The capital city.
On the very day that Shen Jinchen and his entourage left Lijia Village, the wife of Wen Qiheng, the chief secretary of the prime minister, gave birth to a child.
The discovery of a boy filled the Wen family with joy.
Jun Xiaoqiao was treated like a meritorious official. Whenever there was something good in the mansion, her father-in-law would think of her first and send it to her.
Jun Xiaoqiao's mother-in-law couldn't stop smiling.
Every day, she gets up early and goes to the courtyard where Jun Xiaoqiao now lives to see her beloved grandson.
He would often praise Jun Xiaoqiao as a blessed person, saying that her child would be fortunate throughout his life and would surely be able to take care of her in the future.
Jun Xiaoqiao knew that they were deliberately keeping her here.
However, Jun Xiaoqiao remained silent and did not react throughout. She had finally given up, and it was no longer possible for Wen Qiheng to control her.
When it's dark and windy, it's especially easy to climb over the wall.
She did not change her mind, but when she sat on the wall of the Wen family compound with her bundle in her hands, Jun Xiaoqiao could not make up her mind. Thinking of that soft little dumpling, she couldn't help but feel maternal love.
She thought of taking him in her arms and letting him wander the world with his mother, but she was also afraid that he would feel inferior later in life if he grew up without a father.
If we abandon him, we're afraid his future stepmother will mistreat him.
I'm caught in a dilemma.
So she kept procrastinating and stayed at the Wen residence. Even when the child was already old, she was still dragging her feet. Even after Cen Xi and Shen Jinchen returned to the capital, she still hadn't made up her mind.
After resting overnight at the Princess's residence, Shen Jinchen and Cen Xi were invited to the Wen residence the following day to attend the 100-day celebration of the Wen family's eldest grandson.
As soon as Cen Xi saw Jun Xiaoqiao, she stuffed a bunch of local specialties into her hands, then hugged her son and looked at him with great admiration.
"This kid is so cute, all pink and chubby, I really want to pinch his cheeks."
"The child's skin is delicate, please don't hurt him, it will break my heart if you pinch him."
Jun Xiaoqiao watched Cen Xi tease her, feeling reluctant to let it go, and said reproachfully.
"Hey! Jun Xiaoqiao, didn't you say before that you would abandon him and run away after unloading the cargo? Why did you change your mind and start feeling sorry for him?"
"I don't know either. After giving birth, I found that I just couldn't let him go. I packed my bags, thought about climbing over a wall, and sat on the top of the wall, but I just couldn't bring myself to jump."
Jun Xiaoqiao was both amused and exasperated. She really wanted to leave, but this troublesome little devil was so captivating that she couldn't take that step and was constantly worried about her.
"Looks like you'll be stuck with Wen Qiheng for the next three years, completely ruined by this crooked tree. Don't even think about running away. Let me give you a piece of advice: Wen Qiheng is in cahoots with Shen Jinchen. You'll get caught even if you run away, so just learn from me and compromise."
Cen Xi chuckled lightly, playing with Jun Xiaoqiao's son, and without any politeness, poured cold water on her.
"Of course I'm not willing to give up. How could I possibly want to hang myself on one tree? There are so many handsome men in the world. I want to release a few more fish into my fishpond."
Jun Xiaoqiao looked melancholy.
"Hahaha, I think your current situation is just retribution. You still want to be a sea queen? I think God just couldn't stand your absurdity, so He arranged a man to tie you up like this. You'll just have to suffer the consequences."
Cen Xi shook his head speechlessly when he saw that Jun Xiaoqiao still wanted to raise fish.
"Tch! The pot calling the kettle black. You're in the same situation as me now. What happened to your freedom? What happened to your goal of seeing the vast sky and sea and traveling across the beautiful landscape? You said you wanted to be like Xu Xiake, but you can't, can you? You're stuck in this godforsaken place just like me, and you still have the leisure to laugh at me."
Seeing Cen Xi's smug smile, Jun Xiaoqiao couldn't help but sneer and retort.
Damn it! If she's having a hard time, then nobody else should have a good time either.
“That used to be my dream, but I don’t think that way anymore. I have a man who loves me, a prestigious status, and endless wealth and luxury in the future. It’s not so bad to give up all that.”
Cen Xi also scoffed and retorted.
She's already figured out her current situation, okay?
Besides, she really didn't think her current life was bad, or that Shen Jinchen treated her badly.
If you can't change your environment, change your attitude. She's much more open-minded than Jun Xiaoqiao.
"Ha! I never expected that the person who used to be the least love-obsessed would now talk to me about feelings. Shen Jinchen is something else. Get lost, I need to think about life."
Jun Xiaoqiao couldn't stand Cen Xi's smug look, so she rudely chased him away.
"Fine, let's go then, but I'll take you along to play with first, you're so cute!"
Cen Xicai ignored Jun Xiaoqiao's attitude and grabbed her son to walk out.
Jun Xiaoqiao couldn't let her leave. The child was her precious darling; what if this woman dropped her child? So she immediately stood up to stop Cen Xi from leaving.
"Put him down and take him away? Dream on! He's my precious son now. If he gets hurt even a little bit, I'll panic. If you want to play around, go have your own child. Don't try to take my son away."
"Damn it, trying to show off, huh? Here you go, this princess doesn't want it anymore."
Seeing that Jun Xiaoqiao looked at her as if she had stolen her precious child, Cen Xi handed the child back to her and turned to leave.
As she left her courtyard, Cen Xi couldn't help but touch her stomach, her smile somewhat forced.
On the way back, she and Shen Jinchen did a lot of things, so why couldn't she get pregnant?
It seems she needs to find a doctor to check her health.
This scene clearly stung Shen Jinchen, who was talking to Wen Qiheng from a distance.
He knew Cen Xi's health; her body had been injured by Yan Shengxiao's Blood Array, and with the further damage from the Love Gu, she wouldn't be able to have children in the short term.
Therefore, he never mentioned the child to Cen Xi.
After the 100-day celebration, Cen Xi and Shen Jinchen sat in the carriage in silence until they returned to their room at the princess's residence.
Shen Jinchen then hugged her tightly to comfort her:
"Don't worry, Ah-Xi, we will have children."
"Did you already know I had a health problem?"
Cen Xi looked up at Shen Jinchen.
"Yes! You know how much I want to have a child with you, and you also know I have medical skills. I have already examined your body, but there's nothing serious. You just need to take good care of yourself, and you'll be fine in a year or two."
Shen Jinchen patted Cen Xi's head to comfort her.
Why didn't you tell me sooner?
Cen Xi looked up and asked him.
Today, the way Jun Xiaoqiao babbled as a child truly gave her a jolt.
The image of having a son and a daughter always kept popping into her mind.
She and Shen Jinchen were so frequent, and she didn't use contraception. If things were normal, she would have gotten pregnant long ago.
That's when I realized I might have a problem.
"I didn't tell you because our relationship is still unstable. You didn't care much about me before, and you even considered aborting the child when I was pregnant last time, so I kept this a secret from you."
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