Xiao Yun had been pacing restlessly for a long while, muttering incoherently under his breath. Meanwhile, Anu sat calmly, watching him with a mixture of confusion and quiet amusement at his total state of disarray. Clearly, he had never considered this possibility....not even remotely. Maybe it was arrogance, or maybe just sheer denial.
Of course he hadn't thought about it. Zhan was a man. Who would've imagined he could get pregnant? But this was their consequence. The universe had a way of proving that nothing was impossible. They had wronged Zhan....deeply....and the royals involved had done even worse. This was only the beginning. A path had opened to show them the weight of their actions, and the rest was yet to come.
Who knows what the future might bring? Who ever thought one could harm an innocent soul like Zhan and still expect peace?
No, they needed to seek his forgiveness....especially that so-called Royal Family. Otherwise, nothing in their lives would ever align again. As for that self-centered Queen... karma would catch up to her hard. She would never get what she desired. Right then and there, Aunt Anu laid a curse on the entire Tianjin bloodline: She doesn't care weather they accept Zhan pregnancy or not, they did hurt her nephew/son, so...they would never have a male heir again, no matter how many concubines the Crown Prince took. She wished Zhan would give birth to a baby boy...so that one day, they'd be forced to crawl back, begging for what Zhan had created.
Slowly, Xiao Yun set his cap aside and asked, "So... what do we do now, Anu?"
She shrugged.
"I don't have the answer. I wasn't the one who arranged this marriage. What I do know is this: you fix things the way you broke them. You know exactly where to go and who to speak to. All we want is for them to understand that their blood now is in Zhan's womb."
Then she stood up to leave, but he quickly stopped her.
"You're leaving already?"
She gave him a cold look. "Did you think I came here for small talk? I came to deliver a message. And now that I have, I'm done." With that, she turned and walked out of the sitting room, calling Zhan along as they both left.
What Xiao Yun felt in that moment was a kind of panic he'd never experienced before. Sweat broke out across his entire body, and his thoughts swirled in chaos. He had never imagined this happening...not once. And now that it had, he didn't even look at Cunxin, who had been trying to get answers from him, increasingly worried.
He stood up abruptly, grabbed his cap, and moved with a sense of urgency that his mind hadn't fully caught up with yet.
"Where are you going now? What kind of wild, dangerous news did that woman bring that has shaken you like this? Haven't you seen it all before?"
He simply muttered, "My child's life..." and walked away.
As he walked alone, Xiao Yun spoke to himself in hushed, broken murmurs. It was true, as Anu said: the way you came is the way you return. The Tianjin Palace had to be informed. But he wasn't sure how they would take it....if they'd accept it at all. After all, they had shown up the first time with all their terms, and he had accepted them with open arms, desperate to escape the chokehold of poverty. He hadn't thought things through. Now, this had landed in his lap from nowhere.
He didn't stop anywhere until he reached Ms. Bao's house. At first glance, it no longer looked like the modest home he once knew. It had been completely rebuilt....a modern two-story building with a neat little gate, fresh paint, flowers, and a generous business fund gifted to her. The Queen had also granted her an elevated position within the Tianjin Palace.
His mouth silently formed a wish that she was home, and he stood straight, brushing off his clothes at the gate. He waved down a boy passing by.
"Please go inside and tell Ms. Bao she has a visitor," he said.
The boy nodded and quickly slipped through the gate. A moment later, he returned and said she was on her way.
About two minutes later, the door opened, and Ms. Bao appeared. When she saw Xiao Yun, she smiled warmly.
"Well, if it is you… why didn't you just come inside?"
"I wasn't sure it would be appropriate. I'm in a bit of a hurry," he replied.
She looked at him curiously. "Whatever it is, wouldn't sitting down help more than standing around?"
Without arguing, he followed her into the house and into the sitting room, which was neatly furnished with modern decor.
As they sat, she called for her housemaid to bring some refreshments. Now she had domestic help to manage the house whenever she had to leave for the palace.
"Leave the drink, Ms. Bao. This is serious....very serious," he said, wiping sweat from his brow, despite the cool air-conditioned room. Ms. Bao had been enjoying a life of comfort lately, living in luxury she'd never tasted in her youth. She often said that peace had come to her late, but it had come nonetheless. Now, however, the man sitting before her looked like someone who had lost everything.
Clutching her chest in worry, she widened her eyes.
"What's happened? Is something wrong?"
Xiao Yun took a deep breath before he began to speak.
"Zhan is pregnant… with the Prince's child."
"A disaster!"
Ms. Bao exclaimed as she sank heavily into the couch, eyes wide with disbelief. It was as if her vision had blurred from the shock. The sheer weight of her words settled clearly on her face.
"What kind of absurd situation is this? How did this even happen? And why didn't any of us ever consider that this could be possible?"
She turned her questioning eyes to Xiao Yun, who for the first time felt a possessive pang over his bloodline. His expression hardened. He, too, wanted to assert some authority, just as Anu had done earlier.
"I don't know, and you shouldn't be asking me. There's only one thing to do...inform them of the situation. They need to know. We're not asking them for anything. Just for them to know the truth."
Ms. Bao fell silent, turning his words over in her mind. Either path seemed perilous. If she stayed quiet until the child was born, the Queen would certainly hold her accountable for hiding something so monumental....and that would bring trouble. But if she told them now, it could cause chaos or backlash. She was stuck between two dangers, but in the end, she thought: if this truth surfaced months later and they blamed her for staying silent, that would be worse. It was better to say something now and let them be aware from the beginning.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yun stood, dusted off his robe, and walked out. But even after reaching his home, he couldn't bring himself to go inside. He sat on the doorstep, the situation spiraling endlessly in his mind. He imagined all the possible outcomes. Maybe this would bring him honor and elevate his status by tying him to the royal bloodline. Or maybe, it would drag him into a deeper pit of trouble.
Neither he nor Ms. Bao slept soundly that night. Each lay awake with thoughts spinning, uncertain of what the next day would bring.
***
The next morning, Ms. Bao had no plan to visit the palace...her visit was scheduled for two days later....but this news left her with no choice. She had to inform the Queen immediately. By ten o'clock, she was dressed and on her way to the Tianjin Palace.
When she arrived, the Queen was in the middle of an audience with visiting nobles. Ms. Bao discreetly passed her message through an attendant, who then informed the Queen. She waited patiently to be summoned.
When the time came and she was allowed entry, only she knew how her knees nearly buckled. Sweat trickled down her spine, and her legs felt weak as she walked into the sitting room, bracing herself for the storm.
The Queen sat on one of the grand, cushioned chairs. Her expression was calm as she watched Ms. Bao approach. When Ms. Bao knelt respectfully before her, she greeted her with formal reverence.
"May your life be long, may you have strength and peace, may your enemies fall before you. Greetings, Your Highness."
The Queen smiled, clearly pleased with her words.
"Thank you, Ms. Bao. How are your family and household?"
"Everyone is well. Thank you, Your Highness."
"Good. That's what I like to hear."
Ms. Bao fell silent, still weighing her words. But the Queen noticed the unease in her eyes and shifted slightly.
"Everything is alright, isn't it?"
Ms. Bao rubbed the side of her face, visibly uncomfortable.
"Not exactly. Something has come up."
The Queen narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Then speak quickly. What is it?"
Ms. Bao adjusted her posture and sat properly on the floor, her tone now serious.
"Your Highness… Last night, the father of the young man who was married to the Prince came to my home…"
She paused.
Within seconds, the Queen's expression changed. She stared at Ms. Bao intensely.
"Hm. I'm listening. This better not be something that will unravel everything. We had an agreement, and all terms were clearly set with them."
"I know, Your Highness. And I apologize, but… it's as if the past has returned."
The Queen straightened further, her tone sharp.
"Return? What do you mean by that?"
"The boy… he's pregnant."
She spoke the words softly, almost as if she didn't want them to be heard.
It was as if thunder struck right above the Queen's head. For a moment, her heart clenched and her mind went blank.
"What? How could this happen? Why? How did this one path remain unguarded?"
She had assumed the Prince would be cautious enough on his own. Even if she hadn't strictly warned Bai Wuxia, the Prince should have known better. He knew what kind of marriage this was, what kind of expectations were placed on him. And yet, here they were. How could she have missed such a critical oversight?
Why didn't she make it clear to Ms. Bao? Why hadn't she taken extra care with Bai Wuxia? How had such a dangerous possibility slipped entirely from her mind?
But beyond all of that...who could have imagined that a man could get pregnant, and even carry a child to term?
That was the whole reason they chose a male spouse for the Prince...to avoid exactly this kind of complication.
She didn't even realize she had gotten up and begun pacing until Ms. Bao's words pulled her back to her senses.
"Calm your mind. You are strong and unshakable. Nothing will happen that you don't allow to happen, your highness."
"Go, I'll call for you later," was all Zhaiye could manage to say to Ms. Bao. This wasn't a matter to be rushed into with a quick decision. It needed deep reflection... reflection only she could do. She had to decide what served her best. This time, she didn't need anyone else to know what had happened or what would follow.
Ms. Bao stood quickly, grateful. The Queen's silent dismissal felt like a blessing; she had been desperate to leave, overwhelmed by the Queen's composed but commanding presence that made her all the more nervous.
Zhaiye spent the entire day in a cloud of anxiety, running the conversation over and over again in her mind, weighing it from every angle. Every solution she imagined felt wrong. The confirmed pregnancy, the very existence of it, felt like a threat...to her secrets, to Yibo's life, and to her own reputation and dignity. Everything she and her family stood for could collapse.
She kept to herself all day, refusing to let anyone see her. By nightfall, she sat by the edge of her bed, dressed in silk sleepwear, clutching a teacup and forcing herself to sip just so she wouldn't go to bed hungry. But the thoughts still clung to her, spinning restlessly in her mind.
She slammed the cup down suddenly, startled by a voice that echoed within her.
"Don't be foolish. Just because someone says something doesn't make it true."
That voice struck deep. She froze, letting her mind measure the weight of the words.
"Of course...they're poor. That boy's father is a greedy man. They live in conditions so far removed from this world… someone like him stepping into royalty, and just like that, they expect everything to be handed over without consequence? Money blinds people like them. It changes them...shifts their values. Who's to say they didn't make this whole thing up just to blackmail us?"
A smile crept onto her lips as her mind assembled the pieces. They were lying. There was no pregnancy. They had simply found a way to manipulate the system and try to siphon wealth from the palace.
"If only they knew better than to approach me this way. They clearly don't know who Zhaiye is. If they'd come with dignity and spoken plainly, they would have received what they wanted...on the strength of the bond once tied between my son and theirs."
She said this aloud as she rose from the bed. Only then did she realize the heaviness in her chest and mind had lifted. She even felt a pang of hunger. She called for a servant, intending to order a meal.
Elsewhere that same night, sleep refused to visit Yibo. He lay restless, consumed by thoughts and unanswered questions. Why was this affecting him so deeply? How many times had he felt this turmoil in his soul, body, and mind....feeling as if some part of him still lingered with that boy?
Was it because Zhan was the first person he had ever truly shared life with?
Slowly, he reached for his phone from beside the bed. For some reason, he found himself opening an old message...one he hadn't revisited since it was first sent. He had never thought he would, but here he was.
It was the message from his mother, the Queen, the one with Zhan's picture....the same image from the time they began talks about the arranged marriage. He thought seeing it might give him closure.
But it didn't.
Instead, something stirred in his heart. A wave of feeling washed over him....something that felt a lot like longing, the kind that comes only after you've grown used to someone's presence.
His anxiety surged again. He quickly set the phone down, though the photo still glowed on the screen. He stood up.
He went straight to the bathroom and doused himself in cold water. A shower took twenty minutes, after which he dressed carefully. He chose a luxurious traditional outfit, one fit for royalty....something that showed exactly who he was. After a generous splash of his cologne, he checked the time.
He knew the Queen wouldn't be asleep yet. If she wasn't still having dinner, she would have just finished. Most likely, she was in the living room with Nalan and the others, as she often was at this hour.
NB
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