Chapter 72 Pregnant, Thank You for Coming for Me
Le Jin's cheeks were as pink as peach blossoms, and a thin layer of sweat covered her body.
"You want to sleep on my lap?"
Meng Shutai nodded with a smile, his eyes fixed on Le Jin, quietly waiting for her reply.
Le Jin looked down at her thighs, and for some reason, the memory of that time in the carriage when she was taking Chinese medicine flashed through her mind, when Meng Shutai lightly tapped her thigh with the back of his hand to stop her from being further swayed by lust...
Her heart was pounding, and Le Jin bit her lower lip and shook her head.
How embarrassing! Letting him rest his head on her lap is worse than killing her with a block of tofu.
Suddenly, her shoulder was shaken. Le Jin looked up and met Meng Shutai's slightly furrowed brows.
"Ah Jin, I haven't slept for three days in order to get back..."
"Three days?! How is that possible?"
Le Jin blurted out words of shock, but after speaking, she suddenly noticed that Meng Shutai did indeed have a light bluish-black tinge under his eyes. However, because he was so beautiful, this flaw was completely overshadowed by his gorgeous face, and it was not noticeable unless you looked closely.
Le Jindu's expression changed. Meng Shutai seized on her expression and deliberately moved his face closer, as if he were letting her scrutinize him.
"I look haggard."
To be honest, it's kind of annoying when pretty people are picky about their own looks. Le Jin blinked, annoyed, and said, "All those expensive gifts combined could buy the whole of Luojing City, and you just want this?"
Meng Shutai smiled and lay down on the chaise lounge fully clothed, forcing himself into Le Jin's arms and lying on her lap.
Hey you!
Le Jin tried to push him off her with both hands, but Meng Shutai grabbed her wrists and pulled her to his chest, as if Le Jin were hugging him.
"A thousand catties of gold or ten thousand bushels of pearls cannot compare to a good night's sleep here."
Meng Shutai was truly exhausted; even in his smiling eyes, there was a melancholy born of weariness from the passing days.
"Ah Jin, don't wake me up."
His long eyelashes closed, his head tilted slightly, and wisps of hair clung to his jade-colored cheeks as his breathing gradually became long and even.
Wearing a thin spring dress, Meng Shutai's head, shoulders, and neck pressed against Le Jin's thigh. For the first time, she realized that a man's body could be so heavy, like a solid jade sculpture lying on her, impossible to push away, annoying yet she had to be careful.
Listening to Meng Shutai's breathing, Le Jin's thoughts drifted to the distant land of the Buddha's relics. Since the person on her lap had returned ahead of schedule, Xie Xianheng would likely not see her for another month or so.
For the next month or so, she would have to spend every day with Meng Shutai. Le Jin sighed inwardly and urged Xie Xianheng to come back earlier as well.
She was sitting on the tatami mat, feeling depressed, when Baoyin came in.
Seeing that her son-in-law had fallen asleep, Baoyin moved closer to Lejin and asked in as low a voice as possible, "Wife, where's the letter?"
Le Jin quickly pointed to the bed and whispered, "There! Hide it in your room, keep it safe!"
Baoyin nodded, quickly rummaged through the bed and found all the letters, then grabbed her skirt and prepared to run out.
"Oh, right, my lady!" She turned back, glanced at the sleeping Meng Shutai, and told her in a voice only Le Jin could hear:
"The son-in-law brought back a huge box, filled with layers upon layers of ice. I don't know what it's for, and he won't let anyone touch it."
During the time Baoyin and Lejin spent together, Baoyin clearly knew that his wife did not want to stay in the Meng family. So he consciously collected all the little things he could do to help his wife and told Lejin whenever there was a situation.
"box?"
Le Jin's eyes darted around. The box that held the ice might have been for storing fruits and flowers. Anyway, the Meng family was incredibly wealthy, so indulging in a little luxury wouldn't hurt.
She nodded. "I understand. You may go now. Make sure you keep the letter safe!"
——
When Meng Shutai woke up, it was already midnight. A bright moon hung high outside, and the night sky was tinged with blue.
He turned his head and saw that Le Jin had fallen asleep with half of her body leaning against the chaise longue. The position was very uncomfortable, but Le Jin did not wake him up in the end.
A slight smile played on his lips. He liked this quality in Le Jin—she was soft-hearted, unlike him.
The moonlight slanted into the room, like a white blade slashing in from mid-air. Le Jin felt a lightness on her lap, and drowsily opened her eyes to see Meng Shutai still resting his head on her lap, but now awake, his deep, dark eyes looking at her tenderly.
But after just one glance, the heaviness in Le Jin's eyelids vanished instantly, and her vision became clear.
Meng Shutai's expression was very strange. Although he was usually very gentle, at this moment his gentleness was mixed with pity, reluctance, and a kind of resolute desolation that Le Jin had never seen in him before.
"Doesn't your head hurt when you sleep like this?" Meng Shutai sat up, reached out and placed his hand on Le Jin's shoulders and neck, gently applying pressure to relieve her soreness.
"Ouch!"
How dare he even bring that up? If he hadn't insisted on sleeping on her lap, would she have curled up like that?
Le Jin originally wanted to scold him, but she had to admit that Meng Shutai's massage was very comfortable, so she chose to enjoy it for a while.
"I'm afraid of pain, so you'll never sleep with your head on me like this again."
"You're afraid of pain..."
Meng Shutai repeated the three words with a slight daze, and suddenly withdrew his kneading hand.
"Um?"
Le Jin frowned. She hadn't even fully relaxed yet, and he was already complaining about being tired and quitting? What kind of person was he...?
Do you still hate me?
Le Jin was rubbing her neck when she suddenly heard Meng Shutai's question, and she shuddered.
Of course she hated him; not a day went by that she didn't. However, knowing the danger of revealing her hostility when there was no absolute certainty of victory, Le Jin's lips moved, but she said nothing.
Undeterred, Meng Shutai pressed on, "Was it ever less than when you hated it at its worst?"
The moment she hated the most... was when she failed her first mission and returned to the system space, crying uncontrollably. At that time, she felt that all hope was lost, and her grief was beyond measure.
Now, it seems that Meng Shutai is her only hope. As long as he is disgraced or falls into the mud, his gentle gentlemanly facade can no longer be concealed, and he reveals his demonic nature to the world, then she will have succeeded.
From this perspective, she no longer hates him as purely and intensely as she did before.
Le Jin shook her head, and Meng Shutai's eyes curved into crescent moons, but they were devoid of light, only filled with shadows.
He stretched out his arms and hugged her, stroking Le Jin's neck gently.
"Thank you, Ajin."
Why are you thanking me?
Meng Shutai's soft laughter drifted out of his throat, like a wisp of cold mist.
"Thank you for coming for me."
Le Jin couldn't quite understand Meng Shutai's emotions. Before she could figure out what was going on, his tone suddenly turned cheerful: "You've been cooped up for so long, haven't you? Do you want me to take you out to play tomorrow?"
go out? !
Having been deprived of freedom for two whole months, Le Jin's eyes lit up like a puppy seizing a key word, and she grabbed Meng Shutai's arm: "Okay! I want to go..."
She didn't want to spend any time alone with Meng Shutai, so her mind raced, and finally a location popped into her head: "Jude Winery!"
——
The spring sunshine was warm and gentle. White willow catkins flew over the railing and landed on the bamboo curtains of Juede Winery. Some even blew over and landed on the wine table. Madam Zhang shouted anxiously, "Quickly, put the curtains down!"
As soon as she spoke, the waiters rushed to the window, pulling down the curtains one by one to cover her completely.
As soon as Le Jin got out of the car, he suddenly saw that Ju De Winery had closed all the doors and windows tightly as if it were not receiving guests. His heart pounded with anxiety, and he rushed over to stop the staff from closing the door.
"Don't close it! I'm here to see Mrs. Zhang!"
Hearing the commotion from inside, Madam Zhang, who had been anxious just moments before, was now both surprised and delighted. "What day is it today? Everyone's here?"
Madam Zhang went to greet Le Jin personally, and when her eyes met those of the young man behind her, she was suddenly shocked. "Oh my, Young Master Meng, you're back?"
Meng Shutai gently brushed the willow catkins off Le Jin's cloak and smiled, "I just got back, so I came out for a stroll with her."
Madam Zhang, holding Le Jin's arm, smiled at Meng Shutai and said, "You come back and immediately spend time with your wife. Young Master Meng, your thoughtfulness is something others can only dream of."
Madam Zhang was one of the few people in Luoyang whom Le Jin could talk to. Hearing her praise Meng Shutai, Le Jin felt a pang of jealousy. She tugged at Madam Zhang and changed the subject, asking, "Why are you closing the shop in broad daylight?"
"It's not closing down."
Madam Zhang led the two of them inside, "because she was afraid the willow catkins would fly in."
"If willow catkins fly in, just have someone sweep them up. Keeping the doors and windows closed is really bothering the guests."
Madam Zhang chuckled, "No guest can compare to the precious one inside." She lifted the curtain, gesturing for Le Jin to enter. Le Jin immediately saw Jiang Yingyun sitting in the hall.
"You're here too!"
She excitedly ran over, but her smile vanished before she even sat down.
Jiang Yingyun's face was covered in rashes; her once fair and beautiful face was now covered in red spots.
She smiled shyly, "I don't know what's wrong. It never used to get like this, but this spring, every time I see willow catkins, I get rashes."
Oh, an allergy.
As soon as Le Jin sat down, Madam Zhang came over with a smile to refill their tea and wine. "That's why I said you're precious! This isn't an illness only precious people get. Once you become the Crown Prince's wife, you can't even touch willow catkins."
Jiang Yingyun and Meng Shutai exchanged a nod, which was considered sufficient. She said, "What precious disease? I think it's just a strange illness. I estimate it will be gone in a couple of days."
Le Jin asked, "Have you seen a doctor?"
Madam Zhang answered for Jiang Yingyun: "Spring has arrived, and she's the busiest person in all of Luoyang! With spring wine on the market, how can she have time to see a doctor? And because she's always running around the house, this rash just won't stop."
Le Jin picked up her teacup, took a sip, and asked in confusion, "Where is the young master? Doesn't he care about you at all?"
Jiang Yingyun shrugged. "He was promoted to General of the Capital Guard in the spring, and he has a lot of things to hand over. He's busier than me."
"ah……"
"Young Madam, now you know how wonderful your Master Meng is, right?" Madam Zhang raised her sleeve to cover half her face and laughed, looking at Le Jin with envy.
Meng Shutai hoped that Le Jin would respond with a few words, but seeing that she was only embarrassed, he stopped waiting and explained to Madam Zhang: "Madam Zhang is too kind. I only have a few days of free time. I will be going to the Buddha Relic Pagoda to supervise the construction soon."
While the two of them were talking, Le Jin kept observing Jiang Yingyun.
Those red rashes are definitely an allergy, and there are many and complicated causes of allergies. Jiang Yingyun has been busy these days, so it must be due to too much stress.
Le Jin reminded her, "You must be exhausted these days. I think you should get a good night's sleep. Maybe if you get enough sleep, the rash won't come back."
Yue Jin's concern for Jiang Yingyun drew Meng Shutai's attention as well. Before Jiang Yingyun could speak, he suddenly asked, "How long has it been since the Princess Consort developed this rash?"
“Just call me Yingyun, Mr. Meng, there’s no need to be so formal.” Jiang Yingyun smiled, then did a quick calculation, “About a month… less than that? It was about a month after the wedding, and the willow catkins were flying everywhere, catching fire at the slightest touch.”
Meng Shutai's gaze fell on her lower abdomen, and he said calmly, "Didn't you and Jingming ever think that there was good news?"
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Author's Note: I deserve to die for delaying the second update until now [crying][crying][crying] This is just a make-up update for taking a break, there will be another update today!
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