Chapter 82 (End of main text)...
Upon learning of Xue Mingyao's pregnancy, Xie Zhuo was quite at a loss, staring blankly at her. His mature and composed general demeanor had vanished without a trace, and he resembled the bewildered young Xie Qinglang after being forcibly kissed by her.
Xue Mingyao chuckled inwardly as she watched him pace back and forth in the room a few times, looking somewhat anxious, before finally lying down on the bed next to her, reaching under the covers to carefully touch her stomach.
Xue Mingyao laughed at his silliness, "What kind of noise could you possibly make in the dead of night?"
Xie Zhuo didn't care. Even if he couldn't find it, he would still put his hand there, as if it had some special significance.
"Why didn't you tell me about something this big sooner?" he asked.
I wanted to tell you in person, to give you a surprise.
Moreover, it is said that the fetus is unstable in the first three months of pregnancy, and Xue Mingyao did not want to disappoint him.
She smiled sweetly at him, "Although we haven't talked about this, you must be looking forward to having children, right?"
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Xie Zhuo paused, then said in a low voice, “Back in Xichuan, I…”
His voice gradually faded into the distance, probably because he was too embarrassed to say it aloud.
Xue Mingyao seemed to have caught him by the tail and said loudly, "Who are you trying to fool? Didn't you say back then that if I were pregnant with your child, you'd rather be dead?"
“That was at the beginning,” Xie Zhuo said in a muffled voice. “Later, I wasn’t so resolute.”
In his second year at the princess's residence, absurd thoughts began to sprout in his mind like weeds, tripping him up from time to time. He was both panicked and self-loathing, forcing himself to purify his heart and uproot the filth, but of course, it was all in vain.
"I've also thought that if you and I really had a child, it would probably be very beautiful, but its temperament would probably be like yours, a little devil."
"You're complaining about my temper again?" Xue Mingyao slapped his hand, pretending to be angry. "Actually, you have quite a temper too."
“You’re right,” Xie Zhuo said in agreement. “Before I met you, I always thought I was a good-tempered person. Now that I think about it, I didn’t understand myself at all.”
Xue Mingyao chuckled, "It's okay, I just like your stubbornness."
If it were some spineless young man who would fawn over her with the slightest provocation, she would have gotten tired of him long ago.
“Me too,” Xie Zhuo said seriously, “I also like your temper.”
"You don't need to coax me like this, do you? You were scolding me just a few months ago." Xue Mingyao has come to terms with it now and said frankly, "If you think I have a bad temper, then so be it, I don't mind."
Xie Zhuo nestled her in his arms, saying, "The fact that you can say such things to me shows that you're definitely not a bad person."
All that hatred he felt before stemmed from the fact that she didn't love him.
How could he have ever truly disliked her?
Without a willful, domineering, and unfaithful Xue Mingyao forcibly taking him away, their relationship would not have come about.
Xue Mingyao felt comfortable with his compliments, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. Then she heard the man say in a low voice, "And every time you lose your temper, it arouses... that kind of desire in me. So when I say I like your temper, it's not a lie."
ah?
Xue Mingyao looked at him with disbelief, "Xie Zhuo, you're so strange!"
Xie Zhuo chuckled softly, gently stroking her lower abdomen with his palm. His emotions were still surging. He said, "And that time when you didn't know my identity and made up a son to scare me, I really wished it was true. Even if you have no feelings for me, having a child would still create a connection between us, and you wouldn't forget me."
"You're so silly, how could I forget you?" Xue Mingyao felt a pang of sadness and held his hand. "We'll be connected soon, and from now on, you won't only have me as your family in the world."
"Mmm," Xie Zhuo kissed her forehead solemnly, "Yaoyao, thank you."
"Go to sleep and take good care of yourself." He helped her close her eyelids.
Xue Mingyao was reluctant to part with him, "But you're going back tomorrow, and I want to take advantage of the time to talk to you more."
"I won't be going back tomorrow. I'll stay with you for a few more days," Xie Zhuo said decisively.
"Hmm?" Xue Mingyao blinked at him. "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? You're a general, after all. Doesn't this count as dereliction of duty?"
"We haven't left Xichuan yet, so it's fine. Besides, the war is over, and there are only some clean-up tasks left. Even without me, the people below can handle it."
Xue Mingyao chuckled softly, "You're quite willful too."
......
So Xie Zhuo stayed in Yuzhou for a few days before hurriedly riding back to camp to handle matters and make sure he returned to the capital as soon as possible. Otherwise, if Xue Mingyao's belly grew bigger, the bumpy journey would cause trouble. During this time, he was worried about Xue Mingyao and made several night trips to see her, going through all this for more than half a month, but he never tired of it.
Fortunately, the date for returning to Beijing was quickly set. Before setting off, Xue Mingyao said that she wanted to take advantage of this rare trip to Xichuan to visit her old house in Shengzhou.
Xie Zhuo was a little worried, "You're pregnant, and the journey will be tiring and bumpy, it's not good for you."
"I'm perfectly healthy, it's fine. Besides, the journey back to Beijing will be tiring anyway, so I'll just consider it a good start to getting used to it."
Xue Mingyao insisted repeatedly, and Xie Zhuo also wanted to go back and take a look, so he agreed. The two traveled by carriage for a whole day and arrived at the princess's residence in Shengzhou.
This house was meticulously built by a high-ranking official upon his retirement and return to his hometown. It was a charming place with elegant pavilions and terraces. Several years later, Xue Mingyao took a liking to it and had Cen Zongjing buy it. Before leaving Xichuan, she originally intended to sell the house, but Shengzhou was a small place, and the house was in high demand but not readily available. She couldn't find a buyer for a while, so she gave up and the house remained vacant for the past few years.
Now I'm thankful that I didn't sell the house.
The servants, who had been sent in advance, cleaned the house. Xie Zhuo, holding Xue Mingyao's hand, strolled slowly from the main gate, entering and exiting the house one by one. A sense of familiarity washed over them; the old scenes seemed just as they had always been.
Under the rose trellis, green vines swayed gently in the spring sunlight. While Xie Qinglang read a book under the trellis, Xue Mingyao lay asleep on his lap.
In the square courtyard, there was a well in the corner with a windlass. Several green plum trees were planted beside it, blooming and fading. She built a snow lion here, and Xie Qinglang recited poems about green plums. When they argued, she threw snowballs at him, causing the green plums to fall in a flurry.
There was also the bedroom where she and Xie Qinglang often played around, with tables, beds, and chairs, all as vivid as yesterday. Xue Mingyao glanced at it casually and remembered what they had said and done there.
“I remember tying you up here—” she pointed to a bedpost, “and stripping you naked.”
"She looks just like a female bandit." Xie Zhuo smiled.
That's what you said back then!
Xie Zhuo chuckled softly and sat down on the couch where Xue Mingyao had taken his virginity. "After the child is born and a little older, we'll come here for a short stay and tell him how we met."
"Don't you feel embarrassed?" Xue Mingyao asked with a smile.
Xie Zhuo was quite frank, "I should feel proud that I could win the heart of the dignified Princess Yongning at first sight and use all sorts of tricks to seize her."
Xue Mingyao touched her nose. "It sounds like I've lost face."
Xie Zhuo squeezed her hand, "If you dare to do it, you should dare to take responsibility."
Xue Mingyao gave him a reproachful look, "But you really have the time to come to Xichuan with us in the future. Your courage in resisting Wuxi this time will surely earn you a promotion when we return. It's incredible, General Xie will soon be all-powerful."
"No," Xie Zhuo shook his head. "That kind of life isn't for me. I'd rather lead troops to garrison Xichuan, or become a civil official. Actually, I sometimes have thoughts of retiring, but it's too young to retire now."
He chuckled as he said this, as if even he himself found his words absurd.
Xue Mingyao didn't laugh. She gazed at him with a hint of pity in her eyes. "You really don't like being a general."
He wasn't even very interested in becoming an official.
"What's wrong, Yaoyao?" Xie Zhuo felt that her tone was a bit off and looked at her with confusion.
"It's nothing, it's just that I feel a little sad every time I think about how much unnecessary suffering you endured to marry me. We could have been together much earlier, but we've wasted so many years," Xue Mingyao said sullenly.
Xie Zhuo said gently, "How can you say it's unnecessary? Besides, I don't think it's bitter. Joining the army may not be the path I like, but it's the only way to get to you. During those years in the military, whenever I encountered difficulties, the thought that I could get closer to you after getting through them filled me with strength."
He thought for a moment, “You asked me before if I would choose to stay after the two-year term is up. Actually, my answer is no. Yaoyao, I not only want to stay with you, but I also want to stay with you openly and honestly. So I want to keep moving up, to reach the same level as you, to stand openly and honestly by your side, to let your family approve of us, and to let the world think that we are a good match.”
"Yaoyao, I don't want you to suffer any injustice."
After he finished speaking, Xue Mingyao was already in tears.
Xie Zhuo reached out and wiped away her tears, smiling helplessly, "Why are you crying all of a sudden?"
“These are tears of joy,” Xue Mingyao sobbed. “I have such good taste; I fell in love with the most principled man in the world who loves me the most.”
Xie Zhuo gazed deeply at her. It had been almost nine years since their first meeting. Twenty-six-year-old Xue Mingyao had become more charming and experienced than she had been at seventeen, but the burning passion for him in her eyes remained as fresh as ever, breaking through layers of constraints and enveloping him passionately time and time again.
He went to kiss her.
"Yaoyao, thank you for making me into this kind of man."
(End of text)
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Author's Note: The story is complete!
Thank you to all the readers who have followed the series! The story of Yaoyao and Xiao Xie in the main story has come to an end. I'll be taking a two-day break and will start updating the side stories on December 24th. The side stories will include Yaoyao and Xiao Xie's past in Xichuan, their loving daily life in the current timeline, and the swapping of Xie Qinglang and Xie Zhuo as suggested by a reader. I plan to update the side stories every other day or every two days, with each chapter being quite long. The update time will still be 9 PM. [droopy-eared rabbit head]
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