Blossoms and Shadows in Spring Dawn

💚 Dear readers, please ignore this notice and scroll down to the blurb~ I've received a response from the court. To the maliciously infringing author of historical romance novels: when you go around harming fellow writers, don't forget your own pile of dirt. You've offended plenty of people over the years, haven't you? I've filed a case against you 😘 If anything else happens, I'll step in myself. 💞💚 The blurb starts from Chapter 51. You can skip straight to it. Pei Yan hid away in a peaceful, bountiful corner of Jiangnan for three months. The townsfolk all said the new young doctor was quiet and skillful, and that her remedies always worked. They liked her very much, and the neighbors often helped Pei Yan get by. They watched the girl's belly grow bigger by the day, but the child's father was nowhere to be seen. Pei Yan spent her mornings treating patients, her afternoons brewing medicine, and her evenings drying herbs beneath the eaves. The days drifted by like the little river in front of her home. Though the village was nowhere near as wealthy as the imperial palace, it offered a rare, simple contentment. Pei Yan had thought she could hide there until her child was born safely, until the memories of her time in the capital faded. Then, on Guyu, she bent down to dry herbs in the courtyard, and a tall shadow suddenly fell across the fence in front of her home. When she looked up, the man she'd been hiding from for three months stood right before her. Imperial guards surrounded the courtyard. Peach blossoms clung to Pei Junhuai. The Crown Prince still looked every bit the refined, noble gentleman, if one ignored the darkness in his eyes. The basket fell from Pei Yan's hands with a clatter, and the herbs she'd spent half the day drying rolled through the mud. The young man's gaze fell on Pei Yan's rounded belly. After staring for a long while, he stiffly reached out and laid his palm against her pregnant stomach. “You're pregnant. How could you hide it from me and run away all alone…” The harsh words he'd been holding back for so long dwindled to a sigh. The Crown Prince settled in the Jiangnan town. He mended the broken fence around Pei Yan's little courtyard, chopped the mountain of firewood, and even tried to start a fire, only to cough from the smoke. The wind picked up that night. Pei Yan sat inside and watched the man roll up his sleeves and prepare a warm meal. The firelight from the stove illuminated the Crown Prince's handsome face. Steam rose from the pot, making Pei Yan's eyes sting. She lowered her head, not wanting anyone to see her cry. “Have you been living here for the past three months?” Pei Junhuai suddenly asked as he ladled soup. Pei Yan stared at the muddy toes of her shoes and mumbled, “Mm.” “Doing your own laundry and cooking?” “Mm.” “When you felt unwell during your pregnancy, when your legs cramped at night, who rubbed them for you? Who took care of you?” “…” Pei Yan didn't answer. When pain woke her in the middle of the night, all she could do was clutch the covers and endure it. Pei Junhuai set the bowl of soup in front of her, then suddenly crouched down and took her hand. Pei Yan shuddered, but the Crown Prince held her steady. Pei Junhuai covered her belly with his palm and gently caressed it. He stayed silent, his eyes slowly reddening, but said nothing. . #A powerful man bows his head for love# . [Kindhearted, sweet, airheaded beauty × cool, noble, restrained Crown Prince] . All forms of infringement are strictly prohibited! I let past offenses slide, but I will not tolerate anyone abusing my work. I have all the time and energy necessary to pursue this to the end! The setting was established on July 1, 2022. Notice: The male and female leads are explicitly unrelated by blood or marriage, and everyone knows it. Both are pure in body and mind, one-on-one romance. ① The male lead and male supporting characters dote on their little sister without limits. Their little sister is adorable. Their little sister is everything. Whatever she does is right. ② The heroine grows over the course of the story, and the upright male lead takes good care of her. To me, “airheaded beauty” is a description and a synonym for “adorable.” It means innocent and sincere, not “stupid” in a derogatory sense. Yan is lively and charming in her own way. It's like affectionately saying in real life, “Oh, you silly little thing.” Consider it my own interpretation: when I say it, I mean it fondly (≧ω≦) Theme: Flowers bloom again.