Translator – Xiao He Lian
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Chapter 131
Outside, wind and rain swayed the trees. Her clothes were loosely draped over her body.
Shen Zhen vomited lightly…
Lu Yan frowned and asked, “What’s wrong?”
The young girl murmured beneath him, “Maybe I ate too much chestnut cake today.”
Lu Yan’s hand that rested on her waist slid over to her stomach, gently rubbing it twice as he laughed softly, “How much did you eat?”
Shen Zhen paused and said, “Four pieces, I think.”
The man who hadn’t returned all night had a layer of stubble on his jaw. He lowered his head to kiss her cheek, then nuzzled her collarbone. After a long moment, he asked, “Feeling better?” Can we continue?
Feeling the searing heat of his body and the powerful thrum of his heartbeat, Shen Zhen blushed and whispered, “A little better.”
Lu Yan leaned down and lifted one of her legs.
The rain outside suddenly intensified. The pounding on the windows was unsettling. Shen Zhen grew inexplicably uneasy and tightened her grip on his back, giving it two light punches.
During the grinding motion, Shen Zhen covered her mouth and retched again.
“Husband, I’m feeling unwell.”
Lu Yan’s brows lifted instinctively. He took a deep breath and withdrew, then helped her sit up. As he moved, his sharp eyes caught a glimpse of a faint bloodstain on the bed.
He looked down—there was blood on himself as well.
“Your period came?” Lu Yan mentally calculated the date, his expression deepening.
Shen Zhen clutched her temples and muttered, “Not yet…”
Before she finished, the girl retched again.
As the saying goes: Even if you haven’t eaten pork, you’ve seen a pig run.
A newlywed couple, blood on the bed, a young girl dry heaving repeatedly, a period two or three days late…
They’d stopped using contraceptive sachets long ago.
Lu Yan’s brow twitched.
He quickly wrapped her in clothes and said seriously, “I’ll fetch a physician.”
An hour later, Lu Yan brought Fu Man. Outside, the rain poured down, and Fu Man’s medical kit was dripping with water.
After taking Shen Zhen’s pulse and glancing at the blood on the bed, Fu Man spoke softly, “In my experience, the madam is likely pregnant. It’s just that it’s still early, so the pulse isn’t very distinct.”
The moment the words “likely pregnant” were said—
The maids Qingxi, Tang Yue, and Mo Yue all widened their eyes.
Already?! It’s only been a few days!
Shen Zhen was completely stunned. It felt like she was adrift at sea—everything was swaying, and nothing seemed real.
Pregnant?! Just like that?!
She lowered her head, placing a hand on her flat belly, rubbing it gently. Then she looked up and asked, “Doctor Bai, are you sure I’m pregnant?”
Fu Man smiled. “If madam is unsure, you may wait a few days before telling others. But for now, you can’t have intercourse…” Her voice trailed off at the end.
Their eyes met. Shen Zhen recalled the bloodstains from earlier and asked, “Is anything wrong with the baby?”
Fu Man replied, “I’ll prescribe some medicine to stabilize the pregnancy. And madam should stay in bed for the next few days.”
Shen Zhen nodded. “I understand.”
Though this visit didn’t alert the second and third branches of the family, it couldn’t be hidden from Princess Jing’an.
When she learned Shen Zhen was likely pregnant, the princess couldn’t help but smile.
“What a wonderful thing. Congratulations, Your Highness—you’re going to be a grandmother,” her attendant said with a grin.
“Grandmother”… The word made Princess Jing’an smile even more.
Time really flew. She’d only been a mother-in-law for two months, and now she was going to be a grandmother.
One of the maids sighed, “The child of the heir and the madam… I wonder how beautiful they’ll be.”
“Indeed.” The old maid chuckled, then asked, “Shall we inform the old lady?”
“In three months. We don’t want to disturb the fetus’ spirit,” said the princess as she fanned herself and suddenly stood up. “No, I must go see her.”
With that, she hurried off toward Su Ning Hall.
As she entered the courtyard, she saw Tang Yue carrying a bowl of medicine toward the inner room. The princess stopped her. “What’s that?”
Tang Yue whispered, “Pregnancy medicine.”
At the word “pregnancy,” the princess frowned slightly. “Is there a risk of miscarriage?”
Tang Yue quickly denied it—but then hesitated, not knowing how to explain.
“Speak,” the princess urged.
Tang Yue steeled herself and whispered, “The heir just returned earlier, and he and the madam…”
The princess pressed her brow, instantly understanding. “Got it. Give me the medicine.”
She pushed open the door and entered.
Shen Zhen sat up straight and called softly, “Mother.”
The princess sat beside her. “Don’t get up. Drink this while it’s warm.”
Shen Zhen took a sip, but the bitter taste made her cover her mouth.
Seeing this, the princess asked, “Have you been like this often lately?”
“It started today.”
The princess sighed, “It’s always like that. When I was pregnant with Lu Yan, I couldn’t even eat my favorite pastries, let alone meat. Tomorrow I’ll have the maid try cooking different dishes to see what works for you.”
Shen Zhen patted her chest. “Thank you, Mother.”
Seeing her pale complexion, the princess said, “Rest early. If anything happens, tell me directly.”
Then she glanced at Lu Yan, who’d been silent nearby. “You, come with me.”
Lu Yan was called to the study.
The princess looked at him and sighed. “Lu Yan, pregnancy is no small matter. You must be careful.”
Lu Yan squinted slightly in embarrassment and replied in a low voice, “I understand.”
She continued, “It’s normal for a woman, especially with her first pregnancy, to think of her own mother. Her mother isn’t here anymore. Arrange for Shen Shu to keep her company, or after a few days, take her to visit the Shen household.”
Lu Yan nodded again. “I’ll remember.”
She gave him more instructions, and surprisingly, Lu Yan didn’t argue once.
…
After the conversation, Lu Yan returned to Su Ning Hall. Inside, only he and Shen Zhen remained.
His gaze naturally fell on her abdomen and paused.
He reached out, gently brushing it with his fingertips.
Lightly… then once more.
Thinking of what had just happened, he cleared his throat and said, “It’s my fault.”
Shen Zhen truly didn’t blame him. “You didn’t know either.”
Lu Yan asked, “Do you still feel like vomiting?”
Shen Zhen replied, “No, not right now.”
Lu Yan said, “If you feel unwell, tell me immediately.”
After a pause, Shen Zhen looked up. “Husband.”
He grasped her hand. “Yes?”
Shen Zhen whispered, “I really did eat too many chestnut pastries. Could it be a false diagnosis?”
Lu Yan chuckled, “With the Bai siblings’ medical skills, they wouldn’t say anything unless they were sure.”
Shen Zhen finally felt at ease. “That’s good.”
Lu Yan pinched her cheek. “You want a child that badly?”
Shen Zhen said seriously, “You’re already twenty-five and have no children. Grandmother brought it up the other day but stopped herself. I think…”
Before she could finish, Lu Yan flicked her forehead. “Calling me old now?”
Shen Zhen quickly shook her head. “No!”
——
Night deepened, and the rain ceased.
Lu Yan blew out the candle and lay down beside her.
Thinking about the blood earlier, he instinctively kept some distance before closing his eyes.
After a long while, as his breathing evened, Shen Zhen suddenly opened her eyes.
This was classic delayed anxiety.
The young girl couldn’t sleep at all. Her mind was full of thoughts about the tiny being in her belly.
She wondered: When will my belly start to show?
Is it a boy or a girl?
Who will the baby resemble?
They say childbirth is like passing through death’s door… will it hurt a lot?
She stared at the ceiling beams for half an hour, then the window, then the man beside her.
Silence surrounded her, but her heart pounded faster.
She couldn’t help it—she reached out and gently shook Lu Yan’s arm.
Light sleeper that he was, he frowned, half-opened his eyes and looked at her. “What’s wrong?”
Shen Zhen leaned close and whispered, “I can’t sleep.”
Lord Lu instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist and rubbed her back gently. After a while, he said softly, “If it’s a boy, we’ll name him Lu Chang’an. If it’s a girl, Lu Jingshu. How’s that?”
Shen Zhen looked at him and asked, “When did you think of those?”
Lu Yan’s lips lifted slightly. “Just now.”
But really, it was a long, long time ago.
Baby!!!