Behind the silkworm room was a dining hall, a small two-story building.
Zhou Yi led Nangong Muyan inside, and a chorus of greetings immediately rang out from the first floor.
"Young Master!", "Young Master!", "Young Master!"...
Zhou Yi wore an appropriately pleasant smile, nodding in acknowledgment to each of the managers having their meals.
After the greetings, everyone's inquiring gazes fell on Nangong Muyan standing beside Zhou Yi. Their expressions varied, but all contained unmistakable curiosity, though none dared to ask questions.
They all knew that their young master was to become the son-in-law of Minister Nangong.
Yet today, a beautiful young woman had come looking for him. According to Qu Xiaowu, she had arrived in tears, crying so hard she could barely breathe, which had greatly distressed their young master.
Thus, a rumor began to circulate: the young master had taken a mistress! Perhaps fearing discovery by Miss Nangong, he had tried to end things, but the mistress had desperately followed him here, and his heart had softened. They speculated he might use this estate to keep her as his secret lover.
Now, watching Zhou Yi brazenly bring her to dine, they discreetly observed Nangong Muyan and unanimously thought: Indeed, she was beautiful - no wonder the young master would take such a risk.
Nangong Muyan had noticed their strange glances but couldn't quite understand why. She decided to ignore them and followed Zhou Yi upstairs to the second floor.
"The food here is quite simple, nothing like Jun Yue Restaurant. I'm not sure if it will suit your taste—"
Before Zhou Yi could finish, Nangong Muyan interrupted: "I'm not picky about food. I'm very easy to please."
This was the second time he'd heard her say this. Zhou Yi chuckled softly, thinking it was indeed a virtue that the young lady wasn't fussy about food.
On the second floor, members of the Qu family were dining. When Qu Xinggui, Qu Xiaowu's father, saw Zhou Yi arrive, he immediately stood up and walked toward the kitchen, calling out: "The young master is here, please serve the meals!"
A voice responded from inside, and shortly after, the food was brought to the table.
Zhou Yi and Nangong Muyan sat at a separate table near the window, where they could enjoy the view while dining.
The Qu family sat at a larger round table nearby. Qu Xinggui had one wife and two concubines, four sons and two daughters. The entire family depended on Zhou's estate for their livelihood, so they were extremely respectful toward Zhou Yi.
From the moment Zhou Yi entered, the Qu family members ate quietly with their heads down, trying not to make any noise or even glance in their direction, showing complete respect for their master.
After they finished their meal and went downstairs, Qu Xiaowu was waiting at the door. When they emerged, he approached and asked in a low voice, "Young Master, should I arrange a room for this young lady?"
"Of course!" Zhou Yi replied, puzzled that he would even need to ask.
Someone gently tugged at his sleeve. Zhou Yi turned to see Nangong Muyan looking up at him with watery eyes, her clear black and white pupils seeming to speak a thousand words.
Zhou Yi paused, wondering if she meant what he thought she meant.
"Wait a moment."
Zhou Yi said to Qu Xiaowu, then pulled Nangong Muyan aside a few steps and asked uncertainly, "Do you... want to share a room with me?"
Nangong Muyan nodded.
Zhou Yi heaved a heavy internal sigh.
In his twenty-some years of life, this was the first time someone had so recklessly tried to get close to him. Zhou Yi couldn't quite sort out his feelings about it.
He wanted to say something about "reputation," "propriety," and "decorum," to persuade Nangong Muyan to abandon this idea, but his instincts told him it would be useless - she simply wouldn't listen.
They gazed at each other silently, the struggle evident in Zhou Yi's eyes. Finally, after a moment, he let out a breath and made his decision: "Alright then."
He had already promised to let her hug and kiss him as she pleased; surrendering a bit more of his principles didn't seem to matter much now.
Nangong Muyan had been prepared to argue her case, but she hadn't expected Zhou Yi to agree so readily, which quite surprised her.
As time passed, the sky grew dark, and looking out the window toward the mulberry trees on the mountain, only shadowy silhouettes were visible.
After washing up, Nangong Muyan watched Zhou Yi as he stood motionless by the window, and silently curved her lips into a smile.
"Zhou Yi."
A soft call came from behind. Zhou Yi turned to look and saw Nangong Muyan standing by the bed. She had removed her hairpins and ornaments, her black hair cascading over her shoulders. She had also taken off her outer garments, wearing only her inner clothes, revealing half of her delicate collarbone below her fair neck.
In the dim candlelight, Nangong Muyan smiled at him, her eyes full of tender affection, her gaze so focused it bordered on infatuation.
"Aren't you coming to bed? I'm getting sleepy."
As she spoke, Nangong Muyan raised her hand to cover a yawn, the bracelet on her wrist catching the yellowish candlelight, making Zhou Yi's eyes flicker.
"I'll just close the window and come."
Zhou Yi turned away, taking a deep breath of the cool air from outside, barely managing to calm his rising emotions.
Nangong Muyan observed his actions, and seeing that he showed no signs of escaping through the window, she happily climbed into bed.
Sharing a bed - how exciting!
Nangong Muyan lay in bed watching Zhou Yi remove his outer clothes, blow out the candle, and walk over step by step. She couldn't suppress her smile.
Zhou Yi lay down stiffly on the very edge of the bed, so far out that he wasn't even covered by the blanket.
Looking at him lying there straight as a board, Nangong Muyan couldn't help but laugh: "Zhou Yi, you can move closer. I'm worried you'll fall off if you turn over."
Zhou Yi gave a dry "Oh" and moved in about a hand's width.
"Come a little closer."
"Oh."
"Just a bit more."
"Oh."
...
With each of Nangong Muyan's commands and Zhou Yi's corresponding movements, they finally managed to get him from the edge to actually being on the bed, though there was still an arm's length between them.
A warm body pressed against Zhou Yi's side, and at the same time, the soft blanket was draped over him. A soothing whisper came to his ear: "Don't be afraid, I won't do anything like that to you."
Nangong Muyan still had her reservations, worried that their one intimate encounter had become a psychological trauma for Zhou Yi.
Although Zhou Yi was now accommodating her because of her pregnancy, she feared that deep down, he still rejected her closeness.
"I'm not afraid," Zhou Yi tried to relax, but his throat was still tight as he earnestly explained, "I'm just not used to it. I'm accustomed to sleeping alone."
"Not afraid?"
A hand tentatively moved to his collar, slender fingers barely touching the skin beneath his inner clothes before being firmly grabbed by another hand.
"Don't tease me, you're pregnant now," Zhou Yi's somewhat annoyed voice rang out in the darkness. "Later... later you can do as you please!"
Nangong Muyan trembled with laughter. Zhou Yi, pressed against her, could feel her body shaking, and the extraordinarily soft sensation transmitted through their two thin layers of clothing. When he realized what it was, he felt as if he'd been suddenly thrown into a furnace, his entire body burning up in an instant.
"Nangong Muyan, stop shaking!" His gritted words carried a hint of hoarseness. Zhou Yi was, after all, a normal man, and couldn't withstand such temptation.
Hearing Zhou Yi's suddenly deepened breathing, Nangong Muyan tactfully moved away a bit.
The night was different from the day; they indeed needed to mind their boundaries.
Zhou Yi closed his eyes, trying his best to banish distracting thoughts, and only after quite a while did he return to normal.
He had just opened his eyes, ready to persuade the person beside him to sleep, when he heard Nangong Muyan's voice again, full of anticipation.
"Zhou Yi, do you want to feel our baby?"
Zhou Yi was startled: "The baby?"
Nangong Muyan made an affirmative sound, directly grabbed his hand, lifted her inner clothes, and pressed his hand against her belly.
Her skin was as smooth as fine silk. Zhou Yi's first instinct was to withdraw his hand upon touching it, but then he heard her voice beside him, tinged with amusement: "I just noticed yesterday that my belly has started to show a tiny bit."
Zhou Yi's withdrawing motion paused, and after a moment's hesitation, he carefully felt her stomach.
Soft, flat, firm, like smooth jade...
After feeling for quite a while, Zhou Yi hadn't detected any baby, but had managed to make his breathing irregular again.
"Were you trying to trick me?" Zhou Yi belatedly realized.
"Absolutely not!" Nangong Muyan felt wronged. "I can feel it myself, it's a bit more rounded than before."
Zhou Yi felt around again but still couldn't tell the difference.
He turned to his side and used his other hand to feel as well, but still couldn't detect anything.
"I remember that pregnancy usually starts showing at three to four months. By my calculation, you're not even three months along, right?" Zhou Yi recalled when Zhang Shun's wife was pregnant.
Nangong Muyan quickly calculated the dates in her mind and replied, "Including today, our baby should be eighty-two days old."
"Almost three months..."
Zhou Yi felt emotional, thinking that in half a year, this child would be born into the world. It would grow from a tiny bundle into a bigger baby, from a babbling infant into a laughing and crying cherub, and would call him father in its sweet little voice...
At this thought, Zhou Yi's heart began to race, and a surge of emotion coursed through his body. His hand, still resting on Nangong Muyan's belly, moved again, carefully feeling once more.
Perhaps it was psychological, but this time he seemed to actually feel what she meant by "a bit more rounded."
This was his child!
"Nangong Muyan," Zhou Yi called her name with great solemnity, "thank you."
As soon as he finished speaking, the person lying quietly beside him letting him feel her belly grabbed his hand, moved it from her abdomen to her waist, and snuggled into his embrace.
"If you're thanking me, don't use my full name. It sounds so formal."
Her complaining voice was soft. Zhou Yi pulled down her lifted undershirt to cover her exposed waist and abdomen, then embraced her again.
"Then... should I call you Muyan? Or would you prefer me to call you Yan'er like your family does?"
Zhou Yi understood what this change in address meant.
"Call me Muyan!"
Nangong Muyan responded joyfully, hugging Zhou Yi's waist and nuzzling his chest affectionately. "Zhou Yi, what would you like me to call you? A'Yi, or... Brother Yi?"
Zhou Yi's breathing became erratic at that sweet "Brother Yi," and his ears grew hot. He heard himself stammer, "No- no need, just, just call me Zhou Yi."
A hand pressed against his neck, and after a moment, Nangong Muyan's amused voice sounded near his ear: "Zhou Yi, your heart is racing."
With his heart rate at 120, it was clear that Zhou Yi wasn't completely indifferent to her.
"Of course!" Zhou Yi had no reason to deny it. "With a soft, beautiful young lady in my arms, what man except a monk or a eunuch could remain unmoved?"
The "beautiful young lady" giggled at his words, her delicate body trembling, causing Zhou Yi to become flustered again. He quickly held her tighter and pleaded, "Muyan, don't move, don't move, let's sleep, don't move..."
Nangong Muyan obediently stayed still for a while, and when Zhou Yi's breathing had steadied somewhat, she revealed her heart.
"Zhou Yi, I have feelings for you."
Zhou Yi's breath caught, and his arm around her waist suddenly tightened.
Nangong Muyan waited for a long time, and finally received a "I- I know."
She contentedly closed her eyes and fell into deep sleep in his warm embrace, unaware that Zhou Yi's heart continued to pound like a drum, both awake and flustered, barely managing to drift off to sleep in the middle of the night.
Early the next morning, while Nangong Muyan was still sleeping, Zhou Yi had already awakened. After getting up quietly and tidying himself up briefly, he left the room and went to Li Jiu's quarters.
"Young Master?" Li Jiu looked at Zhou Yi standing at his door with sleepy eyes, somewhat confused.
"I have a question for you."
"Please ask, Young Master."
Li Jiu looked at the somewhat serious Zhou Yi, anxiously wondering if the young miss's act of playing pitiful had been exposed.
"How long does it usually take for a woman's pregnancy to show?" Zhou Yi had pondered this question during his sleepless night.
"There's actually no fixed time, it varies from person to person. Generally, it shows at three to four months, but some people might show earlier or later due to personal factors."
After explaining carefully, Li Jiu looked at Zhou Yi curiously: "Young Master, why do you ask?"
Zhou Yi, now much more relieved, smiled and replied, "Your young miss says her belly has started showing, and I was worried there might be something wrong, so I came to ask."
"It's showing already?"
Li Jiu was incredulous - wasn't it not even three months yet?
He then wondered if this might be another of the young miss's lies to gain Zhou Yi's affection?
But what if it was true?
This wasn't normal. Li Jiu became anxious, remembering his promise to the madam to take good care of Nangong Muyan.
Li Jiu stepped out of his room: "Young Master, come, let me check the young miss's pulse."
Zhou Yi nodded, thinking it would indeed be more reassuring to check.
Nangong Muyan woke up to the creaking sound of the door opening. Zhou Yi walked to the bedside, and seeing her eyes open, helped her up: "Come, get dressed properly. Li Jiu is outside, let him check your pulse."
Nangong Muyan asked while getting dressed, "You went to find Li Jiu?"
"Yes."
"What for?"
"You're showing earlier than others, I was worried, so I went to ask."
"Oh, alright."
Li Jiu waited outside for a while, and when Zhou Yi called him, he entered.
Nangong Muyan was sitting at the table, having already rolled up her sleeve to expose her wrist. He called out "Young Miss" and placed his fingers on her pulse point.
Unlike yesterday's pretense to deceive Zhou Yi, this time Li Jiu concentrated intently, carefully feeling the pulse, his face serious.
Zhou Yi watched him feel for a long time without withdrawing his hand, and his heart began to rise with worry, concern evident on his face.
Li Jiu checked several times before finally confirming. He withdrew his hand, his face breaking into a smile, and cupped his hands in congratulation to the couple: "Congratulations, Young Miss and Young Master, it's twins."
"Twins?"
Zhou Yi was both shocked and delighted, unconsciously looking at Nangong Muyan's belly - there were actually two children?
"Yes, twins. That's why the Young Miss is showing earlier than others, but Young Master need not worry, both the Young Miss and the children are doing well."
After speaking, Li Jiu himself breathed a sigh of relief - he had truly been worried that something might be wrong with the young miss.
"Good, good, good."
Zhou Yi nodded repeatedly, untied his money pouch from his waist, took out several pieces of silver and pressed them into Li Jiu's hand: "Please go to the dining hall and bring our meals. Take this silver for some wine."
Li Jiu was overjoyed - this couple was more generous than the other, this trip had truly been worthwhile!
After Li Jiu left, just as Nangong Muyan stood up, Zhou Yi pulled her tightly into his embrace: "Muyan, we're having two children..."