My Son is a Transmigrated Prince

He was deceiving others and himself; he could never accept her being together with someone that was not him.

Song Yuan didn’t respond upon hearing Rong Heng say this.

There were about twenty seconds before she could drive through this intersection again. She had a brief twenty seconds to be affected by what he said.

If this sentence had been spoken while she was in the harem in ancient times, she definitely wouldn’t have believed it, nor would she have dared to believe it.

Whether he was speaking or working, his first thought was how to maximize his benefits. Even asleep, his intelligence was greater than hers. At the very least, in ancient times, she had never seen anyone whose mind was so flexible. Of course, as he’d once said, sitting in that throne, if he didn’t calculate against others, others would come to calculate against him. As the emperor, if he was calculated against by others, wouldn’t he be too incapable and ridiculous?

When he said this now, she believed it.

She believed that he loved her, just as she loved him.

Later, she’d thought more than once, how great it would be if he were only Ziheng. But he was not only Ziheng; he was the emperor, and any decision he made was in the interest of the common people.

She just acted as though she hadn’t heard. In any case, nothing would change with his words.

Song Yuan turned on the music, which was playing all the songs she liked.

Rong Heng wasn’t surprised to see that she didn’t give him a response. In fact, sitting next to her like this, even if no words were spoken, he was satisfied.

He thought about the analogy she’d just made and thought of himself. When she first disappeared, he’d thought some people had hidden her away. During that time, the people were in a panic, strictly forbidden from entering and exiting the city. He searched all the places he could find–even the General’s estate had been turned inside out in his search. He sent spies to keep an eye on the General’s state for half a year, but in the end, in the end he finally accepted that she had disappeared.

In those five years, he even had an absurd thought–so long as she was still here, even if she were not the empress, even if she was not married to him, he could accept it.

Thinking about it now, he was deceiving others and himself; he could never accept her being together with someone that was not him.

The two didn’t speak on the road. Song Yuan drove with utmost seriousness, while Rong Heng pondered what he should do next.

When Rong Ting calculated the time and determined that Empress Mother and Emperor Father should have just about arrived, he turned off all the lights in the house and locked the windows before going out with the children’s thermos on his back. But as soon as he closed the door, he saw the next-door auntie standing by the door holding a big bag and a small bag, an expression of extreme discomfort on her face.

Rong Ting was actually a bit scared to look at her. Her belly was so big now, big enough to scare him.

But even if he was afraid, seeing that she looked unwell, Rong Ting took the initiative to jog up and ask quietly, “Auntie, do you need my help?”

The neighboring auntie was very kind to him, often sending fruits for him to eat.

Wu Siyu truly did feel a bit lonely and helpless at this moment. Even though Rong Ting was only a five- or six-year-old child, it was as though she were grasping onto a life-saving straw, and she said in a somewhat shaky voice, “Rong Ting, could you help auntie hold this maternity package? Auntie doesn’t have hands to hold it.”

“En, okay!” Rong Ting took the biggest package in her hand and asked her, “Auntie, what’s wrong?”

Wu Siyu was also terribly scared, but she could still steady herself. At this moment, she sobbed, “I, I think my water broke. There’s more than a week left before the due date, and there’s no one at home. I heard that if your water breaks you need to head to the hospital right away…”

Her water broke? Going to the hospital? Didn’t that mean she was about to give birth to a baby!

Rong Ting took a step back in fright.

But he quickly calmed down and hurriedly said, “Auntie, my mom should be coming soon. I’ll ask her to take you to the hospital!”

It was Wu Siyu’s first time giving birth. Although she’d read many pregnancy diaries, when it was actually happening, she didn’t know what to do. When she heard that Song Yuan was coming soon, she felt her heart settle back down, and she repeatedly gave thanks. “Great, then let’s go down ba!”

Although Rong Ting was afraid of Wu Siyu’s tummy, he also knew that she was about to have a baby, and he helped press the elevator button and lead her into the elevator. The one about to give birth was clearly Wu Siyu, but at this moment, the one who was frightened to the point of sweating was actually Rong Ting.

When the two people came out of the elevator, Wu Siyu was cradling her big belly, and Rong Ting was carrying the not-too-heavy maternity package with one hand and supporting her with the other. He let out a sigh of relief upon seeing his Empress Mother’s car. He very much wanted to rush over to Empress Mother’s side, but thinking of the pregnant woman he was supporting, he held back.

Song Yuan sat in the car and looked out the car window. WIth one look at Wu Siyu’s ‘big bag little bag’ appearance, she understood what was going on. She swiftly unfastened her seat belt, got out of the car, and ran over to support her. “Siyu, are you about to give birth?”

Wu Siyu was almost sobbing. She tightly gripped Song Yuan’s wrist, her legs going soft. “Yuanyuan, I don’t know what’s happening. I just went to the bathroom and found that my water seemed to have broken. My husband’s still out on a business trip ah, he can’t make it back today. My mom and dad are still traveling abroad! What should I do ah!”

Song Yuan knew about Wu Siyu’s circumstances. Her mother-in-law passed away early, and her father-in-law remarried and was of no help at all. Her parents were still on their overseas trip and couldn’t make it back for a while.

Song Yuan thought that this family really had a big heart1. With only a little over a week left before the due date, how could they rest assured leaving a pregnant woman alone at home…

“Don’t be scared!” Song Yuan led her in the direction of the parked car, her voice gentle. “The People’s Hospital isn’t far from here, just a little more than twenty minutes. Lie down in the back seat later. Don’t be too nervous.”

With Song Yuan’s soothing words, Wu Siyu calmed down greatly.

Rong Heng had also gotten out of the car at some point. He quietly came over, took the maternity package tucked under Rong Ting’s elbow, and also took the big bag in Wu Siyu’s hands.

Song Yuan looked at him in surprise.

After helping Wu Siyu into the car, the rest of them also climbed in. Song Yuan took a deep breath and said to Rong Ting in the back seat, “Gugu, pay more attention to Auntie Siyu. If she feels uncomfortable, just tell me. Also, open the car window a little to help her breathe.”

“Okay.” Rong Ting, who was entrusted with this important task, looked solemn and serious. Beads of sweat dotted his nose.

Song Yuan drove very steadily. She didn’t speed, nor did she rush to grab a few extra seconds. Although she was in a hurry, she didn’t dare to drive too fast. If she got into a car accident at this time, it would be even worse.

The people in the car didn’t speak the entire way there, and the atmosphere was incredibly tense. When they finally arrived at the hospital, they headed directly to the obstetrics and gynecology department. Soon, a nurse wheeled Wu Siyu in for an examination to check whether she really had broken her water, as well as whether any dilation occurred2.

Song Yuan was not idle, and she went to the nurse’s desk to open up a two-person ward for Wu Siyu. After the nurse came to the ward, Song Yuan watched Rong Heng place down the maternity packages and gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry ah. This is my neighbor. We get along well, and she’s very good to Gugu. There’s no one there at her home right now, and I don’t want to leave her alone in the hospital, so there’s probably no time to invite you to eat. How about another day? You’re probably busy. Or, are you going back?”

When she said this, Song Yuan turned back to Rong Ting and asked him, “Gugu, why don’t you go back with your Emperor Father? This is Auntie Siyu’s first child, so she’ll probably take a bit longer. She might not be able to give birth tonight.”

Rong Ting shook his head. “No, I will keep watch here with Empress Mother. Auntie Siyu is very kind to me.”

“Alright then.”

Rong Heng also gave an ‘en.’ He didn’t say anything; he only gave Song Yuan a deep look, then turned and left the ward.

After he left, Song Yuan and Rong Ting divided up the work and packed away all the things. Not long after, Wu Siyu was sent back to the ward. She said with some embarrassment, “The nurse said my water shouldn’t have broken, but I was doing a fetal heartbeat check just now, and then I saw a flash of red. The doctor said that I should be giving birth soon, and it should be a contraction3. Yuanyuan, thank you ah.”

“It’s nothing.” Song Yuan helped her lie on the bed. “Do you feel any pain now?”

Wu Siyu shook her head, then nodded again. “A little bit. It’s a little lighter than cramps.”

Song Yuan was thoughtful. She still had some memories of her own childbirth. At the start there wasn’t much pain, then the pain grew, and the frequency of pain increased…

Wu Siyu shouldn’t be starting soon.

In fact, when she recalled the circumstances of her childbirth at that time, Song Yuan still felt a lingering fear. How miserable she’d been ah, with no birth companion4 or epidural5, completely enduring it with nothing to relieve her. She even thought that she was dying.

Back then, she was afraid that she would die during childbirth. In her third trimester, she told him, if she were not there, he must take good care of the baby. She only hoped for her child to grow up safely. After saying this, she felt unburdened, but he couldn’t sleep for several nights.

It was not that there were no good times between them. It was only that that goodness, within the palace walls, instead became a burden. She hadn’t dared to think about it at that time, but now, it seemed like an entire lifetime ago.

Rong Ting went out and wandered around. Seeing several pregnant women in so much pain they couldn’t speak, their faces as white as a sheet, he was frightened into returning quickly.

Having a baby was too scary ba!!

Wu Siyu already made an appointment with the doctor for a birth companion and epidural and at this moment picked up her phone and video chatted with her husband. Song Yuan brought Rong Ting out and left the ward, giving the couple some quiet space.

Rong Ting held Song Yuan’s hand, still feeling a lingering fear. He tugged her.

Song Yuan cooperatively looked down at him, her expression soft. “What is it?”

“Did Empress Mother feel such pain while giving birth to me?” Before, Rong Ting had only heard the old court lady say that Empress Mother had a difficult time giving birth to him. But he had never seen other people giving birth, and at this moment, he was inevitably a bit curious.

Song Yuan didn’t want to recall it anymore. She smiled and squeezed his soft and plump paws, saying quietly, “I’ve forgotten already. I don’t remember if it hurt or not.”

“Oh.” Rong Ting thumped his little chest. “It does not matter if Empress Mother does not remember. I will not forget. It must have been very difficult and painful when Empress Mother gave birth to me! I will never forget it!”

Song Yuan’s brows curved, and her nose was slightly sour. In a place she couldn’t see him, her little boy had already grown this big and would feel distressed for her. How wonderful ah.

They were sitting on the bench outside the ward and chatting when Song Yuan heard Rong Ting cry out in astonishment, “Why has Emperor Father returned?”

She raised her head and happened to meet his gaze.

He had come back, this time with two paper bags in his hands.

He walked up to her, saying in a low voice, “You and Rong Ting haven’t eaten dinner. I asked the driver to buy food.”

[1] To have a big heart can either mean to be generous (not taking things to heart), or to be careless (not paying attention to the little details)

[2] Not really URGENT NEED TO KNOW information unless you’re giving birth and/or helping give birth, but basically when you’re about to go into labor, the contractions cause your cervix to draw closer to the uterus (where the baby is). The cervix then grows thinner and dilates (opens up). When fully dilated, the cervix can be as wide as ten centimeters! The wonders of the human body.

[3] 发作: translations call this a seizure, but it doesn’t sound normal to be getting seizures before pregnancy??? Changed it to something a little more believable, but if it’s supposed to mean something else let me know

[4] A doula, or birth companion, is a trained companion who helps the client through a health-related experience (in this case, childbirth). Doulas are not healthcare professionals and cannot administer medication or medical treatment or give medical advice. Baidu says the term doula could also refer to specific technical equipment that block the pain receptors on the birth canal to provide a comfortable delivery, but this seems to be more of a Chinese-specific reinterpretation of the word?

[5] An anesthesia that blocks pain in the region from your lower abdomen to your upper legs. Its use is not limited to childbirth, and not all women choose to be administered an epidural

Cheese: but actually though, going on a trip a week before your daughter is due to give birth might not have been the best timing…

also happy 4th of july to those who celebrate! i’m not really a fan of fireworks cos theyre so loud, but i do love having a three-day weekend  remember to stay safe and hydrated