Who said the heir would die out? The concubine is pregnant again!

His long fingers gently tugged, and Yingzhu was slightly startled.

"Young Master, you can't do this in broad daylight..."

She immediately turned around and stopped him, her doe-like eyes filled with unease.

"There's a red rash under the knot of your sash; you need to apply medicine. You have to peel it off. What do you think I, the Crown Prince, intend to do to you?"

He seemed to be clarifying things, but his tone couldn't hide his mockery.

Yingzhu secretly regretted her carelessness; she had actually fallen into his trap!

"You are deliberately misleading me. I thought the young master was a virtuous gentleman, but it turns out he is also a wicked person."

Yingzhu gave a coquettish hum, and Liang Yunqian, who had been keeping his distance from her, suddenly moved closer, coiling around her from behind like a silver snake.

His index finger, through the thin veil, gently stroked her cheek, then slowly moved down, tracing a path from her swan-like neck to the edge of her belly.

A few peonies bloom amidst the snow-capped mountains, their proud lines, appearing and disappearing, only adding to the chaotic thoughts.

Yingzhu thought he had something in mind, so she hurriedly grabbed his wrist, but his fingertips only lingered on her heart, his eyes full of amusement.

"You lack self-control and harbored evil thoughts, how dare you blame me, the young master?"

After two rounds, Yingzhu finally understood that Liang Yunqian was just teasing her on purpose.

His pleasure probably came from seeing her misunderstanding, embarrassment, and anxiety.

Realizing this, Yingzhu did the opposite.

She was no longer shy; she turned to face him, her starry eyes sparkling with desire.

"With such a handsome and dashing young master so close by, and the delicate yet mellow aroma of pine tea, who could remain unmoved?"

She abandoned her shyness and met his gaze. Liang Yunqian narrowed his eyes slightly. "Who said they wouldn't fall in love?"

Yingzhu was not at all guilty. Her slender index finger traced circles back and forth between his firm chest through his clothes.

"It's not the heart that's moving, but the body. The fire-avoidance diagram that the young master recited that night said it's an instinct between men and women, even without feelings..."

Her gentle movements were alluring and seductive, a stark contrast to her shy demeanor that night. Liang Yunqian suddenly grabbed her fair wrist.

"Who taught you to be so frivolous?"

He had hit the nail on the head. "You taught me, Your Highness! You personally read the fire avoidance diagram and taught so carefully. This servant will listen attentively and learn to apply what I've learned."

She seemed completely at ease, but when he grasped her wrist just now, he clearly felt her pulse, which was beating extremely fast.

This shows that her composure was just a facade.

Shen Yingzhu may seem weak, but she is actually stubborn and unwilling to admit defeat. It must have been his teasing earlier that made her want to retaliate, which is why she deliberately pretended to be fearless and bold.

Realizing what was happening, Liang Yunqian wrapped his long arm around Liu Yao and pulled her into his embrace.

"You think that because you have a rash, I won't touch you, which is why you dare to be so presumptuous? It's just to relieve your desire for a child. I don't care whether you have a rash or not."

Is he genuinely indifferent, or is he just trying to scare her?

Before Yingzhu could react, he had already pulled her into his arms.

She had lost all her composure; her heart was pounding wildly. "This is daytime; it's indecent. Please, Your Highness, restrain yourself..."

"Didn't you notice that the fire avoidance diagrams are all set during the day?"

"That's probably to make the drawing clearer. If it's pitch black, you can't draw anything; you can't see anything clearly!"

Yingzhu repeatedly refused, her small hands pressing against his chest, wriggling restlessly.

Liang Yunqian, who had only meant to scare her, was instead thrown into a state of confusion by her swaying.

"Playing hard to get? Looks like you have a knack for this, learning so quickly?"

Yingzhu blinked her eyelashes in confusion. "Huh? Did I learn this move that night? I have no recollection of it."

She looked completely innocent, and Liang Yunqian was about to expose her when a noise suddenly came from outside the door.

"Yingzhu, why are you still denying your debt? The Crown Princess is looking for you!"

Qiuhe walked straight in without even knocking.

As soon as I entered, I saw Shen Yingzhu sitting in the young master's lap!

This scene inevitably sparked many thoughts. Seeing the prince's fierce expression, Qiuhe immediately turned away, feigning fear and trying to clarify.

"This servant...this servant did not know that the young master was here. I did not mean to disturb you. Please forgive me, young master."

Seeing this, Yingzhu frowned, pushed him away, and turned around to go behind the screen.

Liang Yunqian's furrowed brows betrayed his displeasure, but his expression remained calm and composed.

He slowly got up and began to tidy up the brocade robe that Shen Yingzhu had crumpled.

"Is this how the Crown Princess teaches her head maid? Doesn't she know any of the rules of the Prince's residence?"

Qiuhe was filled with anxiety and quickly thought of a solution.

"This servant did not mean to disturb Your Highness's enjoyment, it's just... I was just too worried about Yingzhu's condition! The Princess Consort instructed this servant to bring medicine to Yingzhu."

At this moment, Yingzhu was changing her clothes. Qiuhe noticed that the prince's usually neat clothes were wrinkled by Yingzhu sitting on them, so she immediately volunteered to help.

"Your Highness's robes are not fitting properly, why don't you take them off and I'll iron them for you."

As Qiuhe approached with great anticipation, her heart began to pound involuntarily when she smelled the delicate fragrance of pine tea.

The Crown Prince is extremely wary of women, and Qiuhe naturally couldn't miss such a rare and excellent opportunity to get close to him.

Just as she was about to touch his collar, Liang Yunqian suddenly raised his arm to block her, his eyes turning cold instantly.

"You are the Crown Princess's head maid, and you only obey her orders. Who would dare to order you around?"

Yingzhu, who was behind the screen, had already changed her clothes, and Liang Yunqian's words clearly reached her ears.

Judging from his tone, he was going to hold Qiuhe accountable.

Yingzhu, who understood the situation, did not go out but stayed behind the screen, observing secretly.

Upon hearing this, Qiuhe immediately sensed something was wrong. "The Crown Princess's headache flared up, and only this servant can relieve her discomfort by massaging her. That's why this servant stayed with the Crown Princess for a few more hours."

Yingzhu sighed inwardly at Qiuhe's cleverness in finding excuses. She used the Crown Princess's health as a pretext, and guessed that Liang Yunqian wouldn't be able to punish her.

"Sister Qiuhe's skills are comparable to a magic pill, even better than a doctor! Since the Crown Princess can't live without Qiuhe, why don't you send Qiuhe back, Your Highness?"

"So that if Qiuhe's presence here one day delays the Crown Princess's important affairs, I, this servant, cannot bear the responsibility."

Yingzhu stepped forward at the opportune moment and "kindly" spoke up in her defense.

Liang Yunqian, standing with his hands behind his back, glanced at Qiu He and asked, "Where do you want to work?"

At first, Qiuhe was indeed unwilling to serve Shen Yingzhu, unwilling to be ordered around by her, and unwilling to be inferior to her, but today's situation made Qiuhe change her mind.

Qiuhe suddenly realized that there would be more opportunities to see the Crown Prince here.

Everyone said that the young master was aloof and had little interest in women, but when she entered the room just now, she clearly saw the desire for women in his eyes!

That proves that the Crown Prince is a normal man, and that he has feelings for women.

If Shen Yingzhu could seduce the prince, why couldn't she?

She was also quite pretty, not much less so than Shen Yingzhu; she just lacked the right opportunity.

The Crown Princess kept a close watch on her, so Qiuhe dared not be presumptuous. However, if she stayed with Shen Yingzhu, Qiuhe would eventually have the opportunity to be alone with the Crown Prince.

Thinking of this, Qiuhe respectfully replied:

"This servant was brought in by the Crown Princess and should be loyal to her. However, Your Highness is the Crown Princess's husband and the master of the mansion. Since Your Highness has instructed this servant to serve Yingzhu, this servant will obey."

"Your so-called service is nothing more than disappearing without a trace, not even bothering to apply medicine, forcing me, the Crown Prince, to do it myself?"

Liang Yunqian's gradually rising tone made Qiu He's heart skip a beat.

Seeing that she couldn't explain herself, Qiuhe immediately turned to Yingzhu for help, "Yingzhu, I know I was wrong. I will never run away again. I will serve you wholeheartedly. Please plead with the young master to let me stay!"

Yingzhu knew perfectly well that Qiuhe's change of heart and decision to stay was simply a way to get close to Liang Yunqian!

As long as Qiuhe stays here, she's bound to cause trouble!