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

Song's heart was pounding. She suddenly regretted bringing her son to the Prince Rui's mansion. They had only been there a few days, and trouble had already arisen. She couldn't have a peaceful day.

After a moment of silence, Liang Xingzhou said in a low voice:

"She... went back to her hometown to visit relatives. She'll be back at the beginning of the year. I'll keep waiting for her."

Yingzhu felt terrible. Under the guise of caring about Liang Xingzhou's condition, they kept lying to him, telling him that she had returned to her hometown, and forbidding her from admitting her identity.

Did Liang Xingzhou really believe her? Or was he doubting her identity?

Regardless of the situation, he always held onto a sliver of hope. This so-called protection was, in fact, more cruel than the truth!

But she herself was struggling with her fate. She had no say in the Prince Rui's mansion. How could she change this predicament?

Consort Li's attempt to cause trouble backfired, and she was ridiculed instead. The more she thought about it, the more resentful she became, and she turned to scold her son.

"The Crown Prince is very concerned about your marriage. You should arrange the marriage as soon as the new year begins, don't delay any longer, lest people think you can't find a wife!"

Liang Yunshan, who was singled out, racked her brains to find an excuse.

"Fourth Brother isn't married yet! Why should I be in such a hurry?"

This comparison made Consort Li feel even more humiliated. "Your fourth brother has a fiancée, unlike you. You haven't even settled your marriage yet!"

"I have someone I like, and if she agrees, I'll marry her immediately!"

As they were talking, Liang Yunshan looked at Zhao Tangwei across from her, but Zhao Tangwei pretended not to hear and was serving food to her aunt.

Even though she didn't give him a second glance, he still thought Zhao Tangwei's profile was so beautiful and charming. Every time he saw her, he was in a great mood and even forgot to eat, just gazing at Zhao Tangwei from afar with his chin on his hand.

Consort Li couldn't stand her son's useless behavior.

"So many noble ladies are lining up to be engaged to you, why are you so stubborn?"

Princess Rui found it laughable. No matter how much Yunshan missed Tangwei, what difference did it make? Tangwei only had Yunqian in her heart. She didn't need to persuade her; no one could take Tangwei away!

If it were any other banquet, Yingzhu could make an excuse to leave early, but today is a family banquet held for her, so no matter how annoyed she is, she has to stay until the very end.

The only good thing today was that she received many congratulatory gifts, but all of these gifts had to be registered so that she would have to return the favor when other people in the household held banquets in the future.

After a busy afternoon, the women gradually dispersed, while the men continued drinking, sipping tea, and chatting. Yingzhu, without waiting for Liang Yunqian, returned to Wenzhuxuan first.

As usual, Qingfeng began to unpack the congratulatory gifts and check them one by one.

When Qingfeng received the gift from the Fourth Master, she didn't touch it, but instead placed it in front of Aunt Shen.

"This is a congratulatory gift from Fourth Master. Why don't you open it?"

Yingzhu glanced at it but didn't reach out. "Just leave it there! I can't take it apart."

"Why not?"

"If I were to open it without permission, who knows what the young master would think of me, accusing me of having an affair with the fourth prince. Let's wait for the young master to come over and see what happens."

Yingzhu knew Liang Yunqian's personality very well, and she could warn him in advance about any possible actions he might take.

After thinking about it carefully, Qingfeng also felt that it made sense, so she continued to unpack the other gifts and put the two items aside.

Exhausted, Yingzhu went to her tent for a midday rest. As she drifted off to sleep, she turned over and unexpectedly bumped into a wall of people!

Yingzhu opened her eyes in surprise and realized that Liang Yunqian was lying next to her.

"Your Highness? When did you arrive?"

Liang Yunqian stroked the stray hairs that had fallen onto her pillow. "You've only been here for a quarter of an hour."

Confused, Yingzhu closed her eyes again, burying her face in his firm chest and inhaling the familiar scent of pine and tea.

This doesn't make sense, does it?

"I remember you drank at noon! Why don't you smell of alcohol? You still smell nice, like pine tea? Am I... dreaming?"

Surprised, Yingzhu opened her eyes and stared at him closely. She even reached out to poke his chest. It felt soft and bouncy, yet firm and strong. It felt quite real to the touch!

Unsure, Yingzhu raised her hand to touch his lips again, but he suddenly opened his lips and grabbed her index finger.

Although it was very light, Yingzhu still felt a slight pain.

"Ouch—it hurts! This isn't a dream, it's real!"

She must have been in a daze, because she didn't even recognize him.

"You're pregnant, so you're especially sensitive to smells. I showered and changed before I came, so there's no smell of alcohol on you."

With a soft "hmm," Yingzhu smiled knowingly.

"Your Highness is quite thoughtful! It's kind of you to consider my feelings."

She squinted again, leaning against his shoulder, unwilling to wake up.

Seeing her languid demeanor, Liang Yunqian suddenly felt envious.

"You're sleeping soundly, but I can't sleep."

"What are you thinking about now?"

Yingzhu couldn't help but guess two possibilities: either he minded the bracelet, or he was lying next to her with his mind wandering.

She decided to play dumb, turned over, and kept her distance from him.

"Stop thinking about it now, I can't help you."

She seemed to have misunderstood something, and sighed softly before Liang Yunqian said:

"What do you take me for? Someone who only thinks about things that are indecent and should not be heard?"

He had already made it clear, so Yingzhu couldn't continue to play dumb.

"Otherwise what? Then why can't you sleep?"

Liang Yunqian's gaze fell on the two gift boxes on the table. "All the other gifts have been taken away, why are those two left out?"

"We're waiting for you to come and demolish it!"

"Waiting for me?" Liang Yunqian raised his eyebrows in surprise. "It's not like it's a gift for me."

"But that's a gift from Fourth Master. I dare not open it alone; who knows what misunderstandings you might have after I open it? So, you should open it yourself!"

Something didn't sound right; she still seemed a little distrustful of him.

"I promised you I wouldn't question you anymore."

"I believe you have no doubts about me, otherwise you wouldn't have retorted to Consort Li today. But I still think it's better to avoid some misunderstandings and to break it up in front of you."

Yingzhu's expression was calm and composed, without any hint of sarcasm. Liang Yunqian didn't want to dwell on the matter any longer. He trusted Yingzhu, but he remained uneasy about Liang Xingzhou. He also wanted to know what Liang Xingzhou had sent.

After agreeing on the terms, the two left the tent. Liang Yunqian opened the gift box first. The first gift box contained a peace lock, an ordinary congratulatory gift, with nothing unusual about it.

Upon opening the second gift box, Liang Yunqian couldn't help but frown.

Yingzhu was puzzled, wondering what was in the gift box and why he had that expression.

"What's the problem?"

Liang Yunqian didn't say anything, but simply turned the gift box around.

Yingzhu glanced down and her dark eyebrows furrowed instantly.

The box contained a wooden carving. The front depicted her calico cat, while the back showed the little white cat next to Liang Xingzhou.

He actually gave her a calico cat wood carving? Did he guess her identity?

Yingzhu, who had been calm just moments before, now looked solemn. Her gaze seemed to be drawn to the wood carving, and her wandering eyes were probably lost in memories.

Upon seeing the wood carving, Liang Yunqian felt a surge of anger, but at the same time, suspicion arose within him.

"Wasn't Liang Xingzhou blind? How can he still do wood carving?"

"This wood carving was probably not made recently. It was likely made during his spare time on the battlefield. Judging from the color and smooth shape of the wood carving, it is at least two years old."

Liang Xingzhou has always loved wood carving, and Yingzhu has seen many of his wood carvings, so she can recognize them.

Listening to her comments, a touch of bitterness quietly crept into Liang Yunqian's heart.

"You seem to know him quite well."