du Gu Ye's gaze met Yun Yin's, and with a faint opening of his lips, he said in a cold tone, "Speak."
Yun Yin looked at the Prince, and then slowly said: "Your Highness, the widow is called Yun Yao, and her identity…"
Before Yun Yin could continue,
Du Gu Ye's whole body trembled, and his gaze turned to Yun Yin, eagerly interrupting him, "What is her name?"
Yun Yin, not understanding the situation, still repeated it, "Yun Yao, Yun in Yun's beauty, and Xiao in Xiao pool."
Du Gu Ye's brow furrowed tightly. He couldn't help but remember the strange dream he had that night, in which the intelligent and witty woman was also named Yun Yao.
Is there some connection between the two?
"Go on."
He gently tapped his fingers on the table and said in a deep voice.
Yun Yin continued, "Miss Yun's identity is like a mist, unknown to everyone. She lived in Wan Fo Temple for a while and often went down the mountain to do good deeds, donating many materials and leaving behind good names and deeds."
"Later, one day, she went to Zhou Village with Master Xianjing of Wanfo Temple to expel an evil spirit. After expelling the evil spirit, Master Xianjing took his disciples back to the rear mountain of Wanfo Temple for seclusion, and Miss Yun left alone and never returned to Wanfo Temple."
Du Gu Ye's brows furrowed slightly. "Expel an evil spirit? What kind of good girl would expel an evil spirit? Isn't she a member of the Xuanmen sect?"
"This subordinate does not know."
Yun Yin shook his head vaguely and continued, "After Miss Yun left Zhou Village, she reappeared in Su Village, causing quite a stir. According to the villagers, she was devoted to a poor scholar named Su Jin, sacrificing everything to do laundry and cook for him and take care of the household. She willingly took on the role of a 'scrappy wife'."
Upon hearing this, Du Gu Ye felt an inexplicable pang of bitterness in his heart.
Yun Yin noticed that the Prince's mood wasn't very good, and he quickly realized something, saying: "Your Highness may not know this, but Su Jin has already passed away."
"What happened?"
Du Gu Ye looked at Yun Yin, asking in a curious tone.
Yun Yin did not hesitate to answer truthfully, "Su Jin first encountered an accident and broke his leg. Perhaps he didn't recover well, accidentally became lame, and lost his path to the imperial examination. I heard he had fallen into a deep depression, but it was only with Miss Yun's guidance that he finally emerged."
He glanced at the Prince again and continued, "Then, a series of heavy rains caused his house to collapse. He was crushed inside, but was saved by the villagers in time. Perhaps unable to bear the blow, he eventually chose the path of despair."
"After Su Jin passed away, Miss Yun soon came to the town of Lotus, seemingly with the intention of starting a new life."
Yun Yin added.
Du Gu Ye nodded slightly, "Do you have a portrait of Su Jin?"
"Yes, this subordinate specifically found a painter who had seen Su Jin and painted a portrait of him."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yun Yin took out a portrait from his chest, unfolded it, and handed it over.
Du Gu Ye reached out and took the portrait, his gaze falling upon the image. The person in the portrait had a handsome and refined face, gentle and cultivated, exuding a sense of scholarly elegance.
Although the face in the portrait was good-looking, it was completely different from his own.
He remembered that she said she resembled her deceased husband. Could it be that Su Jin was not the husband she spoke of?
If Su Jin was not her husband, then whose child was in her belly?
Who is she referring to as her husband?
