The temperamental white moonlight is back, and the entire Marquis's family obediently calls him

At the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), the sky should be slightly white.

Lu Mingzhao, lying by the bed, looked out the window, only to find that it was already bright daylight.

She put on a coat, slipped on her shoes, walked to the window, and gently pushed it open, only to find that it wasn't daylight, but rather that it was snowing in the capital.

This is the first snowfall in Beijing this year, and also the first snowfall Lu Mingzhao has seen in fourteen years.

Snowflakes fell in layers in the courtyard, not yet completely covering the golden leaves, but the chill of winter had already crept into our hearts.

Lu Mingzhao adjusted his collar, looked in the direction of Hesong Courtyard, and a hint of sorrow appeared in his eyes.

A night passed, and it was unknown whether Zhou Ningchuan felt any better after taking the medicine.

"Madam is awake. Would you like to sleep a little longer?" Cuizhu, who was keeping watch outside, heard the commotion in the inner room, quickly put on her clothes, came to the screen, and asked softly.

"I'll sit here by myself for a while, you can go to sleep."

Lu Mingzhao said something and then turned to go back to the bedside.

However, at that moment, Zhao Xianglan's voice rang out from outside the door.

Her voice was urgent and joyful, unable to hide her happiness: "Madam, it's the Marquis, the Marquis has arrived."

Lu Mingzhao instinctively wanted to walk out quickly, but stopped after hearing this and asked softly, "How is he? Is he alright?"

Zhao Xianglan was taken aback. She turned to look at the Marquis beside her, who was also holding his breath and listening intently to the sounds inside. She couldn't help but swallow nervously.

After receiving the Marquis's permission, she hurriedly said, "I'm fine, the Marquis looks much better."

Lu Mingzhao breathed a sigh of relief.

Cui Zhu, standing outside the screen, quickly realized what was happening and hurriedly asked with a smile, "Would Madam like me to help you with your washing and dressing?"

Lu Mingzhao sneered.

"Who said I was going to see him?"

"Let him wait outside."

Zhao Xianglan's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly and anxiously looked at the Marquis's expression.

But the latter's eyes were full of doting smiles, which he couldn't hide.

She inwardly found it strange, but could only continue to persuade him, "What do you mean by that, Madam? You've been eagerly awaiting the Marquis's arrival, and now that he's here, why are you ignoring him?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ningchuan's smile grew even more beaming and sweet.

Zhao Zhao had indeed been waiting for him all along.

"Who said I was hoping he'd come? Didn't he refuse to see me? I pleaded with him so much before, but he just wouldn't see me. What's he doing here now?"

"If he's happy to hang out with that guy surnamed Chu in that front yard, then let him stay there. There's no place for him here."

After saying this, Lu Mingzhao put his hands on his hips and waited for the sounds outside.

After waiting for a long time, there was still no movement outside.

Lu Mingzhao paused, then couldn't help but ask, "Aunt Zhao, where is he?"

Zhao Xianglan's voice was even softer than hers: "Replying to Madam, the Marquis is outside the door."

Lu Mingzhao walked to the door and first pushed open the small window next to the door.

The window was opened a crack, but she didn't see anyone in front of the door except Zhao Xianglan.

As she was wondering, she heard Zhao Xianglan say softly, "Madam, please read on."

Following his voice, Lu Mingzhao's gaze slowly moved downwards, and she couldn't help but catch her breath.

Zhou Ningchuan knelt upright at the foot of the steps, his shoulders covered in snow, gazing at her from afar.

At this moment, Zhao Xianglan stood close to the pillar under the eaves, not daring to breathe.

If the scene before her eyes hadn't been so realistic, Zhao Xianglan would have thought she was hallucinating.

The Marquis actually knelt down outside the Madam's door without hesitation to beg for forgiveness and admit his mistake, all because of a single word from the Madam, in front of so many servants.

Even if she were to spread this news, no one would believe her; some might even think she'd gone mad!

But Zhou Ningchuan seemed to think it wasn't enough. His voice was still a little hoarse from his recent recovery from a serious illness, but he raised his voice as much as possible: "Zhaozhao, I was wrong."

"I thought it was a dream. I don't know..."

These words seemed to be squeezed out of his throat with great difficulty.

After a long pause, he finally managed to speak again with difficulty: "I really..."

He couldn't continue.

What doesn't he know? Doesn't he know that Zhao Zhao has already returned?

That night, the feeling of being in my arms was so real.

She had clearly told him that she had come back to see him.

Even though his eldest son had tried to persuade him many times, he still refused to meet Zhaozhao.

He dared not think too deeply about what kind of feelings Zhao Zhao had been having these past few days, waiting for his repeated rejections.

Just like these past fourteen years, he has been waiting bitterly for Zhaozhao's return, only to be disappointed time and time again.

Because he had the same experience, he knew better than anyone the feeling of waiting and the taste of shattered hope.

The thought that he had caused Zhao Zhao to go through the same pain, and the thought that Zhao Zhao would wait for him alone through the long nights after she returned, filled him with intense self-loathing.

Having believed so many times before, why can't we try again this time?

The courtyard was completely silent.

The snow that fell on Zhou Ningchuan's shoulders felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, causing him to slowly bend over.

When he was poisoned, his internal organs were in pain, and the wound from the arrow had to be cleaned and the flesh removed, but none of that could compare to the excruciating pain in his heart that he was experiencing now.

"Zhaozhao," he called again, his pleading voice gradually fading, "Please open the door, you can hit me or scold me, it's all fine."

"Just let me see you once."

"Just one glance..."

A very soft sound suddenly came from inside the door, as if something had been knocked over.

Zhou Ningchuan suddenly raised his head and stared intently at the door.

But then the room fell silent again.

After a long silence, a very small, muffled voice came from under the door, tinged with a hint of defiant mockery: "General Zhou isn't dreaming this time, is he?"

He knew that voice all too well.

Even though it was the same body, he knew that it was Zhao Zhao, who had disappeared for fourteen years, who had returned.

The voice that had beaten him down countless times, pinned him to the back, and triumphantly asked him "Do you submit?" finally appeared again.

"I'm not dreaming anymore."

Zhou Ningchuan chuckled softly, but when he spoke, his voice unconsciously carried a hint of suppressed sobs.

"Zhaozhao, I didn't know you were back."

"I should have known, I should have recognized you."

Silence returned to the room.

So long that he thought the door would never be opened again.

But the bolt clicked open, and the door was slowly pulled open from the inside.

The door was narrow, but Zhou Ningchuan could see Zhaozhao's eyes, which were red and filled with tears.

Lu Mingzhao said in a muffled voice, "Speak your mind, don't kneel down, what kind of self-inflicted injury scheme are you playing?"

Zhou Ningchuan chuckled to himself.

It really was his Zhaozhao.

Even though she was so angry, she was still worried about his health and couldn't bear to let him kneel.

Zhou Ningchuan tried to get up, but his legs, which had been kneeling for a long time, suddenly went limp, and he staggered forward, almost falling on the steps.

Lu Mingzhao, who was inside the house, was startled and rushed out of the door almost immediately. She quickly walked down the steps and helped Zhou Ningchuan up.

When she came to her senses, Zhou Ningchuan was looking at her with a smile in his eyes.

Lu Mingzhao's heart skipped a beat.

Damn it, I've been scammed!

She immediately pulled her hand away and turned to leave, but the next second Zhou Ningchuan hooked her little finger around hers.

"Zhaozhao, it's so cold outside, can I come inside and kneel down?"

Zhou Ningchuan offered his clothes to Zhaozhao with both hands, his words full of pitifulness: "Hold my hand, that way I won't get lost."