“Who’s there?!” Bai Qingyan’s breathing became somewhat rapid.
“Elder Sister…”
Upon hearing this voice, Bai Qingyan’s spine stiffened.
“Elder Sister…”
The black shadow walked down two more steps, its outline gradually becoming clearer. It was Bai Qingyu, covered in blood from head to toe.
“Yu!” Bai Qingyan widened her eyes, her scalp tingling with tension.
The jade ornament on Bai Qingyu’s head had fallen off, his hair was disheveled and matted with blood that was nearly dried, his armor was full of arrows, and blood flowed from Bai Qingyu’s silver armor onto the stone steps, flowing to Bai Qingyan’s feet…
“Elder Sister, save me!”
After Bai Qingyu spoke, he spat out fresh blood and fell forward stiffly…
“Yu!” Bai Qingyan heard Bai Qingyu’s hoarse voice and dropped the Shooting Sun Bow, taking three steps in two to catch Bai Qingyu, but grasped only air and stumbled and fell on the steps herself.
She suddenly opened her eyes: “Yu!”
“A’Bao!”
Xiao Rongyan, sitting beside the bed, looked tense as his hands gripped Bai Qingyan’s shoulders.
Bai Qingyan, covered in cold sweat, saw clearly that it was Xiao Rongyan’s deep and handsome features before her, and sighed in relief…
Even though she had known she was dreaming, thinking of seeing Bai Qingyu covered in blood in the dream made her scalp tighten.
“Had a nightmare?” Xiao Rongyan used a warm cloth to wipe the sweat from Bai Qingyan’s forehead. Seeing that Bai Qingyan wanted to sit up, he quickly helped her up and placed a round pillow behind her back. “Don’t be afraid, it was just a dream!”
Yes, just a dream…
Yu was perfectly fine at Yecheng Pass right now.
“How did you get here?” Bai Qingyan took the cloth from Xiao Rongyan’s hand and wiped her neck.
Today is the fifteenth day. Since I couldn’t accompany you on New Year’s Eve, it’s been weighing on my mind.” Xiao Rongyan set aside the cloth Bai Qingyan had used to wipe her neck, took her hand, and gently stroked her abdomen. “Is the child still well-behaved? Not being naughty…”
Bai Qingyan looked down at her abdomen, her expression showing the faintest smile: “Very well-behaved.”
After recovering her composure, Bai Qingyan noticed that Xiao Rongyan’s eyes were bloodshot and he had lost considerable weight, making his facial features even more defined.
“You didn’t need to rush over here…” She looked down at her hand intertwined with Xiao Rongyan’s, gently stroking it with her thumb a few times, then looked up at him. “Instead of rushing here, you might as well have slept more. There are still several cities to attack ahead.”
“The spoils from Liuxiang Mountain have been distributed. This time I came with your Great Zhou’s An Qingshan. Mainly, the matter of merging our two countries should also be prepared. You and I should discuss and come up with a plan, so we can send a letter to little Li, letting him prepare. It’s also convenient to coordinate with you about how Yan and Zhou should cooperate in the upcoming battles!” After Xiao Rongyan finished speaking, he looked at Bai Qingyan with a smile, without mentioning what coordination was needed or how the upcoming battles should be fought.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Bai Qingyan pressed, “How does your Yan Kingdom plan to fight the upcoming battles?”
“Doesn’t A’Bao miss me? Upon meeting, you only ask about the war situation and don’t ask how I’m doing?” Xiao Rongyan moved closer to Bai Qingyan, lowering his voice as his dark, deep eyes gazed intently at her. “Don’t you ask if I’m well?”
She was taken aback, then couldn’t help but laugh. She adjusted her sitting position, still holding Murong Yan’s hand without letting go, her eyes sparkling: “How can you turn the tables like this? It was you who came and said you wanted to coordinate, talking about how to fight the upcoming battles. How did it become my fault?”
As soon as she finished speaking, she was suddenly kissed by Xiao Rongyan.
Outside the window came Wei Zhong’s soft instructions to the servants to move more quietly, while in her ears was the rustling sound of the silk quilt as Xiao Rongyan drew near, and the restrained light footsteps of servants outside.
She panicked, reaching out to push him away, but Xiao Rongyan caught her wrist, his calloused fingers gently stroking her delicate wrist.
The familiar scent surrounded her, making her heart race.
Xiao Rongyan only gave her a light, gentle kiss before releasing her lips, quietly gazing at his beloved whom he missed every moment, watching her ears turn red, his gaze falling on the corner of her mouth.
He cupped Bai Qingyan’s face and pressed his burning lips down again.
This time, it wasn’t a gentle kiss. His breath forcefully invaded her heart and lungs.
“Is Young Miss still sleeping?”
Shen Qingzhu’s voice came, and Bai Qingyan quickly turned her head away, controlling her breathing as she said: “Qingzhu is here…”
Though they were already married, seeing Bai Qingyan still afraid of being caught in her shy manner, Xiao Rongyan couldn’t help but chuckle softly: “Don’t worry, Wei Zhong is guarding outside and won’t let anyone else in.”
As soon as Xiao Rongyan finished speaking, Bai Qingyan indeed saw Wei Zhong through the window lattice walking down the corridor, smiling as he spoke to Shen Qingzhu: “His Majesty fought such a battle while pregnant, and hasn’t rested much since. Let His Majesty sleep well for a while!”
Shen Qingzhu looked at the black lacquered tray containing the pregnancy-preserving medicine she had just prepared for Bai Qingyan.
“Miss Qingzhu, please give the medicine to this old servant! This old servant will have someone keep it warm over low heat, so His Majesty can drink it when he wakes up.” Wei Zhong quickly took the black lacquered tray from Shen Qingzhu’s hands, then quietly instructed her, “Miss Qingzhu, you’re not made of iron either. Go rest quickly! If you collapse, who will protect our Majesty?”
Shen Qingzhu nodded, instructed Wei Zhong to take good care of Bai Qingyan, then went to rest…
These past few days, however long Bai Qingyan had gone without sleep, Shen Qingzhu had also gone without sleep for the same duration. When Bai Qingyan lay down, she didn’t feel comfortable letting others handle Bai Qingyan’s pregnancy medicine, so she supervised it. By now, she was extremely exhausted.
“Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Wei!” After Shen Qingzhu spoke, she bowed to Wei Zhong and withdrew.
Xiao Rongyan’s expression carried a smile, seeming quite pleased as he glanced at Bai Qingyan, then lightly pecked her lips again. As he spoke, his warm breath swept across Bai Qingyan’s nose, making it tingle: “You don’t even trust your people, hmm?”
Don’t trust…
Bai Qingyan had always held some reservations about Wei Zhong precisely because… she didn’t completely trust him, yet was willing to believe in him.
Perhaps this was related to the fact that Wei Zhong had once followed Grandmother, and while she and Grandmother shared the same goals, their positions weren’t entirely aligned.
Wei Zhong was a very dutiful and loyal person. When he followed Grandmother, he was utterly loyal to her. Following her… even knowing she held reservations about him, he was still willing to stay by her side, fulfilling his duty.
Perhaps it was time for Bai Qingyan to change her view of Wei Zhong.
“What are you thinking about?” Xiao Rongyan pressed his forehead against Bai Qingyan’s, nudging her as if in punishment, then kissed the corner of her mouth. “We haven’t seen each other for half a month, and finally we meet, yet you’re spacing out in front of me? Do you miss me so little? Hmm?”