Chapter 73

“Xiao Jiu, call the royal physician!”

Xiao Heng was momentarily at a loss, but he quickly regained his composure. Placing his hand on Chu Zhaoyou’s stomach, he felt a regular movement.

“Zhaozhao, does it hurt?” Xiao Heng spoke softly, afraid to startle Chu Zhaoyou and the baby inside.

Chu Zhaoyou leaned against him, nervously biting his lip. If the room were lit, one could have seen the moisture in his eyes.

“It’s not that painful, Regent. I want to drink,” Chu Zhaoyou held Xiao Heng’s wrist tightly, speaking in a low voice.

Getting drunk would dull the pain, and when he woke up, the baby would be born.

Xiao Heng felt extreme heartache. He knew that Chu Zhaoyou’s desire to drink was driven by fear. If it were anything else, Xiao Heng would have gotten it for Chu Zhaoyou, but alcohol was truly off-limits.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m here, I’ll stay with you. If it hurts, bite me, kick me, do whatever you need,” the Regent held Chu Zhaoyou’s hand tightly, giving him strength and courage.

Gripping the bedsheets tightly, Chu Zhaoyou’s fingers twisted together. In reality, he wasn’t in much pain; it was just a sudden, overwhelming fear.

After some thought, he pushed the Regent away, pulled up the covers, and closed his eyes. “I won’t give birth yet… Yes, I’ve discussed it with him again. I’ll wait until daytime to give birth. I won’t give birth now. I’m going to sleep, so please don’t disturb me.”

Chu Zhaoyou’s words were disjointed, yet resolute.

Xiao Heng was left feeling both amused and exasperated. “Alright, we won’t give birth yet. I’ll follow your lead.”

The room was lit, and the palace attendants, who had rehearsed this many times, were orderly and prepared, with steaming hot water and other necessary items placed by the bedside.

Xiao Heng got out of bed, wrung a hot towel, and instructed the attendants to prepare various sweet soups from the imperial kitchen.

He wiped Chu Zhaoyou’s face and then changed the water to wipe his hands, feet, and neck, before unbuttoning his clothes.

Chu Zhaoyou allowed Xiao Heng to tend to him, murmuring “won’t give birth” as he did.

“We won’t give birth,” the Regent’s heart ached, echoing Chu Zhaoyou.

Chu Zhaoyou said, “Regent, he’s not behaving because I haven’t issued an imperial decree. Go and fetch my imperial seal.”

Xiao Heng replied, “Your Majesty, do you intend to stamp your belly?”

Chu Zhaoyou pondered the scene for a moment. “Forget it, when he’s born, you can discipline him for me.”

“Alright, I’ll help you smack his palm,” Xiao Heng kissed Chu Zhaoyou and gently squeezed his hand to help him relax.

Chu Zhaoyou said, “Gently, like I do every time.”

To smack him like Chu Zhaoyou did? Wouldn’t that mean hitting Chu Zhaoyou?

“Your Majesty, I’ll do as you say,” Xiao Heng replied, chatting with Chu Zhaoyou absentmindedly.

Gradually, Chu Zhaoyou grew accustomed to the sensations in his abdomen, and his nerves began to relax.

The tense emotions shifted to the other father.

Xiao Heng caressed Chu Zhaoyou’s face, as if unable to get enough, wishing he could boldly say, “We won’t give birth, I don’t want you to suffer.” But he couldn’t. Chu Zhaoyou was already anxious, and he had to appear calm, no matter how scared he felt.

The royal physician arrived shortly after and lifted the covers for a glance. “It’ll be a few more hours, so hang in there. Do you feel like eating now? Eat whatever you want and conserve your strength.”

Xiao Heng promptly interjected, “No alcohol!”

The royal physician raised his voice, “What! You still want to drink?”

Chu Zhaoyou faltered, “I don’t want to drink!”

He quieted down for a moment, leaning against the pillow, savoring the Regent’s care.

The royal physician said he could eat anything, so Chu Zhaoyou ate heartily, and the Regent fed him without hesitation, as he was famished in the middle of the night.

After eating his fill, Chu Zhaoyou’s mind became active. At one point, he asked the physician, “When will I give birth?” Irritated by his persistent questioning, the physician took the opportunity to suggest, “I have an idea. Let’s get you drunk and perform a cesarean section.”

Before the physician could react, the Regent’s face turned horrified. “Absolutely not, Zhaozhao.”

The old physician, unfazed, didn’t hold out much hope for the Emperor, who had once requested to “teach him about the wedding night.” “You have a lot of ideas in your head. Alright, here’s a knife. You can do it yourself.”

The Regent stood guard between Chu Zhaoyou and the old physician, as if protecting his territory, fearing they might actually pass the knife to each other.

What on earth was Chu Zhaoyou thinking? He could even come up with the idea of a cesarean section. Even if the child could be born, would the adults survive it?

Chu Zhaoyou had mentioned it casually, not taking it seriously. He just wanted to talk to ease the tension. But he suddenly realized that he had said something highly inappropriate, startling the already vigilant Regent.

He quickly turned to reassure the Regent, “I was just joking. I’m not that foolish. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

He slapped his own mouth so quickly that the Regent couldn’t stop him.

Chu Zhaoyou smiled and leaned against the Regent. “We’ll have a child soon. Let’s watch him grow together.”

Xiao Heng asked, “Are you in pain? Do you feel anything else? Tell the royal physician.”

Chu Zhaoyou said, “It comes and goes, but the physician said it’s not time yet. Regent, let’s get some rest together.”

The Regent looked at the royal physician, who grumbled, “If he wants to sleep, let him sleep. If he wakes in pain, then we’ll talk.”

Xiao Heng said, “Your Majesty, please rest for a while. I’ll watch over you while you sleep.”

Chu Zhaoyou struggled to make some room inside, “I want you to sleep with me, or I won’t be able to sleep.”

Chu Zhaoyou stared at the Regent, who closed his eyes. He really wanted the physician to secretly give the Regent a sedative to put this overly worried father to sleep.

He had been very afraid at first, but seeing the Regent’s feigned composure, Chu Zhaoyou suddenly wasn’t scared anymore.

It’s normal to be afraid in the face of the unknown, and there’s no shame in that. But the Regent seemed even more anxious than him, so Chu Zhaoyou couldn’t focus on himself.

Xiao Heng had accumulated too much disappointment in his life and was too afraid of losing Chu Zhaoyou.

Chu Zhaoyou wished the Regent could get some good sleep and wake up to the joy of being a father. As for the pain and tears of this night, he could endure them on his own.

In reality, Chu Zhaoyou wasn’t alone; he had a child in his belly. He believed the little one was striving just like him, striving to come into the world and love the Regent together with him.

Emotionally, he thought this way, but his rational mind told him not to, as the Regent would be angry when he woke up.

Chu Zhaoyou closed his eyes, feeling waves of pain in his abdomen. As time passed, the pain grew more intense. He could sense the strong desire of the little one to emerge into the world.

Two hours passed, and Chu Zhaoyou’s forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat. Unable to bear it any longer, he gripped the Regent’s wrist tightly.

Xiao Heng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, watching Chu Zhaoyou grit his teeth, his forehead showing the painful strain, wishing he could take Chu Zhaoyou’s place. His heart felt as if it had sprung a leak. With each moan of pain from Chu Zhaoyou, he wished he could endure the pain instead.

“Physician, is there any way to make him feel less pain?” the Regent had asked this question three times already.

The physician didn’t want to answer, focusing solely on the childbirth.

Xiao Heng held Chu Zhaoyou’s hand tightly, watching his dark eyelashes become wet, feeling immense heartache. “Your Majesty, why are you in so much pain? Is the He Xin Gu you? Can I offer him my blood to drink?”

The physician responded sternly, “Be quiet.”

Xiao Heng extended his wrist to Chu Zhaoyou’s mouth. “Bite hard if it hurts a lot.”

Chu Zhaoyou exhaled while turning his head.

“Take it away quickly! If you bite and make it bloody, how can I expect you to hold the baby in the future?”

At that moment, his rational mind was still intact, but as the pain intensified, he disregarded the Regent’s feelings and instinctively sought his help.

“Regent, help me!”

“Uncle, Grand Tutor… help!”

Later, realizing that shouting was futile, he resorted to cursing, “Regent, you old scoundrel!”

Cursing rejuvenated him, and later, when Chu Zhaoyou regained consciousness, he firmly denied having said those words.

The royal physician’s hand trembled, nearly failing to catch the baby’s head.

He carefully lifted the child and handed him to the assisting court physician. Then, with swift hands, he cut the umbilical cord and, with a firm grip, placed something into the prepared porcelain cup.

The clear cry of the infant resonated as the morning star rose, ushering in a new day.

The old physician glanced at the child as he handed him to Chu Zhaoyou. “About four and a half pounds, a boy.”

The Regent ensured Chu Zhaoyou’s diet was appropriate, so the child didn’t grow too large.

Exhausted, Chu Zhaoyou leaned against the Regent, reaching out to hold the child for a moment. In the faint morning light, he earnestly gazed at his son, seeing his eyes, his nose, all wrinkled up.

He bent down and kissed the baby’s forehead before handing him over to the wet nurse for feeding.

The Regent only glanced at the child, his focus entirely on Chu Zhaoyou. He personally and gently tended to Chu Zhaoyou, carefully cleaning and changing his clothes before transferring him to another clean bed.

His Zhaozhao was very brave and very clever.

Chu Zhaoyou lay in bed, gradually falling asleep, with Xiao Heng staying by his side.

When he woke up, the first person he saw was still the Regent. Despite the disheveled hair and rumpled clothes, the look in the Regent’s eyes was full of love, exuding a powerful sense of protective guardianship.

Chu Zhaoyou smiled at him, noticing that the little one was well-fed and was now lying beside him.

“Help me up.”

Chu Zhaoyou slowly sat up, awkwardly holding the baby in his arms. It was already past noon, and the daylight was especially bright.

As Chu Zhaoyou observed the appearance of his son and then glanced at the Regent Prince, his cheeks puffed up with anger, deeply enraged.

Why am I just an emotionless copy machine?

Were both the father. Why does the little one look exactly like the Regent?

He looked at the Regent with suspicion. “You didn’t go somewhere and pick up a love child, did you?”

Xiao Heng chuckled helplessly, “If that’s the case, then give him to me, and I’ll go exchange him.”

“You dare to admit it,” Chu Zhaoyou said, holding onto the baby.

Xiao Heng also carefully observed the little one and asserted, “His voice sounds like yours.”

The baby grunted dissatisfiedly.

Chu Zhaoyou grunted in response.

Where exactly was the resemblance?

The Regent took a nearby bowl and, before Chu Zhaoyou could speak, fed him a spoonful of chicken soup.

“Your Majesty, give him a name,” the Regent requested.

Chu Zhaoyou swallowed the soup and thought for a moment. “Let’s call him Xiao Xingxing.”

Born in the middle of the night without integrity, and being the son of the Purple Microstar in the entertainment world, he shall be called Xiao Xingxing. His full name can be decided later.

Author’s Note:

Xiao Xingxing: I may weigh only four and a half pounds, but I have to bear so much blame. I’ll need a lot of bubble tea to cope.