The weather was getting colder and colder.
Yan Mu’s belly was also getting bigger and bigger.
Snowflakes fluttered outside the window while warmth filled the room.
Fortunately, now that she’d regained her own body, she no longer felt as cold as before.
Over the past few days, she’d become increasingly sleepy, and could sleep for a solid sixteen to seventeen hours out of the twenty-four.
Yan Mu spent almost the entire day sleeping.
The imperial physicians from the Imperial Institute of Medicine took turns checking Yan Mu’s pulse, and concluded that her body was healthy and the fetus was normal.
Since Yan Mu had no other abnormal symptoms besides excessive fatigue, the matter was eventually dismissed.
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Fs pbl kdpvkdnvkhlzu jknjle vbl rlapsd clpkel bla yde nsiwlvvkpbzu pyke, “R oydv vs vwad shla.”
Mbl rlapsd clpkel bla pllxle y ckv pvkqq yde eked’v alprsde qsa y obkzl.
Zyd Yw xwaxwale okvb bla lulp nzsple, “Zw Zwyd?”
Fweeldzu, vbl rlapsd clpkel bla ycawrvzu pyv wr yde pokqvzu tayccle Zyd Yw’p dlnj.&dcpr;
Tl kdpvkdnvkhlzu alynble qsa vbl eyttla kd bkp pzllhl, cwv qswde kv lxrvu.
“No, you can’t. The imperial physicians said I’m already at the late stage of pregnancy.”
Yan Mu thought he was playing something new, so she naturally tried to remove the hand from her neck.
But the hand on her neck didn’t budge, and its grip even tightened.
Even if Yan Mu was slow to catch on, she finally felt that something was wrong.
“Who are you?” She hurriedly opened her eyes.
The person in front of her had the exact same face as Yu Yuan, but his aura was completely different.
His eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s, and he looked at Yan Mu without any emotion.
The Yu Yuan of this world still emitted a sense of humanity, but the “Yu Yuan” in front of her didn’t feel like a human at all.
He was colder than ice and sharper than a blade.
Although they had the same face, Yan Mu couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease when she looked at him.
“Who are you? Why are you on this Minister’s bed? Who instructed you to seduce me1投怀送抱 (tóuhuáisòngbào) – to throw oneself in sb’s arms?” Yu Yuan asked three consecutive questions.
“……”
Yan Mu didn’t know how to answer.
“Hah.” Yu Yuan snorted coldly, and the killing intent in his eyes intensified. “If you don’t speak, I have countless ways to make you open your mouth.”
With that, he picked up a ribbon next to the pillow and bound Yan Mu’s hands.
“Anyone outside?” Yu Yuan stared at Yan Mu as he stepped down from the bed.
“What’s the matter, my Lord? Has Madame awakened?” A guard happily walked in.
“……Madame?” Yu Yuan’s body trembled, and he instinctively looked back at the bed.
The woman on the bed looked like she was in her early twenties, with her flowing hair draped across the bed.
With her dark hair and fair skin, coupled with her beautiful face2花容月貌 (huāróng-yuèmào) – lit. countenance of a flower, face like the moon (idiom); fig. (of a woman) beautiful, she resembled a captivating enchantress.
Her eyes were as calm as water, and even though her hands were bound, she showed no signs of fear.
Something is off.
Very off.
Besides, this guard was considered his trusted subordinate, but right now he was calling this woman “Madame”.
Since when did he have a wife?!
Yu Yuan’s face grew even darker.
“Don’t worry, my Lord. I’ll bring the freshly-made hawthorn cake for Madame.”
The guard didn’t notice Yu Yuan’s abnormality and eagerly prepared to leave to get the pastries. However, his sharp eyes caught sight of Yan Mu, who had her hands bound, causing his face to instantly flush red.
“M-my Lord. The imperial physician said that Madame is in her late stage of pregnancy, and should avoid bedroom activities……” The guard’s voice grew softer and softer as he spoke.
“……Got it, you may leave,” Yu Yuan said with a dark expression.
He watched the guard run out in silence.
After a long while, he stiffly walked to the side of the bed.
“What’s going on here?” Yu Yuan asked through gritted teeth.
Everything in the Prime Minister’s residence was clearly so familiar, but at the same time, it felt like everything had changed.
Now that he had calmed down and carefully observed, he noticed numerous differences.
For example, this room was originally his bedroom.
But now it was decorated in pink and tender colors.
The most absurd thing was that he found official documents3奏折 (zòuzhé) – memorials to the throne (written on paper folded according to form) on the desk.
How could he possibly let others have access to them!
“Yu Yuan?” Yan Mu tilted her head, seemingly realizing something. She asked, “Could it be that you’re Yu Yuan from a different world?”
Yu Yuan didn’t speak.
She wasn’t sure if he believed her or not.
“Hey, come over here and help me untie this.” Yan Mu had been sitting in one position for a long time, and she was starting to feel uncomfortable due to the pressure on her stomach.
Yu Yuan remained frozen in place.
“This is your child. Do you not want it anymore?” Yan Mu, feeling helpless, had to resort to her last trump card.
Sure enough, as soon as she said that, Yu Yuan’s body trembled.
Then he stiffly walked over.
“Help me untie this.” Seeing that her words were effective, Yan Mu instantly felt more at ease.
She started confidently giving orders to Yu Yuan.
Yu Yuan glanced at her and eventually bent down to untie the ribbon.
He hadn’t thought much of it before, and only now did he slowly come back to his senses.
Why was there a pink ribbon placed beside his bed in his room?
Yu Yuan pretended to be calm as he sat on the edge of the bed after untying the ribbon.
“What’s going on here?” Yu Yuan was about to lose his composure. “And this……”
His gaze fell on Yan Mu’s swollen belly, but he quickly averted his eyes as if they were burned.
“Do you want to feel the baby?” Yan Mu smiled at him and naturally took Yu Yuan’s hand.
Yu Yuan instinctively wanted to retract his hand, but Yan Mu firmly held onto it and placed it on her stomach.
“I’m in the late stage of pregnancy, so the baby might be arriving soon,” Yan Mu’s face radiated with the glow of motherhood.
“Wow, the baby is kicking you.”
The moment Yu Yuan’s hand touched her belly, the baby inside moved.
A trace of astonishment flashed in Yu Yuan’s eyes.
However, this time he didn’t retract his hand.
“This is…… my child?” He muttered.
“Yep,” Yan Mu nodded. “Haven’t you seen the baby clothes in the room? When you found out I was pregnant, you were so happy that you made two hundred sets of clothes. Besides that, you rewarded everyone in the Prime Minister’s residence.”
Yu Yuan found this intriguing to hear.
He knew his own personality. He wasn’t someone who would act impulsively, let alone reward people casually.
But the Yu Yuan in this world caused such a huge commotion.
He must truly love the woman in front of him, right?
With that thought, he lowered his gaze.
“What’s your name?” He asked.
“My name is Yan Mu,” Yan Mu smiled and gently said. “We knew each other from Qingshui Village. My house was next to Hunter Zhang’s, and you used to come to my house often to hide.”
“……Is that so?” Yu Yuan listened as if it was someone else’s story.
In his memories, Qingshui Village wasn’t a good place. The only impressions it left on him were that of Hunter Zhang and his son’s beating and scolding, and the ostracism he faced from the villagers.
In the dense and seemingly endless darkness, not a single ray of light could shine through.
His self from this world seemed to have won since the beginning.
As Yu Yuan thought about this, a sense of discontent inexplicably emerged inside of him.
After sitting for a long time, Yan Mu felt her bottom hurting. Naturally, she grabbed Yu Yuan’s arm and stood up.
“Sorry, my body is heavy now. I’ll have to trouble you to support me for a walk,” Yan Mu said with a smile.
Yu Yuan didn’t object and actually guided Yan Mu to walk around.
The room was warm and cozy, but Yan Mu couldn’t walk for long.
She wiped away her sweat and picked up a hawthorn cake to eat.
Yu Yuan stood by silently, watching Yan Mu without saying a word.
“Ah…… Mu,” he awkwardly called out Yan Mu’s name. “Tell me the story of you and him.”
Yan Mu raised her head and looked at him in surprise.
Yu Yuan felt a bit embarrassed under her gaze and instinctively turned his head away.
Yan Mu burst into laughter.
Indeed, even though he was Yu Yuan from a different world, he was still the same in certain aspects.
Her heart suddenly felt extremely soft.
Yan Mu put down the hawthorn cake and patiently told Yu Yuan about their past.
************************
The next day, Yan Mu woke up in the afternoon again.
The Yu Yuan from another world refused to sleep with her, but afraid that people would sense something, he chose to sleep on the floor.
When she woke up, the bedding on the floor had already been neatly folded and stored in the cabinet.
The room was empty, with no one in sight.
Has the Yu Yuan from another world gone back?
Yan Mu felt somewhat lonely inside.
As she finished dressing and was about to go out to check, she saw Yuan returning, covered in snow.
Yu Yuan’s fox fur cloak was covered in snow as he stood under the eaves and vigorously stomped his feet.
Some of the snowflakes fell off, and Yu Yuan reached up to take off his felt hat.
“Why don’t you come inside?” Yan Mu leaned against the door frame.
“……Sorry, I might have to stay here for a few more days,” Yu Yuan replied evasively4答非所问 (dáfēisuǒwèn) – (idiom) to sidestep the question; give an irrelevant answer.
Today, he went out to investigate.
Just as Yan Mu said, everything had indeed changed.
Yu Yuan’s mood was complicated.
He didn’t know how to face Yan Mu.
After all, Yan Mu loved the Yu Yuan of this world, not him.
Yu Yuan looked at her without saying a word.
Yan Mu sighed lightly and then handed the hand warmer in her arms to Yu Yuan.
“Don’t think too much. He’s very capable, so he’ll definitely adapt well to your world,” Yan Mu said as she led Yu Yuan into the room.
Once inside, the snowflakes on the cloak melted into water.
Yan Mu slightly raised her head and naturally helped Yu Yuan take off his cloak.
Yu Yuan lowered his head, watching her.
The distance between them was so close that he could see the young girl’s long and delicate eyelashes.
As a habit, Yan Mu lightly touched Yu Yuan’s face with the back of her hand.
“Your face is so cold.” She frowned slightly, but Yu Yuan suddenly held her hand.
“What’s wrong?” Yan Mu was puzzled.
“……It’s nothing.”
Yu Yuan’s eyes looked solemn, and he calmly let go of Yan Mu’s hand as if nothing had happened.
“Then come and have a cup of hot tea.” Yan Mu didn’t pay much attention to it.
Holding the cup of hot tea, Yu Yuan felt like everything was so wonderfully new.
So, this is what it feels like to have someone waiting for you at home.
The Yu Yuan of this world…… was so blissful that it made one jealous.
Yu Yuan lowered his gaze.
The veins on the hand holding the cup slightly bulged.
*********************
Yu Yuan from the other world seemed to have adapted to life here.
Except for sleeping on the floor at night, there were times when Yan Mu felt as if Yu Yuan had returned.
Today was Yan Mu and Yu Yuan’s first wedding anniversary.
Yu Yuan had come back home early.
When Yan Mu woke up, she saw Yu Yuan entering with a large bunch of bellflowers.
“It’s the middle of winter, where did you get these?” Yan Mu exclaimed.
Yu Yuan raised the corners of his lips but remained silent.
He naturally came to Yan Mu’s side and placed his hand on her pregnant belly.
“You must behave well today and not give your mother a hard time,” Yu Yuan spoke to her belly.
“Over the past few days, the fetal movements have become more and more noticeable. The imperial physician said it might be within the next few days,” Yan Mu bit her lip, feeling worried.
The child was about to be born, but the dad hadn’t come back yet.
Yan Mu sighed with a heavy heart.
Yu Yuan’s movements paused, and he casually placed the flowers in a vase.
“I instructed the kitchen to prepare a table full of dishes that are beneficial for pregnant women,” Yu Yuan said.
“Mmm,” Yan Mu remained unenthusiastic.
“Does the baby have a name yet?” Yu Yuan noticed Yan Mu’s unhappiness and immediately changed the topic.
“Not yet,” Yan Mu perked up a little when talking about this. “Do you have any good names?”
After a brief moment of contemplation, Yu Yuan suggested, “How about Yu5Yu Yuan’s family name Mu6Yan Mu’s first name qing7卿 (qīng) – a term of endearment used between husband and wife or among close friends?”
“Yu Mu8沐 (mù) – be given (or receive) (kindness, favour, etc.) (lit.); cleanseqing9清 (qīng) – clear; pure; clean; peaceful? Like basking in the gentle spring breeze, as gentle and bright as clear wind and the moon. It’s a good name.” Yan Mu thought it was nice. “And this name can be used for both boys and girls.
“I think when he hears this name, he’ll be very happy,” Yan Mu said happily.
Yu Yuan’s lips slightly curved, and he didn’t clarify Yan Mu’s misunderstanding.
As long as she was happy, that was enough.
Yan Mu happily wrote down the name.
She turned around with the paper, only to find Yu Yuan’s spot empty, with no trace of him at all.
Her hand loosened, and the paper fell to the ground, but Yan Mu didn’t pick it up.
After a while, she softly sighed, “So he has gone back……”
****************
In the dazzling space-time tunnel, two men with identical faces brushed past each other.
“I chose the name of your child,” one of them taunted.
“Hmph,” the other one snorted, “You don’t even have a wife.”
“……”
***************
Opening his eyes once again, Yu Yuan was met with a familiar scene.
“I’m back,” he smiled, opening his arms to his beloved wife.
His wife, who had longed for his return day and night, tearfully embraced and kissed him.
******************
That night, in the middle of the night, Yan Mu went into labor and gave birth to a baby girl.
They named her: Yu Muqing10沐清.
——————————————————————————————————————
The author has something to say:
Please be sure to love me passionately in another time and space. —— (End of the story)
Edited by: Gaze
Translator’s Note: This marks the end of the novel. Thank you very much for reading until the end. Back then, I picked up this novel because it was a light read and less serious compared to the first novel I was translating. Originally, I was supposed to finish this novel around October this year, but it got delayed until December due to various reasons. I hope this novel brought you joy, warmth, and love. ❤❤❤
Welp, I’m crying ahahaha
There’re some doubts about how fast the “other” ruthless Yu Yuan became a loving father, but on the other side… why not? He wanted a family, he got it
But I’m surprised original YY is not yet full of vinegar for himself ahaha
Yes! I thought for sure they’d both be so jelly of each other that they would have a brawl in that tunnel 😆 congrats on finishing this novel! Loved how sweet it was – thank you for all your hard work! 😘
I can’t believe this novel finally reavhed the end. I love this so much!
i hope the experience made the other Yu Yuan decide to get married lol he deserves happiness in every universe