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

Hearing Shen Qinghe's breathing, Lu Jihan raised his deep, dark eyes and stared at her.

Looking into Shen Qinghe's soft, watery eyes, he smiled, his voice hoarse: "Don't you like it?"

"No..." Shen Qinghe couldn't say she didn't like it, because her actions had already betrayed her.

Seeing her like that, Lu Jihan laughed even harder, his hot breath spraying out, which made Shen Qinghe look blankly at the ceiling.

Lu Jihan ignored Shen Qinghe's answer and did what he thought and felt.

Once they start fooling around, they lose track of time.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Qinghe lay limply, only to be pulled into Lu Jihan's arms again.

Shen Qinghe let out a long sigh. She felt utterly weak, and her voice was feeble as she spoke, "Master..."

Lu Jihan reached out and hugged the person in his arms, his strong arms encircling Shen Qinghe's waist, his large hand resting on Shen Qinghe's lower abdomen: "What's wrong?"

Now was the perfect time, so Shen Qinghe cut to the chase and asked, "Master, have you finally figured out what's been bothering you all this time?"

The reason Shen Qinghe didn't hide at that time was because she knew someone had plotted to frame Chu Xingge for meeting her in the kitchen backyard.

Moreover, after learning that Lu Jihan cared a lot about this matter, he immediately wrote a letter asking Chu Xingge to help mediate.

It's all because Shen Qinghe has a goal, and that goal isn't to temporarily avoid danger, but to completely resolve the matter between herself and Chu Xingge.

Ideally, she should lay bare her relationship with Chu Xingge and their past in front of Lu Jihan all at once. If Lu Jihan doesn't mind, that would be good.

This way, the enemy won't have many opportunities to take advantage of them. After all, Shen Qinghe and Chu Xingge were indeed betrothed as children, but this matter can be considered a big deal or a small deal. At that time, they were only a few years old and just children.

What can a child possibly do? So Shen Qinghe can still find a way to deal with this, but if this problem keeps recurring, and Lu Jihan is constantly torn between being angry and being coaxed, the one who suffers the most is not Lu Jihan but Shen Qinghe.

Shen Qinghe had seen Lu Jihan being jealous and neglecting her before.

Shen Qinghe also knew that once she lost the master's favor in the inner quarters, she would lose a lot. In many wealthy families, concubines were deeply loved, and the master neglected the principal wife.

But concubines who don't yet have children have absolutely no support. Once they lose the master's favor, dealing with them is as easy as smearing an ant.

Now, all Shen Qinghe needs to do is to completely open up about this knot in her heart, so that Lu Jihan won't neglect her again because of this.

After asking that question, Shen Qinghe heard Lu Jihan fall silent, but instead of pressing him to speak, she spoke up herself:

"I know, Your Excellency believes in me. Even when faced with seemingly overwhelming evidence, Your Excellency still believed in me and stood by my side without hesitation. I am deeply grateful. But I also know that Your Excellency's unresolved issue is the childhood betrothal I made with Lord Chu."

At this point, Shen Qinghe propped herself up and turned over, her forearms supporting her on the bed, while she lay face down and looked up at Lu Jihan in front of her.

The moment their eyes met in the air, Shen Qinghe looked at him and said, "But I said before that I asked the Marquis for a favor: no matter when, under what circumstances, or by whom I am framed, the Marquis must give me a chance to explain."

"Now, I'm going to explain things to the Marquis properly." As she said this, Shen Qinghe reached out and placed her hand on his chest, her whole body half-pressed against Lu Jihan's chest.

She looked up, her chin resting against Lu Jihan's chest: "It's true that the betrothal was signed between me and Chu Xingge, but has the Marquis forgotten that I had no choice in my own family before? The betrothal was arranged by my family, and back then, it was all up to my parents."

Although Lord Chu's family had declined, they were not so poor that they could not afford to pay. At that time, Lord Chu was unable to walk properly and was in poor health. The Chu family was afraid that Lord Chu would not be able to find a wife, so they spent ten taels of silver to buy me to be their wife.

The handprint on that parchment was indeed mine, and it was also Lord Chu's. But at that time, neither Lord Chu nor I had the right to resist. Besides, even if the Marquis didn't know exactly how old Lord Chu and I were at that time, he at least knew that I had been sold into the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion as a maid when I was eight years old.

When the betrothal was arranged, I was only six years old, and even Lord Chu was only ten. What could possibly happen between two such young children? Moreover, Lord Chu was taciturn and gloomy when he was young, and almost no one could understand him. How could I possibly form a deep friendship with Lord Chu?

Even if we were childhood playmates back then, so many years have passed. I spent ten years in the Marquis's mansion. Isn't that enough to erase the eight years I spent at home? What feelings could possibly remain?

As she spoke, Shen Qinghe grew angrier and angrier. Looking at Lu Jihan, she became more and more aggrieved: "Furthermore, even if we take a step back and say that I still have feelings for Lord Chu after I grow up, why don't I go to Lord Chu and ask him to redeem me?"

When Lord Chu passed the imperial examination three years ago, his name was shrouded in gold as the top scholar, and he walked through Chang'an Street in a blaze of glory. How could I not know? If I truly still harbored feelings for her, why didn't I seize that opportunity to go to her and beg him to redeem me? Three years ago, I wasn't even the Marquis's concubine!

As Shen Qinghe spoke, Lu Jihan's gaze remained fixed on her face, never leaving her, listening intently to the little girl's explanation.

The more Shen Qinghe explained, the wider Lu Jihan's smile became.

"If I truly had feelings for someone else, why would I have volunteered to become the Marquis's concubine? The Marquis is known for his uprightness, incorruptibility, and mastery of both literary and military arts. He is quick-witted and resourceful, needless to say. How could he not understand such a small detail?"

Shen Qinghe slapped him on the chest in anger: "My love for you is as pure as the bright moon, without a single ulterior motive. But what about you? You've been holding a grudge against me for so long over such a trivial matter!"

Shen Qinghe's slap was one that probably no one else in his life would dare to land on Lu Jihan's chest.

However, Lu Jihan did not stop Shen Qinghe, as if he was letting this little girl do whatever she wanted to him. Instead, he laughed angrily and reached out to pinch Shen Qinghe's cheek.

Lu Jihan sneered, his lips curving upwards. He pinched Shen Qinghe's cheek harder, deliberately trying to scare her: "In this entire Bamboo Garden, only you dare to be with me. You, my dear, have you no longer any sense of propriety?!"

"...It was Your Excellency who made the mistake! Are you going to turn around and blame me?"

Shen Qinghe wasn't afraid of Lu Jihan's feigned threats. She had addressed Lu Jihan as "you" before; if she wanted to be angry, he would have been already.

"Fine. I was wrong, okay?" Lu Jihan loosened his grip on her cheek, holding it gently.

Not enough, Shen Qinghe thought.

Shen Qinghe effortlessly squeezed out two tears, looking at him with a pitiful expression.

"My lord, think about it. Since entering the Bamboo Garden, how many meals have I cooked for you, how many kinds of food have I prepared? Have any of these meals been repeated? Yes, it is my duty to take care of you, my lord, but every night, my company in the dead of night, my waiting in the study, a bowl of plain noodles at night—can't these really make you feel my heart for you? The past should be left in the past. What matters now is the most important."

Shen Qinghe's words made sense, instantly reminding Lu Jihan of the scenes that had happened and the warm care he had received.

Indeed, he had so many wives and concubines, and apart from Shen Qinghe, none of them could do that.

If this cannot prove sincerity, then how can we prove its existence?

Lu Jihan's expression softened, and with a hearty and gentle smile, he completely released his grip on Shen Qinghe's cheek: "It was my fault. I overlooked Ahe's sincerity and neglected you for so long."

"Hmph! It's good that you know, Master. I've been waiting for you so long these past few days, only to receive news that you're going to someone else's room. I've been so heartbroken that I can't sleep. Even when you came later, you never wanted to see me."

Shen Qinghe became more and more pitiful as she spoke, blinking her eyes at Lu Jihan: "The child in my belly misses the Marquis."

At this point, Shen Qinghe seemed to have said something extraordinary. Her cheeks flushed as she finished speaking, and she stole a kiss on Lu Jihan's lips before shyly burying her head in his chest.

These words, coupled with that kiss, instantly melted Lu Jihan's heart.

The warm, delicate touch on his chest made Lu Jihan feel very safe and secure.

So this is the feeling Chu Xingge was talking about.

"What did you just say? Say it again?"

Lu Jihan's low, husky voice came from above her head. Shen Qinghe glared at him reproachfully, "How could I possibly say such things again?"

That's what she said, but Shen Qinghe seized the opportunity to win Lu Jihan's favor by holding his hands and pressing them against her lower abdomen.

She murmured softly, "You can feel it for yourself, sir."

Lu Jihan did indeed sense it, but he also sensed other things.

By the time Shen Qinghe realized something was wrong, it was too late. She looked up at Lu Jihan: "Master, why are you doing this again..."

Feeling embarrassed, Lu Jihan awkwardly pulled the blanket over himself: "Go to sleep!"

-

Day two.

Madam Cao and Madam Qin were paying their respects to the old lady, fanning themselves with round fans and smiling as they said unhurriedly, "Young Madam, Old Madam, we heard that Miss Shen's courtyard was calling for water again last night!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Qin paused, her hand holding the chopsticks still. An overwhelming hatred welled up in her heart. Fearing that she might say something inappropriate if she opened her mouth, she remained silent for a moment, waiting for the old lady to speak.

The old lady frowned. "This Jihan! I've repeatedly told him that Qinghe mustn't do anything reckless during her pregnancy, yet he still acts so foolishly. Doesn't he care about tiring Qinghe out!"