Chapter 42: But I Like You

Chapter 42: But I Like You

"Pfft—what did you say?" Yao Wang spat out a mouthful of water. "You only consummated your marriage with the Heir's Consort last month? Before that, she said she loved your mischievous side. What did she mean by 'mischievous'?"

Seeing the looks in Yao Wang's eyes that screamed "domestic abuser" and "the Heir's Consort is a masochist," Shang Rongyu hurried to clarify, "I never lay a hand on women."

Yao Wang sighed as if regretting his friendship. "Not even kicking them."

Shang Rongyu: "Scram."

Lu Yunshen: "No wonder you failed the imperial exams and had to rely on your father to get into the Ministry of Justice. Is that the point here? Shouldn't the focus be on how Rongyu fought through blood and sweat to consummate with the Heir's Consort during her menstruation?"

Shang Rongyu, annoyed: "Shut up."

Yu Tiao: "No wonder both of you have to rely on your fathers to secure positions in court. Isn't the real point that Rongyu is about to become a father?"

Lu Yunshen looked at him with pity. "How pitiful. When we go out drinking in the future, you'll have to carry a baby around. While we eat meat, you'll be changing diapers. When we drink, you'll have to find a wet nurse or the Heir's Consort to feed the baby..."

Shang Rongyu felt like dying after hearing this.

God knew how much he hated children.

He had even prepared to adopt his older brother's child to continue the family line.

And now, he (possibly) was going to be a father.

Yu Tiao smiled. "It's alright. I'll start saving money. Twenty coins per month. When your child is born, it will be my full moon gift."

Yao Wang: "I want to be the godfather. I'll give ten taels of silver as a meeting gift. Don't be polite."

Lu Yunshen: "My future first daughter is reserved for your son, to be his main consort. Yu Tiao's future daughter can be your son's concubine. There, he has a wife and a concubine. So stop looking so miserable. Look how happy you are. Your son hasn't even been born, but he already has money, a wife, a concubine, and a godfather."

Shang Rongyu: "Shut up."

He propped his head up and was frustrated for a while.

"Why aren't any of you talking?"

Yao Wang: "You told us to shut up."

Shang Rongyu: "Scram."

In the end, half questioning and half affirming, he said, "It's not necessarily a pregnancy."

Lu Yunshen: "Nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, listlessness. What else could it be if not a pregnancy? My sister-in-law was like this in the early stages... But you need to be careful. The fetus isn't stable in the early stages, and problems can easily arise. My sister-in-law almost had an issue. We had to invite four or five imperial physicians to the mansion for three or four days to stabilize the situation..."

He patted Shang Rongyu's back with a smile. "You're quite something, kid. You married one wife, consummated once, and on her menstruation day, she got pregnant. Among this generation of royal members, there are countless favored consorts and concubines, but only seven or eight are pregnant. Why don't you go to the gambling den downstairs for a day? You might win back your annual salary."

Shang Rongyu's face suddenly turned cold. "What did you just say?"

Lu Yunshen: "You married one wife..."

Shang Rongyu: "No, the last sentence."

Lu Yunshen, puzzled: "Going to the gambling den for a day, what's wrong with that... Wait, no..."

He looked at Shang Rongyu in horror.

This generation of royal members each had numerous favored consorts and concubines, but only seven or eight were pregnant. And none of these seven or eight consorts and concubines gave birth to a healthy child.

Some miscarried, some died along with their unborn child.

The only one who gave birth had offended the wet nurse, and the child was thrown to its death. It seemed they were destined for extinction.

The Crown Prince had one Crown Princess, several Noble Ladies, Virtuous Ladies, and dozens of concubines, but only three became pregnant. However, all three miscarried due to unstable pregnancies.

The Second Prince didn't have a main consort, but he had many favored concubines. Only two became pregnant. One died along with her child, and the other gave birth, only to have the child killed in front of him. Since then, he had no more offspring.

The Third Prince hadn't married and had no concubines. The Fourth and Fifth Princes died young.

Empress Dowager Liu's Sixth Prince's concubine was pregnant, but he beat her during her pregnancy, causing a miscarriage. There had been no further pregnancies since.

That was why the emperor was criticized for having too much blood on his hands, which led to misfortune for his descendants.

As for King Cheng's Mansion, the eldest son, Shang Rongque, wasn't married and had no concubines.

The second son only had his wife Su Xi, but she had been married to him for years without conceiving.

The third son was quite the womanizer, and the women he slept with could circle the capital four or five times. One prostitute came to him pregnant, but Concubine Liu found out. Believing the woman was trying to climb the social ladder and corrupt the royal bloodline, she was beaten to death.

As for Shang Rongyu, he had only been married for a year.

In the distant Prince Yi's Mansion, Prince Yi only had Prince Yi's Heir.

But Prince Yi's Heir preferred men and avoided women. After finally marrying a Heir's Consort, she killed one of Prince Yi's male favorites on the day she announced her pregnancy. She then tripped and miscarried. After that, Prince Yi's Heir never touched a woman again.

Thus, throughout the entire royal family, the survival of the royal heirs in Shang Rongyu's generation was incredibly difficult.

Lu Yunshen had previously joked with his friends about Shang Rongyu. If the royal family continued like this, they would likely become extinct, leaving the vast empire without an heir.

Thinking of this, everyone's faces turned pale, and they blurted out, "Keep it secret." "Don't let anyone know about this..."

The difficulty in keeping royal heirs alive was mostly due to human interference, which was undeniable.

Shang Rongyu was currently caught in the whirlpool of power struggles.

It was likely that from the Emperor, the Crown Prince, down to Concubine Liu, Lady Second, and Lady Third in the mansion, none wanted the Heir's Consort's child to be born.

Lu Yunshen's face was ashen. "Have you asked the imperial physicians in the palace to diagnose the Heir's Consort? Throughout history, whenever a royal heir is endangered, isn't it always related to palace maids, imperial physicians, or eunuchs?"

This could easily turn into a double tragedy.

Shang Rong felt a chill of belated fear. "Not yet, so we're not sure if the Heir's Consort is truly pregnant."

Yao Wang said, "I think you should be cautious. It's best if no one else knows. If the Heir's Consort's pregnancy becomes evident over time and she can no longer hide it, you must take good care of her clothes and food. You can never imagine how terrifying a woman intent on abortion can be—hiding cinnabar in cosmetics, perfuming clothes with poison, keeping drugs on pets, using plants and trees as abortifacients..."

Yu Tiao pointed at Lu Yunshen. "Let Yunshen find a way to bring his sister-in-law out. A woman who has been pregnant before can usually tell if someone is genuinely pregnant with just a glance. At least she can give you an initial assessment. During this period, Yao Wang and I will find you a competent doctor. Always be cautious."

Lu Yunshen agreed. "Alright, my sister-in-law loves polo. The weather has been nice these days; you can bring the Heir's Consort to our family's polo field in the outskirts."

Yu Tiao leaned against the balcony railing of the pavilion, looking out.

He saw a striking figure emerge from the music shop on the street.

The figure looked unusually weary and desolate.

Yu Tiao hurriedly nudged Shang Rong. "The Heir's Consort... Is that the Heir's Consort?"

The private room on the second floor of Drunken Immortal Inn faced the most bustling part of East Main Street.

Opening the window allowed one to drink wine while enjoying the vibrant scenery and the clamor of the crowd.

Shang Rong glanced out the window.

Who else could it be but his Heir's Consort?

This woman really didn't care about her own health. In such a crowded place, what if she got bumped or injured?

He quickly leaped from the window onto the roof opposite, stepping on the tiles as he chased after Ran Qinggu.

When he caught up with Ran Qinggu, he suddenly didn't want to descend from the roof.

On the bustling street filled with people, a graceful figure walked slowly.

He was on the roof, taking a step for every step Ran Qinggu took, but one was among the crowd, and the other was atop red tiles.

She seemed to be pondering something, walking slowly without any expression.

Shang Rong had grown up in this prosperous street that had thrived for hundreds of years. He had lived here for seventeen or eighteen years, but he had never felt, as he did now, that this street was beautiful...

The warm sun hidden behind clouds, girls laughing by the Sishui River while washing clothes, wisps of smoke rising from steamed bun shops, travelers sipping wine alone in taverns with two slices of beef, the beauty behind silk curtains playing a melody that broke hearts on a lute...

He had never noticed these sights, nor found them beautiful.

But today, because of the person walking slowly below, he vaguely felt that this place was extraordinarily special.

Special.

The Heir's Consort is exceptionally special to him.

It's as if everything related to her becomes extraordinarily unique.

Zui Xianju.

Yao Wang picked up some dishes: "Tsk tsk tsk, it's different when a child gets married, the big bad wolf has turned into a little white rabbit, looking at that mushy affection, disgusting, really disgusting!"

Lu Yunshen leaned against the window: "You two should hurry back and save money, without a hundred taels of gold for my daughter's wedding gift, I'll throw you both out..."

Yu Tiao took a sip of wine, pausing: "By the way, who was treating us today?"

Lu Yunshen: "Rong..."

He stretched his head out the window: "Hey, Rong Yu, settle the bill for the food and drinks. My father confiscated all my money..."

Yao Wang looked at Yu Tiao: "Zui Xianju doesn't allow credit, Yun Shen's father docked his salary and monthly allowance, I was dragged out by Rong Yu this morning before I could even put on my pants, you..."

Yu Tiao: "Don't look at me, my salary has been docked until next year."

==

"Selling buns..." A short man stood by the roadside calling out, his stall steaming with a fresh aroma.

At his feet, a golden-haired monkey was chained, holding a yellow bun shaped like a rabbit in its hand.

Ran Qinggu looked over, seeing buns of various shapes and colors displayed on the counter.

He had only had some porridge in the morning, which he threw up due to his stomach ailment, and was now hungry.

"Lady, buy a bun, our buns have thin skin and plenty of filling, they're very fragrant." The bun seller called out.

Ran Qinggu walked towards the counter.

Before he took two steps, suddenly someone grabbed his waist, Shang Rongyu was frightened pale, his voice trembling: "Yu'er, how can you be so careless?"

Yao Wang had said to protect the Heir's Consort well. The early stages of pregnancy are the most dangerous, Xiao Chong carries poison...

When he saw this monkey, his heart leapt to his throat, and he quickly jumped down from the roof.

Ran Qinggu was full of confusion: "Careless?"

He just wanted to eat a bun, how did it become carelessness?

Shang Rongyu: "Stay here, don't get close to that monkey, I'll buy it for you."

Ran Qinggu didn't know what Shang Rongyu was getting worked up about early in the morning.

Shang Rongyu walked to the counter, the bun seller smiled: "What kind does the lady want?"

Shang Rongyu looked back at Ran Qinggu: "What kind does Yu'er want?"

Ran Qinggu: "Whatever."

Right now, he just wanted to fill his stomach.

Shang Rongyu handed some silver pieces to the bun seller: "One of each, no need for change."

The bun seller happily took the money and wrapped one of each type in an oiled paper for Shang Rongyu.

Shang Rongyu handed the buns to Ran Qinggu: "Here you go."

Ran Qinggu: "Thank you. Why is the Heir here?"

Shang Rongyu smiled: "I was just passing by."

At that moment, a few children came over, pointing at Shang Rongyu: "This is the big brother who was walking on the roof earlier. Big brother is so cool. But you were walking too slowly."

A little girl full of admiration: "Big brother was following big sister's pace. Since big sister walks slowly, big brother walked slowly too. I saw it all, from Huacai Lane all the way over here..."

Ran Qinggu remained silent.

Shang Rongyu changed the subject: "Yur, Lu Yunshen's family polo field is preparing for a polo match, it's quite spectacular. His sister-in-law sent both of us invitations. Let's go watch together tomorrow."

Ran Qinggu obediently: "Alright."

==

After watching the polo match, Ran Qinggu returned to the Prince's Mansion drunk.

That Lady Lu was rather peculiar, asking him a lot of questions out of the blue.

First, she asked if he liked spicy food or loved sour flavors, then she asked about his daily energy levels and how long he usually napped...

Out of politeness, he answered all her questions.

What he didn't expect was that Lady Lu, using the excuse that she had just taken over the household and didn't know where to start, invited him to visit the Lu family's shops to help her with some advice.

Ran Qinggu couldn't find any reason to refuse. The Lus had a good relationship with the Prince's Mansion, and he couldn't afford to offend them, so he agreed.

When he arrived at the Lu family's shop, he found that Young Lady Lu handled affairs in an orderly manner, clearly not someone who didn't know how to get started.

Although the matters she sought his advice on weren't simple, they weren't difficult either. He believed that Young Lady Lu could handle them herself.

He didn't understand why Young Lady Lu insisted on taking him around all the Lu family's shops.

Could it be to get closer to the Prince's Mansion? Given the Lu family's position in court and their relationship with the Prince's Mansion, there was no need for them to curry favor with him...

What puzzled him even more was that Lady Lu bought him a lot of snacks, took him to see shadow puppet shows, and bought him some picture books and other miscellaneous items.

Perhaps women were just that strange.

He thought.

The more he thought about it, the more his head ached. He didn't know what had gotten into him that night as he drank a great deal of wine.

Madam Lu said it was grape juice mixed with a bit of rice wine, and when he drank it, he felt nothing. But now, with the evening breeze blowing, the potency of the alcohol hit him, leaving him dazed and disoriented.

Chun'er noticed that he could barely stand steady after getting off the carriage, so she quickly called for two elderly maids to support him as they walked towards the Sinking Fish Pavilion.

Chun'er complained, "The Heir's Consort really should know her limits. Why did she drink herself so drunk? Didn't the Heir try to dissuade you...?"

She glanced out the door. "Hmm, where is the Heir? Did he not return with the Heir's Consort?"

Ran Qinggu rubbed his aching forehead. "Hasn't the Heir returned yet?"

While he was out shopping with Madam Lu, Shang Rongyu accompanied Lu Yunshen to buy foals to expand the Lu family's polo field...

Chun'er shook her head. "No, wasn't the Heir supposed to be out with the Heir's Consort?"

Ran Qinggu's stomach churned uncomfortably. He leaned over the basin of spittoon brought by the maid and vomited for a while before saying weakly, "This afternoon, the Heir accompanied Young Master Lu to select foals. Perhaps he won't be back tonight."

A maid brought in a bowl of sobering soup.

Ran Qinggu took it and drank it all in one go. After drinking it, his headache intensified, and he was too exhausted to wash up. He simply wiped his face with a dry cloth, took off his outer robe, and lay down on the bed, feeling miserable as he fell asleep.

==

"Sister-in-law, why did you take the Heir's Consort to shop and watch that terrifying shadow puppet show this afternoon... I almost got silenced by Rongyu today, do you know?" Lu Yunshen began complaining as soon as Lady Lu entered the mansion, continuing until Madam Lu sat down in the main hall.

That afternoon, Shang Rongyu, worried about the Heir's Consort, followed her along with his sister-in-law.

When he saw his sister-in-law taking the Heir's Consort to watch a ghost girl shadow puppet show and buying ghost play picture books, he nearly strangled Lu Yunshen.

When his sister-in-law switched the Heir's Consort's tea for wine at dinner, Shang Rongyu felt like wiping out the entire Lu family. If he hadn't intervened, their cover would have been blown.

Shang Rongyu suspected that his sister-in-law might have been bribed by someone to harm his Heir's Consort and the child in her womb.

Lu Yunshen believed that his sister-in-law would never harm the Heir's Consort; there must be a reason behind her actions, so he stopped Shang Rongyu.

He realized that Shang Rongyu lost all rationality when it came to matters concerning the Heir's Consort. Madam Lu met Shang Rongyu's murderous gaze with a gentle smile. "Heir, please calm down. Today, while chatting with the Heir's Consort, I discovered some issues, which led me to further probe."

Shang Rongyu blurted out, "What issues? Are they related to pregnancy?"

Madam Lu smiled. "The Heir's Consort's symptoms seem very much like pregnancy, but I can't be one hundred percent sure. However, there is another matter that the Heir should pay attention to."

Shang Rongyu frowned.

Madam Lu: "You've spent so much time with the Heir's Consort, haven't you noticed that she rarely shows any emotional fluctuations?"

Shang Rongyu didn't understand her meaning.

Madam Lu smiled. "Perhaps because I'm a woman, I'm more sensitive. Today, during our conversation, I found the Heir's Consort quite peculiar. She seems to have no preferences or dislikes. Watching the polo match, her gaze never focused. When eating, she treats every food the same, only eating from the plate in front of her. After she finished, I asked if she loved pumpkins. She praised the pumpkins at the Lu residence, but what was actually in front of her was tofu stuffed with meat, and there were no pumpkins served for dinner."

Shang Rongyu: "So you used the excuse of looking at shops to trick Yu'er into going out with you?"

Madam Lu nodded. "Yes, I took her to see a terrifying shadow puppet show. Even I, who have seen this scene for many years, was half-scared to death, but she remained indifferent. To confirm my suspicions, I bought a volume of ghost play scrolls and suddenly placed it in front of her, yet it failed to startle her. Not only that, during our afternoon shopping spree, I noticed that she seemed to have no particular likes or dislikes. In the evening, to further test her, I had her tea replaced with alcohol, and she didn't realize something was amiss until after four or five sips."

Seeing Shang Rongyu's grim expression, Madam Lu hastened to explain. "Rest assured, Heir. The alcohol was fruit wine, which, aside from having a strong aftereffect, does not harm the stomach or intestines. It certainly won't harm the Heiress or Little Heir."

"Have you noticed, Heir, that your Heiress has achieved complete indifference to external stimuli? It sounds easy, but look around the world—who can truly do it? Who doesn't have attachments, hopes, desires, or ambitions? Perhaps I misjudged her today; perhaps the Heiress is simply like this by nature. But her behavior is indeed unusually detached, leaving me no choice but to be cautious."

Upon hearing this, Shang Rongyu was taken aback.

Perhaps because he had spent so much time with Yu'er, he had grown accustomed to her demeanor, finding nothing strange about it.

But upon reflection, his Heiress was indeed too apathetic. She seemed uninterested in everything around her.

Madam Lu: "I believe the Heiress must have suffered a severe trauma. A normal person cannot lack emotional fluctuations. Happiness should bring smiles, and sorrow should bring tears—aren't these human instincts? Everyone has their favorite foods, things they like and dislike, but not the Heiress. Heir, I think you should pay attention to your Heiress. If this mental ailment persists, it could easily lead to depression and, ultimately, death. If someone can't even feel that they're alive, if they have no awareness of basic needs like food and clothing, then... over time, even if they're alive, they're just a walking corpse. Eventually, there may be no cure."

Madam Lu's words sent chills down Shang Rongyu's spine.

He wanted not only for his Heiress to live well but also to live happily.

After spending so much time with her, he knew she was aloof, but he never imagined she was a person devoid of emotion, heart, sorrow, or joy.

Seeing him at a loss, Lu Yunshen hurried to comfort him. "Rongyu, don't panic. Let's go to the palace and find the imperial physician, or seek out a renowned doctor among the common folk. The Heiress's condition is merely a mental ailment; it will improve with proper guidance and relief."

Madam Lu asked worriedly, "Heir, do you know why the Heiress is like this?"

Shang Rongyu shook his head. "I don't know."

At this moment, he realized how little he knew about his Heiress.

He only knew that she came from the Northern City and had a cousin.

But he never imagined...

She had such a severe trauma.

What kind of experiences could turn a person into this?

Madam Lu consoled him. "Heir, the Heiress is blessed by heaven; she'll be fine. Don't worry."

Shang Rongyu stood up. "Thank you. I'll return to the manor now."

Madam Lu: "We bid farewell to the Heir."

As Shang Rongyu left the Lu residence, Guard A led out his horse.

Shang Rongyu instructed, "Quietly take a few men to the Northern City to investigate the Heiress. Find out about the people and events related to her, and make sure to uncover every detail..."

Guard A bowed. "Understood."

Back at the Sinking Fish Pavilion, Ran Qinggu had already fallen asleep, and the room was filled with a faint aroma of alcohol.

Shang Rongyu tiptoed to the bedside, where the person in bed was already fast asleep. His hands were neatly folded on his chest, but his breathing was sometimes heavy and sometimes hurried, as if he was sleeping very uneasily.

Even drunk and unwell, he slept like a sculpture carved out of stone.

He watched him gently, his gaze soft and warm.

After a long while, Shang Rongyu tried his best to lower his voice as he climbed onto the bed, lying down on his side next to it, still fully dressed, and took Ran Qinggu's hand.

Ran Qinggu's hand was ice-cold.

Shang Rongyu couldn't understand why, despite being so cold, he would leave his hand outside the quilt?

Suddenly, he realized that it seemed his Heir Consort only changed his sleeping posture when having nightmares or when held by him. At other times, he always slept so neatly and properly.

Like a sculpture, no matter how it was made, he would sleep in that same position.

"Mmm?" Ran Qinggu struggled vaguely and restlessly.

Shang Rongyu hugged Ran Qinggu tighter and asked, "Cold? Put your hand under the quilt? Be good."

Ran Qinggu let Shang Rongyu put his hand under the quilt.

His head was splitting with pain, unbearably uncomfortable, his mind dizzy, his stomach felt like it was on fire, and although his body was constantly sweating, he couldn't get warm.

Shang Rongyu found that the person in his arms had almost no warmth, icy cold.

"Cold? Let me warm you up."

Saying this, he took off his outer robe, slipped into the quilt, and wrapped Ran Qinggu entirely in his embrace.

Ran Qinggu's entire body was ice-cold. Suddenly falling into a warm embrace, his body involuntarily burrowed into Shang Rongyu's chest.

After Shang Rongyu lay down on the bed, he couldn't fall asleep.

His mind was filled with Lady Lu's words.

What kind of feeling is it for someone to have no emotional fluctuations, to be indifferent to anything and everything?

Perhaps it was because he subconsciously hugged tighter, Ran Qinggu moved restlessly, adjusted his posture, and fell back into a deep sleep.

In the dead of night, Shang Rongyu held Ran Qinggu and murmured, "Yu'er, do you know what I was thinking when I first saw you?"

Ran Qinggu was still in a daze, unable to answer.

Shang Rongyu asked himself and answered himself, laughing self-mockingly: "At that time, I was on the red plum tree, my plum branch hit you. At that moment, I was thinking, which family's young lady is this? Clearly not the most beautiful, yet impossible to look away from. Is this young lady engaged? I must find the Emperor and ask for a divorce from my Heir Consort... I was so captivated then, my mind was full of thoughts of taking you back to the manor, whether you liked me or not, what I wanted could only be mine. Later, when I heard the maidservant call you Heir Consort, I suddenly... never before had I felt like I was the darling of heaven... In fact, you've been in the manor for so long, and you've never really made any demands on me. The only demand was for a divorce from me..."

"If you feel unhappy, or if you don't like me, if you want a divorce, I can agree to it. You don't need to worry about the Emperor, you only need to consider whether you yourself want a divorce from me... I only hope that you can be happy, you can do anything you like, you can love whoever you want to love, at the very least, you should learn to love yourself."

The sound of Shang Rongyu's voice echoed in Ran Qinggu's ears, and he muttered, "Don't love."

Shang Rongyu propped himself up, leaning over to look at Ran Qinggu, "What 'don't love'?"

Ran Qinggu fell silent.

Shang Rongyu's heart sank; perhaps the Heir's Consort truly didn't love him.

It was for the best, he was willing to grant her freedom, if she could live well...

At least she wouldn't be like a walking corpse as she was now.

After a long while, Ran Qinggu mumbled incoherently, "Don't love myself."

Shang Rongyu's heart ached; how could someone who didn't even love themselves love anything else?

He pressed on, "Then do you have something you like? Whatever you like, I can find it for you..."

As expected, he heard Ran Qinggu's words in her dream, "No, I don't like this world, nor do I love myself."

After saying this, he curled up in pain, clutching his stomach, his voice low as he completed the second half of the sentence, "But I like you."

Shang Rongyu was stunned on the spot.

Thinking he had misheard, he leaned close to Ran Qinggu's ear and asked, "Yu'er, what did you say you liked just now?"

Ran Qinggu was silent, the alcohol's effects were too strong, making him feel as if he was falling into an abyss, his body heavy but his mind light.

Shang Rongyu asked again, "Tell me, then I'll let you sleep, you won't feel so bad anymore. Come on, tell me what you like?"

"Like you!"

"Who is 'you'? What's their name... Yu'er, once you say it, you won't feel so bad... really, I never lie to you. Who do you like, what's that person's name?"

After coaxing for some time, Shang Rongyu finally got Ran Qinggu to subconsciously say his name, "Shang Rongyu!"

Upon hearing this, Shang Rongyu felt as if he had ascended to heaven, hugging Ran Qinggu and kissing him several times, only to be pushed away by Ran Qinggu in discomfort.

"I won't divorce you anymore, I will definitely treat you well in the future, we'll have this child, as long as it's yours, I'll like it. In the future, when you're sleeping, I'll get up in the middle of the night to soothe the baby, you'll be responsible for being beautiful, and I'll earn money and take care of the child..."

Despite not liking children, as long as the Heir's Consort liked them, he could learn to like them too.

—I don't like this world, I don't love myself, but I like you.

Holding Ran Qinggu in his arms, Shang Rongyu wriggled around on the bed in excitement, unable to stop smiling when he suddenly heard this phrase in his ear.

Halfway through his wriggling, he became worried again, leaning close to Ran Qinggu's ear and saying very seriously, "Yu'er, you must love yourself, only after you like yourself will you like me more, and our child."

—To be continued—

Thank you to the little angels who threw the grenades: the tea-spirited Luo Shiwei, the crane-like Hehe, the rain-brewing listener who does not stay for guests, and Mo'an, with one each.

Thank you to the little angels who threw out the landmines: those with a subtle and refined taste like "Tea with a Sense of Humor," "A Glimpse of a Smile" with two contributions each; "I am a Timid Duck," "Lu Chen Xing," "Cub," "Brewing Tea and Listening to the Rain without Guests," "Ling520," "Fuzzy," "Three-Minute Heat," "Qiao Qiao Wants to Eat Peaches," and "Ping Sha" with one contribution each.

Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Tea in the Tea Qi Luo Shiwei 50 bottles; Natsume 30 bottles; Pingsha, Nana Nana Nana, Cold Tea Poetry and Wine, I am a Cowardly Duck, Moqing 20 bottles; Qiaoqiao Wants to Eat Peach 14 bottles; Ye Luo, I am Merciful, It is Si Wuwu!10 bottles; Na Lao Da 8 bottles; Schrodinger's Dumpling 6 bottles; MG-Sweet Orange is Really Sweet, Lazy to the Extreme 5 bottles; Don't Know, Different Dimension Gardener, Chele 3 bottles; Night Hidden Blue 2 bottles; Xiaobai, Xiaowangshu, Future is Expected, Qingyu, 26287359, QAQ, Ye Zixu who urges for updates 1 bottle;

I am deeply grateful for the support you have all given me, and I will continue to strive for excellence!