I glared at him with displeasure, as if I knew nothing but eating, drinking, and sleeping, even though I was indeed hungry.
He helped me up, and as soon as my foot touched the ground, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my stomach.
"What's wrong?" he asked when he saw me stop what I was doing.
I took a deep breath and looked up at him, but before I could say a word, the waves of pain seemed to trample everything in front of me like a stampede of horses, followed by immense throbbing and overwhelming darkness.
"Lian'er! Lian'er!..."
A familiar voice called out anxiously in my ear, but it seemed to grow farther and farther away until I could hear nothing at all, only the intense pain became clearer and clearer.
I thought the intense pain would have passed by the time I woke up from the darkness, but then a cacophony of sounds rushed in, and before I could even discern them all, the tearing pain returned.
Someone was holding my hand and calling my name over and over again. I couldn't hear clearly, but I felt so sad.
What? I'm not dead yet... I wanted to burst out laughing, but in an instant, an overwhelming pain surged up again, and I couldn't even tell where the pain was coming from...
Just before I completely fainted, I vaguely heard a crying sound. Was it a child?
But he's only eight months old...
It seemed like I had slept for a long time and had a long dream. When I woke up, everything felt unreal.
The person was lying on their side next to me, eyes closed, brows furrowed, lips pale, and didn't look well.
I reached out to smooth the worry from his brow, but his eyes suddenly opened, instantly illuminating the night like pearls.
Where are the children?
"The nanny is taking care of him."
"Boy or girl?"
"It's a son."
I pursed my lips and smiled slightly. In fact, regardless of gender, any child born to me and Yunzhi is the most precious treasure in the world.
"...Now I understand a little better why Father hated me so much. If I had known it would cause you so much pain..."
"What are you doing? You don't even want your own son anymore? Can't you be a little more ambitious? Do you want to live your whole life in your father's shadow?"
No matter how powerful this person becomes, in my eyes he is still just a fledgling bird that will forever hide in the shadows and never be able to fly out.
"Ahem... Never mind you, let me see my son first."
A moment later, he took the tiny child from Granny Zhao's hands. Looking at the child's small face with its features all scrunched up, he suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
"So ugly."
The person next to me was taken aback, then looked at me with a wry smile, "Who would say their child is ugly?"
"This child was born early and is weaker than a full-term baby, so he needs more care. When you hold him, please be careful not to let any draft get into the swaddling clothes, or he might get sick."
It was only after Zhao Mama mentioned it that I remembered that the child was only eight months old.
"Take him back to the warm room first. You'll have plenty of time to see him once you're feeling better."
I nodded and handed the child over to Granny Zhao without insisting.
"Only eight months pregnant...why would she be born prematurely?"
He tightened his grip on my hand. "It's Guanghan Powder. It's a drug that controls people. I knew that taking too much would have side effects, but I didn't expect it would affect this."
"He says everything he does is for your own good, but who is he kidding? He really wants you to be childless. Luckily, I've taken good care of my health these past two years, so even if I had the baby early, its health shouldn't be too bad. Otherwise, it would have really fulfilled your father's wish."
He gave a bitter smile and sighed, "I wonder where he is now, and how he's doing?"
"Enough, enough. You're so stubborn. Even if you have this filial piety, they might not appreciate it. They might even resent you for leaving when the Nangong family was in its most critical moment, and for not thinking of your father now that you've become the city lord..."
He chuckled and pinched my nose. "You've got plenty of energy. I was worried for nothing."
"How long have I been asleep?" she asked, laughing as she pulled his hand down and played with it in her palm.
"One day and one night."
Has anything happened outside?
"If something really happens, it won't make a difference if we wait another day. We haven't found Li Mu yet, and Xiao Lianjue is currently holding back. Isn't it good that no one is threatening us?"
"No, Ayu's return was timed too perfectly. I reckon things will change in the next few days, so..."
“This isn’t the time to worry about these things. Getting better is the most important thing.” He was tickled by my touch, so he pulled his hand away and then wrapped it around mine again. “You always say I’m getting worse as I get older, but what about you? Aren’t you still unable to shake off your protective instincts? Outsiders only see you as an idle person who likes to stir up trouble, but they don’t know your true intentions. You’re just shifting your focus to pave the way for someone. Lian’er, you know that things are different now, but you still stubbornly refuse to let go. Don’t you trust me enough?”
"I'm used to it. After all these years, how can you expect me to change it all at once?" I glanced at him with a smile. "Isn't this just like how you get angry at the mere mention of certain people's names? If the thorns in your heart could be so easily pulled out, wouldn't all the time and the pain you've endured in the past become a joke?"
Then the two of them laughed at each other again without any rhyme or reason. I said I was tired and wanted to sleep for a while. He fed me some water and some food, then pulled me close and we lay down together.
The early spring sun was warm, and the soft orange light that shone through the paper windows enveloped the entire room was so gentle that it could warm one's heart.
Chapter 131
A light rain on the day of Lixia (the beginning of summer) made the May days damp and long. I sneezed in the warm room, and Granny Zhao immediately jumped up and shooed me out the door.
The little guy lying in the soft tent stared at me with wide eyes, and I thought he was reluctant to part with his mother. In the blink of an eye, he grinned and smiled more happily than anyone else.
"Young Master is frail, so his room must be kept clean." Granny Zhao smiled and pushed me out the door. "Madam, why don't you have Xiaoman keep him company?"
Looking for Xiaoman? When I was in postpartum confinement, Nangong Ling told her to keep a close eye on me, and she took it all as gospel. Now that I've finally made it out of confinement, she wants me to go back and face her?
"lady."
Before I even left the courtyard, someone called out to me. Looking closely, I saw it was Shaoyou.
"What's wrong?"
"His Majesty has sent his men to fetch the Lady to the Xianglong Pavilion."
"What's up?"
"I guess he wants to discuss the young master's name with the madam."
We've been thinking about this name for over half a year and still haven't come up with anything. Either the two of us can't agree on it, or the conversation just drifts off into something else entirely.
This can't be left unresolved forever; it needs to be addressed eventually.
Xianglong Pavilion.
He sat in a chair, facing the desk sideways, with half his face turned towards the window. He held a brush in one hand and gently tapped the nanmu wood table with the other.
The sky was somewhat gloomy, with dark clouds rolling and churning with the wind, creating a menacing sight at first glance, which only made the person by the window appear even more delicate and beautiful.
I was outside, about to go inside, when suddenly a beam of blue light struck down from the sky. I jumped and rushed inside.
The man turned around, saw my posture, frowned, reluctantly put down his pen, walked to the table, and hugged me tightly.
"Be careful not to trip."
"Oh," I replied casually, then asked, "Haven't decided on a name yet?"
He frowned and shook his head. "I can't find anything satisfactory."
This reminds me of when I was born. My mother made my third brother go to the study every day to read aloud. In the end, we couldn't decide on a name, which angered my third brother. According to my second brother, Rong Tian slammed his fist on the table and angrily pointed out the window. At that time, the lotus flowers in the pond were in full bloom, and that's how I got my name.
I followed my third brother's example and pointed to a well. I was stunned. Nangong Ling didn't understand what I meant and just looked in the direction I pointed, looking very puzzled.
"What?"
"Xiao Jing, Nangong Jing... Not bad, not bad."
As soon as I said that, he immediately understood, squinted at me, and that look made me feel uneasy.
"are you serious?"
"What? That's how I got my name. It's already good that I didn't point to any dogs or cats."
"Are you trying to make things difficult for the little guy or for me?"
Why is it that my third brother can decide my fate just by slamming his fist on the table, but I, as his own mother, can't even name my son? Is it because I didn't slam my fist on the table?
Looking at the mountain of paper rolls on the table, I thought better of it. If I messed these things up, it wouldn't just be a matter of whether or not I could use them to name my child.
"What are you thinking about again?" He pinched my cheek with a little force.
I pursed my lips, pulled my thoughts back, and looked up to see him staring at me with an unfriendly expression.
Do I look like I'm joking with you?
I glared back at him defiantly, "Are you really going to disregard what I said?"
"No, how can I, Nangong Ling, name my son so casually?"
"Then it's yours. It's been so long and there's still no progress. Do you want to call him 'Little Bean Sprout' for the rest of your life like I did?"
He pursed his lips, his neck stiffening. Although I was telling the truth, babies born at full term are only so tiny, let alone this little guy who was only eight months old. He was weak and only the size of someone who could be held in one hand, but some people just couldn't accept their son being called a bean sprout, and I was no exception.
"Don't frown, he laughs so happily when I call him Bean Sprout." Avoiding his gaze, I glanced behind him and something red unexpectedly caught my eye. "What's that?"
He glanced back. "Invitation."
"What's up?"
"Martial Arts Tournament".
"Back then, Yan Suqing turned the tables and helped Jun Guan. You didn't get rid of him, but he's shameless enough to still send you an invitation?"
His goal was Arabic.
"Do these two... really have a grudge?"
Could it be that I said something wrong back then just to be cheeky? I remember that old bastard Yan Suqing glared at me back then.
“The Yan family has always been relegated to a lower position, and Yan Suqing is unwilling to accept this. However, the Hundred Days Sect stands in his way, getting the most attention. Yan Suqing and Bai Wuyan have known each other since childhood. Their relationship is neither good nor bad, and they occasionally have contact.” He paused here, “I told you before that Bai Wuyan found out about Xiao Lianjue’s power because of Consort Li’s interference, and it was Yan Suqing who did this for Consort Li, but he went a bit too far.”
"I knew he wasn't a good prospect. Bai Wuyan ultimately died at his hands?"
"Um."