Xie Lang couldn't help but let out a few soft chuckles at the sight of her like this. Then he said, "Go to sleep." He reached out his hand, pulled Shen Mingzhu into his arms, hugged her tightly, and only then closed his eyes with a bit more peace of mind.
Shen Mingzhu was already very tired. She felt a bit sleepy not long after closing her eyes and then sank back into a deep sleep.
Whether it was because of her excessive obsessions or just a coincidence, Shen Mingzhu actually dreamed of the second half of that day.
When she was being led forward by the Crown Prince, she saw Xie Lang in front of the Queen Mother's palace hall. Subconsciously, she asked, "Where are you going?"
Xie Lang stared at her steadily for a moment, and said expressionlessly, "I'm going out of the palace."
"What are you going to do outside the palace?"
Shen Mingzhu had just burst into tears because she had been cooped up in the palace for too long. Hearing that Xie Lang was going out, she immediately perked up.
She wasn't sure if Xie Lang had a bit of a perverse streak. He stared at her steadily again and said in a cold voice, "My grandmother said she would take me back to my hometown to play."
As soon as Shen Mingzhu heard the words "hometown" and "play", she immediately got excited. She was extremely aggrieved and looked at the Crown Prince, asking, "Brother Crown Prince, can you take me out of the palace to play now?"
The Crown Prince gave her a helpless look, shook his head, and said gently, "How about tomorrow? Today..."
"Can I go with this little brother?"
Shen Mingzhu interrupted the Crown Prince smartly and said to Xie Lang in a hurry, "I allow you to take me out with you."
No one could refuse Shen Mingzhu.
But Xie Lang seemed to let out a soft chuckle. Looking at Shen Mingzhu, he said, "Sorry, I have to go."
Shen Mingzhu got anxious upon hearing this. She rushed forward and hugged him, with snot and tears all over. The grievances she had accumulated for many days burst out on this day. She cried, "You're not allowed to go!"
After that, she caused quite a commotion. The Crown Prince helplessly tried to console her on the side. Xie Lang seemed to fleetingly show a bit of envy, which then gradually faded away.
In the early morning, suddenly hearing a thunderclap outside the window, Shen Mingzhu suddenly opened her eyes and saw Xie Lang sitting in front of the bed looking at her, with a faint smile in his eyes.
"I haven't seen you sleep so soundly for a long time," Xie Lang said with a bit of a smile in his tone. "I was still wondering if I should wake you up."
"What time is it now?"
Shen Mingzhu's voice was a bit hoarse. Seeing this, Xie Lang handed her a cup of hot tea and said, "It's still early, but you should get up and eat something first and then go back to sleep."
Shen Mingzhu shook her head, got up, casually put on an outer robe, and said to the outside, "Chuntao, serve breakfast."
"Okay, then you eat first. I'll go deal with some things and come back to find you. It won't take long."
Shen Mingzhu subconsciously wanted to keep him and ask Xie Lang to bring his things here to look at.
But the next moment, she suddenly remembered an important thing. So her eyes flickered slightly, and she said to Xie Lang, "Go ahead. It's not urgent."
She hadn't drunk the contraceptive soup yet.
Thinking like this, when Shen Mingzhu saw Xie Lang leave, she called out to the outside, "Chuntao."
Chuntao knew what Shen Mingzhu wanted. So she said, "Your Highness, I've already asked someone to prepare it. You can drink it after breakfast."
Shen Mingzhu nodded slightly and let out a sigh in her heart.
It wasn't the right time to have a child yet.
But... wasn't her birthday this year next month?
After a moment of deep thought, breakfast was served.
Shen Mingzhu hadn't eaten anything since she came back yesterday and had been very tired. Now seeing the food, she almost couldn't hold back her impulse and ate much more than usual.
After eating, she waited for Chuntao to bring the contraceptive soup.
Seeing the dark medicine in front of her, Shen Mingzhu subconsciously frowned. She felt that the bitter and unpleasant taste had already started to fill her mouth, so she was silent for a moment.
Seeing Shen Mingzhu's expression, Chuntao immediately took out a small handkerchief in her hand, which wrapped a few pieces of candy.
"Your Highness, take these. Drink that thing in one gulp and then pop a candy in your mouth."
Shen Mingzhu didn't like this kind of strongly flavored candy usually, but looking at the dark medicine, she couldn't help but frown even more deeply. Finally, she pinched her nose and gulped down the medicine.
When Xie Lang came in, he saw Shen Mingzhu stuffing candy into her mouth in a hurry. So he subconsciously frowned and said, "Why are you suddenly eating this?"
He smelled the faint smell of medicine in the air. So he couldn't help but feel a bit worried in his heart, but he said calmly, "If I had known you liked it, I would have brought you some next time."
Shen Mingzhu frowned tightly. When she saw Xie Lang come in, she forced herself to suppress her expression, so she looked extremely cold. She nodded with a cold face and said, "Oh, no need."
Xie Lang frowned and saw Chuntao's steps slow down a bit as she put the things away.
What was Shen Mingzhu doing? She seemed to have taken some medicine, but didn't want him to know?
Xie Lang suppressed the expression on his face and said to Shen Mingzhu, "I thought it was raining today, so I asked someone to move all the things here to look at while keeping you company."
Shen Mingzhu was subconsciously stunned. She didn't expect that Xie Lang's train of thought actually coincided with hers just now. So she subconsciously said, "Okay."
They sat down, and the atmosphere between them was inexplicably a bit estranged.
Xie Lang casually took the book handed over by his attendant and started to read. Seeing this, Shen Mingzhu also took her account book to check the general situation of the manor this year.
On the surface, Xie Lang was looking at the book, but in fact, his mind was still on the smell of the medicine he smelled when he first entered the door. So he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
When did Shen Mingzhu need to take medicine?
As he was thinking, Xie Lang was suddenly startled. He suddenly turned his head to look at her, and their eyes met.
Was Shen Mingzhu drinking contraceptive soup!
"Your book," before Xie Lang could say anything, Shen Mingzhu pointed at the book in his hand and said with a soft laugh, "You're holding it upside down."
Hearing this, Xie Lang's movement paused slightly. He looked down and then calmly turned the book around and said, "I was thinking about something and didn't notice."
After hearing this, Shen Mingzhu didn't ask further and continued to look at the account book in her hand.
Xie Lang lowered his eyes, and his expression was solemn. For a moment, he couldn't tell what he was feeling.
Shen Mingzhu was actually drinking contraceptive soup.
Xie Lang was subconsciously shocked, but finally he realized that what she did was right. The situation was still unclear. Shen Mingzhu was a person who would never do anything without being fully prepared. In the current situation, she wouldn't give birth to a child.
Moreover, she was only seventeen. In Xie Lang's eyes, she still had a bit of childishness.
Thinking like this, Xie Lang just let out a deep sigh and began to realize a problem.
Was the contraceptive soup harmful to the body?
Xie Lang frowned, and the aura around him was even a bit cold and solemn.
In fact, Shen Mingzhu had been keeping an eye on the person in front of her out of the corner of her eye. Finally, seeing Xie Lang like this all the time, she reached out and brushed his forehead, tucking the stray hairs on his temples up.
[Why is Shen Mingzhu drinking contraceptive soup?]
Hearing this, she was startled and almost pulled out Xie Lang's hair. She looked at him in surprise and suspicion.
How did Xie Lang know!