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

Inside the box were not jewelry, but a pair of wooden carvings.

It wasn't one person, but a man and a woman.

The wooden carving of the woman is incredibly lifelike, with delicate and well-proportioned facial features and body shape. Her fingers are also exquisitely carved, clearly showing Yingzhu's appearance and attire.

Liang Yunqian had never seen the male statue on the left before. He picked up the wooden carving and examined it closely, discovering that both carvings had characters engraved on their bottoms: one read "pearl" and the other "boat".

At this point, the answer is obvious.

"Can you do wood carving?"

The moment the box was opened, Yingzhu's heart began to pound, and she knew something was wrong.

"Won't."

"So those are the wood carvings Song Xingzhou made for you? Does this pair of wood carvings represent you and him?"

There were words on the bottom, which Yingzhu couldn't deny, so she told the truth:

"This was a birthday gift he gave me before he went to war, four years ago. After that, I heard the bad news of his death, so I locked it in a box."

He was right! "Why won't you let me see? What are you hiding?"

"It's not that I don't want you to see, it's just that it's been locked for so long that I forgot where I put the key."

Yingzhu denied it readily, but she never looked him in the eye.

This situation aroused Liang Yunqian's suspicions once again.

"Now that the engagement is off, why are you still keeping the things he gave you? To remind you of him?"

When the engagement was called off, Yingzhu had already returned all the betrothal gifts to Aunt Song and did not keep anything for herself.

"If it were any other valuable gold or silver, I would naturally return it to the Song family. But this is a wooden carving made by Song Xingzhou as a birthday blessing for me. How can I return a birthday gift?"

What she meant was that she had severed ties with the Song family, but Liang Yunqian interpreted it in a completely different way.

"It seems you value these wood carvings quite a bit?"

"Even if the engagement is called off, we're not enemies. Why can't I keep the birthday gift? It's not like it's some kind of token of love."

"A pair of wooden carvings, what else could they be but a token of love? You shouldn't have kept another man's statue!"

Seeing a brazier by the door, Liang Yunqian, carrying a statue of Song Xingzhou, walked to the brazier.

With just one glance, Yingzhu guessed his intention. She immediately stepped forward and grabbed his wrist.

"What are you going to do?"

The wooden carving that landed in his palm was extremely hot. "It's an eyesore! Burn it!"

"Don't burn it!" Yingzhu urgently stopped them, reiterating her point.

"Song Xingzhou has died on the battlefield, and I have also broken off our engagement. It is impossible for us to meet again. The news of his death has been back for two years, and I have long since let it go. This wooden carving can simply be locked in the box; there is no need to deliberately burn it."

She kept saying she didn't care, but she didn't seem to realize that when she grabbed his wrist, she was extremely agitated, and her nails dug into his flesh!

Moreover, her furrowed brows were full of tension, making it hard not to suspect something.

"Really? If you've already let it go, why are you reacting so strongly?"

"Even gifts from ordinary friends shouldn't be destroyed. Let alone something given to him who died in battle, sacrificing his life for his country. He didn't betray me, he never hurt me, so why must it be burned?"

Only after being hurt can one truly let go.

The fact that she and Song Xingzhou had no history of harm or betrayal, but were separated by death, makes this situation even more terrifying.

"So? He's your ideal man? You still can't forget him? You still keep the things he gave you?"

"The moment I decided to go to Prince Rui's residence and break off the engagement, I had already let go. I know what I want, and I know my place. I won't have it all; I won't be greedy. You shouldn't make such malicious assumptions!"

Yingzhu's attitude was firm; she believed she had a clear conscience, but Liang Yunqian thought she was just covering it up.

"If you truly want to let go, you should completely erase all memories of him!"

As he spoke, he casually threw Song Xingzhou's wooden carving into the brazier. The flames instantly engulfed the carving, slowly seeping in and burning it!

She had explained it so clearly, yet he still didn't believe her and insisted on burning it!

Grief-stricken Yingzhu slowly raised her eyes, her gaze instantly filling with tears as she stared at him.

She didn't say a word, but large tears slid down her cheeks, as if accusing him of his evil deeds.

Seeing that aggrieved and indignant look only fueled Liang Yunqian's anger!

Enraged, she wiped away her tears and resolutely turned to leave.

After leaving the house, Yingzhu tried her best to compose herself. She wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, took a deep breath, and then forced a smile before entering the kitchen.

"Mother, you've worked so hard. Let me help too."

Cherry was washing vegetables, while Shen's mother was chopping meat. Upon seeing her daughter enter alone, Shen's mother asked in surprise:

"Weren't you supposed to be attending to the guests? If you leave the young master alone, then we've failed in our duty."

Yingzhu didn't want to bring up those conflicts, so she made up a reason on the spot.

"He went to the back of the house, saying he wanted to walk around by himself and didn't want me to come with him."

"Behind the house? Isn't that just a field? What's so interesting about that?"

"That's how wealthy families are; they find even wheat fields and wild vegetables fascinating and don't bother with them."

Yingzhu sat down to start a fire, first lighting the wheat straw and throwing it into the stove to ignite the flames, waiting for the fire to slowly consume the firewood.

In that instant, she remembered the wooden carving that Liang Yunqian had thrown into the brazier.

She and Song Xingzhou were already separated by death. She knew clearly that if she wanted revenge, she shouldn't care about feelings.

Song Xingzhou was unlucky and did not survive, but she had to live to take revenge, so she had to serve Liang Yunqian.

Leaving the wood carving was not a way of remembering Song Xingzhou, but rather a sign of respect. However, Liang Yunqian misunderstood it and spoke of it in such an unpleasant way.

Yingzhu became increasingly upset, but with her mother there, she dared not cry. She could only pretend nothing was wrong, keeping the fire burning while chatting and making small talk with them.

The three of them were busy in the kitchen, and the meal was quickly prepared.

Madam Shen assumed that Yingzhu had returned alone, so she didn't prepare many dishes and could only make six. However, since the young master had brought so many gifts, it seemed inappropriate for her to prepare only six dishes.

She rummaged through the kitchen again and found some preserved eggs, so she cracked a few open, washed and cut them, and mixed them with tofu and chili peppers, barely managing to put together eight dishes.

When the food was served, Liang Yunqian was surprised. The preserved eggs he usually ate were dark brown, but the ones in front of him were yellow.

"The dark brown ones are made from duck eggs, and the yellow ones are made from chicken eggs. We prepared the dishes hastily today, so please don't be offended, Your Highness. Please try them!"

Liang Yunqian picked up a piece, and the taste was indeed different.

The preserved eggs made by Shen's mother have a lighter taste, and when mixed with the sauce, the sesame oil is also brought out, making them exceptionally fragrant.

"Auntie, you have excellent cooking skills. All your dishes are delicious. Thank you for your hard work."

Liang Yunqian praised her gently, and only then did Shen's mother breathe a sigh of relief, urging everyone to eat.

"Yingzhu, eat more, and put some food on the young master's plate too."

Yingzhu harbored resentment and didn't want to talk to him, but she couldn't disobey her mother, so she had no choice but to put chicken on his plate.

But she only picked up food without saying a word, and her expression was a little strange. Shen's mother always felt that there was something wrong between the two of them.

In front of everyone, Shen's mother didn't ask any further questions.

After lunch, Liang Yunqian sat in the courtyard drinking tea and playing with her pet calico cat and white dog. Yingzhu went inside with her mother for a private chat.

With no outsiders present, Shen's mother held her daughter's hand, tears streaming down her face with heartache.

"It's all because your mother is useless that you've suffered like this!"

Yingzhu forced a smile and replied, "As long as you and Songyan are doing well, I'm not afraid. Mother, don't worry. Look at the young master, he's gentle and kind, and he treats the servants very well. I haven't suffered at the Prince Rui's residence."

Although her daughter spoke lightly, Shen's mother could still see the weariness in her daughter's eyes through her smile.

"High-class families are inherently murky. Whether you're pregnant or not, people will be watching you closely. You must be very careful and protect yourself."

As Shen's mother whispered her instructions, Yingzhu, not wanting her mother to worry, started chatting about the neighbors' everyday lives.

When Shen's mother talked about Song Xingzhou's mother, she couldn't help but sigh.

"Sister Song is also pitiful. She raised Xingzhou all by herself, which was not easy. Now that Xingzhou is gone, although I often help her, the hole in her heart can never be filled."

She still can't accept the news of Xingzhou's death. A fortune teller said her son was still alive, and she believed it, insisting that Xingzhou is not dead! She also said that she dreamed of Xingzhou, and in the dream, Xingzhou said that his eyes hurt a lot and he wanted to go home!

I told her she was being led astray by the fortune teller's words, that what she thought about during the day was what she dreamed about at night, but she didn't believe it and spent all her time having her fortune told, saying she wanted to find Xingzhou...

Listening to her mother's narration, Yingzhu could imagine the helplessness and madness of a mother who had lost her son.

"Aunt Song only had one son, Xingzhou. Losing him suddenly left her without anyone to rely on, so it's understandable that she might lose control. Just agree to whatever she says! People need hope to survive, otherwise they'll go crazy!"

"That's true. I was worried she wouldn't be able to handle it, so I visited her every few days, hoping she could pull through."

The mother and daughter chatted for an hour, and Liang Yunqian took the opportunity to enjoy some tea.

Although the Prince Rui's mansion was much larger, he felt that this small courtyard had a more lively atmosphere, and before he knew it, he had been sitting there for an hour.

Finally, it was Shen's mother who noticed the sky suddenly darkening and the clouds gathering, and worried that it would rain, so she reminded Yingzhu that it was time to go back.

As they parted, Shen's mother couldn't hold back her tears. Yingzhu wiped away her tears and choked out:

"Mother, I'm doing very well at Prince Rui's residence, and the young master treats me very well too. Please don't worry, I'll come back to be with you in a year!"

After a reluctant farewell, Yingzhu boarded the carriage and began her journey home.

Yingzhu sat with her eyes closed, her face solemn, completely different from the cheerful and talkative girl she was at home.

Liang Yunqian originally preferred quiet, but her unusual behavior made it impossible for him to stay still.

"Shen Yingzhu, what do you mean? Giving me attitude?"