"Give me two days," Tang Zhuyun said. "I'll prepare myself, and then we'll go see Xiao Pang together."
"Good."
Thinking about his origins, the Prince of Jin became somewhat agitated.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "A-Yun, are you sleepy?"
Tang Zhuyun: "I'm not sleepy, what's wrong?"
She thought the Prince of Jin had more details about Xiao Pang to tell her.
Unexpectedly, the Prince of Jin said, "Then I want you."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
Eighth Master: "Gaga gaga--"
"Shut up, you're not a duck!" Tang Zhuyun cursed.
Yanran brought a duck in to play with, and after playing with it for a short while, she gave it away.
Unexpectedly, Eighth Master learned to quack like a duck.
And every time they call out, they do so with extreme joy.
Eighth Master: "Gaga!"
Are you saying I can't even speak, but I can't even shout?
If we can't imitate humans, can't we at least imitate ducks?
The Prince of Jin clenched his fist, making a cracking sound with his knuckles.
Eighth Master fell silent.
Then the Prince of Jin carried Tang Zhuyun to the bed and started making pancakes.
No, it's not for making pancakes today. Tang Zhuyun isn't feeling well, so she didn't ask for them to be flipped.
As the clouds dispersed and the rain subsided, Prince of Jin cautiously asked Tang Zhuyun, "Did I hurt you?"
Tang Zhuyun calmly replied, "No. It's probably because I stayed up late... I'd like some water, could you get me some warm water?"
The Prince of Jin nodded, and without putting on any clothes, went straight to the small stove.
Tang Zhuyun: What a perky butt...
She felt her own pulse.
--Just as I expected.
She was too slow to realize it; her period was actually several days late.
Unexpectedly, Xiu'er got pregnant, and she joined in the fun.
She felt a slight bloating in her lower abdomen while making pancakes, and thought her period was about to start, only to realize it was too late.
She is indeed pregnant.
Thinking back to how she almost got kicked by Huaishang, she was still terrified.
Perhaps this name really does induce pregnancy; once you're associated with it, you'll get pregnant.
Tang Zhuyun couldn't help but laugh at the thought.
She touched her flat stomach and thought, "My dear daughter (son), your mother is so careless."
How should she tell the Prince of Jin that she is pregnant?
Tang Zhuyun felt she needed to think about it.
However, she is very calm now, as if everything has fallen into place naturally.
She married the Prince of Jin and had children... which was not unexpected.
The Prince of Jin poured her some water and laughed, "What are you grinning about like that for?"
"I suddenly remembered the matter of naming the child." Tang Zhuyun took the water, drank a couple of sips, and then pushed the cup back.
"Take two more sips."
She needs to hydrate.
Tang Zhuyun obediently took two more sips.
She wasn't sure if it was just psychological, but she felt nauseous even when drinking water.
Hold it in, you don't want to throw up.
The Prince of Jin then asked, "Why did you suddenly think of this? What name do you want to give the child?"
Tang Zhuyun: "It's not our child, it's Nanxing's child and Xiu'er's child!"
She said that Yanran and Linlin had already discussed it and agreed that if they had younger siblings, one of them would choose a nickname and the other would choose a formal name.
Prince of Jin: "My father will bestow a name upon me."
Tang Zhuyun: "Is this even considered decent?"
Others may not have it, but our children will.
How impressive! Tang Zhuyun said she liked it.
Then let the Emperor suffer the consequences of wasting his brain cells.
Prince of Jin was preoccupied with Xiao Pang's affairs, his mind sluggish, completely oblivious to Tang Zhuyun's intention in suddenly bringing up this topic.
"Go to sleep." He lay down and embraced Tang Zhuyun.
Two days later, Niuniu's condition gradually stabilized, and Tang Zhuyun breathed a sigh of relief, having someone send the mother and daughter back home.
Madam Yan expressed her deepest gratitude to her, but that's another story.
Tang Zhuyun was still preoccupied with Xiao Pang's matter, so she didn't talk to her much and also ignored Madam Yan's words.
She said, "I'll tell everyone that Her Majesty's medical skills are truly unparalleled in the world; she snatched my Niuniu back from the jaws of death."
Tang Zhuyun heard it clearly, but she let it go after hearing it.
After all, to put it bluntly, she was praised from a young age.
Who knew Madam Yan was so honest!
Madam Yan is not only honest, she also loves making friends!
Although Madam Yan came from the countryside, she was different from Madam Wang; she was not inferior at all.
She has a fiery and outgoing personality, and doesn't think she's much different from those wealthy ladies.
They came from wealthy families, but she came from a very down-to-earth background!
They lived in luxury, while she ate simple meals and never begged for food.
She didn't beg from anyone; everyone helped each other. What's there to feel ashamed of?
As for those who look down on her, that's fine, she doesn't like them either, so they should just avoid hanging out together.
The reality is that exceptionally good and exceptionally bad people are a small minority; the vast majority are normal people.
Normal people aren't that extreme; who doesn't like a cheerful and outgoing personality?
Moreover, Madam Yan is not very cunning; she always shows her true feelings, making her easy to get along with.
She is also very enthusiastic; she never refuses to help anyone who needs her assistance.
Therefore, even though Madam Yan was placed on the list of the Four Great Wicked Women by some because of her jealousy, she was actually quite popular.
Tang Zhuyun underestimated her honesty and influence.
Unbeknownst to her, her reputation as a miracle doctor spread among the Noble Lady of the capital.
Although he had treated disaster victims before, that "resume" was not recognized.
However, after treating Niuniu, Tang Zhuyun's reputation as a miracle doctor gained wider recognition.
Tang Zhuyun had no idea about any of this.
The Prince of Jin brought Xiao Pang back to his palace.
That day, Linlin said she would take Yanran to the Great Xiangguo Temple.
Yanran excitedly set off with him early in the morning, unaware that she had missed meeting Xiao Pang.
When Tang Zhuyun saw Xiao Pang, he was thin and almost skin and bones.
However, perhaps because the Prince of Jin had forcibly cut off his addictive substances, he seemed to be in better spirits than when he last appeared.
He was wearing a dark blue robe that didn't fit him very well, hanging loosely on his body. He sat in the chair with his head down, his hands on his knees, looking somewhat restrained.
Clearly, someone had washed and dressed him before he arrived, and he now looked clean and tidy.
Although he was about the same age as the Prince of Jin, only two years older, he already had a lot of gray hair at his temples.
The drugs and the inner turmoil had tormented this man beyond recognition.
"Are you still not going to tell me the truth?" Prince of Jin said calmly.
Xiao Pang remained silent.
However, Tang Zhuyun noticed that his hands, resting on his knees, unconsciously tightened their grip on his robe.
He was nervous, or conflicted.
After a long pause, Xiao Pang finally spoke, his voice hoarse, "A-Qi, don't ask anymore. The truth doesn't matter. You're living a good life now, and that's enough."
The more you know, the more painful it becomes.
Those past events should be sealed away in memory.
The past is gone, the person is gone; what's the point of reopening those wounds and embarrassing memories?
The Prince of Jin looked at Tang Zhuyun and shook his head.
Just like before, Xiao Pang refused to budge.
Tang Zhuyun said, "Now that my cousin has arrived, we can talk about other things later. Let's eat first."