QT: Don't fall in love with the Male Lead

As happy as Xi Zirui is for Bai Mi, her upcoming wedding does come at a terrible time.

He's nearing his due date, -- and absolutely not thinking about how the babies are going to be delivered -- and the preparations for Han Yu's coronation kind of crash into the arrangements for her wedding.

Which she decides is going to be a grand event, because Ji Limei is a soft and insecure girl, who deserves to feel special and appreciated, but most of all coveted, while Bai Mi stakes her claim on her in front of a gathered audience of jealous onlookers.

"Why would they be jealous?" Xi Zirui asks, questioning her logic.

She glares at him. "They will be jealous."

Bai Mi never elaborates on whether she will specifically invite jealous people, or if they will become jealous the moment they gaze upon her bride's lovely countenance, but the vein on her temple starts throbbing and Xi Zirui decides it's in his best interests to quit while he's ahead.

Xi Zirui is too heavily pregnant to have an opinion when people ask him about flower arrangements either for the wedding or for the coronation ceremony.

Both events could happen while he watches from his bed, for all he cares.

It's with that kind of industrious spirit that he proposes they save everyone time by having them happen on the same day.

Bai Mi immediately bristles at the idea. "No, why should your coronation interrupt our wedding!"

"Listen, we'll get the coronation out of the way bright and early in the morning, and the rest of the day can be dedicated to your wedding," Xi Zirui pleads, almost desperate.

He's eight months pregnant, someone needs to take pity on him.

Han Yu surely doesn't.josei

"I can barely walk, how can you even think about fucking?" Xi Zirui admonishes him, after Han Yu tries to grope him while he tells him about his plan for the dual coronation plus wedding.

"But Rui-er looks so beautiful," Han Yu says, cajoling as ever, his hands wandering under Xi Zirui's robes. "How can this husband resist?"

Xi Zirui is eventually persuaded by Han Yu's strong grip around his cock.

He spreads his legs and pulls up his robes with a sigh of contrived aggravation. "Fine, but you're going to suck me off and I'll come on your face first."

Han Yu smirks as if that's exactly what he had in mind.

---

In the end they go forward with Xi Zirui's plan to have the coronation and the wedding on the same day, for no reason other than he has gotten into the habit of clutching his back and scrunching up his face in pain every time he's opposed.

He might be ready to get this pregnancy over and done with, but he can't deny that many advantages come with it.

---

As the day of the coronation / wedding draws nearer everyone starts getting frantic to finish the last preparations. 

Xi Zirui wisely steps out of the way and lets them go at it.

Bai Mi is like a general, shouting orders at everyone, while Han Yu comes up with some important clan business that needs his attention whenever Bai Mi's orders are directed at him.

Xi Zirui is happy to eat his melon seeds from the sidelines.

One of those days, he's joined by Ji Limei.

She takes one seat a his side and pours him a glass o tea, a sure sign that she wants to talk.

Xi Zirui accepts the cup from her and waits for her to tell him what's on her mind.

She dithers for a moment, twisting her own teacup between her fingers before blurting out, "What is it like? Being pregnant."

Xi Zirui's tea almost goes down the wrong pipe. That's not what he expected her to ask about.

"Uhm, uncomfortable a lot of the time, especially in the later months" he says, and raising his cup adds, "I'm going to have to pee this in about fifteen minutes."

She nods, very seriously. "And uh...regarding conception..."

He gives her a panicked look. She can't expect him to tell her about actually making the babies.

Ji Limei notices the terror in Xi Zirui's eyes and waves her arms around. "No, I mean, is there anything a person can do to ensure conception?"

"Uhm, just being in season is enough I think," Xi Zirui says, unsure of what else to say. "It worked for me."

"I just don't want to disappoint her Grace if I can't conceive on the first try," she admits her head lowered shyly.

Bai Mi is a little bit of an asshole, but she seems genuinely taken with Ji Limei, and there was their whole fling in the previous world, as ill-advised and slightly unethical as it was -- not that Xi Zirui can judge -- so he doubts she'll blame Ji Limei if she doesn't fall pregnant right away.

Xi Zirui pats her hand comfortingly. "Don't worry about that kind of thing, whatever happens will happen, you shouldn't pressure yourself."

"I just feel like everything that has happened is like a dream," she sighs. "A few weeks ago I was just another servant of the Striped Salamander clan, without a clan of my own, and now I'm about to be married to such a renowned and beautiful lady." She clutches her cheeks between her palms. "I'm worried I'm making the whole thing up, and will wake up soon."

Her happy smile is infectious, her tiny sharp teeth glinting between her lips. Xi Zirui finds himself feeling a little sentimental, something he wholly blames on the pregnancy wreaking havoc on his body.

"Tell you what, I'm having two babies, I can always give you one, you'll be doing me a favor, really," Xi Zirui says, leaning back on his arms with a sigh.

Ji Limei chuckles, some of the tension draining from her shoulders. "I don't know if his Highness would like that."

Xi Zirui smirks at her, one of his hands resting over his stomach. "He liked making them, but let's see how much he enjoys raising them."

---

The coronation is boring, Xi Zirui resents having to stand there wearing heavy golden robes, a heavy golden hairpiece and what feels like a thousand hairpins, while one of the few surviving Coiled Dragon clan elders drones on and on about the importance of tradition, family, bloodline, duty, and water. That last one is just because they're dragons, but it's the one which most strongly resonates with Xi Zirui.

Always good to be grateful for water.

Han Yu says some more words, Xi Zirui says a few other words agreeing with what Han Yu just said, and that's it, the coronation is over, and then it's time for Bai Mi and Ji Limei's wedding and banquet.

They both look resplendent in red and gold, some of Bai Mi's killing aura softened by her happiness, Ji Limei is all smiles too. They make a good-looking couple, Bai Mi's frosty, almost impervious beauty, makes a nice contrast to Ji Limei's guileless charm.

Xi Zirui just hopes Bai Mi isn't into her because she looks easy to bully.

"This reminds me of our wedding day," Han Yu says, holding Xi Zirui's hand while they're seating side by side during the banquet.

Xi Zirui is silent for a moment, trying to find the similarities between this ceremony and the wild season induced fucking in which Han Yu claimed him.

Only belatedly does he realizes he means the intimate ceremony they had with only Bai Mi for audience.

"We were certainly wearing red too," Xi Zirui says, chuckling softly.

Han Yu spares him a knowing look. "It was small, but it was romantic."

Xi Zirui smiles at him, leaning back on his pillow and resting his hand on his belly. "It was, but I liked what came before it even more."

Han Yu smirks at him and rests his hand alongside Xi Zirui's on top of his round belly. "Little babies is almost time for you to come out, your parents can't wait to meet you."

Xi Zirui groans. "I can't wait to have my bladder all to myself again."

"Don't believe your papa, he loves you very much too," Han Yu says, petting Xi Zirui's abdomen. "He's going to spoil you a lot when you're born."

That sends a shiver down Xi Zirui's spine. None of this feels real yet, he can believe that in a few short weeks the babies will be born and he and Han Yu will be parents. He's used to being pregnant, as unlikely as it seemed at first, now it's not being pregnant that will feel weird.

---

The banquet goes on, even after Bai Mi and Li Jimei retire to their quarters. It now falls on Han Yu and Xi Zirui to entertain the guests until they grow tired of all the free food and wine -- which doesn't seem like it's going to happen any time soon.

Xi Zirui is tired of sitting around and making small talk, especially considering most people only want to talk about his pregnancy.

"You handle them, I'm going back to our room," Xi Zirui says, after the tenth auntie gives him advice for when he's sitting the month.

He gets up from his pillow with Han Yu's help but it only takes one step for him to realize something is different. There's a searing pain in his back and stomach, that is entirely different from the typical aches and pains he's been feeling up until now.

His arm shoots out towards Han Yu. "Go get the doctor, something is happening."