Tang Moyu didn't want to leave her brother that day, but she needed to come home first and return to the hospital before Zhang Jiren's surgery. She and Feng Tianyi rode her car in companionable silence, both preoccupied with their own thoughts.

  One was worried about her brother's delicate condition, while the other was still too shocked to even make a comprehensible thought on how he should deal with his wife's pregnancy.

  When Tang Moyu pulled the car into a stop, it was already past seven in the evening. Xiao Bao and Little Star might have been waiting a while for their return. She should be happy with the news that she was pregnant, yet, knowing that Zhang Jiren's life was in danger didn't allow the empress to be truly happy.

  She was unusually quiet even after she and Feng Tianyi came home. Her little buns looked at her and their father with curiosity, both wondering if they had an argument again. It's been a while since they last saw their parents being like this.

  "Mommy, are you alright? You don't look good." Xiao Bao couldn't help but question his mother.

  It didn't matter if he and Little Star already had a daddy or if their parents were planning to have another child. As the eldest child in their family, Xiao Bao naturally wanted to make sure that his mother's faring well.

  Tang Moyu rubbed the back of her neck and thought she would give anything for a glass of bourbon to ease the stress and nervousness she had. It was then she remembered that she was pregnant, so any alcoholic drinks were out of her options.

  Hearing their son's question, Feng Tianyi, after being in a daze for the whole day, finally snapped out of it. The corner of his lips curled up as he looked at his wife, then to their little buns.

  "Baobao and Little Star should take extra care of Mommy from now on," he told their twins with a meaningful smile on his face. After waiting for months, Feng Tianyi couldn't contain his happiness knowing his wife was with child.

  "What? Why? Is Mommy sick again?" Little Star ignored her dessert and looked at her mother with fear in her eyes. She never wanted to see her mother in pain again just like what her mommy did after her accident.

  "Don't fret, Little Star. There's nothing wrong with Mommy," Feng Tianyi reassured his daughter. "It is just that Mommy now has a small baby in her tummy, so Baobao and Little Star should be careful not to hurt her or the baby while playing."

  Xiao Bao and Little Star's mouth formed an 'O' shape as they looked at their mother in surprise. At least the little girl wasn't against the idea of having a younger sibling now.

  Feng Tianyi glanced at his wife before shaking his head in response. If it were him, he would rather choose to allow Tang Moyu to stay home and focus on her pregnancy.

  "That's the plan but not too soon, Little Star. Mommy needs to do something and finish some work before she can take her leave." Feng Tianyi wiped the crumbs on her chin. "The baby is tiny for now, but Mommy's tummy will start to show soon."

  "Oh…" Little Star thought that she could spend more time with her mother and take care of her and her younger sibling. It turned out, she needed to wait.

  "It's okay, Little Star. Didn't my baby say she would take care of me and her sibling? Little Star shouldn't forget her promise, right?" This time, it was Tang Moyu who tried to console their daughter. Unlike Xiao Bao who was a little m.a.t.u.r.ed in spite of their age, Little Star was a bit clingy when it came to her parents.

  Whether it was because Tang Moyu spent extra time and care for her young daughter, or the fact that Little Star had been spoiled rotten since she was young, Tang Moyu was the only one who could placate her daughter. Little Star would only listen to her.

  Little Star gasped and stared at her mother with wide eyes. How could she have forgotten her promise to her Mommy? Since she was the one who made the promise, she certainly could not fail this time.

  "No, Mommy. I didn't forget! I'll surely take care of you and the baby…" Her words trailed off as she realized that she was still young, and she had no idea how to take care of her mommy.

  Whenever she was sick or didn't feel well, it was her Mommy who took care of her. But Mommy isn't sick but pregnant. How was she supposed to take care of her? Little Star wondered.

  Maybe she should ask Auntie Lu or her Auntie Meili how she could help her mommy. Being sick and being pregnant were two different things. Not only she had to take care of her mommy, but would need to know how to look after her new sibling as well.

  Little Star didn't mind if the baby was a girl or a boy, but her older brother thought otherwise. Xiao Bao insisted that the baby should be a boy— a good-looking boy just like him, much to Tang Moyu's amus.e.m.e.nt.

  However, it wasn't enough for her to calm down and not to worry about Zhang Jiren who was left on his own at the hospital. If she could, she would stay with him right now, but she also knew that she needed to do some preparations for his sake.

  ===

  The next day, Tang Moyu came back to the hospital, this time fully prepared to stay with her twin brother. She didn't allow Zhang Jiren to change his mind and back out, making sure that he would get the surgery he needed. The only option that was left for him was to start getting better.

  So for the next two weeks, she stayed by his side and tended to his needs. Zhang Jiren felt a little guilty seeing her sleep on the couch, and waking late at night whenever the nurses made rounds to check on him.

  If the nurses hadn't seen Feng Tianyi occasionally come to see Tang Moyu, there was no doubt that people would start to gossip about the empress having an affair with her best friend's husband.

  "I'm not going to die, Moyu Jie. Stop worrying too much," Zhang Jiren said once he was out of the operating room and woke up twelve hours later. He clenched his teeth as the pain shot through him. He was too tired to argue, but Tang Moyu's worried face bothered him.

  "You better not die." Tang Moyu stared at him, her nails digging in her palm painfully. "I'm not going to allow you to die."

  With the lump in his abdomen already removed, the only remaining issue they needed to tend to soon was the tumor in his head. The sooner Zhang Jiren would be able to get the next surgery, the better. But it wouldn't be easy to hide his sickness this time. He would need to come clean and let Li Meili know about his condition.

  "Just take it easy, Moyu Jie. You are pregnant. You shouldn't worry too much. It's not good for your baby," Zhang Jiren reminded her.

  Tang Moyu didn't nod and remained silent. She tapped his shoulder twice and left the room to check his condition with his doctor. Around noon, Feng Tianyi came to check on his pregnant wife. Since Tang Moyu decided to take a sudden leave, Xiao Xing was left in his care.

  He couldn't change Tang Moyu's mind to leave Zhang Jiren's side, so he could only support her decision even if he was also worried about her safety.

  When Zhang Jiren was given the go-signal to go home, Tang Moyu wasn't willing to part with him knowing that no one would be able to take care of him. This only added to her frustrations, wanting to tell Li Meili the truth about Zhang Jiren being her brother and his current illness.

  She and Feng Tianyi dropped him off at the villa where Zhang Jiren currently resided with Li Meili and Zhang Leyan. Tang Moyu watched her brother's retreating back, wondering if she should step up now and confront her best friend for his sake.