Chapter Text
Chu Wanning was slumped against the mound of pillows supporting him, his face pale from the amount of blood loss. The source of the bleeding, a tear made by the babe’s head, had been stitched up and the bleeding stopped. Chu Wanning had fallen unconscious shortly after his child was caught by the attending physician, who was to be dealt away with very soon. Chu Wanning’s child had been handed off to the man who sired them. Mo Ran—no. Taxian-jun.
Taxian-jun held the babe like they held up the sky. A firm grip was held on the squirming, crying child, their pudgy arms reaching out. Taxian-jun didn’t bother cleaning off any of the blood and fluids that coated the infant, who hadn’t even been swaddled before being handed off to him.
Once the physician and midwife, along with the two young female attendants, had fled them room, courtesy of Taxian-jun’s soul shocking glares, a weight was put into Chu Wanning’s waiting arms. Wanning looked down in hopes to see a scrunched up, red, crying face, but was met with the embroidery of a small, weighted pillow. He looked back up to see his baby still in the arms of Taxian-jun.
“Mo Ran,” Chu Wanning weakly called, his voice still rough and scratched from the labour. “My baby.” He held out his arms expectantly, waiting for the crying child to be placed there.
Taxian-jun payed his wife no mind and continued looking at the crying baby, swaddling them and shushing them.
“No,” Chu Wanning slurred out, letting the pillow fall to the floor, and trying to get up from the bed, the sheets below him still stained with dark blood and birth fluids. Taxian-jun tutted, placing the wailing baby into the nearby bassinet before making his way over to Chu Wanning.
“Ah, my Chu Fei what a mess you’ve made. You’re much too weak to be standing right now. Come on, back to bed, you need your rest.” It’s disgustingly casual as Taxian-jun lifts Chu Wanning back onto the bed, laying a blanket over the struggling new mother.
“My baby, need my baby, please,” He babbled, still weakly trying to reach his child, all the while being shushed by his rapist. Taxian-jun pushed him down into the pillows.
“Oh shizun, you’re so hopeful.” He teased. Chu Wanning made a questioning noise, still struggling to no avail.
“This Venerable One’s wife is really having a hard time understanding, isn’t he? Must be all those drugs in your system,” A smile spread across Taxian-jun’s face, one that made unease sink into Chu Wanning’s stomach.
“Let me care for my baby,” Chu Wanning tried to demand but it came out more like the pleading of a bullied consort. Which it really was this time.
“You? Take care of the baby? Of course not, shizun!” Taxian-jun laughed, a cruel sound that reverberated off the walls, making the infant in the bassinet wail louder. “Look at yourself, my Chu Fei, do you truly think that you are capable of taking care of a child? A baby? You got your own disciple killed; do you honestly think that this Venerable One would trust you with his child? Don’t be stupid.” He brushed away one of the many tears sliding down Chu Wanning’s cheeks.
“No, no, no—” Chu Wanning cut himself off, grabbing at Taxian-jun’s robes. “Please Mo Ran,” He sobbed, his voice getting louder. “Please, they need me! See how they cry! Please, allow me my baby, if you must take everything from me, allow me this one—” He’s cut off by sobs as his body crumples in on itself. The bedding between the two of them is starting to bloom a vibrant red, Chu Wanning’s stitches being torn from the stress.
Chu Wanning’s hearing goes all soft and fuzzy, the desperate screams of his baby being drowned out by the authoritative calls for a doctor by Taxian-jun. Reaching between his legs and feeling warm fluid, Chu Wanning brings his hand back out to the light, his last image being that of his scarlet-soaked hand.
When Chu Wanning awoke, it was still dark out, as shown through the sheer curtains. His head was still spinning and he reached a hand down to caress his stomach, comfort his unborn child. But the firm swell was no longer there, the shock of it sending his memory reeling. He remembered everything that happened before his fainting, waking up after birth, Taxian-jun holding his baby, his child’s cries for their mother, the promise that he couldn’t raise his own flesh and blood, everything.
Chu Wanning carefully slid out of bed, his legs shaking and the coldness of the floor sending shivers across his body. He was thankfully left in a thin robe, not good for keeping away the chill, but good enough to maintain his modesty, at least that was something Taxian-jun hadn’t taken away this time.
He wobbled his way over to the bassinet, expecting to find a wriggling infant eager for their mother’s milk and warmth. But there was nothing. No baby, no little gurgles, and hands reaching to the heavens, nothing. Panic overtook Chu Wanning, he rushed around the room, overturning any furniture he could find, smashing his bronze mirror, and pounding at the door. His baby was gone. His baby needed him, and he wasn’t there. They were probably hungry if the tightness of his chest said anything.
Chu Wanning wailed desperately for his baby, his baby who he hadn’t even held in his arms yet. His child who he talked to constantly over the past months. His only reason for keeping himself alive at his darkest times. He looked mournfully over at one of his broken vases, the shards looked so very inviting. Chu Wanning stumbled over; his adrenaline had left his body as quickly as it came. The shard of white ceramic felt overly large in his hand. He gripped the shard as hard as he could, beads of blood turned into trails that escaped down his arm, staining his thin robes.
After only a few minutes of squeezing the ceramic shard, he dropped it to the floor, the sobs wracking his body, weakening Chu Wanning so much that he collapsed onto the cold floor.
He needed his baby more than he needed air, more than water, than food, than anything. His child was his lifeblood.
Was Taxian-jun really so cruel as to harm his own child? Maybe the baby looked too much like Chu Wanning and sparked the wrath and ire of Taxian-jun.
Chu Wanning wasn’t on the floor alone with his thoughts for long. He heard footsteps outside the door, instantly recognizing them as Taxian-jun’s. He pushed himself up on his hip, bloody ceramic shard in his shaking uninjured hand as a weapon.
The door swung open, the dark looming figure of Taxian-jun entered the destroyed room, a light-coloured bundle was tucked into the crook of one arm. He looked around at the room, his eyes sweeping over the unturned furniture and shattered ceramics before finally settling on the figure of his beloved concubine and hated shizun, one in the same.
Chu Wanning shuddered a bit, dropping his weapon once he sees that his child is safe. He unsteadily got on his feet, stumbling over to Taxian-jun. He reached out desperately for his lifeline, letting out a broken, “Please,”
“It’s alright, come along, let’s get you back to bed,” Taxian-jun led his wife back to his bed, letting him crawl into the nest of many blankets and pillows. Chu Wanning was exhausted and whined a bit, his hand still bleeding. Taxian-jun shushed him and held out his salvation.
Chu Wanning gathered his sweet child in his arms, inhaling the child’s scent. He pulled away the top of his robe, exposing his breast and letting his baby latch. They hungrily sucked, curling into the warmth of their mother. Finally, Chu Wanning’s lifeline was in his arms. He studied their face, they had their fathers nose and mouth, he guessed that they may have had their mothers eyes, but wasn’t sure. They were perfect.
“Oh, my perfect child, my sweet baby,” Chu Wanning cooed, clutching them closer. He could feel Taxian-jun joining the little family on the bed, his arm wrapping behind his consorts back to support him. Chu Wanning flinched away slightly and shivered, he still didn’t want to be touched by that man.
“My Chu Fei is doing so well, feeding our child so she can grow up strong,” Taxian-jun planted a kiss on the mole behind Chu Wanning’s ear.
“She?” It comes out as a whisper, light as baby’s breath.
“Yes,” Taxian-jun kisses Chu Wanning’s bare shoulder. “My noble consort has performed so well. A princess, my Chu Fei has given this Venerable One a beautiful daughter.”