Chapter 59
Inside Yinghui Pavilion.
Chi Zhou had listed out all the suspicious points and areas that could be re-examined in the case from years ago, and then passed the document around for everyone to review.
“…All the physical evidence from that case is stored in the Ministry of Justice’s archives… There’s a clerk at the Dali Temple who specializes in handwriting and seal verification—we can have him examine the handwriting on those old letters first,” a Ministry of Justice official said.
“Even if the handwriting checks out, there are still many other doubts about the case…” Chi Zhou added.
“That’s right. The case had numerous questionable aspects back then. It was just that the situation was too complicated—either no one had time to question it, or no one dared to speak up. But now that we’re reopening the investigation, we will certainly give it our all…” another official said.
Everyone took turns expressing their opinions about the case. Some even picked up a brush and added a few more suspicious points to Chi Zhou’s list. In the end, all eyes turned toward Li Zhan, waiting for him to speak.
But Li Zhan was gazing down at a spot on the desk, his eyes slightly unfocused, as if his mind had wandered.
If not for the faint smile curling at the corners of his lips, everyone would’ve assumed he was troubled by something.
“Wang Ye…” Chi Zhou called out softly beside him.
Li Zhan snapped out of it, withdrew his smile, and said, “I have complete faith in all of you to handle this case. Just follow the law—don’t worry about anything else. I’ll take full responsibility.”
With these words, Li Zhan was essentially giving them his personal guarantee: no matter how far-reaching this case became, he would shield them. They didn’t need to be concerned about external pressures; all they had to do was focus on the investigation.
“Yes, we will give it our utmost effort,” the officials replied quickly.
Li Zhan gave a few more instructions before dismissing them.
After leaving Yinghui Pavilion, the officials first praised the Regent’s decisiveness and bold action, calling his effort to overturn the old case a noble deed. But then, the topic shifted to Wang Ye’s recent “odd behavior.”
“Do you think Wang Ye is under too much pressure?”
“Of course. After all, reopening that old case is bound to implicate the late emperor…”
“It’s not just the late emperor. Even the Second and Fourth Princes, and the recently deceased Old Wang Ye—all could be implicated.”
“Fortunately, this whole thing happened so suddenly that no one had time to oppose it…”
Then the conversation veered in another direction:
“Still, don’t you feel this whole affair came out of nowhere?”
“Maybe Wang Ye has always been obsessed with the case from back then?”
“He was the only one who spoke on the Ji family’s behalf when they were convicted.”
“In any case, if this clears the names of the Second Prince and the Ji family, it would be a good thing.”
“Exactly. Even though Grand Tutor Ji is gone, the Ji siblings are still alive…”
When the topic shifted to Ji Qingzhou, everyone suddenly perked up:
“So what do you all think—does Wang Ye truly favor Young Master Ji, or is it just for show?”
“If he doesn’t care for him, why keep him close every day and even appoint him as Chief Steward of the Inner Attendant Department…”
“But you saw it yourself today—when things got serious, didn’t Wang Ye still send him away?”
“Hard to say for sure… but have you noticed Wang Ye has been zoning out a lot lately?”
“Yeah, I’ve seen him smile during meetings these past few days, like something good happened…”
“Or maybe the pressure’s just getting to him and his mind’s starting to wander…”
…
Then everyone sighed again over how Li Zhan “dedicates himself completely to the court,” setting aside his own personal happiness.
The implication was clear: many of them felt a bit sorry for him.
Back in Yinghui Pavilion, the crowd had dispersed, but Chi Zhou remained.
Li Zhan looked up and asked, “Is there something else, Assistant Minister Chi?”
Chi Zhou bowed slightly and replied, “Just a personal matter… Young Master Ji made a new pair of boots for Young Master Ji and asked me to bring them to him.”
“Mm.” Li Zhan thought for a moment, then said, “It just so happens I have something here as well. You can take it back and give it to Ji Qinglan.”
As he spoke, Li Zhan picked up a letter from his desk and handed it to Chi Zhou. Chi Zhou took it and glanced at the envelope—it was addressed: ‘To My Sister Qinglan, to be opened personally.’
Chi Zhou had seen Ji Qingzhou’s handwriting before—it was very average, at best barely neat and legible. But the handwriting on this envelope was strong and vigorous; it clearly hadn’t come from Ji Qingzhou…
And in all of Dayu, aside from Ji Qingzhou, there was only one other person who would address Ji Qinglan as “my sister.”
“What is this…” Chi Zhou asked in surprise. “A letter from the eldest son of the Ji family?”
“It wasn’t sent by the courier service,” Li Zhan replied.
In other words, someone from Li Zhan’s own men had personally delivered it.
Chi Zhou immediately realized that Li Zhan’s people had contacted Ji Qinghuai.
Originally, Ji Qinghuai and Ji Qingzhou had both been sentenced to exile. But in the end, Ji Qingzhou gave up on the exile and chose to enter the palace as an inner attendant, while Ji Qinghuai had already left for the northwest at the start of the year.
“Is Eldest Young Master Ji doing well?” Chi Zhou asked.
“More or less. You can open the letter and see for yourself,” Li Zhan said.
Chi Zhou noticed the letter was unsealed. It was clear Ji Qinghuai intended for the content to be reviewed by Li Zhan before it was passed on. This gesture showed how thoughtful Ji Qinghuai was—he knew how to express goodwill through even the smallest detail.
But Chi Zhou didn’t intend to read the letter. He said, “I’ll wait for Young Lady Ji to read it first and ask her directly.”
Li Zhan nodded. “Weren’t you going to deliver the boots? Go now, he’ll probably be napping soon.”
Chi Zhou paused at those words, thinking to himself how naturally Wang Ye had said it—he even knew when Young Master Ji usually took his naps…
At this stage, Ji Qingzhou’s fetal movement wasn’t very frequent, so he hadn’t quite gotten used to it yet. Every time it happened, he would be a little at a loss, and Li Zhan, being observant, would pick up on it immediately.
Like during the morning court session—Ji Qingzhou had been standing properly, but suddenly his shoulders tensed and his ears turned slightly red. Li Zhan knew immediately it must have been fetal movement. The same thing happened during the meeting today—while Ji Qingzhou was grinding ink, it happened again, and Li Zhan noticed instantly.
Whenever Ji Qingzhou felt the fetal movement, his expression would show slight embarrassment, and his ears would flush a bit.
Every time Li Zhan saw that look, he couldn’t help but glance at him a few more times, feeling both touched and a bit heartbroken.
In recent days, Li Zhan had considered not letting Ji Qingzhou continue serving him. First, because the old Ji family case was being reopened, and he worried Ji Qingzhou would feel emotional. Second, because the fetal movements had started, and he feared it would exhaust him.
But knowing Ji Qingzhou’s temperament, Li Zhan understood that forcing him to rest wouldn’t sit well with him. So he could only try to keep an eye on him and find ways to let him rest whenever he looked tired.
“Wang Ye has always been very thoughtful when it comes to you.” Xiao Shan poured a cup of water and handed over a snack.
Ji Qingzhou only drank the water and didn’t take the snack. “Don’t keep giving me food. If I eat too much, I’ll get fat.”
Xiao Shan sighed, “Even if you don’t eat much, your belly will still grow.”
“Is it obvious?” Ji Qingzhou pulled at his robe’s waistband and asked.
“Not really. Just a little bit,” Xiao Shan quickly replied.
“It’s growing too fast. Before the martial arts competition, there was nothing. And now it’s been less than half a month…” Ji Qingzhou sighed. “At this rate, it’ll be a full circle in a month.”
Xiao Shan had noticed how preoccupied Ji Qingzhou had been with his belly lately and tried to comfort him. “With Wang Ye around, I’m sure he’ll find a way to help you hide it. And you wear that stiff python robe when you go out—it’s hard to see anything under that.”
“Mm.” Ji Qingzhou answered, but his expression didn’t relax.
Xiao Shan gently touched his lower belly. “Has it been moving a lot lately?”
“Not really…” Ji Qingzhou replied. “It’s just that when there are a lot of people around, I get nervous if it starts moving.”
Seeing the flush rise again on his face, Xiao Shan couldn’t help but smile. “You’ll get used to it eventually. Honestly, Wang Ye seems to be more accepting than you are.”
“He doesn’t have it in his belly. Of course it’s easier for him,” Ji Qingzhou muttered.
“Has he touched it yet?” Xiao Shan asked.
“No…” Ji Qingzhou said. “We’re not that kind of relationship. Wouldn’t it be strange if he just touched it?”
Xiao Shan nodded. “A little… but I bet Wang Ye is holding himself back.”
Ji Qingzhou was startled. “Why?”
“Because it’s your child together. Of course he’d be eager to get closer. It’s human nature.” Xiao Shan explained.
Ji Qingzhou was reminded of how Li Zhan read scriptures aloud to his belly every day.
There was no doubt in Ji Qingzhou’s mind that Li Zhan was more excited about this child than he was.
“Chief Steward Ji, Assistant Minister Chi is outside. He said he’d like to see you,” Guo Zi came in and announced.
Ji Qingzhou quickly grabbed his outer robe and allowed Chi Zhou in.
“Did I interrupt your rest?” Chi Zhou asked.
“Not at all,” Ji Qingzhou replied quickly. “Did something happen with my sister?”
Chi Zhou handed over the cloth bundle. “Young Lady Ji had some free time and made you a pair of boots. She asked me to bring them to you today. She said if they don’t fit, I should take them back for her to adjust.”
Ji Qingzhou opened the bundle and found a pair of white ankle boots. They had simple gold-threaded cloud patterns—plain in design, but finely stitched.
He tried them on in front of Chi Zhou. “They fit perfectly. Please thank her for me.”
“We’re all family. No need for thanks,” Chi Zhou said. “Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up. If I may be bold—would you be willing to visit my residence on the fifteenth? You can reunite with your sister.”
“It’s almost Mid-Autumn already…” Ji Qingzhou sighed. “Time flies.”
“Yes,” Chi Zhou replied. “I know this invitation might be presumptuous, but your sister always worries about you and your elder brother…”
His voice trailed off awkwardly. Ji Qingzhou glanced down and saw that Chi Zhou wore new black boots, also embroidered with gold cloud patterns—the same handiwork as his own.
“Alright. I’ll ask Wang Ye for leave. It shouldn’t be a problem,” Ji Qingzhou said.
Chi Zhou visibly relaxed. “You don’t need to worry about the case either. Wang Ye planned everything carefully. He raised it under a different pretense so your family wouldn’t be dragged into it from the start.”
Although the court now knew Li Zhan was reopening the case, the main target was currently the former commander of the Western Camp.
Only after the case progressed further would the Ji family be formally named. That way, Ji Qingzhou wouldn’t be the center of public attention—Li Zhan had planned it this way from the beginning.
“Thank you, Assistant Minister Chi. I understand.” Ji Qingzhou said.
“Then I’ll take my leave,” Chi Zhou said.
Ji Qingzhou knew it wasn’t appropriate for someone of Chi Zhou’s position to linger with him, so he didn’t insist.
Chi Zhou moved quickly on the case.
With all the groundwork Li Zhan had laid beforehand, everything proceeded smoothly.
Within just two days, Chi Zhou’s team had verified a lot of useful evidence.
And all of it was properly documented within the Ministry of Justice and Dali Temple—strong and admissible.
“All the letters found in the former commander’s tent have been examined. The handwriting and seals were all falsified,” Chi Zhou reported to Li Zhan. “Two eyewitnesses from back then have been found. More are being located. Yesterday the Ministry of Justice also obtained new testimonies—please review them, Wang Ye…..”
Chi Zhou laid the documents in front of Li Zhan.
“There are also letters from Old Wang Ye’s residence that support the evidence,” another official added. “Now it’s clear the rebellion accusation against the second prince and the commander was false. As for claims that Grand Tutor Ji was involved—completely baseless!”
Li Zhan glanced at the testimony, looking unsurprised, as if he had anticipated all of this.
“Not enough,” Li Zhan said. “We must identify everyone involved in orchestrating this—from perpetrators to witnesses. If even one thread is left hanging, the court will never be fully convinced!”
“Yes!” the officials responded.
“Wang Ye, the case is already well underway. It’s only a matter of time before it’s fully resolved,” Chi Zhou said. “But there’s one thing—when the case is clarified in court, as the greatest victims apart from the second prince, should someone from the Ji family be present?”
Li Zhan understood the implication.
To restore the Ji family’s name, someone had to represent them.
The scene was like reopening the Ji family’s past injustice right in front of all the court officials. Even if the outcome was to exonerate the Ji family, the damage to their reputation could not be undone. Li Zhan did not want Ji Qingzhou to endure such a painful shock!
“Wouldn’t Young Master Ji be the perfect choice?” someone suggested.
Li Zhan slightly furrowed his brow but said nothing.
“After all, Young Master Ji is the Chief Steward of the Inner Attendant Department. It would be better if this matter were handled by someone without an official position,” Chi Zhou spoke up.
“Do you mean to have Young Lady Ji appear at court?” someone asked.
Li Zhan exchanged a meaningful glance with Chi Zhou. Both understood each other without words.
After a moment, Li Zhan said, “Besides Ji Qingzhou and Ji Qinglan, doesn’t the Ji family have an eldest son who’s been exiled?”
“Ji Qinghuai?” someone answered. “He is indeed suitable.”
Being exiled without an official position, and as the eldest son of the Ji family, having him appear at court was the most appropriate choice.
That night after dark, Li Zhan pulled that letter out from a drawer.
The envelope bore the words “To my younger brother Ji Qingzhou, to be opened personally,” written in the exact same handwriting as the letter Li Zhan had given to Chi Zhou earlier.
Li Zhan hesitated for a moment, then took the letter to Ji Qingzhou’s residence.
Guo Zi happened to be walking through the courtyard and greeted Li Zhan with a bow.
“Where is Ji Qingzhou?” Li Zhan asked.
“Wang Ye, you’re looking for me?” Ji Qingzhou’s voice came from behind. Li Zhan turned to see him carrying a food box, apparently preparing to go out.
“What are you planning to do?” Li Zhan inquired.
“Xiao Shan made some new pastries today. I was going to deliver them to His Majesty,” Ji Qingzhou said.
“Have them handle it; there’s no need for you to go personally,” Li Zhan replied.
“I’m free anyway, and Doctor Tang said I should get more exercise,” Ji Qingzhou said.
Li Zhan nodded and said, “Then I will accompany you.”
With that, he took the food box from Ji Qingzhou’s hand, and the two of them walked out of Yinghui Pavilion side by side.
Outside, the night was calm, with a nearly full moon hanging in the sky.
Li Zhan carried the food box, strolling at a leisurely pace alongside Ji Qingzhou as they headed toward Fu’an Palace, while Dong Dong and Xiao Shan followed at a distance.
“I have something I wanted to ask Wang Ye… Tomorrow is the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and I’d like to request a leave from the palace for a short trip,” Ji Qingzhou suddenly said.
“Mid-Autumn Festival, and you want to leave the palace?” Li Zhan asked.
“Yes…” Ji Qingzhou said. “I want to visit Assistant Minister Chi’s residence to see my sister.”
Li Zhan nodded slightly; his eyes darkened subtly in the night. After a moment, he said, “I have something I want to tell you too.”
Ji Qingzhou turned to look at him and saw Li Zhan take a letter from his chest and hand it to him.
Ji Qingzhou took the letter, and under the moonlight and nearby lanterns, he clearly read the inscription on the envelope.
“Is this… a letter from my elder brother?” Ji Qingzhou asked in surprise.
“Yes,” Li Zhan replied. “The letter arrived a couple of days ago. I… just forgot to give it to you until now.”
Ji Qingzhou hurriedly put the letter away and said, “Thank you very much, Wang Ye.”
“I’ve read the letter myself,” Li Zhan added.
Ji Qingzhou wasn’t surprised to hear that. He knew that given Ji Qinghuai’s status, getting this letter to him involved passing through countless checkpoints. The letter didn’t look worn, which meant it likely traveled via Li Zhan’s “special channel.” So it was perfectly normal for Li Zhan to confirm the contents, and Ji Qingzhou had no reason to be bothered by that.
“Your elder brother doesn’t want you to suffer in the palace and hopes to bring you to the northwest,” Li Zhan said.
Ji Qingzhou responded, “If the Ji family’s name is cleared, does that mean my brother can return to the capital?”
Li Zhan nodded and asked, “I want to ask you… if there were no other concerns, if you had a choice now, would you continue to stay by my side, or would you go to the northwest to be with your brother?”
Li Zhan’s hypothetical question implied: if the Ji family’s case wasn’t overturned, would Ji Qingzhou prefer to keep serving as the chief steward, or would he abandon everything to join Ji Qinghuai in the northwest?
“Of course, I wouldn’t go to the northwest now. In my current state… going there might only bring trouble to my brother,” Ji Qingzhou said with a helpless smile. “But once… the child is born, I do want to visit the northwest. The wide open skies and vast land sound quite appealing.”
Li Zhan frowned and asked, “What are your plans… for the child?”
“What kind of plans?” Ji Qingzhou asked. “Which aspect are you referring to?”
Li Zhan said, “I mean… after the child is born.”
“Of course, I leave everything to Wang Ye,” Ji Qingzhou said. “I have no particular plans for the child. However you wish to raise him, that’s fine by me.” Ji Qingzhou felt confident that given Li Zhan’s character, he wouldn’t mistreat the child, so he wasn’t worried about that.
Li Zhan said nothing, but his expression darkened.
By then, the two had arrived at Fu’an Palace. The young emperor was delighted to see them together, grabbed Ji Qingzhou’s hand, chattered away, and even gave him some of his secret stash of snacks. It wasn’t until he noticed Li Zhan’s slight impatience that he reluctantly let go.
That evening, until they returned to Yinghui Pavilion, Li Zhan hardly spoke.
Ji Qingzhou sensed his displeasure but didn’t understand why—until he read Ji Qinghuai’s letter.
Ji Qinghuai’s letter wasn’t long. Aside from reporting that he was safe and sound, it focused on only one thing: urging Ji Qingzhou to come live with him in the northwest.
From the letter, Ji Qingzhou guessed that Ji Qinghuai probably already knew about Li Zhan’s plan to overturn the Ji family’s case. His invitation to go northwest was not about exile alongside him, but a proposal to live there together with Ji Qingzhou and Ji Qinglan after the dust had settled.
The letter didn’t explain why, but Ji Qingzhou could guess at least part of the reason.
The Ji family had once suffered such a great and senseless disaster—now, Ji Qinghuai had likely thought it all through. He simply wanted the three siblings to find a peaceful place to live out their days, far away from the disputes of the capital, so that tragedies of the past wouldn’t repeat themselves.
Especially since Ji Qingzhou’s identity had become highly sensitive now—he was the Chief Steward of the Inner Attendant Department.
Clearly, Ji Qinghuai felt deeply uneasy about his younger brother…
Ji Qingzhou thought to himself that the Ji Qingzhou in the original book had probably revealed his own “unruly ambitions” in front of his elder brother, which was why Ji Qinghuai was so anxious—so much so that he’d go to great lengths to take him away from the capital, just to keep him from getting himself killed.
It was no wonder Li Zhan had been upset after asking him that question.
Ji Qingzhou now belonged to Yinghui Pavilion—wasn’t Ji Qinghuai’s action essentially trying to “poach” someone from Li Zhan’s side?
He silently thought: Wang Ye must have been displeased because of that!
He’d better find a chance to explain it clearly tomorrow—just in case this matter causes a rift between the two of them.
That night, after returning, Li Zhan remained troubled.
Not for any other reason—but because of Ji Qingzhou’s line: “I have no plans for the child.”
But after Li Zhan calmed down, he realized he might have been too sentimental.
Ji Qingzhou had no plans for the child because he knew that Li Zhan had already planned everything out.
Since Li Zhan had never actually shared those plans or thoughts with him, how could he expect Ji Qingzhou to have any unrealistic hopes?
Thinking this through, Li Zhan got up and headed to Ji Qingzhou’s quarters.
When Guo Zi saw Li Zhan, he was visibly surprised. Knowing he had come to see Ji Qingzhou, he quickly said, “Wang Ye, the Chief Steward turned in early tonight—he’s currently in the bathhouse.”
Li Zhan nodded at her words. He was about to leave when he hesitated.
Then, changing direction, he walked toward the bathhouse…
Inside, steam filled the air, the temperature a bit warmer than outside.
Ji Qingzhou was soaking in the pool, a little drowsy. His head was resting against the edge as he relaxed with his eyes closed, when he heard footsteps approaching. He thought it was Xiao Shan at first, but when he looked up, he saw that it was Li Zhan.
“Wang Ye…” Ji Qingzhou was visibly startled.
Li Zhan had his own bathhouse behind the hall and rarely came here.
“You don’t mind if I join you?” Li Zhan asked.
“N-no, not at all.” Ji Qingzhou instinctively scooted over and added, “I’ve already finished soaking. Perhaps we should change the water for Wang Yefirst…”
But before he could finish, Li Zhan pulled off the towel wrapped around his waist and stepped into the pool.
Though the bath was spacious, with two people in it—completely bare—it still felt awkward.
Ji Qingzhou shrank into himself, unsure where to look. Fortunately, Li Zhan kept his gaze steady, never straying toward him, his manner restrained. Only then did Ji Qingzhou begin to relax slightly.
“Wang Ye, why did you…” Ji Qingzhou started to ask why Li Zhan had come here to bathe, but then remembered that Yinghui Pavilion belonged to Li Zhan. He could bathe wherever he liked—asking such a question would be overstepping.
So he changed the topic and said, “I read my brother’s letter after returning. Did Wang Ye already have someone inform him?”
“Mm,” Li Zhan replied. “Since he needs to be present for the retrial of the Ji case, I sent someone to the northwest to bring him back. That letter was written some days ago and arrived earlier. He should reach the capital in a few days.”
Ji Qingzhou was taken aback, and suddenly remembered something. “Was it Tu Dayou who went to get him?”
“Yes. Since he’s familiar with your brother, I sent him along,” Li Zhan said.
Ji Qingzhou nodded, finally understanding. He had wondered why Tu Dayou had left so suddenly—now he realized how thoughtful Li Zhan’s arrangements had been.
He felt a bit moved.
Li Zhan often made arrangements behind the scenes, but rarely spoke of them on the surface.
Though bringing Ji Qinghuai to the capital wasn’t entirely for Ji Qingzhou’s sake, he still appreciated Li Zhan’s kindness.
“Wang Ye… was that question you asked earlier prompted by the things my brother wrote in his letter?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
“I just asked offhand. You needn’t think too much of it,” Li Zhan replied.
Ji Qingzhou nodded. “Mhm…Actually, I think I’d be fine visiting the northwest. But to live there? I doubt I could get used to it. If the Ji family is cleared, I probably won’t have to continue working as an inner attendant… by then…”
Li Zhan raised his head to look at him, a faint trace of anxiety in his eyes.
Ji Qingzhou gave a small smile and said, “By then, I’ll go along with whatever Wang Ye arranges… I don’t have any other plans anyway.”
They say people abandon the donkey once the millstone is removed—well, the Ji family’s millstone hadn’t even been lifted yet! Ji Qingzhou wasn’t the type to “kill the donkey” early.
More importantly, he had never once thought of using Li Zhan.
To Ji Qingzhou, Li Zhan was both ruler and friend. Even if he lacked a conscience, he couldn’t just turn his back on Li Zhan once the Ji family’s name was cleared. In fact, he thought it wouldn’t be bad to stay by Li Zhan’s side as a “minor court official” after regaining his freedom—as long as Li Zhan still found use for him…
“I want… you to stay in Yinghui Pavilion,” Li Zhan suddenly said.
Ji Qingzhou was stunned and asked, “Still as an inner attendant?”
“Of course not,” Li Zhan replied.
Ji Qingzhou let out a breath and smiled. “That’s good then…”
Li Zhan looked surprised—he clearly hadn’t expected Ji Qingzhou to agree so easily.
“Wang Ye… you can stay here. I need to get out now,” Ji Qingzhou said, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist as he stood.
The water was quite warm. Soaking for long had made the little one in his belly move more than usual, which made him feel uncomfortable.
Li Zhan’s gaze involuntarily fell on Ji Qingzhou’s abdomen.
At first glance, it still looked flat, but if you looked closely, a small curve had already begun to show.
Li Zhan felt a strange stir in his heart and—without thinking—asked, “Can I touch it?”
Ji Qingzhou was startled and about to refuse. But when he turned to look at Li Zhan, he saw the raw, unconcealed longing in his eyes.
In that moment, Ji Qingzhou suddenly remembered what Xiao Shan had said—and realized that Li Zhan really had been holding back all this time.
Besides, Doctor Tang had also suggested letting Li Zhan bond with the child more. Hiding away all the time wasn’t helping.
Thinking this through, Ji Qingzhou steeled himself and thought: It’s just letting him touch my belly!
Just grit your teeth and get it over with…
“If you don’t want to…” Li Zhan had already begun to retreat.
But Ji Qingzhou suddenly said, “Alright.”
They spoke at the same time. Li Zhan stared at him in surprise, momentarily caught off guard.
Ji Qingzhou saw he hadn’t moved, his face flushing red as he glanced around, then reached out to take Li Zhan’s hand and gently placed it on his lower belly. The movement was stiff and awkward—like someone completing a task.
But in that brief instant, the baby inside seemed to sense something, and gave a faint, well-timed kick. It was extremely subtle, but it passed through Ji Qingzhou’s abdomen and into the palm of Li Zhan’s hand.
Li Zhan: !
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