Ningning’s health was this poor, and now the child was gone as well. If something were to happen to Ningning at a time like this, wouldn’t that be the same as forcing Yanyu to his end?

“Keep a few imperial physicians behind. Send the rest to the Crown Prince’s residence. They are to check the Crown Princess’s pulse twice daily without fail, and ensure her body is properly cared for and restored.”

Eunuch Feng was momentarily stunned. Leave only a few imperial physicians in the palace?

What if the princesses or the consorts fell ill? There would not be enough hands.

“Instruct Imperial Physician Wen to be thorough,” Prince Xuan said, his voice heavy.

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

Boom. A thunderclap. The sky gradually darkened. The unrestrained wind swept up dust and sent the treetops swaying. The white daylight, which had been bright just moments before, was instantly blanketed in darkness. Prince Xuan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let us go.”

“The imperial procession departs,” Eunuch Feng called out. The retinue had barely set off when fat raindrops, each the size of a fingernail, came pouring down in an unrelenting rush.

Yan Yunning sat before the latticed window, watching the torrential rain outside. She smiled faintly. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, this is the first time I have seen such heavy rain here.”

If only things could have been different — if only the baby had been alright — she would certainly have been acting coy right now, begging Xuan Xixi to let her go out and get drenched in the rain.

A raindrop slipped unexpectedly through the lattice and landed on her face. Yan Yunning touched her cheek with her fingertips.

Xuan Yanyu lifted her up and murmured softly, “It’s cold. Don’t sit here anymore. There will be many more rainy days ahead. Once your body is a little better, this lord will take you out to get soaked in the rain. How does that sound?”

Yan Yunning smiled. “Alright. You can’t go back on your word.”

“When has this lord ever gone back on his word with you?” Xuan Yanyu pinched her cheek, frowning. “Why does it feel like you’ve lost so much weight these past two days?”

“I haven’t. I’ve been eating a lot these past two days, haven’t you noticed?”

Behind them, Qiuci was on the verge of speaking but held back. The Crown Princess was eating more, but after His Highness the Crown Prince left, she would sometimes vomit as well.

“Ningning, we will have children again in the future. Compared to the child, this lord cannot be without you, so you must take good care of yourself.” Xuan Yanyu spoke softly, coaxing her. “We won’t be sad anymore from now on. When you’re in a good mood, you’ll recover faster.”

Yan Yunning’s breath hitched. She said, her voice thick with emotion, “Mmm.”

“Alright, no more crying. The rain is heavy today. First thing tomorrow morning we’ll go back to the residence. What do you say?” The man tugged playfully at Xuetuán, who was nestled obediently in Yan Yunning’s arms.

“Woof, woof woof.” Xuetuán bared its teeth at Xuan Yanyu.

“Hmm?” Xuan Yanyu patted the top of Xuetuán’s small head.

Xuetuán lifted its little paw and patted Yan Yunning’s arm twice. “Wuuu~”

Yan Yunning, catching on, tapped Xuan Yanyu’s hand twice. The little thing immediately wagged its tail.

Yan Yunning couldn’t help but laugh. Xuan Yanyu looked at the girl’s smiling profile and felt the heaviness in his chest ease a little.

“Add to the meal — give Xuetuán extra food.” The man looked toward Qiuci. “Go and instruct the imperial kitchen.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“No, Xuan Xixi — what if it gets stuffed full?”

“It won’t.” Xuan Yanyu flicked Xuetuán on the forehead. “It can’t be so foolish as to keep eating when it’s already full, can it.”

“Woof, woof, woof.” Xuetuán’s eyes went wide as saucers. It bared its soft pink gums.

Xuan Yanyu: “……??”

Yan Yunning laughed in amusement and rubbed its forehead. The little thing obediently nuzzled into Yan Yunning’s palm, showing none of the ferocious little act it put on for Xuan Yanyu.

——

As it turned out, the little thing really was foolish enough to keep eating past the point of fullness. After the meal, it collapsed on the floor, whimpering miserably.

Qiuci crouched down on the floor and patted it on the back. The little thing flipped over, and the food it hadn’t yet digested came right back up.

Yan Yunning saw the sticky lumps of meat on the floor and felt her stomach lurch. She pushed Xuan Yanyu aside, ran to the bamboo basket, and vomited with far greater enthusiasm than Xuetuán.

Xuetuán shot up onto its stubby little legs in alarm. It mimicked Yan Yunning, producing “ugh, ugh, ugh” sounds from its throat.

Xuan Yanyu: “……”

Yan Yunning: “……”

“……” The other maidservants in the hall also froze for a moment.

Qiuci blinked. Wherever had Ye Chen found something so… so — well, she didn’t quite know how to describe it.

After Yan Yunning had finished vomiting and rinsed her mouth, she leaned listlessly against Xuan Yanyu’s shoulder. The little thing smacked its lips, skirted around its own vomit, and flopped limply onto the floor.

“Take it out and wash it.” The man issued the instruction in a mild tone, then scooped up Yan Yunning and carried her to the bathing pool in the side chamber to wash up.

Once they had cleaned up, the rain had gradually stopped. Xuan Yanyu took Yan Yunning by the hand, and the two of them strolled at a leisurely pace outside the hall. Yan Yunning looked up at the sky. The sun had risen again. This rain had come in a hurry and departed just as fast.

Just like her — arriving unexpectedly, and departing unexpectedly as well.

After the heavy rain, even the air that drifted through felt extraordinarily fresh. The sky bloomed with a resplendent rainbow — as though some painter had scattered their palette, blending every color together into something so beautiful one could not bear to look away.

Yan Yunning’s eyes grew a little red. After the great rain departed, it had at least left behind a rainbow. But when she departed, what would she be able to leave behind for her Xuan Xixi?

Once she was gone, what would happen to Xuan Xixi?

She didn’t dare think about it…

Xuan Yanyu bent down into a half-crouch. “Come. We’re going home — back to our home.”

“Alright.” Yan Yunning’s voice carried the faintest tremor. Her tears, beyond her control, began to fall again.

Without a carriage, Xuan Yanyu carried Yan Yunning on his back and walked step by step toward the Crown Prince’s residence.

“Greetings to His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess.”

The guards at the palace gate bowed in unison.

“Mmm.” The man acknowledged them and walked forward without breaking his stride.

“Xuan Xixi.” Yan Yunning rested her cheek against his shoulder, her eyes turning red.

“Hmm? What is it?” Xuan Yanyu answered her in a warm voice.

Yan Yunning, her voice catching with the threat of tears, managed a single sentence. “Can you help me fulfill a wish?”

“I can.” The man’s tone shifted. “But don’t cry. If you cry again, this lord won’t agree.”

“Mmm.” Yan Yunning tilted her head back toward the sky, straining to hold back her tears. After a moment, she said, “Xuan Xixi, my wish is that no matter what happens in the future, you can always be well.”

“My greatest wish is that Xuan Xixi can always, always, always… be happy and full of joy.”

“Xuan Xixi, promise me that you will live well in the days to come.”

Xuan Yanyu’s heart was struck with a dull ache. He stopped walking and said seriously, “With you here, this lord will always be happy and full of joy.”

“With you here, this lord will also be well.”

“With you here, this lord will also live well.”

Three times in a row he said “with you here.” Yan Yunning shook her head with a bittersweet ache. “No — my wish is that, as long as you are well, it doesn’t matter whether I am here or not. I only want you to be well.”

“That won’t do. This lord cannot be without you.”

Feeling the tears soaking through the brocade robe at his shoulder, Xuan Yanyu teased her, “There’s no need to spare this lord from washing his face. If you keep crying, you’ll save him the trouble — and if Xuetuán sees you, it’ll imitate you again.”

“Then do you promise me?” Yan Yunning wiped her tears.

Xuan Yanyu coaxed her gently, “I promise. And you must promise this lord in return — no more crying. Your eyes are all red. You need to take good care of yourself right now. If you keep crying, how will that do?”

“Xuan Xixi, why won’t you blame me? It was plainly because I was careless… plainly because I was foolish… plainly because it was my fault…” Yan Yunning cried, hiccupping.

Since she had woken up, he had done nothing but coax her and comfort her for her mistake. Even if he just scolded her once, that would be something…

——