Chapter 96: Childbirth
In life, we make countless choices, especially during our school years. From simple true-or-false questions to multiple-choice and even multi-select questions… every day was filled with choices. But those choices usually had a correct answer, and even if you chose wrong, there was often a chance to correct it and learn from the mistake.
But there was another kind of choice, scattered throughout life, fewer in number, without a right answer, sometimes even without any options at all, just the question itself. These choices were often confusing, not a simple matter of right or wrong, left or right. You had to find your own way, a daunting task.
Trial and error, adjustments, corrections, more trials… a constant cycle of effort, searching for the right path.
Mi Hongdou, realizing her feelings for Ji Junxin first, was trapped in this cycle. And although Ji Junxin was a step behind, she seemed to be falling faster.
Compared to Mi Hongdou, who, with her experience from two lifetimes, had quickly adjusted and positioned herself as a good friend, Ji Junxin’s emotional adjustment was much slower, her internal struggles and wavering a constant.
Especially after realizing her feelings for Mi Hongdou, this newfound love, although knowing it was hopeless, she couldn’t let go. She wanted to keep her distance, but she was drawn in. Fortunately, the pregnancy scenes offered a temporary reprieve and a convenient excuse.
At first, Ji Junxin had clung to the role of a pregnant woman in real life, using method acting as an excuse, because it allowed her to be close to Mi Hongdou without revealing her true feelings. And then, after their argument that night, Mi Hongdou, who had initially opposed it, suddenly changed her stance, willing to cooperate and help Ji Junxin stay in character.
So, the one acting now became two.
On screen, the young empress meticulously cared for the pregnant Miao Qianye. Off screen, Mi Hongdou tenderly cared for the “pregnant” Ji Junxin.
Both on and off screen, Mi Hongdou prepared warm food and drinks, and with just a frown from Ji Junxin, she knew where to massage. Day and night, they no longer talked about immersion or detachment, just living, acting, playing house.
For Director Pan, as the pregnancy scenes progressed, Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin’s portrayal of the caregiver and the pregnant woman became increasingly natural and nuanced. If he had the time, he would reshoot the earlier pregnancy scenes. Unfortunately… he mentally complained about Jiang Duo, the NG queen, but that was another story.
Initially, Ji Junxin had thought that Mi Hongdou’s “cooperation” meant just tolerating her continued “pregnancy” act, not nagging her. But Mi Hongdou’s cooperation was so thorough, it was as if she was continuing the story of Miao Qianye and the young empress in real life. Soon, reality became even more captivating than acting. For Ji Junxin, the line between acting and reality blurred, there was no longer any distinction between being in character and out of character.
As for Mi Hongdou… having agreed to cooperate, she was now like the young empress, doting on Ji Junxin. It even made Ji Junxin wonder if she was too immersed. But she could still sense the subtle difference between Mi Hongdou’s on-screen and off-screen behavior. Perhaps, in real life, Mi Hongdou was even more caring?
But happy times always passed quickly. The estate scenes were scheduled for two months, and after a month of pregnancy scenes, the baby was born, and the pregnancy arc ended. Thanks to Jiang Duo’s relentless NGs, on the thirty-fifth day of filming at the estate, the scene Ji Junxin dreaded the most arrived.
That morning, Ji Junxin, for once, didn’t sleep in, she even woke up earlier than Mi Hongdou. More accurately, she had been tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep. Mi Hongdou even teased her, saying that she was having contractions, knowing she was about to give birth. Even with method acting, you couldn’t simulate labor pains… Ji Junxin couldn’t explain her insomnia, just like she couldn’t explain her complex and joyful feelings to Mi Hongdou.
Even the longest play would eventually end. Even the most beautiful dream would eventually fade. Ji Junxin knew that this month of unrestrained closeness and dependence was borrowed time. Now, everything would return to normal, she would have to maintain a proper distance from Mi Hongdou, control her words and actions… The difficult days would return, but she shouldn’t complain.
Yes, she shouldn’t complain, she should just cherish these beautiful memories and the slight regret.
When Ji Junxin woke up, the bedroom was still dark. After a moment, her eyes adjusted, and she saw that Mi Hongdou was still asleep. She checked her phone, it was just past five, still a while before their usual wake-up time. Ji Junxin, who usually lingered in bed, touched the cotton belly, quietly got up, and went to the balcony, wanting to watch the sunrise and clear her head. She hadn’t woken up this early in a while, and pulling back the curtains, she realized it was still dark, what sunrise? …
Unable to see anything, she didn’t return to the bedroom, but went to the living room, curled up on the sofa, wrapped in her jacket, and waited for dawn. It wasn’t that she had to see the sunrise, she just felt restless and knew she couldn’t sleep. Rather than tossing and turning and waking Mi Hongdou up, she might as well wait here, it would be dawn soon… Ji Junxin, with her vague sense of time, thought confidently.
Her restlessness stemmed from the first scene she had to film this morning: the birthing scene. If there were no NGs, this would be her last day as a pregnant woman in this drama. The pregnant woman in the drama would give birth, and the “pregnant woman” in real life would no longer have a reason to continue her act.
Ji Junxin gently touched the cotton belly. They had already started filming the later stages of pregnancy, so the belly she was wearing now looked almost full-term. But it was filled with soft cotton and wasn’t very heavy. Speaking of which, she really had to thank Mi Hongdou for arguing with Director Pan. If she had to wear that heavy, rice-filled belly all the time, she would probably have been hospitalized with a back injury…
Both Mi Hongdou’s negotiation with Director Pan and her bribing of the props department staff, Ji Junxin had witnessed it all, touched but also a little unhappy. They were just friends, Mi Hongdou’s dedication was almost excessive! Such devotion, how could she not be moved! How could she not like her!
It was… too much… Ji Junxin gently pressed the soft, fluffy belly. Since she started wearing it, Mi Hongdou would take it out to air on the balcony every morning before they left for filming, and by the time they returned at night, a soft and fluffy belly would be waiting for her.
Since being summoned back to Jiang City by Qiao Rubai, Shen Zhu and Xiao Zhang hadn’t returned. According to Qiao Rubai, there was definitely something wrong with Shen Zhu, but they hadn’t found any concrete evidence yet. Qiao Rubai wouldn’t let Ji Junxin use her again. As for Xiao Zhang, Qiao Rubai said that they hadn’t found anything suspicious, but she had been with Shen Zhu for too long and hadn’t been very helpful to Ji Junxin, so she had also been transferred.
Qiao Rubai had been worried that Ji Junxin would object and had tried to comfort her. But Ji Junxin hadn’t protested. Unlike Lu Gaoshi, who had been a constant presence and a mother figure, Ji Junxin hadn’t interacted much with Shen Zhu and Xiao Zhang, so she didn’t mind their being transferred. She just felt a little sad, remembering Shen Zhu claiming to be her fan. But Ji Junxin had been in the industry for a few years, she had seen fans turn into passersby, then into anti-fans, and then back into fans. She was a little disappointed about Shen Zhu, but not heartbroken.
Initially, when Qiao Rubai said she was transferring both assistants, Ji Junxin had been surprised. Although she hadn’t needed them with Lu Gaoshi around, and later with Mi Hongdou, having both assistants transferred meant she would be completely helpless if she needed anything! Then she realized that Qiao Rubai, having removed the potentially problematic ones, would definitely send replacements, she wouldn’t be left without a manager or an assistant. And indeed, that’s exactly what happened.
After announcing the transfer, Qiao Rubai said that Qiong Yu would immediately start looking for trustworthy and capable replacements. In the meantime, she hoped Ji Junxin would take care of herself, and if not, she had already arranged with Yang Lianyi from Mengguan for Mi Hongdou’s assistant, Bai Tang, to also assist Ji Junxin, since they were roommates.
After the call, Ji Junxin had mentally complained about Qiao Rubai treating artists like sheep, one sheep or two, it didn’t matter… and since when were Qiong Yu and Mengguan so close? She didn’t want them to be so close… how could she suggest that Qiong Yu poach Mi Hongdou then! Ji Junxin, already planning for a future with Mi Hongdou, was annoyed by Qiao Rubai’s decision. And then… under Mi Hongdou’s meticulous care, she forgot that she even needed an assistant.
It wasn’t until a few days ago, when Director Pan asked her why he hadn’t seen her two assistants recently, that Ji Junxin remembered. Then, thinking about her recent life, she realized that Mi Hongdou, offering to be her temporary assistant, had been doing an excellent job… she hadn’t even felt the need for another assistant…
That being said, after talking to Director Pan, Ji Junxin still called Qiao Rubai, asking about her new assistant. She had thought Qiao Rubai might have forgotten, but Qiao Rubai said she hadn’t, it was just that the investigation on Shen Zhu had revealed some new information. She felt that a new assistant might also be bribed, like Shen Zhu. Until they found someone completely trustworthy, Qiao Rubai suggested that Ji Junxin continue using Bai Tang.
Qiao Rubai’s words were vague, but Ji Junxin sensed the seriousness of the situation. Although she didn’t understand why someone would bribe her assistant, she trusted Qiao Rubai’s judgment. And… having another excuse to rely on Mi Hongdou, Ji Junxin was secretly pleased.
If they were just friends, it would be fine. But now, realizing her feelings for Mi Hongdou, someone she could never be with, she had wanted to distance herself, but then she had made that promise to protect her. So, unable to escape, she decided to be a good friend. But she quickly realized it was too difficult. The possessive feelings were overwhelming, a desire she couldn’t suppress. Good friends could be close, or not see each other for a long time, and still be friends. But love wasn’t like that.
She wanted to be a good friend, but she also wanted to be with her every moment of every day! So, she started creating connections with Mi Hongdou, hoping that Qiong Yu would sign her, pretending to be helpless without an assistant so Mi Hongdou would take care of her, even using the pregnancy scenes… Ji Junxin no longer cared about the logic or the sustainability of these connections, she just wanted to keep Mi Hongdou by her side for a little longer.
So, the delayed arrival of her new assistant didn’t matter.
Life was perfect now. In the small hotel suite, just the two of them. Every morning, watching Mi Hongdou air out the cotton belly, then bring it back in at night, Ji Junxin sometimes felt like it was their child. Sunbathing during the day, sleeping in her arms at night, growing bigger day by day, weren’t they raising it together? She knew it was a silly thought, but she couldn’t help herself… it was just a fantasy, and since it was impossible anyway, what was the harm? …
And now, this secret fantasy was about to end. Ji Junxin, curled up on the sofa, felt unhappy. And this unhappiness, she couldn’t express it to Mi Hongdou. Mi Hongdou would never know about her strange fantasy, it would sound crazy… wanting to be with her, even imagining a child as a bond between them. Heh… it was a foolish thought.
Ji Junxin, lost in her thoughts, watched as the sky outside gradually brightened.
Dawn was approaching, the birthing scene was coming, and the other scenes would eventually… end.
Although sunrise was supposed to be a joyful sight, Ji Junxin felt a sense of melancholy, an irrepressible sadness.
Until sunlight streamed through the window, and she saw the slippers she had soiled the day before, now neatly placed on the drying rack. She had spilled milk tea—how clumsy of her. And yet, Mi Hongdou had quickly cleaned up the mess and even washed her slippers. She had even remarked, with a touch of sadness, “It’s a good thing it happened today. If it were tomorrow, after I ‘give birth,’ I wouldn’t get this special treatment.” Mi Hongdou had laughed for a long time, until Ji Junxin grew annoyed. Then, Mi Hongdou reassured her that the special treatment would always be there. Ji Junxin had felt smug at the time, but then it dawned on her—who spills milk tea on their slippers every day? But the conversation had already ended, and she hadn’t brought it up again.
Now that she thought about it, perhaps after the birthing scene, she could find new ways to connect with Mi Hongdou. After all… Mi Hongdou was always so kind to her. She had already created so many connections, even if they couldn’t be lovers, she had to be someone important to Mi Hongdou!
Unknowingly, Ji Junxin had embarked on a strange path called “jealousy.”
For Ji Junxin, the end of the pregnancy scenes, no longer being able to play a pregnant woman, was one reason for her sadness this morning. The other reason was the small, gold scissors Mi Hongdou had used to “rescue” Director Pan.
The birthing scene, as the name suggested, was about giving birth.
According to the script, the harem had been confined to the estate for over seven months. The troublemakers like Jiang Duo had been dealt with, the internal conflicts resolved, and the valuables they had brought with them were mostly gone, traded for necessities. The young empress had been the most resourceful in hiding her valuables, but with Miao Qianye’s pregnancy, and her increasing needs, they were almost gone. Now, her most valuable possession was a small pair of gold scissors.
When she learned about Miao Qianye’s pregnancy, the young empress had wanted to bring two experienced midwives. But they could only bring young, inexperienced maids and eunuchs. Before their confinement, she had specifically asked a trusted old midwife about childbirth. Fortunately, the midwife was experienced and had told her many things, including the importance of using clean, alcohol-sterilized scissors to cut the umbilical cord.
Because of this, the young empress had brought the small gold scissors and, during the first two months, had even traded some of her valuables for a small bottle of strong alcohol.
The necessities for childbirth were a clean bed, scissors, hot water, and blankets. The young empress had already prepared these. But the most important thing, the midwife, she had no solution.
None of the concubines had given birth before. And the maids and eunuchs were too young and inexperienced. So, the only one qualified was the young empress, who had consulted with the midwife…
This scene was a test of Mi Hongdou’s acting skills. The young empress had to deliver the baby, manage the situation, and comfort the first-time mother, Miao Qianye. Portraying this mix of inexperience and learned knowledge was a challenge. As for Ji Junxin, her task was simple, just lie in bed, groan, and act as if she was in pain. The birthing scene itself wouldn’t be shown in detail, it was too unflattering, just a few shots to convey the idea.
But for Ji Junxin, she felt like she was facing a huge challenge. Giving birth meant… spreading her legs for the midwife… even with pants on, the position was too embarrassing!
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