Chapter 425 Inside and Outside the Study

As Jiang Huan entered her late pregnancy, Huo Lin's anxiety increased day by day, to the point where he was almost paranoid.

Inside and outside Weiyang Palace, imperial physicians took turns on duty, and the most experienced midwives were on standby at all times, around the clock.

Any slight disturbance, whether inside or outside the palace, could cause chaos and upheaval.

Huo Lin himself was also on edge, and even when dealing with government affairs, a large part of his mind was still on Weiyang Palace.

That afternoon, he was reviewing several military newspapers in his study, his brow slightly furrowed.

Suddenly, there was a slight noise outside the door. Looking up, I saw Jiang Huan walking in carrying a food box.

"I had the kitchen prepare some black chicken soup, and I brought you a bowl as well."

When Huo Lin saw her, his furrowed brows instantly relaxed, and he immediately put down his pen, stood up, and went to greet her.

[Black chicken soup? She must be thinking about how hard I work reviewing memorials.]

She's already pregnant, yet she's always worrying about these things.

[Sobbing, I'm so touched.]

"Well, at least you're not cold."

He reached out and touched her cheek and hand, and only felt slightly relieved after confirming that they were warm.

With his help, Jiang Huan slowly walked to the soft couch on the inside of the study and sat down, waving her hand with a smile.

"Are you really treating me like a three-year-old? Don't worry, I'm dressed very warmly."

She paused, yawned slightly, and a few tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. "It's just... I feel a little sleepy again."

Looking at her sleepy appearance, Huo Lin felt both amused and slightly annoyed. "Then sleep here for a while. I'll stay with you."

She gets sleepy after just a few steps; what a scatterbrain!

[Very well, it's most reassuring to sleep under my watchful eye.]

Jiang Huan was indeed feeling drowsy. She mumbled an "Mmm," adjusted herself into a comfortable position, and her eyelids began to droop. Before long, her breathing became even and long.

Huo Lin stood by the bed, gazing at her for a moment to make sure she was sleeping soundly, before gently walking back behind his desk.

But just as he picked up the vermilion pen, Shen Yi walked in and reported as usual: "Northern border military report, regarding the allocation of provisions..."

He had barely begun to speak when Huo Lin raised his hand to interrupt him.

He stood up, gave Shen Yi a wink, and then walked out of the study first.

Tsk! Can't you see someone's asleep?

He's usually quite clever, but how come he has no sense of judgment at crucial moments?

You're a grown man, can't you even check the situation before coming in? What if you wake her up!

Shen Yi was taken aback, not understanding why, and could only follow with a suspicious look on his face.

The two walked out of the study one after the other. Huo Lin stopped in the corridor. Although it was sheltered from the wind, the chill of early spring was still biting, and the wind whistled through the corridor.

"She's asleep, so we'll talk here." Huo Lin said calmly, as if he had chosen the most normal place.

Shen Yi felt the cold wind creeping down his neck, then looked back at the tightly closed study door, his lips twitching slightly.

Well, now he knows why he was kicked out.

"No, this wind is making my nose run. How about we go to the warm pavilion next door? It's just a few steps away."

Upon hearing this, Huo Lin remained unfazed, merely glancing at him indifferently.

“This place is very nice, quiet.” He said this, but his ears were clearly perked up, paying attention to the movements in the study.

What if my footsteps are too loud when I walk into the warm room and wake her up?

When did Shen Yi become so delicate? It's just a little breeze.

Besides, it's close by, so he can hear anything that happens right away.

Shen Yi was so choked by those words that he almost passed out. He stared wide-eyed at Huo Lin's resolute face, his heart bleeding.

"Quiet? It is indeed quiet, except for the sound of the wind and the sound of my teeth chattering! Huo Lin, your betrayal of your friends for the sake of a pretty girl is a bit too obvious. I came all this way to deliver military news to you, and you just leave me standing here in the wind?"

Huo Lin listened to his friend's accusations, remaining as calm as a mountain, even showing some disdain.

"Stop talking nonsense and get to the point."

Seeing that his resistance was futile, Shen Yi had no choice but to resign himself to his fate, wrapping his robe tighter around himself. He gave Huo Lin a resentful look, shrank his neck, and began to report.

He unconsciously sped up his speech, partly out of coldness, and partly because he wanted to finish quickly and leave.

However, the matter itself was complicated, and it took quite a while to explain.

Huo Lin listened intently, giving instructions from time to time with clear logic, seemingly unaffected by his surroundings. He would only occasionally listen to the sounds coming from the study to make sure everything was alright.

After finally finishing his report, Shen Yi quickly said, "That's all there is to it. If you have no other instructions, I'll be leaving now."

He really didn't want to stay in this "hot spot" for another minute; he felt like his hands and feet were no longer his own.

Huo Lin nodded and hummed in agreement.

Shen Yi felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold, and turned to leave, walking so fast that it seemed as if he was afraid Huo Lin would change his mind and call him back.

However, just as they passed through a palace gate, they were met with a figure wrapped up like a small ball.

It was Mingzhu, surrounded by palace maids, who was preparing to go to Weiyang Palace to talk to Jiang Huan.

Today, Mingzhu wore a thick crimson cloak, with a ring of soft fur peeking out from the edge of the hood, which made her small face look even more delicate.

She was stunned for a moment when she saw Shen Yi's disheveled appearance, with his neck hunched and his nose red, before she laughed at him without any restraint.

"Oh, isn't this Lord Shen?" Mingzhu stopped and looked him up and down. "Where did you come from? You look like a quail frozen stiff in the snow."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yi did not immediately retort as he usually would. Instead, he lowered his eyelashes and coughed lightly twice.

His lips were pale from the cold, and his handsome face showed signs of exhaustion and an indescribable sadness.

This silent and vulnerable demeanor stunned Mingzhu.

The sarcastic remark she had prepared caught in her throat, and her heart skipped a beat.

Why isn't this guy talking back today?

He looked listless; something really seemed wrong.

Mingzhu hesitated for a moment, took a small step forward, and unconsciously softened her voice.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Shen Yi kept his eyes downcast, his eyelashes casting a small shadow under his eyes, making him look particularly lonely.

"It's alright, thank you for your concern, Princess." He said, then shivered slightly, as if he were freezing.

Mingzhu's initial schadenfreude had long since vanished, replaced by an inexplicable sense of panic.

Seriously? This guy usually knows how to enjoy himself, how did he end up freezing like this today?

She bit her lower lip and shoved her small hand warmer into Shen Yi's hand.

"Here you go, take this and warm yourself up. Look at you, so pathetic. Don't actually get sick and infect others!"

The moment the hand warmer touched Shen Yi's palm, his previous sorrowful expression vanished instantly.

He looked up, as if the person who had just been shivering with cold was not him at all.

"Oh dear, Your Highness, thank you so much for your timely help. I am truly grateful. This hand warmer is a lifesaver!"

Looking at his slick and joking manner, Mingzhu belatedly realized that she had been deceived, and her anger suddenly surged to the top of her head.

"Shen Yi, you bastard!" She stomped her foot angrily and reached out to snatch the small hand warmer back. "Give me back the hand warmer, you deserve to freeze to death!"