So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

Even though Xie Xun hadn't used much force, Ning Yu felt as if her vital point had been gripped, and her body trembled involuntarily.

"I didn't." Her hands were clasped on his wrist, which was holding her face, and her voice was soft and timid. "It was when I was in the East Courtyard that the nanny gave me a bowl of nourishing soup, saying that it was a gift from you."

"Later, when there was no incense burning in the house, I would drink the nourishing soup on my own, and I haven't eaten it since I came to the villa."

Xie Xun felt that she was lying. The imperial physician said that she had taken a lot of cooling medicine, not just once or twice.

The pressure on his jaw increased slightly, and Ning Yu's eyes suddenly reddened. She tried to remove his hand, but she couldn't budge it at all.

"My stomach hurts, please don't do this, I'm scared."

Xie Xun looked down at her beautiful face. She looked so pitiful. Her black hair was disheveled along her shoulders and neck, and her fox-like eyes were misty with tears as she looked at him with grievance and fear.

"I've already married the Governor, so naturally I want a child. I've been taking care of my health these past two days, probably because of some nourishing soup I've been drinking."

"So you mean the imperial physician made a misdiagnosis?"

Ning Yu shook her head. "I---I don't know."

His well-defined knuckles pinched her cheeks, then released her after a while and lifted the belt around her waist.

He held the purse hanging from her waist in his hand, and she suddenly froze, watching him take out a small medicine bottle from it.

"What is this?"

"Medicine---medicine bottle".

Ning Yu was afraid he would take out the pills, but seeing that there was nothing when he opened the stopper, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

No wonder her stomach was hurting so badly all of a sudden; she'd been taking so many cold medicines lately.

His tone was indifferent. "What medicine?"

"It's medicine for treating colds that I bought from the clinic when I was at the Xie family's house."

Xie Xun put down the porcelain bottle, his tone cold, "Which clinic bought it? It's all recorded in the register."

Ning Yu's heart tightened instantly. She moved her lips and coaxed in a gentle voice, "I don't remember very well. It was some small clinic on West Street. There probably wouldn't be any records."

"No registration?!" He glared at her. "According to the rules, this shop should be shut down."

"---" Ning Yu was speechless. She knew he didn't believe her story at all and was waiting for her to confess and beg for mercy.

The invisible pressure made the air inside the tent feel suffocating, and the atmosphere became silent.

She tried her best to calm her complicated and bitter heart, straightened her slender back, knelt down beside him, and reached out to tug at his sleeve.

"Didn't the governor say last time that he wanted a child? I haven't taken any cooling medicine since then. You gave me some tonic soup before, and given our relationship, I'm afraid of getting pregnant, so---"

"So this bottle contains contraceptive pills, right?"

He even gave her a tonic soup, and burned incense to prevent pregnancy during their intimate moments. Why should she have to give birth to his child just because he wants one now?

Ning Yu desperately wanted to tell him loudly that she would never have his child, but given the circumstances, she could only cling tightly to his sleeve and say things against her will.

"I won't eat it anymore."

You lied to me.

She lied to him too many times; he didn't know which one he was referring to.

"What did I lie to the governor about?"

Xie Xun's gaze swept over her face. "You said you only wanted to be with me, and you kept saying you wanted to have my child, but you were lying to me."

"---"

Ning Yu tentatively moved closer to him, pressing her soft body tightly against his arm.

"I didn't lie to the governor. I didn't drink the cold medicine because I didn't want to have children; I just didn't dare."

Xie Xun felt the softness of her body and listened to her insincere words. His voice was deep and cold. "What is there to be afraid of?"

"Back in the Xie family, how could we dare to have children given our status?" She shrugged, her eyes suddenly red. "After coming to this villa, you never mentioned wanting children. You even wanted to get married. How could you have a mistress? Naturally, I didn't dare either, so I drank the cold medicine."

"The governor said he wanted a child a couple of days ago, so I really haven't taken any medicine since."

Xie Xun knew she was lying to him, but seeing her completely dependent on him, his eyes reddened and trembled. In the end, he softened his tone and said, "Ning Yu, this is the second time."

Seeing that his expression had softened, Ning Yu raised her hand to hug his neck, shifted her bottom and buried herself in his arms, her voice tinged with grievance.

"You're always scaring me like this. I'm not your subordinate."

Xie Xun lifted his thin eyelids. "If you were my subordinate, you would have been dismissed long ago."

"---" Ning Yu pretended not to understand, wrapped her arms around his neck, buried her face in his chest and remained silent.

"I am your husband, you should know who your backer is."

At this moment, Xie Xun seemed to have forgotten that he used to just want to play around and then throw people away when he got tired of them. But later he forced someone to fake their death to stay with him, and now he greedily wants a child of their own. It is human nature to be greedy after getting what you want, and Xie Xun is no exception.

Ning Yu felt a chill run down her spine. What kind of husband was he? She wasn't even his concubine.

"I know, I want to spend my life with the Governor. Once I've recovered, we'll have a child."

He knew that if he treated her so lightly, she would become arrogant and ignorant. Xie Xun wanted to teach her a lesson and punish her by confining her to her quarters for a few days, but she obediently nestled in his arms and said sweet words.

He lowered his eyes and pressed her body against his. "Didn't you want to have a child for me? Do it yourself."

Ning Yu was taken aback. Looking at his slightly cold expression, she stammered, "My stomach still hurts a little."

As soon as she finished speaking, she sensed that the atmosphere around her was off. His eyes held the indifference of a superior, and without him saying a word, the air in the tent froze.

She pursed her lips and tremblingly reached out to untie his waist belt.

Xie Xun didn't help her; he just watched her expressionlessly and patiently waited for her to sit down on her own.

Sweat was seeping from Ning Yu's forehead, but knowing that he was suppressing his anger, no one dared to disobey. By the time he finally undressed, a cup of tea had passed.

"Are you going to keep us up until dark?"

She looked up and met his dark, cold eyes. She steeled herself, straddled his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

With a tearing sound, Ning Yu's inner garment was ripped to shreds. She let out a muffled groan, biting the flesh on his shoulder, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Wait for me to serve you?"

A hoarse voice sounded in her ear, and she stiffened, twisting her waist.