Mu Houchu, in a slightly awkward manner, received the child from her hands. His usual cold demeanor warmed ever so slightly. Looking at this tiny creature in his arms, he had mixed feelings.
He was overjoyed and moved. She gave birth to his child, a lovely girl, so obedient and adorable.
Yet he was also annoyed and regretful. During her most painful moments, he wasn’t by her side, causing her to worry and distress.
All these emotions mixed together, now seeing this little child, the love in his eyes deepened.
The little one who knew nothing yet, stayed calm, biting her fingers as she curiously watched this cold-hearted man. She didn’t seem frightened at all, just blinking at him.
"I will go in and see her." Mu Houchu carried the child and headed inside.
Only then Song Xi said, "Then I will take my leave."
Xiao Bei relaxed now, feeling that everything was turning for the better. The atmosphere lightened a lot, so he happily volunteered to see off the guest.
Inside the room.
Xin He was still in a deep sleep. Her paleness hadn’t yet returned to normal. The previous night had already worn her out. With her eyes closed, she seemed as lifeless as a doll.
Mu Houchu carried the child and sat by the bed. It was as if the child knew that her mother was tired and needed some rest, she didn’t make any noise and just lay quietly.
Mu Houchu lightly stroked her pale face and softly said, "I’m sorry."
The escape from the mountain had been dangerous, with two groups keen to take his life. Once escaped, he rushed back as fast as he could. Despite his efforts, he failed to make it in time for the child’s birth. This forced her to face the hardship and helplessness alone.
Mu Houchu truly felt remorse for not being there for her.
Fortunately, everything turned out fine. She was safe, and the child was born without any issues. He had never felt so emotionally invested in something in all his life, his heart was filled with a paradoxical mix of anxiety and gratitude.
Only when he saw the safety of her and the baby did his heart finally ease. What remains was deep guilt and pity.
He heard that she suffered from labor pains the entire night. How did she bear all that pain, considering she was someone who hated to suffer?
Mu Houchu sighed and stayed by her bed, his heart calming at the sight of her sleeping face.
Xiaoyu came in quietly and whispered, "Master, why don’t you take a rest? Madam just fell asleep; she seems quite exhausted. She probably won’t wake up for quite some time. Let me take care of Madam and the young master. The young master seems tired too."
Mu Houchu handed the child over to her. "Take good care of the young master and let him sleep, you are dismissed."
Xiaoyu hesitated but eventually nodded, carrying the child out of the room.
Mu Houchu just sat by Xin he’s bed. He didn’t move for hours, until in the late afternoon, when Ji Xinhe started to gain consciousness.
Her eyelashes quivered ever so slightly. Mu Houchu immediately held her hand and gently inquired, "Are you awake now?"
Xin He weakly opened her eyes, struggling to recognize the man in front of her.
"Xin He, it’s me, I’m back," murmured Mu Houchu softly.
Xin He instantly became alert, her eyes filled with a whirlpool of complex emotions. As soon as she saw him, she threw herself into his arms and began to cry with the innocence of a child.
But, Mu Houchu just quietly held her, whispering, "I’m sorry."
Xin He cried in his arms for a long time, seemingly relieving herself of the emotions that she had held back for so many days. When he was not by her side, she felt that not even crying was an option. She feared that her sadness, insecurity, and fear would affect their child. She tried to suppress her emotions to avoid disrupting others.
She had been shouldering a lot lately, especially during the childbirth; a whole night of pain had exhausted her. All the while she kept thinking, about what if she could not make it till he returned?
But despite her fears and anxiety, she kept pushing, and the moment she saw the child, she was drained of all energy. Upon seeing Mu Houchu, she was filled with regret and feelings of being wronged.
No matter how resilient, she was still a woman. It seemed that only in front of him she could let her guard down, becoming a little woman, even crying in his arms.
Mu Houchu was troubled by her crying, empathy, and guilt clouding his determined gaze. He gently patted her back, promising, "don’t cry, I will never leave you again, okay?"
After a while, Xin He seemed to have poured out all her pent-up emotions. Mu Houchu sensed this and patiently waited for her to calm down before wiping her face with a handkerchief.
With tears welling up in her eyes, Xin He choked out, "How did you come back? Why are there rumors of your death outside?"
Remembering everything about the raid on the bandit’s den, Mu Houchu’s eyes became icy cold. "If the rumor of my death didn’t come out, how would I have made it back today?"
Xin He blinked, her heart tightened, "What really happened?"
"Before I went up the mountain, I had people look into the situation there. It seemed that the Emperor wanted me to go up the mountain, so he could kill the bandits and me together. Once the situation got chaotic, they could say that I was killed by bandits. I found some fire starters on the mountain. Probably, their plan was to set the mountain on fire if necessary, to make sure I did not return alive" Mu Houchu said coldly.
Xin He was angry, "That’s beyond disgraceful! The Emperor didn’t dare to kill you openly due to public opinion, so he could only resort to such despicable means. Making you die by the hands of his officials and framing the bandits for it, he is even more deceitful than the bandits in the mountains!"
Mu Houchu lifted his lips in a sarcastic smile, "Don’t you know these people in power? What noble means do you expect them to use? The benevolence they show on the surface is always the most deceitful. The silent struggle for power is the most terrifying. If I had died on the mountain today, perhaps, the emperor would have given me a grand funeral and even bestowed posthumous honors, just to display his righteousness. After all, a dead man can’t pose any threat."
Listening to him, Xin He felt disgusted, and worriedly asked,"Then how did you come back?"
"I made a plan to fake my death, and used the chaos to infiltrate the bandit’s lair alone. I negotiated terms with the bandit leader." Mu Houchu curved the corner of his mouth, "If I helped them to survive this disaster, they should lend a helping hand."
Xin He widened her eyes in surprise, "My lord, I think the emperor is not as cunning as you."
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