Chapter 152 Husband, do you want a baby?
It's getting late and the dew is heavy, and everything is quiet.
The hustle and bustle of Qixiayuan and the great joy brought by the new life are like a stone thrown into a calm lake, the ripples will eventually return to calm.
The night gently enveloped Prince Yong's Mansion, leaving only the tireless lapping of the waves, like the steady breathing of the earth.
Nangong Ye held Dongfang Yuning in his arms as they walked through the corridor, which was made particularly quiet by the moonlight. His arms were strong and firm, holding her delicate body tightly in his arms, isolating her from the cool night breeze.
Dongfang Yuning snuggled up to him obediently, with her cheek against his warm chest. She could clearly hear his steady and strong heartbeat, one after another, like the most reassuring drumbeat.
The hustle and bustle of the day, the little irritations caused by seniority, and the mother-in-law's urgent order to deliver the goods from thousands of miles away, are now quietly soothed by the quiet night and the warmth of the lover's arms.
Back at Tingtao Pavilion where they lived, there was only a glazed palace lantern in the corner of the bedroom, emitting a hazy and soft glow, barely outlining the elegant outline of the room.
The maids had long been dismissed, leaving the room filled with tranquility and intimacy belonging to the two of them.
Nangong Ye gently placed Dongfang Yuning in front of the large and comfortable rosewood dressing table.
He stood behind her, his tall figure completely covering her.
The bronze mirror reflected the figures of two people cuddling together. The man's stern outline appeared unusually soft under the warm yellow light, while the woman's eyebrows and eyes were picturesque, with a hint of fatigue and satisfied laziness.
He reached out and patiently helped her remove the complicated hair accessories she had worn during the day, bit by bit.
The long black hair that was like a waterfall was freed from its restraints and fell down softly with natural curls, sliding across his fingertips with light calluses, bringing a silky touch.
Dongfang Yuning squinted his eyes comfortably, like a cat whose fur was being stroked, enjoying his rare and cherished care.
[Ding! Host, Nangong Ye's fingertip tremors are detected to be 0.3% lower than normal. The accuracy of hairpin removal has increased by 15%;]
The pupils remain focused on the host's hair and profile, without deviation. Conclusion: Current state is 'Extremely Focused Cherish Mode', emotional stability is 99.9%, and pleasure continues to rise.
System 118 broadcast the data silently, and the cold mechanical sound seemed particularly peaceful at this moment.
After removing the last pearl hairpin, Nangong Ye picked up a warm wet handkerchief and carefully wiped off the light powder on her face.
His movements were extremely gentle, his fingertips were covered with thin calluses as he stroked her smooth and full forehead, the tip of her straight nose, her delicate cheeks, and finally stopped at the edge of her soft lips.
Dongfang Yuning's heart was filled with this silent tenderness. She raised her eyes and looked through the hazy bronze mirror at the focused man behind her.
In the mirror, he had drooping eyebrows and long eyelashes casting small shadows under his eyes, covering his eyes as deep as a cold pond. Only his perfectly lined jaw and tightly pursed thin lips were left, revealing an indescribable sense of stability and strength.
Just last night, the brief but thrilling scene of Nangong Yue giving birth, and Shen Xiaoyun's distraught look, uncontrollably flashed through her mind again.
Although the pain-relieving pills and spiritual spring water had ensured the procedure went smoothly, the basins of blood-stained handkerchiefs the midwife brought out, the glaring red, and Shen Xiaoyun's heart-wrenching screams of fear as he barged through the door...
These images, like tiny icicles, silently pierced into a soft corner of her heart.
She was not afraid of pain itself. With the system in hand, the spiritual spring at her side, and magical tools like pain-free pills, she was confident that she could minimize the risk.
But... that is the process of nurturing a life, and the body undergoing a radical transformation.
Looking at Nangong Yue's tired but satisfied face, and Shen Nianchen's small, vibrant life, a woman's instinctive desire and curiosity for the continuation of life, like a quietly sprouting seed, broke through the ground in her heart.
She turned slightly to the side, raised her hand, and gently covered Nangong Ye's big hand that was wiping her temples.
His hands were warm and dry, carrying the strength of a martial artist. She lifted her head and gazed into his deep eyes, which reflected her small figure clearly, filled with undisguised tenderness.
"Husband,"
Her voice was very soft, with a hint of subtle temptation and soft expectation, like a feather brushing across the heart.
"Do you want a baby?"
The moment the words fell, Dongfang Yuning clearly felt that the big hand covering the back of his hand stiffened slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Nangong Ye paused in wiping.
Time seemed to stand still for a moment at this moment.
The only sounds left in the bedroom were the extremely subtle crackling of the burning glass wick and the eternal murmur of the waves outside the window.
Nangong Ye didn't answer immediately. He lowered his eyes and stared at the little face in front of him, which was looking up at him, full of innocent expectation.
Her eyes sparkled, as if filled with crushed starlight, clean without a speck of dust, filled with longing for the future and complete trust in him.
However, these clear eyes were like a key that unexpectedly opened the door of fear that had been deliberately closed in Nangong Ye's heart.
The scenes of the day, like a bursting dam, violently broke through the barriers of his reason.
— At the door of the delivery room, a basin of cloth drenched in glaring scarlet was brought out! That red, so thick it couldn't be dissolved, carried the thrill of life passing away, like a red-hot iron, searing his retina fiercely!
Even from a distance, he could smell the strong, disgusting smell of rust! That was not ordinary red, it was the blood that might be shed by the person at the tip of his heart!
— Chen Xiaoyun's face, drained of all color in an instant, now filled with utter fear and despair! Those red eyes, practically dripping with tears of blood! Those desperate roars like a dying beast:
“Yuer——!”
The feeling of collapse, as if the sky was falling and the earth was collapsing, and the whole world was left with only darkness, was like an icy poisonous snake, wrapping around Nangong Ye's heart, bringing a suffocating chill.
He had never seen the fox prince consort who was always so capable and thoughtful so dispirited and vulnerable!
The root cause of all this is the woman in the delivery room who is experiencing a life-and-death test!
—— He stood outside the door, listening to Nangong Yue's muffled groan from the exertion, which was brief but still lingering.
That voice, like a blunt knife, cut through his taut nerves. Even though he knew he had pain-relieving pills, even though he knew Ning'er was there to guarantee everything would be safe, the feeling of waiting helplessly, the fear of completely handing over the most important person to the unknown, was like the mouth of an abyss, nearly swallowing him whole!
These images, these sounds, these breaths... At this moment, they flooded into Nangong Ye's mind madly with extremely clear and hideous details!
If... if the person lying in the delivery room right now was Ning'er in his arms...
If that glaring blood had flowed from Ning'er's body...
If that roar on the verge of collapse was caused by his Ning'er...
Nangong Ye's heart suddenly twitched violently! It was as if it was being grasped by an invisible giant hand and torn apart!
A sharp, unprecedented pain instantly swept through his body, making him almost unable to breathe!
The pain was so real and so intense that it even made his tall body sway almost imperceptibly!
No!
Absolutely not!
This thought exploded in his mind like thunder, with destructive force, instantly shattering all his rationality!
His Ning'er! His little wife, whom he cherished like a treasure, held in his hands for fear of dropping her, held in his mouth for fear of her melting! She was so petite, so soft, and so lively!
Her smile is the brightest sunshine in his life, and her cunning and cleverness is a scenery that he will never get tired of!
She should always be carefree, always as bright as ever, and always be like a happy little butterfly, dancing in the garden that he carefully guards!
How could he let her go through such pain? Such risk? Such a... life-or-death test?
Even if there was only a one in ten thousand risk! Even if there were magical items like pain-free pills and spiritual spring water! He, Nangong Ye, would never allow it! Not even the slightest possibility!
Just imagining that scene was enough to make him feel like his heart was being torn apart by a knife, causing him to feel unbearable pain! If it became a reality... he didn't dare to think about it, he simply couldn't bear it!
That would be a million times more painful than having his heart gouged out, his blood drained, and his bones crushed!
Children? Continuation of the bloodline? Royal inheritance?
Compared with Dongfang Yuning's life and smile, these things are as light as dust and worthless!
What Nangong Ye wanted in his life was never to have many children and grandchildren!
He had lived alone for the first half of his life, accustomed to the glare of swords, the infighting in the court, and the cold and ruthless attitude of others. He even thought he would spend the rest of his life in solitude, never harboring any hope for home.
Until... God sent this little girl named Dongfang Yuning to him.
It was she who, with her bright smile and quirky personality, gradually melted the ice in his heart.
It was she who made him understand what concern, warmth, and... love meant.
It was she who made him, a man accustomed to darkness, begin to crave the warmth of the sun and yearn for a harbor called home.
With her, his cold world has color, warmth, and meaning! She is his perfection, his everything, and the only reason for his existence!
What child?
That's just the icing on the cake in the eyes of the world!
To him, it was a burden, a risk, a potential threat that could take away the only treasure in his life! He didn't need it! Not at all!
The surging emotions were like a violent tsunami, violently crashing and roaring in Nangong Ye's heart!
Deep in his eyes, there were surging waves of fear, resolute determination, and even a deep affection that was so strong that it almost drowned people.
He suddenly tightened his arms and held Dongfang Yuning even tighter in his arms!
The force was so great that it carried with it a sense of panic of having lost and regained something, and an unquestionable possession.
"Ning'er!"
His voice was terribly low, with a barely perceptible hoarseness and trembling, as if squeezed out from the depths of his soul.
He forced himself to lower his head, his deep eyes locked firmly with hers, not allowing her to avoid him. His gaze was sharp as a torch, with unprecedented solemnity and seriousness, as he read out a vow that concerned life and death.
"Look at me!"
He emphasized again that every word weighs more than a thousand pounds.
"I'm telling you seriously! In this life, I just want my Ning'er to stay by my side, happy, joyful, and happy! That's enough! Child..."
He paused, and when he uttered these two words, his tone was filled with undisguised rejection and coldness.
"To me, it's never been necessary! It's not the icing on the cake, but a burden and a risk! A threat that I will never allow to exist!"
He took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently, as if he wanted to pour out all the fear and determination accumulated in the deepest part of his heart:
"Ning'er, you are my only one! My life! The meaning of my life!"
"Before I met you, I thought this was how my life would be. It's good to be alone.
Free from worries, without sorrow or joy, perhaps dying on the battlefield, perhaps dying of old age in the court, all is just a handful of yellow earth, without a trace.
I have never known what home is, nor do I care to understand. My heart is cold, and my blood is cold too.
His voice was low and slow, carrying a sense of desolation and loneliness in his memories of the past, describing himself before he met her, who was like a precise, cold weapon.
"But... seeing you..."
When he pronounced the word "you", the tone of his voice changed drastically.
All the coldness and loneliness melted away like ice and snow, replaced by a tenderness that was hot enough to burn everything! That tenderness surged, almost overflowing from his deep eyes!
"At the first sight, you smiled heartlessly and bumped into my arms...at that moment, my heart started beating wildly."
His fingertips caressed her delicate cheek with great tenderness, cherishing her with a kind of worship.
"From that moment on, I knew I was done. My heart, which had been cold for decades, was completely ignited by you, my little sun!
My blood is boiling because of you! All my principles, all my plans, all my cold masks, crumble before you! "
"Royal power, wealth, eternal hegemony, and the continuation of the family line...it's all bullshit!"
His tone was firm and decisive, with a kind of arrogance and disdain that looked down on everything.
"What I, Nangong Ye, desire in this life is only you! Only Dongfang Yuning!"
He leaned over slightly, resting his forehead against hers, his nose rubbing against hers, their warm breaths intertwined.
His voice deepened, yet it carried a heart-shaking power, like the most ancient oath, branded deep in the souls of both of them:
"Having you in this life is enough! I just want you to be safe and happy, by my side, to be my little sun, to illuminate every moment of my remaining life! That's enough! Everything else doesn't matter! Ning'er, do you understand?"
[Beep! Warning! Subject Nangong Ye's adrenaline surges 150%, heart rate exceeds critical value! Core Demand Analysis: Host Exclusiveness (100%), Rejection of Offspring (100%), Fear of Reproductive Risk (100%), Emotional Intensity Exceeds System Monitoring Limit!]
Conclusion: This subject has been infected with the ultimate virus called 'Dongfang Yuning', which is deeply irreversible and the logic module is completely ineffective against it! It is recommended that the host... enjoy this 'terminally ill' love!
The alarm of System 118 carries a hint of numbness and resignation, as if someone was being force-fed dog food.
Dongfang Yuning had already been mesmerized by what he had heard.
She looked up at the handsome face so close to her, saw the strong emotions surging in his deep eyes that almost swallowed her up, and listened to his confession, every word of which came from the heart and was so resounding.
There is no hypocrisy or reluctance in it, only the purest, most passionate and unquestionable love and determination!
He doesn't want children! It's not because he doesn't love her, but precisely because he loves her too deeply!
It was so deep that it surpassed the instinct of blood inheritance, so deep that he would rather give up the symbol of "perfection" in the eyes of the world, and protect her firmly under his wings, isolating her from all possible storms and harm!
This love is so overbearing and unreasonable, so paranoid and almost crazy! Yet it is so pure, passionate, and unique!
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