CHAPTER 1751: CHAPTER 1751: PALPITATIONS AND SHORTNESS OF QI

There was another thing Bai Ruozhu didn’t mention. She felt that Chu Hai wanted to repay a bit of debt on behalf of his mother. Even if the Empress Dowager had passed away, this intention to show filial piety was something he should uphold.

"What should I do then?" Yingtong looked distressed, "Even if I don’t go back, if my father arranges another marriage for me over there, it will be bad for my reputation if I refuse to marry. Doesn’t your Danliang Country place great importance on reputation?"

"Reputation doesn’t matter much; I’m just worried about a rift developing between you and your father." Bai Ruozhu thought that if the king of the Western Regions planned another marriage for Yingtong and she persistently disobeyed, it would surely embarrass the king of the Western Regions.

Moreover, Yingtong’s situation was also rather awkward. Her birth mother was previously a person from the Holy Hall and has now become a deposed queen.

Yingtong tugged at Bai Ruozhu’s sleeve and swayed, saying, "Ruozhu, please help me think of a way. My cousin said you’re the smartest. After all, you’re the chosen one of High Priestess Kailin."

Bai Ruozhu rubbed her forehead; this was not an easy task either. They couldn’t just force Chu Hai to marry immediately, could they?

"There’s no other way. You can only tell your father that you’re secretly pregnant and can only marry Chu Hai." Bai Ruozhu spoke with a mischievous smile, "I have a medicine. If you take it, it will show symptoms of pregnancy. Even the Imperial Doctor would think you’re really pregnant."

Yingtong was dumbfounded, "But, but I’m still a maiden."

Bai Ruozhu burst into laughter, "Indeed, the girls from the Western Regions are bolder than those from Zhongyuan, and more straightforward in their speech."

"Fool, who can truly check if you’re still intact? As long as the Imperial Doctor examines you and confirms your pregnancy, no one will suspect otherwise." Bai Ruozhu winked at her, "Your father wouldn’t want to announce it everywhere either. He’d have to suppress the advice from those old ministers and marry you to Chu Hai. It might mean some grievances for you, and you might even have to endure a beating from your father."

Yingtong gritted her teeth, "I don’t mind getting beaten, but I’m afraid my father would force me to abort. Even if it’s not an abortion, the belly is fake. Do you want me to come back with a baby in ten months?"

Bai Ruozhu laughed, tapping her head, "Why are you so honest? If your belly grows day by day, would your father allow you to give birth in the royal palace of the Western Regions? He would definitely send you to Danliang to complete your marriage with Chu Hai. By that time, close to Danliang, you can find an excuse that the pregnancy didn’t hold."

Yingtong looked eagerly at Bai Ruozhu’s belly and asked, "Be honest, is your belly real?"

Bai Ruozhu nearly bit her tongue. Is this the price of coming up with a bad idea? She was even suspected of a fake pregnancy.

"Do I need a fake pregnancy? This is twins!" Bai Ruozhu said somewhat proudly, "You’re resorting to this because there’s no other choice. My family doesn’t have any issues with competing for favor, so why fake it?"

Yingtong laughed sheepishly, "Hehe, I was just curious. But is there really no other way? Isn’t this too drastic?"

"Can’t think of any for now. Otherwise, let’s all think about it. If there’s no other option, we’ll use this method." Bai Ruozhu replied.

After Yingtong said her goodbyes and left, Bai Ruozhu realized that when Yingtong mentioned "too drastic," she might have been referring to the reactions during pregnancy. Young girls are typically afraid of morning sickness and the like.

She couldn’t help but laugh. Since it’s faking, surely she wouldn’t have such a severe reaction.

This conversation was overheard by Jianqi, who was keeping watch outside the room. Jianqi silently thought that his master was getting devious, suggesting such a bad idea. The king of the Western Regions was not a bad person, and it seemed a bit too much to trick him like this.

As soon as Bai Ruozhu stepped out of the room, she met Jianqi’s gaze and rolled her eyes back at him, "What are you looking at? You don’t understand women’s matters. If I don’t help her, it will be her and Chu Hai who suffer. How can I just stand by and watch a pair of lovebirds get separated?"

Jianqi found his master’s temper quite fiery lately and quickly lowered his head, saying "Yes."

Bai Ruozhu stood there, suddenly motionless, her face showing a very strange expression that looked both excited and on the verge of tears.

This startled Jianqi, who quickly asked, "Master, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Do you need help getting back to the room?"

Rendong and Huang Qin, having heard the commotion, hurried over and supported Bai Ruozhu on either side.

Bai Ruozhu, under their three piercing gazes, took a deep breath and said, "It’s nothing. I just suddenly felt the baby kicking."

Jianqi’s mouth twitched. Did she really need such a big reaction?

Bai Ruozhu was helped into the room by Rendong and Huang Qin, where she sat on the soft lounge, smiling as she touched her belly.

She had almost gotten too excited and let the cat out of the bag. This wasn’t her first time having a child. When she transmigrated with Dengdeng, she was already six months pregnant, and by then, Dengdeng had been moving frequently. But this time, she had been eagerly anticipating the first fetal movement.

It’s said that all moms are moved by their baby’s first kick, and she was no exception. Finally, this experience was whole.

"Miss, did the baby kick hurt you?" Huang Qin asked worriedly.

Rendong laughed beside her, "Miss is only a few months along. How could the baby kick hard enough to hurt?"

Huang Qin was a bit embarrassed, "I don’t understand, okay? Miss, what does it feel like when the baby moves?"

Bai Ruozhu smiled more gently, stroking her belly as she said, "At first, it’s very subtle, you have to feel it with your heart, kind of like small fish blowing bubbles. As the months go by, it will turn wild. When I was pregnant with Dengdeng, he used to somersault in my belly and kick me every day. That’s how he got his nickname."

"Mom, were you talking about me?" Little Dengdeng came running in, sweat on his forehead.

Bai Ruozhu wiped his sweat with a handkerchief, smiling, "I was talking about when you were in mom’s belly. You were quite naughty then, always kicking mom."

Little Dengdeng suddenly squatted and mimicked martial arts moves, smilingly saying, "I was practicing then."

The room burst into laughter, but he soon scratched his head and said, "I was swimming around and blowing bubbles too."

"Ah, the little lord was like the baby in Miss’s belly, both blowing bubbles," Huang Qin exclaimed.

Everyone laughed again.

Little Dengdeng chatted with his siblings for a while and then practiced boxing for Bai Ruozhu before going down with Nanny Zhang to bathe and change clothes.

At dinner, Bai Ruozhu took him to the main hall for a family meal. Little Dengdeng brought the writing he did for his second uncle to see, quite looking like a student.

Bai Ruozhu went to bed relatively early that night, but she didn’t know why she always felt a bit breathless and anxious. It was only March, and the weather hadn’t warmed up yet, nor was it stifling. Why was she short of breath and uneasy?

She didn’t have this with Dengdeng. Could it be because she’s pregnant with twins? She lay down but couldn’t fall asleep, so she quietly slipped into the Space.

It was also because of this retreat that she avoided a crisis.