I… am I not dead yet?
Listening to the strange, echoing sound of sloshing water around him, Qi Fei felt a vague sense of bewilderment.
Or perhaps this was simply what it felt like after death. It was warm, as though wrapped in tenderness. Like… like a child inside a mother’s womb.
Huh?! That thunderous, roaring sound amidst the sloshing water really did sound like a heartbeat.
Cautiously reaching out, he felt his surroundings, cramped, soft places. Even more incredibly, as he forced his eyes open, he no longer saw a single, flat, monochromatic hue.
Across from him lay another curled-up little fetus. It must have been around seven or eight months along, its form completely developed. It looked so exquisite, the absolute antithesis of the dreary colors he had known in his past life. Even in the dimness, Qi Fei could see it clearly. Only… was its hair a bit too long? It was almost wrapped around its entire body.
Qi Fei reached up to touch his own hair; it didn’t seem particularly short either.
Perhaps this is just what fetuses are supposed to look like!
He thought to himself, taking it completely for granted.
So, had he truly been reincarnated?
Qi Fei stuck his finger into his mouth, wanting to bite down to see if it hurt, though alas, his soft, toothless gums posed no real threat whatsoever.
Reaching out, he gave the other fetus a gentle poke. It was so quiet; if not for the steady rhythm of its heartbeat, Qi Fei might have wondered if the little thing had a weak constitution. Still, being so quiet, it simply had to be a little sister… Imagining how a sweet little girl like that would one day trail behind him, calling him “Brother” in a soft voice, Qi Fei felt as though the agony of his past life had drifted far, far away.
He inched closer, lightly looping his arm around the little fetus’s hand, thinking in a hazy, dreamy daze: This time around… things will surely be happy, right?
“The baby has gotten so lively lately.” The gentle, beautifully ethereal woman caressed her swollen belly, the radiant maternal glow enhancing her exquisite, peerless features even further.
Mia, who was busy sewing garments nearby, smiled and said, “My Lady, you were worried earlier that the little prince’s health might be delicate, but looking at him now, he’s quite the energetic little fellow.”
Xueyi Wright replied, “I was actually hoping for a little princess so I could dress her up in all sorts of pretty things.”
“Yet both the imperial physicians and healers say it’s going to be a prince.” Mia had taken care of Xueyi since childhood, and the two were as close as sisters, speaking freely without reserve. “Still, I was hoping for a little princess too, hehe… With a face as gorgeous as yours, My Lady, the little princess would have been an absolute beauty.”
Xueyi Wright sighed softly. “The main thing is that with so many princes already in the palace, the First Prince and the others have already reached adulthood.”
“My Lady, are you worried something might happen to the little prince?” Hearing her words, Mia recalled some recent gossip circulating within the palace. “Just the day before yesterday, Consort Yi lost her unborn child before it could be saved. Word has it that was a little prince too.”
“I came to the Chuyun imperial palace for the sake of the Zinao Kingdom. I don’t contend, I don’t fight, and I live as a quiet, unassuming consort. Now, all I hope for is that my child can grow up safe and sound.” A hint of sorrow shadowed Xueyi Wright’s brow. Remembering how she had stepped foot onto foreign soil at the tender age of twenty, so naive back then, more than a decade of palace life had worn away every shred of her innocence and ignorance. This was a place that ate people alive; every single person here was a devouring monster, far more terrifying than any magical beast.
Mia hurried to comfort her. “My Lady, he will certainly be safe and sound. The little prince will be born soon enough, and raised right by your side, he will surely grow into a gentleman of upright character.”
Xueyi Wright stroked her belly, feeling the kick of the little feet pressing against her womb, imagining what this lively child would look like when he grew up, and the sorrow between her brows melted away. Afterward, she and Mia naturally drifted into a discussion about what kind of clothes to make for the child. Most of the fabrics bestowed upon her by the Emperor were still kept safely stored away, and a fair number of infant garments had already been sewn. Earlier, she used to work alongside Mia, but as her belly grew larger, her feet swelled and fatigue set in easily, forcing her to reluctantly hand all the needlework over to Mia. Still, she could always pitch in with ideas.
“My Lady, aren’t there a bit too many white clothes…”