What vigorous young man could resist such temptation? Especially when that temptation came from his beloved wife.

The unique fragrance in the room seemed to merge with the person pressed against him, as alluring as a deadly Venus flytrap.

In Xiao Huayong’s memory, Shen Xihe was as elegant and refined as a jade flower with a hint of autumn night’s solitude. He never dreamed she would act like this…

Naturally, their passion lasted until dawn.

While dressing in the morning, Shen Xihe was unusually full of yawns. Since they had to pay respects to His Majesty on the first and fifteenth of every month, she had to force herself to stay alert. Xiao Huayong felt both satisfied and guilty, quite conflicted.

Glimpsing Biyu carrying away the incense burner past him, he asked: “Last night’s fragrance wasn’t your usual one.”

“Mm, it’s a newly created blend,” Shen Xihe replied, propping her head up and half-closing her eyes, her voice as soft as touchable cotton.

She naturally wouldn’t tell Xiao Huayong the fragrance’s purpose, nor did she know if it would be effective.

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but smile. In the Northwest, she had seen many women who struggled to conceive after marriage, exhausting themselves to death trying to have a child. Back then, she was puzzled and even felt they were being foolish. As a woman herself, she didn’t want women to focus solely on being wives and mothers as if being unable to bear children made them less of a woman.

A woman’s worth shouldn’t be determined by her ability to bear children.

She never imagined that one day, she too would go to such lengths to have a child, even risking untested methods. Only now did she understand that not all women wanted children merely for status or validation.

Perhaps it was because… of love.

Love?

This word flashed unexpectedly through her mind, and she suddenly sat up straight, her drowsiness instantly vanishing, becoming completely alert.

She stared blankly at Xiao Huayong as he walked toward her smiling, and suddenly his features seemed more pleasing to her eyes than ever before. Though she had seen this face countless times, had seen this smile so many times…

She realized she hadn’t just developed feelings for him but had fallen in love with him.

This love might be deeper than she had imagined, deep enough to make someone as calm and rational as her abandon the safest option of adopting a child as a substitute, and instead resolutely choose to experience the pain of childbirth herself.

That day when Xiao Huayong suggested pretending to be pregnant, she had flatly refused without thinking deeply about why.

So this was what it felt like to have someone occupy your heart – just looking at him made her heart overflow; just feeling him approach made her smile uncontrollably; just meeting his gaze filled her eyes with tenderness.

Shen Xihe didn’t reject these strange new feelings, even knowing Xiao Huayong’s days were numbered. She wasn’t a greedy person – being able to feel this, to have this, whether for a fleeting moment or an eternity, she cherished it deeply.

“Why do I smell a familiar scent?” Xiao Huayong brought the incense burner to her face, opening the lid to smell it.

Shen Xihe also leaned forward, sniffing and realizing that the scent of the Immortal Vine was particularly noticeable at that moment: “I added some Immortal Vine to the fragrance.”

She and Xiao Huayong had first met because of the Immortal Vine, which she had kept preserved. Shen Xihe carefully stored it in a cold jade box in an ice cabinet, rarely using it. It remained emerald green, its pink stamens still bright.

Though she rarely removed it from the ice cabinet, each time she did, she took a substantial amount. After requesting spices from Xianguo Temple, Shen Xihe discovered that adding Immortal Vine made fragrances more refined and effective, so she added some this time as well.

“Yes, it’s the Immortal Vine’s scent.” Xiao Huayong had only encountered Immortal Vine when disguised as Hua Fuhai searching for the White-headed Old Man and smelled its fragrance then. Later when Shen Xihe sent people with the Immortal Vine, Xiao Huayong immediately sent it back.

Thus, the memory wasn’t strong, but with Shen Xihe’s mention, Xiao Huayong recalled it.

Shen Xihe: “I’ve always felt the Immortal Vine was a lucky charm for us.”

“Youyou speak truly, I feel the same.” Xiao Huayong took Shen Xihe’s hand, agreeing with her words.

The couple looked at each other, both breaking into sweet smiles. From the Eastern Palace to the Hall of Diligent Government, they didn’t take a palanquin. Anyone who saw Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong, even from afar, could inexplicably sense the honey-like sweetness between them. Passing through the palace’s grand garden, two butterflies even followed them until they left the garden.

In the days that followed, the Eastern Palace couple’s sweetness was everywhere. Those who saw them felt that the already deeply in love Crown Prince and Crown Princess seemed even more affectionate.

Until a month later, as spring ended and summer arrived, Shen Xihe was awakened in the early morning light by an irrepressible wave of nausea. She turned and retched over the bedside, startling Xiao Huayong awake. His expression changed dramatically as he pulled back the bed curtains and called out: “Zhenzhu!”

Zhenzhu wasn’t on night duty today. Biyu, who was on duty, heard and immediately sent a palace maid to summon Zhenzhu while rushing in herself.

She saw the Crown Prince, wearing only an outer robe, pouring a cup of water and bringing it to Shen Xihe’s lips: “Take a sip to ease the discomfort.”

Shen Xihe took two sips with his support, finally suppressing the nausea. Looking up at Xiao Huayong’s furrowed brow, she gently stroked between his eyebrows: “I’m fine, I just had a strange dream that made me feel unwell.”

“A dream? What dream?” Xiao Huayong couldn’t help asking.

“I dreamed we were enjoying the view by the lake when suddenly a group of colorful koi appeared. Among them was a particularly bright golden koi that seemed to recognize me and swam straight toward me. I couldn’t help crouching down to look closer, and it suddenly leaped up, startling me into crying out, and then it jumped into my mouth…”

Remembering the dream scene, her barely suppressed nausea threatened to return, and Shen Xihe had to take another couple of sips of warm water.

Just as she caught her breath, Zhenzhu entered.

Seeing Zhenzhu, Shen Xihe smiled helplessly: “I’m fine.”

“Since Zhenzhu is here, let her check your pulse. It will put all our minds at ease.”

Shen Xihe had no choice but to obediently extend her wrist. Zhenzhu knelt on the footstool, placing her fingers on Shen Xihe’s fair wrist.

Xiao Huayong held Shen Xihe in his arms, pulling the covers to wrap her securely to prevent her from catching a cold.

After a few breaths’ time, Zhenzhu first showed surprise, then carefully checked Shen Xihe’s pulse again before excitedly announcing: “Your Highness, Your Highness is with child! The little prince is one month along.”

Ten days ago when she had checked Shen Xihe’s pulse, she hadn’t detected anything, but now it was so clear.

One month ago – Shen Xihe couldn’t help looking at Xiao Huayong.

Xiao Huayong’s heart was also pounding as if it would leap out. At this moment, he couldn’t think of anything else, his joy overwhelming as he pressed his forehead against Shen Xihe’s: “Youyou, we’re having a child.”