Hehe… I’ve finally got my chance.” Sneaking out of the room and glancing at the little rascal sleeping by the door, a triumphant smile spread across my face. Being pregnant feels like a punishment; I’m forced to eat tasteless nutritious food and restricted from going out. Even prisoners get more freedom than I do.
Today is the little rascal’s shift, and I know his thoughts are simple. I pestered him with stories all night, so he’s definitely asleep. I picked a snow-white flower, wishing for a daughter who could inherit my advantages and fulfill my dream of appreciating all the beautiful men in the world. If that were the case… wahaha!
“Xiaoai, how did you come out?” Just as I was enjoying my fantasy, Nangong Mo’s voice cut in. He carried me back inside, saying, “It’s so cold outside. What if you get sick?”
“I won’t… I’m in great health…” I caught his reproachful gaze and decided to be quiet. It’s strange; they say pregnant women’s tempers change easily, but I don’t feel different while my husbands do.
“Love, you snuck out again?” Xieying asked, seeing me in Nangong Mo’s arms.
“Hehe… hehe…” At times like this, I can only laugh foolishly.
Xieying is terrifying when angry, and I don’t want to experience that again.
“Yu Han, Yu Han…” Nangong Mo was about to wake the little rascal at the door.
“Mo, don’t call him. Let him sleep.” I made a concerned face, afraid the little rascal would cry when he woke up.
“Nangong big brother…” The little rascal opened his blurry eyes, then caught Xieying’s warning glance. Looking at me in Nangong Mo’s arms, he suddenly understood, “Xiaoai, you… you ran out again?”
“Han, I was just getting some fresh air. I’m back now. Don’t cry, your tears might affect the baby in my belly.”
“Really?” The naive little rascal held back his tears.
“Mm-hmm.” I quickly nodded and said to Nangong Mo, “Let’s go inside. It’s cold out here.” I was afraid of being lectured; I could handle it, but my baby couldn’t.
“Xiaoai!” A voice full of anger made me wail.
“Yun…” I glanced at Huo Linyun and timidly shrank into Nangong Mo’s arms. Huo Linyun, already with a volatile temper, had become even more irritable during my pregnancy.
“Love…” It was Leng Ao Hun.
“I know, I was wrong. Stop calling!” I broke free from Nangong Mo’s arms and ran back to the bed.
“Love, don’t run so fast. Be careful!”
Xiao Yao’s worried voice came from behind, accompanied by a cold breeze. I knew I was in trouble again.
“Hehe… it’s not that serious. I was careful while running, absolutely didn’t disturb the fetus…” Dear handsome husbands, please don’t look at me like that.
“How mischievous!” Huo Lingyun said helplessly with a smile.
“Brave!” Xie Ying added.
“There’s an important thing…” Cold Arrogant Soul, who had been silent, finally spoke, “Don’t forget that children are influenced by genetics, both good and bad traits.”
Everyone looked at each other and then said in unison, “Gluttonous! Lecherous!”
“Uh…” What are they doing? Holding a seminar about my personality?
“Nangong, can you tell the gender from the pulse?” Cold Arrogant Soul suddenly asked.
“It can be discerned, but it’s too early. We’ll know in a few months,” Nangong Mo said, giving me another sour plum. “Do you hope it’s a boy or a girl?”
“A girl!” unexpectedly, everyone spoke in unison, then shook their heads and smiled bitterly. What does this mean?
“Hehe…” Nangong Mo smiled knowingly. “If it’s a girl, what name are you planning to give?”
“Nangong didn’t mention it, and we’ve forgotten about this,” Cold Arrogant Soul thought for a moment, then shook his head, “Do you have any good ideas?”
“This…” Xie Ying furrowed his brow, looking troubled, “We need to think carefully.
“Mm, hehe… I’ll give my daughter a good name!” Little Rascal laughed, fanning himself while gazing out the window.
“How do you know I’ll definitely have a girl?” I quickly smiled apologetically, “Just in case… what if I have a son?”
“Hehe… a son?” Huo Lingyun chuckled wickedly. “If it’s a son, that’s great too. Just give birth to a son for each of us to continue our lineage!” The others nodded in agreement.
“Hehe… I’ll just have a daughter; daughters are well-behaved and cute!” It seems having a daughter is my protective charm. “Yao, you always love reading. Think of a name.”
“Mm, let me think…” Xiao Yao stood up, pacing the room, seemingly deep in thought.
“Soul, didn’t you receive an important message from the Blue Flame Order last time?” Xie Ying casually asked, causing everyone to focus.
“What are you talking about?” I noticed they seemed to be hiding something. Cold Arrogant Soul had been receiving messenger pigeons lately, but his responses were always vague.
“It’s nothing, just rest well.” Xie Ying shot Cold Arrogant Soul a look, and they all quietly left, leaving only the contemplating Xiao Yao and a frustrated Little Rascal.
Huo Lingyun leaned back in his chair and said, “But, compared to Yu Han… much better!” His words made everyone laugh.
“I’m just not used to it yet,” the little rascal argued.
“Han, to be honest, you’re born with a privileged life. You can’t handle cooking duties,” they teased. Although they were accustomed to being served, while on Ice and Snow Mountain, they had to do everything themselves. Cooking fell to Nangong Mo, while fire-tending rotated among them.
Cold Proud Soul laughed, “I’ve never seen anything like it. We were waiting to eat, but instead, black smoke billowed from the kitchen. Nangong ran out holding a black coal ball, and upon closer look, it was Yu Han…”
“That was truly dangerous. When Yu Han came out, his hair was still burning,” Xie Ying said, hiding his amusement. “Hopefully Xiao Yao fares better…”
“Weren’t you all the same the first time?” the little rascal defended. “Didn’t Brother Qiao come out with a black face? Didn’t Cold burn his sleeve? Didn’t Fire Brother have to cut a part of his hair because it was scorched? And as for Brother Xie Ying…”
“Haha…”
Huo Lingyun burst into wild laughter while the others managed to hold back their amusement.
Xie Ying looked awkward and remained silent.
“Let me tell you about Ying,” I began, “It’s truly hilarious. He could make a fire and grill fish outside, but once in the kitchen, he became lost. He tried to help Mo but mistook sugar for salt and added two big spoonfuls. That noon, we ended up with sugar water and white lotus!”
“Ai’er!” Xie Ying interrupted me, looking uncomfortable.
Cold Proud Soul managed to suppress his laughter, advising, “In the kitchen, stick to your tasks and avoid meddling.”
“We still miss what Little Ai used to make,” the little rascal said, looking at me as if I were a table full of delicious food.
“This is the consequence of staying on the mountain all the time,” I sighed, feeling dejected.
“Ai’er, dinner’s ready!”
I looked up to see a black mark on Xiao Yao’s left cheek and laughed as I wiped it off. “Cooking must be hard. You’ve really suffered.”
“Not hard! Nangong is the one who’s suffering,” Xiao Yao smiled and helped me up.
Sitting at the dinner table, the food was nearly the same every day, and my portion was ‘special’, which made me want to cry.
“Little Ai…” Nangong Mo reproached me gently.
“Mo, I’m fine. I’ll eat. My husband worked hard to make this.” I didn’t want to let anyone down. They had given up everything to follow me. “Mo, Proud Soul, Ruo Feng, Ying, Yao, Han, Yun, and my little treasure, let’s eat!”
As my words fell, my empty bowl was filled with dishes. Looking at my caring husbands around the table, I smiled and began to eat eagerly.
“By the way, this morning, Xie Ying and I discovered an ice cave on the other side of Ling Xiao Peak. It looked strange but was difficult to enter,” Cold Proud Soul said casually, not realizing this would catch Nangong Mo’s attention.
