Chapter 17 Extra 4: A Perfect Ending (The End)

Ning Jue's original plan was very sound, leaving enough time to return to the capital in time to accompany Bai Hua during childbirth.

Not to mention that Bai Hua needed him to be with her, he himself couldn't live without her. Childbirth is extremely dangerous for a woman, and if he wasn't there at such a critical moment, she would surely suffer and die.

However, things did not go as planned.

Bai Hua tripped and fell while out once. Although she managed to steady herself in time and avoid hitting her stomach, she inevitably twisted her waist and was quite frightened. After she stood up, she felt waves of pain in her abdomen.

The situation was not good; her forehead was covered in sweat, and she was starting to feel it, guessing that she was most likely going into premature labor.

Ning Jue had already finished his business in Suizhou and was returning as planned. He was eager to go home and missed Bai Hua terribly. He was also worried about her health, so he abandoned the group and traveled alone. He hurried as fast as he could and finally arrived at the capital, which was only a day's journey away.

One evening, as usual, he prepared to rest at a post station along the way. But before he even entered, he suddenly noticed two men dressed in tight-fitting clothes exchanging horses. The two horses they were leading were in completely different states. One horse was upright and spirited, its back taut like a bowstring with its taut end, while the other horse had its head drooping and was listless, having lost all its vigor.

If they were just ordinary passersby, Ning Jue would naturally not have paid much attention to them, but the horses led by those two people were obviously unusual. The manes under their necks had the unique dark markings of the Prince's Mansion, very eye-catching deep purple swirls.

As the night deepened, Ning Jue cautiously took a few more glances to confirm that he hadn't misjudged the situation.

That was the Teleg Biao, a steed that could travel a thousand miles a day. It was a gift from a foreign land, bestowed by His Majesty himself, and the prince always treasured it dearly.

Unless there is an urgent matter in the capital, the prince would not easily send them out of the city to deliver messages.

What exactly happened?

Ning Jue was once a confidant of the Great General Wang. Although he has now resigned from his official post and returned to being a reclusive swordsman, he still habitually inquires about important matters.

He stepped forward and introduced himself, but before he could ask any specific questions, the two men stared at him blankly, their eyes widening with tension, and their tone becoming hurried.

"Is it really Young Master Ning Jue? You're the one we've been looking for! Aren't you still in Suizhou?"

Ning Jue was surprised. At this moment, what urgent matter could the Great General Wang have that he needed to see him about? Knowing that he was out of town, he still went so far as to mobilize the Tele Biao.

He was incredibly perceptive; after a moment's thought, a bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart.

"Did something happen at Duyuan?" His voice tightened, and his heart jumped.

One of them replied truthfully: "Your wife suffered an unexpected miscarriage. When the news reached the Prince, he immediately sent us to Suizhou to find the young master. We arrived here in half a day, but unexpectedly, one of the horses injured its hamstring. So we had to suspend our discussions. It seems that everything is fate. The Tele Biao horse rarely has problems. It must be that God was afraid that we would miss each other on our way here and there, so He injured the horse's leg."

These words were really long-winded, and Ning Jue's face darkened; he no longer cared about the horse.

Miscarriage...

The word was completely foreign to him. He couldn't accurately assess the specific risks for a moment. His mind raced, and he was horrified to think about the difference between miscarriage and difficult childbirth. Difficult childbirth was like walking to the gates of hell, and miscarriage was naturally no better. He no longer cared about the child's condition or whether the child could be born safely. He was only terrified that this ordeal would endanger Bai Hua's life.

He was instantly terrified, and his drooping fingers trembled almost imperceptibly.

Without another word, Ning Jue snapped, "Give me the horse."

Even the fastest horses couldn't outrun the Telebiao. Ning Jue abandoned the horse he had ridden, snatched the reins from the man's hand, stepped into the stirrups, mounted the saddle, and with a loud shout of "Giddy up!", he and his horse galloped off like an arrow released from a bow.

The two people standing there reacted a moment later, watching Ning Jue's figure disappear into the deep darkness in the distance. When they looked away, all that remained was a wisp of dust.

...

Fortunately, although Bai Hua strained her back, her body was not directly impacted, and the baby's position was not affected.

However, this was Bai Hua's first time experiencing childbirth, and she was already deeply afraid. Even if nothing unexpected happened, she would still be nervous, let alone now that she had started bleeding early and Ning Jue was not in the capital... In a panic, Bai Hua lost her strength and fainted.

The incident happened so suddenly that Rong Chifang, who was accompanying Bai Hua, turned pale with fright.

After calming down, she immediately arranged for a servant to fetch a midwife and a doctor. She then had Bai Hua carefully carried onto a carriage and safely transported back to Duyuan to await childbirth. At the same time, she sent a message to Kong Pingsheng, asking him to find a way to pass the message on to Young Master Ning. After returning to Duyuan and settling Bai Hua into the delivery room, she sent a message to the Bai family to inform her cousin and his wife.

After making all the arrangements, Rong Chifang dared not relax for a moment, and her back was already soaked with a thin layer of sweat.

Bai Hua lost a lot of blood and was inevitably weak. But how could a woman give birth without strength? Based on her experience, the midwife immediately ordered someone to prepare ginseng soup to replenish Bai Hua's energy. Xiao You rushed off to prepare it without thinking.

Once the ginseng soup was ready, Rong Chifang carefully fed it to Bai Hua, and after a while, Bai Hua finally woke up.

Bai Hua was still weak, her face was very pale, and she had intermittent abdominal cramps.

She opened her eyes, looked around at her cousin, sister-in-law, Xiao You, and an old woman, and asked blankly, "Am I about to die?"

Zhu Xijun spat twice, bent down and approached the edge of the bed, holding Bai Hua's hand and said, "Hua'er, don't worry. Many pregnant women bleed during childbirth. As long as it's stopped in time, it's fine. There's no danger in your situation. I've been through this with two children. You don't believe what others say, but you don't believe what I say?"

Bai Hua's eyes welled up with tears, her heart filled with panic and uncertainty. She was still struggling with the thought: "But I've never bled so much before, I'm scared..."

Rong Chifang also moved closer and encouraged Bai Hua with gentle eyes, saying, "Hua'er, we're all with you. Your cousin is in the courtyard, and so is Ping Sheng. He's already sent someone to Suizhou to deliver a message. Once Ning Jue returns, you three will be reunited as a family. Be strong, we're all here for you."

Upon hearing this, a tear silently slid down Bai Hua's cheek.

She sniffed, looked at Rong Chifang, and slowly squeezed Zhu Xijun's hand back, nodding and saying, "I will be strong."

No wonder people say that a child's birth day is a mother's day of suffering. She had never truly understood the meaning of "suffering" before, but now that she has experienced it firsthand, she knows the torment of suffering and the greatness of mothers.

Bai Hua's childbirth was not smooth. After a period of pain, it subsided for a long time without any further movement. She had no choice but to wait patiently. During this time, she wanted to sleep but dared not, and she felt somewhat dazed.

About two more hours passed, and the abdominal pain struck again. This time, the pain was different from the previous one. Bai Hua had a premonition that this time the pain was real.

As it was her first pregnancy, Bai Hua was under immense pressure, both physically and mentally. She was nervous and afraid of pain. She gripped a handkerchief tightly in one hand, and a string of prayer beads on her wrist in the other. As she exerted herself, the beads occasionally bumped against the wooden board on the edge of the bed, making a dull thud.

From childhood to adulthood, Bai Hua had never suffered like this before. Hearing her cries of pain, Rong Chifang and Zhu Xijun, who were standing beside her, both felt heartbroken and their eyes reddened.

Outside the house, Bai Shu'an paced back and forth anxiously, sighing from time to time. He thought that if Ning Jue were here at this moment, hearing his younger sister crying like this, he might disregard the old saying about the filthiness of the delivery room and force his way in to accompany her during childbirth.

Just then, he heard hurried footsteps approaching from outside the courtyard. At first, he thought it was a servant, but when he turned around, he found that it was Ning Jue running towards him, covered in sweat.

Bai Hua didn't cry out this time. I don't know if her voice was hoarse from shouting or if she was in too much pain to cry.

Ning Jue strode up the stone steps, glanced at the door, then put his arm around Bai Shu'an's shoulder and asked urgently, "How is Hua'er?"

Bai Shu'an's eyes widened instantly, unable to understand how Ning Jue, who was clearly far away in Suizhou, could suddenly appear back in the capital.

Ning Jue was anxious to know Bai Hua's condition. Seeing Bai Shu'an standing there blankly, he impatiently applied force with his palm and shook her more violently.

Bai Shu'an then came to his senses and, disregarding everything else, quickly replied, "The baby hasn't been born yet... Hua'er is really suffering this time."

As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Hua's cry of pain rang out again in the room. The sound was muffled, as if most of the scream was stuck in her throat, which served as evidence for Bai Shu'an's words.

They really suffered.

Ning Jue heard it clearly this time. He loosened his grip on Bai Shu'an and felt his heart tremble and his hands and feet turn ice cold.

When he came to his senses, he ignored Bai Shu'an's advice and forced his way into the delivery room.

Xiao You, who was squatting in the corner burning mugwort, turned around when she heard the noise and was equally surprised to see Ning Jue.

"Young Master, you...you're back?"

As Xiao You spoke, her voice unconsciously became choked with sobs.

My daughter was suffering terribly inside, and it's so good that her husband was able to come back in time...

Ning Jue shifted his gaze from Xiao You without replying, but his nostrils clearly detected the stench of blood in the room, a smell that even the fumes couldn't mask.

His heart sank to the bottom, and his steps became unsteady.

Hearing the commotion inside, Zhu Xijun quickly came out to stop the people.

She remained calm, blocking Ning Jue's path with her arm, and said earnestly, "It is taboo for a woman to have her husband present during childbirth. I know you are anxious, but the rules passed down from our ancestors cannot be broken. We all understand the principle of avoiding omen."

Ning Jue frowned, his expression extremely unpleasant.

Normally, he would be all smiles and respect when he saw Zhu Xijun, but today, no one could stop him.

"I have no taboos, and no one can stop me."

Having said that, he was about to use brute force to pull Zhu Xijun away.

In her haste, Zhu Xijun raised her voice and said again, "The delivery room is warm. If we keep going in and out like this, it will easily let in a cold draft. Hua'er must not be cold right now! Xiao You is working so hard to fumigate with moxa. If you come here and barge in, what is that but causing trouble? Why don't you just stand here and talk to Hua'er through the curtain to encourage her? Hua'er was about to faint again. Why don't you call her?"

These words successfully persuaded Ning Jue.

He stopped recklessly rushing in, calmed down, and paced back and forth, just like Bai Shu'an waiting in the courtyard.

He had a thousand worries and concerns in his heart, but he would not do anything that would harm Bai Hua.

"Hua'er, it's me, I'm back." Ning Jue murmured first, then raised his voice and called out to the inside with regret, "I regret it... I shouldn't have gone on this long trip! If I had been by your side, maybe this accident would never have happened. It's my fault, it's my fault."

"No... it's not my fault..."

Two very faint words, trembling, came from the inner room.

Ning Jue recognized Bai Hua's voice and froze. He quickly called out to her again, "Hua'er, Hua'er, don't be afraid. I'm here. I'll protect you."

Bai Hua no longer had the strength to respond to him.

The midwife's voice came from inside, tinged with a slight sigh of relief: "I can see the head! Madam, grit your teeth and give it your all, just this last push is all that's left."

Then Rong Chifang's voice came: "Hua'er, it will stop hurting soon, keep going."

Zhu Xijun dared not go in and let in the cool breeze, and paced anxiously in the outer room. Xiao You burned moxa and occasionally sobbed and sniffled.

Ning Jue stood frozen in place, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists, his palms already damp with sweat.

Bai Hua used all her strength, and with a final, desperate cry, the baby's cry finally came to pass.

The midwife announced the good news: "It's a girl, and both mother and daughter are safe!"

Ning Jue subconsciously took a step forward, but then stopped.

He didn't dare to go in rashly. He looked at Zhu Xijun with a questioning look in his eyes. Zhu Xijun nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did Ning Jue step forward to push the door open, his hands trembling.

Bai Hua leaned weakly against the couch, breathing softly, her face and lips as pale as blood.

She was looking down at the baby in her arms with tender eyes. The baby was crying incessantly, showing a tenacious will to live.

Ning Jue approached silently, and Rong Chifang made way for him so he could be closest to Bai Hua.

He crouched down and carefully took Bai Hua's hand, remaining silent for a long time.

Bai Hua smiled gently at him and asked him to look at the child.

Ning Jue shook his head, picked up a clean handkerchief, and carefully wiped the sweat from Bai Hua's forehead.

Bai Hua had already cried herself to sleep and didn't want to shed any more tears. She bravely asked, "Am I great?"

Ning Jue nodded again, cupping Bai Hua's cheek in his palm, and replied in a hoarse voice, "Great, Hua'er has exceeded my expectations."

Bai Shu'an and Zhu Xijun greeted Bai Hua, who was eager to see the baby. Bai Hua asked the midwife to take the baby out, and everyone gathered around the baby, tacitly not disturbing them.

The room was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation, but Ning Jue's heart remained heavy with worry.

Only when Bai Hua, with her weak face, smiled faintly at him once again did he feel a sense of peace.

He belatedly realized that his eyes had quietly welled up with tears.

Although he wasn't injured or bleeding this time, he felt as if he had lost most of his life in his despair.

He never wanted to experience such panic again in his life.

...

Ning Jue is not a fool, nor would he blame the child for all the offenses Bai Hua suffered, and thus dislike the child.

He cares deeply about his children and fulfills his responsibilities as a father.

But Bai Hua felt that although he was dutiful, he was always a little too intimacy.

For example, every time his elder brother came to Duyuan, he would kiss the child's little face, tickle the little feet, and patiently tease him, while Ningjue never did, and even when he hugged him, he seemed stiff all over.

In private, Bai Hua asked him once, and Ning Jue denied that he was averse to children, only saying, "I'm not used to that."

Which way? Like my older brother?

Bai Hua muttered, "You don't even want to be intimate with your own flesh and blood... I've never seen you so averse to people before."

Ning Jue: "Of course you haven't seen it."

It took Bai Hua a long time to understand what he meant.

He meant that he rejected others, but was only willing to be affectionate with her. Therefore, she had only seen him being affectionate with others and took the exception for the norm.

Later, Bai Hua stopped insisting. With the wet nurse by her side, Ning Jue rarely got a chance to hold the baby. He wasn't used to it, so she didn't force him. You see, every time her sister-in-law and cousin came over, they would fight over who could hold the baby. She was so popular, it was impossible for him to get a turn.

...

Bai Hua had been thinking about her child's name since she was pregnant, but she couldn't come up with a name she was particularly satisfied with. After confirming that she was going to have a girl, the range of names she could choose from narrowed down. She spent a long time reading classic texts and pondering over the name, but still couldn't decide.

Unexpectedly, Ning Jue took the matter to heart and even offered to name the child himself.

He rarely takes the initiative, so Bai Hua was pleasantly surprised when she heard this. Without thinking twice, she immediately agreed to entrust him with the responsibility of naming the child and was very much looking forward to seeing what kind of name he would give the child.

It should be a bit more carefree and unrestrained, right?

After all, he was a free spirit, and his name would most likely reflect that style.

Bai Hua felt conflicted after reading it.

A single character in his name, "一" (yī), could take him ten days or so to come up with?

Ning Jue explained, "The word 'one' signifies 'unique,' meaning this child will be our one and only treasure."

These words were a good way to smooth things over, leaving Bai Hua unable to vent her anger, yet she really didn't want to accept it like that.

Later, when Bai Hua was taking care of the child with Rong Chifang, they casually mentioned this matter.

Upon hearing this, Rong Chifang smiled knowingly and said, "The meaning of 'only' is indeed profound. He hopes that this child will be the only crystallization of your relationship, and he cannot bear to see you suffer the pain of childbirth a second time."

Bai Hua finally realized what was happening, and couldn't help but be moved.

That evening, after Ning Jue returned to his room, Bai Hua pulled him aside and brought up the matter of names again.

Ning Jue asked, "Didn't you say you'd listen to me? I've already made up my mind, and it won't change."

His tone was quite resolute.

Bai Hua smiled and suggested to him, "How about we each compromise? We'll do as you say, take a single character, keep the pronunciation roughly the same, but change one word..."

Ningyi means gentle and beautiful. Its pronunciation is similar to "one". It can also refer to a single one.

That's the best of both worlds.

Bai Hua racked her brains all afternoon.

Ning Jue looked at the character and smiled, "Heaven and earth are one. I still think 'one' is simpler and more grand, but your suggestion can also be adopted. So, the formal name is Ning Yi, and the nickname is Yi Yi. Let's each compromise."

By taking a step back from each other, he actually learned this trick.

Bai Hua held a wolf-hair brush and carefully wrote two names on the rice paper, then drew a circle to enclose the names completely.

She looked at it with satisfaction, and after a while, she looked up at Ning Jue with bright eyes: "Alright, it's decided! I'm very satisfied!"

Ning Jue took the pen from her hand, and then, following her brushstrokes, forcefully wrote his own name and Bai Hua's name on the paper. Afterward, he drew a larger circle on the paper, firmly encircling the three of them.

I put down my brush, and the night breeze gently lifted a corner of the Xuan paper before it fell back down.

Ning Jue gently put his arm around Bai Hua's shoulder, leaned close to her, and whispered, "I'm quite satisfied with this as well."

"The End"

Author's note: The story has come to an end.

I really like how complete this story is; I've written everything I wanted to write, so I have no regrets.

(However, I still want to apologize to my readers. The extra chapters are being updated slowly, which has made you all very unhappy.)

For the first month, Dai Dai was not in the right state of mind. Writing, which was my favorite thing to do, gradually became a burden. I don't know if it was because the serialization period was too boring, or if the passion had faded. In any case, writing was very tiring.

So, the decision was made naturally to slow everything down, to relax the tension, and to avoid turning liking into dislike. (That's what I fear most.)

I spent a month taking a break from work and looking for inspiration. Then, I don't know which day it was, my desire to express myself suddenly returned. Inspiration would pop up from time to time, and I couldn't wait to post new submissions on my column.

At this point, I turned my computer back on and felt it was time to resume writing the final epilogue.

Looking back, I didn't really make any specific adjustments. I just let things take their course, and my mind gradually recovered. When my mental strength was sufficient, all the previous difficulties were easily resolved.

Sharing this little anecdote is also to tell everyone that when you're not feeling your best, don't force yourself. Allow yourself to rest, and your energetic self will soon return!

Finally: Thank you for your company along the way. See you in the next story! [shy][shy]