"My Flower Blooms, All Others Wither New()" Search for the latest chapter!
The warmth between the couple lasted for a few days before being shattered by an incident.
On this day, Xiao Huayong had gone to court, and Bu Shulin hurriedly came to seek her out. As soon as she saw Shen Xihe, she didn’t care whether the Eastern Palace was safe or not, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into the room, her face filled with anxiety: "Youyou, I’m finished."
Shen Xihe handed her a cup of peach blossom drink: "Have a sip of water, and speak slowly."
Bu Shulin, sweating profusely from anxiety, took it and drank it all in one gulp, wiped her lips with her sleeve, causing Shen Xihe, who was about to hand her a handkerchief, to pause.
Bu Shulin didn’t notice any of this at all. After putting down the cup, she hesitated several times before finally taking a deep breath and saying: "Youyou, I... I... forced myself on Cui Shitou!"
Shen Xihe: ...
After saying this, Bu Shulin closed her eyes and slapped her forehead heavily with her palm, her face full of regret: "It’s all because that day I went out with Ding Zhi and the others to drink and have fun. While drinking, they were discussing bedroom matters between men and women in my ear, which made me suddenly curious..."
She was curious, drunk, and Cui Jinbai was also drunk. The two of them somehow ended up tangled together.
"When did this happen?" Shen Xihe suppressed the shock in her heart.
"Half a month ago..." Bu Shulin’s voice was extremely low. After speaking, she cautiously glanced at Shen Xihe’s reaction and, sure enough, saw her expression turn slightly cold. She immediately panicked and explained, "I originally thought I could hide it. That day, I woke up first and ran away. The next day, the Dali Temple received a strange case, and Your Majesty sent Cui Shitou out. I thought the matter was over, but who would have thought that as soon as Cui Shitou returned yesterday, he rushed to my residence to tear off my clothes. Luckily, my martial arts are better than his, otherwise..."
Otherwise, she would have been exposed.
Shen Xihe composed herself. If things were like this, it made sense that Bu Shulin only came to seek her out now. After all, she was the Crown Princess, and Bu Shulin was an "outsider man"—it wasn’t easy for her to see her.
"You still don’t want to confess to him?" Shen Xihe felt that at this point, it might be better to just speak up.
Bu Shulin’s mind was in turmoil. She knew that even if she escaped yesterday, she couldn’t escape today or tomorrow. At this point, she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to risk everything and tell Cui Jinbai or run far away. But where could she run to?
"A Lin, Cui Shaoqing is not someone who can’t keep a secret. Why don’t you confess to him?" Shen Xihe advised.
Bu Shulin struggled internally, remaining silent.
Shen Xihe didn’t press her. She understood why Bu Shulin refused to relent—it was to impose more restraint and caution on herself. As long as she remained Worldly Son Bu in front of Cui Jinbai, she could restrain herself. She was afraid that tearing off this disguise would make her unable to control her feelings for Cui Jinbai, causing her to forget her identity inadvertently and expose herself.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Cui Jinbai; it was that she didn’t trust herself.
In the silence, Shen Xihe thought of another matter: "A Lin, after the incident... did you take medicine?"
"Huh?" Bu Shulin didn’t understand.
"Contraceptive soup," Shen Xihe said bluntly.
Bu Shulin’s eyes widened, and her face turned pale.
She had forgotten!"No... it can't be... such a coincidence..." Bu Shulin stammered. After the incident occurred, she had been filled with panic, unsure how to face Cui Jinbai. When Cui Jinbai was sent out of the city the next day, Bu Shulin felt relieved but also deeply worried about whether Cui Jinbai actually knew.
In the midst of it all, she had forgotten about the possibility of pregnancy. Now, reminded by Shen Xihe, she felt truly doomed.
"Zhenzhu!" Shen Xihe called for Zhenzhu. "Check Worldly Son Bu's pulse."
Zhenzhu bowed to Bu Shulin before placing her fingers on Bu Shulin's wrist. Her expression gradually grew solemn, making Bu Shulin increasingly anxious and pale.
"Reporting to Crown Princess, it's still too early to confirm," Zhenzhu said, though she believed it was almost certain.
But Bu Shulin's pregnancy was indeed in its early stages—the slippery pulse indicative of pregnancy hadn't appeared yet, though there were subtle differences from women who weren't pregnant. Of course, these differences could also be caused by other factors, which was why Zhenzhu didn't state it definitively.
Bu Shulin's body went limp, collapsing into the chair. Her eyes darted around nervously before she grabbed Zhenzhu's hand: "Whether it is or not, prepare an abortion potion for me first!"
Shen Xihe: ...
"Have you considered how you would explain this to Cui Shaoqing if it's true?" Shen Xihe reminded her.
If Bu Shulin was indeed pregnant and she aborted the child like this, she and Cui Jinbai would likely have no future together.
"I can't care about that anymore! How could I hide a ten-month pregnancy?" After blurting out about the abortion potion, Bu Shulin gradually calmed down. "Once my identity is exposed, my father, and even the uncles in Shuannan who follow him, would all be guilty of deceiving the sovereign—punishable by extermination of the entire clan! Youyou, you should understand me best."
Shen Xihe understood because their situations were so similar? Both of them knew that one misstep would lead to complete failure, implicating dozens or even hundreds of lives.
"It's not confirmed yet whether you're actually pregnant. Abortion potions are notoriously harsh—if you're not pregnant, it could still harm your body." Shen Xihe softened her voice, holding Bu Shulin's hand to comfort her.
"Youyou, ask the Crown Prince to find a way to send Cui Shitou away again until I confirm whether I'm pregnant." Bu Shulin gripped Shen Xihe's hand tightly, her eyes pleading.
"And after confirmation?" Shen Xihe asked.
"If I'm not pregnant, I'll tell him my identity." She would restrain herself in the future, and let Cui Jinbai make his own choice. If she was pregnant, she would have to hide it from Cui Jinbai forever—she couldn't keep this child.
She couldn't bear to give birth to the child. Rather than making him suffer and grieve, it was better he never knew.
Shen Xihe didn't agree with Bu Shulin's solution, but she wasn't Bu Shulin and couldn't make decisions for her. She could only say: "A Lin, think carefully. Consider the consequences of your choice."
Bu Shulin closed her eyes, her voice low and pleading: "Youyou, don't persuade me. Don't try to convince me anymore. Don't make me hesitate again."
Any choice would come with cruel consequences for her.
She could never be a true woman in this lifetime. Perhaps this would be the only child she would ever carry—one she could never have again. This child was from the man she loved, yet she couldn't keep it. She had to personally end its life—how could her heart not ache?
But could she really afford to gamble?"If I am truly with child, and do not cut the knot quickly, once it is exposed, even he will not escape punishment."
With a child already present, how could Cui Jinbai not know she is a woman? Yet he did not report it to Your Majesty—this makes him an accomplice, equally guilty of deceiving the sovereign. Your Majesty could even use this to disadvantage the entire Cui family. For your convenience in future readings, you can click the "Bookmark" below to save this reading progress (Chapter 682: Forcing Cui Shaoqing) and see it when you open your bookshelf next time!
If you enjoy "When My Flower Blooms, All Others Wither," please recommend this book to your friends (via QQ, blog, WeChat, etc.). Thank you for your support!!
OpenNovel