Chapter 76 Breastfeeding
Inside the military camp outside Qingzhou City, a bustling scene unfolded.
Soldiers carried arrows and provisions, the sounds of horses' hooves and the scraping of metal mingling together.
A new recruit, noticing the unusually large number of equipment vehicles, couldn't help but grab a passing captain and ask, "Boss, what's all this fuss about today? Is something wrong?"
The captain, without stopping, dusted off his armor and answered loudly with a calm expression: "The Marquis of Yongding and his son are conducting their routine inspection of the troops, just like always. Keep your spirits up and get to work!"
The new recruits all nodded in agreement.
The captain turned around, his gaze sweeping across the direction of the central command tent not far away, where figures were gathered, exuding an unusually chilling aura.
Meanwhile, dozens of miles away in Qingzhou City, high walls effectively blocked out all the noise, and the orange-red sunset lazily shone into the windows, casting warm patches of light on the ground.
On the carpet, two chubby, fair-skinned babies clumsily crawled and walked, using the two people sitting on the carpet as a climbing frame. Sometimes they stepped on each other's legs to reach the baby's neck, and sometimes they went around to the sides to grab the baby's hair, like two lively animals.
Yuezhi and Pei Heng sat facing each other, looking at them tenderly, their eyes overflowing with happiness.
Pei Heng took out a pile of crudely sewn cloth dolls from the wooden box. They were all his handiwork. Although they were a bit ugly, the fabric and stuffing were of the best quality. Even if a child put them in their mouth and chewed on them, it wouldn't hurt them.
The two children loved the oddly shaped plush toys. As soon as he put them on the carpet, they started fighting over them, one after the other.
Yunxi was active and strong, and Yanqing could never catch her. He was neither angry nor cried. He would hug his favorite one and walk around Pei Heng and Yuezhi. When he got tired, he would climb on his back. Yunxi chased him around twice but couldn't catch him, so he gave up.
The two little ones were adorable and healthy. Pei Heng smiled and looked at Yue Zhi, who was no more than two arm's lengths away, and asked in a low voice, "What... are their names?"
Yuezhi was straightening Yunxi's disheveled clothes when she heard this, and answered softly without stopping.
"The older brother's name is Yan Qing, the Yan Qing of 'river clear and sea calm.' The younger sister's name is Yun Xi, the Yun of 'clouds rolling and unrolling,' and the Xi of 'joyful.'"
“Yan Qing, Yun Xi…” Pei Heng murmured the two names, a surge of joy rising in his heart, as if at this moment, he had truly established a relationship with the two children.
After the initial joy, a wave of pain washed over him. He paused for a moment, then asked with heartache, "Back then... when you gave birth to them, was it especially painful?"
Yuezhi's fingers, which were combing her clothes, paused slightly.
With her eyelashes drooping slightly, she wanted to change the subject, but she couldn't tell her two friends who hadn't given birth about the pain of childbirth. Su Jingyun was a doctor, and after all, he was a man. Moreover, he had seen countless seriously injured people. Compared to those with broken legs and arms, what was giving birth to a child?
She sighed softly, "Back then, I thought I was going to die from the pain, like my body was being torn apart. But after giving birth to one, I had another, and I almost fainted from the pain."
Pei Heng frowned. His outstretched hand couldn't reach her, so it landed on the hem of her skirt that was scattered on the carpet and he clenched it in his palm.
"It's all my fault. It's all my fault for doing those terrible things that made you suffer so much."
"I really regret it. You have always been good to me, but I was never satisfied and lied to you again and again. I couldn't even be by your side when you gave birth. I am not human."
He lowered his head in shame, too ashamed to look at her.
After their reunion, he apologized and repented, but she always avoided the topic, drawing a line between them and building a high wall.
But at this moment, all the pain and estrangement were softened by the warmth of the present moment. When she looked at him, it was no longer a simple matter of love and hate, but a reflection on their past, with its good and bad, its separations and reunions. It was not something that could be simply summarized as right or wrong.
She patted her daughter's tummy and let her go play, then turned her serious gaze to Pei Heng and said in a solemn tone.
"Everyone has two sides. The reason you can achieve great things is because you have strategies, methods, and know how to calculate. This is part of you."
Pei Heng was stunned. He looked up at her, and the setting sun cast a soft halo around her profile, her face calm and gentle.
Yuezhi shifted her gaze and continued, "Besides, your parents... one is violent and aloof, the other is cold-hearted and heartless. No one taught you how to win someone's heart or how to love someone properly. You're just groping around based on instinct, so of course you'll stumble and fall along the way, and you're bound to make mistakes."
"Of course, I'm not without fault either. I don't have the courage to face you. You've taken care of me a lot over the past ten years. We're not really siblings. I shouldn't be so fixated on our established relationship and see things in such a black-and-white way."
She turned her head and met his somewhat surprised yet expectant gaze, and smiled faintly: "Fortunately, those things are in the past, and we can still sit together and talk like this."
"Pei Heng... I forgive you."
A few light words shattered the heavy burden in the young man's heart. Joy and sorrow welled up in his throat at the same time, and Pei Heng's eyes even became a little hot.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was light with relief: "Yuezhi, from childhood to adulthood, only you have had the patience to teach me so much. Cooking, laundry, taking care of myself, and having a kind heart towards others—you taught me all of these little by little."
After they resolved their misunderstandings and smiled, his gaze gradually deepened: "Later, when we grew up, we kissed, and had sex for the first time..."
He saw a blush creep up her ears and his tone softened, "And now, how to reflect on my mistakes and how to take care of the two little ones, I learned all of that with you."
The love in her words was like a warm breeze, making Yuezhi's face flush and her heart race, but she neither flinched nor refuted it.
Pei Heng, while seemingly protecting Yan Qing who was just learning to walk, secretly observed her expression.
Seeing that she did not resist, he reached out to reach a gold lock covered with golden bells next to her, and moved closer to her without her noticing.
Shaking the golden lock, the small bells made a crisp sound, attracting Yunxi's attention. She walked away from Yuezhi with a "ya ya" sound and went to reach for the golden lock.
Pei Heng took the opportunity to sit down next to Yue Zhi. Seeing that she was still sitting quietly in the same spot without moving away, his courage grew even stronger.
His tall, sturdy body seemed boneless, and with a playful air, he gently leaned on her shoulder.
"Huh?" Yuezhi was caught off guard and almost fell backward as he leaned on her.
Pei Heng chuckled softly, his arm, which had already reached behind her, firmly wrapped around her waist and pulled her into his embrace. With his other hand, he also took the two little ones into his arms.
Yuezhi gasped softly, pressing her cheek against his warm chest, and chuckled, "You're never still for a moment."
The two little ones were also held in Pei Heng's arms. Yunxi grinned with her little mouth, which only had a few milk teeth, and babbled. Her soft body quickly slipped out and got away. The obedient Yanqing, with her big, dark eyes, didn't stay still for long either. Soon, she and her sister, with her doll, laughed and "escaped" out.
Two pairs of eyes looked curiously at their parents who were embracing each other, as if in doubt, but then they saw their mother's face gradually turn red and she began to struggle slightly.
"Alright, alright, let go now, the child is watching."
Pei Heng pulled her even tighter, his chin gently brushing against the top of her head, and sighed contentedly, "Let them see, this is how their parents should be."
Perhaps it touched upon Yuezhi's long-forgotten memories of not having parents' love, for she nestled against Pei Heng's chest without resisting again, her face resting on the familiar warmth, looking at the two curious and adorable babies, her mind free of any other thoughts.
After enjoying a moment of peace, Yuezhi casually asked, "What are you going to do with the Yu family and Hu Yong?"
Pei Heng never shied away from discussing politics in front of her, and calmly said, "The ringleader must be punished, and the accomplices will be dealt with according to the law. Hu Yong has been sentenced to be executed in the autumn. The lives and filth that Yu Shao and his wife have on their hands are enough to make them die several times over."
He paused, his voice slightly lowered, "But behind them is the Sixth Prince. There must be many more bandits and merchants with ill intentions within the territory of Lizhou."
Yuezhi's heart tightened as well. The Sixth Prince had been entrenched in Lizhou for many years and was deeply rooted in the state, far surpassing the Yu family.
Pei Heng seemed to see through her worries, turned his gaze to the deepening twilight outside the window, and continued, "He has been operating in Lizhou for several years, and his followers are everywhere. If we send troops to arrest him directly, it will drive him to desperation and may even cause war, which will be a great loss to the people. I have already come up with a plan, and I will send people to set off tomorrow."
The capture of the nameless island took place on that stormy night, only a day ago. The docks were blocked when the official ships left the port and landed, so the news wouldn't spread so quickly, but he still had to hurry.
Yuezhi understood the meaning behind his words and couldn't help but admire him: "You always manage to come up with the most comprehensive solution."
Pei Heng turned his gaze back to her, looking at her intently, his voice tender: "I want to be a wise ruler, so that the world is at peace and the seas are calm and the rivers are clear. Only then can the people you care about and the land you love be truly free and secure."
How could Yuezhi not know?
If it weren't for his efforts to clean up the bureaucracy and suppress the bandits, how could she have survived these two years away from home? It's also thanks to his selection of capable ministers to govern Qingzhou that she was able to do business with peace of mind and live a good life.
Her heart felt as if it had been soaked in warm water, a tender and tingling sensation rising within her.
The two fell silent for a moment, only looking down at the child rolling and playing on the carpet.
Dusk had fallen outside the window, and candles were lit inside, creating a warm and tranquil atmosphere. However, Yuezhi keenly noticed that Pei Heng's gaze was falling on her more and more frequently.
His gaze was intense, filled with undisguised admiration and an indescribable, thick emotion, as if he were carefully tracing her features and lingering on the curves of her body, which had become even more voluptuous and alluring due to breastfeeding.
That gaze was not frivolous; it was filled with pure affection and infatuation, so intense it almost melted her.
Yuezhi felt her cheeks flush under his gaze and shifted slightly to the side, feeling a little uncomfortable. She took the child who came to her for a hug and said, "The children need to be fed. You should go back and do your work."
Pei Heng remained motionless, his gaze still fixed on her, his voice low and husky: "I didn't come to see you by stealing a moment of free time. It's already dark, a time for rest, I'm not busy at all."
They've practically been talking about "overnight stay" all the time.
Yuezhi held the two children in her arms, and as she listened to their rustling as they nuzzled closer to her, she felt even more embarrassed.
In front of her children, she is their mother, and feeding them is a matter of course. Even in front of the nanny, she doesn't feel uncomfortable. But now, a man is watching from the side.
It wasn't just anyone; it was someone she had been intimately acquainted with, someone who had even tasted the flavors of the children's lives... As she endured his gaze, she couldn't help but recall those many nights they had spent together on the island, and her chest tightened.
Before she could even ask him to leave, Pei Heng had already considerately pulled Yun Xi away from in front of her and held her in his arms.
In a casual tone: "They were playing very noisily this afternoon, and they're still quite energetic this time. I'll watch one of the children for you first, so that if they eat together too quickly, it won't hurt you."
After saying that, seeing her blushing and motionless, he teased her, "There aren't many candles lit, so I can't see clearly. If you're worried, I can turn my back?"
Despite saying that, he showed no intention of turning around. His eyes lingered on her face and then on her heart. When he saw Yan Qing struggling to find something to eat by pulling at her clothes, his eyes became urgent, as if he would come close to her and personally undress her at any moment.
Yuezhi couldn't reason with him, nor could she shoo him away. Helpless, she turned around, her back to him, and her fingers trembling slightly as she unbuttoned her clothes.
His clothes slipped down, revealing rounded shoulders and a small patch of smooth back.
She could clearly feel the gaze behind her instantly become even more intense, searing into her skin. She tried to ignore the unsettling stare, lowered her eyes, and pulled Yan Qing into her arms.
The child found food and began to suckle contentedly. The room was silent except for the soft sounds of swallowing.
Suddenly, Yuezhi felt a tightness on her shoulder as a warm forehead pressed gently against her back through her still-covering clothes.
Pei Heng held Yunxi in his arms. The mischievous child couldn't run away and could only bite his clothes with his teeth, which hadn't even grown in yet.
Yuezhi couldn't see what was behind her, but she could feel his hot breath, which clearly brushed against her spine through the thin fabric, bringing a slight shiver.
He leaned against her quietly, silence spreading in the air, his surging emotions flowing and fermenting silently.
After a long while, he swallowed hard, his deep voice carrying a hint of fervent pleading, mixed with the baby's babbling, and gently whispered in her ear.
"Yuezhi...can't you marry me?"
Yuezhi paused in her breastfeeding motion, her heart clenched, and she held her breath.
She did not answer, nor could she answer.
Pei Heng didn't expect to get an answer immediately. After all, making this choice, whether she accepted it or not, meant giving up some things that were hard to let go of.
He exhaled softly, propped himself up with one hand, rested his chin on her fair shoulder, softened his voice, and asked almost whispered in her ear, as if deliberately trying to please and coax her.
"Then... before I leave Qingzhou, let me spend some time with you, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Yuezhi bit her lip inwardly.
His voice was more captivating to her than the force of a baby nursing; she tried several times to find an excuse to refuse, but couldn't bring herself to speak.
Silence is consent.
The two of them worked together without saying a word. Yuezhi fed the two children, and Pei Heng called over the nannies from the side room. Together with the nannies, he took the children to the side room and put them to sleep, acting as naturally as the master of the house.
The nannies were puzzled to see a stranger in the room being so close to the two young masters, but Yuezhi didn't say anything, so they naturally didn't dare to ask any more questions.
Yuezhi straightened her clothes, the blush on her face not yet completely faded, and sat down in front of the dressing table, taking off her hair ornaments and earrings.
They turned to look at their usual bed, then went to remake it, put on a new sheet, and took a new pillow from the closet, placing the two pillows side by side at the head of the bed.
She asked a maid to bring two basins of hot water, washed her feet, changed into her nightgown, and tidied herself up. She then heard the door to the east room open and close, and footsteps approaching the door.
The door creaked shut, and before Yuezhi could turn around, she felt herself being lifted up from behind by Pei Heng.
His arms were strong and steady, his chest pressed against her back, and she could feel his rapid heartbeat and burning body temperature through her clothes. Yuezhi gasped and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
She glared at him reproachfully, then punched him on the shoulder with her fist. "What's the rush? Go and tidy yourself up first."
After saying that, she gestured for him to wash up with the basin of clean hot water before going to bed, but he lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead.
The young man chuckled: "I took a bath before I came, and I'm very clean."
Upon hearing this, Yuezhi was not laughing but angry, and said with shame and indignation, "I thought you came here because you missed your child and went through all the trouble to take care of him, but I didn't expect you to come for this."
Her legs dangled in the crook of his elbow, she struggled a little, then resignedly snorted: at this age, he's full of energy and hot-blooded, what more can you ask of him?
Pei Heng simply smiled and carried her step by step toward the soft bed in the inner room.
As he covered her with his body, his eyes were still bright and sparkling as he stared at her. "I was a little tempted when I saw the children eating so deliciously."
Yuezhi hugged her chest, looking into his clear eyes, and couldn't bear to scold him. She simply said, "Stop fooling around, there's none left."
"Even if I can't have it, it can still satisfy my craving." He smiled and buried his face in her soft curves, rubbing them against him until he was covered in her milky scent, overjoyed.
The young man's hands-on care was completely different from the feeling of a child eating and drinking haphazardly. Yuezhi groaned a few times, her hands weakly gripping his shoulders, unsure whether she wanted to push him away or hold him tighter.
I don't know where he learned these new tricks, but he takes even longer to satisfy his craving than to eat a piece of osmanthus candy. Sweet saliva overflows from the corner of his mouth, making her melt in his mouth like candy.
"Aheng, stop bullying me..." she gasped, her nightgown hanging down her sides as if soaked by rain.
The young man suppressed a soft "hmm," steadily silencing their increasingly loud voices. He pressed his large hand against her back, licked the milky scent lingering on his lips, and sighed contentedly.
She is the gentle spring, he is the passionate summer; when they collide, they create the endless plum rain season.
The damp rain irrigated the majestic mountains, bringing life to the landscape. The tender bamboo shoots that sprouted grew long and tall, and they needed to be picked in time, otherwise they would be tough and astringent, losing their good flavor.
It was impossible to tell who was tasting what, and the sounds of intimate embraces echoed everywhere.
Love spread throughout the house, growing into tangled vines that could not be torn apart, cut off, or separated.
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