Just then, the servants had finished setting out the meal, and Hongli had only taken a sip of porridge when he heard Dongling's report.

Dong Ling thought that the Fourth Master would set off immediately, but to her surprise, he remained calm and didn't even put down his spoon. "I know, I'll go over after dinner."

"..." Dong Ling looked at the Fourth Prince in disbelief, "But the Fujin is in great pain right now."

Having witnessed the birth of several children, Hongli knew this pattern. This child was Yuying's wish, and he didn't expect it, so he wouldn't care about it.

“Didn’t you say your water hasn’t broken yet? She won’t give birth anytime soon, so what’s the point of me rushing over? I can’t take her pain away from her.”

Upon hearing this, Dong Ling felt even more heartbroken for her master. Her master had risked his life to have a child for him, and the child was not just hers. How could Fourth Master be so cold-blooded?

Although she harbored resentment, she dared not speak it out. For the sake of her mistress, she pleaded again, "But seeing you makes me feel a little better."

Hongli slammed the spoon into the bowl and glanced at her. "You're talking more and more these days!"

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting a bit tense, Su Yushan said, "Fourth Master drank too much at noon and didn't eat much. His stomach is upset, so he's waiting to have some porridge tonight to warm it up. You should go back and tell the Fujin that Fourth Master will come over after he finishes his porridge, so she can put her mind at ease."

Upon hearing this, Dong Ling curtsied and said, "It was my fault for being so talkative. I will take my leave now."

Hongli, who had been chatting and laughing with Yushan, lost his interest after Dongling's outburst, and his face darkened. "What right does a mere girl have to ask you to explain?"

As a woman herself, Su Yushan understood the anxiety women experience during childbirth. Although her relationship with the Fujin (principal wife) wasn't good, she hoped the Fujin could get through this difficult time safely.

"It's always good to explain things clearly, so that Dongling won't overthink things. If something is said that she doesn't like what she hears, the Fujin might overthink it, get upset, and it could affect her health, which would be troublesome."

Hongli didn't care about such things. "As a servant, you should obey your master's orders and not question or disobey. Otherwise, she'll think you have a good temper and become even more unreasonable!"

Su Yushan gently persuaded, "It's not a special situation today! Don't be angry, hurry up and drink your porridge, they're waiting for you over there!"

After all that commotion, he had no appetite for food. He only drank a bowl of porridge and didn't eat much. About 15 minutes later, Hongli got up and went to Lanzhao Courtyard.

At that time, Yu Ying was sitting half-sitting in the inner room. Because her contractions were coming in rather long intervals, it was not appropriate for her to lie down directly. The midwife suggested that she try to stand up and walk around during these intervals, and then sit down to rest when she got tired.

She was feeling extremely unwell and restless. Her lower abdomen was sometimes bloated and sometimes cramped. When Hongli entered the room, he didn't look too good and only asked a few perfunctory questions, such as whether she had eaten.

Yu Ying said she felt too unwell to eat, but Hongli patiently persuaded her:

"The midwife said that childbirth is hard work, and you won't have the strength if you don't eat enough. It looks like you'll have to endure it for a few more hours. If you eat something and take a break, it might make it less uncomfortable."

Hongli ordered food to be served, but Yuying had no appetite. She forced herself to drink half a bowl of lean meat porridge and eat half a sugar cake, and then continued to wait anxiously.

Hongli was also waiting at Lanzhao Courtyard. He waited until almost midnight, but there was still no movement. The midwife checked and said that it was not time yet.

Seeing Hongli sitting on the couch beside her, his eyes half-closed and his hand supporting his forehead, seemingly a little sleepy, Yuying endured her discomfort and spoke first.

"Fourth Master, my water hasn't broken yet. The midwife said that I might not be able to give birth tonight. You have to attend the morning court tomorrow and can't stay with me. Why don't you go back and rest first?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, then looked up. He was indeed very sleepy. The midwife calculated that he wouldn't give birth until tomorrow morning, so he stood up.

"Alright then! I'll go back first, and send someone to let you know if there's any movement."

She only said one sentence, and he agreed without even bothering to say a word of politeness. It seems he had this idea in mind and was just waiting for her to say it!

Watching his departing figure, Yu Ying felt disappointed but helpless. She could only hope that this pregnancy would be a boy. If it was a boy, perhaps Hongli would pay more attention to the child.

Inside the Huatang Pavilion, Su Yushan was already asleep. Hearing a faint noise, she squinted and realized it was Hongli returning. Rubbing her eyes, she asked sleepily:

"The Princess Consort has given birth? That was quite fast."

Hongli yawned and shook his head. "Not yet. The midwife said it would have to wait until tomorrow, so I came back first."

Su Yushan gave a soft "hmm" in surprise, a hint of astonishment flashing in her sleepy eyes. After a moment of silence, she ultimately said nothing.

"Okay! It's midnight, you should go to sleep!"

Her reaction just now made Hongli start to wonder what she was thinking. "Do you think I'm heartless? She gave birth to my child, and I was unmoved and didn't even stay with her?"

With a slight furrow in her brows, Su Yushan glanced at him, her eyes filled with curiosity, yet she didn't know where his words came from. "I didn't say that!"

"You didn't say it, but you looked surprised, so you probably think my behavior is illogical." Hongli didn't care about others' opinions, but he did care a lot about Su Yushan's. To avoid any misunderstanding, he needed to explain things clearly to her.

“Only when you like someone will you care about them from the bottom of your heart. If it were you, I would definitely put down my chopsticks and come to be with you immediately. Even if you can’t give birth tonight, I won’t leave. Even if I can’t take your pain, I still want to be with you. But if it’s the Princess Consort, I’m sorry I can’t show genuine care. You can think I’m selfish or heartless, but I’m not willing to waste my energy on someone I don’t care about.”

So he was bothered by her reaction earlier! Su Yushan chuckled upon learning the truth. Hongli, puzzled, asked, "I was seriously telling you what was on my mind, why are you laughing at me?"

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