So Third Sister asked him with a smile, "Nian-ge'er, what's wrong?"
Now that Nian-ge'er was a bit bolder, seeing that Third Aunt was being amiable, he boldly asked, "When will the little brother in Third Aunt's belly come out?"
Before Anran arrived, he had said he would bring him to see his aunt's two babies. Having only seen one so far, Nian-ge'er pressed Yinping about the other baby. Yinping smiled and told him that the baby was still in the Crown Princess's belly.
That's why Nian-ge asked out of curiosity.
"Third sister, I told you so, it must be a little nephew." An Ran laughed, "Kids are the most accurate judges, it's definitely true."
Third Sister was pleased to hear this. Although she liked both sons and daughters, having a son was more important right now. However, she still said, "You don't say you're a child anymore now."
An Ran suddenly remembered what she had said that day, chuckled twice, and tried to cover it up.
"We still have to wait a few more months." Third Aunt patted Nian Ge'er's hand and said softly, "When your little brother comes out, how about Auntie lets you play with him?"
Nian Ge'er nodded vigorously.
******
After having lunch at San Niang's place, An Ran took Nian Ge'er back to the Pingyuan Marquis's residence.
Seeing that Nian-ge'er is becoming more and more lively and cheerful, An-ran is also happy. Therefore, she doesn't restrict him too much, allowing him to retain his childlike innocence.
He doesn't need to live a life of constant worry and having to read other people's faces.
After returning home, Anran, as usual, coaxed Nian-ge'er to take a nap. However, she didn't sleep with him today, as she hadn't yet unpacked the things she brought back from Prince Yi's residence. Especially those picture albums—Anran quickly picked them out of the brocade box, not letting Jinping and the others see them.
She looked around the inner room and thought for a long time, but she felt that it was not appropriate to hide it anywhere.
An Ran was extremely anxious.
Suddenly, her gaze fell on a cabinet that occupied almost half of the wall in the corner. She seemed to remember that there was a hidden compartment there. Sure enough, Anran tiptoed over, opened it, and found the hidden compartment.
This is where bedding is kept, and it's not usually moved. Besides, the hidden compartment is at the very bottom, so it's not easily seen.
An Ran then hid the brocade box, which was like a hot potato.
But then she suddenly remembered what Third Sister had said, and her face flushed slightly. She gritted her teeth, as if she had made up her mind, and opened it again, taking out the top book and quickly flipping through it.
She blushed and quickly finished reading the picture book, then stuffed it into the brocade box and hid the box in a secret compartment.
After she finished all this, she went to Nian Ge'er's side. Seeing that Nian Ge'er was sleeping soundly, and not wanting to disturb him, she sat on the soft couch and picked up her sewing basket. Having nothing else to do these past few days, An Ran thought she should make a belt for Lu Mingxiu.
Although her needlework skills were still lacking, Jinping helped her choose some of the simplest designs so that she could practice.
Several patterns were laid out in a row on the soft couch.
These patterns are all simple and elegant, and Anran has already learned them all. However, at this moment, Anran's mind is filled with the picture book that Third Sister gave her, and the blush-inducing illustrations in it keep Anran's face flushed.
An Ran's dazed state of mind continued until Lu Mingxiu returned.
Lord Lu, who was trying his best to be a good father, followed his wife's advice and played with Nian Ge'er for a while before taking him to dinner.
At the dinner table, Lu Mingxiu noticed An Ran's unusual behavior. She had mixed up his and Nian Ge'er's favorite dishes, but Nian Ge'er, being obedient as always, swallowed them with a bitter face. Lu Mingxiu, on the other hand, didn't have any particular preferences and was fine with anything. An Ran had only discovered his favorite dishes through careful observation.
Could something have happened at the Prince Yi's residence?
Lu Mingxiu thought of how An Ran had been sent to the Prince Yi's mansion and almost became Yun Shen's concubine... She was very clever and extricated herself from this mess.
Now that he sees that Third Sister's affection for An Ran seems genuine, and that the Prince Yi's Mansion also holds An Ran in high esteem, there shouldn't be anything to worry about for her!
But whether he was calm or absent-minded was still clear.
Until I go to bed at night.
Normally, Anran would wash up first, but today she was a little slow and dawdling. By the time Lu Mingxiu had changed into his undergarments and finished washing up, he was leaning against the headboard reading a travelogue.
In the past, she would always lie down on the bed first and watch Lu Mingxiu neatly turn off the light, but she had never really looked closely at the man under the light who looked somewhat lazy.
Compared to her still-young body, Lord Lu was indeed a mature man.
Although Lord Lu was handsome in the past, his sharp features and cold, hard lines, coupled with his always stern and unsmiling expression, made him intimidating and unapproachable.
But in the quiet of the night, under the soft glow of the palace lanterns, a completely different scene unfolds.
Lord Lu's jet-black hair was casually draped over his shoulders. He had just washed his hair and it was half-dry. A few strands of hair fell in front of him, adding a touch of unruliness to the cold and serious Lord Lu.
Moreover, his expression was focused, and under the warm glow of the palace lanterns, his entire face softened, making him appear gentle. At this moment, Lord Lu resembled a noble young master from a prominent family.
But An Ran knew perfectly well what a lithe and agile body lay hidden beneath the undergarment, with long, strong arms and a embrace that, though not broad, always made her feel safe... a teasing whisper, a deep and alluring voice...
An Ran remained standing there, watching for a long while.
Lu Mingxiu was pretending to read a book, but seeing that An Ran hadn't moved, he put down his book, looked up and sighed, "Ninth Sister, hurry up and come up, be careful not to catch a cold."
An Ran then came to her senses and quickly gave an awkward smile. She stepped over Lord Lu again and returned to her own territory.
"What were you looking at, Madam? You seemed so engrossed." Lord Lu tossed the book accurately onto the high table beside him, a hint of amusement in his eyes. He said in a low voice, "You must have been reading for at least half an incense stick's time, right?"
An Ran stubbornly refused to admit it, but suddenly an idea struck her, and she said, "It seems that you weren't focused on reading either, otherwise how would you know that I was reading you?"
Lu Mingxiu readily admitted it.
"That's right, I knew Madam was watching me, that's why I didn't move." Lu Mingxiu's expression was calm, but his words were completely at odds with his serious demeanor. "Could it be that Madam only realized today how handsome and dashing her husband is, and that she wasn't blind enough to marry the wrong person?"
An Ran had gotten used to Lord Lu's occasional actions that seemed completely contrary to his appearance and personality.
Since Lord Lu has already abandoned all pretense of dignity, she has no choice but to cut off all her escape routes and seek only victory.