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Chapter 30
Jiang Huai was clearly taken aback when he heard that Lu Siqing was planning to cause trouble.
In fact, he couldn’t say that he liked Lu Siqing. It was more of a sense of obligation and trying to make up for something. Since childhood, he knew he had to be responsible for Lu Siqing, not because of anything else, but because her mother had saved his life. Therefore, Jiang Huai understood that, no matter who he married in the future, he would have to accept Lu Siqing and protect her.
They both understood this well, which is why, when Lu Siqing wanted to die because of his wife, Jiang Huai was even more angry at being manipulated.
But at that time, Lu Siqing tearfully told him that she had discovered that Xu Lianqiao, whom he had married, was the person who had refused to save him at the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. He still remembered what she had said to him then. She said she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know how to serve Xu Lianqiao as her mistress, and she couldn’t bear to see him and Xu Lianqiao fall in love. In the end, she felt the only way out was to choose death.
At that moment, Jiang Huai softened toward Lu Siqing.
That night, absurdly, he ended up staying at Lu Siqing’s house.
Later, as his misunderstanding of Ah Qiao grew deeper, and seeing Lu Siqing’s constant crying, he agreed to give her a child…
And this was how things ended up.
But Lu Siqing should never have deceived him, tricked him, and treated him like a fool.
“I understand,” Jiang Huai said, his voice emotionless.
Xu Lianqiao absentmindedly bit her chopsticks. In truth, she didn’t care much about Lu Siqing. This wasn’t really her concern, but she did think that giving birth to a child was a very risky thing. One wrong move could cost both lives. No matter how much she disliked Lu Siqing, she couldn’t bear to watch her die.
Thinking about her own future and the potential risks, Xu Lianqiao didn’t want such an outcome for herself.
She moved her stool closer, leaned toward Jiang Huai, and whispered, “Do you want to go and have a look, just standing outside?”
She didn’t fully understand Lu Siqing’s feelings for Jiang Huai, but she thought that maybe this gesture would give Lu Siqing some kind of… comfort, perhaps.
“Ah Qiao, you don’t mind?” Jiang Huai asked.
Xu Lianqiao waved her hand, being careful not to draw the maid’s attention, and leaned closer to him, whispering, “After all, you’re still in Jiang Huai’s body, so you can’t just ignore the woman Jiang Huai cares about. Giving birth to a child is a big deal. What if something happens to them and Jiang Huai comes back? What if he can’t accept it and gets angry, coming after you and me again? In any case, it’s better to avoid any more trouble. When Jiang Huai returns, he and his child can be happy together.”
Jiang Huai listened to Xu Lianqiao’s words, but remained silent, his face gradually turning darker.
Unexpectedly, she wasn’t finished.
She blinked her large, watery eyes and looked at him with a pure expression. “Besides, you’re not really Jiang Huai, and the child you gave birth to isn’t yours. So why should I care?”
She smiled sweetly at him as if to tease.
Looking at her carefree face, Jiang Huai’s anger only grew.
She had never truly understood his feelings, yet she was indifferent to him, as if his emotions didn’t matter.
In his frustration, he suddenly moved closer to her.
Without warning, he pressed against her neck. Xu Lianqiao instinctively tried to pull away, but he had wrapped his arm around her waist, leaving her unable to retreat. She could only feel his breath on her skin.
“How does Ah Qiao know I don’t have children?” he murmured.
Xu Lianqiao was momentarily confused. She didn’t understand what he meant.
Could it be that… the big brother was also married?
Right… The big brother was over five years older than her, and he’d been married for over a year. It made sense that he would have a child by now. Jiang Huai, about the same age as her, already had a child that big.
Suddenly, she felt uneasy.
Could it be that she had misunderstood the kindness the big brother had shown her? That it wasn’t because he liked her, but because of their childhood friendship, and he was simply taking care of her?
But… She had always felt that his kindness was because he loved her.
“You… what do you mean?” she asked.
But before she could get an answer, Jiang Huai had already disappeared from the courtyard entrance.
Was he joking, or was he serious?
She couldn’t tell.
_
When Jiang Huai arrived at Mingxi Courtyard, it was already packed with people. Looking at the name “Mingxi” now, it seemed almost like a joke, mocking his previous blindness.
“Ahhh…”
From time to time, loud, sharp cries echoed from within the house, followed by a maid carrying a basin full of bright red blood.
“How is Lady Lu? Is she okay?” Jiang Xi asked, her voice filled with concern.
At that moment, Po Wen came out and immediately found Jiang Huai. With a sorrowful expression, she said, “Your Majesty, Madam, my lady is experiencing dystocia[1]refers to a difficult labor or delivery.”.
“How could this happen?” Mrs. Jiang nearly fainted in shock when she heard the word “dystocia.”
“Why is she giving birth so suddenly?” Mrs. Jiang questioned. “It’s only been eight months! They say that a child born at seven months has a chance of survival, but at eight months, it’s uncertain. Could it be that the baby’s spirit is weak, or is something else wrong?”
“It’s all because of him. He pushed Lady Lu! Madam, you must make a decision for her,” the maid sobbed as she pointed to a woman and a child standing nearby.
Jiang Huai vaguely recognized them. He had met Lin Rou years ago when he was sent to Yangzhou. One time, after getting drunk, he woke up to find Lin Rou beside him. When he returned to the capital, he tried to find her, but learned she had already married. He no longer cared about the matter. But now, all these years later, she came to the capital with a child, claiming the child was his.
Jiang Huai glanced at them but didn’t believe the child was his. Still, in this situation, he couldn’t afford to question it too thoroughly.
“Your Majesty, Madam…” Po Wen hesitated. “What should we do? Should we protect the elder or the younger?”
Mrs. Jiang couldn’t make that choice. While she may have preferred to protect the younger child, she was at a loss.
In her desperation, she glanced at her son.
But Jiang Huai, surprisingly, wasn’t as nervous as she had expected. Instead, he said something shocking.
“If it doesn’t work out, just let go the child.”
The words nearly made Mrs. Jiang so angry she couldn’t speak. This was her grandson!
“Mother,” Jiang Huai said, his tone cold and indifferent, “This child arrived at the wrong time.”
“After all, a concubine’s son is never a good thing,” he added, dismissing the possibility that Lin Rou’s child was his.
“Brother, what nonsense are you speaking? This is going too far.” Jiang Xi was shocked and couldn’t understand why her brother had changed so drastically after waking up.
“I regret not being able to seek justice for Sister Qing.”
“Why do you want me to be so heartless?” Jiang Xi was at a loss for words.
But she couldn’t find anything else to say.
Time passed slowly, and the sun sank below the horizon.
Inside the house, Lu Siqing’s voice could be heard intermittently, weak and faint.
“Mom, please go rest,” someone suggested.
“It’s okay. Siqing is still holding on,” another person replied. Mrs. Jiang, however, was thinking about not having a grandson. The physician had previously said it was likely to be a boy.
Feeling frustrated, she glanced at Lin Rou and her son, her anger rising. She regretted ever helping them. By allowing them into her home, she might have harmed her own grandson.
“Come here, drive them out of the Jiang Mansion,” she ordered.
This child was only three years old. How could she know if he was really from the Jiang family or some other illegitimate child?
“Even if Huai’er accepts it, I cannot accept him as my grandson.”
“Mom, please calm down,” Jiang Huai said, realizing that the purpose of their visit might be tied to the person who had wronged him. He couldn’t let them simply go.
“Are you really speaking up for them?” he asked. “It’s still unclear whether this child is yours. Your biological child… is gone.”
The child clung tightly to Lin Rou, clearly frightened. Lin Rou lowered her head, appearing innocent.
“That’s exactly why we need to investigate this matter thoroughly,” Jiang Huai decided.
His decision was final, and no one dared to challenge him.
Mrs. Jiang could feel the authority in Jiang Huai’s tone. He was rational and ruthless.
_
It wasn’t until midnight that the sound of a baby crying echoed through the house.
“Thank God, Bodhisattva bless me, mother and child are safe,” Po Wen muttered with a smile. She had hoped to ask for a reward when she went out, but to her surprise, the prince’s face was stern.
Since it was late, Mrs. Jiang and her group had already left. Only Jiang Huai was waiting outside.
“Alright, let’s go and collect the reward.”
Even though Jiang Huai wasn’t pleased, he would not treat Po Wen unfairly in this regard.
“Your Majesty, why not go and check on the young master?” a maid asked as Jiang Huai was leaving the hospital.
The weather was clear that night, with a bright moon and few stars. But Jiang Huai didn’t feel the joy of being a father.
He knew that the birth of the child meant he couldn’t be with Ah Qiao as Jiang Huai for the time being.
“No, Lady is tired. We should rest her well tonight,” he said before leaving without another word.
However, he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep that night.
He wanted to see Ah Qiao, but when he saw that the lights in the house had already been turned off, he stopped.
If they hadn’t been interfered with by others, the child born that night might have been theirs to raise together. But they didn’t have time for that yet.
_
The next morning, Xu Lianqiao was still lying in bed when she heard the sound of firecrackers popping. She didn’t wake up right away.
She knew it had to be Lu Siqing.
She had finally given birth.
She turned over and covered her ears, still feeling sleepy and wanting to continue resting. She hadn’t slept well the night before, as she kept thinking about the things he had said during the day.
Sometimes, when she thought about it more carefully, she realized that he had never said he liked her.
In fact, he had never said he would be with her after their reconciliation.
“Ah Qiao, Ah Qiao.”
Xu Lianqiao heard someone calling her name while she was still in a dream. She thought she was still dreaming, but then she felt her ears heating up.
That’s when she realized something was wrong.
She quickly woke up, startled.
As the first light of dawn appeared, she saw Jiang Huai’s face, leaning against the headboard of her bed, watching her with a playful expression.
“What are you doing?”
He had never entered her room without her permission before. Even though he was like an older brother to her, Xu Lianqiao found his behavior a bit inappropriate.
How could anyone just enter a room without saying anything?
Jiang Huai didn’t realize what Xu Lianqiao was thinking. When he saw her frown, he assumed it was because she was upset after waking up.
“Grandfather asked us to go over and rest.”
***
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References
| ↑1 | refers to a difficult labor or delivery. |
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Vyl[Translator]
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