Xue Shen personally went to the camp outside the city to pick up Shen Youying.
Shen Youying went to bed early, and by the time Xue Shen finished dealing with city affairs and went to fetch her, it was already past midnight. She had been asleep for quite some time. Xue Shen heard from Bai Luo that she was sleeping soundly, so he didn't wake her and removed his armor before entering his tent.
Shen Youying vaguely sensed his entry, but because she was still very sleepy, she asked in a daze, "Why are you back?"
Xue Shen lay on his side by the bed, pulled the person into his arms, patted him, and comforted him, "The matter is over, sleep peacefully."
Shen Youying mumbled an "Mmm" again, then habitually buried her face in his chest and fell into a deep sleep.
Xue Shen stayed by her side until she fell into a deep sleep again, then carefully picked her up and steadily carried her to the carriage.
Bai Luo and Liu Yun had already packed their luggage and followed quietly behind.
The brief turmoil in the city had subsided, and the streets were silent except for the faint sound of carriage wheels rolling across the ground.
Xue Shen carried the person back to the house and settled them in before going to the bathhouse to take a bath.
After bathing, he went back to bed, pulling the sleeping woman into his arms, but he couldn't fall asleep at all. Everything in Xizhou was going according to plan, and there was an unexpected gold mine. With this gold, the road ahead would be much smoother. Looking at the person in his arms, his heart swelled, and he couldn't help but peck at her cheeks and lips repeatedly.
Shen Youying slept soundly in his arms, but in her sleep she felt something annoying was bothering her, and she mumbled indistinctly, "Stop it."
Xue Shen took her hand, kissed the back of it, and smiled gently.
*
The next day, Shen Youying was awakened by kissing.
She felt that the annoying bug from her dream was bothering her again, and she opened her eyes unhappily to swat the bug, but instead met Xue Shen's smiling eyes.
Taking advantage of the moment, Xue Shen pecked her lips again and said with a smile, "You slept well."
Shen Youying glanced at the sky outside and asked, "What time is it?"
Xue Shen said, "It's almost the end of the Si hour."
"It's so late?" Shen Youying was slightly surprised. She had been having trouble sleeping since becoming pregnant, and she could only sleep soundly when Xue Shen was by her side.
Xue Shen hummed in agreement and said, "It's not too late: There's nothing important today, so we can wait a bit."
After he finished speaking, the tip of his high, straight nose gently brushed against her earlobe and the side of her neck, the implication being very strong.
Shen Youying nudged his arm and whispered, "Bai Luo and the others should be coming in soon."
Xue Shen inhaled the faint fragrance in her hair, his eyes darkening. His hand slid inside her loose collar and squeezed her soft, smooth breasts. "It's alright. I told them to come later today. No one will disturb us."
When her sensitive areas were being kneaded like that, Shen Youying couldn't help but let out a soft moan, and a blush rose to her face. She pushed Xue Shen's hand away and whispered, "Stop kneading, it's a little swollen."
She is six months pregnant. Not only is her belly bulging, but the parts that should be growing are also larger than before. Moreover, because she is close to giving birth, she has been experiencing frequent bloating and pain recently.
Upon hearing this, Xue Shen stopped what he was doing and asked, "Is it terribly swollen?"
Shen Youying was shy and embarrassed to talk about this topic in detail, so she just gave a small "hmm": "It's just sometimes."
Upon hearing this, Xue Shen loosened her collar and said, "Then you should unclog it from time to time. Medical books say that prolonged bloating is not good."
Before Shen Youying could understand what he meant, Xue Shen had already lowered his head.
Shen Youying trembled, placed her hand on his head, hesitated to push him away, but before she could move, Xue Shen sucked in his cheeks, and she couldn't help but cry out in surprise.
"Don't……"
Xue Shen ignored him and proceeded on his own.
Shen Youying felt uncomfortable at first, but gradually, she began to feel something different. Just as Xue Shen had said, the swelling and pain subsided after the flow was cleared.
But when she looked down, she saw Xue Shen burying his head like a child. She immediately blushed, her eyes welled up with tears, and she couldn't bear it any longer and looked away.
...
Since arriving in Xizhou, there have been many things to do, including setting up a scheme to deal with Cai Wenxuan and the Xu family. It has been a long time since the two have been so relaxed and close.
Although Xue Shen was hesitant to do anything because Shen Youying was already quite far along in her pregnancy, he knew that as long as the couple was willing, they could always find a fun way to get things done.
The two spent an hour together in the tent. When Xue Shen got off the bed to fetch water to wash himself, Shen Youying was still wrapped in a thin blanket, curled up, immersed in that indescribable feeling.
Xue Shen brought over hot water, pulled at her thin blanket, and coaxed her, "Zhao Zhao, be good, loosen the blanket, I'll wipe you dry, you're all wet."
Shen Youying glared at her, both ashamed and angry, refusing to loosen the blanket: "I don't want you, call Bailuo."
To everyone's surprise, Xue Shen raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you sure you want to call Bai Luo over?" His gaze swept over the red spots on her fair skin, and he said with a teasing smile, "I wonder what Bai Luo will think when she sees them."
Shen Youying felt like she was on fire from his words. After weighing the options in her mind, she finally gave up and let Xue Shen wash her.
But she was still resentful, and when Xue Shen brushed past her, she lowered her head and bit the back of his hand.
She was already weak, let alone biting hard, but Xue Shen still deliberately hissed and looked at the teeth marks on the back of his hand, saying, "I still have to go to the government office to work. If someone sees this, how am I supposed to explain it?"
Shen Youying: "..."
She was only thinking about venting her anger and hadn't considered this aspect at all. Now, looking down at the distinct teeth marks on Xue Shen's hand, her face turned even redder.
Shen Youying pursed her lips tightly, and after a long while, she said angrily, "In short, it wasn't me."
Xue Shen laughed indulgently: "Yes, it was a naughty kitten that bit you."
*
Xue Shen had lunch with Shen Youying before going to the government office to handle official business.
Although Cai Wenxuan and the Xu family members have been brought to justice, they are, after all, officials appointed by the imperial court. He has not yet completely broken ties with Emperor Cheng'an. If he wants to uphold the righteous cause, he must make public the evidence of their crimes and then deal with them according to the law.
Moreover, apart from these two individuals, all the officials in Xizhou City are in cahoots with Cai Wenxuan or the Xu family, and it will take some time to completely eliminate these parasites.
Xue Shen went to the government office and, while reviewing the case files, asked Pang Lai, "Have the Xu family members confessed and signed the confession?"
Pang Lai said, "Xu Qiao is very stubborn. He insists that it is a slander and refuses to sign. He even wants the emperor to send an imperial censor to investigate and clear his name."
Xue Shen chuckled dismissively: "He's got a good plan. He knows I'm at odds with Emperor Cheng'an. If the court sends someone, he can hand over the information about the gold mine. If he's lucky, Emperor Cheng'an might let the Xu family off the hook because he's targeting me."
Yuan Ye chimed in, "Does he think we're all fools?"
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