Qi Zhenzhen blinked, thinking she was hallucinating from missing Gu Sinian too much.
She blinked several more times, but the person was still there.
Was it real?
Seeing his wife's dazed expression, Gu Sinian couldn't help but stride forward and pull her into his arms. "Zhenzhen, I'm back."
The warm embrace, the familiar scent, Qi Zhenzhen finally realized she wasn't hallucinating; he had truly returned.
Her nose stung, and Qi Zhenzhen's voice caught. "Why did you take so long to come back?"
Gu Sinian gently stroked Qi Zhenzhen's hair. "It's my fault."
It was rare for Qi Zhenzhen to show such girlish affection. After a moment of clinging, she felt a bit embarrassed and broke free from Gu Sinian's embrace. "Are you injured? Have the matters at the border been resolved? Are Yi Ge'er, Xiao Niu, and Luo Wanqing all right? Where are they?"
"They're mostly resolved. They're behind, and it will probably take another two days for them to arrive. I missed you, so I hurried the journey and came back first," Gu Sinian said softly.
Two days early, that wasn't just hurrying the journey; it must have been traveling day and night. Qi Zhenzhen looked at Gu Sinian's stubbled face and the dark circles under his eyes, feeling a pang of concern. "Why the rush? Can you handle it? You should rest first. I'll have Er Xi and the others prepare hot water for you. You can eat something first, and then take a bath."
Gu Sinian gently pulled her, and Qi Zhenzhen sat on his lap. "No rush, let me look at you properly."
Gu Sinian buried his head in Qi Zhenzhen's neck, his voice low. "Zhenzhen, I missed you, so much."
The warm breath on her neck tickled. "I missed you too."
Qi Zhenzhen truly missed Gu Sinian. In her previous life, she had no romantic experience. In this life, even though she was married to Gu Sinian, she never thought she would depend on him so completely, body and soul. This time, when he went to the border for several months, her longing was faint at first. Later, perhaps due to her pregnancy, she missed him more and more. And then, with one thing after another happening, she found herself thinking that if Gu Sinian were here, she wouldn't have to worry about these matters.
"Whose people were those at the border?" Qi Zhenzhen asked.
"Qin Lang's. Xu Miaoniang is Qin Lang's disciple," Gu Sinian looked up, his eyes filled with disgust. "They've been captured. I handed them over to the dark guards, and they'll be brought back. As for how they'll be dealt with, that's for the Emperor to decide."
After hearing Gu Sinian's account, Qi Zhenzhen suddenly realized how cunning Xu Miaoniang was.
After her actions towards Gu Sinian and the Old Madam, she had been let off due to the Old Madam's intervention. Not only did she not repent, but she also colluded with others.
And the person she colluded with was none other than Gu Sinian's elder brother, Gu Siya.
With Gu Siya's help, Xu Miaoniang contacted Qin Lang. Then, following Qin Lang's orders, she went to the border with the intention of disrupting the frontier and, in conjunction with several border tribes coveting Da Feng, attempting to attack Da Feng. She hadn't expected Gu Sinian to go there. Xu Miaoniang, still harboring feelings for Gu Sinian, put Qin Lang's instructions aside upon seeing him, focusing solely on obtaining Gu Sinian.
Caught off guard, Gu Sinian was captured by Xu Miaoniang. It was fortunate that Qi Yi, Zhang Xiaoniu, and Luo Wanqing arrived in time, otherwise, Xu Miaoniang might have succeeded.
Luo Wanqing had written about these events when she returned, so even with prior knowledge, hearing Gu Sinian's account made Qi Zhenzhen's anger surge. Xu Miaoniang was shameless, but Gu Siya was truly beyond any sense of propriety or shame. Regardless, Gu Sinian was his brother, and how could he do something like this!