Chapter 424: Chapter 427: Prenatal Anxiety
Hua Manman was sleeping soundly when she was suddenly startled awake by Li Ji’s shout.
She thought something terrible had happened and quickly sat up.
"What is it? What’s wrong?"
Li Ji pulled her into his arms.
He was so overwrought that his breathing was ragged, his chest heaving violently, and his voice trembled.
"I dreamt you had a difficult labor."
Only then did Hua Manman realize he’d had a nightmare.
She relaxed and patted his back.
"It was just a nightmare. Don’t take it seriously."
Li Ji knew nightmares weren’t real, but this one had felt too real, as if it could actually happen.
An intense sense of dread and unease enveloped him, leaving him deeply unsettled.
He couldn’t help but say it.
"Let’s not have the baby."
Hua Manman knew he wasn’t in his right mind and that his words couldn’t be taken seriously.
So she soothed him in a gentle voice.
"It’s very late. Let’s sleep for now. We can talk about everything else tomorrow morning, okay?"
Li Ji held her tightly, unwilling to let go.
Hua Manman turned her head and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.
"It’s okay. I’m right here."
Only then did Li Ji loosen his grip.
The two lay back down.
Li Ji turned on his side, staring at Hua Manman without blinking.
Hua Manman yawned. "Aren’t you going to sleep?"
Li Ji replied, "I can’t sleep just yet. You go ahead."
Hua Manman was simply too tired. She couldn’t stay awake any longer, her eyelids drooping uncontrollably.
Soon, she was asleep again.
Li Ji watched her quietly, not a bit sleepy.
He didn’t want to sleep. He was afraid that if he closed his eyes, he would see the image of Manman’s difficult labor again.
He forced himself to stay awake until dawn.
When Hua Manman woke up, the first thing she saw was Li Ji’s face.
Seeing him staring intently at her, Hua Manman couldn’t help but ask, "You didn’t sleep all night, did you?"
Li Ji lied without batting an eye. "No, I just woke up."
Hua Manman looked at him dubiously.
Li Ji changed the subject. "How are you feeling today?"
Hua Manman replied, "I’m fine."
She really was fine, with no major pregnancy symptoms. Li Ji, on the other hand, looked haggard and not in good spirits.
After breakfast, Hua Manman deliberately found an excuse to send Li Ji away.
She quietly pulled Feihua Zhenren aside and asked secretively.
"Don’t you think the Prince has been very strange lately?"
Prince Zhao’s behavior was so obvious, and Feihua Zhenren wasn’t blind. How could he not have noticed?
So he nodded decisively. "He is indeed a bit strange."
Hua Manman pressed, "Is he sick?"
"From my observation of his complexion, the Prince is indeed ill, but it’s not a physical illness. It’s more of an ailment of the heart."
Hua Manman was surprised. "An ailment of the heart?"
Feihua Zhenren began to explain to her.
"Many expectant mothers become very anxious before giving birth. Specific symptoms include loss of appetite, mental distraction, and nightmares. In severe cases, they may experience hallucinations, hear things, or even think of harming themselves."
Hua Manman nodded. "I know. It’s called prenatal anxiety."
Feihua Zhenren stroked his beard, mulling it over.
"’Prenatal anxiety?’ That name is quite fitting."
He paused, then continued.
"In fact, it’s not just expectant mothers who get prenatal anxiety. Occasionally, men can suffer from it as well."
Hua Manman’s eyes widened slowly in disbelief. "Are you saying... the Prince has prenatal anxiety?"
Feihua Zhenren nodded.
"Judging from the Prince’s current behavior, it’s highly likely."
Hua Manman never would have thought that she, the pregnant one, was perfectly fine, while Prince Zhao, a grown man, was the one suffering from prenatal anxiety.
She asked urgently, "Is there a cure?"
Feihua Zhenren replied, "For now, the Prince’s prenatal anxiety isn’t particularly severe. You should show him more care and companionship in your daily life. If you have time, take him out to relax and clear his mind."
Hua Manman nodded. It was the only thing she could do for now.
Feihua Zhenren reassured her, "Once you’ve given birth, the Prince should be fine."
Hua Manman found Li Ji, wanting to go for a stroll with him.
Li Ji said sullenly.
"I don’t want to go out."
Hua Manman tried to persuade him patiently. "Didn’t you want to go boating with me before? The weather is lovely today, with a clear autumn sky and crisp air. It’s the perfect time for boating. Are you sure you don’t want to go?"
Li Ji replied, "Boating is too dangerous. What if you fall into the lake? You’re pregnant; you absolutely cannot fall into the water."
Hua Manman said, "If we’re just a little careful, we won’t fall in."
But Li Ji was stubborn.
"There are no absolutes in this world. What if you do fall in? We can’t take that risk."
Hua Manman looked at him, speechless.
"By that logic, does that mean I can’t even drink water? What if I choke to death on it?"
Li Ji calmly retorted.
"That’s different.
If you don’t drink water, you’ll die of thirst, so you must take that risk.
But if you don’t go boating, nothing bad will happen, so you don’t need to take that risk."
His logic was airtight and irrefutable.
Hua Manman was quiet for a moment, then decided to resort to throwing a tantrum.
"I don’t care! I want to go boating! If you don’t come with me, I’ll cry for you!"
After saying that, she rubbed her eyes hard, making them red as if she were about to burst into tears at any second.
She stared at Li Ji with those reddened eyes.
Li Ji couldn’t take it and gave in.
...
A large ship was sailing on the moat.
Hua Manman sat inside the cabin, completely surrounded by guards.
The doors and windows were all shut tight.
Forget about seeing the scenery; Hua Manman was even having a little trouble breathing.
She slammed her hand on the table in strong protest.
"I wanted to go boating! Boating with just the two of us!"
Li Ji argued righteously, "Boating is too dangerous. A big ship like this is safe."
Hua Manman was being deliberately unreasonable. "I don’t want to be safe! I want to go boating! I want to go boating!"
The rims of Li Ji’s eyes immediately turned red.
"If you fall in the water and two lives are lost, what am I supposed to do? Are you going to leave me all alone?"
Hua Manman froze.
’I thought this damn man was just messing with me, but he’s actually worried about the dangers of boating.’
’Is this the effect of prenatal anxiety?’
Hua Manman didn’t dare provoke him any further.
She sat down obediently. "Fine, no boating. I’ll listen to you."
Only then did Li Ji’s mood stabilize a little.
Hua Manman looked around. "Can you have these guards leave? It’s too crowded in here. I feel a bit stuffy."
Li Ji waved his hand.
The guards withdrew silently.
Only Hua Manman and Li Ji were left in the cabin.
Hua Manman wanted to move, but as soon as she shifted, Li Ji stopped her.
"Don’t move around."
Hua Manman looked at him with a pitiful expression.
"But I want to be closer to you."
Li Ji told her to stay put. He stood up, walked around the table, and sat down beside her.
Hua Manman immediately hugged his arm and said playfully.
"Come on, smile. I haven’t seen you smile in so long."
Li Ji refused coldly. "I can’t."
Hua Manman shook his arm, grinning. "Smile, come on, smile! I heard smiling brings you better luck, you know."
Li Ji said, "But I heard smiling too much makes your face bigger."
Hua Manman: "..."
Her smile gradually stiffened.
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