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Although Qidi expressed a sense of helplessness and frustration towards He Yu, Xiao Yao, while getting up, secretly glanced at Qidi and noticed that the corners of his mouth were relaxed.
Xiao Yao knew this was just an act; after all, those who could sit in that position were all top-tier actors.
However, the man beside her was indeed also of that caliber, managing to play his role so convincingly! When He Yu stepped back and turned around, he saw Xiao Yao looking at him with sparkling eyes full of admiration. He Yu felt helpless; in this cursed place, he couldn't openly show any affection towards Xiao Yao. He could only pat her head, signaling her to keep her emotions in check.
Xiao Yao suppressed a smile and lowered her head, focusing on the ground.
That evening, the theme of the banquet was naturally barbecue. However, since Xiao Yao couldn't stand the smoky atmosphere, He Yu decided to keep her in the tent and did not go out.
He intermittently brought her some meat to enjoy, while also treating Wuyun and Liu Jin to a meal.
After resting for a night, everyone began packing up early the next morning to head back home.
Xiao Yao placed Wuyun and Liu Jin into the carriage, allowing them to run around and play. After getting familiar with their surroundings yesterday, the two little ones seemed much more at ease and bolder now, climbing all over the carriage and making playful noises. After enough climbing, they lay on their backs, exposing their bellies for their owners to scratch.
Xiao Yao rarely saw such adorable behavior and was having a great time. He Yu watched from the side to ensure that nothing went wrong and that Xiao Yao wouldn't get scratched by accident. Eventually, both little ones got tired from all the fussing and fell asleep one after another, bringing peace to the lively carriage.
As Xiao Yao stroked Wuyun's head while leaning against He Yu's embrace, she marveled, "I never thought I could raise a leopard."
"How about that? Now there are two; doesn't it feel amazing?" He Yu chuckled.
"Yes," Xiao Yao nodded, imagining it. "When they grow up, having two leopards on either side of the house would be so impressive—like two great guardians!"
"Pfft... guardians indeed," He Yu laughed at Xiao Yao's imagination. "It seems you've been reading too many strange stories. Do you think our Xuanping Prince's Mansion is a cult?"
At this remark from He Yu, Xiao Yao scratched her head and chuckled. She couldn't tell him that it wasn't just stories but rather a result of watching too many dramas in her past life.
They happily returned to the royal residence, where the leopards were taken away by the Beast Tamer in the front yard.
Xiao Yao and He Yu went to bathe since they were covered in dust from their journey. Once they emerged fresh and clean, Li Pei had already prepared dinner. Yun Zhu had specifically gone to the kitchen to remind the princess that they hadn't eaten well on their journey and instructed Li Pei and others to prepare carefully.
Indeed, when they came out, they saw an array of exquisite dishes on the table—everything Xiao Yao loved during this period. The noodles were refreshing mushroom and vegetable noodles; the chicken broth used for cooking had been skimmed of all grease, leaving no trace of oiliness in the bowl.
After seeing all this, Xiao Yao finally felt hungry. She enjoyed what she considered a normal meal after days of eating poorly. He Yu watched beside her with concern and said, "In the days ahead, try not to go out too much. I'll handle any invitations that can be avoided for you. If you feel bored, we can call a theater troupe to perform for us instead; I worry something unexpected might happen if you go out."
"Well, I know." Xiao Yao nodded, naturally obeying He Yu in this matter.
Days passed as usual, and soon it was time for the Third Prince and Fourth Prince to establish their residences. He Yu appropriately gifted Pan Yueliang to the Fourth Prince as a housewarming present. When Pan Yueliang arrived at the Fourth Prince's residence, Xiao Yao did not plan to be present; after all, to Xiao Yao, Pan Yueliang was merely a lowly concubine.
Indeed, it was about status.
Xiao Yao looked at the falling leaves outside the window and sighed slowly. Having been in this place for less than a year and married into the Xuanping Prince's Mansion for less than half a year, she had already begun to care about matters of status. It was indeed easy to categorize social classes, but difficult to eliminate them.
The entire royal mansion showed no reaction to this matter; everyone thought it was quite normal. If the princess suddenly appeared, tearfully comforting Pan Yueliang with a few words, that would truly be shocking.
September, October, November.
As Xiao Yao's belly grew larger, by December it had become as big as an inflated balloon. When Zhang Taiyi came to check her pulse, he confidently informed He Yu that they were definitely expecting twins.
He Yu was so excited that he almost lost his composure in front of the physician. It wasn't until the physician left that He Yu embraced Xiao Yao and kissed her passionately, repeatedly murmuring words of gratitude like "thank you," which made Xiao Yao feel both touched and somewhat strange.
As her belly continued to grow, it pressed uncomfortably against her organs, especially her stomach; she could hardly eat anything, always feeling full after just a couple of bites but then hungry again shortly after, going through this cycle repeatedly.
Fortunately, everyone in the Xuanping Prince's Mansion, from He Yu down to all the servants, was extremely patient. Li Pei now worked from morning till night, eager to prepare dozens of delicate dishes presented in various exquisite bowls with great care in plating—all just so their princess could eat a bit more.
If today the princess had a good appetite and ate a couple more bites or casually mentioned that a certain dish was not bad, the prince would naturally be pleased, and the kitchen would put even more effort into preparing meals.
After becoming pregnant, Xiao Yao hardly left the gates of the mansion; even for the housewarming of the Fourth Prince and Third Prince, He Yu went alone under the pretext that his wife was unwell and sick.
He Yu planned to do the same during the New Year banquet to spare his daughter-in-law from having to make a trip to the palace.
The entire palace—no, rather the whole capital—only knew that Consort Xuanping was pregnant through the Crown Prince and Consort, oh right, and also Zhang Taiyi; no one else knew.
Since they could stay indoors without going out, He Yu figured it would be best to wait until the child was born and Xiao Yao had completed her confinement before telling others to avoid any unexpected situations. Sometimes when He Yu was at home with Xiao Yao regarding this matter, he would say, "Daughter-in-law, are we overthinking this?"
"Whether we are overthinking or not, aren't they our flesh and blood?" Xiao Yao touched her round belly and sighed. "At this time, it's always better to think a little more. And you know what? I had a nightmare a couple of nights ago..."
"A nightmare?" He Yu held Xiao Yao close. "I didn't notice anything unusual from you."
"I suddenly opened my eyes at that moment," Xiao Yao explained. She indeed hadn't made any noise; otherwise, He Yu wouldn't have been unaware. He Yu turned on his side and embraced Xiao Yao. "What kind of nightmare? Can you tell me about it?"
"Um..." Xiao Yao thought for a moment before slowly saying, "At that time, I felt like I was in our residence. I didn't know why you weren't there. I searched for you many times and called your name repeatedly, but you were nowhere to be found. Later, I finally found you, but you didn't say anything to me. Your gaze was so cold, as if I were a stranger..."
At this point, Xiao Yao suddenly realized something, and He Yu pulled his arm closer. A question crossed his mind—could it be...
Xiao Yao found some comfort in He Yu's tightening embrace and continued, "Then, eventually, you finally spoke to me. You said you were going to the battlefield to help someone seize the throne, but that person definitely wasn't the Crown Prince. You told me not to interfere with your actions and even threatened me... You wouldn't do that, right?" Xiao Yao looked at He Yu with concern in her eyes, filled with worry and a hint of barely perceptible fear.
"I won't..." He Yu kissed the corner of Xiao Yao's lips. "I will never do that."
"Mm," Xiao Yao returned the kiss and continued, "Then you disappeared. Suddenly, a lot of soldiers burst into our residence. Xuanping Wang had rebelled and was already captured. Since I was your accomplice, they were going to capture me too. I don't know why, but at that time I was pregnant just like now. And I clearly knew that you didn't know, and no one else knew either; it seemed like only I knew about that child..."
Upon hearing this, He Yu froze completely. So this was the secret of the twins? He shook his head as a wave of choking emotion surged up to his head. All his feelings seemed ready to burst forth; he held onto one of Xiao Yao's hands tightly, trying hard to control himself for fear of hurting her even a little.
His other hand was hidden in his sleeve, tightly clenched into a fist, but this strength seemed insufficient to vent his anger at himself. Xiao Yao had her back to He Yu and couldn't see his expression as she continued speaking, "Later, I went to a prison cell. It was cold and damp there. Those people wanted me to admit that I colluded with you as part of the same faction. I told them it was impossible; my family has always been loyal to the court—how could we betray the country? Then they brought out a golden object and told me it was evidence... After that... I can't remember clearly anymore; all I know is that later I was beaten and tortured, and naturally the child was lost. I was so sad, and then it felt like I saw you... After that, I woke up..."
Xiao Yao finished recounting her dream and opened her eyes wide to look at He Yu. "This is just a dream, right? You won't rebel, will you?"
"Right..." He Yu's voice came out somewhat hoarse, but he still gave Xiao Yao a firm smile. "It won't happen; I promise such things will never occur in this lifetime!"
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