Their eyes met, and Yun Wan fell silent.
Tears welled up in her eyes, heavy with emotion, yet they lingered unshed as she stared blankly at the awakened man.
Emperor Jingxuan’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his pale face. "Silly wife, why are you crying?"
He slowly raised his hand, his rough fingertips brushing against the corner of Yun Wan’s eye, gently caressing.
Yun Wan’s lashes trembled, and a teardrop instantly spilled over, dampening his fingers with its warmth.
Emperor Jingxuan carefully wiped it away, his tone tinged with delight. "Were these tears shed for me?"
His gaze bore into her, intense and unyielding.
Yun Wan turned her face away, pouting. "Of course not. It’s just that something got in my eye."
Hearing this, the man showed no disappointment. Instead, his smile deepened.
My wife couldn’t even come up with a better excuse. Where would sand come from inside the palace?
She cried for me.
She’s just too shy to admit it.
Unable to withstand his increasingly bold and piercing stare, Yun Wan stood up. "Since Your Majesty is awake, this concubine will summon the imperial physician!"
As she turned to leave, her wrist was seized.
Emperor Jingxuan: "Don’t go. I’m fine—hiss."
The sudden movement tugged at the wound on his shoulder, sending a sharp pain through him.
Yun Wan’s heart clenched. She gripped his hand in return. "Your Majesty, are you alright?"
Her eyes darted to the bandaged area, checking for any signs of fresh blood.
"...I’m fine." Emperor Jingxuan forced a relaxed tone despite the pain. "It’s just a minor injury. A few days of rest will suffice. There’s no need for concern, my wife."
Yun Wan studied the tension in his brow and the pallor of his lips, unconvinced.
Still uneasy, she insisted, "This concubine must call the physician."
Emperor Jingxuan steadied his expression and shook his head. "No. I forbid it."
Summoning the physician would only bring a crowd of people, needlessly disrupting their rare moment alone.
Before Yun Wan could protest, he fixed her with a solemn gaze. "I want to hear it."
"I want to hear my wife say it herself." His voice was husky with emotion.
Even though he already knew the answer, he longed to hear her admit it aloud.
Yun Wan relented, abandoning the idea of calling the physician.
Since Emperor Jingxuan couldn’t move freely yet, she fetched a low stool and sat beside him.
She poured a cup of warm water and carefully fed him sips with a jade spoon, her voice soft. "As Your Majesty guessed, Sui’s father..."
She paused, lifting her eyes to meet his, as if steeling herself to reveal the secret she had kept for five years—
"...is indeed you."
"Sui is your child."
The moment the long-buried truth escaped her lips, Yun Wan felt an immense weight lift from her chest. She exhaled, relieved.
It wasn’t as hard as I thought. Besides, he already knew.
"Hahaha—I knew it!"
A hearty laugh erupted in the vast, silent hall, startling at first, even slightly eerie.
But then a muffled groan followed. Beads of sweat dotted Emperor Jingxuan’s forehead—his laughter had aggravated his wound.
Yun Wan grew even more worried. "Please don’t laugh, Your Majesty. Be mindful of your injury."
"N-no matter. I’m just too happy."
Emperor Jingxuan gazed at her deeply, as if nothing else in the world existed.
The flush from his laughter brought color back to his face, his sharp phoenix eyes gleaming with vitality.
Yun Wan dabbed his temples with a handkerchief as he continued, voice brimming with joy:
"I’m happy—happy that Chang Sui is my child! Happy that my wife finally admitted it to me! My heart is soaring!"
His pulse raced, excitement mounting as he squeezed Yun Wan’s hand with increasing fervor.
Though Yun Wan understood his elation—
"If Your Majesty doesn’t take care of your wound, I will call the physician!"
Noticing fresh streaks of blood seeping through the bandage, her brows furrowed in anger, her tone stern.
Seeing her furious expression, Emperor Jingxuan grinned. "As my wife commands. I won’t laugh—hah—"
"........."
In the end, Yun Wan still summoned the physicians. After their examination and re-dressing of the wound, Emperor Jingxuan finally settled down.
As Yun Wan bustled about, Emperor Jingxuan watched her, his heart full, his eyes brimming with tenderness.
"You’ve worked hard, my wife," he murmured, his voice deep and velvety, sending shivers down her spine.
Yun Wan shook her head. "It’s nothing."
She was well-practiced in caregiving—even if she’d grown rusty, she was still more adept than most.
Emperor Jingxuan knew this too, and his disdain for the unseen Lu San grew.
He pressed Yun Wan’s hand against his chest. "My wife, tell me everything about that time. I want to know."
Though he could investigate himself, he preferred to hear it from her lips.
Seeing no reason to hide anything now, Yun Wan lowered her gaze and began:
"I didn’t lie to you. That night, I did drink the contraceptive brew."
"But after two sips, I felt ill and vomited. Afraid of drawing attention, I didn’t dare take more."
At the time, she had clung to hope—just once, surely it wouldn’t happen. After all, in over a year of marriage to Lu Fenglan, she had never conceived.
She didn’t know whose body was at fault—perhaps both of theirs.
Her voice grew distant as she recalled, "Later, his... condition worsened, and I forgot about it entirely."
Noticing his displeasure at the term "husband," she referred to Lu Fenglan simply as "he."
Sure enough, the emperor’s frown eased.
Yun Wan continued softly, "Old Madam Lu did wish for me to bear his heir, but he was too ill..."
She hesitated. "...incapable of intimacy. I had no intention of forcing it."
A faint flush crept up her neck as she pressed her lips together, masking her discomfort.
Truthfully, Yun Wan hadn’t wanted a child at all. Anyone could see Lu Fenglan was at death’s door.
Her plan had been simple: after his passing, observe half a year of mourning to honor their bond, then leave the Lu family to live independently.
A child would have shackled her to the Lu estate forever.
And Yun Wan refused to be trapped.
So Lu San was a useless fool.
Emperor Jingxuan sneered inwardly.
No wonder he couldn’t stir my wife’s heart.
Suppressing his contempt, he pressed eagerly, "What then? How did you realize you were pregnant? And how did you hide it?"
Yun Wan replied, "Shortly after his funeral, I fainted. When I awoke, I learned I was with child."
Emperor Jingxuan’s brows knitted. "Fainted? Why?"
"Just exhaustion," she said lightly, as if it were the most ordinary thing.
But Emperor Jingxuan saw through her evasion. His sharp eyes caught the unease she tried to mask.
"My wife," he said sternly, "I want the truth."
Yun Wan bit her lip. After a long pause, she whispered, "I... overheard Old Madam Lu speaking with her maid."
"What did they say?" Emperor Jingxuan pressed.
The buried memory resurfaced. Fear flickered in Yun Wan’s eyes, her hand trembling in his grasp as she forced out the words, her voice strained:
"The Old Madam Lu intends to poison me, forcing me to join Lu Fenglan in death."
