Chapter 280 Mad Couple 40

Chapter 280: Chapter 276: Mad Couple 40

At the Crown Prince’s arrangement, Wu Chufeng rushed back to the Wu Mansion.

His heart was a nervous wreck the entire way. Though the Crown Prince had dispatched men to protect the Wu Mansion, he still feared for the safety of Ji Xiaosong and his family.

The moment the carriage stopped before the gates, he leaped out impatiently and strode toward the entrance.

The mansion gates stood wide open, where Old Li and a few other servants were looking out expectantly.

As soon as he saw Wu Chufeng, Old Li was overjoyed and rushed forward to greet him. "My Lord! You’re finally back! The mistress and everyone in the mansion have been waiting for you!"

A wave of relief washed over Wu Chufeng, but he still asked urgently, "My wife? Is she alright?"

Old Li nodded repeatedly. "The mistress is perfectly fine, just that she’s been so worried about you, my lord, these past few days that she can’t eat or sleep. You should hurry in and see her!"

Guilt and heartache washed over Wu Chufeng. He strode through the front courtyard, heading straight for the main hall.

Before he even entered, he heard Ji Xiaosong’s gentle but anxious voice. "Old Li, is that Chu Feng back?"

Wu Chufeng pushed the door open and walked in. He saw Ji Xiaosong standing in the middle of the hall, clutching a handkerchief. Her face was a bit pale, but her eyes were filled with anticipation.

The moment she saw Wu Chufeng, her eyes instantly reddened. She took a few quick steps forward, only to stop a few paces away, as if afraid of losing her composure.

"Song Song..." Wu Chufeng called out softly, his voice a little hoarse.

Ji Xiaosong had already used her Divine Sense to check on Wu Chufeng’s condition, so she wasn’t truly worried. ’Still, I have to play the part.’

"My husband, you’re finally back."

Seeing Ji Xiaosong’s reddened eyes, Wu Chufeng’s heart ached with unbearable guilt.

He strode forward, gently took her hand, and whispered, "My love, you’ve suffered these past few days."

Ji Xiaosong looked up at him. Though her eyes glistened with tears, they held a hint of playful reproach.

"So you *do* know how to come back? Everyone in the mansion has been on pins and needles, terrified something might have happened to you."

Wu Chufeng’s heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "Was anyone here hurt? Did Zhao Yuanqi’s men ever show up?"

Ji Xiaosong gently shook her head, her tone calm. "Everything at the mansion is fine. There were just a few bands of miscreants who tried to break in, but the guards drove them all back. With you gone, I had to hold down the fort."

Hearing this, Wu Chufeng felt both moved and heartbroken.

He gripped Ji Xiaosong’s hand tightly and whispered, "It was my fault. I left you to face the danger all alone. Thank god you’re safe. Otherwise, I..."

Seeing his self-reproachful expression, her heart softened, and her tone grew gentle.

"All that matters is that you’re back safely. I was worried, but I knew you wouldn’t go down that easily."

As Wu Chufeng gazed at Ji Xiaosong’s gentle features, he suddenly remembered Zhao Yuanqi’s threat in Jinluan Hall. His Adam’s apple bobbed nervously.

His fingertips gently brushed her slightly pale cheek, his voice taut with a fragile tremor. "Song Song... the Second Prince... he said... you’re carrying our child... Is it... is it true?"

Ji Xiaosong’s eyelashes fluttered. As she lowered her gaze, the tips of her ears flushed pink. She deliberately turned her head away with a soft huff. "You’d believe the words of a rebel like him?"

The hand hidden beneath her wide sleeve secretly caressed her lower abdomen, a wisp of Spiritual Power flowing out to protect the life within. Outwardly, however, she feigned trying to pull away from his embrace.

Wu Chufeng caught her wrist, and his fingers brushed against the pulse beating there.

His senses, honed by years on the battlefield, immediately detected something unusual about the rhythm.

One beat light, one beat heavy, like the intertwined vitality of twin lotuses on a single stem.

His pupils contracted sharply. His palm moved unconsciously to her still-flat abdomen. "A twin pulse? This is..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Ji Xiaosong rose on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.

The scent of jasmine, mingled with the bitter aroma of herbs, passed into his mouth. It was the Fetus Protection Tea she had been habitually drinking while worrying about him.

A jolt went through Wu Chufeng. He pulled her into his arms, but the moment his hands touched her waist, he instantly eased his grip. Even his kiss became as delicate as if he were handling fragile glass.

"You fool,"

Ji Xiaosong, panting, rested her forehead against his. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "You should have known... ever since our wedding night... that this day would come."

She took his hand and pressed it to her lower abdomen, where a wisp of imperceptible Spiritual Power coursed through her meridians. "It’s twins. But they’re still very small..."

Before her words faded, Wu Chufeng suddenly dropped to one knee, pressing his cheek to her lower abdomen.

His Mystic Iron Armor clanked against the green jade bricks on the floor. The sharp sound vibrated through the room, causing the snow willow blossoms in a white porcelain vase on the table to RUSTLE down.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, a veteran of countless campaigns, now held his breath, as if afraid to wake the slumbering buds within.

"They’re moving!"

He suddenly looked up, his eyes igniting like sparks. "I just felt it... It was like the flick of a little fish’s tail..."

He choked up mid-sentence as a hot tear splashed onto the intertwined lotus embroidery of Ji Xiaosong’s skirt.

Ji Xiaosong smiled, stroking the jade crown atop his head and catching a stray strand of his hair with her fingertip. "They’re barely a month old. How could they possibly be moving? You’re just hearing your own heart, father-to-be. It’s beating too loudly."

As she spoke, she discreetly formed a hand seal, making the two tiny lives within her womb tremble gently in time with their father’s heartbeat.

Wu Chufeng shot to his feet, swept her into his arms, and spun around three times. The commotion startled a parrot in the corridor, which flapped its wings and shrieked, "Gently!"

He hastily set her down on the daybed and fumbled to tuck a soft pillow behind her back. Then, clenching one hand into a fist, he slammed it into his own injured right shoulder. "I’m such an idiot! Did I crush them when I picked you up?"

Seeing this, Ji Xiaosong quickly grabbed his fist. "What are you doing?" she chided. "Don’t hurt yourself. The children will be counting on their father to be safe and sound, to teach them how to ride horses and shoot arrows someday."

Wu Chufeng looked at Ji Xiaosong, his eyes red and his voice thick with emotion. "Song Song, how could I not blame myself? If I hadn’t been dragged into this court intrigue, you wouldn’t have had to live in fear. And pregnant with two children... I almost put all of you in terrible danger."

He gently caressed her stomach, his eyes filled with guilt and tenderness.

Ji Xiaosong gently patted his hand. "My husband," she said softly, "this was not something you could control. You are devoted to serving the emperor and the country; you put yourself in this position for the sake of peace. Now that we know about our children, it’s even more important for our family to stick together."

She tilted her head slightly, a flicker of resolve in her eyes. "However, that Zhao Yuanqi is a wolf with boundless ambition. He may be lying low for now, but there’s no guarantee he won’t make another move. We must start planning for our future, and for our children’s."

Wu Chufeng nodded, his expression grave. "You’re absolutely right. I’ve already discussed it with the Crown Prince. We will increase our vigilance at court, root out Zhao Yuanqi’s supporters, and eliminate this threat for good. I just feel terrible for you. You’re pregnant and should be resting, but instead, you have to worry about all this with me."

Leaning against his chest, Ji Xiaosong smiled faintly. "Husband and wife are one. We share joy and sorrow, so how can you speak of hardship? I may be a woman who cannot assist you at court, but I will protect our home and take good care of the babies, so you have nothing to worry about."

She looked out the window. "I just hope peace can be brought to this land soon, so our children can be born and raised in a stable world."

Wu Chufeng held her tighter and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Having you by my side is the greatest blessing of my life. Once the dust settles, I swear I’ll put aside all worldly matters and spend all my time with you and the children."

Just then, the parrot in the corridor began to squawk again, "Peace! Peace!"

"Oh, right. My love, the Crown Prince sent men to protect the mansion these last few days. I’m deeply grateful, so I’ve decided to discuss the matter of the West Suburb Camp’s Tiger Talisman with my father."