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

Bai Zhi tried to persuade her a few more times, but seeing that she really couldn't drink anymore, she didn't force her. She simply put the bowl aside, took a clean handkerchief, soaked it in warm water, and carefully wiped her forehead and cheeks.

"Girl, sleep a little longer. You've worked up a sweat, and the heat will go down."

Afu nodded and lay down again.

The medication took effect, and she quickly drifted off to sleep again.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she sensed someone entering the house.

The person's footsteps were light, yet carried an undeniable chill that seemed to lower the temperature in the room.

Afu's eyelids were so heavy she couldn't lift them; she could only sense that the person had walked to the bedside and stood there for a long time.

That gaze, as if it were tangible, fell upon her face, making her feel uneasy even in her unconscious state.

"You don't need to worry about your semi-retired life anymore," a cold, emotionless voice said. "Focus on your illness."

It is Xie Xun.

Why did he come?

Afu's mind was in a mess, and she couldn't figure it out.

She only heard him pause, then add, "If there's a next time, it won't be as simple as just getting sick."

The warning in his words was crystal clear.

As the footsteps faded into the distance, the oppressive feeling in the room also disappeared.

Afu's tense nerves relaxed, and she completely fell into a dark sleep.

When I woke up again, it was almost dusk outside the window.

She felt sticky all over and was drenched in sweat. Her fever had indeed subsided, but her limbs were still sore and weak.

When Bai Zhi saw that she was awake, she quickly brought her a bowl of porridge.

The porridge was served in an exquisite white porcelain bowl, cooked until very soft, with the rice grains almost dissolved, and a few wisps of crystal-clear bird's nest floating on top, emitting a sweet aroma.

"This was specially made for you by the young master, who instructed the kitchen to prepare it for you." Bai Zhi handed the porridge to her, her tone tinged with envy. "This is the finest bird's nest; even ordinary masters might not be able to enjoy it every day."

Looking at the bowl of porridge, Afu couldn't describe the feeling in her heart.

He warned her with the coldest words while simultaneously nourishing her with the most expensive supplements.

He always plays the carrot and stick trick so skillfully.

She silently took the bowl and drank it in small sips.

The warm bird's nest porridge slid into her stomach, soothing her empty intestines and restoring some of her strength.

But for some reason, the blurry scene from her dream kept resurfacing in her mind.

The boy in the moon-white brocade robe, his gentle, smiling eyes, and his affectionate "Brother Xuheng."

Reality and dreams, one cold and one hot, intertwined, making her increasingly confused.

She shook her head, trying to drive away the unreal dream.

The dream was an illusion; the man's unpredictable temper was the reality she had to face.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Seianin's study was as cold as ice.

Changsong stood with his hands at his sides in front of the desk, reporting the results he had just found to the man in the main seat in detail.

"...Your Highness, we've investigated. Miss Afu did go to Yunxiu Manor yesterday, but not to look for any embroidery patterns."

Xie Xun raised his eyes, his dark pupils devoid of any emotion.

"She went to the manor to visit a little girl named 'Azhen'," Changsong said, lowering his voice even further. "That child is Miss Afu's younger sister. A few months ago, Miss Afu spent fifty taels of silver to send her to the manor to learn martial arts."

Changsong paused for a moment, observing Xie Xun's expression. Seeing that Xie Xun didn't react, he continued.

"I have also discovered that the two sisters, Afu and her sister, were originally living with their cousin in the suburbs of the capital. Their cousin's wife, Jiang, was a mean-spirited woman who had been beating and abusing them for years. Three months ago, in order to pay off her son's gambling debts, Jiang intended to sell Afu into a brothel... Afu had no choice but to sell herself and enter the Marquis's mansion."

The study was deathly silent.

After Changsong finished speaking, he dared not utter another sound.

He had been by Xie Xun's side for many years and rarely saw his master like this.

Xie Xun sat quietly, his face calm and composed, but the knuckles of his hand holding the teacup tightened inch by inch, until they turned bluish-white.

So that's how it is.

That seemingly gentle and weak girl actually carried such a shameful past.

To protect her younger sister, she was willing to sell herself.

This realization, like a tiny needle, unexpectedly pierced the deepest part of his heart.

It wasn't pain, but a strange, bittersweet emotion he had never experienced before.

It is pity.

But this fleeting feeling of pity was quickly overshadowed by another, stronger emotion.

It's anger.

She would rather bear everything alone than reveal a single detail to him.

Is she really that wary of him?

"There's more." Changsong hesitated for a moment, but still forced himself to continue, "I've also found out about the carriage that brought Miss Afu back yesterday in the rain."

"It is the Prime Minister's residence, and the carriage of Young Master Xuheng."

The two characters "Xu Heng" were like a knife tempered with ice, instantly slicing through the stagnant air in the study.

Xie Xun's gaze suddenly sharpened.

"According to the shopkeeper, Young Master Xuheng's carriage stayed at the alley where Miss Afu got off for almost the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before it left."

He and the refined and upright young master Xu Heng, who was always at odds with him, were always at odds and neither would give way.

Xie Xun didn't believe it was just a chance encounter.

Just then, a servant came to report from outside the door.

"Your Highness, the Prime Minister's residence has sent a visiting card."

Changsong accepted the visiting card and presented it.

Xie Xun unfolded the document, his gaze sweeping across it quickly.

The invitation was polite and thoughtful, saying that the Prime Minister's residence would soon be holding a chrysanthemum appreciation banquet, and that he had long heard of a remarkable woman in the Yongning Marquis's residence who was skilled in making desserts. He wished to take this opportunity to invite her to the residence to show off her skills to the guests and add some novelty to the banquet.

What a clever way to "add some new ideas".

This is no invitation to visit; it's clearly a declaration of war.

Xu Heng was telling him that he not only knew of Afu's existence, but he also wanted to openly invite her people to his territory.

A furious rage at the thought of others coveting his possessions, mixed with the humiliation of being provoked by political enemies, exploded in his chest.

Xie Xun expressionlessly tossed the visiting card into the charcoal brazier at his feet.

When a corner of a piece of precious Xuan paper touches a burning silver charcoal, it instantly curls up, turns black, and then ignites a small flame that quickly engulfs the delicate characters.

"Investigate." Xie Xun's voice was icy cold. "Find out exactly what her relationship with Xu Heng is."

"I need to know every single detail."