The whole family is insanely eavesdropping on my thoughts Chapter 544
Chapter 544: A Difficult Birth
Xie Yu Zhou clutched the wooden fish in his hands, pacing anxiously outside the door.
At some point, he had realized that only when holding this wooden fish, or when by Lu Chao Chao’s side, could he find peace of mind.
This night felt unbearably long. After what seemed like an eternity, Rong Che, his eyes bloodshot, rasped, “What time is it now?”
Jin Tang, standing at the door with a sword in her arms, her face solemn, replied, “Mao Hour.”
It was the time of dawn, yet when they looked up, dark clouds veiled the sky, allowing not a single ray of sunlight to break through.
The air was heavy, mirroring the weight pressing upon everyone’s hearts, suffocating and tense.
Inside the room, the sounds of labor pains rang out, each cry higher than the last—until they gradually weakened. Everyone outside clenched their fists in worry.
Rong Che seemed to have aged a decade in a single night.
“My wife…” The wooden door creaked open.
Rong Che and the others rushed forward in alarm. “How is she? How is Shi Yun?”
The midwife’s face was pale. “The lady is exhausted. I fear… things do not look good. Now, we have only one choice…” She took a deep breath before continuing.
“We must cut her open to save the child.”
Before she even finished speaking, Rong Che gripped the doorframe tightly, his body drained of all strength.
His fingers dug into the wood with force. Without Shi Yun, his life might as well be over.
“Let me in!” He shoved past the midwife, striding towards the room.
She tried to block him, but how could she stop him? “Master Rong, childbirth is an impure matter! A man should not enter—it’s inauspicious!”
“Leave! Just leave!” she urged, adhering to the age-old custom that forbade men from entering the birthing chamber.
Rong Che didn’t even turn his head. “Inauspicious? That is my wife! She bears my children, risks her life for me—how can that be inauspicious?!”
“That is nothing but a lie—made up by cowards to shackle women!”
This world was ruled by men, and naturally, all traditions catered to their convenience. Rong Che had never been one to abide by such nonsense.
Earlier, he had refrained from disturbing Shi Yun for fear of distracting her, and he had held back so as not to interfere with the midwife’s work. But now, none of that mattered anymore.
His legs felt weak as he stepped inside.
The thick scent of blood choked the air, suffocating him.
He had once been a man who took heads on the battlefield without hesitation, yet now, the scent of blood made him dizzy, his heart trembling with unbearable pain.
Shi Yun, the woman who always wore a gentle smile, now lay pale as death, her body drained of all strength. One look at her, and Rong Che’s tears fell uncontrollably.
A-Wu was kneeling by the bedside, tears streaming down as she wiped Shi Yun’s sweat. “Madam, just a little more… the child is almost here.”
Her voice trembled with sobs, while A-Man kept feeding ginseng slices into Shi Yun’s mouth.
“She has already taken two elixirs, but it’s still not enough.” The powerful energy of the medicine entered her body, yet it barely made a difference.
Shi Yun lay weakly on the bed, feeling her life force being drained away. The warmth from the medicine had instantly vanished, absorbed completely into her abdomen.
A deep chill spread through her body. She shivered, her skin covered in goosebumps.
So cold. So very cold.
Even her fingernails were turning a ghastly shade of blue, her stomach wracked with unrelenting pain.
The child within her… was devouring her strength.
Suddenly…
A pair of warm, damp hands grasped hers tightly.
Her ice-cold fingers were pressed against a familiar, rugged cheek.
“Shi Yun, don’t be afraid. I’m here.” Rong Che’s voice was low, right by her ear. There was no fear left in him, only boundless courage.
Life or death—he would be by Shi Yun’s side, shielding her always.
“Tired, aren’t you? Look at you, drenched in sweat.” He wanted to say he was sorry, that she should never have carried this child. But between them, words were no longer necessary.
Their fates were entwined—live together, die together.
Shi Yun understood. And so did he.
Gently, he wiped the sweat from her forehead. Her condition was critical.
Just before entering the birthing room, she had been glowing, her eyes bright as stars.
Now, she was so weak she could barely lift a finger.
Shi Yun opened her mouth to speak, but Rong Che shook his head. “Save your strength. I already know what you want to say.”
She could feel her life slipping away. She wanted Rong Che to live on.
A-Wu bit her lip hard. She was of the Phoenix Clan, a being blessed by the heavens, and she possessed divine power.
But when she secretly transferred her divine essence to Shi Yun, it was as if she had cast a stone into the ocean—completely ineffective.
The womb was like a giant sponge, absorbing every ounce of energy it could.
If this child was to be born, it would come at the cost of the mother’s life.
“Come out already! Stop torturing your mother!” she growled in a low, angry voice.
Outside the birthing chamber, an eerie silence filled the air.
Lu Chao Chao, her eyes rimmed with red, stormed out into the courtyard. “Come out! I know you’re here! Show yourself!”
The only response was the howling wind.
“I’ll count to three. If you don’t show up, I will tear apart all eighteen layers of the underworld!”
“One…”
“Two…”
Just as she spoke, the imposing figure of the Great Emperor Feng Du appeared, his expression twisted with frustration. “Must you always resort to threats?!”
“I want to see the Book of Life and Death!” Lu Chao Chao demanded, her small face taut with determination.
The Great Emperor Feng Du coughed awkwardly, holding the book tightly. “Normally, the Book of Life and Death is forbidden to outsiders…” Before he could finish, the tip of the Sunshine Sword was already pressing against his chest.
He choked. “I wasn’t done speaking.”
“But since these are unusual circumstances, I suppose it can be viewed.”
“Now… if you could move your sword away… I’d rather not be impaled.” Saying so, he flipped open the book to the page containing Xu Shi Yun’s name.
Her name flickered erratically on the parchment.
“What does this mean?” Lu Chao Chao asked sharply.
The Great Emperor Feng Du sighed. “According to the book, her lifespan has not yet ended. But since her name is flickering, it means… someone is forcibly altering her fate, siphoning her life force to fuel their own power.”
Even as he spoke, the Book of Life and Death suddenly floated into the air of its own accord. Its pages flurried wildly, revealing countless names—all flickering!
The Great Emperor Feng Du’s face went rigid with terror.
“How… how could this be?” All mortal names within the book were now shimmering ominously!
A chill ran through him.
Lu Chao Chao sneered coldly. “Very well. Excellent.”
Turning on her heel, she strode away.
That wretched thing… it wouldn’t learn until it saw the coffin!
The Great Emperor Feng Du barely had time to process what was happening before he rushed back to the underworld, ordering an immediate investigation to uncover what catastrophe was shaking the Three Realms.
Xie Yu Zhou, his eyes swollen from crying, sobbed, “Chao Chao, don’t go. Madam Xu wouldn’t want you to see this…”
Lu Chao Chao sniffled, gripping the Sunshine Sword tightly. “I want to see that cursed being for myself.”
A-Man and A-Wu had already stepped out, leaving only Rong Che and Shi Yun inside the room.
Chao Chao raised her head and saw them both, her brow furrowing.
In just one night, Father Rong’s hair had sprouted strands of white. And yet, he remained by Mother’s side, unwavering and gentle.
“Chao Chao, don’t look,” Shi Yun whispered weakly, barely managing to form the words.
She knew Chao Chao was no ordinary child, but as a mother, she couldn’t help but want to protect her from this sight.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation