The Slender Waist-Chapter 169 - 124: Pregnant

"Congratulations to Your Majesty, joy to Your Majesty, the Beiyong Army has suffered heavy casualties, Pei Jue’s remnants are fleeing in panic, General Wen has already led his troops into Andu City, Andu is restored!"

Another voice of joy pulled Feng Yun from the dreamlike scene...

The scene shifted.

She was certain she was dreaming but couldn’t extricate herself from the dream.

The wildly jubilant person in her dream was Ping’an, the Eunuch in Xiao Cheng’s service.

Ping’an didn’t like her, and Feng Yun didn’t like him either.

But Ping’an and Xiao Cheng had grown up together and he was greatly trusted by Xiao Cheng; even though Feng Yun had said many times that Ping’an was malicious and would intentionally speak ill of her, Xiao Cheng still kept him close, saying that he was used to him and didn’t want anyone else...

"Is Pei Jue dead?" Xiao Cheng’s voice had no trace of joy or anger and even had a hint of warmth, which Feng Yun found most puzzling.

He was always like this, not displaying anger, yet ruthless.

"Hit by several arrows, it’s unlikely he will survive." Ping’an said something else, but Feng Yun heard it only as a blur, as if suddenly she had gone deaf, her whole being plunged into sorrow, deprived of all sensation.

Yet Ping’an’s last words clearly entered her ears.

"Everyone is saying that Feng Ji, witnessing Pei Jue struck down by arrows, wept with great sorrow. With three years of affection, I fear she can’t let go..."

Xiao Cheng looked over at her.

The spacious room suddenly became oppressive.

His expression unchanged, he sat down on the food table opposite Feng Yun, amid the wisps of tea smoke.

The table was adorned with exquisite fruits and the dishes were all Feng Yun’s past favorites. But she hadn’t touched any of it; the food brought by the servants that morning was still there, untouched.

"Why are you not eating?"

Xiao Cheng’s lips were lightly pursed, showing hints of pallor; Feng Yun saw no signs of anger, but knew very clearly that he was angry.

"No appetite?" he asked again.

Feng Yun lowered her eyes and gave a gentle nod.

Her eyes were red and swollen from crying; she must look terribly unsightly now. She didn’t want to meet Xiao Cheng’s gaze, much less let him probe her tumultuous heart at this moment.

"You have lost a lot of weight." Xiao Cheng was surveying her, a gaze that made Feng Yun extremely uncomfortable.

"Not used to the food in Jin Country?"

Many years had passed since their separation, and upon meeting again, they were exceedingly estranged.

Especially now that Xiao Cheng had been emperor for three years, developing the so-called imperial majesty, his eyes and brows all exuding dignity, he seemed a different person from the gentle and handsome Xiao San of the past.

He became even harder to approach than before.

Fortunately, he didn’t say much, personally ladled out the rice porridge from the food box, tasted it with a spoon, "It’s cold, I will have them reheat it."

This meal was something Feng Yun forced herself to eat, and it was a struggle. It felt as though there was something lodged in her throat. Even though the food was carefully prepared delicacies, they were difficult to swallow.

But with Xiao Cheng watching her, she had no choice but to eat.

"Does it taste good?" Xiao Cheng asked her.

Feng Yun experienced a slight audio illusion.

Perhaps it was because she was in a dream, that voice sounded light and shallow, as if it came from afar. The person in her eyes was blurry, that striking face indistinct, everything appeared surreal.

"I will attend to some official business; I’ll come back later."

Feng Yun was slightly stupified.

Her face burned from her tears, particularly her dry and swollen eyes. The pain that seemed to seep into her marrow was so desperate that she couldn’t even clarify its cause...

Numbly, she thought to herself:

The sky is already completely dark.

Shouldn’t Xiao Cheng be going to sleep?

Why does he say he will come back later?

Does Xiao Cheng want me to serve him at bedtime?

Does he not even wish to wait until we return to Tai City? 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Her resistance was almost instinctive. Anticipating what was to come, she couldn’t help but feel afraid...

It was as if she was back to the days when she first entered the Beiyong Army camp.

Every day she was anxious, fearing Pei Jue couldn’t wait to have her serve him at bedtime.

At the sound of his footsteps, she would subconsciously shrink her body away...

Even when her maidservants asked her to bathe, she would shrink back nervously.

To avoid sleeping with Pei Jue, she had racked her brains at that time. Resorting to all kinds of tactics, from feigning sickness to threatening suicide, she put up quite a fight before eventually submitting to him. But upon reflection, there was no trace of fear, every incident had become part of the intimacy between a man and a woman...

People indeed forget pain once the wound heals.

Now the person she is afraid of is Xiao Cheng...

Yet she no longer possesses the mindset she had back then to engage in a battle of wits with another man.

Her appearance hasn’t changed, but her heart has aged.

She has resigned herself. She is no longer the naive seventeen-year-old girl who would cunningly deal with a man, using every means to escape his clutches, feeling triumphant for making him rage or for narrowly avoiding his grasp...