Huang Rong from The Return of the Condor Heroes: Guo'er, calm down.

In late spring, in March, the grass grows long in Jiangnan, various flowers bloom on the trees, and flocks of orioles fly about.

In March, the Zhongnan Mountains are still chilly and somewhat freezing.

The Zhongnan Mountains are now faintly visible, with snow still lingering on their peaks, gleaming golden in the setting sun.

The further north we traveled, the stronger the wind became.

The carriage stopped at a sheltered ravine at the foot of the mountain. It was still a day's walk from here to the Quanzhen Sect, and it was getting late. The mountain path was difficult to traverse, so they would have to climb the mountain again tomorrow.

Guo Fu went to bed early in her tent. This carefree girl had been completely charmed by Yang Guo these past few days; she was exhausted from playing all day and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow at night.

The campfire crackled and popped.

Huang Rong sat alone by the fire, holding a dry twig in her hand, idly poking at the embers. The firelight reflected on her face, flickering like her current state of mind.

She has lost weight.

In just three to five days, her once plump cheeks became somewhat sunken, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes. Her once bright and cunning eyes now resembled a stagnant pool, revealing her exhaustion.

These past few days have been incredibly agonizing for her.

Seeing Yang Guo showering Fu'er with attention, watching the two chatting and laughing, she should have been happy. Wasn't this the result she wanted? To give up her hopes, fulfill her daughter's wishes, and also preserve her own reputation and the Guo family's honor.

But why does it feel like a piece of my heart has been hollowed out?

Whenever Yang Guo smiled at Guo Fu, she felt it was an eyesore; whenever Yang Guo called Guo Fu "wife," she felt it was an ear-piercing sound.

She, the leader of the Beggars' Sect and Guo Jing's wife, was actually jealous of her own daughter.

It's utterly absurd, utterly despicable.

Huang Rong threw away the withered branch in her hand, took a deep breath, and tried to suppress the irritation in her heart.

"Cough cough..."

The cold wind choked her throat, causing her to cough violently.

A warm cloak was draped over her shoulders.

Huang Rong's body stiffened.

Without turning around, she knew who it was just from that aura.

"The night was deep and the dew was heavy. Even though Aunt Guo was in good health, she couldn't withstand such a long night."

Yang Guo's voice sounded from behind, no longer the frivolous and ingratiating tone he had shown when facing Guo Fu during the day. It was deep, steady, and tinged with a hint of heartache.

Huang Rong instinctively tried to shake off her cloak.

"Take it away." Her voice was hoarse. "Go cover Fu'er with it, don't let her get cold."

A hand was placed on her shoulder.

The force wasn't strong, but it was just enough to immobilize her.

"She's already covered herself with two blankets, she won't get cold." Yang Guo walked around to her side, squatted down, and added a few pieces of dry firewood to the fire. "But you, your face looks much paler."

Huang Rong turned her head away: "It's none of your business."

"I don't want to get involved." Yang Guo picked up the water bag and warmed it by the fire. "But if you go up the mountain like this and those old Taoist priests see you, they'll think I, Yang Guo, haven't taken good care of Aunt Guo along the way."

"You..." Huang Rong turned her head, wanting to scold him, but she met Yang Guo's burning eyes.

The flames flickered.

In those peach blossom eyes, there was no mockery, only undisguised concern, and a possessiveness that made her heart pound.

Huang Rong panicked and instinctively wanted to escape.

"I'm going to sleep."

She stood up, but because she had been sitting for too long, her legs were numb and she swayed.

Yang Guo reacted quickly and caught her waist.

"careful."

Once I helped her up, I didn't let go.

Even through her clothes, the heat from her palm made Huang Rong tremble all over.

"Let go!" Huang Rong hissed, reaching out to push him away.

Yang Guo remained motionless. Instead of letting go, he took a step closer, half-embracing Huang Rong in his arms and pressing her against an old tree trunk.

"Guo'er! Are you crazy? I'm your aunt!" Huang Rong said in a low voice, her tone tinged with panic.

"Auntie?" Yang Guo sneered. "Have you really been treating me like a nephew these past few days?"

Huang Rong gasped for breath: "What nonsense are you spouting..."

"These past few days I've been doting on Fu-mei, have you been feeling good about it?" Yang Guo stared into her eyes, pressing her for an answer. "You've lost your appetite, you can't sleep soundly, you're even holding your books upside down. Aunt Guo, you're not acting like an elder at all, you're acting more like a..."

"Shut up!" Huang Rong abruptly interrupted him, her chest heaving violently. "Yang Guo, how dare you!"

"I was being presumptuous." Yang Guo suddenly released her grip, took a half-step back, but his eyes remained fixed on her. "If I weren't presumptuous, were you planning to keep pretending like this? Even if you were suffering terribly inside, you would still smile and pair me up with that stupid girl?"

This sentence was like tearing away Huang Rong's last fig leaf.

Her face was deathly pale, and her body trembled slightly.

"Silly girl?" Huang Rong looked at him in disbelief. "That's Fu'er! Your betrothed! How could you say such a thing about her?"

"Wife?" Yang Guo scoffed, picked up a stone from the ground, and casually threw it into the darkness. "Aunt Guo, do you really think I've taken a liking to her? If it weren't to spite you, I wouldn't even bother to look at her."

Huang Rong was stunned.

To spite her?

Was all of this... just an act?

"You..." Huang Rong pointed at Yang Guo, her finger trembling, "You set up Fu'er? You scoundrel!"

"Yes, I'm a scoundrel," Yang Guo readily admitted. "I've always been a petty hoodlum, born of a father but raised by no mother. I'm not as righteous as Master Guo, nor as considerate of the bigger picture as you. I, Yang Guo, only seek my own pleasure in everything I do."

He approached Huang Rong again.

"But do you know what? Seeing you suffer these past few days has made me feel terrible. I'm even more upset than you are."

Huang Rong looked at the young man in front of her.

Her eyebrows and eyes were like a painting, yet they held a deep and tender affection.

Her mental defenses crumbled completely.

So, it turns out he cared too.

It turns out that this torment was not just a one-woman show for her.

The pent-up grievances welled up in my heart, and tears welled up in my eyes.

"Guo'er..." Huang Rong's voice choked, her tone softening, "Stop making a scene. We... are impossible."

"Why is it impossible?" Yang Guo retorted.

"I am Guo Jing's wife, your deceased father's sworn sister-in-law, and your nominal aunt!" Huang Rong closed her eyes, two lines of tears sliding down her cheeks. "Which of these worldly customs and ethical norms can tolerate us?"

"To hell with etiquette!"

Yang Guo suddenly erupted, grabbed Huang Rong's shoulders, and shook her violently.

"Uncle Guo? Where is he? Right now, in this desolate wilderness, I'm the one by your side! I'm the one who covered you with a coat, I'm the one who heated up your porridge, I'm the one who feels sorry for you!"

"Eighteen years." Yang Guo stared into Huang Rong's eyes, his words piercing her heart. "You've been married to him for eighteen years. Besides managing the household and guarding Xiangyang, what have you left? Where has that clever and mischievous Huang Rong gone? Where has that passionate and outspoken daughter of the Peach Blossom Island Master gone?"

Huang Rong was speechless when asked the question.

Yes, where did it go?

It seems that Huang Rong died the moment she put on this dignified dress.

"Guo'er, stop talking..." Huang Rong leaned weakly against the tree trunk, her eyes brimming with tears. "Some things are destined..."

I don't believe in fate.

Yang Guo reached out and gently wiped away the tears on her face. His fingertips were rough, but his movements were incredibly gentle.

"I only believe in myself."

He lowered his head, his forehead touching Huang Rong's. Their breaths mingled.

"Aunt Guo, look at me."

Huang Rong was forced to open her eyes.

Close at hand.

The boy's aura enveloped her completely.

"You really... have absolutely no feelings for me?" Yang Guo's voice was hoarse and seductive. "If you do, even just a little bit, I'll take you away. To hell with the Quanzhen Sect, to hell with Xiangyang. The world is vast, I refuse to believe there isn't a place for us to go."

Huang Rong's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.

elopement?

This crazy idea flashed through her mind.

In that instant, she was actually moved.

Far from war, far from responsibility, far from that unromantic husband. Just be a pampered little woman.

but……

Reason ultimately prevailed.

She was the leader of the Beggars' Sect. She was the mother of her child.

If she leaves, what will happen to the Beggars' Sect? What will happen to Fu'er?

Huang Rong closed her eyes in pain and reached out to push Yang Guo's chest.

"Guo'er, no...it really won't work..."

She refused.

But the hand that was pushing away was soft and weak, without any strength. It was less of a push and more of a feigned rejection.

Yang Guo sensed her wavering.

The time is right.

But we still need the last bit of firewood.

This firewood must burn away her last concern—the shackles of ethics.

Yang Guo did not force himself to kiss her.

He understands that too much of a good thing is bad.

He released his grip and took a step back, the madness on his face fading, replaced by calmness and a sense of weariness.

That kind of expression should never appear on the face of a twenty-year-old boy.

"Aunt Guo, what you care about is nothing more than ethics and my father Yang Kang."

Yang Guo turned around, his back to Huang Rong, and looked at the dark mountains and forests in the distance.

"What if I told you I wasn't Yang Guo at all?"