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In the summer, through the thin fabric, one could still feel the heat of a palm, which was even a bit scorching.

Shen Chuwei raised her head and looked at Xiao Jinyan with a very serious gaze, "Your Highness, this concubine has not yet had her monthly period."

Xiao Jinyan’s eyes flickered, "This palace is aware."

Shen Chuwei asked in confusion, "Then what is Your Highness doing?"

Xiao Jinyan did not hide his thoughts, "This palace is imagining how you would look after you are with joy."

Shen Chuwei said, "Generally, one cannot tell in the first three months."

Especially thin people, their bellies are not obvious even four or five months in.

Only heavier people have more noticeably pregnant bellies.

Xiao Jinyan paused in his actions and raised his eyes to look at her, "How do you come to know this?"

Shen Chuwei explained, "This concubine has seen pregnant people."

In early pregnancy, the embryo isn’t even as big as a finger, how could it possibly be visible?

But she could not explain this to Xiao Jinyan, not only would it expose her identity but it would also cause misunderstandings.

Xiao Jinyan: "So it is."

Shen Chuwei looked at the person who suddenly drew closer and seriously suspected that he was using his official position for personal gain. She placed her hands against Xiao Jinyan’s chest, but still could not resist his looming figure.

"Your Highness, we don’t have to work hard tonight, do we?"

Xiao Jinyan looked down at the person with the rosy complexion, and his hand had already reached for her shoulder strap, "To achieve results, one still needs to put in more effort."

"... But," Shen Chuwei struggled for a long time but couldn’t bring up her reason, not because she didn’t have one, but because if she did, no one would believe her.

As a doctor, she knew very well when one could get pregnant.

Exception being a few with physical reasons for pregnancy, commonly known as an easy-to-conceive constitution.

Xiao Jinyan took her hand and placed it on his waistband, his deep phoenix eyes firmly fixed on her, "Undress this palace."

Shen Chuwei looked at that immaculate hand holding hers, compared to her own hands, it was much larger, like a child’s by comparison.

Undressing him, she was familiar with.

She soon peeled away Xiao Jinyan’s clothes.

She didn’t know if it was due to her professional habit, but she couldn’t help but glance at the scar on his chest every time.

From above her head came an extremely pleasant voice, "Little Nine, what’s the matter?"

Shen Chuwei pointed to the scar and asked him, "Why don’t you remove the scar?"

"It does not hinder this palace," Xiao Jinyan’s gaze fell on Shen Chuwei, as he leaned over her, boxing her in with his arms.

Shen Chuwei’s cheeks turned red again.

"Your Highness, this concubine wants to supplement you with some knowledge about pregnancy."

"Let’s talk tomorrow."

Then he leaned down to seal the mouth that intended to spout a lengthy discourse.

Shen Chuwei felt she only wanted to stand from a doctor’s perspective, to talk about how to become pregnant quickly and effectively, without wasting time or energy.

When Xiao Jinyan finally asked her what she wanted to say, Shen Chuwei was no longer able to speak.

Even if she could have spoken, she wouldn’t—for she was furious!

On this day, with the sun blazing above, Shen Chuwei lay sprawled on the couch like a salted fish for most of the day, preserving her health and spirit.

She was still thinking about the grand promise Xiao Jinyan had made, which had not been fulfilled.

She rolled over on the couch, sighed, and thought that with his daily busy schedule, perhaps he had forgotten.

Chun Xi came over with a bunch of fabrics, "Miss, why are you sighing so much today? More than twenty times, hasn’t it been?"

Shen Chuwei sighed again, "You don’t understand." She pointed to her chest, "My heart feels scratched and clawed, uncomfortably so."

Chun Xi hurriedly set down her fabrics, walked swiftly over to Shen Chuwei, and crouched in front of her with a worried look, "Miss, are you ill?"

"No." Shen Chuwei finished speaking and sighed once more.

Chun Xi remained concerned, "Then why does it feel uncomfortable here for Miss?"

Shen Chuwei stared at Chun Xi for a few seconds, and with a weak air said, "The ’pancake’ His Highness drew, I’ve yet to taste."

Chun Xi: "..." So Miss was just feeling peckish~

The sun slanted westward.

Shen Chuwei had just woken up when she saw someone sitting by the bed. Slowly lifting her head, she saw the man who made the pancake promise, and she paused.

"Your Highness, you’re not busy?"

Xiao Jinyan looked down at her, messy-haired as she was from sleep. He extended his slender fingers to tuck her hair behind her ears.

"Busy."

"If you’re busy, why come to Hehuan Hall? Is there something Your Highness wishes to instruct this concubine to do?" Shen Chuwei rubbed her eyes and slowly propped herself up to sit.

"I brought you something to eat." Xiao Jinyan knew that Shen Chuwei must be hungry upon waking up.

Shen Chuwei paused her rubbing eyes, disbelievingly lifted her head to look at Xiao Jinyan, "What is it? The promised pancake from before?"

Xiao Jinyan knew the meaning of the promised pancake; Shen Chuwei referring to it as such must be because he didn’t buy it yesterday.

He nodded.

Shen Chuwei’s eyes curved, and she quickly got up from the bed. After washing up, she sat on the couch.

Xiao Jinyan was now seated on the couch, having bought all the snacks she had asked for the night before.

Shen Chuwei glanced over the delicacies, noting that the variety of confections was complete, but one was missing.

"Your Highness, how come there’s no Candied Haw?"

"Here." Xiao Jinyan moved a dark wooden box over and then opened it, releasing a cool breath.

Shen Chuwei craned her neck to peer inside and there lay six strings of Candied Haw, quietly resting among ice cubes.

The box was made of special material that was windproof and waterproof.

In the hot summer weather, Candied Haw could easily melt, but with the ice cooling, it could prevent the vexation of melting.

Indeed, a clever man’s work was reliable.

She couldn’t help but give him a thumbs up, "Your Highness is wise and valiant."

Xiao Jinyan let out a low chuckle.

Shen Chuwei enjoyably ate a string of Candied Haw, and as she reached for a second one, Xiao Jinyan stopped her, "Save the rest for tomorrow and beyond."

"Alright then, this concubine will have the confections instead." Shen Chuwei was not greedy, putting down the Candied Haw and turning her attention to the confections.

Picking up a piece of the confection, she remembered last year Xiao Jinyan ate her three pieces of confections and probably liked them.

Now with such an array of confections, she reached out and took another piece to offer to Xiao Jinyan, "Your Highness, have a piece."

Xiao Jinyan shook his head, "This palace isn’t hungry."

"Confections aren’t eaten only when one is hungry. They’re for teatime, a snack to be had anytime," Shen Chuwei said as she kneeled on the couch, extending the confection to Xiao Jinyan’s lips, trying to tempt him to take a bite.

Xiao Jinyan agreed with her reasoning and lowered his eyes to the confection in front of him, took a bite, and then took the remaining half.

Seeing this, Shen Chuwei bit happily into the confection, savoring its taste as usual.

Xiao Jinyan looked at Shen Chuwei, who revealed a satisfied expression while eating the confection and indeed found her easy to please.

For dinner, Chun Xi had arranged for crystal pork knuckles.

Shen Chuwei had a great meal, while Xiao Jinyan simply sat opposite her, watching her eat.

Chun Xi watched her mistress, who didn’t consider His Highness a stranger in the least, gnawing on a pork knuckle without the slightest apprehension that His Highness might witness her eating manners, then dislike her.