After dinner, the two of them chatted idly on the couch.
Ji Junye said, "If we're talking about a suitable martial arts instructor, I do have a good candidate."
Shen Qing immediately perked up. "Who is it?"
Ji Junye replied, "Ji Chongzhi, the former drillmaster of the Imperial Guards. Although he has retired due to old injuries, teaching Shen Yan will be more than easy for him."
"Are you satisfied with this candidate?"
"Satisfied, very satisfied."
She was extremely satisfied. The former drillmaster of the Imperial Guards was one in a million. More importantly, Ji Junye had taken the initiative to offer a drillmaster from the Imperial Guards to teach Shen Yan, which showed that he harbored no ill will towards the Duke Protector's Mansion.
Shen Qing looked at him with bright eyes. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Since you want to thank me, are you just going to dismiss me with a single sentence?" Ji Junye said, giving her a meaningful look.
Shen Qing knew exactly what this look meant. Her face flushed. "Your Majesty's health... isn't suitable for that kind of thing yet..."
"That kind of thing..." Ji Junye suddenly leaned closer to her. "I just want you to kiss me. Where did you get that idea, Qingqing?"
Seeing the smile in his eyes, Shen Qing's face turned even redder, like a delicate porcelain vase tinged with a blush of rouge.
"You're teasing me!"
Ji Junye looked innocent. "It was you who got the wrong idea. Why are you blaming it on me?"
Shen Qing turned her head away in annoyance. He had clearly meant that just now. How could it seem like she was so eager?
"I'm ignoring you."
"That won't do," Ji Junye turned her back. "You just said you wanted to thank me. I'm still waiting for your token of gratitude."
Ji Junye stared directly at her. It was no longer a hint but a blatant indication.
Shen Qing didn't want to pay him any heed.
Ji Junye said calmly, "Martial arts instructor."
Shen Qing: "..."
Finally, Shen Qing leaned over and planted a fleeting kiss on his cheek.
"Not enough."
As Ji Junye said this, he pinched her chin and kissed her.
It was already a bit chilly on this late autumn night, but the temperature in the room was rising steadily.
Neither of them knew who had initiated it. By the time Shen Qing came to her senses, the two of them were entangled. Her waistband had long since come loose, and their layered outer garments were strewn casually on the floor.
But then, Ji Junye suddenly stopped.
Shen Qing opened her somewhat dazed eyes and looked at him in confusion, as if asking: Why did you stop?
This look almost overwhelmed Ji Junye.
She had no idea how alluring she looked at this moment, nor did she know what that look meant in bed.
Ji Junye reached out and covered her eyes. "Not yet."
Shen Qing also realized what was going on and wished she could dig a hole and bury herself.
What had she been doing just now?
Not only had she not pushed him away, but deep down, she had even felt an indescribable longing, a longing for him to take it further...
Aaaah!
Why did Ji Junye only cover her eyes? Why didn't he cover her whole face!
Neither of them said a word. They just remained in that position to calm the restlessness within them, and then went to take a bath separately.
When it was time to sleep, Shen Qing still felt a bit awkward and wanted to keep her distance from Ji Junye. But Ji Junye stretched out his long arm and pulled her into his embrace.
"I won't touch you. Go to sleep."
As Ji Junye said this, his big hand still roamed around her waist.
How could she sleep like this?
Just as Shen Qing was about to voice her dissatisfaction, she suddenly felt a gentle pinch on the soft flesh of her waist. Then she heard the man's soft murmur in her ear.
"You seem to have gained a bit of weight. There's more flesh on your waist."
Shen Qing's heart skipped a beat. Did Ji Junye suspect something?
She didn't show her pregnancy very much. At three months, she just looked a bit chubbier. If you didn't look closely, you wouldn't even notice. But Ji Junye was so perceptive. What if he thought too much?
In an instant, several thoughts flashed through Shen Qing's mind.
Shen Qing pinched the flesh on her waist along his hand. "I do seem to have gained weight. Maybe it's because I eat and sleep all day and neglect my martial arts training. I've put on some fat."
"Maybe I should start training again when I get back?"
Ji Junye instinctively wanted to refuse. She was pregnant and poisoned. She shouldn't overexert herself. But just as the words were about to come out of his mouth, he remembered something.
She couldn't have been unaware that her physical condition didn't allow for training. Asking him in this situation was probably a test.
How close he had come! If he had said no just now, wouldn't he have revealed that he already knew about her pregnancy?
It had taken so much effort to get her by his side. If that happened, he'd probably have to start all over again.
Ji Junye pursed his lips. "If you want to train, go ahead. I like you no matter what you look like."
Hearing this, the big stone of vigilance in Shen Qing's heart finally fell.
She took the opportunity to say, "I don't believe it. If I had a bloated face and a waist as thick as a bucket, would you still like me?"
"Of course," Ji Junye planted a kiss on her forehead. "In my heart, no matter what you look like, Qingqing is far more beautiful than any gorgeous appearance."
"Moreover, being a bit plump isn't a bad thing..."
Ji Junye lowered his head and whispered something in Shen Qing's ear.
In the dim light, Ji Junye clearly saw Shen Qing's ears turn bright red.
"You're a scoundrel!"
Ji Junye didn't respond, but since Shen Qing had called him a scoundrel, he naturally wanted to live up to the name.
But Ji Junye didn't go too far because he knew that if he did, he would be the one suffering.
Seeing that he knew when to stop, Shen Qing breathed a sigh of relief. Otherwise, they'd be left in an awkward situation, unable to do anything, which would be so uncomfortable.
Both of them breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that they had managed to deceive each other once again.
She was only a little over three months pregnant, not even four months, and it was already starting to show. Although she had heard that some rural women didn't show their pregnancy until they gave birth and just looked a bit chubby, she wasn't sure if she had that kind of constitution. She didn't know what would happen when she was five or six months, or seven or eight months pregnant.
Although Ji Junye in this life was completely different from the one in her previous life, she couldn't be sure. If Ji Junye didn't want this child, their relationship would surely become as tense as it was in the past. Then both she and the child would be in great danger.
Shen Qing was extremely conflicted in her heart. But she had been a bit tired during the day, and after being teased by Ji Junye for so long at night, she fell asleep soon.
But Ji Junye couldn't sleep. He suddenly thought of a question. Shen Qing was so vigilant about her pregnancy. Besides the fact that she couldn't fully trust him yet, was there something wrong on his side?
Did she know what he had said to Qin Ye that day and think that he didn't like or want children?
But there had only been him and Qin Ye that day. Qin Ye would never have leaked it. Could it be that someone had said something to her?
Was there someone in the Imperial Study who wasn't trustworthy?
Ji Junye hugged Shen Qing and listened to her even breathing. He thought that when they got back, he would ask Li Quan to check everyone in the Imperial Study again. Not a single person would be spared.