[1]The Consort is Both Charming and Scheming, Rising Through Palace Intrigue

Chapter 190: You've Disappointed Me

Imperial Physician Guo slowly explained, "Pregnancy pulses are typically smooth and flowing, like beads rolling on a plate. Some substances can cause false pregnancy symptoms, but I've personally never seen them. Misdiagnoses can occur with phlegm-dampness, food retention, or excessive internal heat, which may also produce a slippery pulse. But since your menstruation is delayed and the pulse is smooth, the chances of pregnancy are higher. The pregnancy signs will become more obvious with time."

Listening to her questions made Guo a bit nervous. A slippery pulse didn't always indicate pregnancy, so while he believed it was, he couldn't be entirely certain.

Xiao Yu's brows furrowed, his gaze darkening. "It's just a pregnancy pulse. Are you saying you can't even diagnose something that basic?"

Startled by the emperor's icy tone, Guo knelt immediately. "This humble servant only thought it might be more reliable to check again in a few days. That way, Consort Xiu can also be more reassured."

Xiao Yu understood that the imperial physicians were always reading faces. Knowing how important this child was to him, they wouldn't dare be careless, lest they be punished if anything went wrong.

So regardless of how confident they claimed to be, in his heart, Xiao Yu already believed in the pregnancy.

"Come again in a few days to check on her pulse," he said.

He waved his hand, dismissing Guo. The physician looked relieved as he quickly packed his medicine box and left.

Ning Shuyan sensed that Xiao Yu was already displeased. She had acted too hastily and asked too many questions.

She spoke softly, "Your Majesty, I'm just afraid something might go wrong..."

Xiao Yu gazed at her, eyes no longer gentle but deep and unreadable.

"I'm starting to think you don't want to be pregnant."

His tone was rarely this cold. In private, he never addressed her by her title. Before Ning Shuyan could respond, he added:

"Why are you so sure it's not a pregnancy pulse?"

His voice was slow, low, and frosty.

Ning Shuyan's heart trembled. She didn't know how to reply. Her mind was a mess from the pregnancy news. After all, she had faked one before—but no one else knew that.

She swallowed, lifting her shimmering eyes to him and said timidly, "It's not that I don't want to be pregnant... I'm just afraid... afraid something's off, and that I won't be able to protect this child."

Xiao Yu let out a cold laugh—a sound like the last frost of late autumn, laced with sadness. "You don't trust me?"

Ning Shuyan's face paled. She indeed didn't fully trust that he could protect her. The palace was full of schemes and deceit—how could he guarantee this child would be safe when he couldn't be with her at all times?

Of course, that's what she thought, but she couldn't say it aloud.

She tugged at his sleeve and shook her head. "That's not what I meant..."

Just then, Yang An entered. He saw Consort Xiu clinging to the emperor with a sorrowful look, quickly averted his eyes, and said, "Your Majesty, someone from Fengqi Palace says the crown prince has a high fever and keeps calling for you. They ask that you come see him."

Xiao Yu's expression returned to calm. "I understand," he said indifferently.

Yang An quickly exited after receiving the answer.

Ning Shuyan still held his sleeve, looking up at him with a forlorn expression. The candlelight flickered, casting no glow on her face—only shadows of anxiety and sorrow.

Xiao Yu could no longer bear to scold or blame her. He silently inhaled, then stood and said, "You rest first. I'll go to Fengqi Palace."

But Ning Shuyan didn't let go. She was gambling—gambling on her place in his heart, on whether he would soften and forgive her.

Xiao Yu's back was to her, his expression unreadable. His fingers tightened on the jade ring at his thumb as he said coldly, "Ning Shuyan, you've disappointed me."

With that, he walked away without hesitation. His sleeve slipped from her grasp like a cold breeze across her palm.

Ning Shuyan stared blankly at his retreating figure until it disappeared. The sorrow on her face slowly faded, replaced by complexity and doubt.

"Your Grace, His Majesty was very angry," Qiu Le said softly.

In the past, he had always been gentle with her, rarely showing such a cold face.

Ning Shuyan closed her eyes slightly, her voice calm and neutral. "I was too hasty. I didn't expect him to leave after saying just one sentence."

She thought she had misjudged his feelings for her. But in truth, she didn't even know herself.

If she weren't important to him, he wouldn't have been this upset today.

Qiu Le lowered her head guiltily. "It's all my fault. If I had checked your pulse more often these past days, we might've known about the pregnancy earlier. Then you wouldn't have been so shocked, and there wouldn't have been a conflict with His Majesty."

Ning Shuyan shook her head. "It's not your fault. You did check me a few days ago—who would've thought it'd become a pregnancy pulse so soon?"

She sighed and rubbed her brow. "It's not a bad thing to argue sometimes. Even teeth and tongue fight occasionally. A small quarrel can stir emotions. Only through conflict can we know where we truly stand in each other's hearts."

There's a saying: Arguments are the seasoning of life. A bit of venting now and then can deepen emotional bonds.