CMWKSD -Chapter 283 Behave, don’t get into trouble, okay?

Jiu Yue looked at Ling Yue and the others with a puzzled expression.

There was no denying that this time, their mission had been executed flawlessly—and with unexpected success.

However, after returning to the capital to meet the Emperor, all of them had, without exception, crowded over to the Ji family residence.

The entire courtyard of the Ji household was filled with people.

Everyone stared curiously at Jiu Yue’s slightly rounded belly.

Of course, they all knew Jiu Yue hadn’t gained weight. But her extraordinary strength had made them overlook one crucial fact: Jiu Yue was a woman capable of bearing children.

So, they kept shifting their gaze from the sky to the ground, and then to her belly…

Jiu Yue had already endured wave after wave of confused, curious, and incredulous looks. She had long since grown accustomed to them.

Anyone familiar with Jiu Yue knew that upon seeing her subtly swollen belly, they could immediately tell she was pregnant—and their mouths would gape wide enough to fit an egg.

Jiu Yue lazily reclined on her sunlit chair, rocking gently. Looking at this group of kids who had run straight from the special training camp, she felt that they had grown into capable adults. Her presence was no longer necessary.

She didn’t understand why they had come: “What are you here for?”

Wen Yu stepped forward first, a little cocky, though respect still tinged his tone. This group had already unconsciously regarded Jiu Yue as their mentor.

They went on and on, describing their mission in the Northern Barbarians’ territory, ultimately boasting that they had brought back the true emperor of the North Barbarians.

Jiu Yue frowned. So this group of brats had come to brag to her?

As if daring her to hit them! Didn’t they know she had been restricted recently, unable to run wild? And they still came to flaunt their achievements!

A tiny mission they couldn’t even fail at—and these were her special training camp kids!

But when she looked up into their eager eyes, waiting for her praise, it didn’t feel like she had imagined.

Unexpectedly, Jiu Yue felt a spark of maternal affection. Dryly, she said, “Well done.”

The group—boys and girls alike—blushed, pressing their lips together in shy smiles. If each had a tail, they would have wagged it so hard it could have lifted them off the ground like helicopter blades.

As they spoke, Shao Qing said, “Eunuch Li has arrived, and he’s brought a whole carriage of things.”

Jiu Yue’s body stiffened. She sat upright on the chair, perfectly straight.

Jiu Yue, a fearless, unflinching killer, had now encountered… feelings she couldn’t ignore in Da Qi: a concern for Ji Yiqing and a… complicated fear regarding Emperor Fengyuan.

“Fear” wasn’t exactly right—her feelings toward Emperor Fengyuan were complex. But the fact remained that he could control her. Annoying beyond measure.

Jiu Yue hadn’t even realized that, before they had returned from the outskirts to the capital, the Emperor had already learned from the Crown Prince that she was pregnant.

He had been so angry he nearly went to the palace to fetch Jiu Yue back himself, keeping her safely in the capital so she wouldn’t run wild.

If it weren’t for Li Feng and Ying San San banging their heads repeatedly, Emperor Fengyuan would have acted without concern for etiquette.

He adored Jiu Yue. He worried for her. Everyone knew it.

In the past, he might have hidden it a little, fearing that others’ awareness would bring Jiu Yue harm. But now, seeing her cut off Prince Hui’s head while pregnant, he knew he couldn’t hide it.

Not because he feared others knowing—but because if he kept hiding it, Jiu Yue might just destroy herself. Pregnant and still so fierce!

Bearing a child was no small matter—it was a deadly challenge for any woman. Emperor Fengyuan couldn’t even imagine if something happened to Jiu Yue. How could the North Barbarians remain in peace then?

Immediately, he had Li Feng select ten from the Hawkeye unit and fifty from the Imperial Guards. As for the rest of the protection detail… easily hundreds.

The carriage was filled with soft bedding and furs.

With great fanfare and without hiding a thing, they arrived at the county where Jiu Yue and her companions were staying.

The moment Jiu Yue heard Li Feng say, “We’re bringing the Princess back to the palace,” she nearly performed a perfect Thomas somersault at the courtyard gate.

Yes, being personally escorted by Li Feng, the Emperor’s close attendant, was an honor second only to Emperor Fengyuan himself. Not even the Crown Prince had experienced it.

Jiu Yue, lacking the awareness of a princess, had only ever remembered it when she wanted to bully others.

With such a luxurious carriage, she climbed in without a trace of guilt. She didn’t understand why Emperor Fengyuan sent Li Feng to fetch her—she could run back herself!

Ji Yiqing and Ji Chaomian accompanied her back to the capital. The Crown Prince stayed behind to handle affairs.

Although the journey should have taken no more than three days, Li Feng insisted on moving slowly to avoid jostling Princess Xuyu. So they took seven days.

If Jiu Yue showed even a hint of impatience, Li Feng, Ji Yiqing, and Ji Chaomian would look at her wordlessly, their expressions asking her to stay quiet. If not for their usual care toward her, she would have been resentful.

Upon returning, Emperor Fengyuan’s unpredictable actions began.

Jiu Yue hadn’t yet met him in the capital when he secretly left the palace to see her.

The other members of the Ji family thought a miracle had occurred at their ancestral tombs—he had come in person!

Jiu Yue, happily thinking she had accomplished something grand, didn’t realize that Emperor Fengyuan had actually come to reward her.

Suddenly, Emperor Fengyuan slammed the table: “You!”

He wanted to scold her, but then remembered she was pregnant. He wanted to pinch her ears, but couldn’t bear her pitiful expression. He even wanted to use Li Feng’s whisk to spank her, yet he was too fond of her.

Ji Yiqing, Ji Chaomian, and the rest of the Ji family all knelt trembling. Even the eunuchs and guards inside and outside the house went down one by one.

Pointing at Jiu Yue, Emperor Fengyuan was furious—this little brat!—yet he couldn’t bear it…

Jiu Yue, oblivious, blinked her big eyes and smiled at him.

And with that, he was completely choked up. His anger made him dizzy.

An emperor, reduced to being so flustered. Unheard of, unprecedented.

If anyone else were in her place, he would have collapsed.

The household erupted into chaos.

Jiu Yue forgot she was pregnant and rushed to support Emperor Fengyuan with the Hawkeye people, preventing him from falling.

She wanted to check his pulse, but her hand trembled. For the first time, her heart skipped a beat, her breath caught.

Seeing Emperor Fengyuan collapse unconscious, her mind went blank.

What had happened to him?

In that instant, her memories of him—the guidance, the care, the power and favoritism he had granted—rushed through her mind.

Her chest tightened. She was a top-tier physician, yet in that moment, she felt utterly helpless, forgetting all her skills.

Finally, as her fingers felt his pulse, they trembled. Emperor Fengyuan couldn’t be hurt—not a single thing could happen…

It wasn’t about the empire, the people, or the authority he had given her.

It was simply because she couldn’t bear it.

Once again, Jiu Yue had a clear, formal name for this emotion, distinct from liking: she couldn’t bear to let Emperor Fengyuan go.

She couldn’t bear his kindness, his teachings, even the image of him spanking her with a whisk.

Tears brimmed in her eyes. A girl who didn’t believe in gods or have faith silently prayed while taking his pulse: It’s okay, it’s okay… Heaven will protect His Majesty.

As his strong, steady pulse reached her fingertips, Jiu Yue breathed deeply several times. Her body weakened, her breathing shaky.

A single tear fell unexpectedly, landing right on Emperor Fengyuan’s hand.

It was as if her tear burned him—he instinctively recoiled.

Their eyes met. Emperor Fengyuan drew a deep breath.

“Jiu Yue… behave, don’t get into trouble, okay?”