Dr. Fang is having a really tough time.

However difficult it may be, he still has to answer Jiang Xuelin's question. As for Fu Hanlai's emotional issues, he is well aware of them. After all, he is the victim, and no one knows better than him. These days, he has been harassed by Fu Hanlai almost every day without fail.

Unfortunately, he couldn't say anything.

"The young master is just a little too nervous, the princess consort need not worry."

What could he say? This was the only way he could comfort Jiang Xuelin; he couldn't very well say it directly, could he?

He couldn't very well say that Fu Hanlai had now escalated to the point of telling him... that he must protect the adult in critical moments, and that he should prepare a series of contingency plans, could he?

As a former imperial physician, Doctor Fang had seen many cases where women's lives were not taken seriously and only newborns were valued. He had never seen anyone like Fu Hanlai before.

well.

Jiang Xuelin nodded with a worried expression.

In fact, although her pregnancy is progressing further, she is not really afraid. She knows her body well and is much better off than others. Although she is not as comfortable as before, she does not feel much weak.

If problems still arise under such circumstances, then it can only be said that she is unlucky, and Jiang Xuelin has never believed that she is unlucky.

Not long after seeing Dr. Fang off, Fu Hanlai returned.

Because of frequent nightmares, Fu Hanlai lost a lot of weight and looked even worse than Jiang Xuelin, who was pregnant. Seeing Jiang Xuelin taking a walk, he immediately went up to her, grabbed her hand, and walked with her.

"...Jiang Xuelin."

"Hmm?" Jiang Xuelin answered briefly as she walked, counting the bluestone slabs under her feet.

"Let's just keep these two children and not have any more, okay?"

Jiang Xuelin suddenly stopped, turned to look at Fu Hanlai, and found that his expression was very serious. It was clear that this was not a spur-of-the-moment idea, and he must have had this thought for a long time.

Fu Hanlai stared at his feet, afraid that something might trip him on the clean bluestone slab. "Whether it's all boys, all girls, or a boy and a girl, I'll have both a son and a daughter. I don't need anything else in the future."

It was so agonizing, not only for Jiang Xuelin, but also for him. For the past six months, he had been in a daze.

This is absolutely terrible.

"Aren't you afraid that your mother and the others will have something to say about this?" Jiang Xuelin smiled and teased.

After all, Princess Ping had few children, and it's likely that even the Empress Dowager in the inner palace wished for more offspring.

“My mother and father have no objections.” Fu Hanlai snorted and continued to walk slowly forward with Jiang Xuelin. “She prepared for the possibility that I might not have any children when I was young. Now that I have children, what more do they want? Besides… for the Pingwang Mansion, marrying you was never for you to have children to carry on the Pingwang Mansion.”

Jiang Xuelin felt pretty good right now, and hearing Fu Hanlai's words made her even happier. "Oh? Why is that?"

Fu Hanlai: "..."

That's just asking a question you already know the answer to.

“My father initially refused to marry because he had difficulty having children, so he was unwilling.” Fu Hanlai did not answer the question, but instead talked about Prince Ping and Princess Ping. “It was not because he himself was almost impossible to have children, so there was no point in marrying, but because he did not want to delay other women and make them live their lives without having their own children.”

These two reasons may seem to lead to the same result, but in reality, they are very different.

Therefore, the Prince of Ping's family would not marry for the sake of having offspring; they married because... they wanted someone to accompany them into old age.

Honestly, does Fu Hanlai love the unborn child? Of course he does; he's already filled with anticipation even before the child is born. But when that affection is compared to Jiang Xuelin's life, he naturally knows which he would choose.

Besides, they already have children, it's not like they don't have any, so why make Jiang Xuelin have more?

This will also delay Jiang Xuelin, trapping her in the palace.

"Fu Ashou".

"what?"

"Our marriage was somewhat accidental and we were somewhat unwilling to accept it, but now I feel that it may have all been arranged long ago."

Fu Hanlai: ? ? ?

"...Cough, why are you saying this in broad daylight?"

"Oh—you mean, say it again tonight?" Jiang Xuelin nodded in sudden understanding, then drawled, "I see, okay."

Fu Hanlai: "..."

Jiang Xuelin was somewhat surprised. She thought Fu Hanlai would say something, but unexpectedly, he acquiesced.

Is this the default setting?

That night, the two lay in bed, the thin bed curtains fluttering gently in the breeze.

Fu Hanlai: "..."

"What's wrong? Fu Ashou, aren't you asleep yet? Why are you staring at me? Go to sleep quickly, you haven't been sleeping well these days, you need to get some rest." Jiang Xuelin looked surprised and puzzled, kindly advising Fu Hanlai not to delay and to get some rest.

Fu Hanlai: "..."

\u003d-\u003d

He had a tense expression on his face.

"Jiang Xuelin, have you forgotten something?"

"No, right? I've done everything I needed to. If you've forgotten anything, just think about it. I'm going to sleep now." Jiang Xuelin said with a smile, reached out and ruffled Fu Hanlai's hair, then peacefully closed her eyes.

Fu Hanlai: "???"

Hey hey hey!

Have you forgotten?

We agreed to repeat what we said during the day tonight, didn't we?

Shocked by Jiang Xuelin's terrible memory, she seemed to have fallen asleep in just a short while.

He fell asleep already?

That shouldn't be the case.

Something's not right.

Fu Hanlai reached out to push Jiang Xuelin, but stopped just before touching her, quickly pulled his hand back, and then stretched it out again.

He has two conflicting thoughts in his head right now.

Jiang Xuelin was definitely faking it; how could she have fallen asleep so quickly? He woke her up and reminded her of what she had said during the day.

...But what if she actually falls asleep? Things aren't like they used to be.

So... should we push it or not?

Scratching ears and cheeks.jpg

Jiang Xuelin slightly opened her eyes and saw Fu Hanlai struggling with his arm, and finally couldn't help but laugh. Fu Hanlai noticed her laughter.

Fu Hanlai: "..."

Can you please stop being so boring?

Huh? Can you stop being so boring?

"Okay, I'm not laughing anymore." Jiang Xuelin hugged the blanket in her arms. Although she had stopped laughing, the smile in her eyes had not faded. Her smiling appearance made Fu Hanlai's face burn.

“Hey, Fu Ashou, I think our marriage was destined from the day we drew lots at Yuanshan Temple. The gods and Buddhas in heaven told us on that day that this marriage was… excellent.”

Fu Hanlai was stunned for a moment, then felt something explode in his mind.

The explosion left him dizzy and disoriented, completely disoriented.