The Crazy Emperor's Pampered Cousin

Shen Tinghe adjusted to a more comfortable position in his arms, then suddenly remembered something and looked up.

"I'd like to try the vegetarian food at this temple; I've never had it before."

Xie Yanzhao raised an eyebrow: "Yuan Yuan is curious about everything. Do you know what the vegetarian food in this temple is made of?"

"Isn't it just vegetarian food?" Shen Tinghe asked, puzzled.

"The rice is brown rice grown by the monks themselves, with coarse and hard grains, not nearly as soft and sweet as the fragrant rice from the Huai River that you usually eat. The vegetables are also ordinary farm produce from the mountains and fields, with a slightly bitter taste."

He twirled a strand of her hair around his fingertip and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Does Yuan Yuan think that's what she usually eats?"

Shen Tinghe blinked, looking quite innocent: "Isn't that right? Don't all vegetables grow in the ground?"

Xie Yanzhao couldn't help but chuckle, looking into her innocent and clear eyes, his gaze filled with indulgence and helplessness.

"Everything that is served to you has been carefully selected. The rice must be the finest harvested from the most fertile lands at the most lush time, and the vegetables must be the freshest buds and leaves. Skilled cooks will carefully consider your taste and repeatedly adjust the ingredients before daring to present them to you. Even a seemingly ordinary dish of pickled vegetables has gone through more than a dozen processes."

Shen Tinghe was stunned.

She was pampered and cared for from a young age, both in terms of clothing and food.

Even though we were temporarily staying at a temple, everything we needed and ate was carefully prepared and delivered, just like in the palace.

She never imagined that behind these "taken-for-granted" things were such a complicated process.

Shen Tinghe collapsed back into Xie Yanzhao's arms as if deflated, her voice muffled.

"Am I that difficult to raise?"

Xie Yanzhao let out a pleasant chuckle and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's not difficult for my brother to raise her. My Yuan Yuan should be fed the best of everything in the world."

And of all the best things in the world, only he can give.

Shen Tinghe: "But the more you say that, the more I want to try it. After eating so many delicacies, maybe having some simple porridge and side dishes once in a while will be quite refreshing?"

"You've had too many delicacies, how about some simple congee and side dishes?"

Xie Yanzhao repeated her words, his eyes suddenly becoming deep and his lips curving into an unreadable smile.

He gently lifted her chin: "Yuan Yuan, where did you learn that from?"

Shen Tinghe was completely unaware of the danger lurking in his tone: "I saw it in a storybook."

Xie Yanzhao gazed at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled, though the smile didn't reach his eyes; he simply said in a gentle voice.

"Alright, since Yuan Yuan wants to try it, then let's give it a go."

He wanted to see if this little flower, nurtured in gold and jade, could truly withstand the harshness of wind and rain once it was separated from fertile soil and fine nectar.

This disobedient little one should taste it for herself, to experience the "unique flavor" she tastes.

After washing up and tidying themselves up, the two sat down at a small table in the outer room of the meditation room.

The vegetarian meal served by the monks was very simple.

A bowl of brown rice, a dish of stir-fried wild vegetables, a dish of boiled beans in salt water, and two bowls of clear vegetable soup.

Shen Tinghe leaned closer and sniffed; the wild vegetables carried an unfamiliar, fresh scent belonging to the mountains and fields.

"It smells pretty good?"

Her tone carried a hint of uncertain curiosity.

Xie Yanzhao smiled but said nothing, simply handing her the bamboo chopsticks and watching with a leisurely air.

Shen Tinghe picked up a piece of bright green wild vegetable with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

She frowned; the taste was completely different from the carefully prepared dishes she usually ate.

A distinctly bitter taste spread across the tip of the tongue.

She instinctively wanted to vomit, but Xie Yanzhao handed her a plain handkerchief to her lips, as if he had expected it.

Shen Tinghe spat the food onto her handkerchief and complained softly, "It's a bit bitter... and it's a little prickly on my tongue."

Xie Yanzhao remained noncommittal, simply picking up the glass of water beside him and bringing it to her lips.

Shen Tinghe took small sips of the drink from his hand.

Once she had calmed down, Xie Yanzhao put down his cup, leisurely opened his arms, and looked at her with a deep gaze.

"Now, are you willing to come over?"

Shen Tinghe got up without hesitation, obediently sat in his lap, and snuggled up to him in a comfortable position.

Xie Yanzhao held her tighter, his gaze sweeping over the bowl of dark-colored, distinct grains of brown rice on the table, and asked in a low voice...

"Would you like to try some rice?"

Shen Tinghe: "Forget it."

Xie Yanzhao then smiled with satisfaction.

He looked down at the beautiful woman leaning on him in his arms, his fingertips stroking her silky black hair.

The peonies, carefully nurtured amidst brocade and embroidery, have long been accustomed to the nourishment of jade dew and golden winds; how could they possibly be used to such simple fare?

The "simple porridge and side dishes" she mentioned were nothing more than a hazy scene from a storybook.

His Yuan Yuan deserved to be cherished and treasured by him.

She was spared from fear and suffering, and only allowed to taste the most exquisite sweetness in the world that he gave her.

As the two were having their meal, Jing Cang entered from outside.

He bowed and reported a few routine official matters, then casually mentioned that Song Huailing was dead.

"Clang—"

Shen Tinghe accidentally bumped the spoon Xie Yanzhao was feeding her, causing a few drops of porridge to spill out.

She seemed oblivious, her eyes widening as she exclaimed, "He's dead?!"

The tenderness in Xie Yanzhao's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a layer of ice.

He was just an insignificant person; he died, so what? Why is Yuan Yuan reacting so strongly?

But then Shen Tinghe suddenly raised her hand to cover her chest, and her breathing became rapid.

She seemed to recall something extremely disgusting, her eyes filled with fear and physical resistance.

"vomit--"

She leaned to the side of the table, but nothing came out; she only experienced violent dry heaving.

Fragments of bloody scenes from my past life flooded my mind.

The image of Song Huaijing's death, intertwined with the name "Song Huailing," sent a wave of nausea rising in my throat.

"Yuan Yuan!"

Xie Yanzhao's expression changed drastically; the jealousy he had felt moments before was overwhelmed by a surge of panic.

He stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace: "Yuan Yuan!"

He called out twice, but the person in his arms closed their eyes and slumped down softly.

"Go find a doctor immediately."

Xie Yanzhao picked her up and carried her quickly into the inner room, his voice filled with a panic that Jing Cang had never heard before.

Shen Tinghe was placed on the couch with her eyes closed.

Xie Yanzhao sat on the edge of the bed, letting her lean against him, brushing away the strands of hair on her forehead that were damp with cold sweat with his fingertips, not daring to move.

The elderly doctor, with his white hair and beard, pondered the pulse for a long time, then switched hands before stroking his beard, turning to Xie Yanzhao with a smile on his face.

"Congratulations, young master. Your wife is pregnant and has been pregnant for over a month."

Xie Yanzhao froze, as if he hadn't understood, and repeated blankly, "Pregnancy... pulse?"

"Although the pregnancy is still early, the pulse is already clear. I have been practicing obstetrics for decades, and I am certain that I am not wrong."

The doctor spoke with certainty, then frowned slightly.

"However, Madam's pulse is rapid and her emotions are fluctuating too much, which is a sign of being stimulated. In the first three months of pregnancy, it is most important to avoid fright and worry. Young Master, you should take good care of her and let her rest and recuperate in peace."

Xie Yanzhao's arms tightened involuntarily, his voice hoarse: "This fainting spell... will it harm my wife's health?"

"There's nothing serious for now. Just rest well and you'll recover. I'll prescribe a calming and stabilizing formula for you to take care of yourself gradually."

"Um."

Xie Yanzhao responded, but his gaze never left Shen Tinghe's face.

"Alright, you can go now."

The old doctor was taken aback. "You can go down now."

This young master is so rude, does he think he's the emperor?

The old doctor had just turned his head when he saw Jing Cang step forward and hand over two heavy little gold ingots.

"Thank you for staying with us these days and taking care of her. This is just a deposit; once my wife is well, we will repay you handsomely."

Old doctor: Σ（・□・；）！

Damn it! The one who's been damned is the accompanying doctor!