Early winter in Jiangnan brought a rare, warm, and sunny day. Shen Yuewei, however, felt rather lethargic. She had dry heaved a few times in front of the copper basin upon waking, and her chest felt heavy and tight. Her quick-witted maid, Chunxing, immediately brought her warm honey water, her face full of worry: "Madam, did you catch a chill last night? Should we call Doctor Li to take a look?"
Shen Yuewei waved her hand, took a few sips of water to suppress the discomfort, and dismissed it as a common stomach upset. She had an appointment with the head manager of the silk shop today to finalize the distribution plan for a new batch of Lingnan banana-leaf yarn and Sichuan exotic brocade to be introduced next spring, and it couldn't be delayed.
Just as she settled into her study, spreading out the blueprints and fabric samples, the door was silently pushed open. Xiao Chengjing, wearing a casual dark-colored robe with cloud patterns, strolled in and naturally sat down in the armchair beside her. He stretched out his long arm and familiarly pulled her into his embrace, resting his chin on her shoulder, his warm breath brushing against the sensitive skin of her neck.
"What are you looking at, Weiqing? Let your husband give you his opinion." His voice was languid and hoarse with the lingering sound of early morning. His gaze swept over the pattern spread out on the table, and when it landed on Shen Yuewei's slightly pale profile, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Shen Yuewei's heart softened as he rubbed against her, but she was helpless: "Your Highness, I am discussing the arrangements for next year's new goods with the steward, you..."
"I don't care," Xiao Chengjing interrupted domineeringly, tightening his grip on her, trapping her firmly within his embrace. His calloused fingertips gently caressed her slender wrist, his tone one of possessiveness. "It's cold, and Weiqing is frail. She'll be warmer in my arms. Besides, why should my wife trouble herself with these trivial business matters?" He raised his eyes, his gaze carrying an undeniable air of authority as he swept over the head steward, who stood respectfully to the side. "Steward Chen, according to my wife's previous wishes, draft a detailed proposal. I will review it personally this afternoon. My wife is frail and needs to rest. From now on, such minor matters can be reported to me."
Manager Chen felt a chill run down his spine under Prince Jing's seemingly casual yet weighty gaze. He quickly bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Highness! I understand!" He sighed inwardly, thinking that no matter how capable his mistress was, she was ultimately protected so tightly by Prince Jing that she couldn't be touched by the slightest hardship.
Shen Yuewei was both amused and exasperated by his overstepping his bounds, and gently pushed him away: "Your Highness! I'm fine, it's just business..."
"Wei Qing, are you saying 'it's alright' again?" Xiao Chengjing lowered his head, his phoenix eyes locking onto her with a hint of grievance and accusation. "Your complexion is so poor, and you even vomited this morning. It must be because you talked with that Zhou family lady for too long yesterday and caught a chill!" The "Zhou family lady" he mentioned was none other than Chun Tao, who was now married and the wife of Zhou Juren. Chun Tao was sentimental and often visited with newly made pastries or little trinkets for An'an. Yesterday, she had indeed spent half a day talking with Shen Yuewei in the warm pavilion.
"What does this have to do with Chuntao?" Shen Yuewei said helplessly, her jealousy was truly boundless.
"How can it be irrelevant?" Xiao Chengjing said matter-of-factly, pinching her palm as punishment with his fingertips. "As soon as she arrived, Weiqing only talked to her, leaving her husband standing aside, and even ate the preserved plums she brought! Weiqing didn't even peel lotus seeds for her husband!" His tone was exactly like that of a neglected big child.
Shen Yuewei was amused by his unreasonable jealousy, but the feeling of annoyance in her chest intensified, and she couldn't help but gag again, her brows furrowing.
Xiao Chengjing's expression changed instantly. His previous jealousy and domineering attitude were replaced by worry. He tightened his arms around her, his voice trembling: "Weiqing! What happened? Don't hide it from me! Chunxing! Go and fetch Doctor Li! Quickly!"
At Prince Jing's command, the entire Shen residence sprang into action. Before long, the esteemed and respected Doctor Li, with his white hair and beard, was invited to the warm pavilion in the main courtyard. Shen's parents, Shen Wenbai, and Lin Qingwan also rushed over upon hearing the news, their faces filled with concern.
Inside the warm pavilion, the brocade curtains hung low. Shen Yuewei leaned against soft pillows, a silk handkerchief draped over her wrist. Doctor Li intently took her pulse, his graying eyebrows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing. Xiao Chengjing sat on the edge of the bed, tightly holding Shen Yuewei's other hand, his gaze fixed on the old doctor, his handsome face tense, as if awaiting a verdict.
Time seemed to stand still. Finally, Doctor Li withdrew his hand, a relieved smile spreading across his wrinkled face. He bowed to the anxious crowd, especially the nearly frantic Prince Jing, and said, "Congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations, Madam! Congratulations, Master Shen and Madam Shen! Madam is pregnant! Her pulse is smooth and flowing, like pearls rolling on a plate; it's been over two months!"
"A pregnancy test?!"
"Two months?!"
"Very good!"
The warm pavilion erupted in excitement! Mother Shen was the first to burst into tears of joy, clasping her hands together and repeatedly chanting, "Amitabha! Buddha, please bless us! Bodhisattva, please bless us!" Father Shen was also so excited his beard trembled, slapping his thigh forcefully, "Great! Great! A joyous occasion! A truly great occasion!"
Xiao Chengjing froze, as if stunned by a tremendous surprise. He stared blankly at Shen Yuewei, then at Doctor Li, his phoenix eyes initially filled with disbelief and confusion, which then melted away like ice, replaced by a surge of overwhelming joy! The joy was so intense that it almost overflowed from his eyes! He suddenly stood up, but was at a loss for what to do. He wanted to hug Shen Yuewei but was afraid of hurting her. In the end, he could only carefully take her hand and press it against his face, his voice trembling with disbelief and immense joy: "Weiqing... Weiqing! We have a child! We have another child!"
Looking at his distraught state and listening to his incoherent words, Shen Yuewei was filled with mixed emotions, a bittersweet feeling. She gently stroked her still flat belly, where their new child was quietly growing. She remembered the day of the baby's first birthday celebration, and the suggestive whisper in his ear. It turned out that everything had been foreshadowed all along.
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