High-class Spring Joy

"Ah Yuan, why don't you tell me who that man is?"

Solve the mystery of the obvious.

Qingyuan glanced at him, said nothing, but unconsciously stroked her lower abdomen.

child…

Is a little life already growing here?

However, given her current status, once her pregnancy is revealed, there will be no way to change anything.

Even if Chu Jingxian is willing to let her go, Chu Jingyu and the old lady will not let her off easily.

She was pregnant out of wedlock, but she wasn't afraid of her reputation. She knew that nothing was more important than being alive, because only by being alive could there be hope.

The reason Qingyuan agreed to take on that job was twofold: firstly, she needed money to redeem herself, and secondly, it was only for one night, so the chances of her getting pregnant after just one time were extremely low. She never intended to have a child for the Third Young Master.

Even if she did have something going on with the Third Young Master, her status could never be much better than that of Chu Jingyu.

In the eyes of the master, a maid is just a maid, and she should never dream of climbing into the master's bed.

If the old lady were to learn that she was pregnant with the third young master's child, even if she wanted the child, the easiest way to preserve the reputation of the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion would be to abort the mother and keep the child.

Even if the child is born, the outcome will be separation between mother and child.

As for whether to spare the child or take the mother's life, it depends entirely on whether the old lady will have a change of heart and spare her life.

Qingyuan has lived a long and difficult life, how could she possibly gamble with the old lady's wishes?

The doctor prepared medicine for Qingyuan, and she drank the medicine to prevent miscarriage. She then took several more doses of medicine and returned to the Zhenguo Marquis's residence with a heavy heart.

To his surprise, he ran into Chu Jingyu as soon as he got back.

The lakeside in the back garden.

Summer is approaching, a gentle breeze is blowing, the lake water is emerald green and clear, and the lotus flowers in the pond are already budding, all of which look like a vibrant scene.

"Ge'er, we've been out for so long. You're already quite frail, and you're not fully recovered yet. Why don't you go back and rest?"

As Chu Jingyu spoke, he took the cloak from the maid and thoughtfully draped it over Jiang Qingge's shoulders: "It's still a bit chilly today. Let me accompany you back. It's windy here, and you'll catch a cold."

Jiang Qingge looked at him reproachfully: "A-Jing, I know you're worried about me, but I've been recuperating in Baiyun Courtyard for twelve days since that night. I've been cooped up in my room every day. If it weren't for you staying with me, I'm afraid I would have gone crazy from boredom. Let me go outside more often. Let me feel the breeze and enjoy the scenery. With A-Jing by my side, I'm sure I'll recover quickly."

"Alright, alright, I'll do whatever you want. If you get cold, just let me know. Don't catch a cold again. I'll stay here with you, enjoying the breeze and the scenery. That shouldn't be boring, right?"

As Chu Jingyu spoke, he reached out and affectionately scratched the tip of Jiang Qingge's nose.

The two of them standing together truly deserve the description of "a perfect match, a match made in heaven".

Qingyuan simply watched from a distance, her heart unmoved.

She had thought that Chu Jingyu had doted on her on very rare occasions in the past, but now that she saw his tenderness and doting, she realized that what she thought was doting was just teasing and playing with her.

She simply wasn't in the mood to think about these things today, and she had absolutely no desire to waste any more effort on Chu Jingyu.

Just as she was about to take a longer route back, Chu Jingyu's somewhat surprised voice came from behind her: "A-Yuan?"

Qingyuan had a bit of a headache, but she could only bite the bullet and turn around to bow: "Greetings, young master."

Chu Jingyu saw Qingyuan when he turned around. When he saw her turn her head, he noticed that her face was pale and she looked very unwell. She seemed absent-minded. He immediately realized that he had been spending all his time with Ge'er these days and hadn't seen Qingyuan for a long time.

Look at her, she's so heartbroken and absent-minded.

A wave of guilt washed over Chu Jingyu. He released Jiang Qingge, leaving her standing alone by the lake, and his feet moved uncontrollably toward Qingyuan.

"Why are you here?"

Chu Jingyu asked, her mind preoccupied with Qingyuan's health, "Didn't I instruct the physician to give you the best medicine? Why does your face still look so pale?"

"This servant just happened to be passing by," Qingyuan replied, pursing her lips.

Chu Jingyu had no idea. Seeing the haggard look in her eyes and how much she missed him, her voice softened even more as she earnestly explained to Qingyuan:

"It's my fault. Ge'er is weak and was choked by the thick smoke that day, remaining unconscious for a whole day and night. The doctor said she needs someone by her side constantly, which is why I haven't been able to visit you. Ah Yuan, I've always been thinking of you. How could I not care about you, you silly girl?"

After saying that, Chu Jingyu reached out and gently stroked Qingyuan's nose with his hooked knuckles to comfort her.

To his surprise, just as he reached out his hand, Qingyuan took two steps back, leaving his hand frozen in mid-air.

Qingyuan didn't want to say more to him, so she said directly, "Young master, you misunderstand. This servant did not mean to disturb you two. I just happened to be passing by."

Although she was meek and obedient, the coldness in her words was even more pronounced, like a piece of iron that could neither be broken nor melted.

Chu Jingyu was convinced that she was just being stubborn. He was genuinely worried and felt guilty. Even though she had embarrassed him, he couldn't muster any anger. He sighed and said, "A-Yuan, I'll come to see you in a couple of days. Be good."

Qingyuan was too lazy to say more, so she casually replied, "Yes, this servant will not disturb you two any longer and will take her leave now."

After saying that, she turned and left.

Chu Jingyu watched her slender figure from behind. His A-Yuan was indeed the most sensible and considerate. She had so easily coaxed him back from his sulking. But...

Ah Yuan seems to have lost weight again.

Chu Jingyu felt a stinging pain in her eyes. Without him, she definitely wouldn't eat properly.

Thinking it over, Chu Jingyu turned around and ordered the small kitchen to prepare Qingyuan's favorite dishes separately from now on, without having to follow the rules for maids.

However, while Chu Jingyu might not have realized the heartache and longing in his eyes as he gazed at Qing Yuan, Jiang Qingge, standing beside him, saw it all clearly.

Jiang Qingge clenched the handkerchief in her hand, staring at Qing Yuan's departing figure, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

It seems we need to speed things up.

Three days later, her Buddha statue was rewarded by the Empress Dowager on her birthday. She was then able to marry into the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion as his principal wife. The first person she needed to deal with was her maid, Qingyuan.

It'll be over soon; her arrogance won't last much longer.

-

For the next three days, Qingyuan continued to embroider Buddha images in the room as usual.

She was Chu Jingyu's personal maid. Chu Jingyu was preoccupied with Jiang Qingge and had servants to attend to him, so he didn't need her. She was perfectly entitled to be idle.

However, ever since returning to the Marquis's residence that day, Qingyuan would often drift off into thought while embroidering Buddha images.

She didn't know why, perhaps the arrival of this little life in her womb was too sudden. Qingyuan wanted to keep it, but she couldn't even protect herself, so how could she ensure the safety of the child in her womb?

After her older sister passed away, she was like a person in this world, able to get by on her own as long as she had food to eat.

But can she save this child? Can she provide the child with a life free from want?

Qingyuan wasn't confident, and what made her even less confident was that she hadn't yet been redeemed from her servitude and was still a maid who would die in the Marquis's mansion without anyone noticing.

Anxiety and unease mingled in Qingyuan's heart. Fortunately, Chu Jingxian was not in the manor these past few days, so she didn't have to see him, which made her feel a little more relaxed.

She was truly at a loss as to how to face him.

Qingyuan couldn't understand it, and had no other choice but to transform all her anxiety and resentment into pressure, forcing herself to embroider the Buddha image meticulously, even to the point of being nitpicky.

She knew that if she wanted to keep the child, her best and only way was to win first place at the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration, receive a reward, and redeem herself from the household.

Three days passed quickly.

The Empress Dowager's birthday arrived, and Qingyuan, as Chu Jingyu's maid, also went along.