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

Xie Xun didn't stop moving, only letting out a low "Hmm?" in response.

"I'm afraid my face will never recover." Afu's voice was very calm, as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her.

Xie Xun's fingers paused for a moment.

"Dr. Lu said that since there was no broken skin, with the best medicine and some rest, it won't leave a scar." His voice was devoid of emotion.

"A girl's face doesn't heal so easily." Afu chuckled softly, but the movement aggravated her wound, making her smile somewhat distorted. "Even if it heals, it will never be the same as before."

She paused, as if making up her mind, and continued, "Previously, Doctor Lu diagnosed me with difficulty conceiving..."

The greatest value of a maidservant who shares a room with her master is to produce offspring for the family and to warm the bed and relieve boredom.

A ruined face means losing favor. Inability to bear children means losing the only hope and support one has in this secluded mansion.

For Xie Xun, who was about to marry the Princess of Qinghe County, she was no longer an asset, but a real problem.

Xie Xun finally stopped applying the medicine completely.

He raised his eyes, his dark gaze meeting hers.

"What are you trying to say?"

"This servant has a request for Your Highness." Afu met his gaze without flinching. "I beg Your Highness to keep your promise."

She spoke slowly, pronouncing each word clearly.

"I know my lowly status is unworthy of the young master's favor. Now, with my crippled body, I am only a burden to the young master and a hindrance between you and your future wife. Rather than being dismissed by the county princess under some pretext or dying in some unknown corner, I would rather leave now."

She took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, and said, word by word, "I beg you, Your Highness, to return my slave certificate to me."

"I have saved some silver, not much, but enough to buy a small house in a small place outside the capital and live a peaceful life. I promise that I will never set foot in the capital again, nor will I ever mention a single word related to the Marquis's mansion to anyone."

"This is the best outcome for you, for the Marquis's mansion, and for the County Princess."

After she finished speaking, she looked at him quietly, awaiting his verdict.

She paved the way for him, laid out all the pros and cons. She didn't cry, make a fuss, or complain; she only sought the most dignified way to remove him from the shelves.

She believed that Xie Xun, being as rational as he was, would make the right choice.

The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.

Xie Xun's expression gradually turned cold.

The last vestiges of warmth and patience he had shown vanished without a trace. He slowly straightened up, looking down at her as if she were an ungrateful fool.

He didn't speak, but used his fingertips to slowly wipe away the remaining ointment, his movements deliberate yet conveying a sense of impending doom.

Afu's heart sank little by little.

She didn't understand; where had she said something wrong?

This proposal is entirely beneficial to him, so why is he reacting this way?

"Afu".

He finally spoke, his voice as cold as ice.

"Do you think you're leaving the manor now to live a peaceful life?"

He suddenly leaned down, placing his hands on the mattress on either side of her body, enveloping her entirely in his shadow.

"Believe it or not, the moment you step out of the Marquis's mansion, you'll be found dead in some dark alley in the capital, leaving not even a complete corpse behind."

Afu's pupils suddenly contracted.

"I know Qinghe's temperament better than you do." Xie Xun's lips curled into a cold smile. "Today at the Marquis's residence, with my mother and Xie Yun present, she still dared to use such ruthless methods. Do you think she will easily let go of a maid who made her lose face in front of everyone?"

"Leaving the mansion is not a liberation, but a death sentence."

He stared into her eyes, speaking each word carefully, as if trying to nail them into her mind.

Afu was completely dumbfounded; she hadn't expected this level.

"You..." She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

"From today onwards, you will stay in Shi'an Academy and are not allowed to go anywhere." Xie Xun straightened up, reverting to his cold and hard demeanor.

"You don't need to do anything, just stay here and take good care of your face." He said the last four words very slowly and with great emphasis.

Xie Xun walked to the door, then turned back as if he remembered something and added a sentence.

"And that slave document, don't even think about it."

After saying that, he opened the door and walked out without looking back.

In the following days, Afu really did "recover" from her injuries at Shian Hospital.

Xie Xun did not reappear.

He seemed very busy, leaving early and returning late. Sometimes when Afu woke up in the middle of the night, she could hear slight noises coming from the study.

Three meals a day, the kitchen would deliver carefully prepared medicinal dishes on time. Twice a day, morning and evening, Changsong would personally deliver freshly brewed medicinal soup and wound medicine specially made by the Imperial Hospital. Her coarse cloth maid's dress was also changed into a soft and comfortable fine cotton dress.

The attitude of the maids in the courtyard towards her underwent a complete 180-degree change.

The former politeness was tinged with distance, but now it was a mixture of respect and fear. They served her with even greater care than they had with Xie Yun.

Afu said nothing, simply accepting everything quietly.

With the help of good medicine, the injuries on my face healed quickly. The redness and swelling gradually subsided, leaving only some faint bluish-purple marks. The wound at the corner of my mouth also scabbed over, and speaking was no longer so difficult.

But she spoke less and less.

Most of the time, she would lean against the soft couch by the window, holding a book in her hand, but her gaze would be fixed on the small patch of sky outside the window.

On this fine afternoon, the crabapple blossoms in the yard were in full bloom.

As Afu was staring intently at the account book, a commotion suddenly erupted at the courtyard gate.

"Make way, make way! Don't block the way!"

It was Xie Yun's voice, clear and energetic, like a breeze that dispelled the gloom that had gripped Shi'an Academy these past few days.

Afu looked up and saw Xie Yun rushing in, lifting her skirt, followed by Granny Hua and two maids carrying food boxes.

"Afu!" Xie Yunren's voice arrived before she did.

She walked a few steps to Afu, first cupping her face in her hands, looking her over from left to right.

"Hmm, much better, not so scary anymore." Xie Yun breathed a sigh of relief, then sat down next to her, took out a small paper package from her sleeve, and handed it to her like a treasure, "Here, I brought you something good, osmanthus cake from Xu Ji in Chengnan, have a taste."

Looking at her bright smile, A-Fu felt as if a piece of the ice that had been frozen in her heart for many days had melted away.

"Why is Miss here?"

"If I hadn't come, you would have been moldy in this yard!" Xie Yun rolled her eyes at her, then popped a piece of osmanthus cake into her mouth and mumbled, "My brother is really something. He said he'd let you recover from your injuries, but he locked you up like a caged canary."

Afu didn't say anything, but simply picked up a piece of pastry and ate it in small bites.

The sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms filled her mouth, but she found herself unable to taste anything.

Seeing her listless appearance, Xie Yun leaned closer, lowered her voice, and said mysteriously, "Hey, I have something to tell you, you'll be happy after you hear it."

Afu looked up at her.

"That crazy woman from Qinghe is in trouble!"