The Marquis's line has ended? The pregnant maid is pregnant again!

Ye Shu never expected her cousin's attitude towards her to change like this.

What I didn't expect was that Shen Qinghe, a mere concubine, would dare to threaten me and even attempt to frame me in public. Such a crude and hasty attempt to frame me—how could my cousin believe Shen Qinghe instead of me?

Under the gazes of her cousin and grandmother, Ye Shu felt incredibly wronged, and her eyes immediately reddened: "Grandmother, Shu'er doesn't know, she really doesn't know what happened! I just happened to run into my sister-in-law when I was passing by the garden. I thought that my sister-in-law is pregnant and her body is heavy, so I was afraid that she would be tired and went up to help her."

"and then?"

Looking at Ye Shu in front of him, Lu Jihan felt no less agitated. On the contrary, his anxiety grew as Shen Qinghe's condition became increasingly uncertain.

Lu Jihan was undoubtedly anxious about Shen Qinghe's accident.

Ye Shu noticed that Lu Jihan's tone was getting harsher, and tears welled up in her eyes. She looked at the old lady beside her with a wronged expression and said, "Grandmother..."

The old lady noticed that Lu Jihan's tone was harsh, and seeing her granddaughter's pitiful appearance with red eyes, she couldn't help but try to smooth things over: "Jihan, I know you're anxious, but don't you know what kind of person your cousin is? Maybe there's something going on. You should ask her properly."

Seeing that Lu Jihan remained silent, the old lady took Ye Shu's hand, patted it gently, and comforted her, "It's alright, Shu'er. Grandma believes in you. You're definitely not the kind of girl who would harm others. Besides, you and Qinghe have no past grudges or present hatred, so you certainly wouldn't hurt her. Tell Grandma what exactly happened first."

Seeing that her grandmother believed her, Ye Shu's gaze lingered on Lu Jihan for a moment before she quickly said, "Grandmother, I don't know. I only said a few words to my sister-in-law, and I don't know what I said that upset her. She got so angry that she grabbed my hand and pressed it against her body, then turned around and went into the lake."

At this point, Ye Shu looked at Lu Jihan with reddened eyes: "Cousin, you used to trust me the most. Back in the palace academy, no matter how others wronged me, no matter what the Grand Tutor said about me, you would always stand firmly by my side. You would always firmly say that Shu'er is the best girl. But now, cousin..."

Hearing these words, some memories were indeed stirred up in Lu Jihan, but he only hesitated for a moment: "But Shen Qinghe got into trouble right in front of you, how can you expect me to believe you? Does she really think that Ahe would risk herself and the child in her womb to harm you?"

Questioned by Lu Jihan, Ye Shu became even more heartbroken. She wiped her tears with her handkerchief, her face pale, and weakly retreated into the old lady's arms: "But cousin, have you ever considered what my motive would be if I really wanted to harm my sister-in-law? If I really wanted to harm her, wouldn't it have been better to choose a better place and time? Why would I be so easily discovered? What would I gain from this?"

Lu Jihan fell silent, only glancing at Ye Shu's weak and heartbroken appearance before immediately turning his head away.

For some reason, even though Ye Shu was crying so sadly in front of him and looked so fragile, if it were in the past, Lu Jihan would have rushed over to comfort her long ago.

But now, all Lu Jihan could think about was Shen Qinghe lying behind him.

The last face she saw was Shen Qinghe, who had fainted in her arms, still pleading for Ye Shu.

Seeing that Lu Jihan didn't speak, Ye Shu already had a sense of who Lu Jihan favored.

It was precisely because she realized that Lu Jihan favored Shen Qinghe that Ye Shu felt as if she had suffered a great blow and stumbled back two steps. If it weren't for the old lady supporting her, she would probably have fallen to the ground.

Ye Shu looked at Lu Jihan with hurt and pitiful eyes. She looked frail and weak, but her words were full of pride: "Cousin... since you don't believe me, then punish me. They say that a married daughter is like water spilled from a cup. I know that I am now married and no longer a member of the Marquis's family. Perhaps there is a rift between you and me."

Ye Shu paused for a moment before continuing with a confident arrogance: "Since you trust others, cousin, I have nothing more to say. Please punish me, cousin and grandmother. Now that grandmother's birthday banquet is over, I will leave voluntarily after I have fulfilled my punishment!"

After saying this, Ye Shu turned her face away with great dignity, refusing to look at Lu Jihan beside her. Her face was also filled with anger, as if she was sulking with Lu Jihan.

Seeing her obedient granddaughter about to leave, the old lady quickly spoke up to persuade her, "Shu'er, don't be in such a hurry. Jihan, don't say such harsh words. I've seen the bond between you two since you were little. Are you going to hold a grudge against each other before the matter has even been investigated?"

After saying this, Ye Shu didn't rush to speak, but waited for Lu Jihan to react.

"Grandmother, I'm not being stubborn." Lu Jihan's expression was calm, but his handsome face was tense. The irritation in his heart was growing stronger and stronger, and even he himself couldn't tell what it was.

Lu Jihan looked at the old lady and said, "Grandmother, there were only two people present at the time. To find out the truth, just go and find the maids and servants who were serving nearby. Before you came, I had already questioned all the maids and servants who saw it, and they all said that Shuer pushed Ahe down."

Ahe can't swim. If I hadn't arrived in time, she and her child would probably have drowned in the pool. Grandmother, how can I not be angry and upset?

The old lady stopped trying to smooth things over and clearly stepped back, waiting for Lu Jihan to decide her fate.

Lu Jihan then turned to Ye Shu, who was standing to the side: "Shu'er, I don't know what you have against Ahe."

Now that you are married, staying at your maternal grandparents' home for so long is not good for your reputation.

Moreover, now that this has happened, if you continue to stay in the Marquis's residence, it might frighten Ahe during her pregnancy. Since you just mentioned wanting to go back as soon as possible, then go back!

Hearing Lu Jihan's words, Ye Shu's eyes widened in disbelief, and she struggled to speak: "Cousin... are you... giving Shu'er an order to leave?"

Ye Shu's eyes were red and brimming with tears. Her originally beautiful and delicate face was now even paler, and she looked thin and frail, like a willow branch that might be broken by the wind.

If a normal man saw this, he would probably feel pity for the person who saw it.

As for Lu Jihan, he simply turned his head away, no longer looking at Ye Shu's expression or her eyes.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was slightly lower than before: "Whoever does something wrong must take responsibility."

These seemingly casual words weighed on Ye Shu's heart like a mountain.

In an instant, everyone present knew what those words meant. Ye Shu even took two steps back before finally regaining her balance.

"Shu'er understands." Ye Shu, her face pale, gave a soft bow to the old lady and Lu Jihan. "Shu'er doesn't know when she will return. She only wishes that her grandmother and cousin are safe, happy, and that everything goes well for them."

After saying that, Ye Shu turned around and slowly left, reluctant to part.

Lu Jihan was an extremely skilled person, able to glean a great deal of information from just the sound of footsteps. After hearing Ye Shu walk out, he raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose.

The old lady felt a pang of pity: "Jihan... isn't this punishment a bit too harsh on Shu'er?"

Lu Jihan immediately turned his gaze to the old lady: "Grandmother, does Shen Shi deserve this calamity? How difficult it was for her to get pregnant. Grandmother is also a woman, so I'm sure you can understand the hardships even better than I can."

"Yes, yes, I know Qinghe has had a tough time. Otherwise, she wouldn't be the only one pregnant in the entire bamboo garden."

The old lady sighed deeply. "Very well, since you've made your decision and carried out the punishment, let's leave it at that. Don't bring it up again, otherwise it will only cause us pain."

The old lady was truly caught in the middle, facing a difficult situation.

Of course, the old lady was worried about her great-grandson. She wanted a great-grandson so much, and now that she had finally gotten one after so much waiting and effort, how could she not value him and cherish him?

Today is her birthday banquet. According to Shen Qinghe's status, she should not announce the child she is pregnant with now, otherwise it will cause a lot of gossip in the whole of Chang'an. Some people will say that there is something wrong with the main wife of the Marquis's mansion, while others will say that his grandson favors his concubine over his wife.

But his old friends were really too much. Every year they would show off their great-grandchildren in front of her. Whenever they got together, they would either talk about who had a big, fat baby boy or who had a daughter and how many banquets they had held.

The old lady naturally knew that those words were directed at her, both openly and subtly implying that the Marquis's mansion had no successor.

The reason for announcing Shen Qinghe and her unborn child to the world yesterday was twofold: firstly, to show others that the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion was not without an heir.

Secondly, it's also to make her look good.

When the old lady heard that Shen Qinghe was in trouble, she didn't care about anything else and rushed over immediately with Kang Mama.

But who would have thought that this matter would involve Shen Qinghe and Ye Shu?

One was pregnant with her most beloved great-grandson, and the other was her most obedient and well-behaved granddaughter, whom she had raised in the courtyard since childhood.

How should this lawsuit be fought?

The old lady was in a real bind, so she handed the matter over to Lu Jihan. She never expected that Lu Jihan would be so heartless towards Ye Shu.

What the old lady didn't expect was that Lu Jihan's feelings for Ye Shu were obvious to everyone in the Marquis's mansion.

Now that Shen Qinghe is here, things seem... a little different.

With things having come to this, all the old lady could say was, "As long as Qinghe and the child are alright this time, I will definitely take the women of the Marquis's family to Xiangguo Temple to pray properly and donate incense money, so that the gods and Buddhas will surely bless my great-grandson with a safe birth."

At this point, the old lady clasped her hands together, holding a string of sandalwood prayer beads in her hands, and tilted her head slightly to pray for peace.

Lu Jihan was even more anxious, but fortunately Doctor Lin came out soon.

Lin Wanwan said with a stern face, "I already told you last time that Shen Qinghe's body has suffered some injuries since her fall, and she absolutely needs to be taken good care of. How could you let her fall into the water again?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jihan frowned and said remorsefully, "It's my fault, it's my negligence. Please, Doctor Lin, do your utmost to save my daughter."

Seeing Lu Jihan's excellent attitude, Lin Wanwan softened her expression: "Don't worry, your mother is fine, and the child is fine too. You arrived in time; if you had been any later, both of them might have drowned."

At this point, Lin Wanwan earnestly instructed again, "You must take good care of her! There can't be any more mistakes. Even a normal person's body can't withstand this kind of torment, let alone a pregnant girl! If the Marquis's mansion can't take good care of her, send her to my Jishan Hall first, and I will look after her."

Upon hearing this, the old lady immediately said that she could take good care of him and would definitely pay attention to it. She had already made up her mind to instruct people to take good care of Shen Qinghe and would never take it lightly again.

The old lady immediately gave the instructions.

As Lu Jihan spoke, he noticed that Lin Wanwan seemed hesitant to speak, so he asked, "Is there anything else? Dr. Lin, please speak frankly."

"No sleeping together, no sleeping together, no sleeping together!" Lin Wanwan repeated the important thing three times: "At most, we can only touch it."