The concubine, a former cannon fodder, becomes pregnant, and the childless prince spoils her rotten.

"I'll treat you?" The concubine was stunned for a moment, feeling both annoyed and amused. She glanced at Lin Shangya, feeling dissatisfied with her.

"No, how could that be? Of course it's my treat." Lin Shangya forced a smile, looking even weaker, as if she would faint at any moment.

The concubine disliked her pretense, saying, "If you're not feeling well, why did you ask me to come out? Just stay home and rest."

Sensing her unfriendly tone, Lin Shangya felt anxious and her abdominal cramps intensified.

I don't know why, but my stomach has been upset from eating something bad lately, and on top of that, my period cramps are really bad.

But how could she, an unmarried young woman, talk about such things in public?

A chill ran through Lin Zhizhi's body. The medicine used was far too potent; it seemed they were planning to make it impossible for her to resist even if she knew.

As a slave maid, she was treated arbitrarily. If she displeased her master, she could be punished on any pretext. She could only fight for her life.

She had to please the prince so that he would be willing to protect her family, and only then would others dare not touch her.

When the waiter led them upstairs, they bumped into the prince and Liu Gulan. The concubine felt guilty and didn't even dare to look. She just followed Lin Zhizhi and bowed.

Liu Gulan was quite curious about Lin Zhizhi, unaware that the prince had asked Lin Zhizhi to manage the accounts.

Seeing that the man beside her had no reaction, she was filled with doubts. She felt that Cen Jingyi was different from the person described in the book, and was not such an easy cannon fodder to deal with.

After spending several time together, she revealed many flaws. He clearly noticed them but did not point them out. He was also a man of few words, so he could not guess what she was thinking at all.

In the current situation, her own concubine is mingling with that fifth prince's concubine who is no good, and she doesn't even stop her.

Is it because they don't care, or because they think they can control a mere maid?

Seeing the three enter the private room next door, she spoke: "I heard that the Fifth Prince's concubine is nothing more than a pimp, brought up only to satisfy the Fifth Prince's fetish for married women."

The concubine's gold and silver ornaments looked extremely vulgar, and Liu Gulan's design for the concubine to wear them made her feel uncomfortable.

"Do you really think so?"

Liu Gulan was startled by the coldness in his tone, and thinking that her words were really offensive, she said, "I didn't mean that. I don't think the master's concubine would do such a shameful thing."

Cen Jingyi did not respond. Lin Zhizhi rarely interacted with the outside world, but she knew that the connections accumulated by the Fifth Prince's concubines could be used.

But Liu Gu only listens to gossip that obscures the truth; this is hardly the kind of work a staff member should do.

Liu Gulan couldn't figure out Cen Jingyi's personality at all, so how could she know why he was unhappy?

She knew in her heart that this world was different from the novels she read, and the relationships and personalities of the characters had changed drastically. She could only rely on these tidbits of information to learn more and avoid making mistakes.

But this cannon fodder is really picky, and recently her demands on her have become increasingly stringent.

I don't know if it's because I dislike her unconventional methods or because I'm disgusted by her rudeness due to her lack of understanding of the rules.

She just thought to herself that he was intolerant of others and deserved to be cannon fodder.

Little did she know that if Cen Jingyi were truly petty and narrow-minded, she would have died countless times.

Not to mention, considering her innovative ideas, they intentionally introduced her to these powerful and influential people.

Lin Zhizhi was unaware that Liu Gulan's inappropriate remarks had convinced Cen Jingyi that she should manage the shop's accounts to avoid being impeached for any mistakes.

She was chatting and laughing with the Fifth Prince's concubine in the private room when she exclaimed in astonishment, "Is that really true? I've never heard of such a thing! Does he really like that?"

The concubines had their own agendas, and now they saw that Lin Zhizhi was simple-minded and pure, and rarely interacted with people outside the mansion.

With a regretful expression, she said, "If I had known you were such a wonderful person, I should have met you sooner. It's like those scholars who say they wish they had met sooner; I understand that feeling now. Feel free to come visit me anytime you're feeling down, and I'll introduce you to some of my girlfriends."

Lin Shangya gritted her teeth in anger. She had been scolded when she talked about the prince with Lin Zhizhi, but now she was chatting enthusiastically with this concubine.

If it weren't for the need to protect her reputation and refrain from interrupting, this concubine, with her loose tongue, would be seen as a woman who, even before marriage, lusts after men if she uttered a single word.

Reluctantly, I had to remain here as a tree stump, while enduring the stomach pain and pretending to be shy.

He spoke up at that moment: "I don't dare listen to what you're saying."

These abrupt words caused the concubine, who had been smiling broadly, to frown slightly. She was just about to steer the conversation toward Cen Jingyi when she was interrupted.

Given her personality, she would never abandon the middleman; instead, she would chat happily with her newly acquainted sister.

The concubine looked down on Lin Shangya from the bottom of her heart. She had a poor family background, was clumsy in her methods, and was unaware of her own shortcomings. She also liked to seek fame and reputation.

She has the ability to bring the women of the city together, and she certainly won't reveal her thoughts openly.

I just felt that Lin Shangya was not as genuine as Lin Zhizhi. Although she was a slave and at the mercy of her master, she did not hide her inner desires at all.

"I do want to win the prince's favor," she said softly, like a young girl in love, her face full of honesty despite her young age.

The concubine pondered the matter further, realizing that inquiring about news from the mansion at this moment would surely arouse Lin Zhizhi's suspicion. Someone who had survived serving her mistress so closely could not possibly be as naive and easily deceived as she appeared.

On the contrary, Lin Shangya, who kept saying that it would be easy to gain benefits from Lin Zhizhi, kept treating her like a fool.

He then changed the subject, saying with an ambiguous expression, "Judging from your physique, the prince must be quite formidable. You are truly blessed."

"The prince is very busy and often stays in his study. I was worried about him, so I stayed by his side to serve him. To be honest, the prince never wanted us servants to go through all that trouble, and he even rewarded me with a lot of silver."

Lin Zhizhi's words were a mix of truth and falsehood, making it difficult to find fault with them.

The concubine looked at Lin Shangya, suppressing her annoyance, and thought that Lin Zhizhi was incredibly cunning.

He then said, "You are a concubine in this household, and you probably can't get past the mistress of the house. You have no idea that I am in the same situation as you."

She looked distressed and refused to reveal who had wronged her, hoping to extract information by sharing a similar situation.

No matter how fierce the infighting within the household was, or how wronged she felt, how could Lin Zhizhi tell others about these things?

Her eyes shone brightly as she stared intently at the concubine's hair ornaments, saying, "Sister, this hairpin on your head is so beautiful. I've never seen one like it before. I suppose the mistresses in your household must be very well-dressed."

The concubine was humiliated. She wasn't a maid; she was considered half a mistress in the household. How could she truly equate herself with Lin Zhizhi in her heart?

But Lin Zhizhi praised her master and included her in the praise, preventing her from using this as an excuse to lash out.

He then carefully examined Lin Zhizhi, noticing her soft, delicate skin and eyes that seemed to hold unspoken emotions. Her nose was small and pert, and her lips were naturally red and slightly upturned.