Gan Lin was shouting anxiously outside. He had immediately spurred his horse back after receiving the news, even though it was already May and the nights were still quite cool.

He was afraid that if he went in with his cold body, Gan Qiongying and the two children would catch a cold.

Women are very weak after childbirth. Gan Lin had learned everything about it during this time, but he never expected that he would give birth so soon, even though he was just going out to deliver some grain and his due date was still three months away!

Premature births are even more dangerous for women. All the way there, Gan Lin kept thinking about the examples she had read in the book, scaring herself half to death.

Finally, he heard Gan Qiongying's voice and heard her tell him personally that mother and child were safe. Gan Lin's heart was slightly relieved, but he could no longer hold back.

The servants at the door, along with Xiao Qiansong himself, were changing Gan Lin's clothes. They were placing his clothes on a brazier to warm them over a fire, so that Gan Lin could change into them and then go inside.

But she couldn't even wait a moment longer, and Gan Lin immediately lay down on the door and started crying.

When Gan Qiongying heard Gan Lin's hoarse sobs, she tried to comfort him, but the more she tried to comfort him, the louder he cried.

She desperately wanted to get down and comfort people, but was held back by two midwives who were protecting her the whole time. The scene was a bit funny and sad.

"Sister, I'm so sorry I'm late! I shouldn't have gone out today... Waaah..."

Gan Lin was filled with regret. When Gan Qiongying complained of back pain that morning, how could Gan Lin not have realized that she was about to give birth!

Gan Lin blamed himself, feeling so guilty that he could hardly bear it. His sister had done so much for him, even hiding in this remote and impoverished place for him, and her pregnancy was unstable due to the bumpy ride.

Now she's even prematurely born, yet he wasn't by Gan Qiongying's side during that life-or-death moment.

As Gan Lin cried, the fear and sadness he had been feeling all this time surged up. He felt so utterly incompetent.

What has he accomplished since he was born and has grown up to this day?

She always needed her older sister to protect her, which made her a burden to her.

He couldn't even stay by his sister's side. Gan Lin cried uncontrollably. How could he be so useless?

Even at this point, his older sister was still comforting him. Gan Lin knelt on the ground, his head pressed against the door panel, and no one could pull him up.

This was the first time he had ever let himself cry so uncontrollably, after seeing all the disaster victims who had died during this time, all the people who had fought so hard for food and to survive.

There's so little he can do; even if he studies medical books day and night, he can't save many people.

And even his older sister, he couldn't do anything about it... Even if he were by her side today, there was absolutely nothing he could do.

He couldn't even provide his sister with a proper place to give birth.

At this moment, Gan Lin realized that even if they escaped from the power vortex of the imperial city, they could not be considered truly free.

Because if he continues to do nothing and hides in anonymity, his sister will only suffer more and more because of him.

Although Gan Qiongying did not tell Gan Lin the reason for leaving her husband, Gan Lin knew that his sister truly loved him. The two of them never quarreled... The only reason that could make his sister harden her heart and leave her husband, even hiding her pregnancy and childbirth, could only be because of him.

How utterly incompetent and weak he was! Gan Lin even hated himself for not dying in the palace back then.

If he had died long ago, my elder sister could now be happily reunited with the prince consort's family...

Once an idea becomes extreme, it can never be reversed.

Gan Lin saw countless dead disaster victims flashing before her eyes, and the premature birth of her older sister in such a rudimentary environment, separated only by a door, was a devastating blow that shattered Gan Lin's last thought of escaping.

How could he continue to run away?

How could he continue to drag his sister down? His sister didn't need to escape at all. She wasn't the emperor; no one wanted to use her, and no one wanted to kill her.

As long as he's gone, she can be happy with the person she loves.

"Gan Lin!" Gan Qiongying couldn't help but call out when she heard Gan Lin crying so miserably, "Come inside quickly."

By this time, the clothes had been sufficiently scented. Xiao Qiansong patted Gan Lin on the shoulder and helped him put his clothes back on.

Gan Lin stood up from the doorway, her eyes red as if she had been stabbed, but she had stopped crying and quickly regained her composure.

He couldn't let his older sister worry about him anymore.

Therefore, Gan Lin quickly adjusted himself, wiped his face, slowly opened the door, and even entered with a slight smile.

“Sister…” Seeing Gan Qiongying sitting on the edge of the bed with a haggard look on her face, Gan Lin felt even more guilty.

"Sister..."

"Come over here quickly. You're a grown adult, acting like a child. Come and see your nephew and niece. You promised me you'd help look after the babies after they're born..."

Gan Lin cautiously approached, and Gan Qiongying pulled him close. Instead of rushing him to look at the child, she hugged him, patted his back, and rubbed his face. She could see the sadness and guilt in Gan Lin's heart.

"My childbirth went very smoothly, it just happened in a flash!"

"Moreover, Xiao Qiansong gave me a numbing medicine, so I only feel a little pain now," Gan Qiongying said. "The two little ones are not troublesome at all, and Xiao Qiansong said they are very healthy."

"Don't be sad. It's not your fault that you couldn't make it back in time."

"I didn't expect this either!" Gan Qiongying truly hadn't expected it.

She has watched so many movies and TV dramas, read so many novels, and learned from real life that childbirth is extremely difficult for women.

For her, it's as simple as... as a hen laying an egg!

With a soft "poof".

Gan Lin was amused by Gan Qiongying, hugged Gan Qiongying's neck tightly, buried his face in Gan Qiongying's shoulder for a while, and then finally looked at the two children beside Gan Qiongying.

After watching for a while, the siblings looked at each other in bewilderment.

Then they both grinned.

At the same time, he said, "It's really ugly."