Chapter 746 I also contributed.

That feeling of confusion and unease lingered with Shang Ruyi until she returned to Qianqiu Palace. Tu She'er had already spread the word far and wide, and not only did Chang Wan and Wo Xue come to congratulate them, but several maids and eunuchs also came to kowtow and offer their congratulations. Before long, other people in the palace also came to offer their congratulations, and Shang Ruyi's unease was quickly forgotten.

After the congratulatory guests left, Yuwen Yuan's rewards arrived.

The items were personally delivered by Eunuch Yu and his men: silks and satins, jewelry and jade, and precious medicinal herbs. Several large boxes were placed under the eaves of Qianqiu Palace, illuminating the entire hall inside.

Such a grand gesture reminded Shang Ruyi of the time when Yuwen Yuan came to the Shen family to propose marriage.

Seeing this, Yuwen Ye did not delay and ordered that Yu Gonggong and the few eunuchs following him be rewarded. Although he still appeared calm and composed, he could not hide his smugness. After receiving the reward and offering some words of congratulations, Yu Gonggong and the others withdrew.

By this time, the sun had already set.

The entire world was a fiery red, reflecting off the precious jade artifacts in the box, making them shine like a rosy cloud. Shang Ruyi just stared at them in a daze.

Yuwen Ye seemed to notice that she had been unusually quiet on the way back, and her expression was unusually serious. So he walked over to her and asked, "Are you alright?"

"ah?"

Shang Ruyi was taken aback, and when she looked up, she met his gentle and affectionate eyes.

Instantly, the last lingering unease in her heart was completely dispelled, as if it were just a shadow under the sun that didn't need to be paid attention to. So she shook her head and couldn't help but laugh, "Father's rewards are too much."

Yuwen Ye laughed and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Who would complain about having too much reward?"

Shang Ruyi blinked: "So, they're all mine?"

Yuwen Ye raised an eyebrow, amused by her rare "greedy" look. After thinking for a moment, he said, "If you want to share half with me, I won't refuse." After saying that, he deliberately lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "After all, I also contributed to this child."

Shang Ruyi blushed and reached out to hit him.

After the two finished chatting and laughing, Shang Ruyi called Tu She'er over and asked her to open the small house in the northeast corner of the backyard of Qianqiu Palace, which was their storeroom, and to move all the things inside. But when Tu She'er went over and saw that it was dusty because it hadn't been used much, she took two eunuchs to clean it.

This whole ordeal took almost half an hour.

Yuwen Ye said, "It seems we should have asked Father for two more palace maids to serve us."

Shang Ruyi immediately shook her head: "That warehouse is only in such a state today because they're lazy and don't clean it. It's not usually needed. Besides—"

Before he could finish speaking, Yuwen Ye understood.

If we really need to arrange someone, it would naturally have to be done through the head female official, Aunt Hui. However, Shang Ruyi is now pregnant, so she has to be extra careful in many things. Rather than letting some inexperienced people enter Qianqiu Palace at this time, it would be better to let Tu She'er and the others work harder.

Ultimately, Shang Ruyi still didn't trust Aunt Hui.

Previously, when the official's wife had just passed away, she dared to frame Changwan to eliminate the people left behind by the official's wife, which shows that this person's thoughts and methods are extraordinary; and now that she is pregnant, the whole palace knows it, and not only her, but perhaps some other people will also start to think about it. At this time, the less noise Qianqiu Palace makes, the better.

After they finished cleaning the storeroom and moving the items inside, Shang Ruyi went over to take inventory. By the time she returned, it was almost dark.

Despite saying she needed to rest, she's actually busier than before.

But this busyness was joyful, and Shang Ruyi really didn't feel tired. It wasn't until night fell, after she took a bath and changed her clothes, that she lay down on the bed and finally let out a long sigh of relief.

The person next to her immediately reached out and put their arm around her: "Are you tired?"

When she looked up, she met Yuwen Ye's gentle eyes.

Having grown accustomed to his gentleness these days, Shang Ruyi had even somewhat forgotten how cold and aloof Yuwen Ye used to be, as if she had "forgotten the pain once the wound had healed." Or perhaps, this was his true nature, and his past coldness was merely a mask, a mask he wore in front of everyone except her.

Thinking about it this way, her heart softened, and she obediently snuggled into Yuwen Ye's arms, letting his strong arms hold her just right, neither too tight nor too loose. Their skin was pressed together, their breaths mingled, as if they were one.

Then he gently shook his head: "Not tired."

Yuwen Ye smiled and said softly, "From now on, even if you're not tired, you should rest more."

Shang Ruyi looked up at him: "Didn't you complain that I got up late when you got up early?"

Yuwen Ye laughed and said, "Alright, you can sleep as much as you want from now on. I've told them that starting tomorrow morning, no one is allowed to disturb you. You can sleep until you want."

Shang Ruyi laughed, but then shook her head and said, "But that won't do."

"Why?"

"I heard that if a pregnant woman doesn't move around all day, the fetus will grow too big and it will be difficult to give birth."

Is that so?

Yuwen Ye had never heard of these things before; this was the first time he had heard of them. He remained silent for a while, warming one hand under the covers, and even breathing warm air onto his fingertips to make sure they were warm before reaching for Shang Ruyi's still relatively flat stomach—it had been three months, and her waistline hadn't become much more prominent; he hadn't even noticed it at all. Moreover, having spent so much time together, he hadn't even realized that his princess had indeed gained some weight.

Fortunately, although the journey back from Taiyuan was tiring, nothing went wrong.

So she said softly, "But your belly is too small."

Shang Ruyi laughed and said, "How big can three months be? I heard that it's not until four or five months that the pregnancy starts to show."

"There's still so much time to go, I really want to see this child born soon."

"You wish. Even if it's been three months, there are still at least six or seven months to go. It's not as easy as you think."

"oh……"

Yuwen Ye's warm palm gently rested on her lower abdomen, a warm and slightly tingling sensation. Shang Ruyi couldn't help but want to laugh, and Yuwen Ye sensed that she was ticklish, so he put his hand around her waist and whispered, "Alright, I'll stay with you, day after day, until the baby is born."

"..."

Shang Ruyi was taken aback. She couldn't help but think that the current situation probably wouldn't allow him to stay by her side like this. Putting aside everything else, there was also the battle in Luoyang.

However, even if he can't do it, it's good to think about it this way.

So she didn't argue with him, but just smiled and nodded. Yuwen Ye's eyes were particularly firm. He pressed his forehead against Shang Ruyi's again and murmured, as if he were talking to her, or as if he were telling himself.

"This time, it can't be like this again..."