Four Seasons Brocade – CH 206

Chapter 206 ☆、

This startled Ling Yu. He wondered what his kept woman was thinking. He’d never heard of a man taking contraceptive pills himself.

“I’ve never heard of medicines for men. It’s really not that complicated. Just give her a bowl of contraceptive soup after each time. The ladies in the palace all use it, and they have not seen any problems,” Ling Yu said.

Sitting opposite him, Chu Mao was slightly annoyed. Why had he so desperately sought out such an unreliable person as Ling Yu for advice?

Chu Mao stood up and said, “I have other matters to attend to. Let’s drink again next time.”

This departure before the food had even been served left Ling Yu even more bewildered. Ling Yu carefully reviewed his conversation with Prince Qi and realized the problem stemmed from his inability to find a good method for women to prevent pregnancy. Ling Yu had not expected that Prince Qi would come specifically to see him about this. Ling Yu, though always carefree, was not without ideas; he simply lacked the necessary connections. Now that a perfect opportunity was before him, he was determined to seize it.

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Meanwhile, Ah Wu was having dinner. For some reason, she could not eat anything; the smell of meat made her nauseous. “Take it away and bring some fresh fruit.”

“Your Highness, although the weather is hot, consuming too much cold fruit at this time can upset your stomach,” Zi-Zhui advised from the side. Little did she know what Ah Wu was thinking. She only felt that she might be pregnant, and she’d heard that pregnant women often experience nausea and vomiting.

“Do not worry about that; just bring a plate of the cherries and loquats that were sent from the estate yesterday,” Ah Wu pleaded.

“But…” Zi-Zhui hesitated.

“Go quickly! The smell of food makes me nauseous, and I cannot eat anything. Are you going to let me go hungry all night?” Ah Wu scolded, thinking that this spoiled maid had become demanding of her mistress.

“Has Your Highness caught a cold? Should we call a physician?” Zi-Zhui asked, worried about Ah Wu’s health, as soon as she heard she could not eat.

Ah Wu rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking Zi-Zhui was too dense. She was not sick or in pain; was this not just pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting? It was pitiful that Ah Wu, having lived two lives as a woman, was still completely ignorant about pregnancy and childbirth. Even if she were pregnant, how could she experience any symptoms so quickly?

“What physician are you calling for?” Chu Mao entered.

Zi-Shan, Zi-Zhui, and the others hurriedly greeted him, then replied, “The Princess Consort has no appetite; she says she feels nauseous.”

“Is she ill?” Chu Mao stepped forward, touched Ah Wu’s forehead with his hand, and, still unsure, pressed his lips to her forehead to check.

Ah Wu felt somewhat uncomfortable seeing Chu Mao so openly affectionate with her in front of Zi-Shan and the others. She quickly said, “No, it’s just too hot; I do not want to eat.” As she spoke, Ah Wu touched her stomach, feeling secretly pleased, and her coldness towards Chu Mao lessened compared to that morning.

Chu Mao put his arm around Ah Wu’s waist and led her to the east side room. He dismissed the maids, then pulled her onto his lap, placing his large hand on her abdomen. “Is your lower abdomen uncomfortable?” he asked. Chu Mao was worried he might have hurt Ah Wu the night before due to his roughness.

“No,” Ah Wu replied, feeling uncomfortable with such closeness. She fidgeted restlessly on Chu Mao’s lap, eliciting a muffled groan from him. Confused, Ah Wu looked at Chu Mao with a bewildered expression, wondering what was wrong.

“Does it still hurt?” Chu Mao asked again.

Ah Wu took a moment to realize he was asking about her lower abdomen. Blushing, she said coquettishly, “Of course it hurts.” Actually, the ointment had lessened the pain, but Ah Wu knew the saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease,” so she simply complained of the pain.

“I will apply the ointment again,” Chu Mao said, making a move to pull down Ah Wu’s underpants, startling her. “No, no, it’s alright.” Ah Wu jumped off Chu Mao’s lap, nearly falling, but luckily, Chu Mao caught her quickly.

Chu Mao knew Ah Wu was shy, so he did not press her, thinking that applying the medicine after she fell asleep that night would be just as good. “You have not had dinner yet. What would you like to eat? How about I take you to the night market? Although it’s mostly local snacks, they have a unique flavor, and they might whet your appetite.”

Ah Wu looked down on the food sold by the vendors, especially since she had an upset stomach and nothing tasted good. “No need. I’ve already asked Zi-Zhui to send over a plate of fresh fruit.”

“A little is fine, but it should not be too cold. Tell her to send over a bowl of papaya and bird’s nest porridge as well.” Chu Mao instructed the maid outside, then bent down to tidy Ah Wu’s hair. “It’s indeed quite hot this summer. In a couple of days, I will take leave and take you to the Zixiang Mountain villa to escape the heat for a while.”

Ah Wu did not take Chu Mao’s words to heart. He had so many things to worry about and exhaust himself with; Ah Wu assumed he was just trying to comfort her. Zi-Zhui brought over cherries and loquats and was about to serve them when Chu Mao waved his hand, and she withdrew.

Ah Wu picked a large cherry and put it in her mouth. Her cherry-red lips chewed the juicy cherry, a unique flavor indeed. Chu Mao’s throat tightened at the sight, and he lowered his head to peel the loquat for Ah Wu.

Ah Wu rested her chin on her hand, her right thumb and forefinger slowly picking up the cherry stem and putting it in her mouth. Her eyes followed Chu Mao’s slender fingers; she had to admit, the way Prince Qi peeled the loquat was truly pleasing to the eye. Ah Wu thought to herself, having Emperor Zhengyuan peel loquats for her in this life was truly a blessing. No wonder Lady Cui always said that couples who had consummated their marriages were closer; now it seemed there was some truth to it. Ah Wu had never imagined she had such good fortune before.

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Chu Mao removed the pit from the loquat, broke off a small piece of flesh, and fed it to Ah Wu. Ah Wu smiled, her eyes crinkling, and exclaimed, “So sweet!”

Chu Mao fed the rest of the loquat to Ah Wu, wiped his hands with a handkerchief from the small table, and then pulled Ah Wu into his arms, holding her tightly. Before Ah Wu could even swallow, Chu Mao’s lips and tongue were captured in her mouth. The sweet juice of the loquat flowed between their mouths, Chu Mao sucking with relish, but poor Ah Wu did not get to eat a single whole loquat and was held captive by Chu Mao’s domineering control.

Everyone had a temper, and Ah Wu’s temper was even more intense. She tried to bite Chu Mao’s tongue, but he was more slippery and agile than a snake. Ah Wu could only desperately snatch the loquat from his mouth, trying to suck out all the juice, to show Chu Mao with her actions that it was all hers, hers alone, and he could not take it from her.

Little did she know that Ah Wu’s childish anger would send Chu Mao into a frenzy of excitement. Although he and Ah Wu had shared passionate moments before, it had always been him who initiated it, with Ah Wu passively receiving. This time, she was so proactive. After this comparison, Chu Mao understood that the satisfaction of mutual affection was far more irresistible than a one-sided performance; he felt his very soul being soothed and comforted.

Ah Wu finally came to her senses. She felt Chu Mao’s grip tighten, his lips and tongue pressing harder, as if trying to suck her in. Ah Wu felt pain in her mouth and could not push Chu Mao away. She nearly choked on her breath and could only struggle to move her body.

Chu Mao, a martial artist and experiencing love for the first time, was in a state of uncontrollable desire. He had initially been concerned about Ah Wu’s health and the possibility of pregnancy, so he planned to prepare medicine in a few days to alleviate his longing. However, what started as a fleeting kiss had left him unable to let go. He thought to himself that if Ah Wu were pregnant, a child would be good for both of them. As for whether Ah Wu could handle it, Chu Mao could only reassure her in his heart that he would be gentler later.

With the burden lifted from his heart, Chu Mao grew even more eager. In a few swift movements, he peeled off Ah Wu’s clothes, revealing her skin as white and tender as a boiled egg. Ah Wu kicked, pinched, and hit him fiercely, but her strength was merely tickling Chu Mao, adding a touch of spice to the moment.

Ah Wu had never experienced anything like this before. She had only consummated her marriage the night before, and she never expected Chu Mao to be so brazenly abusing her on the bed in the side room. Ah Wu wanted to scratch Chu Mao’s face raw, but she was also worried about her child. She cried out urgently, “Your Highness, the child, the child!”

Chu Mao did not understand Ah Wu’s meaning. “What child?”

Seeing him stop, Ah Wu quickly adjusted her clothes, closed her legs, and covered her lower abdomen with her hand, saying, “Maybe I am already pregnant after last night?” Actually, Ah Wu was reluctant to speak about things she was not sure of, but the situation was urgent, and she only wanted to get rid of Chu Mao first.

“How could it be so fast?” Chu Mao laughed.

“Of course I am! Tonight I cannot stand the smell of food; it makes me feel nauseous. I’ve heard that women often experience nausea and vomiting during the first three months of pregnancy,” Ah Wu said seriously.

Chu Mao chuckled, completely surprised that Ah Wu could be so absent-minded. “Who told you that? Even if you were pregnant, the reaction would not be this quick.”

Ah Wu gave Chu Mao a reproachful look. “Your Highness is not a woman; how could you possibly understand as much as I do?” Ah Wu felt that everyone was different; why could she not be a little more perceptive?

“So eager to get pregnant?” Chu Mao asked with a smile.

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Ah Wu blushed deeply at Chu Mao’s words. “Who’s eager about it?” she said, gathering her clothes and getting up to go into the inner room, calling Zi-Shan and the others to help her bathe.

After the two finished washing, Ah Wu first hid under the thin blanket, forgetting that the winter quilt was still at her feet. Zi-Shan and the others, unsure if Ah Wu still needed it when making the bed, had left it there.

Chu Mao glanced at the winter quilt with surprise, then immediately understood the reason. He climbed onto the bed and leaned close to Ah Wu, saying, “If you want to get pregnant like this, just putting your feet up on high ground will not work; you will have to rely on me.”

Ah Wu’s secret was exposed, and she was truly embarrassed and angry. She pushed Chu Mao away, but he did not budge. Instead, he pressed down on her, softly calling, “Ah Wu, Ah Wu…”