Chapter 61: Having a Child is a Big Deal

Xia Tong had no idea when this person had climbed into her bed. Now, any hope of sleep was gone. She tried her best to push him off, grumbling loudly, “Didn’t His Highness the Crown Prince give you a few beauties? Go find them!”

In the darkness, his eyes gleamed, like a lone wolf deep in the forest, locking onto its prey, ready to attack at any moment.

“I don’t know how someone like you, who doesn’t know what’s good for you, has survived to this day.” He said in a light voice.

It was pitch black around them, and she couldn’t see his face at all. Hearing his words, Xia Tong’s little face scrunched up in anger. This man was the one behaving strangely, yet he had the nerve to scold her for being ungrateful!

“If I’m so ungrateful, then what does that make you, Your Highness? You always threaten me, but you’ve never actually thrown me into the snake pit. Is it because you can’t bear to?” She raised her brow, teasing him in a huff.

The atmosphere around them seemed to freeze, and Xia Tong suddenly felt uneasy. Has she gone too far? She had openly defied him—what if he really did throw her into the snake pit this time?

Just as she was about to backtrack, the hand on her waist tightened, and a low voice whispered in her ear, “So this king regrets it.”

Xia Tong: “…”

Her whole body stiffened, staring blankly at the swaying bed canopy.

Gentle, heated kisses landed densely on her neck. The man’s voice was husky. “You must be here to torment me on purpose.”

He couldn’t bring himself to hit her, and whenever he tried to scold her, she’d give him attitude. How could anyone act like this?

“You… you’re talking nonsense…” Xia Tong’s face flushed as she squirmed in discomfort, muttering in frustration, “You’re the one tormenting me.”

Not only did he always threaten her with words, making her feel as if she was walking on thin ice every day, but he also had a habit of scolding her for no reason. Did he not realize how terrifying he could be when he was angry?

The feel of her soft, smooth skin stirred something deep inside him. His gaze darkened, and he silenced her complaints with a heated kiss, his large hand slipping into her loosely tied robe.

“Mm…”

Xia Tong’s mind went blank. It wasn’t until his kisses trailed down to her collarbone that she began to feebly push him away, her face flushed. “We… we haven’t even made up yet.”

There was no way he could just climb into her bed without even apologizing!

The faint fragrance of the night filled his senses as he grasped her delicate hand and lifted it above her head. While nibbling on her soft skin, his voice deepened. “This king forgives you.”

Xia Tong: “…”

Shouldn’t it be her forgiving him?

“But I still… Mmm… stop…”

Outside, the night was pitch black, with icy winds howling. Inside, the room was as warm as spring, intermittently filled with the sound of a woman’s tearful pleas…

*

As the New Year approached, snowstorms raged across the land. By early morning, the snow had piled up knee-deep. Servants at the residence were already busy clearing the thick snow so the masters wouldn’t be inconvenienced. But even by mid-morning, there was no movement inside the house.

It wasn’t until the bed stopped feeling warm that Xia Tong curled up and groggily opened her eyes. The sky outside was already bright, though she had no idea what time it was. However, the person who had been beside her was nowhere to be found.

Men are such heartless creatures once they’ve put their pants back on. In this freezing weather, he didn’t even think to keep the bed warm for her. How inconsiderate!

“Master, are you awake?”

Fang Yu’s voice came from outside the door. Xia Tong rubbed her eyes and responded sleepily. It was not until now that she realized how gentle Gu Qin was last time. Even if the original owner had practiced dancing, she felt like her waist was broken now. The other party must be taking revenge on her!

As Fang Yu entered, carrying washing supplies, she glanced at the silhouette behind the bed curtains and said, “Madam came by earlier, but since you were still resting, she told me not to disturb you. She’s waiting in the front hall now.”

Upon hearing this, Xia Tong immediately struggled to sit up, clutching her aching waist. If her mother had come to see her, it must be for something important.

After having water prepared for a bath, she dressed and asked Fang Yu to bring her mother over.

The table was still set with breakfast, indicating that Xia Tong had just started her meal. However, Madam Liu said nothing and instead smiled. She had heard that the prince had spent the night with Xia Tong, so it was natural for her to rise late.

“Have you had breakfast, Mother?” Xia Tong asked, though it felt like a formality.

Handing her fur cloak to Qing’er, Madam Liu shook her head, smiling as she sat across from Xia Tong. Gazing at her daughter’s rosy face, she looked pleased—clearly, the prince treated her Tong’er very well.

“I came today to deliver a letter from your father. There are some matters I don’t fully understand, but based on what you’ve said, the others in the Xia family have indeed gone too far,” Madam Liu said, frowning as she pulled a letter from her sleeve.

Xia Tong set down her spoon and took the letter. She knew getting her father to completely sever ties with the Xia family would be difficult. Despite her mother having been kidnapped before, blood was thicker than water. Her father valued family too much to turn a blind eye to her grandmother.

Opening the letter, Xia Tong saw it contained two full pages. But as she read, her emotions grew complicated.

“This time, your father is truly disappointed. He no longer wishes to be involved with the affairs of the household. Yesterday, he brought up the matter of separating from the family with your grandmother. They argued for a long time, and of course, she disagreed. But your father is determined. He’s already preparing a new residence, and once it’s ready, we’ll move.” Madam Liu sighed.

The letter detailed much, even touching on political matters. But Xia Tong could sense her father’s deep anger towards her grandmother and the others. After all, they had colluded with the Grand Tutor to abduct her mother and threaten her. How could a family do such a thing?

Folding the letter, Xia Tong frowned and softly said, “Grandmother and the others will never allow Father to separate from the family. Even if we do, once the Xia family faces trouble, Father won’t just stand by.”

Right now, her father held the highest official position in the Xia family. Her grandmother would never let him go. However, since they had acted so ruthlessly, Xia Tong knew she had to take decisive action. Delaying would only lead to more chaos.

“Ah, we are still family after all. But this time, your father is firm. He won’t be confused anymore,” Madam Liu said with a worried expression.

As Xia Tong bit into a dumpling, she had already made up her mind to bring down the crazy lot in that household. Family? More like bloodsuckers.

Suddenly, Madam Liu’s face grew serious as she gave Xia Tong a once-over. “It’s been a while since you and the prince consummate your marriage. Why haven’t there been any signs of pregnancy? Have you seen a doctor?”

Cough, cough—

Xia Tong choked, glancing at her mother’s stern expression. She quickly took a sip of warm water, her ears turning bright red. “This… some things take time. It’ll happen when it’s meant to. What’s the rush?”

“Nonsense!”

Madam Liu glared at her, scolding, “The new person is better than the old one. No one can predict what will happen in the future. Only children are the most reliable things. When your second aunt first got married, your second uncle treated her very well, but she still had no children after half a year. Your second uncle took in several concubines. If she hadn’t given birth to your cousin not long after, how could she have any status in the family!”

Sipping her porridge, Xia Tong pouted and stayed silent. She knew her mother would bring up this topic. She had no interest in palace politics or the endless scheming.

“When I first married, I couldn’t conceive for a long time. It wasn’t until your grandmother gave me a special prescription that I was able to have you. Luckily, I brought it with me when I came. You must take it regularly, do you understand?”

Seeing her mother pull out the prescription, Xia Tong’s face twisted with reluctance. Clearly, her mother had come prepared, despite all the small talk beforehand!

“I… I don’t want to drink it…” she protested, wrinkling her nose. Her voice was weak. After all, too much medicine can be harmful. What if taking it caused a problem where there wasn’t one?

“No, you have to drink it!” Madam Liu suddenly grew stern, handing the prescription to Qing’er. “From now on, make sure the princess drinks this medicine every day, without fail!”

A child might not understand now, but by the time she regretted it, it could be too late.

Holding the recipe, Qing’er glanced helplessly at Xia Tong, who turned her head away in defiance. She wasn’t going to drink it, no matter what.

“Princess, good luck. Princess, good luck—”

A strange voice suddenly called out from outside. Xia Tong looked up and saw Gu Qin unexpectedly standing at the door. She rushed over to him like he was her savior. However, when she noticed Xifeng holding a parrot, her curiosity piqued.

“Princess, good luck. Princess, good luck—”

Clearly, this was something Xifeng had taught it to say. Xia Tong was intrigued as she took the birdcage, reaching out to gently poke the parrot’s head. “How adorable.”

“This is a rare breed. Even if you let it go, it will fly back on its own. The princess needn’t worry about getting bored anymore,” Xifeng explained.

At this moment, Madam Liu hurriedly walked over and slightly bowed, “Greetings to the Prince.”

Seeing Xia Tong still playing with the parrot, a trace of warmth flickered in Gu Qin’s eyes as he glanced at Madam Liu. “There’s no need for formalities, Mother-in-law.”

Xia Tong froze at hearing Gu Qin address her mother this way for the first time. Was this really the same ruthless villain?

Madam Liu, feeling a little overwhelmed by the presence of the imposing man before her, realized this courtesy was likely due to her daughter.

Fearing her mother would soon bring up the topic of having children again, Xia Tong quickly lost interest in the parrot. She handed the cage to Qing’er. “Please put this away and escort Mother back to the residence. Since the Prince is here, he must have something important to discuss with me.”

Before anyone could respond, she tugged at Gu Qin’s arm and blinked pointedly, signaling it was time to leave.

Just as Madam Liu was about to speak, Gu Qin gently patted Xia Tong’s head, a smile playing on his lips as he led her outside.

Xia Tong quickly followed him, while Fang Yu hurried behind them with a fox-fur cloak in hand, calling, “Master, please wait!”

Finally escaping her mother’s clutches, Xia Tong remembered the matter of her mother’s poisoning. The night before, this man hadn’t given her a chance to speak, so she wasted no time now in bringing it up.

Snow had piled up along the corridor’s edge, and the jagged rocks of the artificial mountain glistened with frost. The icy wind cut through the air like a knife, making Xia Tong hide behind Gu Qin, using him as a shield against the cold. However, he didn’t seem to react much to her words.

“The old man will deliver the antidote himself,” he said calmly.

Hearing his reply, Xia Tong felt a strange sense of relief. Although the villain could be ruthless at times, she had come to trust that there was nothing beyond his reach.

“But my uncle and his family are going too far. My father is already preparing to split from the family, but they won’t let him go so easily. What do you think I should do?” She tugged at his sleeve, poking her head out from behind him.

There were no servants around in the corridor, just the endless snowfall. Silence filled the space. Gu Qin turned to look at the expectant face beside him. This woman had started learning how to play tricks on him.

When he didn’t respond, Xia Tong took another step forward, grasping his warm hand and gently shaking it. “I want to teach them a lesson. What do you think?”

If she weren’t here, the villain would’ve already destroyed the Xia family. She was merely going along with the flow by doing this.

“What was your mother talking to you about earlier?” he asked with a casual glance, his expression unchanged.

Caught off guard, Xia Tong immediately lowered her head, her face turning red as she stammered, “Just… just some household matters.”

Their conversation had been quiet. Surely no one outside could have overheard. But this man had sharp ears and walked without a sound, always eavesdropping.

Gu Qin clasped her cold little hand, gazing at the top of her head as he spoke softly, “Your mother wasn’t wrong. Having a child is the only way to secure your position.”

Xia Tong: “…”

So he had been eavesdropping again, and now he was trying to brainwash her!

She looked up, her face scrunched in displeasure as she glared at him. Her voice was tinged with frustration, “I’m talking to you about the Xia family, and you bring this up? What does that have to do with anything?”