Liu Rongruo walked to the bedside and offered her a cup of tea.
"Rinse your mouth."
Chi You directly handed him the basin.
He received it with a calm expression.
Chi You deliberately made him uncomfortable, using a handkerchief to gag herself dryly, then taking small sips of tea to rinse her mouth.
Incense curled in the room. On the low table, a single Manhua flower was placed in a white porcelain vase.
The young maid outside, with discerning eyes, lifted the beaded curtain to come in and burn incense and refill the tea.
Chi You spat out cleanly, washed her hands, and lay on the soft couch, ignoring everyone.
Liu Rongruo handed the basin to the maid behind him to take out, and went to wash his hands.
"Are you still feeling unwell?"
He wiped his hands and walked over to embrace her.
Chi You indifferently flung his hand away and turned her body.
"You try carrying one."
Liu Rongruo paid no mind to her taunts and had them bring in a fine Jiao Wei zither.
Chi You's anger flared up as she looked at his distinguished young master demeanor.
"Did you send people to Southern Xinjiang?"
Liu Rongruo sat on a stool and replied with a soft "En."
Chi You's eyes dimmed slightly. Once news of her death reached Southern Xinjiang, Xuan Qing would definitely find a way to come to Daliang to find her.
She lowered her gaze to her belly, frowned, and closed her eyes.
That Fuling was extremely skilled in martial arts, likely trained from a young age, and guarded her extremely closely. She had no way to get rid of this bastard child.
Just as she was lost in thought with her eyes closed, the gentle sound of a zither suddenly reached her ears.
Chi You paused and looked at him sideways.
He was dressed in a white robe, his posture relaxed. His long, slender fingers plucked the strings, his lowered brows and eyes calm.
The melody of the zither was melodious and warm, like a gently flowing river nourishing the heart, or like a clear mountain spring, silently moistening everything.
The music flowed out of the window, stirring ripples in the room, long and sustained.
The urge to vomit within Chi You's body slightly subsided. Listening to the music, she felt drowsy and inclined to sleep.
She forced herself to stay alert, reclining and staring at him.
The room was quiet and elegant. Lamp shadows cast diagonally, illuminating the man in white, his black hair cascading down like ink. His every movement possessed the grace of flowing clouds and water, as if he were a jade figure, refined and noble.
This was how she had once liked him.
A faint ache welled up in her heart. She turned her body away, no longer looking at him.
"I saw you in the great desert years ago."
Chi You's back stiffened slightly, and she turned her head suspiciously.
"The great desert?"
Liu Rongruo lightly strummed the zither strings and spoke.
"En."
The first time he saw her, she was riding a camel, dressed in a vibrant red dress, with lips as red as cinnabar, and silver bells around her ankles, galloping freely in the desert.
Under the scorching sun, she looked back at him.
She was dressed as a woman of the Western Regions then, her face veiled by light gauze, with a silver forehead chain adorning her brow, studded with a ruby the size of a bean that hung between her brows. Her exposed eyes held a bright smile, and her every gesture was full of charming allure.
He glanced at her from a distance, realized it was a wedding procession, and turned away.
Later, when she came to Daliang, he recognized her at once as the woman he had seen in the great desert that year, and thus brought her back to his residence.
"Rakshasa Ancient Road, desert silver bells."
Reminded by him, Chi You recalled that it was her first time venturing into the great desert, accompanying Xuan Qing on behalf of Southern Xinjiang to propose marriage to the Khan of Mobei.
At that time, border conflicts between the two nations were constant, and Xuan Qing intended to marry Aba Huan of the Great Desert to solidify his regime through alliance.
Her youthful spirit back then, having never been to the desert, loved to wander. Perhaps they had encountered each other somewhere.
As the thought flashed through her mind, her heart ached slightly, and she felt the urge to vomit again.
Liu Rongruo noticed, and the zither music came to an abrupt halt.
He stood up, took the basin, and brought it to her.
Chi You didn't stand on ceremony and vomited violently towards him.
"Water."
Liu Rongruo brought her tea to rinse her mouth.
The wind blew, and bamboo shadows swayed. The autumn sky changed in an instant; a bright, sunny sky was suddenly covered by dark clouds, accompanied by lightning and thunder.
A light rain drifted in through the window.
Chi You washed her hands and, looking at Liu Rongruo who was approaching with a small blanket, said,
"I'm hungry."
Liu Rongruo placed the blanket over her lap and asked,
"What do you want to eat?"
"Clear broth buckwheat noodles from the alley on Luoyang Street in the East Market."
Liu Rongruo said, "I'll have someone go buy it."
"Does the Prime Minister not even wish to make a trip for your child?"
She said sarcastically, raising her eyebrows to look at him.
Liu Rongruo glanced at the darkening sky outside, with its wind and rain, and raised his brows slightly.
Chi You observed his expression and let out a cold snort.
She was doing it on purpose. The Prime Minister's mansion was located within the Imperial City, and the East Market was particularly far away. That noodle shop was in a small alley, very difficult to find.
Didn't he want to be a father? Being a father wasn't that easy.
"What, you're unwilling to go?"
Liu Rongruo calmly withdrew his gaze, glanced at her, turned, and left silently.
It was raining heavily outside, and the news of him leaving the mansion by carriage to buy a bowl of noodles instantly reached Madam Liu's ears, enraging her to the point of a heart palpitation.
He would actually brave the rain to buy noodles for that pampered woman.
Truly, children grew up and didn't listen to their mothers; the daughter-in-law was the most precious.
The flower branches outside the courtyard were beaten askew by the rain.
Chi You reclined on the soft couch, watching the torrential rain, finally feeling a sense of relief.
At least he wouldn't die from it.
Although Liu Rongruo had traveled by carriage, the place was a remote little noodle shop, and the carriage couldn't get in. He had to dismount and hold an umbrella.
"Sir, let your subordinate go buy it."
Liu Rongruo took the green umbrella, shook his head, and waded into the alley.
The rain was heavy, soaking his boots and staining them with mud. Half of his clothes and the tips of his hair were also wet. There were very few people coming and going, all hurrying home.
He searched for a long time under the lamplight before spotting the shop in the corner. It was almost closing time.
"Boss, a bowl of clear broth buckwheat noodles."
There were no other customers in the noodle shop. Despite the heavy rain, someone had still come to buy noodles, and the boss chuckled teasingly.
Liu Rongruo's expression was indifferent. He saw the green dumplings steaming in the steamer and asked,
"What are those?"
"Those are called蒿菜粑 (Hao Cai Ba). My wife made them herself by following a Hu merchant. It's a little treat. I heard it's also a delicacy from the Western Regions. Would you like to try some, sir?"
Liu Rongruo said, "Wrap a few for me."
The boss was also hospitable and wrapped several for him in oil paper.
Liu Rongruo offered money, but the boss refused, saying they were made for their own enjoyment and not for sale.
He didn't say much more, but as he left, he placed the money down.
The heavy rain poured down. When Liu Rongruo returned, his clothes and hair were thoroughly soaked. After putting down the noodles, he went to the washroom in the back to clean up.
Chi You looked at the noodles on the table and smelled their faint fragrance, her stomach growling with hunger.
She got off the couch, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat.
Ah Yun Ge had taken her to eat it before, and she suddenly remembered it, feeling a pang of craving.
As expected, it was the same taste as before.
Since she got pregnant, she had been eating more and more. After a large bowl, she still felt a bit unsatisfied.
After Liu Rongruo finished washing up, he saw her sitting on the stool with a pampered look, staring at a bowl of noodles.
Chi You saw him emerge, immediately her expression turned cold. As she turned to leave, she noticed the oil paper-wrapped items beside the table and curiously unwrapped them.
"Powdered cake, rice tofu."
A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. She picked up a piece and sat down to eat.
Liu Rongruo walked closer and poured her some tea.
"Have some tea."
Chi You ignored him and ate to her heart's content.