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

When the news reached Songhe Garden, the old lady was worshipping Buddha.

The prayer beads snapped and rolled all over the floor.

Granny Qin helped her run all the way to the main room.

"Yan-ge'er!" The old lady grabbed Pei Yan tightly, her lips trembling with anxiety. "What happened? Why can't you speak all of a sudden?"

Pei Yan wrote a reassuring message: "It's nothing, it will be fine tomorrow."

"What a trivial matter!" The old lady slapped her thigh in alarm. "This is clearly someone trying to harm you!"

She kept pressing the physician for answers for a long time, and then personally watched as Lüyi went to get the medicine and brew it. It wasn't until 7 p.m. that she was finally persuaded to return to Songhe Garden.

into the night.

Pei Yan rested in the inner room, tacitly allowing Xue Lingyi to take care of him.

Jiang Guo'er lingered and didn't leave.

"Your Excellency, Madam is on her period these past two days and is feeling unwell."

"It would be better if I stood guard on the footstool. That way, if Your Excellency gives any orders in the middle of the night, I can be there to serve you."

Xue Lingyi readily replied, "I'll rest on the Noble Concubine's couch. Guo'er is very thoughtful; I feel at ease with her watching over me."

Pei Yan nodded slightly in acquiescence, his face cold.

Xue Lingyi led Lüyi to the outer room and lowered the heavy curtain.

Jiang Guo'er took a thin blanket and spread it on the footstool, then tactfully lay down fully clothed.

Only one glass lamp remained in the room, its dim yellow flame flickering within the glass cover.

Just after midnight, there was a rustling sound underfoot.

Jiang Guo'er was a light sleeper. In her drowsy state, she suddenly felt dizzy and disoriented.

Someone scooped her up, blanket and all!

When she was fully awake, she found herself forcibly stuffed into a large bed curtain, her back pressed against a hot, firm chest.

Pei Yan pressed his arm against her waist, pulling her closer to his chest.

Jiang Guo'er's scalp tightened. "Prime Minister?"

The even breathing coming from above, and the arm that tightened its grip even more.

She dared not move.

The doll in her arms was squeezed between the two of them, pressing against her chest.

Was he sleepwalking?

Or is it the feeling of unease that comes after losing your voice?

Forget it, take care of him.

Jiang Guo'er slowly relaxed her shoulders, nuzzled her head against his neck, found a less uncomfortable position, and closed her eyes.

Anyway, I won't lose out.

After staying up for who knows how long, drowsiness finally washed over me like a tide.

Pei Yan held Jiang Guo'er in his arms, clearly feeling her body gradually relax and her breathing becoming longer and more even.

The little thing risked offending the Xue family and stubbornly refused to leave, just so he could hold her and sleep with her.

No other ideas?

Suddenly, a blurry voice popped into my mind.

[...I...poison...Prime Minister...]

Pei Yan's narrow eyes suddenly opened.

Jiang Guo'er, nestled in his arms, was breathing evenly, her little face pressed against the pillow, revealing a plump, soft mass of flesh.

Her little mouth was pursed tightly.

If it wasn't her, then who was speaking?!

Early the next morning.

When Jiang Guo'er woke up, Pei Yan was already gone.

His body heat still lingered in the bedding, and there were faint indentations on the pillow.

She rubbed her eyes and got up, instinctively taking the doll out of her arms and straightening its crooked little crown.

"Do you think he's crazy? He hugged me so tightly last night, I almost broke my ribs."

After muttering to himself, he stuffed it back into his chest, got up, and went back to the side room to wash up.

As his peripheral vision swept across the table, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

One and a half sweet potatoes are missing.

Jiang Guo'er raised an eyebrow in surprise.

She remembers it clearly yesterday; at noon, she felt nauseous and only took a small bite before putting it down.

She planned to save the remaining three and a half sweet potatoes for a late-night snack.

She crouched down and looked under the table legs, then glanced at the windowsill. There were no mouse droppings or signs of chewing.

Who ate it?

Lüyi? Impossible, that girl is even more disciplined than her.

A cleaning lady? I wouldn't dare.

Could it be—Pei Yan?

The absurd thought had barely surfaced when Jiang Guo'er nipped it in the bud.

What a joke.

Even if the Prime Minister likes her body a lot... he wouldn't eat the sweet potato she left behind, would he?

Jiang Guo'er felt something was wrong the more she thought about it, but she couldn't figure it out, so she could only put it aside for the time being.

At 9:00 AM, Jiang Guo'er carried the newly prescribed medicine from the family physician to the main room to serve him.

Pei Yan leaned against the headboard, his face as cold and stern as ever, still unable to speak.

He took the bowl of medicine and downed it in one gulp without even flinching.

Jiang Guo'er took the bowl, lingered for a while, and finally couldn't resist, speaking seemingly casually:

"Prime Minister, isn't it strange? One and a half of the sweet potatoes I left on the table in the side room yesterday are missing."

"Could it be that we've attracted mice?"

Pei Yan flipped through the folded paper in his hand, remaining motionless.

"Prime Minister?"

The man remained unresponsive, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

Jiang Guo'er's heart skipped a beat.

"Your Excellency! This servant is speaking to you!"

Pei Yan calmly turned to another page of the folded book.

Jiang Guo'er panicked. She put down the medicine bowl and ran to the outer room, where she grabbed Xue Lingyi, who was tidying her clothes.

"Lingyi! The Prime Minister can't hear me!"

Xue Lingyi was taken aback: "What?"

"I called him several times, but he didn't respond at all!" Jiang Guo'er's eyes reddened with anxiety.

"Yesterday it was my throat, today it's my ear. Could the poison spread to other places?"

Xue Lingyi turned and walked into the inner room.

Jiang Guo'er followed behind, her heart pounding in her chest.

Xue Lingyi walked to the bedside and curtsied respectfully: "Prime Minister, I have come to bring you tea."

Pei Yan looked up at her, put down the folding paper, and reached out to take the teacup.

Xue Lingyi tried again, "Is the Prime Minister feeling any better today?"

Pei Yan nodded and took a sip of tea.

Xue Lingyi turned around and blinked at Jiang Guo'er in confusion—couldn't she hear that?

Jiang Guo'er stood frozen by the door, her mind buzzing.

He could hear Xue Lingyi's words, but he couldn't hear hers.

What's going on... Does this poison pick and choose its users?

Or... is he deliberately ignoring me?

But why? What did she do wrong?

Jiang Guo'er couldn't understand it more and more, and unconsciously touched the doll through her clothes.

Surely the Prime Minister isn't just putting on a show of calm and composure!

He responded when Lingyi spoke, perhaps simply because he saw her face to face.

First, I couldn't speak, then I couldn't hear... So what's next?

If it spreads downwards, spreads into the abdominal cavity, spreads into...

She dared not think any further.

No, she's not pregnant yet! Your Excellency, you absolutely mustn't let anything happen to her!

Just then—

Pei Yan abruptly stopped drinking his tea.

His gaze was so intense that it seemed to transcend Xue Lingyi and lock onto Jiang Guo'er with unerring accuracy.

I'm so anxious... what should I do...?

It was Jiang Guo'er's voice that was clear and distinct.

But her lips didn't move at all.

Pei Yan narrowed his eyes.

Jiang Guo'er's eyes were red and glistening with tears, her chest heaving rapidly, and one hand was tightly clutching her clothes.

Her hands were still trembling slightly.

Pei Yan slowly shifted his gaze, his long eyelashes drooping, and brought the teacup back to his lips.

Last night, those words were "I", "poison", and "Prime Minister".

He initially thought that Jiang Guo'er had ulterior motives and had revealed something in her dream.

But the way she looked right now... clearly showed that she was heartbroken and worried about him.

Pei Yan unconsciously pressed his tongue against his cheek.

He knew he must have misheard last night.

Despite incurring Xue's jealousy, the little thing clung to him, and more than once, when they were aroused in bed, she pestered him to say she liked him.

How could he be the one who poisoned her?

Pei Yan unconsciously curled his tongue and rubbed his cheek.

After Xue Lingyi left the inner room, she quietly took Jiang Guo'er's hand.

"Are you relieved now? His hearing is fine, he can hear."

"Then why—"

Xue Lingyi looked at the red corners of her eyes and deliberately lowered her voice, "Shunshun, do you really... dislike the Prime Minister?"

Jiang Guo'er was taken aback.

"I don't like it."

Xue Lingyi sighed inwardly, said nothing more, and patted the back of her hand.

Bearing the deep-seated hatred of her family's blood feud, Guo'er has probably long ago decided to seal her heart and lock away her love.

She really suffered.