Chapter 673 - 246: Exams Finished
Chapter 673: Chapter 246: Exams Finished
Zhao Jing was surprised. "The baby is already moving?" He looked at her stomach through her thin spring clothes.
The weather had grown quite warm. Given that Chen Wanqing was especially prone to the heat during this pregnancy, she was dressed very lightly. She wore a fine silk outer robe of aquamarine embroidered with willow branches, paired with a lake-blue long skirt accented by golden willow catkins and delicate floral patterns. As a gentle breeze brushed past, her sleeves fluttered, and the loose strands of hair by her ears swayed, making her look as ethereal as an otherworldly celestial. It was as if she might fly away the moment he took his eyes off her.
At this thought, Zhao Jing couldn’t help but pull her closer by the waist. Though she was five months pregnant, her waist remained slender. From behind, her figure was still exquisite and graceful, showing no signs of her pregnancy. Only from the side could the slight bulge of her abdomen be seen.
However, her spring clothes were loose and comfortable. He couldn’t see any movement from the baby hidden beneath the fabric. With the servants following behind them, he couldn’t very well reach out to touch her stomach either.
Zhao Jing swallowed slightly. "When we get back to our room tonight, I’ll take a good look at him."
Chen Wanqing naturally smiled and agreed.
The young couple had lingered, so by the time they arrived at the old madam’s room, the Imperial Physician had already checked Xu Yanhe’s pulse. There was nothing seriously wrong with him. It was simply that the pampered young master had suffered greatly in the examination hall, and his stomach couldn’t handle the drastic change, resulting in severe gastrointestinal distress.
Fortunately, he had taken his medicine decisively the moment his abdominal pains began. Otherwise, it would have been uncertain whether he could even last until the end of the exam.
Xu Yanhe was in true agony and in no condition to be moved far, so the old madam had the servants carry him to the East Wing Room. After drinking a bowl of medicinal soup, he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
Seeing this, the old madam knew her grandson was exhausted. If her grandson was in such a state, how much better could her granddaughter’s husband be?
The Imperial Physician had also checked Zhao Jing’s pulse. Aside from mental exhaustion and physical fatigue, he had no other issues.
The old madam instructed Chen Wanqing, "I won’t keep you two for dinner today. Go back to your courtyard and eat by yourselves. Jing is exhausted. I’ve had the kitchen stew some restorative herbal soup; make sure he has a bowl before bed."
Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing thanked the old madam for her kindness, bid farewell to the others, and walked back to their courtyard arm in arm.
After dinner, Chen Wanqing washed up and lay down on the bed. Zhao Jing followed suit, heading to the washroom. Seeing him return, Chen Wanqing quickly sat up, wanting to towel-dry his hair.
Zhao Jing stopped her. "No need, I can do it myself. You’ve had a long day too. Don’t get up."
How was she tired? The most exhausting thing she had done was probably walking from the backyard to the front yard and anxiously waiting for him for an hour.
Chen Wanqing still got out of bed, took the towel from Zhao Jing’s hand, and patiently dried his hair, stroke by stroke.
He truly was exhausted. He wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his cheek against her slightly protruding belly, and closed his eyes to rest. Perhaps the embrace was too tight, making the little one inside uncomfortable, for he delivered a fierce kick.
"HISS..." Chen Wanqing winced, drawing in a sharp breath. Startled by the sudden attack, Zhao Jing instantly pulled his face away and stared at her stomach in bewilderment.
Finally, unable to hold back, he lifted her snow-white inner garment to look at the skin underneath. On her slightly swollen abdomen, it looked as if a fish was swimming back and forth inside. A lump would bulge on the left, followed by another on the right.
Zhao Jing pursed his lips, suddenly finding it difficult to swallow. He spoke with difficulty, "Does he kick this hard every time he moves?"
Chen Wanqing smiled and continued drying his hair. "No, his movements were very small before, like a little fish blowing bubbles. This time, you might have held me too tightly. The baby was uncomfortable, so he kicked harder."
It was unclear if Zhao Jing believed this explanation, though he likely didn’t. His brows furrowed deeply as he lightly held one of the bulging little lumps and scolded, "Your mother works very hard to carry you, so you’d better behave. Otherwise, when you’re born..."
Chen Wanqing asked teasingly, "Otherwise what? Do you plan to give him a beating?"
Zhao Jing looked at her with his deep eyes, a faint smile in his gaze. "He is the child you are bearing for me; naturally, I couldn’t bear to hit him. But as our eldest son or daughter, we both have high hopes for him. It’s only right that his education begins the moment he turns one..."
Chen Wanqing was speechless.
She laughed in exasperation and lightly patted his back. "There’s no father like you. The child is going to be terrified of you in the future."
"It’s good if he’s afraid. That way, he’ll be obedient and won’t torment you."
Spring winds were always strong. Just then, a fierce gust swept past the room outside. The wind carried the scent of peach and apricot blossoms from the neighboring courtyard. The subtle fragrance floated in the air, filling their senses, and gradually melting their hearts.