Yan Wanwen's Morning Sickness

Half an hour later, Si Yunqi carried the limp Yan Wanning into the Bathing Room to wash up. Then he wrapped her up snugly and carried her as he flew onto the roof. Yan Wanning leaned limply against his chest, listless.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

One after another, brilliant, multicolored fireworks burst across the sky, lighting up half of it. Yan Wanning sat up excitedly, her eyes sparkling.

Suddenly, the fireworks bursting in the sky formed the three characters "Yan Wanning" in a blaze of colors, then faded away.

"Husband, look!"

"Mm." Si Yunqi lifted her above his head and looked up at her. "My lady, do you like the gift I prepared for you?"

Yan Wanning giggled, a wave of sweetness welling up in her heart. "I do. I love it."

Si Yunqi lowered her into his arms and took a long, rectangular wooden box from inside his robes. "Open it and see if you like it."

Yan Wanning took it and opened it to find an ice-blue jade hairpin lying inside. It gave off a faint glow in the dark, simple and lovely.

"Husband, put it on me." She handed him the hairpin with a sweet smile.

Si Yunqi slipped the hairpin into her bun. A round, ice-blue bead dangled from the ice-blue jade.

"Husband, does it look nice?"

"It does. It suits you very well, my lady."

On that cold New Year's Eve, they leaned against each other beneath the brilliant, multicolored fireworks. From afar, they were as beautiful as a painting, a scene full of warmth and beauty.

The next day, the old year gave way to the new, and it was time to visit relatives and friends and exchange New Year's greetings.

Gifts prepared by the households of various ministers in the capital arrived at the Prince of Anbei's residence one after another. After reporting them to Yan Wanning and receiving her instructions, Nanny Cheng prepared gifts and had them sent to those ministers' residences.

Today, Yan Wanning was to return to the Duke Yan Household to pay her respects and New Year's greetings to her parents. But both her parents were gone, so she only needed to go back for a meal.

Si Yunqi was on his New Year's break and accompanied her to the Duke Yan Household. As soon as they stepped down from the carriage, they saw the whole family waiting at the entrance. Yan Wanning also saw Yan Yuchi and Yan Yuqin, who had been studying at the academy.

Yan Yuchi was Chen Shi's son, while Yan Yuqin was the son of a concubine in the household. Yan Yuqin was two years older than Yan Yuchi, which made Chen Shi loathe him and his mother.

"We pay our respects to the Prince and Princess Consort."

Because of the conflicts between them, everyone present at the Duke Yan Household except Yan Yuqin felt displeased at seeing them.

Yan Wanning smiled at Yan Yuqin by way of greeting.

The Duke Yan Household had ordered the meal prepared early that morning. After they entered the residence and took their seats in the dining hall, the servants brought out steaming dishes one after another.

Si Yunqi and Yan Wanning sat in the seats of honor, with Duke Yan and his wife in the next seats, followed by Yan Yuchi and Yan Wanwen, and finally Yan Yuqin.

Chen Shi said with a smile, "Princess Consort, please have a taste. These are all your favorites."

Yan Wanning glanced at the food on the table and did not rebuff her smiling face.

Only after Si Yunqi began eating did the others pick up their chopsticks. Before they were halfway through the meal, Yan Wanwen, who had been silent, suddenly grew ill and vomited. Duke Yan and his wife's hearts jolted.

Chen Shi poured her a cup of warm tea to rinse her mouth, then produced a sour plum from somewhere and fed it to her. Her movements were practiced and natural, as though she had done it more than once before.

Yan Wanning found it strange. If she was unwell, shouldn't she return to her room and send for a physician?

Then she saw Yan Wanwen instinctively shield her belly with both hands. Yan Wanning's heart skipped a beat, and an absurd thought surfaced in her mind...

Yan Wanning dismissed it again. Surely that couldn't be the case. Though Yan Wanwen loved stirring up trouble, she shouldn't be capable of doing something as absurd as getting pregnant before marriage.

"Prince, my daughter is unwell. My wife will help her away to rest first." Duke Yan raised his cup in a toast to Si Yunqi.

Si Yunqi also drank the wine in his cup. Seeing this, Duke Yan's smile broadened, and he raised his cup to offer another toast. Si Yunqi waved it aside, so Duke Yan had no choice but to drink alone.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Duke Yan suggested, "Prince, Princess Consort, why don't you rest here for a while before going back? As it happens, my wife has something to discuss with the Princess Consort."

Chen Shi also spoke up then. "A few days ago, I remembered that my elder sister-in-law entrusted something to me before she died. Would the Princess Consort care to come with me to fetch it?"

Yan Wanning had already planned to visit her old room, so it was convenient to fetch the item along the way. "Husband, would you let Xiao He take you to my Clear Autumn Pavilion?"

Si Yunqi knew the people of the Duke Yan Household would not dare harm her, so he nodded. "There's no need. I know the way."

Duke Yan and his wife exchanged a glance and secretly smiled at their success. Chen Shi happily led Yan Wanning toward her courtyard.

She walked rather quickly, and Yan Wanning found it strange. Was there any need to hurry so much?

"Second Aunt, what did my mother entrust to you?"

Chen Shi stopped and said slowly, "Before your mother passed away, she knew her days were numbered, so she made you a wedding dress in advance, hoping you would wear it when you married. Once it was finished, she entrusted it to me for safekeeping. But so much time passed that I forgot about it."