Gan Qiongying smiled and said, "Don't just stand there like an idiot, come and get your things! Don't you recognize this? I don't think I've seen him before... This is my husband, my Prince Consort Li Hua!"

"They really brought them back..." Xiao Qiansong muttered, finally snapping out of his daze, and quickly stepped forward to take the things from Gan Qiongying's hands.

Then, he bowed slightly, somewhat awkwardly, towards Li Hua and said, "Your humble servant... no, this commoner greets Your Highness..."

Gan Qiongying burst into laughter. Xiao Qiansong was usually unruly when he was with Gan Lin, but he suddenly became well-behaved again when he saw Li Hua.

Gan Qiongying didn't feel any distance from her husband, and Li Hua was different in front of her than he was in front of others, so Gan Qiongying couldn't feel the aura emanating from Li Hua.

That wasn't even the aura of a prince consort. Having been the crown prince for so long, his demeanor exuded the spirit of a future heir apparent with dragon blood and phoenix marrow.

Especially the group of maids and servants standing behind him, all of whom bowed their heads respectfully, instantly transported Xiao Qiansong back to the strict and orderly palace.

However, this serious and eerie atmosphere was broken by Gan Qiongying's laughter.

"Alright, stop with all that nonsense. Where are the children?" Gan Qiongying stepped forward and stuffed everything Li Hua was holding into Xiao Qiansong's hands.

No matter how much Li Hua looks like a golden Bodhisattva, in front of her he is just a soft and sticky rice cake.

Gan Qiongying pulled Lihua towards the house, then turned around and asked Xiao Qiansong, "Is the incense burner lit outside? We're both chilly and need to warm up before we go in to see the children."

"I've ordered it!" Xiao Qiansong quickly followed. At this moment, Manyue also rushed out of the house. When she saw Gan Qiongying, her eyes reddened and tears immediately fell.

Normally, Manyue would have rushed over to hug Gan Qiongying, but upon seeing Lihua beside Gan Qiongying, Manyue immediately knelt and bowed, performing a very standard salute.

She opened her mouth and said, "This servant greets the Prince Consort."

Gan Qiongying patted Manyue on the shoulder: "What's wrong with you all? I'm not a princess anymore, and you're still calling him the prince consort."

"Alright, you don't need to serve them here. Go outside and settle the group of people you brought with you. If there's not enough room in the courtyard, send them to the temple..."

Gan Qiongying thought of something, her eyes darted around, and she leaned close to Manyue's ear and said, "Your little sweetheart is back too. This time you can get along well and not quarrel anymore. Just like before, you can cuddle and sleep together for a couple of nights."

Full Moon's expression was indescribable. Li Hua took off his outer garment and placed it on the incense burner. He stood next to it, roasting himself, his mind somewhat blank.

He was about to see his and Gan Qiongying's child... Li Hua no longer knew how he felt. His heart was pounding higher and higher, almost leaping out of his throat.

After receiving the order, Man Yue went out, and sure enough, a group of people brought by the prince consort were standing at the door with things in their hands.

Manyue was wearing a worn-out cotton-padded jacket, and she looked nothing like the dignified Aunt Manyue she once was. On the other hand, Tianjiao had grown quite a bit in the past year, becoming much taller and more composed.

Manyue felt a sense of both unfamiliarity and familiarity upon seeing her. Before she could speak, Sweet Corner stepped forward and grabbed Manyue's hand.

"The last time you came to the Prince Consort's residence to deliver something, it was because that damned Sanjiu made a mistake. Please don't hold it against him..."

"Now that the Prince Consort no longer allows Sanjiu to serve you closely, you don't need to worry about him offending you in the future."

Full Moon's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and she smiled and said, "That's all thanks to you for blocking it for me, otherwise I might have already lost my head."

The two sisters reconciled as soon as they met, and Manyue made sure they were taken care of.

After warming themselves up, Gan Qiongying and Li Hua pushed open the door and entered the inner room.

Xiao Qiansong's deep voice sounded from behind: "They both have a bit of a cold recently, I prescribed them some medicine and they're sleeping now..."

Gan Qiongying, pulling Li Hua who was as stiff as a log, answered Xiao Qiansong haphazardly while excitedly dragging Li Hua into the inner room. She then turned around the screen and said to the two wet nurses serving the child, "You two go out first. The child's father and I will go see the child."

The two wet nurses had never seen the child's father since the child was born. They were initially curious, but after glancing at Li Hua, they felt a sense of fear that captivated them, and quickly retreated from the room.

After the two wet nurses left, Gan Qiongying turned to look at Li Hua. Li Hua had already moved close to the child and was looking down at them intently.

“They are twins, a boy and a girl.” Although she had already said it before, Gan Qiongying said it again.

The children have indeed grown up a bit; they no longer wrap themselves in blankets but wear quilted little clothes. The clothes don't look rough; Gan Lin must have asked someone to buy them for them.

"The one in the red dress is probably the daughter, and the one in the blue dress is the son. You can lift the blanket and take a look."

Gan Qiongying pushed Li Hua's back from behind, as if pushing him against a tree, and Li Hua's body stiffened terribly.

Gan Qiongying stood beside him and said, "The first child is our daughter Zhenzhen, and the second child is Pengpeng."

"Born on the fifteenth of May at the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), seven months old, when I was born I was only a little bigger than a baby rat... Now I've grown this big."

Gan Qiongying spoke and laughed, her gaze fixed on her two children as she sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). These two little ones were flesh and blood of her own flesh; how could Gan Qiongying not miss them after being separated for so long?

After tucking them in, Gan Qiongying turned her head to talk to Li Hua about the child again.

As a result, Li Hua's face remained expressionless, and after looking at the child, her expression became even colder.

Gan Qiongying's heart was pounding when Li Hua suddenly faced her, took a step in her direction, and then knelt down on one knee.

Gan Qiongying: "..." That's really unnecessary!

After kneeling down, Li Hua opened her arms and hugged Gan Qiongying's waist.

He never dared to touch the two children. Only when he hugged Gan Qiongying did he feel his world, which was teetering on the brink of collapse, suddenly land on solid ground.

He held Gan Qiongying tightly, unable to find the words to express his feelings at that moment.

He was a man abandoned by his parents at birth, a man who dared not show his true face for many years, hiding and living under an assumed name, barely surviving...

Li Hua used to extravagantly hope that she would have a close person with whom she could care for and support each other like family.

Later, he met Gan Qiongying.

After meeting Gan Qiongying, Li Hua's only extravagant expectation was to stay with her forever.

Li Hua had no other delusions and once thought that this was enough. But now Gan Qiongying was personally pulling him along and introducing him to two new relatives.

Their child... they actually have a child.

Li Hua held Gan Qiongying in his arms, and tears welled up in his eyes once again, much to his dismay.

It wasn't until she saw her children again that she finally... finally believed that Gan Qiongying had indeed given birth to two children.

Without his knowledge, in such difficult circumstances, how could she, who was once so delicate, give birth to these two little ones in such harsh conditions?

Li Hua didn't even dare to think about how she overcame the fear before childbirth and the pain during labor when he wasn't by her side.

“You should have…” Li Hua said, her voice choked with emotion, “You should have told me sooner.”

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry."

I'm sorry he wasn't there at the time, and I'm sorry he couldn't have confessed sooner to dispel Gan Qiongying's fears and doubts.

If it had been a little earlier, he could have been by her side, helping her through those unknown fears and unbearable pains.

It was his fault! What important thing did he miss?