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

Eyes facing each other.

With a mouthful of porridge still in her mouth, the image of him breathing heavily close to her ear in the bathtub last night uncontrollably surfaced in her mind.

Her throat tightened, and she quickly swallowed the porridge. She then leaned on the edge of the table to stand up and bow.

"Sit down."

Xie Xun walked over to her in a few steps, placed his large hand on her shoulder, and without much force, pressed her back onto the stool.

He sat down in the empty seat next to her, very close. Afu could even smell the fresh scent of grass and trees he brought in from outside, mixed with that familiar pine fragrance.

"Eat breakfast quickly." Xie Xun looked at her, his tone unusually gentle, even carrying a hint of unquestionable command.

Afu could only pick up the spoon again and lower her head to drink the porridge.

Xie Xun didn't leave; he just sat there watching her eat.

His gaze was intensely present, moving from her updo to her cheeks, which were flushed from the heat, and finally settling on a small red mark that couldn't be concealed by her collar.

His eyes darkened, and he suddenly reached out, his warm fingertips pinching the back of her neck.

Afu froze, even her breathing paused for a moment.

Xie Xun's fingers, calloused from years of wielding a sword, gently caressed her delicate skin, the pressure neither too light nor too heavy, like teasing a tame cat.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked naturally, his voice low.

Afu almost choked on the porridge in her hand.

She coughed twice and shook her head repeatedly, "It doesn't hurt anymore, thank you for your concern, young master."

Xie Xun looked at her thin shoulders and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Too thin.

He noticed it when he held her in his arms last night; this woman was so light and frail, her waist so slender he could pinch it with one hand. With the slightest pressure, she would burst into tears.

He reached out and pushed the bowl of milky-white pigeon soup toward her.

"Eat more," Xie Xun said, staring at her. "You're too thin."

The implication of those words was so direct that Afu's face flushed instantly, even her ears turned bright red.

She lowered her head, obediently picked up the spoon to drink the soup, and made an extremely docile appearance.

Xie Xun was very satisfied with her current reaction.

He was an extremely domineering person at heart, used to controlling everything. A woman like Afu, who was gentle, obedient, and perfectly suited to his body, hit the nail on the head.

Afu lowered her eyes and sipped her soup slowly.

The soup was delicious and warming, and Xie Xun's aura gave me a sense of security.

But a string in her heart was tightening.

She should have kept her distance from Xie Xun and been wary of him, but now she was actually drawn to the reassuring aura he exuded.

She could only repeatedly convince herself that this unusual dependence was just the hormones and dopamine left over from last night's intimacy, a mere instinctive reaction, and not at all a sign of being in love.

She gripped the spoon tightly with her fingertips, the rim of the spoon gently tapping against the bowl, making a soft, rustling sound.

After finishing the last bite of porridge, Afu put down her spoon and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

"Isn't Master going hunting today?" she asked softly, her voice slightly hoarse.

Xie Xun withdrew his hand from the back of her neck, picked up a glass of iced tea from the table, and took a sip.

"I'm not going. Several officials at the manor have a meeting today." He stood up, straightened his cuffs, and looked back at her. "You stay quietly in the courtyard. Tonight, I'll have someone pick you up and take you to see the deer in the back mountain."

After saying that, he reached out and ruffled her hair again before turning around and striding out.

The door was closed.

Afu looked at the swaying curtain, and the gentleness in her eyes vanished instantly, leaving only a hint of melancholy.

To see deer?

When did Xie Xun come to understand these romantic notions? Perhaps it was to make up for her regret of not being able to leave the courtyard.

As she was thinking, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.

Bai Zhi, panting heavily, ran in, lifting her skirt, her face deathly pale, and she even forgot to knock on the door.

"Girl, something terrible has happened!" Bai Zhi grabbed Afu's arm, her hand trembling.

Afu's heart sank, and she grabbed her hand in return: "What happened? Tell me slowly."

Bai Zhi swallowed hard, her voice filled with obvious fear: "This servant went to the main kitchen to return the food box... and overheard the servants in the manor gossiping. They said... that Young Master Song Yan went to the young master's study with someone."

"Who did you bring?"

"I brought along Li Heng, the Prince of Yong, the one whose hand was tapped by the young master at the banquet that day!"

Bai Zhi was almost in tears. "I heard it clearly! Prince Li said... he said he lost a luminous pearl that was a tribute from the East Sea last night, and someone saw... saw that it was a maid from our courtyard who stole it!"

Bai Zhi's eyes reddened with anxiety, and her fingers, gripping Afu's arm, trembled uncontrollably.

Afu, however, remained unusually calm. She patted Baizhi's hand and pressed her down onto the round stool.

"What's the panic?"

Afu's voice was calm. "The luminous pearl is a tribute from the East Sea, priceless. Even if Li Heng were stupid, he wouldn't leave something like that lying around carelessly. There are only two maids in our courtyard, you and me. Last night it rained heavily, I didn't even leave the house, and you were helping out in the kitchen all night. What could he possibly use to frame us?"

"But...but they say a servant saw it with their own eyes!"

Bai Zhi was so anxious that tears streamed down her face. "Miss, those powerful families can crush us like an ant. If they insist on pinning this crime on us, will the young master... will he protect us?"

Afu lowered her eyes.

Li Heng's move was extremely clumsy, not even qualifying as the subtle tactics used in the inner quarters of the household; it was essentially a gamble on the master's attitude towards his maid.

However, given Xie Xun's personality, this shouldn't be considered a difficult problem to handle.

"Stay inside and don't go anywhere." Afu stood up, straightened her skirt, and said, "I'll go check on things."

"Miss!" Bai Zhi tried to stop her, but Afu had already quickly walked out of the courtyard.

The study is located at the front of the west courtyard.

Afu didn't go through the main entrance, but instead followed the covered corridor to the side porch of the study. This place was separated from the study by only a carved wooden wall, and the sounds inside could be heard clearly as soon as she got a little closer.

As soon as Afu approached, she heard Li Heng's voice, which sounded like a drunken rogue.

"Xie Xun, it's not that I'm disrespecting you. The East Sea Pearl is a tribute item; losing it is a serious crime! My servant saw it clearly; it was your little maid who did it!"

"Hand over the person so I can take him back for questioning, and that will settle the matter."