Another month passed.
The first snowfall of the year quietly descended.
Su Zhiruan attended court as usual, tightened her large cloak, and after listening to the incessant debates of the courtiers, she pinched the bridge of her nose in so irritation.
During the argunts, she heard a good strategy proposed by the top scholar from the imperial examination two years ago, and she made the decision on the spot.
After all the discussions were finalized, the court adjourned, the courtiers filed out, and Su Zhiruan had soone take the little emperor to continue his studies while she followed the courtiers out.
Crossing one threshold after another, she coughed lightly, and once again tightened her large cloak.
The snow was still falling softly, layer upon layer, stepping on it felt as soft as a carpet.
She tucked her hands back into her furry sleeves, "Return to the bedroom first."
The female official held an umbrella for her and answered softly.
As she walked through the snow, Su Zhiruan vaguely thought that it seed like a period of ti she hadn’t seen Ji Xiaoyuan.
It had been two months since he left, and though letters were frequent, sotis daily, there was still a feeling of lacking sothing in his absence.
Concerning the issues of the Wang Dynasty, she relied more on the information from Ji Xiaoyuan than the secret channels.
The Dynasty Emperor was seriously ill, leaving the court unattended, and the princes in endless debate. The foreign tribes believed Ji Xiaoyuan, having gone to the Wan Dynasty as a Prince Consort, had a falling out with the Wang Dynasty, and thus they invaded in large numbers, even sending cryptic ssages proposing Su Zhiruan conspire with them to overthrow the Wang Dynasty.
But Su Zhiruan was only on a mission and wasn’t planning to unify the world; she wished Ji Xiaoyuan would return alive to be the father of her child. So she dispatched troops under the Wan Dynasty’s na to support the Wang Dynasty forces, and Ji Xiaoyuan’s troops completely destroyed the foreign invaders, damaging them so extensively they wouldn’t threaten for a hundred years.
Additionally, he supported the Third Prince to ascend as the Crown Prince, clearing many obstacles for him. After the last visit to the Wan Dynasty with the Commandery Princess, the two of them grew closer over ti, and now she had beco the Third Prince Consort.
Su Zhiruan calculated the days and thought Ji Xiaoyuan should be back soon, wondering how he’d react upon learning he was to beco a father.
The wind and snow howled, yet for a mont, it seed like everything paused.
"...Ruanruan..."
That familiar voice, filled with countless mixed emotions, suddenly sounded behind her.
The voice wasn’t loud; she stopped in her tracks.
The voice sounded again from behind, "Ruanruan—"
The female official saw the man holding an umbrella and quietly withdrew.
The mont Su Zhiruan turned around, she t the exceptionally familiar face of Ji Xiaoyuan.
All the feeling of sternness, all coldness, all the harsh wind and snow blowing towards her, in that instant transford into countless tender feelings encircling her, as the black large cloak spread out, unable to suppress the emotions in his heart any longer, the man approached quickly, embracing her in his arms.
Su Zhiruan inexplicably felt her eyes grow a bit moist, "I thought you weren’t coming back."
The instant she spoke, she felt a drop of tear fall onto her brow; she raised her head only to et Ji Xiaoyuan’s tear-filled eyes.
"How could I not co back when my wife and child are here," Ji Xiaoyuan’s voice was hoarse, "When I wasn’t here, did you eat well, how did you beco so thin."
"Ruanruan..." He leaned on her shoulder, his hands trembling.
"These past two months, every mont I was thinking of returning, wanting to be by your side," Ji Xiaoyuan closed his eyes, feeling her presence with his embrace, "and our child."
Speaking of the child, he trembled slightly, gently caressing Su Zhiruan’s belly, his actions filled with devotion and distress.
"Let’s return to the bedroom first."
Su Zhiruan’s bedroom wasn’t far, so she walked there, arriving after just a few steps.
The bedroom had an underground heating system, making the hall warm as spring.
Ji Xiaoyuan inquired about her recent days, finally feeling the stone in his heart settle.
He leaned against Su Zhiruan’s shoulder hollow, voice muffled, "Before, I could only read letters, you’d say everything was fine, and I worried you said that just to comfort , but I feared if you said otherwise, I’d be heartbroken."
"If soone told the Ji Xiaoyuan of the past, ’He’d be prone to worry and insecurity,’ I guess the Ji Xiaoyuan of the past wouldn’t have believed it." Su Zhiruan teased him, pointing to her belly, changing the topic, "Ji Xiaoyuan, do you want to guess if it’s a son or a daughter."
Ji Xiaoyuan placed his hand over her still-flat belly once more; the hall was warm, their clothing thin, and through a layer of fabric, they both paused in simultaneous surprise.
Soon after, they both felt the sa shyness.
On the surface, it still wasn’t obvious, especially now in December with thick clothing, added to the large cloak, it was impossible to tell she was two months pregnant; only by touching could one feel the slight curve of her belly.
"Whether it’s a son or a daughter, I will cherish it alongside loving you deeply, and our little family," Ji Xiaoyuan leaned down, gently kissing her still unnoticeable baby bump, "May it be healthy and well."
"Thank you, my dear."
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