chapter 3

After lunch, Pei Shuning took me to see the clothes, shoes, and socks she was making for her child. Each piece was crafted with meticulous care, every stitch and thread exquisitely done.

It was clear that she loved the child in her womb very much.

There were also a few unfinished undergarments, which were for the Seventh Imperial Brother.

There were plenty of embroiderers in the prince’s residence, yet she still insisted on sewing everything by hand, stitch by stitch.

I asked her, “Do you like my imperial brother very much?”

She blushed and nodded, “His Highness… treats me very well.”

But I didn’t think so.

The Seventh Imperial Brother looked down on everything from Southern Chu. He had personally said that he kept her only because she was quiet and gentle, just a tool to warm his bed.

To prevent her from getting pregnant, he made her take Contraceptive Medicine every time.

That medicine is harmful to the body.

If you truly care for someone, how could you let her body be harmed?

Still, she was lucky. Despite taking so much Contraceptive Medicine, she still managed to conceive, and thus was elevated from a slave to a concubine.

I asked her, “What did you eat before you got pregnant?”

“Why does the Princess suddenly ask this?”

I replied wistfully, “I’ve never been able to conceive. I was thinking, since you managed to get pregnant even after taking Contraceptive Medicine, maybe something you ate or drank at the time helped.”

“Princess, you’re still young. There’s no need to rush into having children.”

“I’m not that young anymore. I want to have a child with Qingxuan.”

She was taken aback. “Does Qingxuan… also want to have a child with you?”

“He…” For a moment, I didn’t know how to answer.

Because Pei Qingxuan had never told me he wanted a child. It was always just my own longing.

As I was thinking about how to reply, the sound of tables and chairs toppling suddenly came from outside.