In ancient times, the powerful and wealthy seized power step by step.

Granny Qin had been watching the servants move things downstairs, and when she saw Lord Zhu leave the consultation room, she quietly followed him upstairs.

Gu Zhao was twisting the truth, insisting that Zhu Qingyu had arranged for him to stay next door. Before Lord Zhu could speak, Granny Qin interrupted Gu Zhao, changing the subject and asking:

"Sir Zhu, will the cook come from the Governor's Mansion every morning and return in the evening, or will you arrange for him to stay nearby?"

Zhu Qingyu accompanied the Grand Princess to the Northern Frontier this time, and along the way she witnessed firsthand how hard the cooks worked. They worked from dawn till dusk, getting up earliest every day, and making people travel back and forth like that was really too exhausting.

So Zhu Qingyu said:

"Stay here."

Granny Qin said:

"Alright, then I'll go find Physician Tian to make arrangements. Besides the cook, I also need accommodations for my attendants and maids. Should I ask Physician Tian for those as well?"

Since everyone has agreed that the cook should stay here, it wouldn't be appropriate to make Granny Qin and the others run back and forth, showing favoritism.

One step back leads to another, and Zhu Qingyu couldn't bring herself to refuse, so she agreed.

After asking for permission, Granny Qin bowed and took her leave to find Granny Tian to arrange her accommodations.

After Granny Qin left, Zhu Qingyu looked at Gu Zhao, who was still gazing at her expectantly.

If Gu Zhao were alone, Zhu Qingyu could kick him out anytime she wanted.

But now that he has a family to support, it doesn't seem right to send him away alone, since everyone else has stayed.

Forget it, forget it, let's stay here.

Zhu Qingyu warned:

"Living next door is fine. I have to make house calls tomorrow, and you've just taken office, so you must be busy too. Let's all get some rest tonight. If you continue to act recklessly and don't know how to control yourself, I'll kick you out."

Restraint?

Whom do you look down on?

Reckless?

How can you call it "messing around" with your own unmarried wife?

Gu Zhao chuckled inwardly, but remained outwardly obedient:

"OK."

So Lord Gu stayed there, and they had dinner together that evening. Gu Zhao even took the initiative to say goodnight.

"Go to sleep early, I'm going next door. Let's have breakfast together tomorrow morning."

Zhu Qingyu was extremely pleased with how well-behaved he was.

Without someone's disturbance, Zhu Qingyu enjoyed a rare moment of peace and quiet. She leisurely took a bath and changed her clothes. Before going to bed, she casually picked up a book, put it on the bed, and prepared to read for a while before going to sleep.

Just as she adjusted her reading posture, Gu Zhao knocked on the door from the outside:

"Qingyu, the brazier in my room was just lit, and it's so cold after my bath. Can I wait here for a while until the room warms up before going over?"

Because Lord Gu had just acted too obediently, Zhu Qingyu relaxed her guard again, opened the door, and said:

"Next time, remember to have Granny Qin and the others light the brazier earlier, so you won't be cold when you go in. Sit for a while and then go back."

Perhaps it's a case of great minds thinking alike before bed, because Gu Zhao also had a book in his hand and squeezed in.

He was radiating cold, with water droplets still clinging to his neck. He immediately hid under the covers as soon as he entered, letting out a comfortable sigh and smiling at her with bright, sparkling eyes.

"Okay, I'll go back in a bit. It's so warm here."

The bed in winter is the most comfortable place in the world. Zhu Qingyu also snuggled in, and the two sat against the headboard, sharing the same quilt, each reading their own book.

The book in Zhu Qingyu's hand was a storybook. She had passed by a bookstore a while ago and, without looking carefully, had the bookstore pack up all the latest ones for her. She bought a bunch of them, but hadn't had time to read them yet.

She randomly picked a book today, but the story wasn't really to her taste. It was about filial sons and grandsons, and after flipping through a few pages, she found it a bit boring.

The two were standing close together. Out of boredom, Zhu Qingyu casually glanced at Gu Zhao's book. On that page was a vulgar yet exciting plot, the kind that wouldn't be allowed to be published in modern times. Once Zhu Qingyu took a look, she couldn't take her eyes off it.

Gu Zhao seemed oblivious and turned to a page.

His book even has illustrations!

My goodness, so fragrant and alluring, so tender and intimate, how could it be painted so well!

It turns out that what he showed her on the ship wasn't even the best.

Just how many treasures does this Lord Gu have hidden away? There are even such good books that he hasn't shown her yet.

Compared to the two, Zhu Qingyu felt that the book of preaching about filial piety and virtuous grandchildren in her hand was really boring.

Zhu Qingyu observed Gu Zhao's expression and found that even when Gu Zhao was reading such a vulgar book, he remained expressionless, just like when he was looking at her homework.

Feeling Zhu Qingyu's gaze, Gu Zhao naturally noticed it. Looking back at her, without any intention of concealing his vulgar tastes, he asked without batting an eye:

"You like it? Want to watch it together?"

Zhu Qingyu leaned closer:

"Then I'll give it a try."

Gu Zhao pulled her into his arms, placed the book in her hands, and said:

"I've already read this one. You can turn to it and start reading from the beginning."

The fact that Master Gu specifically chose to reread a book speaks volumes about its value.

Zhu Qingyu started flipping through the pages, and the more she flipped, the hotter she felt. Her face and body were hot, and she didn't know if it was because the two of them were sitting together or because the brazier in the room was burning too brightly.

I don't know where Gu Zhao got the book from, but it has so many different ideas, it's like it opened the door to a whole new world for Zhu Qingyu.

Gu Zhao hugged her and put his head next to her ear so they could watch together.

His warm breath brushed against her ear, making Zhu Qingyu feel even hotter.

Gu Zhao nibbled on her earlobe, his hand slipping under the covers as he said seductively:

"I'm a little cold, let me warm my hands. You're so warm, it's even warmer here."

Zhu Qingyu couldn't help but lean her head back, resting on his shoulder to catch her breath. She couldn't even hold the book properly and felt like she was floating.

Gu Zhao's voice seemed to come from the clouds, and she said seductively:

"That's how it's written, but I don't know if it's true or not. Do you want to give it a try?"

Zhu Qingyu was panting and couldn't answer. A feeling of weightlessness washed over her, and she found herself lying on the pillow.

The person seemed not to need her answer and disappeared under the covers.

In the next room, Granny Qin was instructing the maids to tidy up the things Master Gu had used for his bath. One of the maids asked:

"Granny, should we add more fuel to the fire tonight?"

Granny Qin glanced at the embers in the brazier; they were already starting to die down and clearly wouldn't last all night. She replied:

"No need."

But just a wall away, the charcoal fire in the brazier was burning brightly.

Zhu Qingyu bit her fist, trying her best to control herself, but she couldn't. She almost gasped for breath, feeling like her soul was about to fly to the sky.

After a long while, someone held her in their arms and asked in her ear:

"Is what the book says correct?"

Zhu Qingyu felt so weak she was almost melting. Staring at the bed curtains above her head, she thought absentmindedly, "So, it turns out that Lord Gu's fingers are not only so nimble, but also... the mundane pleasures described in books are far less than one ten-thousandth of what Lord Gu brings."