Chapter 461: Chapter 458: Touching Myself—Is It Bothering You?

The young servant on the left nodded in agreement.

"Talking casually about floods, after all, we’re not gods. How could we predict what’s going to happen? But floods in Jiangnan are frequent. If this rain doesn’t stop, let alone the fruits having issues, perhaps the rising water levels might destroy a few bridges."

"In recent years, quite a few dikes have been built in Jiangnan, so if there’s a flood, it should be better than other places. On the way here, we heard from some traveling merchants about the strange weather, and other places are also having continuous rain. It’s just that news from remote areas isn’t widespread, so that’s why it hasn’t been widely reported."

Yu Tingwan stood still, not making any other movements.

She only remembered the river from her past life, no longer gentle like usual, but surging violently, as if it could swallow people.

Drowning her.

The sound of rain pattered in her ears, accompanied by thunder, as if the world could end.

And the sound of others’ regret.

– "Why is the path ahead blocked? What’s happened?"

– "In the past fortnight, the torrents have been violent. Has someone’s house flooded again? Or has a child fallen into the river? Damn this cursed weather."

– "Someone has thrown themselves into the river. That group of people, who knows where they’re from, is fishing for bodies day and night. The river is so fierce, the body could have been swept away to who knows where. It may even be fish fodder."

Yes.

It was indeed a flood.

After sending people away, Yu Tingwan had Tan Jiang send a message to Wei Zhao, her mood not particularly high.

"Caw."

A strange bird’s call was heard.

A blue crow struggling to flap its wings.

Who knows where it came from, its wings soaked, it landed on the window with difficulty.

It couldn’t even hop up, its eyes, the size of mung beans, rolling around.

"Qiao’er."

It shouted.

Yu Tingwan: ...

It went eavesdropping on conversations again.

The blue crow screeched: "You’d rather marry a cripple than marry me, is that it!"

At that time in the Imperial Palace.

The lighting wasn’t very bright, but the hall was illuminated by lamps everywhere.

Emperor Ying finally summoned the Second Prince.

Ying Zhi knelt on the dragon bed to serve.

"Is there nothing you want to say to me?"

"If you’re determined to charge me, you’ll find no lack of pretexts."

Ying Zhi respectfully lowered his head.

All who served in the hall were black shadows. Emperor Ying propped a hand on the dragon bed, gazing deeply at him.

The burns on his body had healed significantly, but he appeared much more haggard.

Ying Zhi: "Does Father truly believe the fire in Yangxin Hall was my doing?"

"If it were I, what would I gain? Why was the Fifth Prince coincidentally in the Imperial Palace, coincidentally rushing into the sea of fire? Why did all the benefits fall on the Fifth Prince?"

Ying Zhi thought doing such a thing and then blaming it on him was truly a masterstroke.

Emperor Ying’s emotions were heavy, and no one knew what was on his mind.

The incident at Yangxin Hall made him realize more clearly.

Too many wanted him dead.

As for who did it, it no longer mattered.

In recent days, he investigated many matters in secret. These two sons had too much going on under their hands.

Emperor Ying gave a slight smile, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

"I am asking about the Third Prince of Liang Yue."

Ying Zhi had anticipated this and didn’t appear flustered.

"He did approach me."

He lifted his gaze to meet Emperor Ying’s cold, fierce eyes.

"But why did he conveniently let the Fifth Prince encounter him?"

"Are you saying that the Fifth Prince colluded with Liang Rui to frame you?"

Ying Zhi placed the medicinal soup aside, kneeling down heavily, he prostrated with his head on the back of his hands, making a gesture of submission.

"Father is wise."

"Please clear the son’s name, Father."

Another day passed.

The blue crow flew back again.

It circled three times over Fu Meng who was lying on the ground sleeping, mimicking words it heard from who knows where.

"You bastard."

It shouted.

"You do nothing all day but sneak into women’s rooms. You wretched creature, why don’t you sneak into your wife’s room? Why sneak into someone else’s?"

Fu Meng found it noisy and swatted it away, plucking several feathers in the process.

"Ah!"

Duke Shun Mansion was lively, the Imperial Palace, dead silent.

Emperor Ying’s head began to ache again.

As the blue crow hopped about, singing the children’s rhymes heard in the streets – What’s daddy’s daddy called, daddy’s daddy is grandpa.

Emperor Ying’s internal organs, entire body began to ache.

The burns on his body, for some reason, worsened, not only itching but also oozing pus.

Outside, it kept raining, and as the blue crow started calling tenderly: "Caiying, Caiying."

Emperor Ying’s health declined further, finally erupting in anger, leaving a group of Imperial Physicians kneeling outside trembling with fear.

When Bao Pu, who was under house arrest, suddenly mentioned the severe water calamities in many places of Da Jin, with urban flooding, destruction of fields and millions of disaster victims, the Emperor summoned him.

The night was deep, as Yu Tingwan emerged from the washroom, Wei Zhao was lifting his brush to write and draw.

Outside, the sound of rain paused, but with the window open, a cool breeze blew in.

She walked over to take the bird’s nest Wei Zhao had prepared for her on the table.

Yu Tingwan drank a few sips and stopped.

She touched her chin.

Feeling like she was being fed plump again.

The girl felt a bit melancholic.

But she couldn’t avoid eating the bird’s nest.

She couldn’t control her mouth.

Yu Tingwan drank it in small sips, unable to resist patting her waist.

Still slim.

But...

The girl, as if no one else was around, eyes pure, began patting her chest which had grown larger.

Her actions were natural.

Just wanted to measure any changes.

One hand couldn’t hold it.

Yu Tingwan sensed someone watching her.

Wei Zhao at some point paused his actions, leaned back, his brows and eyes handsome and noble, with deep meaning, a dark fire burning deep in his dark eyes.

"What are you looking at?"

Yu Tingwan’s face didn’t turn red, nor did she lower her hand, inexplicably confident: "I’m touching myself, does it bother you?"

Wei Zhao: "No."

That’s more like it.

Yu Tingwan: "My undergarments need to be redone again."

Yu Tingwan knew that pregnancy and childbirth would make them larger again, good for nursing.

Some people would return to normal after stopping breastfeeding, some wouldn’t, depending on individual physique.

Not to mention distant matters.

In summer’s heat, wearing less clothes, if they moved too fast, would it be inappropriate?

But she also didn’t want to bind her chest, uncomfortable and stifling, truly unbearable.

Yu Tingwan suddenly felt more melancholic, rubbing herself.

"This can’t go on."

Wei Zhao stopped writing and drawing as well.

His throat tightened.

His gaze was like a flame, trailing from her cheek, burning past her neck, collarbones, finally stopping at the location of her hand.

"Continue, I’m watching."

Yu Tingwan was puzzled: "Watching what?"

Wei Zhao sighed quietly.