It snowed heavily outside, and every person who entered the room had a layer of snow on their head and body. The four corners of the outer house were burning large charcoal basins to block out the cold air brought in by people entering and exiting. To prevent the interior from becoming too dry, small stoves were lit in each room, boiling water and making a gentle bubbling sound.

  Meili covered herself with a thick quilt, wearing only a thin dress and still sweating, but she didn't dare to remove the charcoal brazier, fearing that the little baby beside her would catch cold.

  He's too small, and Mei almost didn't dare to hold him. He was born three days ago, and no matter who advised her, she wouldn't let the child leave her sight. She was afraid that this weak little life would quietly perish in a place where she couldn't take care of it. In any case, she had to stay by the child's side!

  She was physically weak, but still insisted on feeding the child herself. When the little baby nestled in her arms sucked vigorously at her breast, she felt her life flowing into his, and was filled with an unspeakable sense of satisfaction and peace.

  In order to have plenty of milk, she drank down various terrifying-tasting soups and medicines without complaint, as long as people told her it was good for the child and beneficial for her milk production, she would swallow them whole without batting an eye.

  The ancestors personally selected two healthy wet nurses for the young infant, and assigned many experienced nannies. Yu An's aunt spent most of her day guarding the mother and child, and the imperial physician took turns on duty outside, even if nothing was wrong, they had to check on the premature baby every day.

  Just before the full moon, under Ru Mu and Mother's careful feeding and care, the little baby shed its jaundice, wrinkled skin became white and tender, round face also plumped up, thin arms and legs slowly turned into small lotus root-like plumpness. When Taiyi happily told Mei Li that the little treasure had safely passed the most critical period, Mei Li was so excited that she burst into tears.

  Because she was afraid that the child would have an accident, she made every effort and the small body in her arms gave her the strength to get through the pain of losing Cheng Yi Ge and Yong He. The weak and delicate child seemed to always be relying on her, only she knew how much she relied on this child! Lying in the small quilt, with the newly born look already vastly different from the little treasure... had become her everything!

  From the moment she saw him... She would have given her all, everything, in exchange for his life, his happiness.

  Jingxuan's return was without warning, and there wasn't even a sound of notification at the door. The curtain was lifted, and he just walked in.

  Meili was gently patting the child who had just fallen asleep, while he stood outside with a blank expression looking at her. For an instant, she simply looked back at him in confusion.

  Three or two old ladies were still in the house, diligently congratulating King Qing and instructing him to warm up by the stove to dispel the cold air before approaching the beautiful Lian who was still in her month of confinement, and before holding the child who had not yet reached a full month.

  "Get out, all of you!" Jingxuan's coldness instantly wiped the smiles off the faces of the wet nurses. They exchanged suspicious glances with each other. Ce Fugui had given birth to a big and chubby baby boy for him, although he was premature, but the child was sturdy and healthy, not every full-term baby could be as healthy and lovely as this... how could he have such an expression?!

  "Get out!" His heavy tone made everyone in the house turn pale and flee.

  Meili was also frightened, like a mother beast guarding her cub, tightly holding the child in her arms, with a wary and fierce gaze at him, as long as he dared to harm the child, she would fight him to the death!

  Jingxuan was deeply hurt by this gaze. He had returned, from the battlefield, from the brink of death, and she saw that he actually used such an expression and eyes!

  He didn't want to look at her anymore, his icy gaze slid down to the child in her arms... In the midst of bitter battles, amidst the deafening sounds of slaughter and wailing, in the cold days and nights, he still held onto a glimmer of hope - the child was his.

  He had a huge doubt, and he didn't want to order her to abort the child either. Although harsh words had been spoken, he was really afraid that if this child was indeed his and Mei's, his cruel decision would push them both into an irredeemable situation.

  He'd rather take a gamble... though he still lost in the end

  "Don't stop me" His tone was icy to the extreme, and the curved corners of his mouth were also cold and cruel. "Yonghe is dead, let's just say it's my compensation for him, I will let this child live."

  Meili's whole body trembled, she didn't dare to think about the scene when he saw this child, what hurtful words would he say, and at this moment, he still said one sentence that tore her heart apart.

  He... indeed doesn't recognize this child!

  "Yes! You owe it to Yonghe!" She cried out of control, she didn't want to explain! Could he believe her even if she explained? From the day she didn't get her period, suspicion had already taken root in his heart! Not to mention that the child was premature, even if it was full moon and full sun, he would still be suspicious for a lifetime! "You owe him!" She trembled violently, the child moved uncomfortably, "You killed him!" How could he hurt her, she admitted, but she was unfair to Yonghe, hated him for Yonghe's sake! Hated him for Yonghe's parents' sake!

  Jingxuan's face turned pale, she ripped open the scars in his heart, more ruthless and bloody than others!

  He... never thought Yonghe would die in Mongolia

  When he saw the corpses of Cheng Yi and Yong He, his pain and guilt were heavier than anyone else's. He was even... terrified.

  Eiichi is dead, Mirei... She will hate him for the rest of her life!

  He could really see her resentful eyes and heard her mournfully asking - he still couldn't bear it!

  She hated him, but she thought of how he had also lost his best brother and was burdened with a lifelong regret that could never be repaid!

  He didn't ask her to comfort him with gentle words, at least she shouldn't look at him like that when he just came back from a thousand miles away, from mountains of corpses and seas of blood! The first thing he did after coming back... was to come see her! He missed her!

  When he was cold and unbearable, he thought of her. When he was hurt and in pain, he thought of her. In the midst of turmoil, bloodshed, and ambush... He couldn't stop thinking about her! He kept telling himself that he couldn't die, she was waiting for him at home, alone and weak, dependent on him because of his identity as Su Yun's husband. If he died, what would happen to her?

  He often wanted to write to her, but it was hard to put pen to paper. The first letter, the second... she didn't reply! He got angry, he hated it, but he still feared that she would miss him! She finally gave him a brief four-word family letter, and he was so happy that he jumped onto his warhorse and galloped around the camp in a circle. He even despised himself for such excitement! He was the high-and-mighty King of Qing, but because of this one sentence "everything is fine" he was delighted as if he had received his first love letter like a young boy!

  He had long known about her pregnancy and was quietly waiting for her letter to announce the good news... but all he got was Su Yan's

  The weather turned cool, and he waited for Su Ying to bring him thick clothes; when winter arrived, he waited for Su Ying to carefully sew a quilt; when he was injured, Su Ying traveled thousands of miles to bring him medicine, and he suspected that Mei Li didn't even know he was hurt, her heart... no longer willing to bear it, he gradually acknowledged that her heart was no longer with him.

  Just as he no longer loves the naive and reckless her of that year, she also no longer loves the him who has been ruthless to her time and again.

  Even so... he still doesn't give up!

  Yonghe's death, she saw his eyes, her guarding the child's attitude... made him finally understand that he had created a mistake, an error that hurt everyone.

  His apathy as he turned to leave, his profound and dark eyes that didn't look at the child or her again... made her heart like the chaff scattered by the cold winter wind, leaving nothing behind!

  She knew her resentment was unjustified, although she knew it was unreasonable to let the misunderstanding deepen without explanation, but she still couldn't forgive him for not being willing to hold her child in his arms!

  He can't deny it anymore, this is also his child!

  She was furious that her child, whom she loved like the most precious treasure in the world, was being treated so coldly by him!

  When the hollow despair and helplessness struck her again, she could only hold the child tightly, pressing her face against the infant's struggling breaths... She didn't know what to do either!

  Fate gave her more and more difficult problems, she was only eighteen years old, she... didn't even have anyone to discuss with!

  Tears fell on the child's quilt... Now she was completely at a loss except for loving her child!

  Cheng Yi's brother, Yong He, Jing Xuan, Yong He's parents, herself... she was all at a loss!