Chapter 963: Mountain Villa

Along the way, they toured the mountains and waters.

For a journey of two hundred miles, they took four or five days.

By the time they arrived at The Summer Resort, half of June had already passed.

Except for Xia Caiying.

Xia Ruqing and Ni Manxue were not visiting for the first time.

Getting off the carriage and seeing the beautiful scenery in front of them, both of them were filled with emotion.

"Time really flies by!"

"Last time we came, it was already a few years ago!"

Ni Manxue laughed.

"Indeed! I wasn’t even married then!"

"In the blink of an eye, my child is this big!"

Perhaps it was because she was still unmarried at that time.

Back then, Ni Manxue possessed a gentle grace even amidst her intelligence.

Now... after getting married, having children, and being the household lady for a few years.

She not only became more intelligent but also acted more skillfully and gracefully, her nature becoming more straightforward and lively.

Simply put, she became even more likable.

Xia Ruqing smiled.

"Alright, Sister-in-law, stop reminiscing!"

"The sun is scorching! Let’s go inside first!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I almost forgot!" Ni Manxue laughed while holding her belly.

After speaking, the three sisters-in-law helped each other by the hands of the servants and went inside.

The Summer Resort had many courtyards, but fewer people came this time.

Besides the children, it was just the three of them.

So they chose to stay in three nearby exquisite courtyards along the stream.

The courtyards at The Summer Resort were different from those in the palace.

The houses were slightly smaller than the palace palaces, with small pavilions and exquisite rooms.

Even though there weren’t many residents, it didn’t feel empty at all.

The furnishings inside were even more splendid.

The Capital City had sent people to tidy up early.

The floors and beds were covered with new linens, matched to the style of the house, giving a very leisurely vibe.

The area around the courtyard had no walls, just bamboo fences all around.

Vines of all kinds climbed on the fences, blooming with various colorful wildflowers.

Once outside, the neighbors could easily chat from their respective courtyards, which was very delightful.

The courtyard was surrounded by mountains.

In the distance, dense forests spread like a weave, while nearby streams flowed gently, with wildflowers and lush green grass spread all around.

A light breeze blew, filling the air with fresh, sweet fragrance.

Xia Ruqing went inside the house for a turn and then came into the courtyard.

Sitting on a chair woven from vines beside the fence, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

The fresh, sweet air quickly filled her entire chest.

Then she gently exhaled slowly, feeling refreshed all over.

"The air here is so refreshing! A few deep breaths, and I feel completely revitalized!"

Zi Yue brought over a light cloak.

"Master, the mountain air is cool; at least cover your stomach!"

Xia Ruqing smiled and took it, draping it over her as she sighed.

"Speaking of which, when I was in the Capital City, it was blazing hot every day. Coming here, it’s indeed not hot!"

"Of course! We came here to escape the heat!" Zi Yue laughed!

Xia Ruqing fanned herself with a cloth fan a few times and looked around.

"Where are Henger and Yeye? Weren’t they just running wild everywhere?"

This was the first time these two children traveled so far.

It was also their first time seeing such sights; they were thrilled along the way.

Once they got off the carriage, the two of them paired up and went off running wild, and they hadn’t been seen since.

Fortunately, there were always people with them, so she wasn’t too worried!

Zi Yue laughed and said.

"Madam, it’s already the Shen Hour now!"

"The two princes have been playing all day and are both tired and hungry, so Sister Liang and Sister Jiang fed them some food and put them to rest!"

Xia Ruqing nodded.

"No wonder I haven’t seen them for a while!"

Zi Yue looked at her.

"Madam, you’ve also been in the carriage for most of the day, and lunch wasn’t great. Would you like to eat a bit more and then rest?"

Xia Ruqing touched her belly.

"I’m not hungry!"

"But now that you mention it, I am a bit sleepy. I’ll go take a nap!"

"Aye!"

Zi Yue happily helped her up and went inside.

The small courtyard was a two-story pavilion.

Though it was small, the sun hadn’t fully penetrated it, so once inside, a cool breeze greeted them.

The interior was furnished simply yet elegantly.

The high-quality sandalwood bed was draped with a canopy of emerald willow smoke veils.

In front of the bed was a beauty couch made of agarwood, covered with a mat woven from reeds and topped with a silk blanket.

It could be used as a cover or a mat.

Seeing the beauty couch, Xia Ruqing didn’t even want to sleep on the bed.

She had Zi Yue lay the silk blanket out for her, and she lay down on the beauty couch.

Her head rested on a buckwheat husk pillow, and she was covered with a thin summer quilt.

A breeze blew, laced with the warmth of summer.

It caressed her face, gently and warmly.

Within a few breaths, Xia Ruqing had fallen into a deep sleep.

To the left of Xia Ruqing lived Ni Manxue’s family.

On the right was Cai Yang’s family.

After Shen Hour in the afternoon, both families, after being lively for a while, quieted down.

After all, no matter how comfortable a carriage is, it can’t compare to a bed.

After several days on the road, the three pregnant women were each more tired than the last.

Ni Manxue ate a little and then fell into a deep sleep.

However, Xia Caiying wasn’t quite the same. Perhaps due to the bumpy ride or some other reason, her appetite was poor.

She didn’t eat much at lunch.

By Shen Hour in the afternoon, she hadn’t eaten anything.

The head maid Du Juan was a bit concerned.

"Master, how can you not eat?"

"The master will be here shortly, and if he sees you like this, won’t he worry?"

Xia Caiying lay on the bed, looking a bit fatigued.

"Just don’t tell him, I’ll be fine!"

Du Juan wanted to say more but was stopped by Xia Caiying.

"Alright, I’m sleepy, you can go now!"

With no choice, Du Juan bowed.

"Yes!"

She was about to turn and leave when she saw a figure entering from outside.

Wearing dark clothes and moving with a nimble step, who else could it be but the master?

Du Juan quickly saluted.

"Greetings, Master!"

"Stand up!"

Without even looking at her, Yang Chenyi waved his hand dismissively and went straight to the bed.

Upon hearing his voice, Xia Caiying started to get up, but Yang Chenyi stopped her.

"Don’t move!"

Xia Caiying’s eyes were filled with tenderness.

"Why did you come, Master? Are you hot?"

"I’ll have the maid bring some mung bean soup to cool you down!"

Yang Chenyi stopped her again.

"No need, just lie back down!"

His words were few, but each word was steady and strong, giving a sense of safety from the heart.

Unable to resist, Xia Caiying obediently lay back down.

Yang Chenyi furrowed his brows.

"I heard from the maid that you haven’t had much of an appetite these past few days, is it because of the bumpy journey?"

Xia Caiying quickly shook her head.

"No!"

"Please don’t worry, Master, I’m fine!"

Yang Chenyi thought for a moment and said.

"Then get up and have something to eat before you go back to sleep!"

"I heard the maid say you didn’t have much for lunch!"

For a moment, Xia Caiying looked a bit hesitant.

"Well..."

"Master..."

"I’m not hungry, just a bit tired, maybe I’ll feel better after some rest!"

Yang Chenyi nodded.

"Alright then!"

"There’s no need to force yourself if you don’t want to, but make sure to speak up if you’re uncomfortable. We have an Imperial Physician with us!"