Chapter 51: Concession

Chapter 51

Concession

As Song Qilin stood waiting for her, he had imagined their reunion countless times, but not once had he expected it to unfold like this!

Nie Shuang walked through the moon gate, her cheerful voice carrying from a distance. His heart raced wildly, his face flushed with excitement and joy. He wanted to rush over and embrace her but forced himself to stand still.

She looked so beautiful—her face radiant, her eyes sparkling with happiness. But when she spotted him, she froze, and then...

She cried! Tears streamed down her face, falling like pearls onto her cheeks. He was about to reach out and hold her, but she ran away!

Nie Shuang didn’t understand why she had run from him; she only knew that she was shocked! Shocked to see him standing there. The man she had thought of constantly but had believed she would never meet again in this lifetime.

Xiao San watched the two figures grow smaller in the distance, unsure of what to feel. She was both happy and startled. The General didn’t seem angry at her Young Furen; in fact, the way he looked at her was filled with longing. Would her Young Furen be alright? Should she follow them to check? After a moment’s hesitation, Xiao San decided to wait for her Young Furen back at the quarters.

Nie Shuang hadn’t realized how far she had run. She ended up in the back garden of the mansion, and he followed closely behind, not trying to grab her. It wasn’t until she tripped over the hem of her dress and fell that he lunged forward, catching her in his arms.

Because he cushioned her fall, she wasn’t hurt. He held her tightly, still lying on the ground. Despite her exhaustion, she could feel his heartbeat and his unyielding embrace, as if afraid she would disappear. Nie Shuang’s heart ached, realizing how much she had hurt him.

"Why did you run away from me?"

His deep, captivating voice broke the silence. Hearing his familiar tone, Nie Shuang felt weak and leaned her head against his chest, murmuring softly.

"I don’t know either. I...I was afraid you’d be angry..."

Her tears still flowed, and he kissed her hair gently, whispering,

"Don’t run away again."

Their bodies were pressed close, and in that moment, they both found peace without needing to say anything more.

After a while, he gently turned her over so that she was lying on top of him, his hand resting loosely on her stomach, holding her loosedly. They both looked up at the sky. It was now evening, and the setting sun cast a beautiful red-orange hue. The last light of the day bathed them in warmth. Nie Shuang rested her head comfortably on his chest, and he tightened his embrace, speaking softly.

"Shuang Shuang...I love you. I’ve missed you so much."

She felt the tremor in his chest as he spoke, his words piercing straight into her heart.

"I’m sorry..."

Nie Shuang whispered faintly, feeling guilty. She had betrayed him back then, revealing his plans to the Hou. The divorce papers had already been given to the Hou, and now they were nothing more than strangers.

"You don’t need to apologize...You haven’t wronged me. We are husband and wife. I should be thanking you. Our children...are so beautiful and precious...Thank you for giving birth to them and raising them so well..."

Song Qilin’s voice trembled with emotion. He could hardly believe that she was in his arms. Just the night before, he had been consumed by longing, but now he had found his wife, and they had not one but three children! How could he not be overjoyed? It felt as though the heavens had bestowed a blessing upon him.

"Qilin...you’re not angry with me?"

Nie Shuang looked up at him, seeing only his stubbled chin.

"How could I be angry? I’m only happy to see you. I treated you poorly in the past, so if you didn’t fight back, you wouldn’t truly be my Shuang Shuang."

He sat up, pulling her into his lap. Nie Shuang turned and hugged him tightly.

"Qilin...I missed you too. I’ve already thought of names for the children, but I don’t know if they’re suitable. I was waiting for you to name them yourself. Have you met them yet?"

Nie Shuang asked sweetly, relieved he wasn’t angry with her. She realized he must have already learned everything, including how she had taken the Hou’s wealth for her use.

"Mm...I happened to meet Bao Bao. I suspected he was mine. He’s quite something. The first time we met, he peed on me."

Nie Shuang burst into laughter, her cheeks flushing, her face lighting up so beautifully that he found himself mesmerized.

"That’s just like him. Bao Bao is so much like you!"

She teased, poking his broad chest. Song Qilin caught her hand, looking at her with such sweetness that it made her blush.

"Sh...Shall we head back to the house?"

She pulled her hand away, attempting to stand, but he scooped her up effortlessly. Nie Shuang gasped in surprise, clinging to him tightly.

"You ran so far; you must be tired. I’ll carry you back myself."

Luckily, the servants had all returned to their quarters, so no one saw the intimate moment between the two. Song Qilin told her how he had searched for her over the past year. Before long, they arrived at the house, where Xiao San had already prepared dinner. As they ate, the children were brought over to play nearby. As he ate, Song Qilin kept stealing glances at Nie Shuang, a soft smile playing on his lips the entire time. If Feng Ying had seen him like this, he would have exclaimed that Song Qilin had been replaced by an imposter! The General had never worn such an expression before!

After dinner, they drank tea and played with the children. At first, the triplets seemed shy around Song Qilin, but after a while, they warmed up to him. It became clear that he had a special fondness for their daughter. He gently patted his sons on the head but scooped Xiao Hua Hua into his lap, offering her toys and speaking to her in a soft, tender voice. Nie Shuang couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

Thinking of her conversation with Kang Wang earlier, she asked,

"Was it you whom Kang Wang brought to seek my help with the Lü Cui tea?"

The man stiffened at her question. If the owner of the Lü Cui tea wasn’t her, he would have gladly sought assistance. Song Qilin didn’t want to burden her with his troubles.

"It doesn’t matter. I’ll find another way,"

He replied, trying to make light of it. But Nie Shuang knew what he was thinking.

"You don’t need to hold back with me. I don’t do business at a loss. Just tell me the terms of the exchange."

"You should already know the situation. The issue is that the royal treasury is empty. The army needs horses, and exchanging tea is the only way to secure them. But... he cost of the tea is something the royal court might not be able to afford. That’s why I didn’t want to involve you in this."

When Song Qilin finally met her, he immediately changed his mind, now focused on protecting his wife’s interests. Nie Shuang smiled at him gently.

"You fool! The compensation doesn’t always have to be in money. Haven’t you learned to think outside the box? Or has fighting in battles shaken your brain too much?"

Hearing her scold, Song Qilin felt nothing but joy. He smiled at her like a love-struck fool and said,

"My Shuang Shuang is the smartest."

If he could have stuck out his tongue and wagged his tail, he probably would have.

"But how will the royal court repay you for all the tea you’ll have to send?"

He asked, genuinely curious. This time, Nie Shuang responded with a determined smile, her eyes sparkling."Exclusive trading rights for tea throughout the entire Da Ye Region!"