Chapter 70 Harmony

After embracing for a while, as the dew grew heavier, Zhuang Dongqing finally let go.

Rubbing his eyes, he vaguely recognized that Cen Yan's clothes were newly changed, but judging from the smell, he probably hadn't taken a bath yet.

"Have you... eaten yet?"

For no particular reason, the thought flashed through Zhuang Dongqing's mind, and he asked.

It seemed rather outrageous, but Cen Yan did not respond immediately.

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

Zhuang Dongqing understood. "Then go take a shower first. I'll have the kitchen prepare something, like a bowl of noodles?"

After saying that, he shook his head again, "No, Liu Qi should know what's going on. There are so many people who came back with you, so the food must have been prepared. Go wash up first, I'll ask him."

Cen Yan chuckled, touched Zhuang Dongqing's face, and suggested, "Why don't you let me do it myself and you go to sleep first?"

Zhuang Dongqing shook her head, hesitated for a moment, then lowered her eyes and said truthfully, "Let's sleep a little longer. Actually, I haven't been sleeping very well lately... It'll be easier to fall asleep if I'm a little sleepy."

Cen Yan knew all this; Liu Qi's regular reports included information about Zhuang Dongqing's current situation.

In addition, Liu Qi had asked about Zhuang Dongqing's recent changes the whole way when they entered the door, and she explained everything clearly.

My belly is so big, it's exhausting. I can't get enough rest or eat properly.

Cen Yan sighed, "Our Qingqing has suffered."

Zhuang Dongqing pushed him away, saying, "Go wash up." She finally conceded, "If I'm too tired, I'll sleep by myself. I'll try to stay awake, okay?"

"good."

Upon first seeing Cen Yan, Zhuang Dongqing was excited, and after exchanging a few words, she became much more sober.

Cen Yan went to the washroom, and servants carried hot water back and forth from the kitchen. Zhuang Dongqing went to the courtyard and saw that the table where he usually ate had been set up. Perhaps guessing that he was not yet asleep, two chairs were also placed there. When he appeared, Liu Qi said, "They have been busy traveling and have not had dinner yet. The kitchen has prepared it. Would the young master like to have a bowl of soup?"

Zhuang Dongqing thought for a moment and then shook her head.

I really have no appetite.

Liu Qi didn't try to dissuade him. Seeing that Zhuang Dongqing was dressed thinly and worried that the night breeze might be chilly, he had Liu Fu bring a thin blanket and place it aside for Zhuang Dongqing to use.

Zhuang Dongqing, however, was alright.

In the height of summer, due to recent physical changes, he has been sweating a lot and has always felt hot.

After Cen Yan quickly washed up and let his hair down, feeling refreshed, he saw Zhuang Dongqing again. Cen Yan's gaze lingered briefly on Zhuang Dongqing's stomach before subtly looking away.

Inside the room, the lights were dim, and things were not very clear.

Once outside, with all the lamps and lanterns lit, Zhuang Dongqing's transformation was immediately exposed.

My belly has definitely gotten quite big, and it looks like it's not very convenient for me to move around.

Thinking of Zhuang Dongqing's recent discomfort, Cen Yan sighed inwardly, but didn't show it on his face. He picked up a pair of chopsticks and buried himself in his food.

Those who have been on military campaigns know how to move quickly if they want to.

Zhuang Dongqing yawned, and Cen Yan, having finished everything, led him into the inner room.

When Zhuang Dongqing lay down, the sounds of dishes being cleared, servants moving around, and hushed conversations could all be heard outside. Cen Yan had just finished eating and coaxed Zhuang Dongqing into bed, but couldn't fall asleep for a while, so he quietly told Zhuang Dongqing about what he had seen and heard along the way.

Just as they were talking about the flood, they looked down and saw that Zhuang Dongqing's eyes had closed.

After waiting a while until Zhuang Dongqing was sound asleep, Cen Yan reached out and touched his stomach.

I haven't seen you for two months, and you've grown so much.

As soon as he placed his hand on it to feel it, suddenly, the place he touched moved. Cen Yan's eyes opened slightly, and with this movement, Zhuang Dongqing also frowned and shifted his body.

Cen Yan quickly let go of her hand.

After a while, the baby in her belly stopped moving, and Zhuang Dongqing's eyebrows relaxed, and she went back to sleep.

"..."

That explained to him quite well why he hadn't been sleeping well lately.

It seems this child is quite active.

*

I slept without any dreams.

Zhuang Dongqing went to bed late last night and slept soundly. She didn't wake up all night and even slept a little longer the next day, waking up around the same time as Cen Yan.

Upon waking, Zhuang Dongqing wanted to hug Cen Yan, but as she moved, her stomach touched him first. Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

I'd better not, it's inconvenient.

Zhuang Dongqing hadn't noticed it while waiting for Cen Yan all night, and was sleepy when they finally met. Now that she was awake, she felt uneasy thinking about the changes in her body.

Cen Yan sensed his intention and reached out to hug him, but Zhuang Dongqing broke free.

Cen Yan: "Did you have an upset stomach?"

"……Um."

Cen Yan released his hand and only kissed Zhuang Dongqing's cheek.

The two got up, and Cen Yan felt that something was wrong. It wasn't until they had breakfast that she realized that Zhuang Dongqing had worn her clothes that morning.

Cen Yan didn't show it on his face, though he seemed to realize something.

After having breakfast, Cen Yan went for a walk with Zhuang Dongqing, who also showed Cen Yan around the mansion.

At other times, everything was fine, but when Cen Yan's gaze fell on Zhuang Dongqing's stomach, Zhuang Dongqing would either turn to the side or talk about something else. After a few times, Cen Yan stopped looking down at her and became much more comfortable looking at Zhuang Dongqing.

Cen Yan understood.

After lunch, Zhuang Dongqing felt listless. After resting for a while, it was time for her lunch break.

He's been sweating a lot lately, and the weather's been hot. Besides taking a bath before bed at night, Liufu would bring water to wipe Zhuang Dongqing's limbs and back before his afternoon nap to make him feel more comfortable.

On this day, when the time came, Zhuang Dongqing took off his outer garment and was rolling up his sleeves.

They were stunned when they suddenly saw who was carrying the basin of water in.

"Your Highness..." Zhuang Dongqing said awkwardly.

"Yes, I heard from Liufu that I'll wipe it for you today."

Cen Yan, on the other hand, was quite natural. He put down the basin, turned around, and brought in a bucket of hot water, using a ladle to dilute it with warm water for Zhuang Dongqing.

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

The hand that had been rolled up in his sleeves unconsciously lowered itself.

He wanted to say something, but felt that nothing he said would be appropriate. He opened and closed his lips a few times, but no words came out. Cen Yan, however, moved quickly and wrung out the towel in his hand in a short time.

Cen Yan: "Come on, where should we start?"

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

Zhuang Dongqing hesitated, "Otherwise, how about we let Liu Fu come?"

Cen Yan laughed and said, "Why? I can wipe your whole body, but can he?"

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

As Cen Yan approached, Zhuang Dongqing shrank back slightly, and with each movement, the presence of her belly became even more apparent.

Zhuang Dongqing broke down.

Cen Yan didn't immediately put the hot towel on him. When he got closer and saw Zhuang Dongqing's expression, he sat down on the bedside, an arm's length away from him. The distance between them made Zhuang Dongqing breathe a sigh of relief.

But Cen Yan's next words left Zhuang Dongqing rooted to the spot.

Why are you avoiding me, Qingqing?

“.

Zhuang Dongqing: "...No."

"No?" Cen Yan said, reaching out to press the towel onto Zhuang Dongqing.

Zhuang Dongqing jolted and moved to the side.

Unexpectedly, Cen Yan was only testing the waters; he stopped before making a real move, feinting an attack.

Their eyes met, and Cen Yan raised an eyebrow: "You call this nothing?"

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

Zhuang Dongqing turned her face away.

He instinctively reached for his hand, but Cen Yan grabbed it. Before he knew it, the other man had moved closer to him.

“Qingqing…” Cen Yan’s sigh rang in my ears, sounding particularly helpless, “What’s the point of hiding?”

Zhuang Dongqing opened her mouth but remained silent. After a long while, she managed to utter two words, "It's just..."

"that is?"

"I wasn't trying to hide either, I..."

He got stuck on the same thing again after saying only half of what he wanted to say.

Cen Yan suddenly said, "Liu Qi and Liu Fu said that you used to go out, but you always wore a veil."

"Don't you like yourself this way?"

Since Zhuang Dongqing wouldn't say, Cen Yan could only guess.

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

Zhuang Dongqing sighed and shook her head: "No, not exactly."

"Don't you... find this strange?"

Cen Yan: "What's strange?"

Zhuang Dongqing slightly raised her eyes to look at Cen Yan, and the flicker in her eyes made Cen Yan feel heartache.

"My stomach is strange."

It's too big.

It's too bulky.

It's even stranger that it's placed on a man.

Zhuang Dongqing knew it was normal, and she knew it was only temporary, but knowing it was normal, she still couldn't face herself emotionally.

He subconsciously lacked the concept of men giving birth.

Of course, we'll accept it if it comes, because there's nothing we can do if we don't accept it; we already have everything.

But when the moment actually arrived, Zhuang Dongqing still felt uneasy about the changes in her body.

It just feels very strange.

He might be able to keep it in front of others, but when he was in front of Cen Yan, whom he hadn't seen for so long, he... couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he didn't want the other person to see this strange behavior.

Zhuang Dongqing lowered his eyes.

Cen Yan let out a soft breath.

After a moment of silence, Cen Yan came to hug Zhuang Dongqing, deliberately avoiding his stomach.

Zhuang Dongqing did not resist; she simply closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

Cen Yan didn't say anything to him, but instead said, "You know, my eye color is a little different from normal people."

Zhuang Dongqing looked at Cen Yan with surprise.

With a serious expression, Cen Yan said to Zhuang Dongqing, "I lived in the fiefdom until I was twelve years old. Children are most sensitive to differences. When we met for the first time, some of the children I played with would always ask about my eyes, saying that they looked a little different."

"Of course, some of them don't care, and some hate it, but in short, I know that they are different from normal people."

"Qingqing, will you hate my eyes?"

Cen Yan asked.

Zhuang Dongqing shook her head and said sincerely, "I think it looks pretty good."

Cen Yan's face has a mixed-race look, paired with light-colored eyes, which is quite normal for modern people.

Cen Yan smiled: "Really?"

“My father told me this when I was a child, but I later learned that it was a symbol of the bloodline of the Jurchens, and also one of the reasons why my mother disliked me. She hated the foreign features on my body.”

Zhuang Dongqing lost his voice.

Cen Yan pressed his cheek against Zhuang Dongqing's, "Look, you think you're weird, and I'm not exactly normal either, so we're a match made in heaven."

"So, Qingqing, let's not dislike each other anymore, shall we?"

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

Zhuang Dongqing: "I didn't look down on you..."

"Yeah, me too. I don't think there's anything strange about you either."

Reaching out to touch Zhuang Dongqing's cheek, Cen Yan slowly said, "On the contrary, I feel sorry for our young master. He's working too hard."

"..."

Her eyelashes trembled, and Zhuang Dongqing's fingers tightened and then relaxed. Unable to withstand Cen Yan's intense gaze, she turned her face away.

After a moment of silence, he said with difficulty, "Don't you really find it strange?"

The voice was extremely low, almost like a murmur.

"It's normal for your belly to get bigger before giving birth. The baby is growing, what's so strange about that?"

The tone was too natural.

Zhuang Dongqing couldn't resist going to look at Cen Yan.

Cen Yan's expression was also very serious, without the slightest hint of joking.

He even gazed at her for a while, then leaned in and kissed Zhuang Dongqing's eyebrows. His soft lips made Zhuang Dongqing's heart soften and warm.

"Then, then I'll take it seriously?" Zhuang Dongqing said in a low voice.

"It's okay if you pretend. We're together every day. Do you think I don't know whether I like it or not, whether I find it annoying or not?"

Zhuang Dongqing blinked, looking utterly innocent, and Cen Yan caught her and kissed her.

He laughed after kissing Cen Yan.

Zhuang Dongqing was puzzled, so Cen Yan grabbed his hand and pressed it down.

Hard.

Zhuang Dongqing: "..."

Cen Yan, being the shameless one he was, asked him, "Do you think I mind or not?"

Zhuang Dongqing's ears turned slightly red. She tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't. She stammered, "Master Zhao said it's not possible now."

"He also told you this. What a coincidence, when I came back yesterday, he repeatedly told me that we can't have sex anymore."

"..."

Cen Yan: "Look, even Master Zhao knows."

Zhuang Dongqing had no choice but to change the subject, saying, "What about the promised hand-to-hand wiping?"

"I'm covered in sweat, can you wipe it off for me?"

Cen Yan: "Can I wipe it for you now?"

"……hurry up."

Stop holding his hand and doing bad things!

*

After seeing her that day, Cen Yan noticed that Zhuang Dongqing's belly had indeed grown quite a bit, and her skin was stretched, unlike other places where it was a thin layer. Even though Master Zhao said that her belly wasn't considered big for a pregnant woman, Cen Yan still felt very sorry for her.

But once things were out in the open, Zhuang Dongqing was willing to let Cen Yan see her and take care of her, which was a good thing.

At least during his lunch break, Cen Yan could wipe his entire body, and in the evening he could massage Zhuang Dongqing's swollen legs and feet.

Just as Master Zhao had predicted, the swelling became more and more severe as time went on.

Despite feeling unwell, Zhuang Dongqing was in a relatively good mood thanks to Cen Yan's presence.

During this period, Cen Yan urged Zhuang Dongqing to get moving every day and accompanied him around the house.

Time flew by, and as Li Yang successfully dealt with the flood, the group finally set foot in the Jiangnan region.

In the blink of an eye, Zhuang Dongqing's belly grew a little bigger, and she officially entered her pregnancy period.