After Pei Xia finished feeding Jiao Niang, he put down the bowl and spoon, still a bit dazed.
He looked rather silly - standing up, rubbing his hands and pacing back and forth in the room like a headless fly. "Ah, Jiao Niang is pregnant... I'm going to be a father! Hahaha!" He let out a few bursts of laughter, then pounced over, holding her face and giving her a hard kiss. "Our child..."
Regardless of the others present, Pei Xia placed his big palm on her belly, his eyes full of expectation. "Jiao Niang, we're going to have a child!"
His smile was bright and warm, as if he had seen the most precious treasure in the world.
Qi Jiao had never seen Pei Xia like this before. The tenderness in his eyes seemed to stretch for miles.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously asked a question that all pregnant women in the world would ask. "I wonder if it's a boy or a girl. What if it's a girl?"
After saying that, Qi Jiao stared firmly at Pei Xia's face.
Pei Xia smiled and replied without hesitation, "I like them all, whether it's a boy or a girl. With such a smart and beautiful mother, no matter if it's a son or a daughter, it will surely be an outstanding person."
Qi Jiao was flattered by the compliment and nodded contentedly.
She knew that even in this feudal and patriarchal society, Pei Xia was an extraordinary good man.
Not long after, Dr. Zou came in to check on Jiao Niang.
He tilted his head and felt her pulse again, saying that Jiao Niang was anxious and exhausted, and the pregnancy was unstable. She needed to stay in bed and recuperate for some time.
"Do I have to stay in bed? But I still have a lot of things to take care of." Jiao Niang frowned slightly, feeling worried. The baby was still too young, and she couldn't feel the new life in her belly.
Pei Xia took her hand and kissed it. "It's okay, Jiao Niang. We'll follow Dr. Zou's advice. You just need to take care of yourself and the baby. I'll handle the rest, and so will our siblings."
Qi Jiao nodded. She nestled into Pei Xia's arms, thinking that it would be good to take a break during this pregnancy.
After getting the anti - miscarriage medicine, Pei Xia carefully took her back to Pomegranate Alley.
Since the pregnancy was still in its early stage and there were too many people in Jiao Niang's restaurant, Qi Jiao didn't want any trouble. She just said that she had been overworked for days and needed a good rest. Then Pei Xia carried Jiao Niang back to the room.
As for Pei Jin, Leng Yao and other close people, they naturally took over Jiao Niang's responsibilities and took care of every detail of the restaurant. If they encountered something they couldn't decide, they would ask Jiao Niang for advice.
So there were no problems, and the restaurant successfully operated until the morning of Chinese New Year's Eve.
After the shop closed, Pei Xia wrapped Qi Jiao tightly in a cloak, leaving only her beautiful and charming eyes exposed. Then he carried her into the carriage and set off for Silver Bay.
Afraid of the bumps on the road, he had already laid layer upon layer of soft cushions in the carriage.
Qi Jiao was carefully taken care of and nestled comfortably in Pei Xia's arms for a good sleep. They returned to their home in Baiyun Village without any hindrance.
Tang Guiniang and Aunt Ye stood outside the house, waiting eagerly regardless of the snow.
Finally, they saw the returning carriage.
They were smiling at first, but then they saw that Pei Xia hardly let Jiao Niang touch the ground with her feet.
As experienced women, they knew exactly what was going on.
Jiao Niang was pregnant!
Fireworks seemed to burst in Tang Guiniang's mind, and Aunt Ye couldn't stop smiling.
The two of them helped Qi Jiao in as if she were a great hero.
Qi Jiao was quite uncomfortable. As long as she made a slight move, she would meet the eager eyes of everyone who was about to serve her.
Qi Jiao covered her mouth and laughed. "I'm just pregnant, not disabled. Everyone can enjoy themselves freely. I just need A Xia to accompany me."
This year's reunion dinner was even more lively than before. After the dinner, Qi Jiao felt a bit tired, so the couple went back to the east wing first.
The east wing had also been tidied up by Pei Xia in advance, and everything was to Qi Jiao's liking.
She lay lazily on the couch, with one elbow on her forehead, showing half of her fair and delicate forearm.
Pei Xia told Qi Jiao not to sleep yet. He served her to rinse her mouth and wrung out a handkerchief to wipe her face.
There were charcoal fires burning in the four corners of the room, and the warming stove was very hot. Qi Jiao had already taken off her small jacket and was only wearing a long brocade robe with peony patterns. Her cheeks were rosy, and when she looked at him sideways, the end of her eyes showed a beautiful and alluring curve.
He couldn't help but kiss her on the cheek. Then he turned to look out of the window. The sky had completely darkened, and there were the sounds of children playing and firecrackers outside. The old year was giving way to the new, and another year had passed.
Pei Xia took off his robe and hung it aside. He lay down on the outside of her. He was a bit tired and wanted to sleep with his wife and child for a while.
Qi Jiao looked at Pei Xia's face. There were faint dark circles under his eyes. He had really worked hard these days. She stretched out her slender and white fingers to trace his eyebrows, his lips...
Pei Xia closed his eyes, but the corners of his lips curled up slightly.
He lay on the faint fragrance of her body. Their breaths intertwined, and he couldn't help but feel a bit restless.
His hand covered her forearm and slowly slid down. His fingers slipped into her inner clothes and caressed her snow - white skin. Gradually, his breathing became a bit heavy. They hadn't been intimate for many days, and his body had its own desires.
He searched for her lips, held her jade neck, and pressed her towards him. Even though he was burning with passion, he still remembered to gently support her belly with one hand and keep a distance below.
Her hand lifted his inner clothes and stroked his chest and abdomen. His muscles were well - defined and strong, and she had a great time.
He was aroused by her. He whispered softly beside her ear, "What should I do? I can hardly hold back."
He pressed her hand down and covered his swelling. She laughed softly, but her snow - white earlobes turned as red as blood drops. "No, it's not even three months yet..."
Although she said so, her delicate little hands didn't move away. They gently caressed him, soothing him tenderly.
His voice was hoarse, and his face was full of lust. He moved with her hand. "It's really torturous."
Just as they were in the middle of it, Pei Li's voice came from outside.
"Brother? Are you asleep? Mother has something to talk to you."
Pei Li, who was in the voice - changing period, had a hoarse voice. With just a couple of shouts, he instantly extinguished Pei Xia's lust.
Pei Xia's expression was quite interesting. He stopped and lay on Jiao Niang's shoulder. After a while, he shouted out that he knew.
Jiao Niang saw Pei Xia's annoyance and smiled brightly.
Pei Xia pulled the quilt over her to cover her tightly, then straightened his clothes, put on his outer robe and went out.
"Mother, you wanted to see me."
Tang Guiniang saw that her son's face was a bit gloomy and guessed that the young couple had been intimate just now and had been interrupted.
She felt a bit embarrassed. It was understandable that such things happened, but she still had to give a warning. She coughed twice and said seriously, "Didn't the doctor tell you? Jiao Niang is just newly pregnant, and the fetus is not stable yet. It's not suitable for you to have sex now. If something goes wrong, not only will the baby be in danger, but Jiao Niang will suffer. You, as a man, won't be affected. Anyway, no matter how full of energy you are, you have to hold it in. If you really can't help it, sleep in separate beds from Jiao Niang. After three months, ask the doctor's opinion... Then it will be okay... Do you understand?"
Pei Xia's face turned green, but he still tried to stay calm. "I would have known even if you didn't say so. In any case, I will never hurt Jiao Niang and the baby. But there's no need to sleep in separate beds."
"If there's nothing else, I'll go first. Mother, don't stay up too late. Go to sleep when it's about time." After saying that, he left.
He didn't go back to the east wing but went straight to the bathhouse to take a cold shower.
Tang Guiniang watched Pei Xia go into the bathhouse, and the sound of water came from inside.
She smiled contentedly. To be honest, A Xia was really an obedient child.