The night was as dark as water, and the tranquility was strangely oppressive. The atmosphere became heavy, and the darkness enveloped the sky above Jiankang City layer by layer.
The light in Xiao Yi's study was still on. He knew that the palace was busy and sad at the moment. He still held the letter that he hadn't sent out in time, but there was no need to send it out now, because the man was dead.
So sudden, so unexpected. All kinds of thoughts were still turning in his mind, but he heard that Xiao Tong was dead. His mind suddenly became empty, and he didn't know whether to be happy or sad. In the emptiness, he only saw the pale-faced woman crying like a river, in agony.
Feeling annoyed, he brought the letter in his hand close to the flame. The flame jumped up and greedily devoured the papers without leaving a trace.
Someone called softly at the door: "Prince." He recognized Shui Niang's voice and asked without looking up: "How is it?"
"Congratulations, Your Majesty. The princess has given birth to a boy." Shui Niang said briskly, and breathed a sigh of relief. From dusk till now, it has been three hours.
He suddenly raised his head, his dark eyes flashed with light for a moment, but then returned to normal. "Yes. Got it." Xiao Yi's answer did not show any joy or excitement, it was so plain that it made people feel shocked.
Shui Niang hesitated there, not knowing what to do.
Xiao Yi asked again: "Where is the princess?"
Shui Niang frowned and said carefully: "This tortured the princess so much that she fainted as soon as the child was born. Now... she is sleeping." She lowered her head, feeling uneasy. The screams during childbirth were not "Xiao Yi", but... Shui Niang had been with Xiao Yi for some years and knew that Xiao Yi was very angry this time. If she spoke carelessly, she would suffer.
"Yeah." Xiao Yi responded again, and after a long while he asked again, "How is the child?"
"Because of premature birth, the baby is rather thin and not in good health... but..." Halfway through her words, Shui Niang stole a glance and saw that the "chuan" character between his eyebrows was getting heavier, so she asked carefully: "Otherwise, shall I bring the little boy to the prince to have a look?" She said this, fearing that Xiao Yi did not want to see Zhao Pei at this moment.
"No need, I'll go take a look." Xiao Yi couldn't help it after all, so he stood up and went out. Shui Niang and Qiao Yu followed him silently, winking at each other and communicating.
Yulan Garden.
He stood at the door for a long time before pushing it open and going in. Soothing and calming incense was burning in the house, slowly drifting away from the lotus-shaped hollow three-legged incense burner. Through the dense fragrant mist, Xiao Yi looked up at the graceful figure behind the layers of curtains, but he could not see it clearly.
Shui Niang followed a few steps forward, holding a blue swaddling cloth in her arms. She said softly, "Your Majesty, look."
Xiao Yi subconsciously reached out and held the baby tightly in his arms. The baby's soft body was so small and light that it seemed as if he could not feel his weight. Xiao Yi carefully looked at his facial features and suddenly remembered what Zhao Pei had said about Zhen'er: "Why do you look like a mouse?" His lips slowly rose and his eyebrows softened.
He stretched out his fingers and hooked the baby's entire palm. How could it be so small? It was so small that it made him feel distressed. However, the baby was exceptionally quiet. Unlike Zhen'er who cried non-stop when she was born, he sucked his fingers and slept quietly, with a peaceful and clear look on his face.
The smile on his lips deepened, and his eyes reflected the brilliance of the stars. He liked this child, even more than Zhen'er. But his face was still indifferent, because he knew that this child came at the wrong time, and he was destined to evoke sad memories for him and Zhao Pei.
After holding the child for a while, he handed it to Shui Niang and said calmly, "Shui Niang, I leave it to you." He said nothing more. Shui Niang did not react to the change of expression. She was stunned for a moment before she took the child and quietly retreated.
Xiao Yi's gaze fell on the layers of curtains again. The crimson curtains swayed gently in the breeze, hiding a silent sadness beneath their charm.
He walked over slowly with light steps, pushing aside layer after layer of crimson, and the figure on the couch gradually became clear.
The moonlight was cold and bright, and it looked even more bleak on her jade-like face. Her face was bloodless, her lips were bloodless, and he believed that if her eyes were opened, they would also be eclipsed. Xiao Yi sat down beside her, lifted her hair in front of her forehead and put it behind her ears, but found that it was soaked with fine sweat. Her skin was as white as snow and as cold as snow. The body he saw was thin and weak. Xiao Yi felt a trace of pity in his heart. He had held her to sleep for countless nights. Her body was soft and warm, warming his heart throughout the winter. However, at this moment, it seemed as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, so cold that she was almost lifeless.
If it weren't for her beautiful frown and her trembling lips that seemed to be mumbling to herself, Xiao Yi couldn't believe she was still alive. Was she haunted by a nightmare again? Who was there in the dream
He thought he knew the answer, but he'd rather be wrong.
"Don't go... I... can't lose you... Please, please... don't leave me..." Zhao Pei shook her head in panic, feeling tortured. Tears rolled down her face, becoming more and more dense.
Her tears were also cold.
Zhao Pei stretched out her hand and grabbed at nothing, as if she wanted to grab something but could not grab anything, so her tears fell even faster.
Xiao Yi did not extend his hand for her to grasp. His calm and indifferent eyes were devoid of any warmth, and in the cracks of his indifference were unconcealable sadness and anger.
"He's gone. He left you. You lost him." These three cold words seemed to freeze Zhao Pei, who was still struggling in the nightmare. Her hands fell down weakly, and she stopped talking in her sleep. She tilted her head and let the tears flow.
Xiao Yi couldn't stand the sadness floating in the air, so he stood up suddenly and turned to leave. He used all his strength to push away the layers of curtains that were in the way, and the sound of "ripping" was particularly loud.
Finally, Xiao Yi got out of the encirclement. He breathed heavily and left the room without looking back. It seemed that he could get rid of the magic barrier cast by Zhao Pei. But the facts told him that he could not get out. (To be continued)