“Does Wan’er feel uncomfortable?”

Song Wan shook her head and stroked Shen Qianyu’s cheek with distress.

The man tilted his head slightly, nuzzling against her palm, then continued scooping white porridge from the bowl to feed Song Wan.

On the table sat four small sweet white glaze dishes—simple and plain without patterns, elegant white porcelain bottoms paired with emerald green vegetables that had only been blanched in hot water. The appearance was refreshing and clean.

Only such fare could arouse Song Wan’s slight appetite.

Shen Qianyu picked up the oily green vegetables and placed them on the white porridge that had been cooked until the rice oil emerged, once again bringing it before Song Wan.

“Does your stomach still feel acidic today?”

“Not anymore.”

Song Wan could only eat two mouthfuls before feeling unable to continue, but she did not want Shen Qianyu to worry, so she forced herself to eat a bit more.

“If you cannot eat, then stop. When you get hungry tonight, I will cook some noodle soup for you.”

“Your Majesty has been at my side these past days without resting well. Why not return to Yangxin Hall to rest for a day today?”

During the day she could not eat, but at night she would often suddenly feel hungry and uncomfortable, always needing to summon attendants to prepare food for her. Shen Qianyu had not had a full night’s sleep in a long time. Song Wan always felt distressed.

But his temperament was stubborn. No matter what she said, he insisted on staying at Changle Palace, which made Song Wan feel guilty.

“Wan’er, do not call me Your Majesty. I do not like hearing it.”

Clearing away the bowls and chopsticks on the table, Shen Qianyu half-supported Song Wan to sit down on the phoenix couch.

“Wan’er, come here.”

Taking the moisturizing cream specially formulated for Song Wan by the Imperial Medical Bureau in his hands, Shen Qianyu helped her remove her outer garments and slowly began to apply it.

He applied it with complete focus, his movements gentle and slow. Even though the couple could not share a bed due to having a child on the way, Shen Qianyu had never once complained.

Perhaps due to the extreme emotional fluctuations during pregnancy, Song Wan’s eyes stung as she watched his movements, tinged with tears.

Shen Qianyu was gently massaging her severely swollen calves when he looked up and saw his Wan’er’s eyes reddening.

Shen Qianyu started in alarm, stiffly raising both hands in panic. “Did I press too hard and hurt you?”

Song Wan shook her head.

“Wan’er…”

Shen Qianyu moved closer, drawing her into his embrace and asking carefully, “Do you feel wronged?”

She had suffered so much bearing children for him—she must feel wronged.

Shen Qianyu’s distress grew. He hurriedly wiped the slippery cream from his hands on his robe hem and helped Song Wan wipe away the tears on her face.

“Wan’er, what is wrong?”

His tone was anxious. Only after asking repeatedly did he hear Song Wan say, “Some time ago at court, memorials were submitted requesting Your Majesty hold a selection of palace ladies. Your Majesty should not have refused.”

Hearing this, Shen Qianyu froze and lowered his head, his heart full of grievance and sadness. But then he saw Song Wan opening her eyes, which were filled with tender affection and a dependence he had never seen before.

He had never imagined that one day he would see such emotion in Song Wan’s eyes.

Shen Qianyu first felt wild joy, then immediately welled up with overwhelming tenderness.

He and Song Wan had known each other for a long time. He had seen her standing alone yet capable of handling everything independently with heroic bearing. He had also seen her decisive and ruthless attitude in severing emotional ties without hesitation. But only this dependence and softness—he had never seen it in Song Wan’s eyes before.

Shen Qianyu thought for a moment, then said softly, “I once said I wanted to be an ordinary husband and wife with Wan’er. Those words were sincere.”

“Things that do not happen in ordinary couples’ homes will not happen between us either.”

“I have never seen those pig butchers and blacksmiths outside holding selections of palace ladies every few years.”

Shen Qianyu lowered his head, playing with the long hair by Song Wan’s ear, and said in a low voice, “I know that although Wan’er has heard these words, you do not believe them in your heart. So even though you have feelings for me, you keep reminding yourself that I am the sovereign of the nation, not your husband.”

“Wan’er depends on me in your heart, yet you keep reminding yourself to guard against me.”

“Though I know you do not do this intentionally, but…”

“I also feel hurt and wronged.”

Shen Qianyu’s tone carried some urgency. “Wan’er, do not guard against me because of my position, and do not secretly distance yourself from me in your heart because of my position.”

“I know that in the world’s eyes, vows are as abundant as flowers in a mirror or the moon in water—all seemingly magnificent but actually vague and hollow words. But what I say has always come from my heart.”

“I know Wan’er does not believe my words, but can Wan’er try to believe me, depend on me, just in the present moment?”

“If I am worthy of trust today, then entrust yourself to me. If I am not worthy of trust in the future, you can abandon me and guard against me then.”

“Human hearts easily change. I dare not promise unwavering devotion to Wan’er until death, but right now, when you want to depend on me and trust me, do not restrain yourself. Do not force yourself to be constantly cautious and guarded.”

He wanted Wan’er to depend on him. He did not want to see Song Wan carefully testing his sincerity when she was vulnerable.

His Wan’er should always be like the moon in the sky—pure, cold, and noble. He would rather always look up at Wan’er than bear to see her show even the slightest hint of cautious probing.

After becoming pregnant, Wan’er’s thoughts had become quite heavy. Combined with her physical discomfort making eating and sleeping difficult, she had been tormented considerably. During this time, she had been emotionally irritable and distressed several times yet only buried it in her heart, never revealing it.

He was by her side every day and could naturally sense Song Wan’s emotional changes, but he could not find the reason nor could he console her.

Only today had he finally glimpsed a clue in her eyes.

“Wan’er, if you are tired of me, just say so. I will go somewhere far away to hide. But if you like me, or if you do not want the court officials to bring up the selection matter again, you must also tell me.”

His temperament was clumsy, unable to understand the delicate and subtle emotions of women.

Shen Qianyu murmured in a low voice, “Do not make me guess what is in your heart. If you do not speak, I will always fear I might guess wrong.”

“Wan’er…”

“Is it that you do not want anyone to bring up the selection matter?”

“I do not want it.”

After a long while, Song Wan nodded.

When she married Jiang Xingjian, she had never cared whether he took concubines or elevated them. Even back then when Lin Jiayue called out for “one lifetime, one world, one pair of lovers,” she had only found it laughable and foolish.

But after marrying Shen Qianyu, even just slightly imagining that in the future someone else would stand by his side and receive his care as she did, Song Wan felt stifled in her heart.

“Do not want it…”

Shen Qianyu repeated in a murmur, but the smile on his face could not be concealed no matter what.

No one knew how long he had waited for this day.

He had always hoped Wan’er could be more willful before him, casting aside the rules and propriety that had always constrained her. Finally, today he had waited for it.

Shen Qianyu lowered his head and gently pressed his lips to Song Wan’s, feeling the faint body warmth of his beloved.

“Wan’er, how wonderful.”

Just thinking that he was the only one in this world who could make Song Wan step out from the rules and frameworks that bound her, blooming with tender affection only for him alone, even feeling jealous for him—Shen Qianyu felt this life was enough.

“Wan’er, rest assured. From now on, no one will bother you with selection matters again.”

Though Song Wan did not want to see other women by Shen Qianyu’s side, she also knew that sparse imperial offspring would hinder the state and country. Just as she was about to tell him not to heed her words, he interrupted her.

“Wan’er need not say more. My mind is made up.”

Just imagining if it were not Song Wan lying beside him, Shen Qianyu felt uncomfortable all over.

He thought that for this lifetime, he would be unable to leave Wan’er and would be unable to adapt to life without her.