While Xu Huaiqian slept drowsily, Chen Liejiu warmed each of his fingers one by one.
Xu Huaiqian, who had never known there were so many ways to warm fingers: "..."
It was true what they said: a man shouldn't be away from his wife for too long. Just a few months apart, and look how eager his wife had become.
While they were... warming fingers... inside, the group choosing courtyards outside was also busy.
Chen Liejiu's property was a three-section compound covering over a thousand square meters. To make his little husband more comfortable, the main master suite they occupied took up three hundred square meters. The remaining nine hundred-plus square meters, besides the covered corridors, courtyards, and the servants' quarters at the front, were divided into four smaller courtyards.
Each courtyard wasn't large, about two hundred square meters—similar in size to a house in the countryside.
But the layouts were each unique. There was one brimming with spring colors, another with vibrant flowers and willows, a third with clear waters and elegant woods, and a final one with a winding path leading to a secluded spot. Each was so artfully arranged that it didn't feel small at all.
Wang Wanwan and Chen Xiaomei were part of the host family. Duan Youyan and the others couldn't choose before them, so they let the two young women pick first.
Chen Xiaomei didn't stand on ceremony and directly chose the "vibrant flowers and willows" courtyard. She felt it most resembled Xinghua Village; living there would still feel like being in the village.
Wang Wanwan hesitated between the "brimming with spring colors" and "clear waters and elegant woods" courtyards. Finally, she chose "brimming with spring colors" because it had so many plants and flowers that needed tending. If no one lived there, it might become neglected.
After they chose, Meng Fangxun and the others made their selections.
Having just been subjected to one couple's affection, the unmarried Meng Fangxun, Pei Wangshu, and Zhang Bingwen were determined to avoid a second round of emotional damage. The three quickly chose the relatively quiet "winding path leading to a secluded spot," leaving "clear waters and elegant woods" for Duan Youyan and Sheng Yunjin.
Duan Youyan: "...We're not as... unrestrained as Xu Huaiqian and Chen Liejiu. It would be livelier if we all stayed in one courtyard together." In this aspect, Duan Youyan felt he and his A-Jin were more restrained, not as openly... intense with their gazes as the other couple.
"Eww—" The three weren't fooled. They might not be as passionate as Xu Huaiqian and Chen Liejiu, but their subtle, private gestures were plenty—serving food, picking up dishes, handing over water—these unconsciously intimate acts were even more deadly!
"Let's not. Those with partners and those without simply shouldn't live together," said Meng Fangxun, who had a fiancée he'd never even met, his tone tinged with envy for their behavior.
He could consider living with the two couples after he got married himself. For now, he preferred to spare his eyes.
"Alright." Since they insisted, Duan Youyan and Sheng Yunjin had no choice but to move into the "clear waters and elegant woods" courtyard, which seemed small but was actually quite spacious.
Apart from the main suite, this courtyard was probably the most beautifully and elegantly decorated. Entering the gate, one was greeted by a pool with various ornamental rocks placed in a stream. The water wound around the rocks, symbolizing "lasting affection" and holding a hint of a secretive charm.
"May the years flow gently with you, my love; may we grow old together when the prosperity fades," Sheng Yunjin murmured, walking along the corridor and looking at the rocks in the pool, marveling again. "Brother Liejiu really put a lot of thought into this."
Duan Youyan, who didn't understand such subtleties, carried their luggage into the room. He was surprised to find even a guest room arranged so thoughtfully and warmly, feeling just like home. He nodded in agreement. "Indeed."
"...This room is almost too comfortable to live in," Sheng Yunjin exclaimed, turning from the scenery outside to see the room Duan Youyan had opened. The comfort and coziness surpassed even his own home, leaving him speechless with admiration.
"Don't be so surprised." Duan Youyan, being a man, recovered from his astonishment quickly. He pulled a few medicine bottles from their luggage. "Take your medicine first."
"Okay." Sheng Yunjin obediently took the medicine Duan Youyan handed him, hesitantly adding, "Actually, I think I might be fine without it."
"He's been very good," Sheng Yunjin said, touching his belly. "Even with all the bumping on the road, I didn't get sick at all."
It wasn't that Sheng Yunjin wanted to compare himself to Xu Huaiqian, but throughout the journey, Xu Huaiqian was either dizzy or vomiting. In contrast, Sheng Yunjin, despite preparing a boatload of medicine, hadn't needed any of it. He ate well, slept well, and felt perfectly fine. In the end, all his medicine went to Xu Huaiqian.
"Better to be cautious. You should still take some," Duan Youyan insisted, not agreeing. "This medicine isn't made by me, so you can take it without worry."
"Don't be afraid." Sheng Yunjin knew the incident years ago still cast a shadow over Duan Youyan's heart, making him hesitant to prescribe medicine or treat him. He pulled Duan Youyan's hand and placed it on his belly. "See, he's very lively."
Sheng Yunjin was now over seven months pregnant. Perhaps because he was a man, his belly only showed a slight bulge when clothed; you could only see the roundness when undressed.
As Duan Youyan's hand covered his belly, the baby inside seemed to sense something and gave a little kick. Duan Youyan felt it immediately, and a smile appeared on his usually stern face. "He knows it's me?"
"You're his father; why wouldn't he know it's you?" Seeing Duan Youyan smile, Sheng Yunjin smiled too. "A-Yan, don't be afraid. It's all in the past. It wasn't your fault."
It was his own special constitution, really not Duan Youyan's fault.
"Mm." Duan Youan knew this was just his nature, always prone to overthinking. He pressed his ear against Sheng Yunjin's belly, listening. Hearing the healthy movements inside, he finally relaxed and voiced his confusion. "It's strange. Pregnancy is usually extremely difficult for men. But this pregnancy of yours has been... almost too easy."
Not just for men, even for women, pregnancy was exceptionally arduous. Yet Sheng Yunjin remained as lively and active as if nothing was wrong, which was both his greatest relief and his deepest fear.
"Maybe it's because of this pressure point?" Sheng Yunjin looked at the Hegu point on his hand, always feeling this acupoint wasn't simple.
"Perhaps." Duan Youyan's gaze fell on the small, slightly indented spot that had been needled many times, and that uncomfortable feeling rose in his heart again. "Tomorrow, after we visit the Sheng family, let's find some doctors in the capital for another consultation. Maybe they can see something different?"
"Okay." Sheng Yunjin also knew Duan Youyan wouldn't feel at ease without consulting more physicians, so he agreed obediently.
The night was clear, the moon bright, and everyone slept soundly.
After the long and arduous journey, resting in such excellent conditions for one night meant everyone, except Xu Huaiqian, woke up early the next day feeling refreshed and energetic.
Xu Huaiqian had a weak constitution and had suffered greatly on the road. Knowing he urgently needed to recuperate, the guests staying with them weren't so tactless as to wait for him to get up for breakfast. After each having their own morning meal, they went off to attend to their own affairs.
Wang Wanwan and Chen Xiaomei were busy familiarizing themselves with their new home. Pei Wangshu and Zhang Bingwen, long curious about the bustling capital, decided after breakfast to go out and explore.
The two were natural adversaries, prone to arguing after just a few words. They originally wanted to drag Meng Fangxun along as a buffer between them. However, Meng Fangxun said he had other business. When asked what it was, he wouldn't say, determined not to go with them.
Left with no choice, the two could only stare at each other, temporarily setting aside their mutual animosity, and ventured out together.
After they left, Meng Fangxun took a gift and went to the capital's Fanhua Street to visit Song Yunfan, a Compiler in the Hanlin Academy.
He didn't say he was visiting his future father-in-law. He merely claimed he was paying a visit to his esteemed teacher.
Although the two families were engaged, with betrothal tokens and birth details exchanged, making it practically a settled matter, Meng Fangxun didn't mind his future wife's appearance, but he was acutely aware of his own. Compared to Xu Huaiqian and the others, he was rather plain-looking. The young lady from the capital might have impulsively pledged herself through letters, but she might also be deeply disappointed upon seeing his looks and wish to break off the engagement.
A woman's reputation was paramount. If he made this visit public knowledge, and Song Weilan, after seeing him, wanted to cancel the engagement, wouldn't he be harming her?
Meng Fangxun considered things carefully. That's why he hadn't even told Pei Wangshu and the others, and now presented himself merely as a student paying respects.
He didn't know that long before his visit, his fiancée had already publicized his existence. These past few days, her friends in the capital had been visiting daily, eagerly waiting to see what kind of man she had so recklessly chosen for herself.
But after several days with no sign of him, Song Weilan's friends grew impatient.
"He was supposed to visit at the start of February! It's already the eighth! The Metropolitan Exams are in just four days! Could he have gotten cold feet and not even come to the capital?!"
"He wouldn't," Song Weilan trusted Meng Fangxun. "His provincial exam results last autumn were excellent; he wouldn't fear the exams."