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Xiao Jinyan took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead. "Hmm, I had Chun Xi prepare a Grilled Lamb Steak for you."

Shen Chuwei was thrilled beyond words; she could finally feast on Grilled Lamb Steak. Her face, however, remained cool and collected as she feigned entitlement, "That is only what your Concubine deserves."

Xiao Jinyan nodded, "Hmm."

Shen Chuwei could no longer restrain a secret, triumphant smile.

When Chun Xi arrived, Xiao Jinyan instructed, "Go grill the Lamb Steak."

"Grill it now?" Chun Xi looked at Shen Chuwei in confusion. "Has the Young Mistress finished walking the twenty laps?"

Shen Chuwei nervously claimed, "Of course."

Chun Xi eyed her skeptically for a moment, then turned to prepare the Lamb Steak, wondering, ’Did she really finish the twenty laps so quickly?’

Shen Chuwei got her wish and savored the Grilled Lamb Steak, wiping her mouth with satisfaction.

Seeing her content expression, Xiao Jinyan decided to address serious matters, "Next time, don’t lie."

Shen Chuwei paused while wiping her mouth and looked at Xiao Jinyan’s stern face. Despite feeling guilty, she couldn’t resist praising him, "Your Highness is so smart, seeing through your Concubine’s lies at a glance."

Xiao Jinyan sipped his tea carefully, "You are now a mother, setting an example; the baby will learn to lie."

Shen Chuwei: "..." That Fetal Education Book really does more harm than good!

Ever since Xiao Jinyan read the Fetal Education Book, his demands on her had increased.

"Your Highness, you are absolutely right. However, with Your Highness being so smart, the babies will certainly be very intelligent as well and won’t be fooled by your Concubine."

Xiao Jinyan held his forehead, "If the child is as glib as you, they might not be easy to manage."

Shen Chuwei reassured him, "Your Highness, be at ease, the babies will surely be like you, not like your Concubine."

Later on, Xiao Jinyan discovered that not a single son or daughter resembled him.

The daughters were greedy and sweet-tongued, just like little Mingzhu.

The son had a particularly sharp tongue and was very clever, the only thing being that his temperament was not like his father’s.

Xiao Jinyan hugged her into his arms, "I didn’t mean that."

Shen Chuwei internally snorted, Stop explaining, that is exactly what you mean!

Xiao Jinyan’s arms wrapped around her from behind, with one hand on her belly, which had grown more than two sizes since he had first returned to the palace.

"It’s been almost eight months; I am very much looking forward to their arrival."

"Your Concubine is also looking forward to their arrival." Shen Chuwei wished she could ’deliver’ right now so she could indulge in eating and drinking without any worries.

While Xiao Jinyan was busy reviewing memorials, Shen Chuwei would paint in her free time.

She had rejected the inspiration for a double portrait previously and planned to start over with a new one.

But before that, she had to paint another picture.

After five days, she finally completed the painting before resting that night.

Shen Chuwei put down her brush and looked at the finished work, admiring it for a while, feeling that she had done a good likeness.

Xiao Jinyan walked in leisurely, and upon seeing the figure before the desk, he guessed she was painting. Aside from painting, she wouldn’t settle down at the desk.

He quietly approached from behind, and looking down, he saw the painting in her hand, exactly as he had surmised—she was painting.

Upon closer examination, he couldn’t say whether the expression on his face was good or bad.

The person on the painting was indeed himself.

A wife painting her husband should be a joyous occasion, just as Mingzhu had previously sketched him sitting in a carriage reading a book.

But, this painting depicted him dusty from travel, with stubble on his face.

Moreover, she had even depicted his skin tone, making it obvious that his facial complexion was no longer as fair as before.

He had looked in a mirror at the time, and he would say it was a spitting image of the person in the painting.

"Why did you paint me as I was right after returning to the palace?"

Shen Chuwei, who had been admiring her own work, heard a dissatisfied voice above her.

She looked up to see Xiao Jinyan’s tall figure standing behind her.

It had been almost three months since Xiao Jinyan returned, and his complexion had reverted to its original state.

"It’s not often one sees Your Highness in such a state, so I thought to capture it," she said.

She raised the painting in her hands to show Xiao Jinyan, "Doesn’t Your Highness think your Concubine did a good job?"

Xiao Jinyan took a few glances, sighing because the painting was too good, too real.

He had appeared before her in such a state because he had been worried about Mingzhu. Not only did she remember it, but she also painted it.

He looked towards Shen Chuwei, "Have you painted the double portrait yet?"

Shen Chuwei shook her head, "Not yet, the previous inspiration didn’t quite satisfy me, so I changed it. I will paint it in a few days."

Xiao Jinyan flipped the painting over for her to see, "Then how did you find the inspiration to paint this?"

How could Shen Chuwei admit that she had painted it specially because she might not see him like this again in the future?

She examined it and found it not at all ugly, quite lifelike.

She reached out to clutch Xiao Jinyan’s sash, her beautiful eyes looking up at him, "Your Highness, let your Concubine undress you."

Xiao Jinyan couldn’t withstand being watched with such an expression by her.

"I’ll do it myself." Saying so, he laid down the painting, began untying his sash, and then proceeded to remove his outer garment.

Shen Chuwei climbed onto the bed and sat watching the handsome man undress, which was a sight for sore eyes.

Once undressed, Xiao Jinyan joined her on the bed, scooping her into his embrace with no effort despite her being seven months pregnant.

"Have you thought of names for the babies?"

Naming a child in the ancient Royal Family was fraught with taboos, a truly daunting task for a modern person like her.

"Your Highness should take care of such a taxing matter."

Xiao Jinyan didn’t refuse, "Fair enough, you as the mother should decide on their milk names."

Milk names could be chosen casually, and Shen Chuwei didn’t refuse. When the time came, she would just pick food names as milk names.

Xiao Jinyan didn’t know what was on Mingzhu’s mind. At the moment, his thoughts were all on her. Since discovering she was pregnant, he had found her increasingly feminine.

Shen Chuwei, embracing Xiao Jinyan’s neck, whispered seductively in his ear, "There’s a more affectionate way, does Your Highness want to try it?"

Xiao Jinyan’s eyes paused, the gentle light of the Night Pearl casting a pale pink hue on her cheeks.

"Really?"

ps: Fifth update