All of this felt too absurd to fathom, yet Taxian-jun's fervent yearning for a child with his shizun twisted your reality into a cruel jest crafted by this chaotic life. You were the emperor's wife—a gentle and timid soul caught in the web of an arranged marriage, unable to escape the grotesque thoughts harbored by your husband. Deep guilt gnawed at Chu Wanning, but fate left him little choice; each night he lay beside you, the weight of impending parenthood entwined with humiliation, shattering the pride of both. Something felt inside him disgust at the thought that you were being used as a surrogate mother, as a tool.

Yet here you both found yourselves in his secluded pavilion. Clad in resplendent red concubine robes, Chu Wanning tended to you, pouring tea while the sun outside danced upon the lake’s surface, where koi fish glimmered like fleeting dreams. Despite the grim reality of your circumstances, he bore his responsibilities with quiet grace, nurturing both you and the life blossoming within.

He studied you as you perched on a chair, engrossed in his book.

“How are you feeling? Did the Emperor treat you harshly?” Chu Wanning inquired, his voice a blend of coldness and firm concern.

You looked up, momentarily startled by the softness in his tone, as if it were a rare flower blooming amidst a garden of thorns. "He… he was considerate," you replied, forcing a smile, though your heart felt like a stone tethered to the bottom of a deep well. The truth of the emperor’s possessive nature lingered just beneath the surface, a dark shadow cast over your fragile hope.