Chapter 22: The General’s Pampered Little Wife 22

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: The General’s Pampered Little Wife 22

Ji Xiaosong continued to talk animatedly about Xiao Shen’s exploits on the battlefield. "And another time, the enemy set up a massive ambush, but Xiao Shen wasn’t afraid at all! He led his soldiers, charging left and right, and fought his way out of the encirclement. He was like a god descended to earth!"

The members of the Ji family listened with smiles, secretly exchanging glances. They had all seen Xiao Shen standing behind Ji Xiaosong, but as if by a silent, mutual understanding, no one said a word to alert her.

Mother Ji pursed her lips into a smile. "Oh, Song, to hear you praise General Xiao so highly... could it be that your feelings for him run quite deep?"

Caught off guard by her mother’s teasing, Ji Xiaosong’s pretty face flushed crimson. She pouted coquettishly, "Mother, you always love to poke fun at me! Xiao Shen is my husband, so of course my feelings for him grow stronger by the day."

Mr. Ji stroked his beard and joined in the laughter. "Song, General Xiao is valiant and accomplished. You must take good care of him. A husband and wife must be considerate of each other for their days to be happy and harmonious."

Ji Xiaosong stomped her foot, feigning anger. "Father, how could you join Mother in teasing me too?"

Just then, Brother Ji gave a deliberate little cough. Ji Xiaosong finally sensed something was amiss and whipped her head around, only to see Xiao Shen watching her with a look of gentle, doting affection.

Ji Xiaosong instantly flushed beet red with embarrassment, so flustered she didn’t know what to do with her hands and feet. In her panic, she stumbled backward, completely uncoordinated, and nearly fell.

Xiao Shen, with his quick eyes and swift hands, shot forward in a single bound and caught Ji Xiaosong securely in his arms.

In that instant, it was as if the entire world had hit a slow-motion button, and the flow of time slowed to a crawl.

Ji Xiaosong was so mortified she wished the ground would swallow her whole. She buried her head deep in Xiao Shen’s warm chest, not daring to look up. Her heart pounded like a drum, and the blush spread all the way to the tips of her ears.

Seeing this, the Ji Family couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Mother Ji laughed. "Look at this young couple, so deeply in love."

Mr. Ji chimed in with more teasing, "General Xiao, this daughter of mine... we’ve spoiled her rotten. From now on, I’m afraid we’ll have to trouble you to look after her."

Holding Ji Xiaosong steady, Xiao Shen replied, "Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, please rest assured. Song is incredibly precious to me. I will naturally treat her well."

For a moment, the General Mansion was filled with joyous laughter, and a warm, pleasant atmosphere spread through the room.

"General Xiao, you and the Crown Prince have earned great merit for quelling the rebellion in the Northern Land. What do you think the future situation there will be?" Brother Ji asked.

Xiao Shen nodded slightly. "Brother, although the rebellion has been successfully suppressed, the Northern Land still requires proper governance. The Crown Prince already has a plan. He intends to station troops there and dispatch capable officials to develop agriculture. Given time, the Northern Land could become a prosperous region for our dynasty."

Brother Ji nodded. "That’s excellent. But I imagine there will be no shortage of difficulties."

Xiao Shen’s expression was firm. "But as long as everyone, from the top down, is of one mind, we can certainly overcome any obstacle."

Eldest Sister-in-law Ji interjected from the side, "General Xiao has been through so much danger this time. You must get some proper rest now."

Xiao Shen replied with a smile, "Thank you for your concern, Sister-in-law."

"In that case, Song, you and the General have been married for over a month. If you could give birth..."

Mother Ji’s words were on the tip of her tongue when she suddenly remembered Xiao Shen’s difficulty in having children due to being poisoned, and she quickly bit her tongue.

’I can’t bring that up!’

Before the wedding, the Ji family knew that Song might never be able to have her own children in this lifetime.

A moment ago, she had just been holding onto a tiny sliver of hope.

’What if...’

’Just in case?’

Everyone understood Mother Ji’s unfinished sentence, but no one intended to continue the discussion.

Just as the atmosphere turned a little awkward, Third Brother Ji suddenly spoke up. "Song, it’s the dead of winter in the Northern Land right now, isn’t it? The scenery must be completely different from here."

Ji Xiaosong shot her third brother a grateful look and followed his lead. "Third Brother, winter in the Northern Land is truly a world of ice and snow. There’s thick snow everywhere. As far as the eye can see, it’s a vast expanse of white. It’s quite a spectacular sight."

Xiao Shen chimed in, "Yes, the cold wind cuts your face like a knife. But it’s warm inside. The heated brick beds are kept nice and hot."

Third Brother Ji asked curiously, "So what do the people of the Northern Land do for fun in the winter?"

Everyone’s attention was successfully diverted, and they began chatting animatedly about the winter scenery and customs of the Northern Land. The General Mansion was once again filled with joyous laughter.

Ji Xiaosong also understood her mother’s concern. ’The pregnancy matter I was considering before... I can start preparing for it now.’

’It’s not like I really can’t get pregnant,’ she thought. ’I just don’t want to give people any reason to gossip.’

For the next half-month, Xiao Shen was busy every day with the Capital City’s defenses and the Construction projects in the Northern Land. He also had a constant stream of social engagements to attend.

But despite being so busy, every time night fell and the candlelight flickered, Xiao Shen would always rush home, unable to wait.

"My love, you must be exhausted today."

Ji Xiaosong took off Xiao Shen’s cloak and hung it to one side.

Just as she finished, Xiao Shen gently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, burying his head in the crook of her neck. His warm breath ghosted over her sensitive skin as he murmured, "As long as I can see you, all my exhaustion melts away."

As he spoke, he blew a soft breath by her ear, making her tremble slightly.

Ji Xiaosong said coquettishly, "My love... it’s already very late."

Her voice trembled slightly, yet it also held a hint of delight.

Xiao Shen’s hands began to roam. They traveled slowly up from Ji Xiaosong’s waist to gently grasp her shoulders, turning her around to face him.

His gaze was fiery and full of deep affection, as if it could melt her completely.

Bowing his head slightly, Xiao Shen pressed his forehead against Ji Xiaosong’s. Their noses brushed lightly as his breathing grew rapid and hot.

Ji Xiaosong subconsciously closed her eyes, her long lashes trembling softly.

Their lips drew slowly closer, first touching lightly, like a dragonfly skimming the water’s surface, before the pressure gradually deepened into a passionate kiss.

Ji Xiaosong’s hands clenched Xiao Shen’s lapels as she instinctively kissed him back.

After a long moment, Xiao Shen released her lips and trailed kisses along her cheek to her earlobe, which he nibbled gently. "My wife," he whispered, "you are so beautiful tonight."

’Who could possibly resist such sweet talk!’

Even though what she was wearing today was no different from any other day.

A blush spread across Ji Xiaosong’s face, and she shyly buried her head in Xiao Shen’s chest.

At a moment like this, why wait?

Xiao Shen swept Ji Xiaosong up by the waist, strode over to the bed, and gently laid her down, covering her body with his own...

*

Ever since returning from the Northern Land, invitations flew to Ji Xiaosong like snowflakes. Invitations to all sorts of banquets arrived one after another, too many to count.

However, she refused them all, wholeheartedly holing up in the mansion to prepare for pregnancy.

She hadn’t been in this world for long, so it was hard to predict who might try to cause her trouble.

If someone who disliked her deliberately entangled her with another man, she’d have no way to defend herself—she wouldn’t be able to clear her name even if she jumped into the Yellow River.

Since she couldn’t guard against and resolve these potential problems at the moment, she might as well just stay cooped up in the General Mansion and not set foot outside.

As long as she didn’t step out of the General Mansion’s gates, she could ensure she would remain safe and sound.

As for everything else, she would make plans after she got pregnant.

Since Ji Xiaosong wasn’t going out, the members of the Ji family took turns visiting her every few days to keep her company.

After all, the Ji family estate and the General Mansion weren’t far apart. One day, it would be Eldest Sister-in-law Ji, arriving with pastries and fruit to chat with Ji Xiaosong about daily life and share amusing stories, making her laugh endlessly.

The next, it would be her third sister-in-law, bringing a few new and interesting storybooks to relieve Ji Xiaosong’s boredom, and the two of them would even discuss the plots together.

The day after that, it would be Mother Ji’s turn. She would bring a nourishing soup she had personally simmered, caringly reminding Ji Xiaosong to pay attention to her health and build up her strength.

With the Ji Family’s companionship, Ji Xiaosong’s days of preparing for pregnancy weren’t so dull and hard to bear after all, but were instead filled with warmth and joy.

Until one morning, a month later, Ji Xiaosong woke up and felt a wave of nausea wash over her. She dry-heaved a few times but couldn’t throw anything up.