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

Afu's hands were incredibly strong. She stretched her arms straight, leaned forward, and pressed all her weight onto her hands as she massaged Xie Yun's lower abdomen.

"Don't move," Afu snapped, her voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable force.

She avoided Granny Hua's hand, her brow beaded with sweat, and looked at Xie Yun's flushed face: "If you need to relieve yourself, just do it. It's a normal reaction. No one will know. Just push it up!"

Xie Yun shook her head desperately, tears welling up in her eyes. How could she, the legitimate daughter of a marquis's family, lose control of her bladder in front of the servants?

"If you get up now, you'll have to live in constant fear of incontinence from now on," Afu commanded, her grip tightening rather than loosening. "Take a deep breath, relax, exhale!"

Xie Yun was stunned by her shout and subconsciously took a deep breath, his tense abdominal muscles relaxing briefly.

Right now.

Afu used the momentum to lift her hands up sharply, her palms almost sinking into Xie Yun's stomach, pushing all the way down to below her ribs.

Xie Yun let out a muffled groan that sounded off, her body jerked violently, and then she fell heavily back onto the mattress.

Thank you for the sound of her breathing heavily with her eyes closed.

She was soaked in sweat, her eyes closed in despair, waiting for the unspeakable wetness to spread beneath her.

But no.

The urge to urinate that had almost driven her crazy miraculously vanished the moment Afu pushed her up. In its place came a long-lost feeling of relief, as if her abdomen had been emptied.

The heavy, oppressive feeling in my lower abdomen is gone.

"Alright." Afu withdrew her hand, stood up, and straightened her slightly disheveled skirt.

Xie Yun opened her eyes, then hesitated before lowering her head.

Granny Hua followed her gaze and immediately gasped.

"It's flat... Miss, your belly is flat!" Granny Hua's voice trembled.

The protruding belly that used to look like a small hill has miraculously shrunk, and the unsightly bulge has completely disappeared.

Xie Yun reached out and touched her stomach in disbelief.

Flat.

It really is flat.

The grievances and fears she had suppressed for over a year finally burst forth at this moment, and large tears fell onto the back of her hands.

Afu bent down, took Xie Yun's arm, and helped her up from the ground.

"This is only a temporary fix." Afu helped her sit down on the soft couch, her tone still calm. "Your muscles are weak, and they might fall down again in a few days."

Xie Yun's heart, which had just settled, instantly jumped again. She grabbed Afu's hand and asked, "What should we do? You must have a way, right?"

Afu let her hold on: "I'll come back tomorrow and teach you a set of exercises to regulate your body, specifically designed for women."

"Practice this routine every day to build up your abdominal strength, and your internal organs will be able to stabilize themselves."

Xie Yun nodded repeatedly; she believed whatever Afu said now.

"Remember to avoid strenuous running and jumping in the next few days, and try to rest lying down as much as possible."

Afu then instructed, "Also, please ask Granny Hua to find a doctor who is tight-lipped and prescribe some herbs to treat yin deficiency and kidney qi deficiency, so that you can take them together."

Upon hearing the words "kidney qi deficiency," Xie Yun's temper flared up again. She frowned and retorted, "I consume bird's nest and ginseng daily. How could I possibly be deficient? The storeroom is overflowing with tonics."

Seeing her defiant look, Afu bluntly pointed out, "You can't just take supplements randomly. You're too weak to handle them. The more inappropriate medicine you take, the more deficient you'll become. You must see a doctor for proper treatment."

Xie Yun was speechless after being rebuked. She bit her lip and immediately ordered Granny Hua to inquire about it.

She looked at her flat stomach, then looked up at Afu, her tone carrying a hint of unconscious dependence and command: "Then you must come and teach me tomorrow. If you dare to shirk your duty and not come, I will hold you responsible."

She really has the temper of a spoiled princess.

"Yes, ma'am." Afu couldn't help but laugh, curtsied, and turned to leave.

Granny Hua's gaze towards Afu completely changed at this moment. She quickly smiled and went to see Afu out, holding Afu's hand as if she were her own daughter.

She escorted Afu to the entrance of Jinghong Courtyard, her smile still lingering. Holding Afu's hand, she said, "Miss Afu, you are truly a benefactor to our young lady. Please come and visit often; I'll prepare some of your favorite snacks for you."

Afu smiled and agreed.

Now that she can cure Xie Yun's illness, she is naturally a benefactor.

Back in her courtyard, Bai Zhi was anxiously waiting at the door. As soon as she saw her return, she immediately came to greet her.

"Sister Afu, you're finally back." Baizhi tugged at her sleeve and lowered her voice. "The young master is back, and he's throwing a tantrum in the room right now. Even Brother Changsong is too scared to breathe."

Afu didn't stop walking; she went inside and poured herself a glass of water.

"What's wrong now?"

"It's all because of the small kitchen!" Bai Zhi said angrily. "The young master ordered the kitchen to make a light lotus seed soup. But the food box that was delivered contained a red velvet flower!"

Bai Zhi gestured: "It's the kind of headdress that the little maids wear. I don't know who was so careless as to let it fall in while they were laughing and playing around."

Afu paused in her drinking motion.

Xie Xun is a germaphobe; he can't tolerate even the slightest imperfection. It would be strange if he didn't get angry if such a thing appeared in a bowl of soup.

"How is he?" Afu asked.

"What else could happen?" Bai Zhi pouted. "The little maid who delivered the food was dragged away by Brother Changsong on the spot. I heard she was sent directly to the servants' quarters in the backyard. The servants on duty in the small kitchen were also all made to kneel in the main courtyard."

Afu put down her teacup and then remembered that when she returned earlier today, she found that the servants of Shian Courtyard were quite scattered.

With Granny Wen gone, Tao Yao was confined to her quarters, and the steward of Shi'an Courtyard was gone. The proper master, Xie Xun, had also been absent from the manor for the past few days, so the subordinates, no longer bound by constraints, naturally became lax.

"Is the young master still in the study?" Afu asked.

"I'm here. I didn't have dinner, just a cup of tea." Bai Zhi looked worried. "Sister, you mustn't do anything bad. The young master is in a bad mood right now."

Afu nodded, said nothing, and turned to go inside.

She first washed her hands, changed out of the clothes that smelled of Jinghong Courtyard, and recombed her hair into a simple bun. Then, carrying the warm water and towel that had been prepared earlier, she walked toward the study.

Bai Zhi stamped her feet in frustration as she watched from behind, but dared not follow.

The study door was ajar, and no lights were on inside. Only the light from the lanterns under the eaves shone through, casting a dim silhouette.

Afu stopped at the door and gently knocked.

"roll."

Xie Xun's voice came from inside, cold and deep.

Afu didn't move, but said softly, "Young Master, this servant is Afu."

There was a moment of silence inside.

"Come in." The voice remained cold and hard.

Afu pushed open the door, soaked the cloth in warm water, wrung it out, and walked to the desk. In the dim light, she saw Xie Xun leaning back in the armchair, his face so somber it could drip water.

She didn't dare look at him, and simply handed him the cloth.

Xie Xun didn't answer, his gaze lingering on her plain face for a long while before he suddenly spoke: "This courtyard is too messy."

"With Granny Wen gone, there's no one left to manage things."

Xie Xun tapped his knuckles lightly on the table, each tap feeling like a blow to the heart. "From today onwards, the internal affairs of Zhenliu Courtyard will be your responsibility."