Yun Mei was busy slicing duck in front of Mu Jiahe.
Xiao Xun casually tossed his jacket onto the sofa and sat next to Mu Jiahe. “Did you buy this?”
Mu Jiahe shot Xiao Xun a glare. “Buy it? I roasted this myself.”
Xiao Xun rolled up his sleeves. “Wow! This is rare, our CEO Mu actually went into the kitchen herself.”
Mu Jiahe became unhappy. “What do you mean by that? You’re allowed in the kitchen, but I’m not allowed to showcase my culinary skills?”
Xiao Xun remained silent. Mu Jiahe looked at him. “You smell of alcohol. Did you attend a class reunion all day?”
“Not at all, just for a while at noon. I went to work in the afternoon.”
Mu Jiahe then remembered that Xiao Xun also held the position of CEO of Longtan Group. “You’re back after such a long time, can’t you just rest? How much money is enough?”
Afraid Mu Jiahe would worry, Xiao Xun quickly said, “My job isn't tiring at all. I just play golf and drink beverages.”
The duck was roasted by Mu Jiahe following an online tutorial. The remaining crepes, cucumber strips, and scallions were all made by Yun Mei herself. After finishing the roast duck, they had a bowl of duck bone soup with cabbage, which almost reopened his recently healed wound. He patted his stomach, feeling very satisfied.
After eating a few slices of roast duck, Mu Jiahe stretched, stood up, and said to Xiao Xun, “I’m a bit tired today. I’m going to take a bath and then have a beauty sleep.”
Xiao Xun put down his soup spoon. “I’ll be up shortly.”
Yun Mei watched Mu Jiahe go upstairs, then sat in Mu Jiahe’s former seat. She furtively glanced around, then lowered her voice and asked, “Uncle, is CEO Mu pregnant?”
Xiao Xun was confused. “Pregnant with what?”
Yun Mei patted her stomach. “A baby!”
“What makes you say that?”
“You were gone for a month, so you don’t know, but besides eating meals, CEO Mu basically stayed indoors. Plus, her appetite has increased significantly. I haven’t been pregnant myself, but I’ve seen pregnant women acting this way.”
Hearing Yun Mei’s words, Xiao Xun’s heart was stirred. He thought, Could it be that I’m going to be a father? He lost all appetite for food. He wiped his mouth and quickly went upstairs.
Entering the bedroom, he heard the sound of water from the bathroom. He took out his phone and searched for information on how to tell if a woman is pregnant and precautions during pregnancy. At this moment, his feelings were complex, filled with both joy and worry. Most importantly, if Mu Jiahe was indeed pregnant, then the matter with Salfenny would become even more difficult to handle, and he would feel deeply guilty.
Xiao Xun lay on the bed, drowsy. Before long, Mu Jiahe emerged, wrapped in a bath towel.
“Are you done eating?”
Hearing the movement, Xiao Xun quickly got up, grabbed a blanket, and wrapped it around Mu Jiahe, saying with concern, “Be careful not to catch a cold.”
Mu Jiahe looked at him as if he were crazy. “Are you kidding me? I’m a fire mage. I can instantly evaporate this bit of moisture.”
Xiao Xun said, still worried, “You still need to keep warm.”
“What’s wrong with you today?”
Xiao Xun quickly waved his hands. “It’s nothing, nothing.”
Although Mu Jiahe was full of questions and didn't understand why his attitude had changed so drastically, she didn't say much more. After the two returned to the other world, Mu Jiahe flipped over and rode on top of Xiao Xun. She shook her hair and pressed her body down. “Did you miss me?”
Xiao Xun said awkwardly, “I did, but we just this morning…”
Mu Jiahe hooked Xiao Xun’s chin. “What? Are you weak? Can’t handle it after just one go?”
Xiao Xun said sheepishly, “That’s not what I meant…”
“Then what do you mean?” Mu Jiahe guessed if it had something to do with that opera singer. But Xiao Xun was worried about the child’s safety, and Mu Jiahe’s safety as well.
Seeing Xiao Xun’s helpless expression, Mu Jiahe felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over her. Her passion vanished, and she got off Xiao Xun, lying down beside him. Xiao Xun knew that Mu Jiahe needed comfort and companionship the most right now, and he absolutely couldn't let her be sad. So, he turned sideways, gently embraced her, and his hand inadvertently stroked her lower abdomen.
Mu Jiahe slapped Xiao Xun’s hand, her face full of displeasure. “What are you doing?”
Xiao Xun didn’t know how to explain. “Nothing, I just want to hold you.”
Dawn broke, and Mu Jiahe had to attend the morning court. Xiao Xun, who always disliked waking up early, also surprisingly woke up. He put on that wide robe and followed Mu Jiahe out. Mu Jiahe turned to look at the smiling Xiao Xun. “Where are you going?”
“To accompany you to the morning court!”
Mu Jiahe snorted, thinking, A weasel wishing the rooster good morning, what’s his motive? “Don’t you have to go to the military academy, or see someone important?” Unexpectedly, Xiao Xun waved his hand. “The military academy has Lorlgard. You are the most important person to me now.”
Mu Jiahe was completely speechless. “When did you become so sweet-talker?”
Xiao Xun feigned innocence. “No! I’m just telling the truth.”
Although Mu Jiahe was suspicious, she was still happy that Xiao Xun would accompany her.
In the imperial court, everyone was surprised. Why had Swain returned? And attending the morning court meant something big was about to happen. The people below were trembling, but until the end of the court session, Xiao Xun did not utter a word, and Empress Seler Pes did not mention anything about Xiao Xun. After the morning court, it was time to go to the reception hall to meet foreign envoys. Seler Pes grabbed Xiao Xun. “Perfect, why don’t you go and meet the elves for me? I have other matters to attend to.” Since Her Majesty the Empress had assigned him, Xiao Xun had to obey. He had also wanted to see the proud elves for a long time.
The envoy sent by the elves this time was one of the elders of the elves, Wikana. Both sides exchanged pleasantries. However, Wikana was quite disappointed. She had come hoping to see the Empress of Saint Romani, but the person who appeared was merely a Duke, a significant drop in expectations.
Xiao Xun narrowed his eyes and said with a smile, “I want to do business with you, Elder!”
“Business? I’m sorry, Your Highness Swain, we elves never do business!” For the self-sufficient elves, the word “business” was utterly unfamiliar, so Wikana had to be cautious and flatly refused. “Moreover, I have no interest in doing business! You might want to look for goblins; they are quite adept at business.”
“Since you have no interest, let’s drop this matter. I’m just wondering, how many elves are there in total on this planet?” After hearing Wikana’s refusal, Xiao Xun immediately changed the subject. Of course, he wouldn’t let Wikana, this big fish, go so easily. Even if you have no interest, whether to do business or not is not up to you!
“Around four million!”
“To my knowledge, the number of elven women is very high, as many as three million, is that correct?” Xiao Xun was actually guessing; there was no basis for it at all. But Wikana corrected him, “No! It’s three and a half million. Our elven men are very few, only five hundred thousand.”
“Then, may I ask, among these three and a half million women, how many are female slaves?” Xiao Xun casually threw out this rather sensitive topic and then added, “Please don’t be angry! I’m just asking.” It would be fake not to be angry, but this was the other party’s territory, and she had heard rumors about the other party, so she suppressed her anger and replied coldly, “Five hundred thousand!” The elven kingdom had already perished before the advent of the great calamity. The beautiful elves of Yan Guan Continent lost their strong protection and naturally became prey to humans and other races. Therefore, over the centuries, the number of elven female slaves had reached a terrifying figure!
“How many elves are still willing to obey the command of the Elf King!” Although the elven kingdom was gone, most of the elves were scattered across various continents and countries. However, the elven royal family still existed, the position of Elf King was still passed down, and it held great influence over the elven race. But as time went by, this influence was gradually weakening. In fact, the current Elf King still possessed a small territory, with only a few elders like Wikana by his side, and tens of thousands of ordinary elves. With such meager strength, they couldn’t even form a proper army, let alone resist the undead army!