Seven days later, at night, Zhao Chengyang waited anxiously outside the Ministry of Justice prison. After a long time, he saw two people carrying out a man whose head was drooping and whose body was covered in blood and dirt, making it impossible to tell the original color of his clothes.
Even though he was mentally prepared, Zhao Chengyang still gasped and rushed forward to take the semi-conscious man from him. Several of Lin Zhi's subordinates also came to help.
One of the men who helped Lin Zhi out rudely shooed him away, saying, "Consider yourselves lucky. We never release anyone we've handed over before. Get out of here, don't linger."
Zhao Chengyang, supporting Lin Zhi, was filled with the pungent smell of blood. He was filled with hatred and anger towards these people, but dared not act rashly. He gritted his teeth inwardly, while smiling obsequiously, "Don't worry, sir, we'll leave now."
Since the current emperor ascended the throne, rumors have circulated that he has frequently been targeted for assassination by remnants of the deposed crown prince's faction, and those assassins were all brutally murdered, their bodies skinned and dismembered. Who would have thought that Lin Zhi would be so unlucky, stumbling into that courtyard during such a sensitive time and being arrested without explanation.
It was truly an unexpected disaster.
He was on his way home when he heard the news and immediately returned to try and negotiate. Although the Lin family was powerful, they could not surpass the imperial authority. They had been strictly interrogated for so many days before releasing him, and even torture had been used. Zhao Chengyang dared not and could not utter a single word against them.
Because he knew that if Lin Zhi wasn't the young master of the Lin family, but just an ordinary person, he could just wander in by mistake and kill him if he wanted; it would be bad luck and no one would care.
It's incredibly fortunate that he's alive now.
With immense heartache, Zhao Chengyang helped Lin Zhi into the carriage and left this place of trouble without delay.
After a quick examination, Zhao Chengyang fed Lin Zhi a pill, but Lin Zhi just held it in his mouth without swallowing it.
Zhao Chengyang tried to wake him: "Lin Zhi, Lin Zhi, wake up!"
There was no response. A thought flashed through her mind, and she whispered in his ear again, "Chu Ting, Chu Ting, Jiang Chu Ting."
Sure enough, Lin Zhi's eyelids twitched, and she stirred. Her dry lips parted with difficulty: "Chu... Chu... Ting..."
His voice was muffled, and he swallowed the medicine after a slight movement in his throat. Zhao Chengyang breathed a sigh of relief and gently wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve.
The doctor just said that Lin Zhi has serious injuries all over his body, but fortunately they are not fatal. He just needs to rest and recuperate for more than half a year.
Lin Zhi opened his eyes a crack, his eyeballs slowly moving as he weakly said, "My sword, my sword..."
"...What are you talking about? Swords?" Zhao Chengyang frowned in distress and said, "It's good that the person is back. Why would I need swords? I'll give you as many as you want later."
Lin Zhi's breath trembled. She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face, and began to call out incoherently, "Chu Ting, Chu... Ting..."
He was clearly still unconscious. Zhao Chengyang touched his burning forehead, sighed softly, and urged the driver, "Hurry up."
After five days of treatment in Jincheng, Lin Zhi's condition gradually stabilized, and Zhao Chengyang took him back to Anyang.
Perhaps because she was about to give birth, Jiang Chuting had been having nightmares every now and then. She dreamt that she gave birth to a deformed little monster that kept crying and crying, its cries were shrill and its face was covered in blood.
That night, his dream was slightly different because Lin Zhi appeared. When Lin Zhi saw the child crying, he smiled and reached out to hug him. Unexpectedly, the child opened his mouth and viciously bit off his neck. He watched helplessly as Lin Zhi's head rolled to the ground.
Jiang Chuting suddenly woke up, her heart pounding. The feeling of hot blood spraying on her face was so real. She subconsciously touched her face, but it was dry, there was nothing there.
Jiang Chuting couldn't fall asleep at all. He got out of bed and opened the door. There was a recliner in the yard. He slowly lay down and gazed at the twinkling stars in the night sky with his dark eyes.
He didn't like to wallow in sentimentality and lament the passing of spring. He had left the Lin family half a year ago, feeling disheartened. He had long since gotten used to life without Lin Zhi and wouldn't be disturbed by news of him. He wouldn't miss the past with him.
He felt that his decisive withdrawal and letting go was wise and correct. From then on, they would each have their own lives and there would be no further connection between them.
But just now, because of that dream, a false dream, my heart suddenly ached so much that I couldn't breathe.
It turns out that he hadn't truly forgotten Lin Zhi.
His feelings for Lin Zhi were like a hibernating snake, seemingly quiet and still, but it could suddenly pounce out and bite you if you weren't careful.
You can deceive yourself, but you can't deceive your own heart.
Jiang Chuting spent the night in the courtyard in a daze until dawn before returning to her room.
He has no internal strength left and his physical condition is worse than that of an ordinary person. Although Zhou Bei covered him with a blanket, he still caught a cold from being exposed to the night wind for too long.
When Jiang Xian came to find him, he noticed that he was coughing frequently and looked unwell. Jiang Xian was worried and asked curiously, "The weather is getting colder and colder. Why are you out in the middle of the night?"
"The little one is making a lot of noise, I can't sleep, so I'm going out for some fresh air." Jiang Chuting's voice was nasal, and his eyes were slightly red from constant soreness. He leaned back in his chair and forced himself to stay awake, saying, "I took a little medicine, it's very mild, it's nothing serious." He had been sick more times in the past year than in all of the previous years combined.
Jiang Xian said, "You, how come you're getting worse at taking care of yourself as you get older?" Looking at his protruding belly, he sighed, "Time really flies. You're due next month, aren't you?"
It really happened very quickly. At first, Jiang Chuting felt it was absurd and unreal, until she felt the first fetal movement and could clearly feel something new in her belly. Now, she would soon be meeting it.
Whether what is to come is complete or incomplete, he will never abandon it.
Jiang Xian muttered again, "Did you know that the coronation ceremony is also being held next month?"
"Yes, I know." This was something Jiang Chuting had expected and was also looking forward to.
Regardless, having a harem would inevitably divert some of Pei Jing's attention. However, when Pei Jing told him about this in person and received a lukewarm response, his expression turned quite unpleasant.
Pei Jing has been quite busy lately and hasn't left the palace, but knowing about his illness, Zhou Bei has further restricted his movements. Now, Zhou Bei won't even let him leave his room at night.
Wei Jia was occasionally let out by Pei Jing, and he was now used to Jiang Chuting's big belly. Every time, he would put his ear to Jiang Chuting's belly, talk to it, and look forward to the baby coming out soon. Jiang Xian would come to keep Jiang Chuting company whenever he had free time, telling him the latest rumors in the martial arts world and about his miserable experiences of being scolded every day at home. In short, he would never let him be bored.
Before the coronation ceremony, Pei Jing came to visit. Jiang Chuting was taking a nap when he kissed her, waking her up.
Jiang Chuting pushed him away and sat up with his legs crossed. Pei Jing then straightened up and reached out to touch his face affectionately.
"Master, now that you've lost your martial arts skills, how come you're so easy to bully? Back then, when I tried to kiss you, you almost killed me with one blow. I felt so wronged."
Jiang Chuting frowned, unable to figure out what he was trying to do. She raised her hand to press her throbbing temples and said in a low voice, "You know that you call me Master."
Pei Jing smiled, but his gaze was incredibly somber: "The coronation ceremony is almost here, and these days I feel more and more resentful. Why didn't I marry you? Why have I kept you by my side for so long, yet I still haven't had you? It's so unlike me to hold onto something that's already in my mouth and not eat it."
Jiang Chuting's voice was slightly hoarse as she looked at him with her clear, calm dark eyes and asked, "What exactly do you want to say?"
“I want to say…” Pei Jing’s previously inscrutable expression changed, becoming less cold and indifferent. He stared directly at Jiang Chuting’s face, choked up for a moment, and then said, “I want to say that I seem to have suddenly realized that I care about you more than I thought, which is why I can’t bear to bully you.”
Jiang Chuting was taken aback by his words and after a moment of surprise, she said, "Xiao Jiu, you are really good, but I can't give you what you want."
I've brought this up with him countless times; it's a complete deadlock. And every time we bring it up, the atmosphere becomes incredibly tense.
This time, however, Pei Jing's attitude softened considerably. Holding his hand, she reasoned with him, "Look at you, you're not young anymore. You'll need someone to take care of you for the rest of your life. I can't force you if you're not interested in me. Why not just keep me as a companion, and warm up the bed every three to five days? What's wrong with that?"
The essence remains the same, just a different way of saying it. Jiang Chuting shook his head, and Pei Jing held his face with both hands, angrily saying, "Why are you shaking your head? You're not allowed to shake your head! If you can't handle three or five days, we can change it to six or seven days, it's all negotiable depending on the situation."
"Xiao Jiu, I don't need anyone to take care of me. I can take care of myself."
"You're lying. Haven't you been sick these past few days? Even with someone taking care of you, you're still like this. What would you do if you were all alone?"
"A mortal body is susceptible to illness."
Pei Jing immediately said, "I will send someone to Penglai Immortal Island to retrieve some elixirs for you. Once you take them, you will not only stay young and healthy, but also live a long life."
Jiang Chuting said, "Xiao Jiu, you're missing the point. Whether I'm healthy or long-lived has nothing to do with this."
Pei Jing glared at him angrily: "...Jiang Chuting, I've already given in enough. I've already given up on your feelings. Why do you have to go against me? Why do you have to make me unhappy? Some of the things I said were just words. Do you really think that if I like you, I won't do anything to you?!"
Jiang Chuting's lips moved, but before he could speak, Pei Jing suddenly leaned closer and pressed his face against Jiang Chuting's arm.
Then, I took a big bite.
Pei Jing closed his eyes and refused, saying, "You're so annoying. Shut up and stop talking."
Pei Jing did not return to the palace that night, nor did he go to his own room to sleep. Instead, he insisted on sharing a bed with Jiang Chuting.
Jiang Chuting slept on her side inside, while Pei Jing slept on the outside. In the middle of the night, Jiang Chuting felt a warm, even breath spraying on her back, and her clothes were being tightly gripped by a hand.
Rather than intimacy, this action is more like a form of dependence.
Jiang Chuting hesitated for a moment after raising her hand, but ultimately didn't pull it away, letting him be. When she woke up again, Pei Jing had already returned to the palace.
Soon, the day of the coronation ceremony arrived. Jiang Xian was assigned some tasks by his father and could not come to Changning Pavilion. Jiang Chuting was not bored by being alone and took out several sword manuals to study.
Zhou Bei suddenly came in and brought him a letter from the Nine Heavens. Jiang Chuting was delighted, put down the sword manual, and opened the letter to read it.
They talked about the recent situation in the Nine Heavens and asked if he was alright.
Jiang Chuting was right at the desk. He casually picked up some letter paper and a brush and began to reply. However, halfway through writing the letter, his hand suddenly stopped.
His stomach started to hurt.
Jiang Chuting took a soft breath, lowered her eyes, and belatedly realized that her belly had dropped a little. Although it was about ten days earlier than the doctor had predicted, this meant she was about to give birth.
Zhou Bei stood guard at the door. Jiang Chuting finished writing the letter, dried it, folded it, put it in an envelope, and called him in.
Zhou Bei stood in front of the desk, noticing nothing amiss, and respectfully asked, "Young Master, have you finished writing your reply?"
"Um."
"Leave it to my subordinates, I'll send it out for you right away."
"No rush, leave the letter here and you can deliver it tomorrow." The pain was still bearable, so Jiang Chuting's expression was no different from usual. She sat steadily, unmoved, and said, "Now go and call a doctor for me, and also arrange for the delivery."
Delivery? Zhou Bei's eyes widened instantly, and he stammered for once, "You, are you going to give birth?" Because Jiang Chuting was too calm, Zhou Bei had doubts, wondering if he had misunderstood.
Seeing Jiang Chuting nod, Zhou Bei, who was usually calm and composed, suddenly panicked: "Okay, okay, I'll go and make the arrangements right away. Also, I'll have someone inform His Majesty."
He turned and ran outside, but before he even left the room, Jiang Chuting's eyes flickered, and she called out to him, "Wait."
Zhou Bei quickly stopped and turned around.
Jiang Chuting instructed, "Just find someone to help with the delivery; don't go to the palace. Today is the Empress's investiture ceremony, a very important event. If you go and report to him, it might cause unnecessary complications."
"But, but His Majesty instructed us beforehand that we must..."
“Special cases require special measures.” Jiang Chuting said firmly, “Listen to me, I know what I’m doing, go ahead.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
