Dragon Rock Territory, the Lord's Manor.
Late autumn sunlight streamed through the window lattice into the bedroom, spreading a warm golden glow across the floor. A faint herbal fragrance drifted through the air. It came from the calming incense Aileen had blended herself, said to nourish Saint Realm experts during pregnancy.
Lin Qin sat beside the bed, holding a bowl of warm soup and feeding it to Aileen spoonful by spoonful. Aileen leaned against the headboard, her cheeks rosy and her spirits high, but Lin Qin insisted that she stay in bed.
"I'm not sick," Aileen said for the fifth time.
"Mm." Lin Qin acknowledged her and continued feeding her soup.
Aileen gave him a helpless look, then opened her mouth and drank. She knew her husband's temperament. On matters like this, nothing she said would help.
A few birds chirped in the old tree outside the window. Vendors' calls drifted from the distant streets, mingling with the sounds of children playing.
Daily life in Dragon Rock City was as peaceful as ever.
Aileen's belly was already very large. A Saint Realm expert's pregnancy lasted far longer than an ordinary person's. She could clearly feel every movement of the little life within her, and that sense of connection through their shared blood filled her heart with an indescribable tenderness.
"He's moving again." Aileen rested a hand on her belly, smiling.
Lin Qin set down the bowl and gently laid his hand over hers. Through her skin, he could feel the faint yet tenacious pulse of that little life.
"Very lively," Lin Qin said.
"Like you." Aileen looked at him, her eyes curved with her smile.
Lin Qin did not deny it. He simply withdrew his hand and picked up the bowl again. "Finish your soup."
Aileen rolled her eyes at