Chapter 79

Translator: She.Wee
Editor: KitKat

—

Xiao Zhige was stunned.

The normally cold and composed expression on his face suddenly seemed a bit foolish. His emotions fluctuated several times before he finally managed to move his lips with difficulty. His hand hovered above An Chang Qing’s belly, wanting to touch it but not daring to.

“Two?”

“Yes. One is more lively, and the other is quieter.”

An Chang Qing’s lips curved as he placed his hand over Xiao Zhige’s, guiding it to rest on his belly. Despite the thick winter clothing, Xiao Zhige could still feel the slight movements beneath his palm.

“See, they’re moving.”

“Yes, I can feel it.”

Xiao Zhige grinned foolishly, carefully staring at An Chang Qing’s belly.

When he left, An Chang Qing’s pregnancy was just starting to show. But by the time he returned, the two children were already moving. His expression was a mix of joy and worry. “Two children… Will it be difficult to give birth?”

“Doctor Hu said it’s not a big issue. My belly is about the same size as that of a woman carrying a single child.” An Chang Qing knew he would worry, so he said comforting words. “We’ve prepared everything that needs to be prepared. There won’t be any problems.”

Xiao Zhige gave a heavy “Hmm,” hugging him even tighter.

That evening, after they had dinner together, they returned to their room to rest. An Chang Qing loved cleanliness, but now that his body was heavy, and he disliked having others serve him intimately, bathing had become quite inconvenient. However, now that Xiao Zhige was back, that problem no longer existed.

The servants heated the water and delivered it to the bathroom. An Chang Qing originally just wanted the man to help him into the bathtub, but Xiao Zhige extended his arms, firmly picking him up and placing him in the tub.

An Chang Qing was only wearing soft undergarments. Once he was in the water, he took them off. The water was at the perfect temperature, and An Chang Qing finally soaked in a hot bath, letting out a comfortable sigh.

He was about to reach for the bath beans to wash himself when his hand came up empty. Xiao Zhige hadn’t left; instead, he was holding a cloth and the bath beans, saying seriously, “I’ll wash you.”

The hot water flushed An Chang Qing’s cheeks as he gave Xiao Zhige a steady look, then silently turned his back to him—after being apart for three months, it wasn’t just Xiao Zhige who missed him; he missed Xiao Zhige too.

…

Xiao Zhige carefully washed him clean and then wrapped him in a large cloth before carrying him back to the room.

Inside, the room was already warm from the brazier, and the bedding had been warmed with bed warmers, so it wasn’t cold. An Chang Qing slipped into the bed, let down the bed curtains, changed into clean inner garments, and then sat up to look at Xiao Zhige.

Xiao Zhige was outside, removing his wet outer clothes. His muscles were even more defined than before he left. An Chang Qing’s eyes widened as he watched, not blinking once. Unexpectedly, the man suddenly turned around, staring deeply at him for a moment before slowly smiling. “Wait until I finish bathing to keep looking.”

An Chang Qing’s cheeks flushed. He hurriedly looked away, pulling the blanket up and turning his back to him.

Behind him, the sounds of movement continued, followed by the steady sound of footsteps, and then there was silence—Xiao Zhige had likely gone to the bathroom to wash.

Thinking about what had happened in the bathroom earlier, An Chang Qing’s heart began to race, and his cheeks flushed red. His eyelashes trembled as he thought, they’ve been married for so long, intimacy is normal, and after a long separation, the reunion should be more passionate. He should be more proactive…

So, when Xiao Zhige returned and lay down beside him, he saw the person who had been lying with his back to him turn over, cradling his belly as he looked down and whispered, “Do you… need any help?”

Xiao Zhige’s expression froze. When he realized what An Chang Qing meant, his eyes deepened, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. His gaze fell on An Chang Qing’s long, thick eyelashes that trembled with unease, and he suppressed his voice to a low whisper, “…No need. I just took a cold bath earlier, were you thinking about it?”

An Chang Qing: “!!!”

The blush spread all the way to the tips of An Chang Qing’s ears. He glared at Xiao Zhige, angrily turning over again.

Realizing that he might have upset him again, Xiao Zhige immediately admitted his mistake. He moved closer, hugging An Chang Qing from behind, and tentatively asked, “…Was it me who was thinking about it?”

An Chang Qing’s cheeks were already steaming, his neck flushed red. After a long time, he forced himself to stop thinking wildly and closed his eyes, saying sternly, “I’m going to sleep!”

Xiao Zhige chuckled softly, holding him in his arms and gently soothing, “Sleep well.”

Pregnancy had made An Chang Qing especially prone to sleepiness, and after closing his eyes for a short while, he really did fall asleep. He was used to sharing a bed with Xiao Zhige, and though he initially lay with his back to him, it wasn’t long before he shifted in his sleep, nuzzling into Xiao Zhige’s embrace.

Xiao Zhige gently patted his back, his gaze soft as it rested on him. He looked at his familiar features, almost able to paint them from memory, his slender neck… and finally, his gaze settled on the bulging belly.

An Chang Qing’s belly was already very large, and now he could only sleep on his side. Even in his sleep, his left hand instinctively protected his belly.

Xiao Zhige watched for a long time before he raised his hand and gently placed it on the bump.

He had never imagined that one day he would have his own offspring. Having seen too much of Emperor Anqing’s debauchery and the power struggles within the harem, he had no expectations of children. He knew that with his personality, he probably couldn’t be a good father.

But now, the one carrying his bloodline was An Chang Qing, the person he had vowed to spend his life with. His gaze moved back to An Chang Qing’s peaceful sleeping face, and his eyes softened. His hand gently caressed the bulging belly. If they were An Chang Qing’s and his children, he was willing to learn how to be a good father and protect them with all his might.

“You must also protect your father well, and don’t let him suffer too much,” Xiao Zhige whispered softly.

There was a small movement under his palm, as if in response. Xiao Zhige’s eyes softened further as he held the three most important people in his life and drifted into a deep sleep.

***

Hu Shifei had estimated the due date to be December 15, now only four days away.

Xiao Zhige first called Hu Shifei and Yu Xiao over to inquire about the birthing process. After personally inspecting the setup of the birthing room and ensuring everything was in order, he began to stay by An Chang Qing’s side without leaving for a moment.

When Xiao Zhige had not been in the mansion, An Chang Qing had often thought of him. But now that he was back, An Chang Qing found him a bit annoying—his clothes were put on by the Northern Warlord, his meals were fed by the Northern Warlord, and if he walked more than a few steps, Xiao Zhige would scoop him up into his arms at the slightest disagreement.

The Northern Warlord may not excel in other areas, but he certainly had strength. An Chang Qing, eight months pregnant with such a large belly, could still be carried steadily by him without so much as a wobble.

At first, An Chang Qing let him do as he pleased, but eventually, he couldn’t take it anymore and shooed him outside. He carefully cradled his belly as he walked circles inside the room. “I can walk on my own; there’s no need to trouble Wangye.”

Xiao Zhige didn’t dare enter the room, so he stood at the door, peering inside through the crack and speaking in a pitiful voice, “Be careful not to bump into the table.”

An Chang Qing pretended not to hear and continued circling the table a few times before sitting down to drink tea.

When lunchtime arrived, An Fu brought food from the kitchen and set the table, finally allowing the Northern Warlord back into the room. The two sat across from each other, with An Chang Qing eating small bites of food while Xiao Zhige stared at him eagerly, not eating himself. If he weren’t afraid An Chang Qing would kick him out again, he might have insisted on serving the food himself.

Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was December 15. The due date was one that Hu Shifei had long calculated based on ancient texts. An Chang Qing, along with the two babies in his womb, were both in good health, and An Chang Qing had been well-prepared, so he remained calm. It was Xiao Zhige who had been sleepless the previous night and began pacing anxiously as soon as the morning arrived.

An Chang Qing didn’t say anything to him this time. Instead, he started giving him tasks to do: “Soon, Yu Xiao will bring the anesthetic soup. The medicine is quite bitter, so I’d like to eat pine nut candy afterward.”

The pine nut candy that Xiao Zhige had bought for him had run out during their three months apart.

Xiao Zhige, feeling restless and irritable, immediately wanted to send someone to buy more when he heard this. However, An Chang Qing stopped him, looking at him with a rare bit of stubbornness in his smiling eyes: “I only want the ones you buy.”

Xiao Zhige had no choice but to ride out of the mansion on his horse to buy them himself.

Not long after he left, Yu Xiao brought in a steaming bowl of Ma Fei soup. An Chang Qing picked up the bowl and drank it all in one go, finding the taste indeed bitter. However, Hu Shifei had instructed that after drinking the Ma Fei soup, he shouldn’t eat anything else for half an hour.

Yu Xiao said, “The birthing room is ready.”

“Then let’s go,” An Chang Qing said as he stood up. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to have the pine nut candies today.

When Xiao Zhige hurried back with the pine nut candies, An Chang Qing was already lying in the birthing room. He was dressed in thin inner garments and lying on a soft couch. The room had braziers placed in all four corners, warming the entire space so it didn’t feel cold at all.

Hu Shifei and Yu Xiao were checking the knives and medicinal herbs needed for the delivery a second time. After confirming everything was in order, Hu Shifei pricked An Chang Qing’s leg with a few needles and asked, “Does it hurt?”

An Chang Qing shook his head.

“Let’s begin then,” Hu Shifei said.

…

Xiao Zhige stood outside the birthing room clutching a bag of pine nut candies. Lady Yu and An Xianyu were blocking him, preventing him from going in.

After a long standoff, he finally took a step back and stopped insisting.

Both women sighed in relief. Lady Yu comforted him, “I asked Dr. Hu, and he said Nuo Nuo’s body is strong. There shouldn’t be any problems. Wangye, please don’t worry too much.”

Xiao Zhige nodded absentmindedly, his fingers tightly gripping the oil paper packet as his gaze remained fixed on the door to the birthing room—its doors and windows were tightly shut, with many candles lit inside, illuminating the room brightly. The faint shadows of people inside could be seen.

Xiao Zhige watched in a daze, his heart aching with every movement of the figures inside.

The three of them waited from noon until the sun began to set before they heard the cry of a newborn baby from inside. Following that first cry, another even louder one rang out, the two cries intermingling.

Lady Yu was overjoyed, “They’ve been born?!”

Xiao Zhige suddenly stood up and stumbled forward a few steps, nearly pressing himself against the door, his gaze eager to penetrate it and see what was happening inside.

However, the door remained closed, and it wasn’t until half an hour later that Yu Xiao opened it with a crack and said, “Congratulations, Wangye! Both mother and children are safe. It’s a pair of dragon and phoenix twins. Master said that if you want to come in, you should change into clean clothes to dispel the cold before entering.”

Lady Yu and An Xianyu were overjoyed, but Xiao Zhige was seemingly still dazed, “Nuo Nuo is fine?”

“Yes, Wangfei must avoid the cold.” Yu Xiao confirmed that everything was fine before quickly closing the door again.

“As long as he’s fine, as long as he’s fine…” Xiao Zhige muttered in a daze as he headed back to the main house. After changing into clean clothes in a daze, he returned to the birthing room.

Yu Xiao allowed him to enter. Xiao Zhige warmed himself by the brazier before carefully lifting the windproof curtain and walking inside.

The closer he got, the more it felt like he was walking on clouds.

It wasn’t until An Chang Qing’s face appeared before him that he felt as if he had finally landed on solid ground. Even his eyes began to heat up.

“Did you get the pine nut candies?” An Chang Qing smiled at him.

Xiao Zhige’s throat tightened. His eyes reddened as he said, “I got them.” He reached into his arms, only to remember that he had left the candies in the main house when he changed clothes. Flustered, he stammered, “I got them, but I left them in the house. I’ll go get them for you…”

An Chang Qing tugged at his sleeve. Although his face was pale, his spirits were still good. “Even if you brought them, I can’t eat them now. Just stay with me.”

Xiao Zhige immediately froze, then turned back around. He carefully half-knelt by the bedside, holding An Chang Qing’s hand, and asked in a strained voice, “Does it hurt?”

An Chang Qing’s abdomen was covered by the quilt, hiding the wound, but he knew how serious it must be. He didn’t dare to look closely; every glance made his chest feel tight with pain, as if he wished the knife had cut him instead.

“I drank the Ma Fei soup, so it doesn’t hurt.” An Chang Qing smiled, his eyes curving. “You haven’t seen the children yet. Xian Yu was right, they really are a pair of dragon and phoenix twins.”

Xiao Zhige forced a smile and kissed the palm of his hand with dry lips. “I want to see the children’s father first.”

An Chang Qing also smiled, “If Wangye keeps acting like this, be careful the children won’t be close to you in the future.”

Xiao Zhige shook his head and gently smoothed the stray hairs from An Chang Qing’s cheek, speaking softly, “You went through so much trouble to give birth to them. It’s enough if they’re close to you.”