Chapter 305: Chapter 244: Fetal Movement

Sang Luo took some time out of her day to check on her six little ones’ homework.

The three Wolf Pups’ homework was excellent. Lan Cang certainly had a knack for raising children.

Little An’s homework was even more outstanding. As the future heir to the Sea Palace, it was only natural. Lou Xianyue might have seemed like a relaxed and casual parent, but he definitely kept a close eye on him day to day.

Sang Luo stared at the two remaining test papers—one marked with a zero, the other with a fifty-four—and was lost in thought.

The zero belonged to her eldest son, Little Qi.

’Quan Jin never helped him with his homework,’ she thought. ’All Little Qi ever did when he was with his father was sleep. So, a zero… It’s understandable, perfectly understandable.’

“And what’s your excuse, my dear Little Zhenzhen?” Sang Luo asked, holding up the test paper with a sigh of exasperation.

Fei Yuan leaned in for a look and chuckled. “Little Ye’s grades were excellent when he was a boy. Perfect scores in every subject.”

Her mother pinched her little paw, her brow furrowed with worry. “Your grandmother plans to pass the leadership of the Bian Clan down to you. If you can’t even pass your exams, how will you ever become the heir to the Si Family?”

’And her own father was the one tutoring her! How was Si Ye supposed to show his face after she scored like this?’

Si Ye offered Little Zhenzhen a lollipop. When she refused, he calmly popped it into his own mouth. “Well, she went from a sixteen to a fifty-four. That’s quite an improvement.”

Sang Luo broke into a cold sweat. “Maybe your teaching methods just aren’t right for your daughter. Should we find a professional tutor for her?”

“I’ve already hired three tutors for her. She scared them all away,” Si Ye said with a shrug. “I hear she’s been blacklisted by every tutor in the city. I put out a hiring notice for ten thousand crystal stones, and I still haven’t gotten a single applicant.”

“…” Sang Luo took a deep breath. She pulled her little daughter, who was busy playing dumb, into her arms and ruffled the fur on her little head. “It’s alright, it’s alright. Every child has different strengths. Maybe Little Zhenzhen is just a late bloomer. Mommy doesn’t have high expectations for you. For our next step, let’s just try to pass, okay? If you pass your next exam, Mommy has a reward for you.”

Little Zhenzhen immediately perked up. She rubbed her little front paws together and asked slyly, “What kind of gift will you give me, Mommy?”

“We’ll talk about it when you finally pass an exam!”

Little Zhenzhen’s face fell, and her enthusiasm vanished.

’She hated studying more than anything!’

Sang Luo’s face flushed with embarrassment. ’Si Ye was raised from childhood to be an exceptional heir, skilled in both scholarship and combat. How did his daughter only inherit the bad traits and none of the good ones? Don’t tell me she got this from me, did she?’

Little Qi tried to comfort her. “It’s okay, Mommy, it’s okay! My little sister, Little Yuan, doesn’t know any of this stuff either. When she comes back, she’ll probably score even worse than our little sister Zhenzhen.”

“…” ’Her eldest son really knew how to comfort people,’ Sang Luo thought sarcastically. “Little Sister Little Yuan?” she asked.

“Yep! Little Sister Little Yuan is the other Little Snake born to you and Daddy. She’s my full sister.”

Sang Luo had never met this eldest daughter of hers; she knew the least about her.

Little Qi, Little Yuan.

A prayer.

’Quan Jin must have given them those nicknames in the hope that they would grow up safe and sound.’

Si Ye had been staying in the Imperial Palace for nearly half a month when, one day, he received a message from Si Jing.

“Luoluo, I’m taking Little Zhenzhen back to the clan for a bit.”

“Did something happen in the clan?”

“It’s nothing. Si Jing misses Little Zhenzhen. She’s sent several letters urging me to come back. Zhenzhen misses her grandma too, so I’m taking her for a visit.”

The Elders of the Bian Clan placed great importance on Little Zhenzhen. Years ago, Si Ye had gone against the opposition of many of the clan’s Elders to raise Little Zhenzhen by his side, much to their displeasure. Si Jing knew that Little Zhenzhen preferred to live with her mother and father, so she hadn’t objected. However, she did make an agreement with Si Ye that he would bring Little Zhenzhen back to the clan for a few days every year. They hadn’t been back yet this year.

Sang Luo stood up and stretched. “I haven’t been to see her in a long time, either.”

Fei Yuan walked over. “You should stay here in the Imperial Palace and rest.”

Si Ye added, “My mother knows you’re carrying the Phoenix Emperor’s child. Your health is precious, and your belly is getting big. She said you shouldn’t be traveling. If something were to happen, she said she couldn’t bear the responsibility. She also said she’d come visit you herself with a gift after you give birth.”

“I couldn’t have her do that,” Sang Luo said, sitting back down. She rummaged carefully through her storage space and took out a sandalwood box. “I’ve prepared a gift for her. It’s nothing too valuable, but please give it to her for me.”

Si Ye accepted her thoughtful gift and left with Little Zhenzhen.

He was gone for several months.

Sang Luo eventually heard the reason from Fei Yuan, and it turned out to be good news: Si Jing was about to break through to the King Beast Peak. Si Ye was staying in their clan’s territory to protect her during the process, so he wouldn’t be back for a while.

Sang Luo rubbed her belly, which grew rounder by the day. A smile touched her lips. “Once the baby is born, I’ll go see her. I’m sure she’ll look much younger after her breakthrough.”

“Yes. After Fei Li died, she was trapped in her grief for years. Her cultivation stagnated. It’s good that she has finally moved past it,” Fei Yuan said, carefully helping her onto the bed to rest.

Sang Luo’s belly was now as large as a normal woman’s at seven or eight months of pregnancy. Her movements had become somewhat cumbersome, and it seemed the baby would be coming soon.

When Sang Luo heard the trace of sadness in Fei Yuan’s tone as he mentioned “Fei Li,” she remembered. Fei Li was Fei Yuan’s only younger brother.

He had died tragically young. She had never met this brother-in-law of hers. “You must have resented Si Jing,” she said regretfully.

Fei Yuan cared deeply for Si Ye. He had raised the boy for a good part of his childhood. The bond between uncle and nephew ran much deeper than their usual bickering suggested.

Though Si Ye had Phoenix Clan blood, he carried the Si Family name and had no formal ties to the clan. Logically, Fei Yuan shouldn’t have had to worry so much about his nephew, let alone take him in to discipline him personally. Sang Luo thought about it for a moment, and then it clicked. ’He must be projecting the affection he had for his deceased brother onto Si Ye, his brother’s son.’

Fei Yuan neither confirmed nor denied it. “Fei Li chose to marry her. Whatever the outcome, it wasn’t my place to interfere or have any regrets.”

“Besides, Si Jing did nothing wrong. It’s just… Fei Li went to be with her, and he ended up losing his life at the Si Family estate. I can’t help but hold some resentment over that.” He reflected, ’After Si Ye was born, I considered taking him away and adopting him. I felt my foolish little brother had gotten a raw deal, and I wanted to bring his bloodline back to my side to raise.’

’Thinking about it now, though, it’s a good thing I didn’t.’

’Otherwise, the family hierarchy would have become a complete mess!’

’He wouldn’t have had the first clue how to explain to the children, “So… your dad is my dad’s dad?”’

“If Fei Li’s spirit is watching from the heavens, he must be so happy to see how wonderfully Si Ye has grown up, and to know that he has his own granddaughter now,” Sang Luo said, giving him a peck on the cheek.

“Having such an outstanding descendant as Little Zhenzhen… my foolish brother can truly rest in peace.” Fei Yuan saw the worry in her eyes, and his heart softened. He gently tapped the tip of her nose and smiled. “There, there. It’s been so many years. I came to terms with it long ago. Besides,” he added, his voice warm, “this emperor is too busy looking forward to our child to think about anything else.”

Fei Yuan then went out to brew her another bowl of fetus-preserving medicine.

After drinking it, Sang Luo suddenly clutched her belly and cried out.

“What is it, Luo’er?” Fei Yuan asked urgently.

“Just now, I think…” She broke into a smile. “The baby kicked me!”

How could an egg kick someone? She quickly changed her wording. “It… it beat it!”

That was even funnier.

Sang Luo was getting flustered and tongue-tied. Fei Yuan couldn’t hold back his laughter, pulling her into an ecstatic hug.

This was the first time she had felt the baby move.

“Let this emperor have a listen.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep