Chapter 5 Dinner
In front of the Wutong Courtyard, two eunuchs cleared the way. Yinzhen, dressed in a blue casual robe, twirled a string of eighteen tourmaline beads in his hand and walked slowly forward with casual steps, followed by Gao Wuyong who served him carefully.
Upon receiving the news, Yixiu waited at the courtyard gate early in the morning. When she saw Yinzhen, she greeted him with a smile.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
"No need for formalities." Yinzhen stepped forward and helped the woman who was bowing to him. He then naturally took her hand and led her into the courtyard, making Yixiu both shy and sweet. With the help of a group of servants, she sat down at the dining table, her face still as radiant as a peach blossom.
"Your Majesty, this is chicken soup carefully prepared by the main kitchen. Please try it and see how it tastes." Without needing anyone to serve her, Yixiu personally served Yinzhen a bowl of soup.
"Don't worry about me, your health is the priority. Eat your meal." Yinzhen said, picking up a piece of hibiscus chicken and placing it in Yixiu's bowl, his tone gentle and natural.
"Yes, thank you for your concern, Your Highness." Yixiu sat in her seat, clearly appreciating Yinzhen's care. She picked up the dishes from her bowl and found them exceptionally delicious.
The two remained silent during the meal, adhering to the principle of not speaking while eating or sleeping. However, during the meal, Yinzhen discreetly observed his beautiful and dignified concubine with her oval face. Her light blue embroidered cheongsam accentuated her refined and extraordinary temperament. Her eyes were filled with love and affection for her husband, showing no trace of the "abortion captain" she would later become.
[Slurp, slurp...] System 555 couldn't help but drool in Yinzhen's mind. [Yixiu is such a beautiful older sister, I love her so much...]
"Does the system have preferences too?" Yinzhen wondered, seeing 555's behavior was like seeing his silly cat suddenly meowing at someone else.
"Ah? I just didn't expect Yixiu to be so handsome. All the information I gathered before was from text and TV dramas. Seeing him in person is quite a surprise." 555 explained earnestly. Seeing Yixiu was like seeing a three-dimensional person break through the dimensional barrier. However, afraid that its host would be jealous, it quickly added, "Don't worry, host, 555's preference will always be you."
Anyone else would have been moved to tears, but unfortunately, it was the heartless Yinzhen. He was ultimately pleased by the little one's words. While enjoying the delicious food, Yinzhen explained to the system, "For the original owner to say 'I'll make her the official wife after she gives birth to a son,' this Ulanara Yixiu must be quite remarkable. After all, her 'love at first dance' with Rouze was just lust at first sight."
【What the host said makes sense, but now you are Yinzhen, so please be gentle with your scolding.】System555 nodded obediently, worried that the host might scold her too.
"Don't worry, humans are always unable to face their own desires. But I'm different. I'll be frank, I only care about looks, I love beautiful women." Yinzhen's frank reply was hilarious; succubi are the most appearance-obsessed race in the world.
[Host...] 555 was stunned by the host's honesty and speechless for a moment. Suddenly, it thought of something and asked directly, (Huh? Host, what you said is strange. Aren't you human?)
"Oops, I let it slip." Yinzhen said this, showing no real nervousness. "Then we'll just have to keep it a secret—"
A streak of light flashed in the mind stored in the system's little light sphere, and 555, who was about to say something, suddenly stopped, the light sphere flashing.
[Host... Huh? What was I going to say?] 555 was confused, why couldn't she remember what she was going to say?
"You said Yixiu is a great beauty, and you like her very much," Yinzhen added without changing his expression.
Ah, yes, yes, yes, her beauty truly transcends dimensions...
Seeing the little system in his mind talking fluently and without any apparent problems, Yinzhen's lips curled up slightly. It seemed that this intrusion had been perfectly timed. Indeed, practice makes perfect, and he had used it quite well this time. He rewarded himself with another bowl of chicken soup.
...
Regardless of how they communicated with the system in their minds, the reality was that Yinzhen and Yixiu quickly finished their dinner in silence. Served by servants, they moved to a soft couch and began to drink tea.
"Xiao Yi looks much thinner, and she didn't eat much for dinner, but the food wasn't to her liking?" Putting down his teacup, Yinzhen looked at Yixiu sitting at the small table and spoke first.
"I'm fine," Yixiu silently breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that Yinzhen's attitude was good and he didn't mention the previous incident, she smiled, touched her belly, and said shyly, "Perhaps it's the baby in my belly. I've been craving sour things lately and have eaten a lot of dried sour apricots, so..."
Seeing the maternal glow emanating from Yixiu, Yinzhen raised an eyebrow, twirling the eighteen-bead skewer in his hand. He showed a rare hint of curiosity and said, "It's alright. A craving for sour foods isn't a big deal, but everything in moderation. After all, it's your first pregnancy, and you'll need an elder by your side. I'll have Lin Mama come and take care of you tomorrow."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Upon hearing that Yinzhen would assign his trusted nanny, Lin Mama, to her, Yixiu was overjoyed and completely relaxed. She leaned against Yinzhen and said softly, "Your Highness, our prince can move now. Would you like to touch him?"
He had deliberately indulged Yixiu's "taking an inch and wanting a mile," and seeing that she had indeed relaxed, Yinzhen cooperated and touched her as well. Come to think of it, this really was his first child. He didn't feel any discomfort about being an "unexpected father." Now that he had replaced the original owner, wasn't the original owner's child his child too? Anyway, he was very open-minded; demons weren't bound by any ethical or moral constraints.
Whether by coincidence or by blood ties, as soon as Yinzhen placed his hand on Yixiu's belly, the baby inside moved its little feet, which touched his hand. A strange feeling spread through Yinzhen's heart.
"Oh, it's the young prince greeting his father." Yixiu was also very surprised, then couldn't hide her joy, thinking it was a sign of the bond between father and son.
"Yes, a sensible child," Yinzhen said, displaying the excited joy of becoming a father for the first time. "The baby will be born in less than three months. How are the preparations going with the midwife and wet nurse?"
"Everything is ready."
"Hmm, I'll have Lin Mama come and screen them again tomorrow. If they're not suitable, we'll change them."
"Yes, I understand..."
The two leaned against each other, chatting away in a warm atmosphere, which made the servants watching particularly happy. When their master was happy, their lives would be even better.
As night deepened, Yinzhen did not leave. The two washed up separately, changed into their nightgowns, and lay down on the carved bed. The servants kept watch in the outer room.
Yixiu lay beside Yinzhen, in a pleasant mood. Suddenly, she remembered something and, taking advantage of the good atmosphere, casually said, "Your Highness, I received a letter from the manor saying that Mother will be visiting in a couple of days."
Upon hearing this, Yinzhen glanced at Yixiu's expression, confirming that she knew nothing, and did not intend to say anything more. He replied gently, "However, you are quite far along in your pregnancy, and it is only right that your mother come to take care of you. If Lady Ulanara wants to stay for a few days, that's fine too; you can arrange everything."
"Yes, thank you for your concern, sir..."
At this moment, Yixiu, nestled in Yinzhen's arms, felt like the happiest person in the world, completely oblivious to what the arrival of her stepmother meant...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
