Lang Xuan initially only felt a little bloated and didn't take it seriously.
After all, she had unknowingly eaten a lot while being fed by Linlin that evening.
But lying in bed, she soon discovered that the bloating seemed to be getting worse, and her abdomen was starting to ache.
Lang Xuan didn't make a sound, but rolled over and lay face down.
The pressure on my abdomen seemed to make me feel a little better.
She suddenly realized, was her period about to start?
But counting the days, it hasn't arrived yet.
Could it be that being with Yuwen Duo has thrown her life into chaos, just like her emotions?
That would be so awkward.
If we were in our own room in the Prince's mansion, we could secretly wash the bedding if we got it dirty, but we're outside now...
Please, please, please don't let it be my period.
After a while, she found that her stomach was hurting even more.
She tried to hold it in, but she couldn't anymore; she had to go to the bathroom.
Linlin heard her rustling as she got up. Although she wasn't asleep, she didn't make a sound.
He guessed she might need to use the restroom, and if he asked, it would probably make her nervous and embarrassed.
Sure enough, Lang Xuan got up and tiptoed out.
After she closed the door, Linlin got up and opened the window a crack. Sure enough, she saw her enter the washroom with a lantern hanging at the entrance, and casually pick up a lantern and go in.
Linlin felt relieved and went back to the bed, pretending to be asleep.
However, Lang Xuan's absence lasted quite a long time, to the point that Linlin started to have all sorts of wild thoughts.
--Could it be that she's not used to the village's clean rooms...?
Lang Xuan: I'm used to it, but my stomach is bloated and hurts.
After dawdling for a while, her whole body getting cold from the wind, she finally returned to her room.
She had a vague feeling that she might have to go again in a while, so she sat on the bed without moving.
A moment later, she felt unwell again, and went to the hospital once more.
This time, Linlin couldn't keep up the act anymore.
When Lang Xuan returned, Linlin got up, lit the candles, and asked softly, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Lang Xuan felt both uncomfortable and embarrassed. She hummed in response, then whispered, "My stomach hurts, it hurts a lot."
"Did you catch a cold and get an upset stomach? Or did you feel unwell after eating seafood?"
"It seems..." Lang Xuan hesitated for a long time before finally telling the truth, "It seems that we can't eat mantis shrimp."
Linlin:"..."
That idiot! If he knew it was inedible, why didn't he say so then?
But now is not the time to blame her.
In the candlelight, Lang Xuan's face was deathly pale with pain. She was hunched over, her hands pressed hard against her abdomen, looking pitiful.
"I'll send someone to fetch a doctor."
"No need, no need," Lang Xuan quickly stopped him. "I'm fine, just a stomachache. A few trips to the bathroom will do the trick."
If the doctor comes and finds out that her discomfort is caused by overeating, won't they laugh themselves to death?
He was used to losing face in front of Yuwen Duo, but he couldn't do it with anyone else.
"Are you really okay?"
To prove she was telling the truth, Lang Xuan nodded repeatedly. "When I was little, I ate mantis shrimp like that too. I was up all night, but I didn't take any medicine. The next day, I was perfectly fine, like I was faking it."
The doctor prescribed medicine, but she didn't even have time to take it before her pregnant aunt stayed up all night to keep her company.
Linlin told her to lie down.
Lang Xuan saw him right beside the bed and felt too embarrassed to lie down.
"Either lie down, or I'll send someone to find a doctor." Linlin revealed her assertive side.
Lang Xuan obediently lay down.
Linlin sat down on the edge of the bed, placed her hands on her abdomen, and gently massaged it. "Maybe this will make you feel better?"
She had been pressing on her abdomen to relieve the pain, so he guessed that would help.
Lang Xuan stared at him blankly.
How could Yuwen Duo be so kind?
It doesn't hurt anymore; even if it had hurt terribly, I would have felt it was all worth it.
"Say something," Linlin, shaking her head helplessly at her dazed expression.
"It doesn't hurt anymore, it doesn't hurt anymore," Lang Xuan said repeatedly.
That's right, don't stop.
Linlin did not disappoint her; she did indeed massage her continuously and talk to her.
"Let me pour you some hot water."
"No, I don't want to drink it."
She cherished the intimacy and tenderness he showed her at that moment.
As night deepens, dreams can run Wuji.
But such a scene doesn't even exist in my most beautiful dreams.
"Since you knew you couldn't eat it, why didn't you say anything? Why did you have to be stubborn?" Linlin watched as her expression softened and began to "settle scores later."
Lang Xuan, feeling guilty, whispered in defense, "That was when I was little. I only ate it once, and I didn't think it was really caused by mantis shrimp... Besides..."
She found herself becoming increasingly daring.
Linlin said with a half-smile, "Speak—"
Lang Xuan felt her heart pound again as she looked at his seemingly concerned yet angry expression.
--Yuwen Duo, he really planted a curse in her heart.
His every word and action, even his current demeanor tinged with calculation and reproach, could stir her affection for him.
"You peeled it for me; I'm afraid you'll be angry if I don't eat it."
Linlin laughed angrily, "In your heart, am I such a petty person that I can't stand to hear a single truth?"
"It's not that you're stingy, it's that I'm overthinking things," Lang Xuan said. "If we don't eat, what if there's no next time? At worst, we'll have a stomachache for one night, and that's not even guaranteed..."
She could figure out which side was more profitable.
Linlin really didn't know what to say.
This silly girl, can't she love herself a little more?
If he didn't explain it clearly, then he'll tell her now.
"You are already my wife, the Princess Consort. Unless one of us passes away first, there will be no one else in this life. What do you mean by 'no next time'? Taking care of you is my responsibility; as long as I'm here, I always will."
You won't leave before me; you'll live to be a hundred!
She couldn't bear to hear such words; she couldn't imagine that one day he would die; though it was inevitable.
Linlin:"..."
Can we please stop going off-topic?
This little crybaby's eyes are red again.
Linlin raised one hand, but Lang Xuan grasped his hand with both and pressed it against her abdomen. "Your Highness, I'm still in pain..."
The next moment, Lang Xuan felt utterly ashamed.
This body is truly out of control; it's becoming increasingly rampant.
She was flirting with Yuwen Duo.
Linlin was both amused and exasperated. "I wanted to wipe away your tears."
"I didn't cry," Lang Xuan immediately emphasized.
Yes, you didn't cry, you just shed a few tears.
Lang Xuan stopped crying and started laughing; her face was flushed, but her eyes were bright.
She said, "Your Highness, thank you."
"Silly girl, don't do it again next time. If you keep doing this and don't cherish yourself, you'll be punished," Linlin teased her with a smile.
"I'm going to copy the Classic of Poetry." Lang Xuan blushed.
Linlin leaned down, her hand never leaving her abdomen, so she was almost pressing her entire body against her, and whispered something in her ear with a smile.
Lang Xuan's face instantly turned red to her ears, and her lips moved as if she wanted to say something.
The warm breath of his voice still lingered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
Yuwen Duo, he's flirting with me!
But Linlin quickly stood up, smiling, and asked, "What does my little darling want to say?"
She doesn't have small characters, so "Guaiguai" is perfect for her.
I need to go to the bathroom!
Linlin:"..."