- In the heart of an ancient Chinese dynasty, a young emperor reigns with wisdom beyond his years but carries a heart heavy with unresolved grief. Years ago, he lost his beloved under mysterious circumstances, a loss that has since haunted him. Fate...
After two weeks of managing the pain, it became unbearable. The tightening of my bump and the overall discomfort throughout my body were relentless. I kept waking up in the middle of the night, almost gasping for air from the intensity of their movements. Every little kick was painful, far from the gentle flutters I had imagined in earlier months. Now, each movement felt sharp, a stark contrast to the joyful anticipations I'd had about feeling my babies move.
As I lay there one particularly challenging night, my swollen bump felt rock-hard. Attempting to shift into a more comfortable position, I propped myself up on my elbows, my body slick with sweat from the effort and the pain. Just then, a contraction gripped me, sharper and more intense than any I had felt before. My hand flew to my abdomen, pressing down instinctively as I gripped the edge of the bed with my other hand, trying desperately to breathe through the wave of pain.
The contraction seemed to last forever, and as it slowly ebbed away, I was left panting and exhausted. I knew these were not just the discomforts of late pregnancy anymore; these were signs that labor might be starting, or at the very least, that my body was preparing for it.
Realizing I needed help, I reached for the bedside phone to call Xianzong, who was resting in another room to try and catch up on sleep after many restless nights tending to me. The phone seemed impossibly far in my state, but I managed to grasp it, dialing his number with trembling fingers.
"Xianzong," I gasped into the phone when he answered, his voice heavy with sleep but immediately alert upon hearing the distress in mine.
"I'm coming, just wait," Xianzong said urgently before hanging up the phone.
I mustered all my strength to stand up slowly from the bed. Despite the circumstances, I wasn't upset that Xianzong had been sleeping in another room. With all the work he had been doing and returning late from the city where he had barely any sleep, letting him rest separately seemed necessary. I knew my restlessness and discomfort wouldn't allow him any peace if we shared the same space every night.
