Chu Lian sat up in his embrace. He Sanlang continued holding her with one arm, just in case she slipped and fell from the bed.

The wooden box was finely made and there was a hidden lock on its side. If one were to push at it gently, the box would spring open.

With a clatter, the box sprung open, revealing the indigo velvet lining inside. A lovely pure white jade amulet was nestled within, completely white and flawless. The amulet wasn’t very big. It was only about the size of her thumb and it had been carved into a very life-like handsome steed.

Every hair on the horse’s body could be seen clearly. The detailed carving indicated that this amulet was definitely very valuable. The top part of the amulet was threaded through and hung on a red string mixed with gold thread. It was clear that this was meant to be worn on the neck.

Chu Lian’s zodiac was the horse, just like the original ‘Chu Lian’ in the story.

Her wide eyes glowed with happiness. It was clear that she really liked the very first present He Changdi had ever given her.

She took the exquisite jade amulet into her hands and showed it off to He Sanlang. She asked with a sweet smile and an even sweeter tone, “When did you buy this?”

He Sanlang’s expression was a little frozen. He had been observing her face the whole time- when he saw that her smile seemed genuine, he let out a sigh of relief. Only the heavens knew how nervous he had been when he had given her the present. His heart was still hovering in his throat. He had thought of a thousand possible reactions from her. What if she didn’t like it? What if she thought that the jade amulet was too cheap? Basically, all of his uncertainty had disappeared into thin air the moment he saw how happy she was with his gift.

However, He Changdi had always been awkward at expressing his feelings. His reply to Chu Lian’s question was just a simple, “I bought it in passing when I went to Su City.”

Of course, the part about buying it ‘in passing’ was an absolute lie. This fellow had lain in bed thinking about what to give her for many days. It wasn’t until the twenty-seventh that he had finally sent Laiyue off to Su City to pick out something very carefully. Laiyue almost died from how hard he had to rush for the trip.

He had used up most of the savings he had on him to buy such a small piece of white jade. He originally wanted to buy something even better, but this was all he was able to afford at the moment.

Chu Lian could sense the white lie he was telling, so she giggled and moved closer to He Sanlang, “My dear husband is so lucky. A jade amulet that you randomly purchased just so happened to be horse-shaped, just like my zodiac. It’s even made of high quality white jade. If there’s a next time, why don’t you buy a few more so I can give them away as presents to my friends in the capital?”

He Sanlang’s temples throbbed. Buy a few more? He would have to sell himself to get that much money.

Chu Lian presented the jade amulet to him on her palm.

The white jade amulet sat prettily on her fair and soft hand, dazzling He Changdi’s eyes. He raised an eyebrow in question, asking her what she was doing with his gaze.

Chu Lian lifted a hand to her forehead and puffed up her cheeks. A little speechless from her slow-witted husband, she said, “Help me put it on! Didn’t you buy this for me to wear?”

It was only then that He Sanlang took the jade amulet from her with a poker face. He lifted up the hair covering her back, revealing a fair and smooth neck. Following that, he helped her put on the horse-shaped jade amulet with gentle hands.

Her porcelain white skin made the gold and red string of the amulet stand out. The red string wandered down her neck and ran parallel to the curve of her chin, placing the amulet right in front of her chest.

The jade amulet sat there above her bust like a beautiful accent to her beauty, leaving his mark on her.

Chu Lian pushed away the arms that He Sanlang had wrapped around her and turned around. She looked up at him with a lovely smile and asked, “Does this look nice?”

Warmth had already melted the ice block on He Sanlang’s face. He reached out to touch the jade amulet on her chest and nodded cheerfully.

“Beautiful,” he murmured in a low and husky voice.

Chu Lian was taken off guard by his sudden passion. She quickly stuffed the amulet into her clothes and got off the bed in one swift movement. She walked over to her desk before speaking, “Go ahead and rest first. I’m not done with opening my red packets, I’ll sleep right after that.”

Although He Changdi seemed a little embarrassed, he didn’t stop Chu Lian this time.

He had already made it into his wife’s bed anyway. Now that he had achieved his goal, he wasn’t too bothered by other minor details.

After experiencing that heart-pounding moment, Chu Lian actually didn’t have the mood to continue opening her New Year’s gifts. She was only using them as an excuse to avoid him because she was too shy to face him right now.

In an absent-minded daze, she opened up the purse that Sima Hui had given her.

The ties keeping the purse close had already been undone earlier. Chu Lian simply upended the purse onto her palm, causing whatever was inside to slide out.

Something cool fell onto her warm palm, surprising her. Jolted out of her daze, she looked down at it. Her first reaction was a stunned silence, before she quickly closed her fingers around the item and snuck a look behind her at He Changdi, who was lounging against the headboard of the bed. She smiled at him a little stiffly.

He Sanlang caught sight of her gaze and frowned. He asked suspiciously, “What’s wrong? What’s in that purse?”

Chu Lian quickly explained, “It’s nothing, it’s just some banknotes. I’ll go and get Wenlan to bring some hot water in!”

After saying so, she quickly left the bedroom.

He Changdi watched as his wife practically sprinted out of the room. His eyes darkened over.

Why would she have to go out of the room to get the servants to bring some hot water in? The side room where the servants rested was placed right next to this one. Most master bedrooms had a rope connected to a bell in the side room so they could call the maidservants in with just a simple tug.

Chu Lian patted her chest once she was out of the bedroom. A whoosh of air signified her relief from the awkward situation. She swiftly hid the item in her hand. If that lunatic He Sanlang saw this, it would surely leave a blow on his heart.

Luckily she had been sitting with her back facing him.

Chu Lian sighed and called out to Wenlan before returning to the bedroom.

When Chu Lian returned, He Sanlang didn’t say anything as if he hadn’t noticed anything strange about what had happened just now. Once Chu Lian had finished washing up for the night, he went to sleep with his arms around her.