The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 439

If she failed to protect and guide them at this critical moment, leading to unsatisfactory exam results, all their hard work over the past three years would have been in vain.

Xu Wan’s thoughts grew deeper, and she recalled the details of last night.

Zong Zhao was actually quite gentle.

It was a gentleness that felt deliberately restrained. When she had been exhausted in the latter half of the night, Zong Zhao’s body was still burning hot, yet he held her tightly without letting go and didn’t push further.

But those three times they had…

Each one could have resulted in a pregnancy.

Xu Wan lowered her gaze to her abdomen, wondering if she had been too impulsive yesterday. How could she have gotten swept up in the moment without considering any precautions?

Cui Liu entered with a tray of food, placing a small table by the bed and handing her a bowl of lean meat porridge. "Madam, please have something light for now. It’s best to avoid overly spicy food these days."

"Alright." Xu Wan took the bowl and ate a few bites, her expression noticeably less cheerful than before.

Cui ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‍Liu asked worriedly, "What’s wrong, Madam? You seemed fine earlier. Are you missing the general? Should I send someone to fetch him?"

Xu Wan shook her head and asked, "Cui Liu, do you know… how long the window is for emergency contraceptive medicine after the fact?"

Cui Liu paused before replying, "Twelve hours."

"Twelve hours…" Xu Wan calculated the time. From last night until now, there weren’t many hours left, and factoring in the time needed to prepare the medicine made it even tighter.

She instructed, "Go and brew a bowl for me."

Cui Liu hesitated, her expression grave. "Madam… are you sure? The general likely doesn’t know yet. Shouldn’t you discuss it with him first?"

The general had left in such high spirits this morning. If he returned to find his wife drinking contraceptive medicine, might he misunderstand that she didn’t want him?

Cui Liu thought the general and his wife had a good relationship. She didn’t want any misunderstandings between them—otherwise, the servants would suffer the consequences too.

Xu Wan chuckled. "I understand. It’ll take time to prepare the medicine, so go ahead and start. I’ll talk to him before then."

Her urgency was only because she didn’t want to miss the window.

She had no intention of hiding it from Zong Zhao.

Between husband and wife, honesty was essential.

Cui Liu sighed in relief. "That’s good. I’ll go and prepare it—no, I’ll brew it myself."

"Alright, thank you."

After Cui Liu left, Xu Wan pondered how to broach the subject with Zong Zhao.

Though her body was her own, and she could decide whether or not to have a child, disagreements right after their first night together might strain their relationship.

Just as she finished her porridge, Zong Zhao returned with an armful of books—about a dozen—and placed them on the large desk.

Seeing her awake, he strode over, crouched beside the bed, and asked, "Are you still feeling unwell? Why did you wake up so early?"

Xu Wan smiled and shook her head, gesturing outside. "General, look at the time. It’s almost afternoon—how is that early?"

She still held the empty porridge bowl.

Zong Zhao naturally took it and set it on the bedside table, then kissed the corner of her lips. Like an overgrown child, he rested his head on her shoulder and murmured, "I missed you. I was only gone for a short while, but I couldn’t stand being away. I didn’t want to leave at all."

Xu Wan teased, "And yet you still went out to pick books for me. When I woke up and didn’t see you, I thought… you’d run off."

"How could I ever run?" Zong Zhao chuckled, his warm breath brushing her neck as he scattered light kisses along her collarbone. His large, calloused hand tugged at the clothes she had just fastened, loosening them again.

Only when she felt a chill did Xu Wan realize she had been coaxed back under him. Her misty eyes flickered as she caught his wandering hand and scolded softly, "I just woke up, and we haven’t even stepped outside today."

Zong Zhao laughed lowly. "Don’t you like afternoon naps? Let’s rest together."

Xu Wan playfully swatted him. "Is that really napping? Behave yourself. Get up—I haven’t finished eating yet."

Though his advances were thwarted, Zong Zhao remained in high spirits. He stole another kiss on her cheek before sitting beside her and picking dishes for her bowl.

As Xu Wan straightened her clothes, she studied his focused profile and couldn’t help asking, "Zong Zhao, if we had a child, do you think they’d take after you or me?"

Without turning, Zong Zhao replied, "You. I’d love a child who resembles you."

"Huh?" Xu Wan feigned offense. "So if they looked like you, you wouldn’t like them?"

Belatedly realizing he’d walked into a trap, Zong Zhao turned to her solemnly. "As long as it’s our child, I’ll love them no matter who they resemble."

Xu Wan burst into laughter. Cupping his face, she scrutinized him and said, "I think you’re more handsome than me. If the child took after you, boy or girl, they’d surely be beautiful."

Zong Zhao grinned. "That’s the saying—‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ When I look at you, I see someone far lovelier than myself."

"Really? That’s how it works?" Xu Wan was convinced. freewēbnoveℓ.com

After a moment’s thought, she mused, "Then let them inherit a bit from both of us. Whenever I see Jin Cheng and Luo Jingfeng, I’m amazed by how nature works. They don’t look alike, but their personalities are identical—even though they’ve never met before. It’s purely genetics. So I can’t help but wonder—whose looks would our child inherit? Whose temperament? Would others recognize them at a glance as ours?"

Zong Zhao listened quietly, envisioning the scene she painted. Softly, he replied, "I’ve wondered the same. But it’s rare for a child to unmistakably resemble both parents. Should we work hard to make sure they grow up according to our preferences?"

Xu Wan laughed again. "Just the thought of a child born from the two of us fills me with so much happiness." She added earnestly, "Zong Zhao, I truly adore children. I really want to have a child with you."

Zong Zhao ruffled her hair. "Me too."

After all that buildup, Xu Wan finally said, "Over these three years with Jin Cheng, I’ve come to see him as my own. Watching him grow, step by step, into such an outstanding young man fills me with pride—but also responsibility. The next three or four months are the most crucial for his exam preparations. I don’t want to abandon him now, so I think… let’s wait to conceive. After the palace exams, when things are more relaxed, we can properly plan for a child. Is that alright?"

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