Before long, the faint shouts stopped, and the entire household returned to silence.

When Wei Li quietly sneaked into Zhao Xiheng's bedroom, she was sleeping soundly, lying on her side with the back of her hand pressed against her ear.

The maids said she had vomited a few days ago, and Wei Li felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his heart, as if pricked by needles.

He was covered in dust and blood, and dared not get too close to her. He suppressed the urge to kiss her, and instead lingered over her features before turning away.

There was a knock on Xie Qingyu's door. Half-asleep, he put on his clothes and went to open the door, only to see Wei Li standing in front of his door, covered in dirt and blood.

Upon seeing him, Wei Li slightly raised his chin and smiled, "Brother, you wouldn't mind if I stayed in your room for one night, would you?"

He emphasized the word "elder brother" very heavily, and Xie Qingyu's still heavy head was instantly cleared by the cold wind coming from outside.

"Isn't there anywhere else in the manor where I can stay?" Xie Qingyu asked coldly, leaning against the door.

“A-Dan is fast asleep. If I wash up, I’ll wake her. My brother has already seen her. There aren’t many people to help in the manor right now, and the other courtyards haven’t been cleaned either. Surely my brother wouldn’t be so stingy.” He kept calling her brother, which was nothing short of stabbing Xie Qingyu in the heart.

Xie Qingyu took a deep breath. Even if Wei Li couldn't disturb A-Dan's rest, their main courtyard next door was so big, how could they not find a place to stay?

"Please." Xie Qingyu raised her hand, creating a gap for Wei Li to enter.

On Wei Li's pale cheeks were traces of dried blood. His words and actions were full of the sharp arrogance of youth. This temperament did not seem out of place on him. On the contrary, it complemented him perfectly.

He casually found a chair and sat down. "Is there any water? I'd like to take a shower."

Wei Li raised the change of clothes he was carrying.

Xie Qingyu ordered the servants accompanying him to boil water and bring it in for Wei Li to wash.

It was almost midnight. He usually had a regular schedule, getting up at the end of the Yin hour and resting at the Xu hour.

My overthinking has kept me from going to sleep.

He waited for Wei Li to finish washing up and come out. Wei Li was so sleepy that he was swaying back and forth, but he still had to maintain his aloof and unapproachable immortal demeanor. He looked extremely tired.

The heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) was large enough for two people to lie side by side, with a distance of three or four people between them, each keeping to their own space.

We can be as distant as we want, and we can dislike each other as much as we want.

Xie Qingyu quietly closed her eyes, neatly folded her hands over her abdomen, and prepared to fall asleep.

He used the last bit of his consciousness before falling asleep to think that he was a good sleeping man and shouldn't embarrass himself in front of Wei Li.

Having already lost A-Dan to Wei Li, she cannot afford to have any flaws elsewhere. Even if she does, she must maintain perfection in front of Wei Li.

Wei Li clearly had no intention of letting him go.

Xie Qingyu is still up to his old tricks. Last time he spoke earnestly and even asked him to take good care of A-Dan, but he actually tried to steal his wife while he was away. If he can get away with Xie Qingyu tonight, he'll change his mind.

Wei Li propped his head up and lazily called out to Xie Qingyu, "Brother?"

Xie Qingyu's mind cleared instantly, and he suddenly opened his eyes, "What?"

"I heard that you became a third-place scholar in the imperial examination at the age of thirteen. That's truly impressive," Wei Li praised casually.

Xie Qingyu felt a chill run down his spine from Wei Li's praise. He didn't believe that Wei Li was simply trying to flatter him; his relationship with Wei Li was merely superficially friendly.

Wei Li had been a wanderer in his youth and hadn't received much formal education. To discuss cultural superiority with him would be tantamount to humiliation. He wanted to seize on this point in his response, but subconsciously felt it would be too malicious.

Wei Li's birth was not something he could decide. His inability to study in his youth was also related to his background. If possible, who wouldn't want to be born into a life of luxury and enjoy wealth and learning to read and write in a wealthy environment?

The saying "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?" is used to criticize Wei Li, which is really not a good thing and not the behavior of a gentleman.

Xie Qingyu nodded, forcing back her sleepiness, "It's acceptable."

"Then how about you name my child with A-Dan, brother? Do you think the child will be a boy or a girl?" Wei Li smiled, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

Xie Qingyu suddenly couldn't breathe. He was a good person, but Wei Li didn't choose to be one. He had overestimated human nature and shouldn't have been so indecisive.

"That's fine. You and A-Dan are the child's parents. Discuss it with A-Dan. A-Dan is quite well-educated." Xie Qingyu quickly closed her eyes, indicating that she wanted to sleep and didn't want to talk to Wei Li anymore.

Wei Li kept chattering tonight, deliberately poking at Xie Qingyu's sore spot, "Brother, who do you think the child will look like? Like me or like A-Dan? Ideally, half and half, what do you think?"

Xie Qingyu rolled over, wishing she could plug her ears, and started feeling heartbroken again.

In just over six months, Ah-Dan's child will be born. Yes, who will that child look like?

In the end, it has nothing to do with him.

"Brother?" Wei Li called him triumphantly again, "Brother, are you asleep?"

Xie Qingyu was both sleepy and uncomfortable. The clapperboard for the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) had already sounded outside. He gritted his teeth in frustration, but still had to maintain his composure. "Brother-in-law, what are you going to do now?"

"Since you don't want to name the child, which of these nicknames do you think sounds good?" Wei Li turned over. Although he had just returned from Tiangang City overnight, he was still full of energy and even seemed to be getting more and more enthusiastic as they talked.

Zhao Xiheng once said that Wei Li was a tireless beast, like a donkey in the village that was given a radish to pull a millstone, and that was absolutely true.

"Sanhua, Tiezhu, Ergou, Baozi..." Wei Li hadn't finished muttering when Xie Qingyu's patience reached its limit, and he pulled the blanket over his head.

Wei Li pulled at his blanket. "Brother, why are you lying down again? Don't sleep. It's not easy for us to see each other. You don't know how long it's been since you last came. I've been saving up so much to say to you. You can't be that cold-blooded, can you? Brother, let's chat for a bit, shall we?"

"Look, what do you want to hear? Is it about me buying candied hawthorns for A-Dan in winter? Or what color lipstick or rouge she likes? I'm very good to your sister, so you can rest assured if you marry her to me."

Xie Qingyu's hand tightened silently around the corner of the blanket, the veins on the back of her hand bulging. Unable to bear it any longer, she sat up with dark circles under her eyes and pointed at Wei Li, saying, "Get out!"

“Brother, what you’re saying is meaningless. This is my home. If anyone should leave, it’s you. What kind of guest tells the host to leave?” Wei Li’s smile faded, and he put his hands behind his head and said casually.

"Fine, I'm leaving." Xie Qingyu had always had a smooth life and had never suffered such humiliation. She grabbed her blanket and stormed out.

Wei Li put on his boots and clothes, and pressed Xie Qingyu back down. "Look at what you're saying, brother. You're A-Dan's brother. How can I send you away? A-Dan will be unhappy with me later."

He glanced at the hazy gray sky; it was almost dawn. "Alright, we've talked enough for tonight, and I had a good chat with my brother. Since he needs to rest, I'll go back and sleep with A-Dan."

With that, he kicked the door open and walked out, leaving Xie Qingyu sitting alone on the edge of the bed, her chest heaving.

Having barely slept all night, Xie Qingyu's head throbbed with pain. He pressed his temples, lay back down on the bed, but couldn't fall asleep no matter what.

From afar, I saw a hair lying on the end of the heated brick bed. It was thick, black, and long, and it was clearly not his.

He stood up in anger, changed all the bedding again, and burned incense in the room before he was satisfied.

Wei Li wasn't afraid of the cold and went back wearing only thin undergarments.

Zhao Xiheng was still sleeping soundly.

He was chilly and afraid of waking her, so he stood by the stove to warm himself.

Just as she was about to climb onto the heated kang, she suddenly smelled a faint fragrance on her body, so she quickly took a bath and changed her clothes.

Why is Xie Qingyu so effeminate, even using incense?

If he were to run off with that stench and hug someone, Zhao Xiheng might think he'd been involved with some shady characters.

Wei Li gently slipped into Zhao Xiheng's quilt, carefully wrapped her in his arms, and kissed the top of her head.

He was so warm, Zhao Xiheng couldn't help but snuggle closer to him. She groggily opened her eyes a crack, snuggled against him, and called out softly, "Wei Li..."

Wei Li felt a chill run down his spine from her obedience. This little devil knew how to be charming. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose. "I'm back. Go to sleep."

Zhao Xiheng nuzzled her head again and then fell asleep.

As she moved, her undergarment slipped down, revealing a slender, snow-white forearm. It was fair and delicate, radiating a soft glow in the dim light, like a piece of jade. Down her forearm was a slender, boneless hand with pink fingertips.

Wei Li was mesmerized, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily. He forced himself to look away and pulled down her sleeve.

She fell into a deep sleep, and Wei Li gently stroked her abdomen. It was still flat, just as it had been when he left. This child was growing so slowly.

He observed that Zhao Xiheng should not wake up, so he quietly slid down the covers and carefully pressed his head against her lower abdomen, listening to the sounds inside.

But it was quiet and still, there was nothing there.

The blankets were stuffy and not well-ventilated, filled with the faint scent of gardenias emanating from Zhao Xiheng. He was sweating profusely, but he still rubbed his forehead against her lower abdomen.

"I heard you were naughty the other day? Hmm?" Wei Li said to herself softly, "Be good, don't make your mother too tired, okay?"

The little guy isn't even as big as a fist yet, how could he possibly understand what Wei Li is saying?

But Wei Li didn't pay attention. He still pressed his ear against Zhao Xiheng's lower abdomen and murmured to the child. During the ten days he was away from home, he inexplicably had a lot to say to this undeveloped little guy.

But Zhao Xiheng couldn't hear it, otherwise she would laugh at him, which would be too embarrassing.

He gently placed his arm across Zhao Xiheng's waist and abdomen, and kissed her abdomen tenderly. As he kissed her, his eyes became slightly moist.