Jiang Huaichu tried to push him away, but Xiao Yun was already kissing the corner of his lips. Every time he pushed, the kiss just moved higher, soft and coaxing, as if begging for a little affection. His lips tickled. Jiang Huaichu looked up, glaring at him fiercely. The next second, the one gently brushing against his lips suddenly dropped the act. Grabbing both of his hands, Xiao Yun tilted his head and kissed him deeply.
“Mm…” Jiang Huaichu’s head hit the wooden board behind the bed, but Xiao Yun had already placed a hand behind to protect him.
Jiang Huaichu said, “I don’t want to…”
Xiao Yun’s warm breath invaded. Jiang Huaichu had to tilt his head back slightly to bear the force. The kiss was full of surging, intense emotions that made his head spin. He couldn’t resist at all. His heart pounded. Through clenched teeth, he said, “I don’t want… I don’t want to…”
Xiao Yun lightly bit his lower lip. “Why not?”
“Xiao Yun… I don’t want to…”
Beads of sweat formed on Jiang Huaichu’s forehead, his face turning pale. Xiao Yun immediately noticed the shift and stopped.
He had only understood half of Xie Caiqing’s emotions before. But ever since realizing Jiang Huaichu’s true identity, he could almost read his every thought. Earlier, Jiang Huaichu was half-angry, half-shy, so Xiao Yun had dared to push the boundaries. But now, Jiang Huaichu was truly unwilling. There was real panic in his dark eyes.
And it felt terrible.
Jiang Huaichu: “I don’t want to.”
Xiao Yun cupped his face and gave him a light kiss. His voice softened: “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Huaichu said coldly, “I just don’t want to.”
Xiao Yun was confused. He thought back over Jiang Huaichu’s little habits and suddenly understood. He chuckled.
“What are you laughing at?”
Without warning, Xiao Yun lowered his head and, to Jiang Huaichu’s astonishment, kissed his round belly.
Jiang Huaichu froze. A few seconds later, realizing what had happened, the calm on his face shattered. Furious and mortified, he yelled, “What—what are you doing?!”
He tried to get away, but Xiao Yun held his face again. “Beautiful. Chuchu, you’re beautiful everywhere. You were beautiful before, and you’re beautiful now. What’s so weird about a man being pregnant? Most of them can’t even get pregnant! My Chuchu is one of a kind in the world! No matter what you look like, I love you.”
Jiang Huaichu’s heart twitched slightly.
“Who’s yours?” he glared. Then after a pause, muttered, “You’re lying. I know it’s ugly. It’s weird.”
“Fine, fine, I’m a liar,” Xiao Yun leaned in and whispered, “Then look and see if little Xiao Yun is lying.”
“……”
…..
…..
The next morning, Jiang Huaichu slowly woke up.
It was already autumn. Even without ice, there was a light chill in the military camp — quite pleasant, actually. He blinked sleepily at the surroundings. Memories of the previous night started returning, and the dazed look on his face vanished, replaced by a deep blush spreading across his pale skin.
What did he do last night?
Absurd.
A wave of regret washed over him.
If Xie Caiqing did something with Xiao Yun, it could be explained as having ulterior motives. But Jiang Huaichu himself doing it…
He had clearly intended to avoid entanglements with Xiao Yun. How did things end up like this?
There were still kiss marks on his wrist. His limbs were weak. His fingertips still carried lingering warmth. He rolled over and buried his head in the pillow, just as the man behind him wrapped around his waist shifted and pressed lightly against him from behind. A big head rested lazily on his shoulder.
“Trying to deny it?” Xiao Yun whispered beside his ear.
Jiang Huaichu didn’t respond.
Xiao Yun bit his earlobe. “You used me up completely, and now you’re pretending like nothing happened?”
Jiang Huaichu’s brow twitched.
Seeing his silence, Xiao Yun laughed. “Not talking, huh? Oh right, maybe you forgot. Let me remind you — who was all dazed and obedient last night, letting me touch the baby, and even called me ‘husband’—”
“Xiao Yun, have some shame!”
Xiao Yun pulled his face around and pressed his own against it, rubbing his chin against his cheek proudly: “Jiang Huaichu is mine now.”
Jiang Huaichu slapped a hand over Xiao Yun’s shameless face. “I’m not.”
Xiao Yun grinned. “I saw the baby all night long, back and forth — and you still say you’re not?”
Jiang Huaichu: “……”
Before Jiang Huaichu could explode in anger, Xiao Yun grabbed the hand that had been slapped onto his face and kissed it repeatedly, licking it as well.
Jiang Huaichu was about to curse him out, but the words froze on his lips.
Xiao Yun waited a long time for Jiang Huaichu to scold him, but the scolding never came. He started to feel itchy from the lack of reaction. “What’s wrong?”
He noticed Jiang Huaichu’s face was deeply flushed, his eyes filled with confusion. Xiao Yun paused, surprised.
“…Nothing.” Jiang Huaichu moved forward a bit, trying to act natural.
Xiao Yun grew more puzzled. He was always curious and liked to get to the bottom of things. He subtly followed Jiang Huaichu’s gaze and saw that he was staring blankly at the brocade quilt covering Xiao Yun’s belly. Suspicious, he suddenly lifted the quilt.
Jiang Huaichu immediately reached to snatch it back, but Xiao Yun held him tightly, not letting him move. There, on Jiang Huaichu’s round belly, a smooth curve suddenly rose slightly, then dipped back down.
A long silence followed.
“Chu-Chu, this… this… what is this?” Xiao Yun’s voice trembled uncontrollably from behind.
Xiao Yun panicked. In contrast, Jiang Huaichu, who had previously been flustered, now seemed calm and composed. He said lightly, “…Isn’t it… isn’t it normal?”
Xiao Yun stiffened all over. “This… this… it… it moved?”
“Oh… It’s been four and a half months, it should be moving.” Xiao Yun, who had studied medicine for years, suddenly realized.
Another awkward silence fell.
Finally, Xiao Yun spoke, his voice filled with both fear and ecstasy: “Chu-Chu… it… it moved…”
Jiang Huaichu pulled the quilt up to cover his belly, annoyed. “Do you have to be this dramatic?”
Anyone who didn’t know better would think a child had seen a worm.
A few seconds later, Xiao Yun’s face lit up with joy, beaming with excitement. His voice thundered, “Chu-Chu! It moved! Our baby moved at just four and a half months! So amazing!”
Jiang Huaichu turned his face away. “…It’s not yours.”
“….” Xiao Yun choked, but despite still being stuck on that frustrating denial, he quickly forgot it in his joy. “Was that its first time moving?”
“….No.” Jiang Huaichu answered immediately.
Xiao Yun narrowed his eyes. “Then why did you react so strongly?”
“I said it wasn’t, so it wasn’t—Xiao Yun!”
“Wife, don’t move, let me touch, let me touch! Maybe not your first time, but it’s my first time,” Xiao Yun kissed him, then forcibly took the quilt from him. He extended a finger and gently pressed the spot that had bulged and sunk back, as if poking at it to interact with the baby inside.
Jiang Huaichu’s eyes instantly flushed red with shame. He shouted angrily, “Xiao Yun!”
The feeling under his finger was indescribable. Xiao Yun felt as if he had been electrocuted. His blood surged, his heart pounded wildly. Because of that tiny movement, joy surged through him. Everything else faded away. The whole world now consisted only of Jiang Huaichu and the small Jiang Huaichu inside his belly.
Jiang Huaichu looked at this grown man smiling like a fool while playing with the little one inside his belly. For some reason, his heart raced and his breath quickened. He quietly turned his head away.
“Chu-Chu, you and our baby—it moved,” Xiao Yun was almost incoherent. “You… you and mine, it moved…”
Jiang Huaichu replied, “…I said it’s not yours.”
Xiao Yun addressed the belly, “See? Your bad daddy is still lying in front of you. All that Confucian morality he teaches you? Lies.”
“Xiao Yun!”
“Your daddy should be honest,” Xiao Yun pressed again and looked into Jiang Huaichu’s eyes with a smile, “Come on, say it in front of the baby. Is it mine?”
“No—”
Xiao Yun immediately looked down at the belly. “Your daddy—”
Jiang Huaichu fell silent.
Xiao Yun’s grin widened to a ridiculous extent. “Chu-Chu, why would it move now, of all times? It’s because it was so happy to see me so many times last night!”
“…You really love flattering yourself, don’t you.”
Xiao Yun grinned. “So I have to go see it often. Best if I go tonight—”
“You wish!”
Jiang Huaichu’s face was burning red, furious. He realized he still hadn’t put on any clothes and had been letting Xiao Yun mess around. His frustration grew, and he turned to grab his clothes. Xiao Yun shot up like a fish and snatched them out of his hands. “Let me help you dress!”
Using his advantage in strength and size, Xiao Yun successfully snatched the clothes, ignored Jiang Huaichu’s resistance, and pulled him onto his lap.
Under the robes, Jiang Huaichu’s figure wasn’t bulky at all—still very slender, his skin pale and flawless, with beautiful lines. His legs were long, his waist slightly bent forward because of the baby’s weight.
Even with the belly, his divine appearance remained untouched—if anything, the contrast made him more appealing.
Xiao Yun swallowed hard. Deadly… But when his eyes glanced at Jiang Huaichu’s back, his desire was instantly extinguished.
Jiang Huaichu had lost weight from the pregnancy. His shoulder blades were more prominent, almost sharp to the touch. Holding him, Xiao Yun felt pain in his heart.
Should’ve taken him back a long time ago.
They didn’t know how to take care of Chu-Chu at all.
He said nothing more, cracking jokes and coaxing him while helping him dress.
Jiang Huaichu’s body had grown heavier lately, with frequent backaches and general fatigue. He didn’t feel like resisting anymore and let him be.
Things had come to this—what was the use in regretting? He had only himself to blame. A few sweet words and a kiss, and he lost all reason.
The constant babbling in his ear was like a giant fly buzzing around. He listened blankly for a while, then casually asked, “Where did you go in the middle of the night last night?”
Xiao Yun’s hands paused as he was tying the sash. He tried to act natural. “You knew?”
Jiang Huaichu’s expression cooled a little. “Yeah, I woke up then.”
Xiao Yun had thought he was asleep after they finished, so he got up and left. He didn’t return for a long while. When he did come back, he called out to test if Jiang Huaichu was awake. When there was no response, he snuggled up and went back to sleep.
“There was some urgent official business.”
“Mm.” Jiang Huaichu said no more, then after a long pause added, “You’ve done what you wanted, vented enough. When do you plan to let me go back?”
“….” Xiao Yun, who had been unusually silent, finally gave up with a sense of self-defeat. “Can’t you just spare me a shred of dignity?!”
Jiang Huaichu was stunned. “What did I…” he asked, confused.
Speaking of it just made it worse. Xiao Yun said bitterly, “It’s been three and a half months… I couldn’t get in no matter what, and when I finally did, it wasn’t nearly enough. I had to sneak out and take care of it myself like a lunatic. Do you really have to bring that up out loud?! What, are you jealous of my hand and want me to do it in front of you instead?”
“…Shut up.” Jiang Huaichu’s face flushed silently with embarrassment.
….
Liu Yun had been standing outside the military camp since before dawn. Every incense-stick of time, under the watchful eyes of countless hopeful soldiers, he would walk up to the camp gate and ask Xie Zhe in a low voice, “Has His Majesty gotten up yet?”
Every time, Xie Zhe smiled patiently and answered, “Not yet.”
By the thirteenth time, Xie Zhe finally lost patience and smiled, “His Majesty and the Empress have been apart for a while. Naturally, they’re now… expressing their deep affection. Best if you wait until the sun’s higher.”
The implication was clear. Liu Yun froze, his old face turning red. “His Majesty… The Empress… isn’t the Empress…”
The attending imperial physician grew anxious. “At this stage of the pregnancy… wasn’t it just a little over a month?”
Suddenly realizing the situation, Liu Yun imagined the tiny heir inside crying out for help and rushed toward the tent.
Xie Zhe stopped him.
Liu Yun shouted angrily, “So small, and His Majesty has no sense at all?! Is this how he acts as a father?! Does he even want this child?!”
Xie Zhe gave a calming look and turned to the physician. “Who told you it’s only a little over a month?”
The physician answered, baffled, “A lot of people. Elder Liu, General Zhang, General Dong, General Meng, General Li, Commissioner Xia, Minister Xie—”
Each named person visibly flinched and turned away as if nothing had happened.
Xie Zhe sighed. “….Alright, alright.”
His Majesty had clearly instructed everyone not to leak the truth, and they’d all readily agreed. Now Xie Zhe truly understood how desperate these ministers were for an heir—gossiping worse than old housewives. “…It’s not just a little over a month.”
The group blinked. One immediately said in excitement, “Two months, then?”
Xie Zhe rubbed his nose and awkwardly shook his head.
The ministers swarmed in, their eyes shining. “Could it be over two months?!”
Their voices trembled with excitement. Liu Yun, at least, stayed rational. “That’s impossible. His Majesty only arrived at the border a little over a month ago. Even counting everything, it can’t be more than two months.”
“Well…” Xie Zhe rubbed his nose again, not sure how to explain such an awkward matter. “It might be… even more.”
The ministers were stunned. “How could that be?!”
Zhang Kui’s face turned sour—he was known for being blunt. “If it’s more than two months, is it even His Majesty’s child?!”
Xie Zhe forced a smile. “It’s definitely His Majesty’s. But… perhaps you should broaden your understanding a little.”
“What do you mean?” Liu Yun was completely confused. “Weren’t we told it was the daughter of Duke Yi? Even if it was a commoner girl, how is this ‘broader’?”
“Well…” Of course Xie Zhe couldn’t admit outright it was Xie Caiqing—doing so would reveal that His Majesty had already been romantically involved with a male subordinate while stationed in the north.
Dong Lu grew impatient. “None of us care if she’s a commoner. His Majesty is at that age already, and we’ve waited long enough. We don’t care if she’s some noble lady or a perfect match—just give us a healthy child. She can be ugly, poor, or oddly dressed—we’ll take it! We already know His Majesty’s taste is… questionable.”
The rest of the ministers nodded in agreement, proud of their psychological readiness for anything.
Xie Zhe thought to himself—they were still not ready.
He added, “The Empress isn’t ugly. In fact, they might be… rather good-looking.”
The ministers perked up instantly, eyes shining.
“The Empress also isn’t poor. In fact, they might be… of somewhat high status.”
The ministers were startled, surprised that it might actually be a good match. Zhang Kui quickly asked, “Which noble family is it, then?”
Xie Zhe didn’t answer directly but warned, “So, when you meet them in a few hours, don’t be too casual or disrespectful. His Majesty is still trying to win them back.”
The ministers glanced at each other, quickly fixing their loose robes and adjusting their disheveled garments to show they wouldn’t embarrass the emperor.
Feeling he needed to be clear, Xie Zhe added, “Also… when you see them, please restrain your reactions. Do not insult them.”
Zhang Kui, already impatient, snapped, “What are you talking about?! We would never insult the Empress!”
“Exactly!” the others echoed, frowning.
Just then, the curtain behind them was lifted without warning. The Emperor stepped out, slightly bent at the waist, smiling obsequiously—almost with a hint of servility—as he carefully supported someone by the arm. The person in front turned his face away, refusing help, pushing at the emperor’s hand, but Xiao Yun refused to let go.
Zhang Kui saw the man’s refined and elegant face beneath black hair and immediately shouted in fury, “Duan Wang, you little b*stard—why are you here?!”
Xie Zhe: “…”
