Chapter 291: Fulfillment

Chapter 291: Fulfillment

Yu Lan hadn't slept enough the previous night and was already extremely tired after getting through half the day. The rouge on her face could barely hide her fatigue.

Noble Consort Yu noticed and kindly said, "The weather is hot, and I need to take a nap. Let's all head back and rest early."

Hearing this, Yu Lan felt like she'd been granted amnesty.

She didn't want to think about anything except going back to sleep soundly; she was that exhausted.

After sitting for so long, Jiang Shu also felt sore and tired and wanted to go back and lie down. They all stood up to take their leave.

As they watched their retreating figures holding umbrellas, the Emperor and Noble Consort Yu looked on with warm smiles.

"Lan'er and Zheng'er are both content," the Emperor said.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor took Noble Consort Yu's hand and said, "Just wait a little longer; we'll find our own happiness too."

Noble Consort Yu was momentarily stunned, and after realizing what the Emperor was hinting at, she said, "I'm already very content."

"Having married a good man, having both a son and a daughter, and being surrounded by grandchildren—it's already more than I could ask for."

The Emperor said nothing, simply pulling Noble Consort Yu into his arms.

He would always remember the promise he'd made to her.

On the way back to the Zhou estate, Yu Lan nodded off in the carriage.

Zhou Boxu saw her head tilted awkwardly and her brows furrowed in sleep, so he reached over and gently guided her to rest on his shoulder.

Yu Lan jolted awake, looked at Zhuang Yun beside her, and, embarrassed, gently pushed Zhou Boxu, "Yun'er's here."

Zhuang Yun, understanding the situation, turned away and lifted the carriage curtain to look outside.

Yu Lan: "..."

Zhou Boxu smirked, leaned in close to Yu Lan's ear, and whispered, "Yun'er's very sensible. Go on, sleep."

As he finished speaking, Zhou Boxu glanced at Yu Lan's red ears and seized the chance to kiss them.

Yu Lan was instantly jolted awake, straightened up in embarrassment, and scooted away from Zhou Boxu.

Zhou Boxu was exasperated, realizing he shouldn't have teased her.

For the rest of the journey, Yu Lan didn't fall asleep again. She held on until they got home, went inside, kicked off her shoes, and finally relaxed as she lay down on the bed.

Zhou Boxu told Zhuang Yun to go back to his room for a nap to recharge and to go horseback riding after waking up. Zhuang Yun happily agreed.

After settling Zhuang Yun, when Zhou Boxu entered the inner room, Yu Lan was already half-asleep.

Sensing someone lying down beside her, Yu Lan drowsily murmured, "What are you doing?"

Zhou Boxu said, "I'm also tired, let's sleep together."

Last night he slept with Yu Lan but woke up earlier than her in the morning, so he also didn't sleep well.

Zhou Boxu stretched out his arm, disregarding the heat, and pulled Yu Lan into his arms.

Yu Lan was so exhausted that she allowed Zhou Boxu to hold her and fell into a deep sleep.

Outside, the sun slowly sank in the west, and Yu Lan slept for a long time.

When she woke up, the pillow next to her was empty, and Zhou Boxu was nowhere to be found.

Recalling what Zhou Boxu had said at breakfast, Yu Lan got out of bed and glanced at the sky through the carved window.

The sun hadn't set yet. Had they left the city so early?

For some reason, Yu Lan felt a sense of emptiness.

Muchun, who was guarding the outer room, heard the commotion and came in to attend to Yu Lan's hair and makeup.

Yu Lan asked Muchun, "When did they go out?"

Muchun was momentarily taken aback before replying, "The consort and the young master are practicing calligraphy in the study."

"Practicing calligraphy in the study? They haven't left the mansion?" Yu Lan was both surprised and delighted.

Muchun said, "The consort and the young master said they are waiting for the princess."

Hearing this, a smile spread across Yu Lan's lips, and she urged Muchun to hurry up.

The door to the study was open, and when Yu Lan entered, she saw Zhou Boxu bending down, holding Zhuang Yun's hand, teaching him how to write.

"Mother, you're awake," Zhuang Yun said, looking up at Yu Lan at the sound of footsteps.

As Yu Lan approached, Zhuang Yun set down the brush and showed her the characters he had just written.

Yu Lan examined them carefully and commented, "You've done very well."

Zhuang Yun said shyly, "Father taught me how to write these. I will practice diligently."

Zhou Boxu said, "No rush, take your time. For now, let's go ride horses."

"Okay," Zhuang Yun had been eagerly waiting.

Zhou Boxu ordered the carriage to be prepared, had Snow Shadow saddled, and brought a few guards with him as they headed out of the city.

Apart from going to school, the place Zhuang Yun visited the most was Prince Jing's mansion, so he rarely had the chance to play outside the city, which made him very excited.

Yu Lan could see his anticipation and felt a pang of guilt.

As a woman, she couldn't freely go out in public, and thus couldn't take Zhuang Yun around to play.

Yu Zheng had taken Zhuang Yun out a few times, but that was far from enough for a curious and playful child.

As the carriage passed through the city gates, the view immediately expanded, and the scenery became vastly different.

Zhuang Yun leaned against the carriage window, finding everything new and fascinating, his eyes wide with wonder.

They found a place with a flat road, a broad view, and a high spot to watch the sunset, and the carriage stopped.

Zhou Boxu stood at the edge of the slope, gazing down at the road below, and said, "Zhuang Yun and I will ride horses down there. You can enjoy the sunset here and wait for us."

"Okay," Yu Lan replied softly, raising her eyes to the orange-red sunset on the horizon.

It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Zhou Boxu and Zhuang Yun mounted their horses and urged Xueying down the slope.

"Giddyup!" Once on the flat road, Zhou Boxu shouted and spurred the horse to a gallop.

Zhuang Yun gripped the saddle, the hot wind whistling past his ears. He didn’t feel the heat, only an immense sense of exhilaration.

He loved this feeling of riding the wind, galloping freely as if he had turned into a bird, with the world his to command.

From the top of the slope, Yu Lan watched Xueying run so fast that its form was indistinct, leaving only a blur of white.

Even though she wasn’t an expert on horses, Yu Lan could tell that this was an exceptional steed.

Zhou Boxu’s affection for Zhuang Yun was genuine and heartfelt.

The wind stirred Yu Lan’s skirt as she stood on the slope, a gentle, smiling expression on her face as she gazed at the father and son freely riding their horses under the setting sun.

This year’s summer wind had blown away the loneliness in her and Zhuang Yun’s hearts, filling their chests with warmth, banishing all emptiness and pain.

Zhou Boxu took Zhuang Yun out for a ride, then slowed the horse’s pace, letting Zhuang Yun take control.

Zhuang Yun was clever and picked things up quickly. Under Zhou Boxu’s careful guidance, he could now handle the horse with ease.

However, being young and without martial skills, he might not be able to handle surprises, so he needed someone to ride with him for protection.

It was Zhuang Yun’s first time galloping in the wild, and he was extremely excited, riding again and again until the sun set and the sky darkened. Only then did he reluctantly return to the slope.

"Did you have a good time?" Yu Lan used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Zhuang Yun’s head.

Zhuang Yun nodded, then turned to Zhou Boxu and asked, "Father, can we come back again?"

Zhou Boxu nodded with a smile, "Yes, we can."

Zhuang Yun was thrilled and couldn’t wait for their next outing.

After Yu Lan finished wiping Zhuang Yun’s sweat and was about to put the handkerchief away, Zhou Boxu looked at her and said, "I've worked up a sweat as well."

Yu Lan held the handkerchief and said, "I only have one, and it’s already dirty."

"Using your sleeve is fine too," Zhou Boxu said, unconcerned.

Faced with the playful Zhou Boxu, Yu Lan was both helpless and amused, so she stood on tiptoe and carefully wiped the sweat from his forehead with her sleeve.

In the dim light, Zhou Boxu watched Yu Lan as she wiped his sweat, a pleased smile curving his lips.

In truth, he had a handkerchief on him, but it didn’t have the same pleasant scent as Yu Lan’s sleeve.

By the time the three returned to the Zhou residence, it had already grown dark.

After dinner, Zhuang Yun went back to his room to wash up and went to bed early.

He usually slept early, and after the exhausting ride, he fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.