Chapter 35: Chapter Thirty-Five It’s a Pity That We Are Destined Not to Have a Father-Son Bond…

Chapter 35: A Pity We're Not Destined for a Father-Son Bond...

Wei San was a thoroughly masculine man; pregnancy was simply not something that could ever be associated with him.

"I shouldn't have listened to Wei Er and sought out a quack like you."

He withdrew his hand expressionlessly, appearing calm on the surface, but inwardly, Wei Jiu's words had nearly blown his mind.

He was a man—even if he was the submissive one, there was absolutely no way he could be pregnant. He simply lacked the biological functions women had for bearing children. It had to be a misdiagnosis by Wei Jiu.

Wei Jiu had only been lurking in the medical clinic as a medicine apprentice; whatever medical knowledge he possessed was merely superficial, picked up from observing the physicians there. Scolded by Wei San, he hunched his shoulders, muttering to himself, *Impossible! That pulse, like beads rolling on a tray, was clearly a perfectly normal pregnancy pulse, and the child was very healthy. How could it be wrong?*

He only dared to grumble inwardly, not daring to voice his thoughts, fearing that one more word might lead to a brutal medical dispute resulting in death. He could only nod meekly in agreement with Wei San: "Yes, yes, I'm not even a barefoot doctor. I must have misread the pulse. Third Brother, it would be safer to have Imperial Physician Liu take a look later."

After sending Wei Jiu away, Wei San, though disbelieving the diagnosis, couldn't shake a growing unease.

This unease reached its peak during lunch.

Among the dishes was a crucian carp and tofu soup. As soon as it was served, Wei San couldn't tolerate the smell.

Covering his mouth, he rushed outside, leaning against a tree as he dry-heaved, bringing up nothing but stomach acid.

A maid hurried out after him, looking both anxious and worried. Seeing how uncomfortable Wei San was, she instinctively wanted to pat his back to help him catch his breath but ultimately didn't dare to touch him. She could only stand to the side and ask worriedly, "Are you alright, young master? I'll go fetch Imperial Physician Liu right away."

She turned to run off but was stopped by Wei San, who had somewhat recovered.

"No need, Imperial Physician Liu isn't here today."

"Ah? Then what should we do?"

The maid was frantic. The entire estate knew how much the prince doted on Young Master Sui Yun. If anything happened to Young Master Sui Yun under her care, wouldn't the prince skin her alive?

The maid was on the verge of tears. Wei San couldn't bear to see a girl cry, so he sighed and said to her, "I'm fine, it's just a bit of heatstroke. His Highness already knew last night; he won't blame you."

Feigning weakness, he added, "Help me back to the inner chamber first."

The nausea was indeed uncomfortable, but it wasn't enough to render him too weak to walk. He simply wanted to give the maid something to do to keep her from overthinking.

The maid indeed felt somewhat reassured. From the courtyard to the inner chamber, she supported him as if he were a fragile porcelain doll, as though he might shatter at any moment.

After helping him lie down on the bed, the maid's worry didn't lessen in the slightest. Wei San had a good temperament and never made things difficult for servants like her. The maid quite liked this easygoing master and was genuinely concerned about his health.

After a moment's thought, she said, "I'll have the steward send for a physician from the city."

Wei San thought it couldn't hurt and nodded in agreement.

As the maid busied herself having the servants prepare light, appetizing food for him, he said, "No need for the trouble. Have the servants clear away the lunch in the main hall too—I've lost my appetite."

Unable to eat, Wei San now only wanted to lie down and rest properly.

The maid seemed to think of something, hesitating as she looked at him. Wei San glanced up at her and said, "If you have something to say, speak up. I won't blame you."

The maid then cautiously said, "Young master, your reaction is just like my sister-in-law's when she had morning sickness during her pregnancy."

Wei San frowned, his drowsiness instantly vanishing. He couldn't help but recall Wei Jiu's words, feeling shocked and doubtful, though he pretended curiosity and asked, "Morning sickness? What's it like?"

The maid thought for a moment and said, "Just like what you experienced—feeling nauseous and retching at the smell of something fishy or strong."

Wei San's heart sank, but he maintained his composure and asked, "Besides morning sickness, are there other symptoms?"

"Yes, there are," the maid said, counting them off on her fingers. "Loss of appetite, aversion to heavy, oily, spicy, or fishy foods, cravings for sour foods, and easily feeling tired."

Aside from the craving for sour things, he matched almost all the symptoms. The more Wei San heard, the more alarmed he became, almost suspecting that he might actually be pregnant.

To avoid overthinking, Wei San quickly interrupted the maid, who was about to elaborate further: "Alright, I'm tired. You may leave now. If the physician arrives, come and call me."

With that, he lay down and closed his eyes to rest. Not daring to disturb him further, the maid remembered she still had to arrange for the physician and hurried out. When she returned, she was carrying a large basin with a block of ice inside.

Wei San looked surprised. "Why did you fetch ice from the ice cellar?"

The maid replied, "I told the steward that you were unwell, and he asked me to bring it."

In summer, ice was scarce in the cellar, and the steward usually guarded it tightly. Aside from the prince, no one else was entitled to use it. Wei San hadn't expected the steward to allow such a large block to be taken.

No matter how favored he was, the fact remained that he was a male favorite without any official status. The steward didn't really need to send the ice, but he had. Wei San took note of this kindness.

The chill from the ice temporarily dispelled the summer heat in the room. Already feeling drowsy, Wei San soon fell asleep.

The maid fanned him with a palm-leaf fan until he was sound asleep, then quietly tiptoed out of the inner chamber.

The steward took Wei San's illness and request for a physician very seriously, immediately sending someone on horseback to fetch a physician from the city. The journey, which usually took nearly two hours round trip, was cut in half.

The physician, jostled so badly his old bones felt nearly broken, arrived without even a moment to catch his breath before being hurried to the side chamber.

The maid had been alerted just before the physician's arrival. As he was led in, she had just finished tying Wei San's hair.

"All of you, leave us."

Wei San glanced at the people in the room. He didn't want too many to know what exactly was wrong with him—what if it really was pregnancy, like a woman...

His eyes darkened slightly, his lips pressed tightly together, his mood grim.

Both the maid and the steward were discreet; they knew what to do and say. Since Wei San didn't want them to stay, they asked no questions and respectfully withdrew.

Only Wei San and the elderly physician remained in the room. Though his status wasn't explicitly stated, the old physician, having lived so many years, could easily guess it.

The physician waited nervously for him to speak. Wei San then realized he might have frightened the old man.

Speaking more gently, he got straight to the point, detailing his physical condition over the past few days.

The more the physician listened, the more puzzled he became. It all sounded like symptoms of pregnancy, yet the person before him was clearly a man...

After considering carefully, he cautiously said, "Young master, may this old man take your pulse?"

"Go ahead."

The physician had mentally prepared himself, but he was still greatly shocked after feeling the pulse.

The pulse was like beads rolling on a tray, quick and rolling—unmistakably the pulse of pregnancy.

A man being pregnant was an unprecedented phenomenon in the world, and he never expected to encounter it.

Shaking with apprehension, the physician felt he had stumbled upon an explosive secret. The person before him was widely known in the capital as the Virtuous Prince's treasured favorite. If it got out that a man was pregnant, wouldn't people consider him an abomination?

And as the first person to know this secret, would he even leave this prince's estate alive?

"Physician, have you identified the issue?"

The old physician was spaced out for so long that Wei San couldn't help but notice something was off. He asked tentatively, keeping his voice low, but it startled the old physician so much that he dropped to his knees, trembling uncontrollably.

In a quivering voice, the old physician said, "I... My skills are lacking—I can't make out this pulse. Young master, you should find someone more skilled."

Seeing the old physician's reaction, Wei San's heart sank. "The maid said my symptoms resemble morning sickness. With your reaction... could it be that I am truly pregnant?"

"I don't know."

The old physician wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, insisting he knew nothing.

Seeing how terrified the old physician was, Wei San did not press further. Instead, he smiled and poured him a cup of tea himself.

"Since you cannot identify the illness, I will not trouble you further. Thank you for making this trip; you've worked hard."

"Have a cup of tea and rest for a moment."

As he spoke, Wei San pushed the teacup forward with his fingertips, then stared at the old physician, making it clear refusal wasn't an option.

The old physician was both startled and afraid. Though he figured the tea might be off, he dared not refuse.

"What? Physician, are you unwilling to grant me this courtesy? Do you not even wish to drink the tea?"

Wei San's smile slowly faded, and his tone turned cold. Terrified, the old physician quickly replied, "No, no, I am just flattered by your gesture. I will drink it now, I will drink it now!"

Whether he advanced or retreated, the outcome was the same. The old physician steeled himself, closed his eyes, and chugged the whole cup.

The cool tea settled in his stomach, but instead of feeling refreshed, the old physician felt iced to the core, shivering despite the scorching summer heat.

Wei San found it amusing to see the old physician's gray face, shaking like a leaf. With a cold expression, he pressed coldly, "Now that you've drunk the tea, physician, are you willing to tell the truth?"

He said nothing more, leaving the old physician to his own imagination. Convinced he had drunk poison, the old physician blurted everything out, panicked.

"Young master, you are indeed pregnant. Based on the pulse, it has been nearly two months."

After speaking, he tightly shut his mouth, stealing glances at Wei San's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

Wei San rubbed his temples and asked in a low voice, "Are you certain there is no misdiagnosis? How could a man possibly be pregnant?"

The old physician shook his head hurriedly. "I've been a doctor for forty-plus years; I would not mistake a pregnancy pulse. Moreover, it's a big, strange world—it is not entirely impossible for a man to bear a child."

Wei San went quiet. Both Wei Jiu and the old physician insisted he was pregnant, and his symptoms were identical to the morning sickness described by the maid. No matter how unwilling he was to believe it, he had to accept reality.

The repeated shocks left Wei San's mind in disarray. He slowly let out a heavy sigh, took a silver ingot from his sleeve, and handed it to the old physician. With pointed meaning, he warned, "Today's events never happened. No matter who asks, just say I suffered from heatstroke. If the prince sends someone to inquire..."

A flicker of apology and guilt passed through Wei San's eyes as he continued, "Give the same answer."

The old physician nodded repeatedly, holding the silver ingot like it was burning his hands.

Even after bribing him, Wei San did not feel entirely secure. In his mind, only dead men tell no tales, but the old physician had done nothing wrong, and he had no reason to take his life. So he hinted at another threat: "Physician, remember that you drank a cup of tea from me. If word of this gets out..."

He left the sentence unfinished. The old physician immediately swore that if he ever revealed the secret, he would die horribly. Only then was Wei San satisfied.

Watching the old physician hunch his back and follow the steward away in fear, Wei San lowered his gaze to his flat stomach, unable to believe a child could be inside—a child who shared his and his master's blood.

He raised his hand to touch his lower abdomen and murmured softly, "It's a pity that you and I are not destined for a father-son bond."