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

In the quiet room, Lu Jihan could only hear the steady breathing of the person on the bed.

The table and chairs next to it were covered with soft cotton cloth, and nothing had changed.

Lu Jihan walked over to the bed and sat down beside Shen Qinghe's bed. As usual, he first examined the injury on Shen Qinghe's wrist.

He took out the ointment as usual and applied it to Shen Qinghe. Only when he saw that the redness and swelling on Shen Qinghe's wrist were getting smaller and smaller did Lu Jihan feel relieved.

Lu Jihan dipped his fingertips in the cool, moist ointment and gently rubbed it onto Shen Qinghe's wrist.

Unlike the previous days, Shen Qinghe's slender fingertips actually twitched.

Lu Jihan noticed it immediately. His fingers, which were applying medicine to Shen Qinghe, paused, and he couldn't help but look at Shen Qinghe's small face.

Shen Qinghe's face remained expressionless, her large, watery eyes tightly closed, as if she were sleeping soundly.

Seeing this, Lu Jihan resumed applying the medicine to Shen Qinghe.

Little did she know that Shen Qinghe was already secretly laughing.

Shen Qinghe's fingertips twitched slightly because she felt a little itchy while applying the medicine, but she immediately sensed Lu Jihan's tension and stiffness.

He seemed very reluctant to be discovered by Shen Qinghe.

Shen Qinghe decided to continue pretending to be asleep, but remembering that Lu Jihan had refused to see her for the past few days, she couldn't help but want to tease him.

Just as Lu Jihan finished applying the medicine and was about to tuck her in, Shen Qinghe suddenly moved.

Lu Jihan frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on Shen Qinghe's face, wondering why something seemed off today.

In the past, this girl slept very soundly at night.

Even if Lu Jihan bit her, he might not be able to wake her up, let alone apply medicine.

What a heartless little girl, sleeping so soundly and peacefully, it always made Lu Jihan unable to help but chuckle.

But the next moment, Shen Qinghe pulled her hand away from Lu Jihan's palm.

Lu Jihan frowned even more deeply, but he couldn't force Shen Qinghe's hand back at this moment.

Shen Qinghe closed her eyes tightly, vaguely withdrew her hand, turned over, and faced away from him.

Seeing this, Lu Jihan's furrowed brows relaxed a little. Surely it wasn't him who woke the little girl up?

Thinking of this, Lu Jihan looked down at his fingertips. He had been very careful with the pressure when applying the medicine to Shen Qinghe.

Shen Qinghe, who was carrying him on her back, couldn't help but smile, her ears perked up as she listened carefully to the sounds behind her.

This disappointed Shen Qinghe.

She didn't hear any useful information, only the rustling sound of fabric.

She stiffened, immediately realizing that Lu Jihan had lay down behind her fully clothed, very close to her.

Shen Qinghe dared not move, afraid that if she moved, the person behind her would discover that she was pretending to be asleep.

Although she wanted to catch him in the act, the Marquis could be quite angry, and he also cared about maintaining his dignity.

For a moment, Shen Qinghe really didn't dare to provoke him at this critical juncture.

The person behind her sighed, and then a strong arm pulled Shen Qinghe into his embrace.

She fell to her side and nestled right into Lu Jihan's chest.

Great opportunity!!

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shen Qinghe, like a restless sleeper, found a comfortable position and posture in Lu Jihan's arms and continued to snuggle up.

Shen Qinghe didn't open her eyes at this moment, so she couldn't see Lu Jihan's gaze falling on her face.

Lu Jihan gently patted her back, as if he were coaxing a three-year-old to sleep, while holding the girl in his arms with his other hand.

He himself had half an arm hanging off the bed, but he didn't want to wake the girl, much less wake her up.

Lu Jihan's gaze was calm as he looked up at the ceiling above the bed, which was carved with a pattern of begonia flowers and was made of mahogany.

Even after a long time, she couldn't help but recall what Chu Xingge had said to Shen Qinghe when she went into the kitchen and backyard.

Lu Jihan would come to Shen Qinghe's room almost every night, and would hold her in this position while they slept fully clothed.

Lu Jihan himself couldn't explain why he didn't come during the day, nor could he explain why a dignified marquis would act like this.

It's as if he's the concubine.

Qin's birthday banquet had been over for several days, but whenever he had a moment of free time, he would always recall the words Chu Xingge had said to Shen Qinghe, word for word.

At this point, Lu Jihan was actually getting annoyed by his own exceptionally good memory, and for the first time, he was annoyed by his photographic talent.

What he didn't know was that Shen Qinghe was also unable to sleep at this moment.

Lu Jihan was staring at the ceiling, lost in his own thoughts, when the person in his arms suddenly moved her hand and her breathing trembled slightly.

His gaze was immediately drawn to Shen Qinghe's face.

For some reason, Shen Qinghe suddenly felt like sneezing. But if she sneezed now, wouldn't all her efforts be wasted?

She managed to hold it in for a while, but her breathing was definitely erratic. Just as she was feeling uneasy, she heard a man's low, husky voice coming from inside her head—

"This little girl is getting bolder and bolder; she even dares to pretend to be asleep in front of the Marquis?"

Since he had said all that, Shen Qinghe could no longer pretend. She tentatively opened one eye and blinked, meeting Lu Jihan's deep, dark eyes.

Shen Qinghe blinked. "I'm afraid... if I don't pretend to be asleep, the Marquis won't come."

Lu Jihan was surprised that Shen Qinghe guessed so accurately. He bent his knuckles slightly and tapped Shen Qinghe's forehead lightly, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Shen Qinghe rubbed her forehead, which was still a little sore from being hit. "It is true, my lord. Tell me, how long has it been since you last came?"

Lu Jihan was silent for a moment, then hugged the person in his arms tighter: "According to your logic, now that you've found out, shouldn't I turn around and leave immediately? Have I left yet?"

"That's because the Marquis cares about his reputation," Shen Qinghe bluntly exposed.

Lu Jihan laughed in anger at her words, and then tapped Shen Qinghe on the forehead again, harder than before: "I see you don't care much about me, but all you do is make sarcastic remarks. Who gave you the guts?"

Shen Qinghe, though lacking a clear conscience, said in a low voice, "It was given to me by the master."

"You little brat... you're getting the benefits and still acting innocent. You're the most daring person in the whole hospital, and you always make fun of me."

Lu Jihan spoke calmly and gently, yet his smile remained faint in his eyes and on his face: "Truly, women and petty men are the most difficult to deal with."

Lu Jihan was just saying it casually, but who knew that it would make Shen Qinghe reach out and pinch his arm.

Lu Jihan looked down and saw the little girl covering her mouth, looking at him with some dissatisfaction: "How come you're as pedantic as those pedantic scholars? What's so difficult about raising girls? Just look at our Marquis's mansion, the old lady is a daughter of a military family. Before she got married, she wielded that spear with incredible skill. Your spear technique, sir, was taught by the old lady when you were little!"

As Shen Qinghe spoke, she sat up, "Tell me about the eldest and second young mistresses. Although they are not skilled in martial arts, they are well-read, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and have impeccable manners. They manage their own household affairs perfectly on their own. Isn't that a skill in itself? What's wrong with women?"

Shen Qinghe looked at Lu Jihan and gave him a reproachful look: "Besides, I am a woman, and the child in my womb is a little person. If Your Highness thinks we are difficult to raise, then you shouldn't raise them!"

As she spoke, Shen Qinghe turned her head away in a huff, puffing out her cheeks, refusing to look at Lu Jihan.

Looking at the little girl's puffed-up cheeks, Lu Jihan thought she looked like a little hamster, which was rather cute.

Lu Jihan tried to pull Shen Qinghe's wrist back, but Shen Qinghe, being stubborn, shook off Lu Jihan's hand and turned away again.

Unlike the usual Shen Qinghe, Shen Qinghe is bright, lively, and agile, but often carries the charm or maturity of a mature woman.

At this moment, Lu Jihan could see a hint of naivety in her face.

"Alright, alright, I misspoke."

Lu Jihan said helplessly. Even Lu Jihan himself did not realize that ever since he misunderstood Shen Qinghe last time and apologized to her, he has become more and more skilled at apologizing to her.

Lu Jihan pulled Shen Qinghe into his arms tightly: "I won't underestimate women anymore. Is this alright? You are my mother, and the child in your womb is my child. How can I not raise it?"

Shen Qinghe turned her head when she heard this, and looked at Lu Jihan again. She noticed that the smile on Lu Jihan's face had deepened, so she figured he was in a better mood.

Shen Qinghe asked, "Then why didn't you come during the day these past few days, sir?"

"..." Lu Jihan was silent for a moment, then reached out and pinched Shen Qinghe's chubby cheek: "Then tell me, did you show Chu Xingge that coquettish way you were just now?"

"No." Shen Qinghe shook her head, becoming more and more certain that Lu Jihan was only concerned because she and Chu Xingge had been engaged before.

"Then go to sleep."

As Lu Jihan spoke, the girl in his arms closed her eyes first.

Shen Qinghe didn't say anything more. Now that she knew the crux of the problem, it was easier to come up with a solution.

Shen Qinghe decided to write a letter to Chu Xingge tomorrow and send it to him.

-

The next day.

Lu Jihan left court as usual, but was stopped by Chu Xingge as soon as he arrived at the palace gate.

"My lord seems to be in a bad mood these past few days? He has been making things difficult for me in court for quite some time now."

As Chu Xingge spoke, he still wore his usual gentle smile, looking like an extremely approachable and elegant young nobleman.

Lu Jihan merely glanced at him: "Our political views have always been incompatible, so how can you say I'm making things difficult for you?"

Chu Xingge simply raised an eyebrow calmly, showing no surprise at Lu Jihan's attitude: "What you said, Marquis, is indeed reasonable. However, today... I happen to have found two Akhal-Teke horses in my residence, and I'm about to go to the outskirts to test them out. Why don't you come with me, Marquis?"