Afraid of touching Xiao Rongyan’s freshly medicated wound, Bai Qingyan didn’t dare embrace his neck. She could only grip tightly the cotton ball in her hand, placing her hand on Xiao Rongyan’s shoulder, unable to summon any strength throughout her body.

They were both flesh and blood people, and with someone her heart truly favored, how could she resist Xiao Rongyan?

The longing for Xiao Rongyan hidden in her heart seemed to be magnified. Her mind went blank, feeling as if her entire being was wrapped in Xiao Rongyan’s scent, leaving her dizzy and dazed.

Under her palm pressed against Xiao Rongyan’s chest was his powerful heartbeat and the burning heat from his body. She felt goosebumps rising on her arms.

The trembling sensation on her lips and teeth left her bewildered and infatuated, even her spine shivering along…

Seeing Bai Qingyan’s shy appearance with tightly closed eyes and trembling eyelashes, Xiao Rongyan pressed his tall, burning body against hers, pinning her down on the soft couch.

The wet nurse had already finished feeding the two children. Chun Tao and Chun Zhi were carrying the two children, about to return to the main hall through the side door to deliver the children to their son-in-law for some proper doting, when Wei Zhong smiled and stopped Chun Tao and Chun Zhi.

Wei Zhong held his whisk, smiling as he said: “The eldest miss and son-in-law haven’t seen each other for a long time. The two little masters have eaten their fill and fallen asleep again. Why don’t you wait in the side hall? When the masters summon you, then we’ll go in!”

Chun Zhi, always obedient, nodded.

Chun Tao was also a married person and not as naive as Chun Zhi. With Wei Zhong’s hint, she immediately understood that the eldest miss and son-in-law were probably experiencing the joy of reunion after separation. How could they carry the two little masters in to disturb them? She quickly responded with a red face: “Eunuch Wei, rest assured! We’ll wait in the side hall…”

As Chun Tao spoke, even her ears turned completely red.

Chun Tao was always steady, and seeing her appearance, Wei Zhong understood the situation. He nodded and went to wait outside the main hall, ensuring no one would disturb Bai Qingyan and Xiao Rongyan.

Inside the hall.

Bai Qingyan hadn’t completely lost her head to passion. When Xiao Rongyan was overwhelmed with desire and his large hand was about to untie her sash, she quickly grasped Xiao Rongyan’s hand, turned her head away, and said breathlessly: “In a moment, Xile and Kangle will come over. Yan, don’t be mischievous…”

Xiao Rongyan’s increasingly deep eyes gazed at Bai Qingyan, his throat rolling. After a long moment, he released his grip on Bai Qingyan’s sash, breathing heavily as he struggled to calm his emotions.

Although being interrupted at this moment wasn’t very pleasant for Xiao Rongyan as a man, when he thought of the two children Bai Qingyan had risked her life to bear for him, that slight displeasure in his heart disappeared, leaving only guilt.

He kissed Bai Qingyan’s cheek and said softly: “Not being by your side when you gave birth is my greatest regret in this lifetime, and my debt to you! A’Bao… I owe you so much. I only hope that after the realm’s affairs are settled, I can spend the rest of my life making it up to you!”

Bai Qingyan gazed into Xiao Rongyan’s deep eyes, her expression carrying a smile sweeter than honey. Xiao Rongyan picked up Bai Qingyan’s palm, covered with calluses, brought it to his lips for a kiss, and said softly: “A’Li brought gifts for his younger siblings this time. I’ll have Yue Shi secretly deliver them later—it wouldn’t be good to be too conspicuous!”

“A’Li is so thoughtful!” Bai Qingyan was very fond of this child, Murong Li. He had backbone and integrity, quite remarkable for such a young age. Murong Yu had taught Murong Li very well. If Murong Yu were still alive… he would certainly have guided Murong Li to become a wise ruler.

Hearing Bai Qingyan praise Murong Li for being thoughtful, Xiao Rongyan looked seriously at Bai Qingyan, moved closer, and lowered his voice: “I also prepared gifts for the two children and A’Bao. I’m also very thoughtful…”

“How old is Master Xiao? Why are you still jealous of a child?” Seeing Xiao Rongyan’s expression, she couldn’t help but tease him.

The title “Master Xiao” was something Xiao Rongyan hadn’t heard in quite a while.

Suddenly hearing Bai Qingyan address him this way, Xiao Rongyan remembered their first meeting in the capital. She wasn’t like she had been in the Shu palace—clad in silver armor with a red cloak fluttering, riding swiftly through layers of palace gates. Instead, she wore light-colored plain clothes, her figure slender, appearing as fragile as a willow swaying in the wind. But only those eyes remained—deep, resilient, and startling, as if no hardship or suffering could bend her slender spine.

“A’Bao hasn’t seen me for so long—did you thoughtfully prepare a birthday gift for me?”

Perhaps because of the late hour, Xiao Rongyan’s voice seemed particularly seductive, low and mellow… making one’s ears tingle with a delicious numbness.

“Yes…” Bai Qingyan said softly. “Mother also prepared one, but I thought you would surely have spies sent by the Yan Empress Dowager around you, and I didn’t want to cause you trouble.”

Not only had Bai Qingyan prepared something, but Dong Shi had as well. Since Dong Shi remembered that Xiao Rongyan had lost his mother at age seven, she thought about it and prepared all the birthday gifts that a mother should have given her child over these twenty years, following the same standards she used when preparing gifts for A’Yu.

Ever since experiencing Xiao Rongyan’s sacrifice of Yun Jing to lead troops to Jiangzi City to rescue Bai Qingyan, and knowing about the situation between Xiao Rongyan and his sister-in-law, Dong Shi had made up her mind to love Xiao Rongyan as her son. Whenever she thought of Xiao Rongyan kneeling before her to confess his guilt… and the envy in his eyes when he looked at her and A’Bao, her heart ached deeply.

Dong Shi was also a mother, and not made of stone. With Xiao Rongyan being so sincere toward her daughter, how could she not be moved?

Xiao Rongyan’s expression showed astonishment, but more than that, his heart was filled with joy and pleasant surprise.

Xiao Rongyan was a prince of Yan and had once been the world’s richest merchant. What rare treasures hadn’t he seen? What precious objects weren’t within his easy reach? But preparing birthday gifts was something that probably only close relatives would do.

When his mother was alive, she would prepare them for him. After his mother was gone… no matter how busy his brother was, he would still prepare gifts and have them delivered to him by swift horses.

Now there was A’Bao. But given the disparity in their positions and the presence of his sister-in-law’s people around him, it would be inconvenient for A’Bao to deliver birthday gifts to him directly.

Xiao Rongyan suppressed his gratitude toward Dong Shi and that sense of pleasant surprise, instead looking at Bai Qingyan. He raised his hand to tuck her stray hair behind her ear and asked softly: “What birthday gift did A’Bao prepare? I’m quite curious!”

“You’ve probably seen no fewer rare treasures than I have, so you might not treasure them much. Therefore… I took time to prepare everything by hand.” Bai Qingyan stood up from Xiao Rongyan’s embrace and placed the cotton ball and medicine on the small table beside them.

Xiao Rongyan watched as Bai Qingyan lifted the hem of her dress and walked to the desk where she usually reviewed memorials. From beneath the sandalwood desk, she retrieved a brocade box and walked toward Xiao Rongyan.