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

When Xie Yun saw her return, her eyes instantly turned sharp: "What are you doing back here?"

Ignoring her threat, Afu walked straight to the soft couch and stopped two steps away, looking directly into Xie Yun's wary eyes.

"Miss, your condition just now is a very common symptom in women after childbirth." Afu's voice was very low, but exceptionally clear.

Xie Yun froze, a flash of shock and embarrassment crossing her eyes. She shouted sharply, "What nonsense are you spouting! Shut up!"

"Giving birth to children is like walking through the gates of hell." Afu did not back down; instead, her tone became even gentler and more resolute. "The mother's body is damaged, her qi and blood are depleted, and her pores are not firm. These are all perfectly normal costs."

"This is a badge of honor for bringing life into the world, not some shameful disease. Why should you feel ashamed, young lady?"

Xie Yun stared blankly at her, her eyes gradually reddening.

No one had ever told her these things. Her mother only taught her how to serve her in-laws and win over her husband; her nanny only told her to quickly give birth to a legitimate son to consolidate her position.

After giving birth, she discovered that she had this embarrassing health problem, and she felt like the sky was falling.

She dared not tell anyone, and even when her husband approached, she would find excuses to refuse him, living in fear and self-loathing every day.

Afu's words were like a hammer, shattering the dignity she had maintained for over a year.

Seeing Xie Yun's tense shoulders relax, Afu continued, "My mother also had this symptom when she gave birth to my younger sister. At that time, we hired a female doctor who was skilled in this area. She used massage combined with specific movements to treat her, and she recovered completely in less than three months. Young Miss is young and has a good constitution. If she can receive treatment as soon as possible, her recovery will only be faster."

Xie Yun's eyes finally shifted from defensiveness to hope. She grabbed Afu's wrist with surprising force: "Where is that female doctor now?"

"Back then, there was a flood in Jiangnan, and we were all displaced and lost all contact with each other." Afu noticed the light in Xie Yun's eyes dimming, and then changed the subject, "However, when that female doctor was massaging my mother back then, I assisted her and learned a little bit of the technique."

"If you trust me, Miss, I can try it for you first. However, it would be best to find a reliable female doctor to treat you with herbal medicine in order to cure the root cause."

Xie Yun stared at Afu, her mind in turmoil.

Reason told her that she should never entrust such a private matter to a maidservant whose background she didn't know. But the physical torment and the fear of the unknown made it impossible for her to resist the temptation.

After a long while, Xie Yun slowly released her hand, her voice revealing a hint of vulnerability that was barely perceptible.

"You...give it a try."

Xie Yun gritted her teeth, turned around and walked into the inner room, gesturing for Afu to follow.

Inside the room was a woman in her forties, Xie Yun's wet nurse, Granny Hua. When she saw Afu come in to treat her young lady, Granny Hua immediately frowned, stepped forward to block Xie Yun, and looked Afu up and down warily.

"Young Miss, what does this girl know about medicine? You are a precious person, how can you let her do such a thing?" Granny Hua lowered her voice, her tone full of disapproval.

Xie Yun ignored Granny Hua's attempts to stop her and went straight to the bedside to sit down, her hands gripping the edge of the bed tightly. She had had enough of this kind of life, and she wanted to try even if there was only a sliver of hope.

"Close the door tightly," Xie Yun said, her voice tense.

Seeing this, Granny Hua could only sigh, turn around and close all the doors and windows tightly, and draw the heavy curtains, making the room dark immediately.

"Come here." Xie Yun looked at Afu.

Afu stepped forward and said without any unnecessary words, "Young Miss, please take off your clothes."

Xie Yun's hand froze on her sash, remaining motionless for a long time. She bit her lower lip, her cheeks flushed red with extreme shame. Granny Hua, watching from the side with heartache, stepped forward to help her untie the sash of her outer garment and lift up her inner garment.

Without the cover of clothing, Xie Yun's abdomen was completely exposed to the air.

That was definitely not the waist and abdomen a young woman should have. More than a year after giving birth, her belly still bulged out like she was three months pregnant.

Xie Yun turned her head away, not daring to look at her stomach, her voice filled with self-destructive despair: "I tried dieting before, eating only one vegetarian meal a day for several months in a row, and I became so thin that I looked unrecognizable, but this stomach just won't shrink back no matter what I do."

Afu's expression remained unchanged, showing no sign of distress. She reached out and placed her fingertips on Xie Yun's abdomen, gently tracing the contours of her pelvis downwards.

Xie Yun shrank back, instinctively wanting to hide.

"Don't move." Afu pressed down on her hip with a little force.

After examining the muscles along their direction, Afu had a better understanding of the situation.

"It's not that you're fat," Afu reassured her, withdrawing her hand. "It's that some of your organs are prolapsed."

Xie Yun suddenly turned her head: "What?"

Afu spoke calmly, as if she were talking about something very ordinary, "The young lady must have been less active during childbirth, resulting in weak muscles. In addition, she suffered from insufficient kidney energy after childbirth, causing her uterus to prolapse and press on her bladder. Her bladder couldn't withstand the pressure, and she would leak at the slightest movement."

Granny Hua was dumbfounded. She had never heard of such a story before, but she felt that every word matched her young mistress's symptoms.

"Then... what should we do?" Xie Yun asked anxiously.

"Manual restoration." Afu looked around, her gaze falling on the ground. "The soft couch isn't enough; let's try lying on the ground."

"Lie down on the ground?" Granny Hua immediately raised her voice. "The ground is too cold! Miss's health is already weak; how can you do that!"

"The ground is hard, so it's easier to push and massage the bedsheets," Afu said without backing down, turning to look at Xie Yun. "If Miss Xie wants to make up her mind, she has to listen to me."

Xie Yun hesitated for only a moment before gritting her teeth and pointing to the cabinet: "Granny Hua, bring a mattress and spread it on the floor."

Seeing that her mistress had made up her mind, Granny Hua could only hesitate before taking out a thick cotton quilt and laying it out on the smooth floor tiles.

Xie Yun lay down.

Afu knelt beside her, rolled up her sleeves, clasped her hands together, and placed the heels of her palms against the lowest part of Xie Yun's abdomen.

"The process will be a little uncomfortable, Miss, please bear with it."

As soon as she finished speaking, Afu pressed her hands on Xie Yun's belly, felt the bulging outline below, and pushed upwards with force.

"Ah!" Xie Yun cried out in pain, her whole body bouncing up like a fish out of water.

It wasn't exactly pain, but rather an indescribable aching and intense pain. What was worse, as Afu pressed down, a strong urge to urinate surged down my back.

Xie Yun's mind went blank for a moment, filled with shame and indignation.

"Let go! Let go of me first!" Xie Yun desperately pushed and shoved Afu's arm, trying to arch her back and escape. "I can't take it anymore! I need to get up! I need to relieve myself!"

Seeing Xie Yun covered in sweat from the pain, Granny Hua was terrified and rushed forward to pull Afu away, saying, "Stop! Are you alright, young lady?"