Shen shi, smart as she was, understood Minglan"s words at once. She smiled embarra.s.sedly and said, “Aunt, I"ve learned.” She didn"t know her husband"s past, but she did know that there was a woman in her husband"s heart. Although Qi Heng treated her very well, she still felt there was something between them, which made her more and more curious. There were only a few women who had grown up with her husband. After she observed them over and over again, she found Minglan was the most outstanding one. Therefore—Shen shi gave a wry smile. Once Princess Ping Ning had revealed something and reminded her, “Don"t be too dignified and dull. Try to become an outgoing and breezy girl.” Shen shi wondered if Princess Ping Ning had talked about Minglan.

She looked at Minglan in a daze. The latter had an expressive face and a pair of sparkling eyes which Shen shi had never seen on any other ladies" faces. Minglan seemed to have the whole world in her mind with an innocent mind without being tainted by the vulgarity. Shen shi suddenly got a bit dreary. She realized that she was the one who would spend the rest of her life with Qi Heng and it really was unnecessary to look into the past.

At the moment, Old Madam Qin announced that the feast began with a loud voice. Seeing the look on Shen shi"s face finally changing, Minglan let out a relief. Then she brought Shen shi to the table and chatted with the latter like a kind elder—That was so close, she nearly gave up pretending.

Anyway, Minglan didn"t know why she felt guilty. She had never regretted the decision she had made.

After she walked out of the inner hall, she found that today was a fine spring day. The peach tree had already produced blossom on the branch which had protruded from the wall. Some impatient buds had already half opened. Old Madam Qin had transplanted lots of blooming peach flowers in the garden in order to create a good sign. As a result, the whole garden was filled with pink flowers.

Minglan"s heart suddenly shivered. She remembered on a spring day on that year, that young boy in brocade clothes had presented her a Yunnan cookbook. After she had opened the book in her room, there had been a peach flower bookmark falling down from the pages. On the light pink petals which were only as big as her thumb written the words—Being with you like bathing in the spring breeze.

Minglan looked at a beauty lamp in a trance with a cup of tea in her hand. The most beautiful thing was also the most delicate. That was the principle of the nature and no one could avoid it.

After Gu Tingye finished showering, he walked out from the bathroom with his wet hair disheveled. Then he saw the dazed look on his wife"s face. He held her in his arms and said in a tender voice, “Do you feel uncomfortable?” Minglan shook her head. Then Gu Tingye touched her head and asked, “There were many guests today. You must be so tired.” Minglan shook her head again.

“Is there a problem in our family?” Gu Tingye said with a heavy voice with his eyebrows wrinkled.

“It"s not that.” Minglan continued to shake her hand and stay in a low spirit.

“Then what happened?” Gu Tingye held her face in his hands and asked. Minglan moved his hand to her belly. While Gu Tingye still felt confused, he suddenly felt his hand shaking a bit. That was Minglan"s belly moving. – The quickening finally arrived.

“He"s kicking me.” Minglan said with a long face, “After dinner, he has been kicking me from time to time.”

"Wicked boy! How painstaking it is to carry you in my belly! I only missed my former suitor for a short while. You don"t need to defend your father so quickly!"