After flirting with the aloof prince, the concubine ran away pregnant.

She walked to the middle of the yard and cleared her throat.

The three men immediately stopped laughing and talking, and all turned to look at her.

"Put everything in the storeroom." Afu's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority. "These are all the blessings from our masters. We servants should just remember them in our hearts. We must not become complacent and forget our duty because of them."

Her gaze swept over the three of them, finally settling on Granny Xu's face: "From now on, you must be even more careful with your words and actions, and serve her with utmost care, so as not to disappoint your master's high regard, understand?"

Granny Xu's smile froze, and she quickly lowered her head: "Yes, young lady is right, this old servant will remember it."

Bai Zhi and the other two echoed in response.

Seeing that they had all listened, Afu's expression softened.

She turned and went back into the house, taking out a few pieces of silver from a hidden compartment.

She handed one tael of silver to Bai Zhi, and then took out three and a half taels of silver, handing them to Granny Xu, Xiao Yue, and Xiao Su respectively.

"You've just started working in my courtyard, you must be tired. This isn't much, but please take it and have a cup of tea."

All three were taken aback, not expecting to receive a reward.

Granny Xu was the first to react, quickly taking the gift while saying, "Thank you for the gift, Miss! Thank you for the gift, Miss!"

Xiaoyue and Xiaosu blushed as they accepted the gifts and thanked them repeatedly.

Afu looked at them and smiled, "From now on, we'll be in the same courtyard, like family. We'll share the good times and the bad. I also came up from the servants' quarters, so I know how hard you all have worked. From now on, let's all be considerate of each other and do our jobs well. I won't let you down."

These words warmed the hearts of everyone present.

Afu took out another tael of silver and handed it to Baizhi: "Go to the small kitchen and tell Granny Xu to add two more main dishes tonight, and warm a pot of fruit wine. Let's have a good meal tonight, as a way of warming our Zhenliu Pavilion."

"Okay!" Bai Zhi replied crisply, pulling along the still somewhat dazed Xiao Yue and Xiao Su, and excitedly ran towards the small kitchen.

Grandma Xu followed behind, her steps becoming much lighter.

The courtyard quickly came back to life, and everyone worked much harder to tidy up the house.

Afu stood under the eaves, watching all of this with a calm expression.

She needs her own people.

Loyalty can sometimes be earned with just a little bit of benefit and human kindness.

Inside the Pillow Stream Pavilion, the aroma of food mingled with the warm scent of wine, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere.

Bai Zhi's face was flushed from drinking. Holding up her wine cup, she slurred, "Sister, our lives now are even happier than being gods in heaven!"

Xiaoyue and Xiaosu smiled along with them, their eyes filled with undisguised joy and anticipation.

Afu looked at them with a smile, but didn't touch her cup much.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, a slightly reserved voice came from outside the courtyard gate. It was Changshun, who was serving in the Crown Prince's study.

"Miss Afu, the young master requests your presence in his study."

The laughter in the courtyard stopped abruptly, and Bai Zhi sobered up considerably in an instant.

Afu's smile faded for a fleeting moment, so quickly that no one noticed. She put down her jade chopsticks, straightened her sleeves, and said calmly, "I understand."

She stood up and said to Bai Zhi and the others, "You can continue eating, you don't need to wait for me."

Those who provide food and clothing should be served.

After changing into a light blue dress and confirming that she no longer smelled of alcohol, Afu carried a small sheepskin lantern and walked alone towards the main study of Shian Courtyard.

At the door of the study, Yunxi stood with her hands at her sides. When she saw Afu, a bitter smile flashed in her eyes, and then she nodded steadily to Afu.

Afu nodded slightly to her, but did not say anything.

Even though she pointed out Ai Xiang's mistakes to Yun Xi, Xie Xun still wouldn't allow her to enter the inner room. She had to clean with the mute servant and was absolutely forbidden from stepping into the prince's room alone.

Afu was a little unsure whether it was because Yunxi's suspicions hadn't been completely cleared, or because Xie Xun had a habitual aversion to maids. However, she had done her best, and the rest was up to her.

Afu handed the lantern to Yunxi and went inside.

The study was filled with the pine resin she had personally mixed. Xie Xun was sitting behind his desk, toying with a white jade bottle in his hand, which was the scar removal cream he had given to Afu before.

He looked up when he heard footsteps.

Afu's light blue dress made her look like a bamboo shoot after a rain, cool and clean. The white gauze wrapped around her wrist was particularly noticeable beneath the wide sleeves.

Xie Xun's heart softened for no apparent reason.

"Is the new yard all set up?" he asked, his voice slightly gentler than usual. "Is anything still needed?"

Afu curtsied, her voice as respectful as ever: "Your Highness, it's very good. Your Highness and the Lady of the Marquis have bestowed many gifts upon me, and I am very grateful."

The reply, while expressing gratitude, lacked genuine appreciation, leaving Xie Xun's prepared words of comfort stuck in his throat.

He hummed in agreement, suppressing his unease.

"That's good."

He put down the jade bottle, stood up, and walked towards her.

Afu lowered her eyes as she watched his black boots with gold thread stop in front of her.

"come over."

Afu did as she was told and took another small step forward.

Xie Xun reached out, his movements neither gentle nor rough, and directly grasped her injured right wrist.

The warmth of his fingertips seeped through the thin fabric, and Afu's eyelashes trembled.

Xie Xun carefully rolled up her sleeves and then untied the blood-stained gauze layer by layer.

The gruesome wound had scabbed over, and the surrounding skin was still somewhat red and swollen, but under the light, it was clear that it was showing signs of healing.

"The injury seems to have healed considerably," he said in a deep voice, as if evaluating an item. "Tell me when you run out of the scar removal cream, and I won't let you have any scars."

"Yes, thank you, Your Highness," Afu replied softly.

Xie Xun let go and watched her silently rewrap the gauze. Her quiet and obedient appearance made his irritation surge up again.

He turned and walked back to his desk, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly said, "The day after tomorrow, I'm going hunting in the hunting grounds outside the capital. Would you like to come with me?"

Afu's fingers, which were tying the gauze, suddenly stopped.

She raised her head, and a clear light shone in her usually calm and still eyes.

"willing."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear, carrying a hint of surprise that she herself hadn't noticed.

It was not easy for women to leave the mansion.

Even though the Lady of the Marquis granted her the privilege of leaving the manor once every ten days, being in the Marquis's manor meant she was always entangled in various affairs and had no say in her own life.

She has been in the capital for so long, and apart from when she first arrived, she has hardly ever gone out.

Xie Xun looked at her suddenly bright eyes and the smile that unconsciously crept onto her lips, and the knot in his heart suddenly dissipated.

He assumed she was happy because she could travel with him.

She was ultimately happy.

Xie Xun's thin lips curved upwards almost imperceptibly as he leaned back in his chair, his tone carrying a hint of nonchalant ease.

"Then go and make preparations. Just take one maid with you. It's windy in the outskirts of the capital, so bring an extra warm coat."

"Yes." Afu suppressed her joy, resumed her docile demeanor, bowed her head, and said, "This servant takes her leave."

Watching her slender figure turn and leave, Xie Xun's smile deepened.

He picked up the wolf-hair brush on the table and wrote two characters on the paper in a very good mood.

Afu.

His brushstrokes are sharp and incisive.