The atmosphere inside and outside the main courtyard of Prince Jing's mansion was even more somber than during the plum rain season in Jiangnan.

Xiao Chengjing stood upright in front of the closed door, his back straight as a pine tree, his hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white.

Each time Shen Yuewei's suppressed groan of pain came from inside the door, it felt like a dull knife stabbing into his heart.

Even after Kang Kang's birth, the agony of waiting did not lessen at all; on the contrary, knowing the dangers involved only increased their anxiety.

Since the birth of Kang Kang, Xiao Chengjing originally did not want to have any more children, as he could not bear to let Shen Yuewei suffer the pain of childbirth. However, he always blamed Shen Yuewei for everything they had lost, always wanting to give her what she had lost before.

My thoughts drifted to my ability to perform every night; otherwise, how could I have had a third child...?

"Father..." At this moment, An'an held Kang Kang's little hand. An'an was already the eldest sister. She was a girl and was proficient in all kinds of martial arts. Xiao Chengjing often said that his daughter was a treasure given to him last time. She was sensible from a young age, and when she grew up, she took care of her younger brothers and sisters. At the same time, her studies were also outstanding.

Next to An'an were the four-year-old twins from Shen Ersao's family—the precocious Shen Huaiyu and the chubby-cheeked Shen Huaijin.

An'an's face was pale, and her big, dark eyes were filled with the same worry as her father's. "Mother... how much longer will it hurt? An'an is scared..."

Even though An'an is a little adult, she couldn't help but worry when she heard her mother calling. In the medical texts An'an was proficient in, it was written that childbirth was a woman's life-threatening ordeal. She was very worried about her mother, but unfortunately, her medical skills weren't good enough to help. She resolved to study medicine diligently.

Xiao Chengjing snapped back to reality, forcibly suppressing his turbulent emotions. He bent down and pulled his daughter and young son to his sides, stroking An'an's head with his large hand, his voice trying to be calm: "Don't be afraid. Mother is very brave. Soon she will be able to bring her younger brother and sister out to see An'an and Kang Kang." He looked at Kang Kang, who was also anxious and clutching his sister's clothes, and at Huai Yu and Huai Jin, who were looking at the adults with blank expressions, and said gently, "Kang Kang, Yu'er, Jin'er, come with your sister to the warm pavilion to play with building blocks, okay? Daddy/Uncle will stay here and watch over Mommy/Auntie."

Kang Kang shook his little head like a rattle drum and hugged his father's leg tightly: "Kang Kang wants to stay with his mother too!"

Huaijin followed suit, saying, "Guard Auntie! Jin'er will guard her too!"

Huaiyu obediently tugged at An'an's sleeve and said softly, "Sister An'an, Yu'er is scared..."

Looking at her younger siblings' dependent eyes, An'an took a deep breath, puffed out her little chest, and tried her best to appear as the eldest sister: "Okay! We'll listen to Daddy! Kang Kang, Yu'er, Jin'er, come with your sister! Your sister will build you a big tower, taller than Daddy/Uncle's study!" She took Kang Kang's hand with one hand and called to Huai Yu and Huai Jin with the other, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, leading the three little ones towards the warm pavilion with every step she took and every turn she looked back.

Father Chen sat to the side, his fingers twirling prayer beads. Looking at his son-in-law's tense profile and the sensible expressions of his grandchildren, he gently comforted him, "Chengjing, sit down and wait. Yuewei gave birth to An'an and Kang Kang smoothly. This time, with the experienced old nanny here, everything will be safe. Childbirth is like a game of chess; you can't rush it or be impatient. You must remain calm and focused."

If you look closely, you can still see that the old father comforting others is trembling as he fiddles with his prayer beads, showing that he is also worried. However, he still has to pretend to be calm in front of his son-in-law, otherwise he would lose his composure as a father-in-law.

But this father of Shen seems to have forgotten the scene when he angrily questioned Xiao Chengjing when he was still the crown prince, and was too frightened to say anything more about where Shen Yuewei had gone!

Xiao Chengjing's Adam's apple bobbed, and he gave a low "hmm," but his gaze never left the delivery room.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Garden of the Capital City...

Spring was in full bloom, and willow branches swayed like smoke. Pei Qingyun, dressed in a light blue spring robe, sat in a pavilion by the water, a book of poems open in front of her. However, she seemed somewhat absent-minded, her gaze occasionally drifting towards the entrance of the Imperial Garden. Pei Qingyun was waiting for Shen Rui, who was the Crown Prince's study companion.

"Sister Yun'er!" Shen Rui's joyful voice came from afar. Today he was wearing a brand-new royal blue brocade robe with arrow-sleeved sleeves. He was sweating from running, and he was holding a very delicately made butterfly kite in his hands like a treasure. The wings were finely painted with gorgeous colors, which shimmered in the sunlight.

"Brother Rui!" Pei Qingyun's eyes lit up, and she immediately stood up, a smile spreading across her face. "Is this the one you've been getting poked in for days?"

"Mmm!" Shen Rui proudly presented the kite to her, his little face flushed with excitement from running around. "Look! I copied the butterfly pattern from the one Sister An'an sent me. The frame is really sturdy! I tried flying it once, and it flew really high!" He pointed to the two long ribbons with little bells attached to the kite's tail. "These are to prevent it from spinning! My dad read about them in a book about mechanisms in his study!"

Pei Qingyun stretched out her slender fingers and gently stroked the smooth bamboo frame and colorful wings of the kite, her eyes filled with amazement and joy: "So beautiful! Even more beautiful than a real butterfly! Brother Rui is so amazing!" She looked up, her clear eyes sparkling as she looked at Shen Rui, "Shall we go fly it now?"

"Great!" Shen Rui was overjoyed by the praise and naturally took Pei Qingyun's hand. "I know there's a large open space on the east side of the Imperial Garden, and the wind is just right!" The two children held hands, like two happy little birds, holding the beautiful butterfly kite, and ran towards the sunlit open space.

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