The Empress Dowager's Baby

When traveling, especially to places where you need to walk a lot to see the scenery, it can be a very painful experience to have a child who doesn't want to walk. Anyone who has experienced it can understand how difficult it is.

Fortunately, Liu Chang'an was a little stronger than the average parent, so carrying Shangguan Dandan up Mount Lu, which is 300 meters above sea level, was not too difficult.

Upon arriving at Qin Yanan's house, Liu Chang'an casually tossed Shangguan Dandan into the guest room and closed the door.

"Looks like you'll have to sleep on the sofa tonight." Qin Yanan smiled and took off her high heels to get Liu Chang'an a blanket and pillow.

She went to the market today, which is why she wore such sexy and alluring high heels. Many women go to the market unkempt, sometimes even wearing baggy pajamas and slippers. But they don't realize that when a woman appears at the market dressed elegantly and sexily, it brings her man immense pride and vanity.

Men like this feeling; a man's woman is like a woman's handbag, conveying various emotions and being very important.

Unfortunately, Qin Yanan's charming glances were just for show; she didn't have a man like that to enjoy the sense of accomplishment, satisfaction, and elation that came with having her.

"I've slept in caves, under bridges, on rooftops, underwater, in trenches—what haven't I slept in?" Liu Chang'an said nonchalantly. "I'll sleep wherever I want."

"Then you can sleep under my bed." Qin Yanan said, then couldn't help but laugh. She wondered what it would feel like if this actually happened; it seemed quite amusing.

Liu Chang'an thought for a moment, then shook his head.

Seeing that he seemed to have genuinely considered it before refusing, Qin Yanan couldn't help but wonder what he had been thinking about that made him decide he couldn't sleep under her bed?

Liu Chang'an just felt that the height under the bed was limited, and if he lay flat on the floor to sleep, wouldn't the bed tip over in the morning?

He couldn't tell her that reason, lest she think he was bragging or flirting with her.

"Are you sleepy now?" Liu Chang'an asked, getting down to business.

"It's okay." Qin Yanan checked her physical condition. She wondered if it was psychological, but she felt a little sluggish, much like the postpartum state, though not the kind of feeling where her eyelids were about to droop.

"Let me check the gestational sac again for you." Liu Chang'an wasn't comfortable with Su Nanxiu's diagnosis; she had scientific equipment, he had superpowers.

Since the basic requirement for joining the Nine Provinces Wind and Thunder Sword Sect is to have superpowers, aside from ordinary abilities like being super rich and having an enormous appetite, the members of the sect, including the Sect Master, naturally possess extraordinary superpowers.

Qin Yanan looked around, then spread her hands apart and put them back down to pat her skirt, indicating that there were no instruments available for her to use.

Qin Yanan's feelings were still somewhat indescribable. Although she knew that she had a rich life as Ye Sijin, in her daily life and habitual perception, she still felt that she was just a slightly mature adult woman compared to a teenage girl.

She is an ordinary... no, a very beautiful and well-proportioned young woman who has never been married or in a relationship, and who appears noble and aloof, but actually longs for love.

When she was around seventeen or eighteen, Qin Yanan would sometimes look at herself and think, "Such a beautiful girl, I wonder which scumbag will end up with her..." Now, however, she feels a little melancholy.

And the result?

She didn't benefit any of those stinky men at all, but instead had a child with a man who wasn't so stinky, and even smelled somewhat sweet. Yet, she couldn't rightfully claim the child from him, because once the baby in her womb grew up, it seemed like they weren't related by blood... This is Su Nanxiu's version of events.

This is simply unacceptable.

"How do you check? You suspect Su Nanxiu is lying to us?" Qin Yanan wasn't so easily convinced by Su Nanxiu.

After all, given Su Nanxiu's methods, controlling the test results of those instruments didn't seem impossible... Although it didn't seem to benefit Su Nanxiu in doing so, how could a kind-hearted and gentle girl possibly fathom the thoughts of a ruthless and aloof woman? Qin Yanan thought so.

"It's not so much doubt as it is, but I'd rather verify it myself to be on the safe side." Liu Chang'an finally asked Qin Yanan for her opinion, "Is that alright?"

Qin Yanan nodded. "Your grandfather Liu has already made his decision. What else can we do but cooperate?"

"Go change into your pajamas, you can lie on the sofa or in bed, it's fine." Liu Chang'an casually pointed towards the sofa and the bedroom.

Qin Yanan clasped her hands in front of her chest and then opened them again, looking at Liu Chang'an nervously. Why did she have to change into her pajamas?

However, Liu Chang'an didn't explain further. Qin Yanan turned around and walked stiffly into the bedroom, her usual alluring charm gone as she moved her hips.

Normally, Qin Yanan wouldn't have thought much of it, but last time... last time in the hot spring... actually, she didn't do anything, it was just that he misunderstood... anyway, after he saw her, she always felt a little uncomfortable, and she always felt ashamed and nervous when she saw him.

Qin Yanan changed into her pajamas and lay down on her own bed. She did feel more relaxed and less tense. Su Nanxiu was right about one thing: no matter what you do, you feel most at ease in your own bed.

Liu Chang'an knocked on the door, Qin Yanan responded, and he pushed the door open and came in.

Seeing that Liu Chang'an had also changed into his pajamas, Qin Yanan couldn't help but think that after young couples got married, they would also change into their pajamas in the bedroom and then prepare to do something... Qin Yanan's cheeks flushed slightly, and her eyes were half-open and half-closed as she reminded herself not to overthink things. It was just a normal test. Liu Chang'an was the kind of person who could hold a soft and fragrant woman in his arms and tell her historical stories all night long.

Liu Chang'an sat on the edge of the bed, tugged at her pajamas, revealing her abdomen.

"Why are you getting goosebumps? Am I making you feel uncomfortable?" Liu Chang'an laughed as he looked at the few goosebumps that had suddenly appeared on her delicate skin.

"Nervous." Qin Yanan tugged at the hem of her pajamas, her cheeks slightly flushed, and turned her head away to whisper.

"There's no need to be nervous, just don't be afraid," Liu Chang'an reminded him calmly.

"Are you going to cut me open?" Qin Yanan wasn't afraid. He was by her side, what was there to be afraid of? She wasn't worried that anyone could hurt her, nor did she believe that he would hurt her. This was the most comfortable sense of security.

Liu Chang'an spat on her stomach.

Qin Yanan wasn't afraid, but she felt completely stunned and stared at him in disbelief.

He even smeared his saliva all over her belly.

If it were anyone else, Qin Yanan probably would have exploded.

"Control yourself." Liu Chang'an patted her trembling legs, signaling her to calm down.

"I'll spit on you, let's see if you can control yourself?" Qin Yanan really had that urge, but as a daughter of a prestigious family, she just couldn't bring herself to spit on you like that.

"What I spit out isn't saliva, it's Dragon Saliva Jade Nectar, the essence of life. How can it be the same as yours?" Liu Chang'an shook his head, telling her not to casually compare herself to him.

"Yes, yes, your saliva is Dragon Saliva Jade Nectar, the essence of life. If you spit a little saliva on my belly every day, your son... this child will grow up healthy and be born in eight or ten years." Qin Yanan originally wanted to say "son," but she couldn't let him think she was clinging to him. Given her situation, didn't she have the right to be a little reserved? Unless he took the initiative to admit that it was his child, Qin Yanan wouldn't insist that the child in her belly was his. Qin Yanan was still a little bothered by some of the things he had said to Su Nanxiu.

Most importantly, he hasn't been tested yet. Maybe Su Nanxiu is lying. It's still uncertain whether he has been tested or not.

"My saliva certainly has its effects, but the key is that your stomach doesn't have the ability to absorb it," Liu Chang'an said regretfully.

"If my belly had that function, would you really have to spit on it every day for ten or eight years?" Qin Yanan imagined the scene and had to say seriously, "Then I'd rather not have this baby and let it continue to hibernate."

"No need for that. I can save up a lot of saliva and smear it on your belly yourself. That works too," Liu Chang'an offered a solution.

"No!" Qin Yanan angrily raised her hand and slapped him. He didn't seem to be joking about this.

"I can find a way to modify your belly so that it can absorb nutrients." Liu Chang'an wasn't bound by Su Nanxiu's ideas. He knew his own abilities better and was certainly more capable of devising a tailor-made plan.

As long as Qin Yanan's belly has the ability to absorb his essence and transfer it to the gestational sac inside her, wouldn't that solve the problem? There's no need for the intimate contact that Su Nanxiu mentioned.

"Then I'll just die!" Qin Yanan said angrily. She hadn't even said anything! Did he really despise her that much, trying so hard to avoid having any relationship with her? Even though Qin Yanan didn't want to either, as a man, his blatant disdain made her lose face. Did he have no sense of propriety or shame as a girl?

Seeing Qin Yanan so angry that she almost threw off her pajamas, Liu Chang'an quickly said gently, "Don't worry, we'll think of a solution slowly. Let me check your body first."

Qin Yanan rolled her eyes at him and said nothing.

Seeing that her stomach had a particularly soft and lustrous sheen, Liu Chang'an spread his five fingers and pressed them below her navel.

Qin Yanan trembled slightly, involuntarily loosening the hem of her pajamas, pulling at her pajama bottoms, bringing her legs together, and clenching her toes together, her little feet curving into the hollows of her feet.

She felt a little ashamed, but Qin Yanan didn't have time to be shy; she already understood what Liu Chang'an meant by telling her not to be afraid.

How could she not be afraid? It had nothing to do with a sense of security; it was purely a feeling of tension about the unknown and the strangeness of her body. Qin Yanan found herself as if she had lost the ability to feel pain, but she could clearly sense something growing from her fingertips, piercing under her skin, spreading out like tree roots.

The tree roots stretched out in the soil, Qin Yanan felt as if she were a piece of fertile soil, with roots spreading and growing little by little in her body, penetrating the skin tissue, the fat and muscles under the epidermis, and passing through layers of human tissue, enveloping the organs inside her body.

Just like the capillary network that runs throughout the entire human body, it is everywhere.

Qin Yanan opened her mouth, feeling somewhat relieved that she could still speak; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to utter a word and would probably have struggled nervously.

"What's wrong? What are you doing?" Qin Yanan asked, her breathing heavy. "I feel something crawling around in my stomach."

"It's probably roundworms. Should you give her some deworming medicine?" Liu Chang'an said casually to ease her emotions.

"No! I don't need to!" Qin Yanan realized that Liu Chang'an really didn't care about things that girls care about. Girls are supposed to be pure, clean, and ethereal, how could they possibly get involved with something as disgusting as roundworms?

"Okay." Liu Chang'an's hand left her skin, and he habitually took a wet wipe from the bedside table to wipe his fingers.

Qin Yanan looked at her abdomen. She had clearly felt something pierce her skin just now, but now her skin felt completely rough.

She didn't dwell on how Liu Chang'an had managed it; instead, she defiantly took a wet wipe and rubbed her abdomen repeatedly, then added, "I'm going to take a shower later to wash away all your drool."

Liu Chang'an glanced at the bathroom door, nodded, and said nothing.

Qin Yanan was a little suspicious of the way he looked at the bathroom door, and the way he nodded, which seemed to be a hint at what happened that night. But she had no evidence, so she could only blush silently, give a soft hum, and say nothing.

"Have you gotten any test results yet?" Qin Yanan quickly changed the subject to dispel her strange mood.

"A gestational sac is indeed present. This isn't the first time I've done this kind of test... I'm experienced, this isn't a last-minute attempt," Liu Chang'an stated confidently. "It's basically similar to Su Nanxiu's conclusion; the gestational sac is currently in a semi-activated state. It's sending signals to the mother, reminding her that if her body can't fully provide nutrition, she will faint..."

Qin Yanan opened her mouth, already mentally prepared. Liu Chang'an's confirmation completely calmed her initial mixed feelings of anticipation and resistance, and she felt much more at ease after accepting reality.

"It won't keep reminding you like that. When you can't provide enough nutrition, it will enter a dormant state as a self-protective mechanism until it can absorb the nutrients it needs," Liu Chang'an said confidently.

"Anyway, I can't accept your idea of transforming my belly into something that can absorb the nutrients from your saliva. It's perverted and disgusting." Qin Yanan told Liu Chang'an seriously that there was no room for discussion on this matter.

"Okay, I'll think of something else." Liu Chang'an didn't insist, after all, this matter had to respect her own opinion. "You also need some time to accept, think about, and adjust your mindset, and then you can determine how you really intend to handle this matter. We'll discuss it in detail then."

"Okay." Qin Yanan sat up, rubbing her lower abdomen. "Do you want to soak in the hot spring? If you do, I'll take a shower later."

"No, thank you." Liu Chang'an walked towards the bedroom door.

Qin Yanan hugged Liu Chang'an from behind.

Liu Chang'an grasped her outstretched hands and asked with slight confusion, "Is something the matter?"

"Elder brother."

"Um?"

I'm a little worried.

"It's alright, I'm here." Liu Chang'an pulled her hand away, turned around, and hugged Qin Yanan. He was determined that the situation where he hadn't been able to protect her properly back then, leaving her to suffer alone, would never happen again.

"What I mean is... could Su Nanxiu be hiding something?" Qin Yanan had to remind her brother.

Liu Chang'an no longer intended for Qin Yanan to treat Su Nanxiu as his sister-in-law, a fact Qin Yanan was certain of, so he rarely thought much about Su Nanxiu's thoughts and actions.

But Qin Yanan couldn't. Just as Su Nanxiu saw Qin Yanan as a thorn in her side, Qin Yanan was also wary of Su Nanxiu casting a net and setting up a trap for Liu Chang'an to walk into it.

"What is she hiding?" Liu Chang'an had already examined Qin Yanan's body and was certain that Qin Yanan was still healthy. The gestational sac did not pose a threat to her life, so he wouldn't care if Su Nanxiu was hiding something else.

"She deliberately emphasized that Ye Sijin was in her fertile period that night, while she was in her safe period. It's easy to make people think that the days when this gestational sac appears are all the same as that night... In fact, she didn't just have sex with you that one night! Besides, since the common sense about childbirth doesn't apply to us, does the concept of a safe period or a fertile period apply to us?" Qin Yanan thought about it and it seemed more and more likely.

"You mean, she might be pregnant too?" Liu Chang'an frowned slightly after Qin Yanan's reminder.

Qin Yanan nodded.

Liu Chang'an felt that this was not impossible. When they met at the underground base that day, she kept saying that she could have a child with him... She spoke with great certainty and seemed very confident. Perhaps it was because she had already confirmed the existence of a gestational sac in her body. At that time, what she really needed was the nutrition provided by Liu Chang'an, rather than the event of trying to have a child with Liu Chang'an.

Today she conducted a test for Qin Yanan, probably to see if her condition could also occur in others. Otherwise, why would she be conducting a pregnancy test for Qin Yanan after Qin Yanan fainted?

"Is that possible?" Qin Yanan asked worriedly, seeing Liu Chang'an's thoughtful expression.

"It's possible, but it's only a possibility. Let's not worry unnecessarily and overthink it. Being suspicious all the time is the style of palace intrigue and domestic power struggles." Liu Chang'an waved his hand. "Go on, take a shower, and get some rest. You don't need to change any of your lifestyle or eating habits in your condition. Everything is the same as before. This gestational sac has been there for over a hundred years; it's very resilient."

Qin Yanan chuckled, left his embrace, and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

Liu Chang'an calmly realized, with a heart as still as a deep well, that she might not be able to provide the necessary nutrients for the gestational sac before giving birth, but how could she not provide enough nutrition after giving birth?

Liu Chang'an walked towards the door, and as soon as he opened it, he saw Shangguan Dandan. It was obvious that her ear had been pressed against the door.

Liu Chang'an looked at Shangguan Dandan expressionlessly.

Shangguan Dandan straightened up, glanced at Liu Chang'an, took two steps back, slowly turned around and walked towards the guest room. Then, sensing that Liu Chang'an still hadn't made a move, she quickly quickened her pace.

Liu Chang'an reached out and grabbed her back.

"Let me go... I'm not a chick!" Shangguan Dandan struggled wildly, waving her arms and legs.

"I'm going to lock you in a coffin and then chain it shut with iron chains," Liu Chang'an threatened.

Shangguan Dandan felt relieved; she had thought he would lose control of his emotions and do something outrageous and immoral!

As for locking the coffin with iron chains, Shangguan Dandan didn't care much, so she gave up struggling and let Liu Chang'an twist her.

Even if she were locked in a coffin, she could still play on her phone, and even play mobile card Pao Hu Zi... It's just that the stakes in those mobile card Pao Hu Zi are too high, Shangguan Dandan can't afford to play them; she doesn't have that much money.

As for playing the five-cent version, nobody plays for such a small amount with her; Shangguan Dandan can only play the single-player version.

She could also read novels. Shangguan Dandan thought about how she had already accumulated many new chapters she hadn't read yet, but she had subscribed to and voted on them, which was what she meant by "cultivating" them.

The most important point is, how could iron chains possibly lock up her precious coffin? So Shangguan Dandan wasn't afraid at all.

"Weren't you asleep?" Liu Chang'an was just saying that casually. He also felt that the coffin was too powerful. As long as she woke up, she could probably control the coffin. The mere iron chains shouldn't be able to hold her.

"I only sleep most soundly in the Little Coffin." Shangguan Dandan immediately covered his mouth, revealing a sleepy expression, indicating that he was really tired and that if there was nothing else, he should considerately let her go back to her room to sleep.

"Can't you maintain your Empress Dowager's elegant demeanor? How can an Empress Dowager do something like eavesdropping?" Liu Chang'an said, pointing at Qin Yanan's door. He was certain that the soundproofing in Qin Yanan's room was excellent, but whether it would be effective against someone like Shangguan Dandan was another matter. You see, she could often listen to the sound of dishes being set up upstairs to determine whether it was time to do housework or breakfast, and decide whether she should appear in time.

"The Empress Dowager's elegance, isn't that just for show? Just like many emperors who are very dignified in court, but when they return to the Empress Dowager's side, they are still like children who dote on her." Shangguan Dandan didn't think so, and waved to Liu Chang'an.

"I won't fawn over you like a baby." Liu Chang'an understood perfectly what she meant by beckoning him and refused without hesitation.

Shangguan Dandan was greatly disappointed. But she had held him in her arms before, and back then he was just like a baby. Sigh, men are all very concerned about their image. Oh well, as long as he will always be her baby in her heart, that's enough.

"I'm going to sleep." Shangguan Dandan went back to her room, looking sullen.

Liu Chang'an watched Shangguan Dandan's retreating figure... Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat. The keen intuition possessed by a higher being made him wonder: Qin Yanan was pregnant, Su Nanxiu might be pregnant too, so what about Shangguan Dandan?

Liu Chang'an wouldn't proactively check Su Nanxiu's health, but he was somewhat inclined to check Shangguan Dandan's as well.

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I'm asking for monthly votes for this long chapter. I should be able to write a related side story and post it in the VIP group before midnight tonight, but it won't affect the main plot. It's just a short story about Liu Chang'an and Qin Yanan, so you can read it or not.

I recommend a book called "Super God Card Maker," a work by the renowned author Ninety Degrees Below Zero. It's over a million words long and tells the story of a programmer who "burns CDs" in another world.