ion and distress, wishing she could find a hole to hide in. She didn't say another word, simply took her maidservant's hand and left.On the way back to Huìruí Pavilion, Níngdōng couldn't help but say...As soon as these words were spoken, Li Wan'er's heart skipped a beat. Initially, she had indeed sought wealth and prosperity, wanting to live the enviable life everyone desired. However, she genuinely loved Brother Xiu Ming too. This suave young man was her first love.

She shook her head hastily: “No, that’s not it, Xiu Ming. I truly love you, but I also love our children. Don’t you want to have a child of our own Didn’t you used to say you wanted to have a son and daughter with me A girl like me, and a boy like you.”

Gu Xiuming was incredibly agitated and suddenly pushed her away.

Li Wan'er was pushed back a few steps, almost losing her balance and falling to the ground. She covered her stomach, her face pale as she felt a wave of fear wash over her. If she had fallen just now, the child in her belly would have probably been affected. This child, after all, was conceived with so many fertility drugs, it was hard-won, and couldn't afford any missteps.

Gu Xiuming saw that she had stood steady, his brows furrowed, and he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He admitted that when he saw her about to fall, there was a surge of excitement in his heart. If the child had been hurt, it would have solved him a big problem. Just didn't expect the outcome wasn't what he wanted.

Li Wan'er was afraid of his unstable emotions and didn't dare to approach him any closer. She choked back tears and said, "Brother Xiuming, how could you become like this"

Gu Xiuming walked away with a cold face, as if he didn't want to hear another word from her.

Seeing this, Li Wan'er chased him out the door. Seeing the other party leave without looking back, she didn't care if the maids saw her, and cried so hard she couldn't catch her breath.

She couldn't understand why things had turned out this way between them. Just yesterday, they were fine. Yesterday, before Xiu Ming went out, he held her in his arms and whispered sweet nothings to her for a long time, saying that he would take her to play on Lantern Festival and show her the lantern fair.

The other maids, seeing Li Wan'er crying like this, could vaguely guess why. Not long ago, she had gone to find the young master with a menacing air, probably because she was jealous of the young master taking Yun'er as his concubine and then quarreled with him again.

This concubine Li is so naive. Men can't possibly just stick to one woman! They aren't common folk who can't afford other women. Big families always have maids, concubines, and mistresses.

Lady Li, being just a concubine, shouldn't interfere in matters like whether the prince should take a consort. She overstepped her boundaries and it's no wonder the prince is displeased.

Even if she were a legitimate wife, not just a concubine, she would proactively arrange for maidservants to attend to her husband during pregnancy when she was unable to do so herself. After all, one couldn't expect a husband to remain chaste and celibate just because his wife was pregnant. Men can't help but seek pleasure elsewhere, and they might end up visiting brothels where the women are unclean. One could easily contract a disease there.

If Lady Li had been more clever, she wouldn't have quarreled with the Crown Prince. She wouldn't have made him unhappy and wouldn't have ended up like this. Taking a concubine is nothing, after all a concubine can't get pregnant. This morning, she even gave me a bowl of miscarriage soup. But Lady Li is already pregnant! Truly, she couldn't control her temper.

Hongling was sent to serve Li Wan'er. Seeing her cry like this, she immediately stepped forward to comfort her: "Auntie, don't cry, crying too much will hurt your body. You still have the eldest son of the marquis in your belly."

When Li Wan'er heard this, she gradually stopped crying and, with Hong Ling's support, returned to her own room.

The newly promoted maidservant, Yàn'er, naturally saw Li Wan'er crying. She was secretly delighted in her heart, waiting for the day she gained favor. Then, Lady Li would be trampled under her feet. The Crown Prince had promised her that after the new mistress entered, he would elevate her to be a concubine, and then she too could have children.

A gossiping woman flattered: "Miss Tong, Lady Li is probably going to fall out of favor this time. Your good days are ahead."

The swallow girl glared at her: "Oh, don't talk nonsense. Li shi is the heart of the young master. Don't you remember what the young master did for Li shi before How could she be out of favor"

That woman replied: “Which man doesn’t like a gentle and considerate woman She's arrogant and spoiled, relying on her pregnancy. Last night, she quarreled with the young master. Although I don't know why they fought, she probably angered him so much that he left her room. That must have been her fault. After last night's conflict, she still hasn’t learned her lesson today. She really thinks of herself as a dish! There are many women in this world who can give birth besides her.”

The swallow girl smiled softly, without answering, but she agreed with the midwife's words. A concubine like Li shi dared to make a fuss with the young master just because she was pregnant The child wasn't even born yet, what airs was she putting on

He's such a fool. If he were smarter, he should have apologized to the Young Master this morning. At least that way he could appease him and avoid pushing him further away.

Shou'an Hall.

The news about Qingyuxuan spread far and wide. Even Gu Lao, who usually kept a low profile, had heard about it.

However, Old Madam Gu was not pleased. It's fine that he didn't marry a legitimate wife first and took concubines, but now even the eldest son and daughter are going to be born out of wedlock! What kind of situation is this

If a legitimate daughter-in-law were pregnant, she would probably be overjoyed and eat two extra bowls of rice. A concubine's pregnancy is not something to celebrate unless the legitimate wife has entered the household and had children. In that case, a concubine's pregnancy is just another child added to the family, a blessing in disguise.

Madam Gu sighed softly: “Xiao Ming has been quite well-behaved these past few months, but how can he be so clueless about Li shi's matter” much. Even the most delicious dishes would only be savored for a few bites. Yet, watching her eat with such relish suddenly sparked my appetite.They finished their lunch, but there was still plenty o...