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

It's started again!

Yingzhu would rather he didn't come over tonight; his arrival would only lead to a fatal problem.

"So what does Your Highness mean? Should I press him for details? If I ask, you'll say I'm concerned about his affairs; if I don't ask, you'll say I'm deliberately avoiding the question and that I'm guilty. Could you please point me in the right direction?"

"..." She's said everything. Is she predicting things? Blocking all his paths?

"I was just mentioning it casually, you're overthinking it."

"Since the young master is not testing me, let's change the subject to avoid you misinterpreting it and causing unnecessary trouble."

I made it very clear last night that this situation is fate, beyond my control. I don't want to talk about him every day; I'm genuinely afraid of you. If you're only here to discuss him, then please leave!

Liang Yunqian did indeed intend to test her, but upon hearing Yingzhu's words and seeing the defensiveness and fear in her eyes, he began to reflect on whether he had gone too far.

What can you possibly discover by constantly probing?

Unless she really has some connection with Song Xingzhou, he shouldn't deliberately investigate further.

With a sigh, Liang Yunqian clicked his tongue and said:

"Someone is looking forward to my arrival, and you, instead, are trying to drive me away?"

"Why do you keep bringing up this past incident? You keep accusing me of things I didn't do. How can I stand your repeated slander?"

Although I am of lowly status, I still have a heart, and I feel hurt when someone throws dirty water on me. It's one thing for others to talk nonsense, but you are my…”

Before she could finish speaking, Yingzhu suddenly stopped.

As the candlelight flickered, Liang Yunqian's dark eyes brightened slightly. "Yours what?"

After hesitating for a while, Yingzhu finally raised her chin and boldly said:

"My man! You always demand that I belong to you, body and soul, but what about you? Do you ever treat me as your woman and protect me?"

If you truly wanted to protect me, how could you bear to say those suspicious words that hurt me?

Her man...

These words may sound light, but they carry a lot of weight.

Liang Yunqian never fully trusted her, always wondering about her background and constantly on guard.

He used to wonder who brought her into the manor, but now he is concerned about her past with Song Xingzhou.

His focus seems to have unknowingly shifted.

Shen Yingzhu always said that he was her master and her pillar of support, but today, she said that he was her man!

As a man, he should protect his woman; he shouldn't have tested her repeatedly.

After pondering for a long time, Liang Yunqian stopped talking about Song Xingzhou and instead reached out his hand to Shen Yingzhu.

Upon seeing his palm, Yingzhu instinctively stepped back.

How afraid was she of him?

With a soft sigh, Liang Yunqian pulled her into his arms. "I won't bully you, don't be afraid."

Yingzhu thought he had said something offensive and was going to get angry and settle scores with her! But to her surprise, he suddenly hugged her.

Her back tensed instantly, but after waiting for a while, he made no further move.

"You're just...holding me like this?"

"Otherwise what? What do you think it would be like? In your current state, what can I possibly do for you?"

Yingzhu shook her head vigorously, "That's certainly impossible, but why are you doing this?"

"For no reason, I just want to hold you, is that not allowed?"

As they spoke, Liang Yunqian's high, straight nose brushed against her swan-like neck, as if sensing her delicate pomegranate fragrance.

The delicate and smooth sensation stirred his imagination. Unconsciously, Liang Yunqian found her small ear, took her earlobe in his mouth, and gently sucked on it.

The person in his arms seemed to be moved by him; her breathing became erratic, and she unconsciously made strange noises.

This voice was undoubtedly a great encouragement to Liang Yunqian.

Yingzhu, who had initially been obediently leaning against his shoulder, sensed something was wrong, turned her head slightly, and tentatively tried to escape.

"You said it was just a simple hug? Why are you bullying me again?"

At first, he really had no other thoughts, but as soon as he got close to her, his mind began to be attracted to her.

"It's your fault...it's because you smell so good."

"..." How can you blame her for this? "I'm not available right now. You'd better control yourself and stop daydreaming, otherwise you'll be the one suffering, and I can't help you."

"Why don't we study the fire avoidance diagram? Perhaps there are other methods?"

His low, husky voice was meaningful, and his gentle breath brushed against Yingzhu's ear, igniting her chaotic thoughts.

"I won't look at it! Don't get me into trouble! I don't have that book here."

"Yes, that book is in Tingsongyuan. I'll study it in detail tomorrow..."

The lanterns under the eaves swayed in the wind, while the room was warm and cozy thanks to the underfloor heating. Liang Yunqian's soft-spoken words only added to the unease...

The commotion at Wenzhuxuan quickly reached Deshan Hall, and the next day, Princess Rui invited Shen Yingzhu over.

"Yingzhu! You are pregnant. You must not get close to Yunqian. Be careful not to harm the baby."

Yingzhu blushed and nodded, "I know the rules. The young master only stayed there overnight and did not consummate the marriage with me."

"Really?" Princess Rui stared at her suspiciously.

"Yun Qian is only twenty-two years old, young and vigorous. If you two sleep together, he may not be able to control himself. I'm afraid you might not be able to resist him."

For the child's safety, please don't let them stay overnight in your room anymore.

What's the point of saying this to her? Liang Yunqian won't listen to her arrangements anyway.

Yingzhu didn't say the words, even though they were on the tip of her tongue. If she did, Princess Rui would think she was just being stubborn and making excuses. The best thing to do was to agree first and talk about it later.

"Yes, Your Highness's teachings will be heeded."

Yingzhu readily agreed, and just as she was about to get up to take her leave, Consort Li's voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Are you free, sister? I want to talk to you about something."

Upon spotting Shen Yingzhu, Consort Li called out:

"Please sit down and don't rush off. This matter happens to concern you."

Yingzhu's intuition told her that this was not a good thing, but since Consort Li had already spoken, she could not refuse, so she sat down to listen.

When the maidservant came to serve tea, Princess Rui saw Consort Li and immediately stopped smiling and didn't take the initiative to speak to her.

The atmosphere was somewhat awkward. Consort Li spoke softly.

"Isn't this the Prince's own son being brought back to the Prince's mansion? The Prince is going to hold a welcome banquet for the fourth prince, and it just so happens that Yunqian is going to hold a banquet to take a concubine."

The prince meant that it was inappropriate to hold two wedding banquets in a row as the year was approaching, lest people think we wanted to receive gifts!

Therefore, only one of the two banquets will be held. First, a welcoming banquet will be held for the fourth prince, and then a banquet for Yingzhu to take a concubine will be held on an auspicious day after the New Year.

The banquet for taking a concubine was originally scheduled for tomorrow, but Consort Li wants to cancel it with just one sentence?

Yingzhu looked up in surprise, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she observed the reaction of Princess Rui.