"Nickname?"
Xiao Che savored this novel term, as if he had discovered a new continent he had never seen before, his eyes sparkling with intense interest. As an emperor, he had been exposed to the strictest rules and the most solemn etiquette since childhood. His name was a symbol recorded in the family genealogy and proclaimed to the world. How could he have imagined that there could be such a light and intimate way of addressing someone?
He looked at Lin Wanwan and felt that his empress could always bring him surprises from unexpected angles that were enough to overturn his preconceived notions.
“Exactly.” Seeing his interest, Lin Wanwan smiled and continued to explain, “This nickname doesn’t need to be based on classical texts or have a profound meaning. It just needs to sound friendly and be easy to pronounce.”
Xiao Che stroked his chin, lost in thought.
Friendly, easy to pronounce...
This was much harder than quoting classical texts. Countless powerful and majestic words flashed through his mind, but none of them could be associated with "friendly and lovable".
Lin Wanwan couldn't help but smile as she watched him deep in thought. Her pregnancy symptoms had recently subsided, her appetite had increased, and she had gained a lot of weight. Her cheeks were flushed with a healthy blush, which added to her charmingly naive appearance.
She reached out and touched her already prominent belly, where their baby lived peacefully, round and plump, like a little snowball nestled in her arms. Then, she pinched the extra soft flesh on her cheek, feeling its tender touch.
She suddenly smiled mischievously, winked at Xiao Che, and suggested, "Your Majesty, do I look like a chubby little dumpling now?"
Xiao Che's gaze followed her movements, landing on her round cheeks and belly, a hint of tenderness unconsciously appearing in his eyes. He thought she was perfect as she was, healthy and adorable, and nodded subconsciously upon hearing this.
“In that case,” Lin Wanwan’s smile grew even brighter, “how about we name the baby ‘Tuanzi’?”
"Dumplings?"
Xiao Che's gentle expression froze instantly, and his brows furrowed into a deep frown, as if he had heard something shocking.
"Nonsense!" He rejected it on the spot almost without thinking. "My imperial son and grandson, the future crown prince, the princess of Liang, how can she be given a food name as her nickname? It's so soft and lacks any dignity, what kind of behavior is that!"
He looked serious and solemn, as if Lin Wanwan's suggestion was not an affectionate nickname, but an absurd proposal that could shake the very foundations of the nation.
Lin Wanwan had anticipated his reaction and secretly glanced at the emoji area above his head.
Sure enough, a fierce internal storm had already broken out there.
A cute cartoon character stands with his hands on his hips, shaking his head frantically, with a line of bold, blood-red characters floating behind him, as if protesting with all his might.
【No! Too cute! It doesn't suit my domineering nature! .gif】
Lin Wanwan chuckled inwardly. This emperor truly had an almost obsessive, straight-male pursuit of the word "domineering."
She didn't argue with him. Dealing with this kind of hypocritical man, a direct confrontation is useless; you have to use the "boiling frog" method, letting him unknowingly fall for it.
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty is right. I was not thoughtful enough." She readily agreed, without the slightest dissatisfaction on her face. Instead, she reached out and stroked her belly, and in a voice that only she could hear, she murmured softly and with a smile, "Little dumpling, did you hear that? Your father is disgusted with you."
Seeing how "obedient" she was, Xiao Che's displeasure vanished instantly. He nodded in satisfaction and resumed his grand undertaking of devising a "powerful nickname" for his child.
However, what he didn't know was that a subtle and pervasive "brainwashing" campaign targeting him had already quietly begun.
From that day on, the nickname "Little Dumpling" became a tender secret within the Kunning Palace.
When Lin Wanwan wakes up in the morning, she whispers to her belly, "Good morning, little dumpling."
When she reads in the afternoon, she will turn the pages and say, "Little dumpling, Mother will read you one more page before we go have lunch."
During her evening walks, she would look down at her steps and say with a smile, "Little dumpling, shall we walk a few more steps today?"
Xiao Che initially tried to correct her, sternly saying, "You're not allowed to call me that," but Lin Wanwan would always smile and agree, only to turn around and call him that again. He said it a few times, but seeing that she still did as she pleased, and that he was just like a grumpy old man who couldn't stop arguing, he simply stopped caring and pretended not to hear.
However, he himself did not realize that the soft and sweet "little dumpling" had already taken root in his heart like the most entwined vine.
A few days later, Xiao Che continued to handle memorials in his study in Kunning Palace as usual. He liked the atmosphere there; with her by his side, even just hearing her soft breathing made him feel at ease.
Lin Wanwan was reclining on a soft couch not far away, reading a storybook while secretly popping a piece of osmanthus cake, a new gift from the imperial kitchen, into her mouth. She had been craving sweets lately, but Xiao Che always used the imperial physician's words to control her, not allowing her to eat too many sweets.
Xiao Che was reviewing a memorial concerning border defense affairs, his brows furrowed. He subconsciously looked up to see what Lin Wanwan was doing, and just then he saw her adorable face, her cheeks puffed out like a little hamster stealing food.
His seriousness was instantly replaced by helplessness and doting, and the admonitory words almost slipped out of his mouth.
"Xiao Tuan, your mother is secretly eating snacks again. You mustn't imitate her..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the air in the entire study seemed to freeze.
Xiao Che's hand, holding the vermilion brush, froze in mid-air.
Lin Wanwan stopped holding the half-eaten osmanthus cake.
Time seemed to have been paused.
Xiao Che's mind went blank. He slowly turned his head, inch by inch, to look at Lin Wanwan, his eyes filled with disbelief.
What...what did he just say?
Dumplings?
He actually called it "Tuanzi"?!
Lin Wanwan stared at his stunned expression, as if struck by lightning, for a moment before realizing what he meant. She couldn't hold back any longer, covering her mouth with her handkerchief, her shoulders beginning to tremble violently and silently. Her beautiful phoenix eyes were filled with barely suppressed laughter.
"puff……"
A very soft laugh seemed to light a fuse, instantly causing Xiao Che's cheeks to flush red rapidly, starting from his ears.
In all his years, he had never experienced such an embarrassing moment.
This was even more frustrating than being pressured by senior officials in the imperial court to "give birth"!
"Cough!" Xiao Che coughed heavily, trying to cover up his lapse in composure with the sound. He straightened his face, pretending to be calm, and turned his gaze back to the memorial, but his eyes could not focus.
Lin Wanwan chuckled to herself, finding his already bright red ears, yet his attempt to maintain composure, utterly adorable.
Feeling her undisguised, smiling gaze, Xiao Che felt his face burn even hotter. He cleared his throat and, in an extremely stiff tone, forced himself to save face:
"I...I just wanted to get you used to it, so you won't call me by the wrong name in the future."
He spoke with such seriousness, as if it were a thoughtful and considerate gesture made for his wife's sake.
However, Lin Wanwan clearly saw that above his forcedly serious face, the area that belonged to his meme-worthy expressions had already completely "betrayed" him.
There floated a round, chubby cartoon figure, cradling a plump, steaming rice ball in its arms, rubbing its cheek against it repeatedly, showering it with kisses. The figure's eyes were narrowed into happy crescent moons, surrounded by pink heart-shaped bubbles.
Below that heartwarming and adorable picture was a line of sparkling, affectionate text.
[My little dumpling, so cute.jpg]
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