Everyone in the Yun Family waited anxiously in the courtyard.
Old Father Yun and Yun Zewu kept craning their necks, hoping to see what was happening inside the room, or at least hear something.
But they could neither see nor hear anything.
Yun Zewu irritably punched his own stomach a few times, then turned and pulled over Yun Ting, who stood behind him and was just as burly.
"There hasn't been a single sound from my sister. I can't take this anymore. Let's spar."
Yun Ting put away his worried expression too, looking at Yun Zewu and nodding in agreement.
"Brother Wu, come on. Today, we must give it everything we have and settle who's stronger!"
Yun Zewu raised his eyebrows, his lips curving. "Let's not go overboard. I'm saving my strength to hold my nephew later."
...Yun Ting: You really didn't have to say anything!
He shot Yun Zewu a fierce glare, then swung his fist and charged straight at him.
Old Father Yun withdrew his somewhat envious gaze from his son.
He wanted to find someone to vent with too, but these were all half-grown children.
As for him...
Yun Mo suppressed the worry in his eyes and stepped forward to support Old Father Yun, who was clearly anxious too, offering reassurance.
"Old Father Yun, Heaven watches over good people like Sister Man. She'll surely deliver your grandchildren safely. Why don't you rest a little, so you'll have the strength to hold them later?"
Old Father Yun looked toward the room and patted Yun Mo's hand.
"Why isn't there any sound at all? That can't be right!"
Yun Mo really had no answer to that!
They waited until dusk.
Those outside waited restlessly, hoping to hear something from within to put their minds at ease.
Meanwhile, those inside were dozing,
chatting,
or eating fruit!
Yun Manman finished her eighth fruit. Seeing Madam Zhou on the verge of falling asleep, she raised herself and leaned closer to ask softly,
"Mother, would you like to get some rest? You've been here all afternoon..."
Madam Zhou opened her eyes, her gaze somewhat dazed.
Remembering that her daughter was currently giving birth, annoyance flashed through her eyes. Looking at Yun Manman's breezy, unruffled manner, she stroked her belly.
"I'm not sleepy. You're in the middle of, in the middle of giving birth, and it's very... Even if it doesn't hurt, I still have to stay with you. Giving birth is a woman's passage through the gates of hell. Are the babies almost coming now?"
After all, her daughter felt no pain, so she couldn't tell what stage things had reached.
Yuanwei looked utterly bewildered too. So this was how babies were born?
The two midwives standing on either side looked completely at a loss. They had spent their whole lives delivering babies, yet had never imagined encountering something like this.
The two stepped forward to check again.
The young woman had been in labor all along, but she herself felt no pain. They could only choose their words carefully.
"It's almost time now. You're nearly fully dilated down below. Perhaps you could push a little in a moment, young lady? The babies might come out faster that way?"
Madam Zhou hurriedly nodded in agreement.
"Yes, cry out. If you cry out, it won't... they'll come out faster."
Yun Manman nodded obediently.
This was her first time experiencing something like this, so she could only listen to the midwives. All she could do was eat Returning Lotus Fruit to replenish her strength.
She was even a little worried. Surely the pain wasn't piling up to hurt her to death later?
Clearly, Yun Manman's imagination was running wild, because someone else was already suffering this pain for him.
Inside a tent at the northwestern military camp,
Mo Beiyuan's blue eyes were filled with bewildered agony.
His body curled up, trembling uncontrollably, veins bulging at his temples and on the backs of his hands.
He had bitten his pale lips bloody, and beads of sweat the size of beans emerged in a dense layer.
When the excruciating pain finally eased,
he looked as though he had been hauled out of the water, utterly exhausted, even his blue eyes considerably dimmer,
waiting for the next wave of pain to strike.
And so everyone waited from noon until dusk,
and finally until the hour of xu, a little past eight at night.
Night shrouded everything in silence. The nearby buildings lay hidden in the deep darkness, their shadows looming indistinctly.
Old Father Yun frowned and was just about to light an oil lamp.
Suddenly, the moon shone as brightly as day, silver radiance spilling across the ground.
"Look! What's happening in the sky..."
Someone called out, and everyone raised their eyes.
A crescent moon, clear as a mirror, hung at an angle in the heavens, with two unusually brilliant stars beside it.
The sight seemed mysterious and breathtaking.
This was quite fitting!
Everyone gazed at the celestial phenomenon with wonder, shock, and bewilderment in their eyes.
Yun Zewu withdrew his awestruck gaze and looked toward the doorway, speaking with some regret.
"What a beautiful nighttime spectacle. It's a shame my sister can't see it."
Everyone looked away, indeed feeling some regret. Just then, the silence inside the room broke.
"He's out! The eldest young master is out! The other one is almost here too. Quick, young lady, push!"
The midwife's delighted voice rang out, and everyone looked toward the door with unease in their eyes.
Then the midwife's voice sounded again, accompanied by a loud cry.
"Waa..."
Joy spread across everyone's faces. Sister Man had finally given birth!
Only Old Father Yun looked a little puzzled. "Why is there only one baby crying? Where's the other baby's voice?"
Hearing Old Father Yun's words, everyone's smiles turned to worry as they looked toward the room.
At that moment, Yuanwei emerged beaming. Before anyone could ask, she hurriedly explained the situation inside.
"Sister Man and both babies are safe. You don't need to worry anymore. You can go rest and get something to eat."
With that, she hurried toward the kitchen.
Everyone in the courtyard exchanged looks, smiles appearing on their faces.
At the northwestern military camp,
Mo Beiyuan hazily regained consciousness.
He hadn't expected the pain to strike so fiercely this time. His blue eyes were dull and lightless, and he looked as though he had survived a calamity.
His face and body were drenched, and his palms were covered in patches of blood.
Everyone in the camp was watching the spectacle in the sky. Luo Fan turned toward the serious-looking Qing Yi and said,
"It's a shame that brat Changyi is in the capital. Otherwise, he'd surely come up with eighteen different theories about this spectacle of stars and moon. Haha."
Qingyi withdrew his gaze, his eyes full of worry.
"Luo Fan, I keep feeling that His Highness's pain is truly strange. Let's go in and check on him first."
The two entered the tent and saw Mo Beiyuan lying flat on the ground, his blue eyes vacant and lifeless, as though he had endured a brush with death.
Both were startled and hurried forward to help Mo Beiyuan up. Before they could speak, they heard his quiet voice.
"I should no longer have to suffer like this."
Luo Fan frowned and asked, "Beiyuan, do you know what caused this pain?"
Mo Beiyuan's lowered lashes trembled faintly as the visions he had seen while unconscious flashed through his mind.
Those violet eyes, that woman,
that agony...
He gathered his thoughts and did not answer, asking about the situation outside instead.
"What happened outside? Why is it so noisy?"
Remembering the spectacle outside, Luo Fan thought it would be a shame for him to miss it and caught Mo Beiyuan's sleeve.
"Come and see. I've never seen a celestial phenomenon like this. It's very strange."
Luo Fan pulled Mo Beiyuan outside.
Walking behind them, Qing Yi looked at the place where Mo Beiyuan had lain, somewhat shocked.
Just how much pain had his master suffered today to soak his clothes so thoroughly that they had left an imprint of his tall, handsome figure on the ground?