Page 362

After resolving the matter, the brothers left the Imperial Study Room.

Xiao Jinyan then returned to Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Xiao Jinyu couldn’t wait to catch up.

"Brother, why have you only just come back now?"

Xiao Jinyan explained, "I encountered some things on the road that needed handling, which delayed me a bit."

Xiao Jinyu chuckled, "Sister-in-law was asking me a few days ago when you would return."

Xiao Jinyan grew interested, "Really? What else did she say?"

Waving the folding fan in his hand, Xiao Jinyu leaned in and whispered, "Sister-in-law said, she missed you."

Xiao Jinyan was somewhat skeptical of his brother’s words, "She told you this?"

"...Er! Not exactly," Xiao Jinyu shook his fan, "I was the one who asked."

Xiao Jinyan snorted; he knew with Chuwei’s demeanor, she would never say such things to another person, especially to Xiao Jinyu.

Xiao Jinyu curiously examined his older brother, noticing that the Crown Prince’s complexion had darkened somewhat from the sun and he had grown a beard, which was new to him and seemed novel.

"Brother, how did it feel to lead troops into battle this time?"

Xiao Jinyan just wanted to return to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, but his brother was so curious, he had to patiently answer, "It was a profound experience."

Although it was only four words, Xiao Jinyu understood, which piqued his curiosity and anticipation, having never been on a battlefield.

"So, brother, when will you take me to the battlefield? I also want to witness and feel for myself the cruelty and bloodshed of combat."

Gazing at his younger brother’s naive face and curious eyes, Xiao Jinyan said, "You should just stay in the Capital obediently and not go anywhere."

Xiao Jinyu really just wanted to go out and have some fun; he had never been that far away before.

Noticing the Crown Prince was walking rather quickly, he hurried after him, "Brother, slow down."

Xiao Jinyan’s face darkened, "..." Are you ever going to let up?

As a bachelor, Xiao Jinyu was a bit curious, "Brother, you must be very happy to become a father soon, right?"

Xiao Jinyan’s voice was indifferent, "What do you think?"

For the first time, he found this brother somewhat annoying!

After thinking for a while, Xiao Jinyu said, "You should be very happy! I haven’t experienced it yet, but I’ll know once I do."

"Then wait until you have that experience," Xiao Jinyan was already very impatient, he would have disregarded anyone else long ago.

He couldn’t help but quicken his pace again.

Xiao Jinyu followed with confusion, "Brother..."

Xiao Jinyan had reached his limit, "I still have other matters to attend to."

"Brother, after being apart from sister-in-law for so long, shouldn’t you go see her first? Why do other things first?" Xiao Jinyu said, not understanding.

Xiao Jinyan glared coldly at his brother; if it hadn’t been for him, he would have already been having breakfast with Chuwei.

He looked away and headed straight for another path.

Xiao Jinyu was baffled, "Did I say something wrong? Isn’t it said that ’absence makes the heart grow fonder’?"

Xiao Jinyu watched the direction his brother headed for a good while, belatedly realizing that the Crown Prince was heading in the direction of Xiaoxiang Pavilion...

Shen Chuwei, deeply asleep, was awakened by the sound of her rumbling stomach. Her lovely eyes narrowed into slits as she saw someone sitting beside her bed.

In her drowsiness, it seemed like she saw Xiao Jinyan’s face.

She sighed inwardly, wondering how hungry she had to be to start hallucinating?

She closed her eyes again and unconsciously patted her belly, "Behave... Mommy will sleep for two more minutes, then I’ll take you to eat."

Shen Chuwei had the habit of lingering in bed. Even though her eyes might be open, she was actually still asleep.

Xiao Jinyan thought Chuwei had woken up and was about to call her when he noticed she didn’t react at all after seeing him—not even a trace of surprise or joy.

Seeing her close her eyes again and mutter to herself...

After listening to her words, he couldn’t help but smile; Chuwei was just too adorable.

Xiao Jinyan remained silent, eyes cast down, watching his wife, curious about what expression she would have when she opened her eyes to see him again.

About two minutes passed before Shen Chuwei slowly opened her eyes again, as she couldn’t bear the hunger any longer.

When she opened her eyes and saw someone sitting by her bed, she was startled for a moment and then closed her eyes again.

She must be so hungry that she’s seeing things, imagining Xiao Jinyan again.

Xiao Jinyan: "..." Do you really not want to see me that much?

Shen Chuwei opened her eyes once more and saw someone still sitting by the bed, still Xiao Jinyan.

Only slightly different.

His complexion was not as fair as when he left, his skin previously as white as jade now had a tinge of wheat color.

Then there was his hair, which Xiao Jinyan, who always paid great attention to his appearance, kept as if it had been set in place, was now a bit disheveled.

As if it had been fiercely tousled by the wind.

And then, Xiao Jinyan had actually grown a stubble~

Despite this, his unparalleled handsomeness stood out, far surpassing anyone else by miles.

Xiao Jinyan asked gently, "Have you looked enough?"

Shen Chuwei instinctively nodded.

Then she realized, and reached out to grasp Xiao Jinyan’s hand—it was the closest to her.

The touch felt very real, so real she could feel the calluses in his palm and the roughness on his fingertips, like the hands of someone who grappled with objects every day.

Xiao Jinyan glanced down at his hand which Chuwei was holding, having imagined countless reunion scenes and her reactions upon seeing him return, but he had never thought she would be so composed, grabbing his hand and staring intently at him.

By now, Shen Chuwei was fully awake and knew that seeing Xiao Jinyan wasn’t a hunger-induced hallucination.

She happily sat up in bed, staring at Xiao Jinyan for a good while, especially at the stubble beneath his nose, which she looked at twice.

"Your Highness, you’ve returned."

"Mhm," Xiao Jinyan looked at the person in front of him with a smile that reached his eyes. He opened his arms to embrace her, pulling her entire body close so that she wouldn’t have to kneel on the bed uncomfortably.

It was only the additional belly in the middle that was a hindrance, although as a soon-to-be father, that was a joyous fact.

It seems her weight hadn’t increased much.

Shen Chuwei reached out with her slender arms and wrapped them around Xiao Jinyan’s neck, now even closer, allowing her to see more clearly.

Being on the battlefield and staying in the palace were quite different.

It was like comparing before and after summer military training.

Xiao Jinyan, looking at the person he had missed day and night, thought about the days he wasn’t there and the grievances she suffered.

"I’m sorry you had to suffer," he said.

When Lady Liang falsely accused her, Shen Chuwei didn’t feel aggrieved, because she didn’t take their words to heart.

To disregard the words of irrelevant people as if they were mere flatulence.

But still...

"Then Your Highness must buy a lot, a lot of delicious food to make it up to your concubine," she said.

Regardless of the time, she never forgot about eating.

Xiao Jinyan chuckled softly, "Alright."

Shen Chuwei laughed silently in her heart. Indeed, as soon as His Highness returned, he would buy her delicious food~

Xiao Jinyan held her, feeling no pressure because she was so light, and a look of concern appeared in the depths of his eyes.

"You’re pregnant now, why are you still so light? Have you not been feeling well since you conceived? Have you not been eating properly?" he asked.

ps: one more update