"Where has there been a woman who despises her own man? As long as you don't regret it," Chenyu whispered gently.

Song Cheng said, "I would only regret if I split myself thin, putting you, Jia, Ying, and the vast An Family in jeopardy."

Life always requires choices.

"To be a fearless hero or a cautious man who protects his family, I choose the latter."

An Chenyu scolded playfully, "What kind of comparison is that? You are my hero."

She hugged the young man tightly, pressing against his clothes, and then gently placed his palm on her other cheek.

The night was hazy, filled with swirling snow.

The familiar layout of the courtyard, outlined like an ink sketch, gave him a sense of belonging and tranquility.

And thinking that although there was the Ghost Tide, the situation had momentarily calmed, offering a good chance to catch one's breath, and having a child now seemed quite right. This peace of mind then doubled.

The two remained silently close.

Their hearts beat in the quiet snowy night, each audible to the other.

Suddenly, An Chenyu whispered softly, "Today, I am possibly ready to conceive; do you want to come in? That way, you would also have an excuse to refuse your mother."

Song Cheng said, "I don't need an excuse; I am just such a home-loving person.

A great man aims for the world, yet my aspiration lies within this small home.

I will openly admit it, why hide?"

An Chenyu chuckled and said, "You're so powerful, having mastered the Hundred Strengths and Forms, capable of contending with the Great Hall Master. Having received the secret teachings from Shanhe Martial Arts Hall, your talent will probably see you reach entry level within the next month.

Yet someone so powerful as you prefers not to seek adventure, not to play the hero, not to roam freely..."

Song Cheng said, "Why must one seek adventure, play the hero, or roam freely?"

An Chenyu said, "To successfully cultivate the technique, one needs experience.

Moreover, life is short. If ordinary people are like grass hidden in dark light, unnoticed, then heroes are like brilliant fireworks blossoming across the sky.

Fireworks, how beautiful."

Song Cheng said, "You like to watch fireworks, I'll have Ling buy some."

An Chenyu paused, laughed a little, then asked, "So today, will you come in or not?"

Song Cheng said, "I will."

The young man, wrapped in his Mysterious Robe, in the heavy snow, carefully lifted the bundled-up Miss An, the warmth of touch holding not just the greedy desire for her cold beauty as when they first met, but now a coziness.

He stepped forward, following the ink-painted path, towards the distantly twisted houses amid the snow.

The door closed.

Amid slight rustling sounds,

A battle was about to begin.

One firm, the other gentle,

The interplay of strength and softness, intertwining...

It was a while before they stopped.

Miss An took a pillow, placed it under her hips, and carefully tended to herself.

Soon, the two fell asleep in each other's arms.

...

...

The next day, early,

Ying took the coach, carrying Miss An again to oversee the various An Family's properties.

Now, leveraging the influence of Song Cheng and Tong Jia, the An Family had expanded significantly in size within just half a year.

Some of the elders, remembering the deep winter at the beginning of the year when this young couple had been rescued from Tang River Village and depended on Ruyi Commerce Chamber for their livelihood, couldn't help but be filled with emotion.

Song Cheng then stretched in front of the mirror, allowing Ling to dress him in his robe, then tied on his long blade and fixed the mechanical shield before heading to the dining hall for breakfast.

It was just the couple, and Ying following Miss An, with Ling by his side.

At this moment,

Ling stood under the eaves of the dining hall rubbing her hands together and asked, "Young master, are you going out today?"

Her outfit had changed from a light pink short skirt to a pink fur coat, clearly the attire of a maid from a wealthy household.

Song Cheng said, "I'll go to the Martial Arts Hall."

Ling responded with a "Sure," and then went to ready the coach.

But the weather was freezing cold, with even the reins feeling icy and rigid.

Ling's hands turned white from the cold, the delicate veins visible under her pale skin, and she shouted, "Drive!"

The horse pulled the carriage, stirring up a cloud of snow dust.

The young man, wrapped in his Mysterious Robe, leaned in a dark corner of the carriage.

As the carriage left the An Residence and crossed a bridge, it slowly reached the bustling market.

Song Cheng still remembered when he first arrived, the third uncle from the An Family, later the Chen Family, and even the Outer Sect disciples from Shanhe Martial Arts Hall; things weren't exactly smooth.

But now, everything had calmed down.

He yawned, sniffed, and smelled a delightful scent, then called for a stop, but it turned out to be a stall selling shrimp cakes.

Song Cheng didn't get off, but called out, "Buy four of them and fetch a jug of clear wine."

Suddenly remembering that he and Sister An were trying to conceive these days, he quickly added, "On second thought, skip the wine."

Soon, a voice came from outside the carriage.

"Ling, it must be Lord Song inside. I won't take money for these cakes; please, enjoy them on me."

"Take it." Ling put the money on the table, grabbed the cakes, and left. She wasn't naive; minor kindnesses posed as something grand never tempted her.

Back at the driver's seat, she handed the cakes through the curtain.

The carriage moved again through the lively market.

Song Cheng laughed, "Everyone calls you 'Sister Ling' outside?"

Ling said, "It's all thanks to your prestige, young master; even those much older than me also call me Sister Ling."

Song Cheng chewed a piece of the shrimp cake, which was crispy while the shrimp was well-cooked, stir-fried, and then mixed with a secret sauce, very tasty. He casually asked, "So, everyone outside is calling me Lord Song now?"

Ling said, "Absolutely! Young Master, now in Hanping Prefecture, who doesn't know about you?"

Song Cheng said, "I always feel calling me that ages me; I still prefer being called Song."

The coach-driving Ling couldn't help but roll her eyes, muttering, "Wish death upon them, then grab someone and make them call you Song.

With you being the younger brother of the Great Hall Master at Shanhe Martial Arts Hall, where would that put the big shots there? Would they let anyone off who said that?"

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