The Grand Secretary has no heir? His concubine gives birth to triplets.

Have you thought about it?

Pei Yan asked again in a hoarse voice, with an unyielding determination to achieve his goal.

Jiang Guo'er's heartbeat became somewhat erratic.

Her gaze shifted slightly downwards, sweeping over his high, straight nose and his tightly pursed, yet pale red lips.

She had to admit that she genuinely liked Pei Yan's good looks.

If you like it, why force yourself to suffer?

Jiang Guo'er slowly turned around and met his gaze.

Pei Yan slowly loosened his arms around her and tilted his head back.

He raised his chin, and his usually aloof and cold phoenix eyes were now filled with longing and despair. He stared at her intently, as if making a silent invitation.

Jiang Guo'er understood.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned down, and gently kissed his lips.

Pei Yan's body suddenly trembled, as if a withered tree had suddenly encountered sweet rain.

The next instant, his large hand gripped the back of her head and sucked on it without hesitation.

The kiss was like a whirlwind, extremely urgent.

However, it was not a one-sided demand from Pei Yan.

Jiang Guo'er bit back without backing down, their tongues probing, entwining, and chasing each other, neither willing to give in.

As their lips met, Jiang Guo'er suddenly recalled the words Xue Lingyi had spoken to her a few days earlier when she visited Qingyi Garden.

That day, she was staring blankly at the silk doll when Xue Lingyi dismissed everyone around her, took a cup of rose tea, and leaned against the couch with a smile.

"Now that you've already revealed your true identity to him, and the Prime Minister has promised to help you avenge the Murong family, why do you still draw such a clear line every day?"

Xue Lingyi spoke in a lighthearted tone.

She doesn't need to serve her husband; relying on her fake pregnancy, she doesn't need to pay her respects morning and evening. She has no in-laws to control her, so all she has to do every day is manage the household and look after her.

Life couldn't be more comfortable!

"Look at him, it's been months, and he still only dotes on you. He only comes to my place for a short visit, and he doesn't favor the other concubines either. Even the old lady's words don't matter."

Xue Lingyi leaned closer and lowered her voice:

"In my opinion, the Prime Minister is addicted to you. It's like the scholars of the Wei and Jin dynasties who couldn't live without Five-Stone Powder; they simply couldn't quit."

Jiang Guo'er blushed immediately and stammered:

"But I... I lied to him before. Now I'm pregnant and burdened with a blood feud, how can I be with him..."

"Completely wrong!" Xue Lingyi slammed her hand on the table, pulled a small booklet from her sleeve, and stuffed it into Jiang Guo'er's arms.

"What is this?" Jiang Guo'er looked down and her face instantly turned bright red.

That was actually a book specifically about taboos and precautions for sexual activity during pregnancy!

Xue Lingyi usually appears dignified and elegant, with a scholarly air like a female teacher. How could she be reading such things in private?!

Xue Lingyi cleared her throat; this was her mentor's masterpiece.

"Do you still believe in that nonsense of 'preserving heavenly principles and eliminating human desires'? Do you think that to be single-mindedly focused on revenge, one must sever all emotions and desires?"

"Men crave power and can have multiple wives and concubines. Conversely, why can't we women? When they're manipulating power, when are they ever without women by their side?"

"The former dynasty's eldest princess, while wielding immense power in the court, treated those favored sons of heaven as her intimate guests, living a life of pleasure!"

"You feel guilty for deceiving the Prime Minister, so you're suppressing your feelings and not being close to him. What does the Prime Minister think?"

Xue Lingyi gently poked her forehead, "You shouldn't wrong both the Prime Minister and yourself."

Memories flashed by like lightning.

Jiang Guo'er was so overwhelmed by Pei Yan's kiss that she was in a daze, her mind buzzing, and she finally abandoned her last bit of restraint.

After the kiss, both of them were panting heavily.

Pei Yan's temples throbbed slightly, and the corners of his eyes were red from the smoke.

He suppressed the urge to burn through his internal organs, buried his head in the crook of her neck, and breathed heavily.

"Shunshun, tell me the truth..."

His voice was incredibly hoarse, "Have you missed me at all these past two weeks?"

Jiang Guo'er's heart pounded like a drum. She reached out and touched his burning back, her voice barely audible: "...I've thought about it."

"Every night... I need to hold onto your undergarments to fall asleep."

Pei Yan was stunned for a moment, and a pleasant tremor emanated from his chest.

He looked up, his eyes bright and dark, and gently bit the tip of her nose: "I couldn't resist."

Jiang Guo'er turned her head away shyly: "Weren't we just talking about serious matters? We were just discussing how to deal with the Tan family..."

Pei Yan took a long breath, forcibly suppressing his surging lust, and gently stroked her waist with his palm.

"We have a lot of cards to play right now." He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Shalaila was originally a spy planted by the Crown Prince; Cuiping was planted by the Empress; and my third cousin Pei Zhang was the Emperor's eyes and ears watching me."

"However, these people are now all at our disposal."

He sneered, a hint of smugness in his eyes.

"We'll send out a mix of true and false information, then sit back and watch... see which dog gets impatient and jumps over the wall first."

"Whichever one jumps out, we'll shoot it."

Jiang Guo'er blinked, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.

This man is incredibly audacious! Those are the Crown Prince, the Empress, and the Emperor!

He actually dared to subtly compare him to a dog.

But seeing his arrogant and confident demeanor, her fingertips went numb with excitement.

"Isn't Your Excellency afraid... of hurting the baby in your womb?" she said softly, feigning reproach.

Pei Yan stared intently at her, his gaze gradually moving downwards until it landed on her slightly protruding belly.

It has been four months now.

"I've already asked Master Longchuan."

Pei Yan's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, his chest pressed against her arm, the heat radiating through her clothes.

"The Taoist priest said that the fetal development is stable, and as long as... as long as it's slow and gentle, there will be no problem."

His eyes were bloodshot from holding back his anger, like a large, ferocious beast struggling to control itself, his voice carrying a pitiful plea:

"Shunshun, if you feel unwell at any time, you can call to stop. I will never hurt you in the slightest."

"Please, have pity on me... okay?"

Jiang Guo'er lowered her eyes, her heart pounding, and gently pushed his chest with her fingers.

"Why is Your Excellency in such a hurry? While you were away from home these past few days, I prepared a thank-you gift for you. I must let you see it first."

Pei Yan raised an eyebrow, his eyes gleaming with anticipation: "What kind of thank-you gift?"

"Could it be that netting from the box earlier? I like anything you make by hand."

Jiang Guo'er shook her head. "Not that one."

She pulled a plain-colored silk ribbon from her sleeve.

"Close your eyes."

Pei Yan stared at the ribbon, a rare hint of interest in his eyes.

He reached out and pulled her half a step closer, asking in a low voice, "What does Shunshun want to do with it?"

Jiang Guo'er blushed at the question, but still forced herself to say, "If Your Excellency is afraid, then forget it."

A slight smile appeared on Pei Yan's lips as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

"I'm not afraid, come on."

Jiang Guo'er covered his eyes with a silk ribbon and tied it behind his head.

The moment the ribbon covered her eyes, the surroundings suddenly fell silent, and the breaths and heartbeats around her were amplified infinitely.