The clingy concubine ran away, and the sickly prince lost control.

"My hands smell of ink from copying earlier. I need to wash them so as not to disturb the old lady's meal."

Luo Qingyan quickly slipped into the side room, not to wash her hands but to stuff a pastry into her mouth. She chewed it, swallowed it down, and, having been terrified of hunger in the Luo household, had developed a habit of hiding food. After wiping her mouth, she came out and said, "Granny, let's go!"

She needs to eat something first; she can't go hungry.

Granny Zheng always had a serious face, but in her heart she thought Luo Qingyan was a thoughtful girl who went out of her way to wash her hands. Although she was not a lady from a prominent family, she was not beyond redemption.

Luo Qingyan glanced at Pei Shiyuan out of the corner of her eye. Although his back was to her, she knew he must be cold-faced and aloof. Sigh, she had been told not to have any "unreasonable thoughts," so she didn't expect him to refuse the old lady's request for her sake because of her injured knee.

"Wait a moment."

Luo Qingyan followed Zheng Mama, and just as she stepped out of the threshold, she heard Pei Shiyuan's voice.

Luo Qingyan stopped in her tracks.

"She injured her knee, so she will serve her mother her meal another day."

That's more like it. Even if they don't investigate who harmed the person, they should at least say something reasonable! It wouldn't be in vain that they risked everything this time.

Unlike other parts of the body, my knees aggravated the wound with every step I took, and my lining clothes were already soaked with blood.

Even saying a word of concern is a step forward.

Take it slow. Pei Shiyuan isn't the kind of man who pounces on every woman he sees.

She had to go to the old lady looking miserable to show her sincerity and win the trust of the old lady who was always stern and unsmiling.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I can walk after the medicine has been applied, it won't affect my ability to walk."

Who cares about you? You have no manners.

As Luo Qingyan walked away, Pei Shiyuan rubbed his temples. This girl always surprised him. No, he had to keep his distance and not give her any false hope.

A comfortable place to live.

A large table of various dishes had already been laid out in front of the old lady.

Luo Qingyan was setting out the dishes.

They didn't tell her or hint at which dish she wanted to eat.

Luo Qingyan considered that older people prefer soft foods, so she first served a bowl of tofu soup.

"Do you think I have no teeth?" the old lady said coldly.

No, if you don't like it, then don't let the kitchen make it!

"Madam, please try this steamed fish."

"Did you nitpick?"

Luo Qingyan pinched the fish belly, where there were no small bones, and she had already removed the only large bones.

This is just nitpicking at her!

"Madam, which dish would you like to eat?"

"I'm not eating anymore. You can't pick out any dishes I like anyway." The old lady put down her chopsticks, but secretly observed Luo Qingyan's expression out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't impatient, and steamed fish was indeed what Luo Qingyan wanted to eat today. She had a good eye.

"Sit down! You can eat lunch here; it's a waste to throw it away."

Should I ask her to sit down and eat?

Luo Qingyan's eyes trembled. Was this a trial or a reward? It should be a reward!

But when she met the old lady's sharp eyes, Luo Qingyan's heart tightened again; it was truly frightening.

"Madam Xie."

A table laden with exquisite dishes—she had never seen or tasted anything like it in her entire life; truly befitting the Duke's mansion.

After digesting most of the snack she had eaten, Luo Qingyan began to enjoy her meal.

The wind swept away the clouds, and after a while, Luo Qingyan finished eating and even quietly burped.

The old lady sat upright the whole time. This girl is quite straightforward; she noticed the bloodstains on Luo Qingyan's knee.

She never expected Cui Rou to have such a vicious side. It was understandable that she would drag out the engagement and not marry, but she was somewhat disappointed that she would be so ruthless to her son's woman.

"Granny Zheng, go to the storeroom and fetch some medicine, a new piece of brocade we acquired this year, and a set of jewelry for Consort Luo."

He rewarded her without doing anything? All Luo Qingyan could do was bow and express her gratitude, and say that she had served Pei Shiyuan diligently.

"I didn't give you this gift for nothing. Dress up nicely. It's mid-month, and the moonlight will be beautiful tonight. Why don't you accompany the prince to enjoy the moon? The doctor said we can't rush things. You should understand what that means."

"We need to cultivate feelings first; we can't force it," Luo Qingyan understood. "I understand. I will make sure the young master is happy while we admire the moon tonight."

She came to the Duke's mansion to get pregnant and give birth, so how could she not prepare some thoughtful gifts? Working odd jobs at the clinic, she had to be absolutely precise in controlling the quantities so that no one would notice.

The old lady nodded in satisfaction, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Go and prepare!"

Luo Qingyan curtsied and left.

"Aunt." Cui Rou's coquettish voice came in, and she happened to come face to face with Luo Qingyan as she entered the room.

Cui Rou adjusted the tasseled gold hairpin in her hair: "Watch where you're going. I can forgive you if you bump into me, but if you break this hairpin, that would be unforgivable, because it was a gift from Yuan-gege when we got engaged. It's our token of love."

From now on, she would wear it every day to teach Luo Qingyan a lesson: who is the rightful owner? She shouldn't try to seduce Yuan-gege every day, attempting to occupy his heart and replace her.

Yuan-gege will only ever have her in his heart for the rest of his life.

Who bumped into you? Luo Qingyan rolled her eyes at Cui Rou in her heart. She was the one who stood in front of her showing off the token of their love, how could she not marry her?

"Miss Cui is right, thankfully we didn't bump into her."

Luo Qingyan lowered her stance. The more humble you are with someone like Cui Rou, the more arrogant she becomes. Pei Shiyuan is also a battle-hardened general; I don't believe he would like someone like that. This gives her an extra layer of advantage.

"Good to know." Cui Rou raised her chin. Sure enough, being pricked with a needle made her much more obedient. Seeing Luo Qingyan lower her head and listen obediently, she felt a little better.

Luo Qingyan curtsied and went out.

Cui Rou jogged forward and took the old lady's arm: "Aunt, in broad daylight, Luo Qingyan was not copying the Precepts for Women properly, but seduced Brother Yuan and carried her all the way from the ancestral hall back to Linfeng Residence."

"Why are you holding her? Don't you know?" the old lady asked coldly. "She's Yuan'er's concubine, so don't use the word 'seduction' all the time. I actually hope they get along well and she'll conceive a child with the Pei family bloodline soon."

Was her aunt giving her a warning? Cui Rou immediately wiped away her tears with her handkerchief: "Aunt, I understand your desire to continue Yuan-gege's bloodline, but the rules can't be broken. You value the rules the most, and Luo Qingyan seems to be a very undisciplined person. Just copying the 'Women's Precepts' probably won't be effective, so I'm on the prayer mat..."

"My heart is with Yuan-gege. I'm heartbroken that he's with another woman. Aunt, Yuan-gege and I were a match made in heaven, but fate has played a cruel trick on us. I don't know how much longer we can be together."

As she spoke, Cui Rou buried her face in the old lady's lap and burst into tears.

"Alright. I'm not blaming you; you've had a tough life. Just leave Luo Qingyan alone."

The aunt actually protected Luo Qingyan.

Wiping away her tears, Cui Rou's eyes flashed with a sharp glint. She would not let Luo Qingyan get away with it; she would always be there to protect Pei Shiyuan.

"Aunt, I'll listen to you. No matter what, I just want to be good to Brother Yuan." Her tone was gentle and pitiful.

Rou'er was provoked by Luo Qingyan. If she could change her mind during this time, marry Yuan'er, and have children, it would not only continue Yuan'er's bloodline but also facilitate the marriage alliance between Cui and Pei.

"You and Yuan'er grew up together, and your bond is unmatched by anyone else, so do your part in being good to them."

Rou'er left the family line, which was a great sacrifice, but what daughter of a prominent family wouldn't consider the interests of the family?

The old lady still wanted Cui Rou to marry Pei Shiyuan.

The side room of Linfeng Residence.

Luo Qingyan twirled a small bottle in her hand, intending to use only one-tenth of it at night to dispel the coldness in Pei Shiyuan's eyes.