Chapter 20: Delicate Songstress vs. Stalwart General

She smiled. “She’s usually well-behaved. Maybe she got excited knowing you were coming today.”

He sat beside her and pulled her into his arms. “Wanwan, you’ve worked hard.”

“It’s not hard at all.”

It was just fate that was cruel.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes sparkling as she lifted her lips in a smile. “Congratulations on your triumphant return, my husband! A glorious victory!”

“Your husband’s title as an undefeated general isn’t just for show.” He raised an eyebrow, his expression filled with the confidence of success.

Her hand brushed against his chest, where fresh scars had been added to the old ones.

“Does it hurt?”

“It’s nothing.” He spoke lightly, as if dismissing the pain.

She leaned forward. How could mere words describe the suffering he had endured on the battlefield?

“Wanwan, you—”

She lifted her gaze. Her beautiful eyes shimmered with light before sinking into the deep darkness of his pupils.

His heart sank. His Adam’s apple bobbed as his voice turned hoarse. “Wanwan.”

Ning Wanguan’s cheeks flushed, her voice soft. “Husband, please don’t get hurt again. It pains me to see you like this.”

“Mm…”

His breathing grew heavier.

Her misty eyes overflowed with tenderness. Seeing the way his brows furrowed slightly as he tried to restrain himself, her heart softened. She took the initiative to press a kiss against his lips.

Wei Chenheng stiffened, his suppressed voice growing even more hoarse, tinged with helplessness. “Wanwan, if you keep this up, I really won’t be able to hold back.”

“Why hold back, my husband?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed again. The last of his restraint teetered on the edge.

Such a lighthearted remark nearly shattered his self-control.

“I’m afraid of hurting you.”

Her cheeks were already flushed a deep red as she whispered, “I heard from the physician that from the fourth to the seventh month, it is safe.”

He lowered his head and captured her lips, deepening the kiss.

*** (Censored! The review system limits my creativity!) ***

Her hair was a tousled mess.

He whispered into her ear.

Ning Wanguan’s face was so red it seemed on the verge of dripping blood.

Surrounded by her delicate fragrance, he murmured hoarsely, “You’ve worked hard during this time.”

As the passion subsided, she leaned weakly against Wei Chenheng’s chest and asked, “How long will you stay this time, my husband?”

“I’m not leaving. I’ll stay with you until the child is born.”

Ning Wanguan was startled. “The barbarians have been expelled from our borders?”

“Mm.” He gently ruffled her hair, his tone calm. “They’ve submitted to Great Jin. The borderlands are mostly stable now. After the New Year, once the child is a little older, I’ll take you back to Jin City. The environment there is better.”

Ning Wanguan hadn’t expected Wei Chenheng to resolve the court’s long-standing problem with the barbarians so efficiently.

“Does that mean we won’t have to come here anymore?”

“The court will station troops here. There shouldn’t be any more uprisings.”

“But I heard the tribal leaders are ruthless and stubborn. Would they really submit to the empire?”

Wei Chenheng’s gaze darkened, filled with icy murderous intent. “If they refuse, I’ll make them submit by force.”

That was just like him.

Ning Wanguan placed a hand over her slightly rounded belly, warmth spreading through her eyes. “I hope Great Jin can finally find peace, so the people will no longer suffer from war.”

He paused, his gaze softening with a rare tenderness.

“It will.”

…

As early winter set in, Ning Wanguan’s due date approached.

Wei Chenheng became exceptionally cautious. When he wasn’t leading drills, he spent all his time by her side, afraid she might so much as bump into something.

When the time came, Ning Wanguan had a feeling it was near. Then, her water broke.

Wei Chenheng’s face changed instantly, and panic visibly flashed across his usually steady demeanor. He roared outside the tent, “Summon the midwife! Boil hot water! The madam is about to give birth!”

Ning Wanguan, however, remained calm. She patted his hand reassuringly, signaling him to stay composed.

Before the midwife arrived, Ning Wanguan took a pain-relief pill. The birth was smooth, requiring barely any effort.

She gave birth to twins—two boys.

The midwife carried them out to announce the good news, while Wei Chenheng stormed into the tent without a second thought.

The mighty seven-foot-tall man knelt by her bedside, tears streaming down his face, unable to utter a single word.

Ning Wanguan had never seen him so shaken. Her heart ached at the sight, and she reached out to wipe away the tears at the corners of his eyes.