"Are you hungry?" Lu Yu, while playing with Xiao An'er, did not neglect her husband. After playing with Xiao An'er for a while, she sat on the bed and looked at Shen Xuan, "I asked the kitchen to save you some food. I'll have them warm it up and bring it over later."
Hearing Lu Yu's concerned words, Shen Xuan pursed his lips and smiled. He reached out to tease Lu An, who was engrossed in playing with her hair in Lu Yu's arms, and gently shook his head, "I'm not hungry. Why didn't you call me?"
Lu An, in his arms, was indeed attracted by his fingers. He finally let go of Lu Yu's poor hair, opened his arms, and hugged his index finger, giggling again.
"I see you've been too tired these past few days. It's fine to eat a little later, but rest is the most important thing." Lu Yu placed a hand on his raised wrist, supporting his arm, letting An'er play with his fingers.
"How can I be so delicate?" The warmth of Lu Yu's palm on his wrist flowed through the blood in his arteries directly to his heart, adding more vitality. "You've been taking care of the child every night since birth. How can you say I'm tired?"
"You have to be at the clinic during the day and help me coax An'er at night. If anyone is tired, it's definitely you."
"What do you mean 'help me coax An'er'?" Lu Yu glared, "I don't accept that. Isn't this child mine too? I'm just fulfilling my responsibilities as a mother."
Hearing this, Shen Xuan finally burst into laughter, "You always have so many reasons. I can't argue with you."
He slightly turned his wrist, pulling his finger out of An'er's hand. An'er, as if his important toy had been taken away, waved his arms and pouted as if about to cry.
"Don't cry, don't cry. Your mother has been holding Daddy's wrist for a long time, and her arm will get sore. Let's be considerate of your mother." Shen Xuan took the child from Lu Yu's hand and gently rocked him. The child in his arms seemed to understand what he was saying, not crying or fussing. He reached out and grabbed Shen Xuan's hair, playing with it.
Their hair was soft and felt the same. Young children couldn't distinguish between them. It seemed to him that this was the same as the hair in his hands just now, his mother's hair.
Young children don't have that much energy. After playing until they were tired, they quickly fell asleep. Lu Yu took An'er and placed him on the small bed. The two of them leaned on the bed and talked as usual.
"Wife."
"Hmm?"
"That contraceptive medicine you... you used on me before, do you still have any?"
"What's wrong? You—"
"No, no!" Seeing Lu Yu's lecherous teasing gaze, Shen Xuan quickly sat up and waved his hands earnestly.
It was no wonder Lu Yu thought of that. Since Shen Xuan gave birth until now, over two months, Lu Yu had never touched him, fearing it would affect his recovery or that he would be unwilling due to hormonal changes after childbirth. Now that he had brought it up himself, it truly surprised Lu Yu.
"It's Yi'er."
"Young Master Gu?"
"Yes, he doesn't want to get pregnant for now, so he asked me to ask you." Thinking of Gu Yi's expression that morning, Shen Xuan sighed and didn't tell her the specific reason.
"Yes, I'll make some more tomorrow. You can give it to Young Master Gu the day after tomorrow."
Lu Yu didn't think much of it. Contraception was not taboo in modern times. Regardless of the reason, she could completely understand and even found it normal.
Seeing that Lu Yu didn't pry further, Shen Xuan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He still needed to keep the specific matters confidential for Yi'er.
Lu Yu didn't dwell on this matter. When Zheng Yu returned, Lu Yu didn't mention it either. It was best to leave their matters for them to discuss between husband and wife.
Zheng Yu returned to the Zheng residence from Feng County in a hurry. After visiting Zheng Chen, she rushed back to her room. She had heard from her father that Gu Yi's complexion had been poor recently, and she was very worried.
Gu Yi had already learned that Zheng Yu was returning today, but he did not go to the door to greet her as usual. Instead, he sat alone in the room, with worry lingering in his eyes, unyielding. He tightly clutched a small medicine packet in his hands, his grip so strong that his fingertips turned pale.
With a "creak," the door was pushed open. The cold wind from outside rushed into the room along with the opened door, dispelling the warmth that had been in the room.
Zheng Yu quickly turned around, closed the door, and strode towards Gu Yi, holding his hand. The chill from his robe made him shiver all over. Zheng Yu noticed this and hurriedly took off his robe and placed it aside.
"It's been a few days since we last met. Why are you so thin and your complexion so poor?" Zheng Yu raised her hands to her mouth, blew on them, and then, using her warmed hands, clasped his wrist again. His wrist was very thin, so thin that it seemed like it could break with a slight force. He hadn't been like this before she left.
"Have you been sick these past few days?" Zheng Yu was very anxious. "Or were you injured somewhere? Or were you bullied?"
Facing her urgent and worried inquiry, Gu Yi shook his head and blinked hard, which instead moistened his thick eyelashes, making them stick together in strands.
"Don't cry, let's talk slowly." Seeing his tears, Zheng Yu became even more flustered. She took his hand and sat down with him, patiently asking, "You can tell me anything. I will always stand by your side."
Hearing this, Gu Yi's eyelashes fluttered slightly. As if making a decision, he reached out and handed the white medicine packet in his hand to Zheng Yu.
"What is this?" Zheng Yu frowned, thinking he was truly injured, and anxiously opened the medicine packet.
It contained some dark gray powder. Although she often stayed with Lu Yu, she was not a doctor at all. Faced with a pile of gray powder, she could only tell that it was perhaps a medicine packet, but she really didn't know what kind of medicine it was.
Looking at her worried and anxious expression, Gu Yi gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and uttered the name, awaiting judgment, "Contraceptive."
The room fell silent. Gu Yi's heart sank to the bottom. His tightly closed eyes trembled slightly, and his fists clenched tightly.
After a long while, as if accepting this outcome, he slowly opened his eyes. His eyelids drooped, and he extended his fingers, which were slightly stiff from clenching, to push a large bag of powder on the table towards Zheng Yu.
"I'm sorry."
"Is this medicine harmful to the body?"
They both spoke at the same time. Gu Yi's voice was very light and weak, while Zheng Yu's voice was deep and solemn.
Unexpectedly, Zheng Yu said this, Gu Yi raised his eyelids in surprise and confusion, finally willing to look at her.
"I said—is this medicine harmful to the body?" Zheng Yu repeated, her tone slightly helpless this time. She reached out, placed the small medicine packet in her hand with the large bag of powder on the table, and pushed it back to him.
"No, no, I don't think so."
"Is it Lu Yu's medicine?"
"Yes."
"Then I'm relieved." Zheng Yu seemed to have completely ignored the word "contraceptive," treating it as ordinary powder, and nodded.