Chapter 255:
Xie Wanning in the back courtyard knew nothing of all this. At this moment, she had moved over a soft chair and was sitting under the eaves, holding needle and thread in her hand, embroidering a small child’s bib.
Ji Chengfeng sat opposite her. After she had embroidered more than a dozen stitches in a row, he called out to her and gently reminded her to pay attention to her eyes.
In response, Xie Wanning expressed helplessness.
Over this period of time, she had long lost her initial awkwardness. After being reminded by him a third time, Xie Wanning said, “You’re at least a high-ranking official of a region—how do you have so much free time?”
Day after day staring at a woman doing needlework—what couldn’t he do with that time?
Ji Chengfeng smiled upon hearing this. “You’re about to give birth, and Brother Xie is so busy his feet barely touch the ground. Naturally, I must pay attention.”
Such reasonable words.
For a moment, Xie Wanning was actually at a loss for words.
She set down the needle and thread in her hand, reached out to pour a cup of tea for the person opposite her, and said grumpily, “It’s hard for you to say so many words. Here, have a cup of tea to moisten your throat.”
Ji Chengfeng smiled again, lifted the tea, and slowly took a sip. Just as he was about to speak, he seemed to sense something, slightly turned his head, and his gaze paused.
Xie Wanning noticed and looked over following his line of sight.
A familiar figure had appeared under the wutong tree at some point, with a layer of withered yellow wutong leaves at his feet, against the gloomy sky, and he was staring fixedly this way.
Too far away, Xie Wanning couldn’t see his gaze, but her heart began to pound uncontrollably.
For some reason, at this moment, she thought of their first meeting.
On Zhuque Street, he wore a robe of pale blue, elegant as a jade tree in the wind, pure as jade. Just standing there was enough to attract everyone’s line of sight.
And now, his appearance was still peerlessly handsome, elegant and outstanding just as when they first met. He seemed unchanged, yet his whole person had blended into this desolate autumn scene.
Dull, without luster, as if having lost all color.
Her heart felt somewhat stifled and painful. Xie Wanning instinctively stood up.
With her movement of rising, her highly protruding belly was fully exposed with no cover. Pei Yuqing’s pupils suddenly contracted, his body swayed slightly, and he nearly lost his footing.
Xie Yanyu at his side supported him, lowering his voice to say, “Wanwan is about to give birth. The matter is settled and hard to change. Changqing, remember—do not stimulate her.”
While he spoke, the young lady over there moved and walked this way.
Ji Chengfeng’s brows furrowed slightly. He reached out wanting to support her elbow, but felt this action inappropriate, so he called over a nearby maidservant.
In just a few breaths of hesitation, Pei Yuqing had already arrived close by.
He looked at the young lady before him in a plain skirt with a protruding belly, and his eyes gradually reddened.
“Wanwan…”
Xie Wanning kept her head lowered, hands supporting her belly, too ashamed to look at him.
Hearing him call her, her eyelashes trembled slightly. She said softly, “…Sorry.”
She had thought many times about what they would be like if they met again.
Yet she had never imagined it would be him traveling thousands of miles to find her, while she carried another man’s child and was about to give birth.
Really, the feelings of guilt and self-blame nearly destroyed her.
The humiliation and harm she had brought him and Duke Pei’s Mansion were enough to atone for with her death.
What did one “sorry” count for?
But as soon as her words came out, the tall and slender youth could no longer hold back. His lips trembled fiercely. “Don’t say such words.”
He reached out to grasp her shoulders, looked her up and down, and said tremblingly, “That night on the boat was so perilous. Wanwan, were you hurt?”
