I was pampered like a treasure after being married off to the young marshal, but my father and broth

But Shu Nuan clung tightly to his neck, kissing his face and chin repeatedly.

He couldn't bear to push it away, nor did he want to.

Shu Nuan kissed his way down to his burning Adam's apple, her lips pressed against his skin: "A Tuo... I love you, I will only love you in this life, whether I live or die, I am yours."

Quan Tuo slowly closed his eyes.

A moment later, he scooped her up in his arms, strode to the bedside, and laid her down on the soft mattress.

He ripped down the red curtains, blocking out the spring light that filled the room.

The dragon and phoenix wedding candles inside the house flickered and dripped wax, burning brightly all night long.

...

Five years later.

Northern City, Quan Mansion.

Summer sunlight filters through the lush foliage of the garden, casting dappled shadows.

A little boy dressed in an elegant Western-style waistcoat was sitting obediently at a desk under the garden corridor. He looked to be only about four years old, but he had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and even at such a young age, he exuded a cool and composed temperament.

With a chubby little finger, she pointed to the three characters "Shang Sheyu" on the cover of a thick medical book in front of her, and turned to the person beside her in confusion: "Mother, didn't you say you wrote this medical book? Why are the three characters 'Shang Sheyu' on the cover?"

The little boy's voice was clear and crisp, yet he was very serious.

Shu Nuan, sitting beside him, was wearing an elegant cheongsam today, her hair was gently styled into a bun and secured with a winter plum wood hairpin.

Five years have passed, and the passage of time has softened her once sharp edges, making her more serene and gentle.

She put down her teacup, smiled, and patted her son's head, saying, "Because my name used to be Shang Sheyu, but I changed it to Shu Nuan later."

The little boy nodded as if he understood, his brows slightly furrowed.

Just then, a clear laugh came from the other end of the garden.

"Hehehe... Jingchuan!"

A little girl, about three years old, wearing a pink princess dress, was running towards us with her short legs, holding a colorful windmill in her hand.

She ran while making little noises.

"Jingchuan, Jingchuan! Come play with me!"

A young woman followed behind, anxiously calling out, "Yuexi, slow down! Be careful not to fall!"

Hearing this voice, Quan Jingchuan turned to look at Shu Nuan helplessly, sighed heavily, and complained like a little adult: "Mom, Xiao Yueyue always calls me by my name. I've corrected her many times. She should call me Uncle, but she's just not good."

Upon hearing this, Shu Nuan couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.

How did my son manage to be exactly like his father in temperament?

They're all so rigid, serious, and inflexible.

As she spoke, Xiao Yuexi had already run up to her.

She grabbed Quan Jingchuan's hand, shook it, and said coquettishly, "Jingchuan, play with me."

Quan Jingchuan straightened his young face and seriously corrected her: "You should call me Uncle, not Jingchuan. That's rude."

Why would Yuexi care about rules?

She simply resorted to being unreasonable, twisting her body and acting coquettishly.

"Will you play with me? Will you play with me?"

Seeing her like this, Quan Jingchuan completely lost his temper and sighed helplessly.

He turned to Shu Nuan and asked, "Mother, can I go play with Xiao Yueyue for a while?"

Shu Nuan smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay, go ahead, take good care of Xiao Yueyue, and don't go too far."

Quan Jingchuan nodded seriously: "Okay."

Then, he took Yuexi's soft little hand and walked towards the lawn.

As he passed the woman who had just caught up with him, Quan Jingchuan stopped, respectfully cupped his hands in greeting, and called out, "Sister-in-law."

Jiang Yueyan was amused by his mature demeanor and replied with a smile, "You two be careful, don't fall."

After Quan Jingchuan agreed, he took Xiao Yuexi to play.

Jiang Yueyan sat down on the chair opposite Shu Nuan, wiped the thin layer of sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, and said with a smile, "These two kids are really something, one is too naughty, and the other is too quiet."

Shu Nuan picked up the teapot, poured her a cup of refreshing flower tea, and handed it to her.

"What brings you here? You and Wang Gui are always busy at the Chamber of Commerce, and we hardly ever see you at home during the day."

Jiang Yueyan took the teacup, took a sip, and smiled with bright eyes: "Because I have some good news to tell my aunt."

As she spoke, she pulled out a densely packed order form from her sleeve and handed it to Shu Nuan.

"Your junior brother has cultivated a lot of rare medicinal herbs in Jiangnan that are unavailable in this harsh northern land. This batch of herbs was delivered to our guild's warehouse a couple of days ago. Soon, we will be able to develop an excellent medicine based on the prescription you provided. Not only will it be highly effective, but it will also be inexpensive. In the future, even if the people of our northern lands fall ill, they won't have to endure the illness because they can't afford medicine. Isn't that a tremendous blessing?"

Upon hearing this, Shu Nuan raised an eyebrow and took the form to examine it carefully.

Three years ago, my junior brother Gu Jingran left the northern border for Jiangnan and opened a clinic there.

Thanks to the foundation of the Medical Academy, it has now grown to a considerable size.

He also maintained a business relationship with the Quanmen Chamber of Commerce, continuously transporting high-quality medicines from Jiangnan to the northern border.

Seeing the names of the medicinal herbs on the list, Shu Nuan nodded with relief: "It's really a good thing. Jing Ran over there has finally made it through."

This is the main entrance of the Quan Mansion.

Quan Jingchuan and Xiao Yuexi were sitting side by side on the high stone steps at the entrance.

The two little ones each held a sugar figurine that the guard had just bought for them, licking it with relish.

The uncle and nephew ate until their mouths were covered in glistening sugar stains.

Quan Jingchuan turned his head and looked at Yuexi, who was eating like a little kitten: "Is it sweet?"

Xiao Yuexi nodded vigorously, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

"Sweet! Very sweet!"

Quan Jingchuan's eyes lit up, and he seized the opportunity to coax, "Then call me Uncle, and Uncle will buy you sugar figurines every day from now on."

After hearing this, Xiao Yuexi smacked her lips, frowned her delicate brows, and turned to look at Quan Jingchuan.

In her childish voice, yet with perfect logic, she said, "But you didn't buy this sugar figurine; the security guard bought it. Why should I call you 'uncle'?"

Seeing that he had failed to fool Xiao Yuexi, Quan Jingchuan's face immediately darkened.

Just then—

A camouflaged military off-road vehicle, covered in mud and gunpowder stains, slowly drove up and finally came to a stop with a "hiss" at the entrance of the Quan Mansion.

Quan Jingchuan stopped what he was doing out of curiosity and stared at the car with wide eyes.

The car door opened, and a pair of dusty military boots landed first.

Immediately afterwards, a tall and imposing man stepped out of the car.

He wore a faded military uniform and stood as tall and imposing as a mountain. His face looked much more weathered than it had been five years ago, with stubble on his chin. But his deep-set eyes and brows were still so strikingly handsome that people dared not look directly at him.

Quan Jingchuan's eyes widened slightly, his little head filled with questions.

Who is this?