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

Afu stayed in her small courtyard for three days.

Bai Zhi took meticulous care of her, delivering her medicine and meals on time, and chatting with her about interesting things in the capital to relieve her boredom in her spare time.

Afu was too weak to do much due to her illness, and mostly just listened.

Unbeknownst to her, Bai Zhi would always intentionally or unintentionally steer the conversation toward her experiences before entering the manor, or her plans for the future.

"With such excellent skills, if you were to leave the manor and open your own shop in the future, your business would surely be excellent," Bai Zhi said casually while massaging her legs.

A-F just smiled faintly and didn't reply.

The night was deep and quiet, and all was still.

A black figure, like a ghost, silently pushed open Afu's door.

Xie Xun walked straight to the bedside without disturbing anyone.

By the light of the cool moonlight filtering through the window, he looked at the small, curled-up figure on the bed.

Her sleeping face was serene, with long eyelashes drooping and her breathing even and deep. She had shed the guardedness and aloofness of the daytime, revealing a softness that was unguarded.

As if possessed, he reached out and gently touched her forehead.

The fever has completely subsided, and my skin is smooth and delicate, with a slight coolness.

This action carried a tenderness that he himself was unaware of.

Perhaps his touch startled her, for Afu stirred restlessly in her half-awake state, her brows furrowing slightly, as if she were being haunted by some nightmare.

She mumbled two words in a daze.

"elder brother……"

The voice was soft and sweet, carrying a hint of dependence.

Xie Xun froze.

He thought she was calling him.

Although he was older than her, this form of address strangely calmed the nameless anger in his heart.

However, the next moment.

Afu seemed to have seen something happy in her dream; her furrowed brows relaxed, and the corners of her mouth even curved slightly upwards.

She uttered another sentence in her sleep, clearer than the previous one.

"Xuheng...brother..."

The color drained from Xie Xun's face instantly.

The temperature in the entire room seemed to have suddenly dropped to freezing point.

He abruptly withdrew his hand, as if he had touched a branding iron, his eyes so dark they seemed to drip ink.

Chapter 88 The Out-of-Control Piece

With careful recuperation, Afu's illness has mostly improved.

My physical health is gradually improving, but my anxiety is growing stronger every day.

Ning Su Niangzi's words were like an invisible thorn, deeply embedded in her heart. Jiang Caifeng, that woman, was like a mad dog that smelled blood; as long as A-Zhen's household registration was still in her hands, she might pounce and bite at any moment.

We must get to Liutang Village as soon as possible.

She had to go see the man who sold fake documents and get Ah Zhen's household registration no matter what it took.

That day, she felt much better and wanted to find an excuse to leave the mansion.

"Bai Zhi, the orchid in my yard is wilting a bit. Maybe the soil is bad. I'm thinking of going to the flower market on West Street to buy some new potting soil," she said to Bai Zhi, who was tidying up the house, while straightening her clothes.

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhi stopped what she was doing, walked up to her, and still wore that gentle and respectful smile.

"Miss, this is such a small matter, there's no need for you to make the trip yourself. Just tell me what you want to buy, and I'll have the servants in the courtyard take care of it."

"No need, I'll go take a look myself, and get some fresh air too," Afu insisted.

"Miss," Bai Zhi's smile faded slightly, but her tone remained gentle, "The young master has instructed that since you are not fully recovered, you should rest quietly in the courtyard for the next few days and are not allowed to step out of the courtyard gate."

Afu's heart sank suddenly.

She looked at Bai Zhi's delicate face, and in those seemingly docile eyes, there was no room for negotiation.

She got it.

This isn't concern; this is house arrest.

Xie Xun locked her up.

Afu didn't say anything more, but silently sat back down on the tatami by the window, picked up a book, and flipped through it idly.

Seeing that she had behaved herself, Bai Zhi curtsied and quietly withdrew.

Afu looked at the book in her hands, but couldn't concentrate on reading a single word.

She was like a flying insect trapped in a spider web; no matter how she planned or struggled, she could not escape the invisible net laid by Xie Xun.

She was feeling upset when a commotion suddenly broke out at the courtyard gate.

"Get out of my way! I'm here to see my niece! You bunch of lackeys, how dare you stop me?"

A sharp yet familiar female voice pierced Afu's eardrums, causing them to ache.

It is Jiang Caifeng.

She actually found her way to the Marquis's residence!

Afu's expression changed, and she immediately got up and walked to the door, peeking out through the crack in the door.

Jiang Caifeng, dressed in clothes that were neither new nor old, was standing with her hands on her hips, throwing a tantrum at the gate of the courtyard. Several old women guarding the gate stopped her, their faces full of embarrassment and disdain.

"We don't have any niece like you're talking about! Get out of here right now, or we'll report you to the authorities and have you arrested!"

"Pah! That little hussy Afu is my niece! She sold herself into your Marquis's mansion, and I am her cousin-in-law, her elder! It is only natural for me to come and see her!" Jiang Caifeng shouted relentlessly.

When Granny Hua heard the news, she rushed over and frowned immediately upon seeing the scene.

"Where did this shrew come from, shouting and yelling in the mansion? What kind of behavior is this!" Granny Hua snapped coldly. "Throw her out!"

"Granny, please let me in. I'll talk to her myself." Seeing this, Afu knew that hiding any longer was not a solution, so she took the initiative to speak.

Granny Hua turned around and glanced at her, then nodded.

Afu pushed open the door and went out.

As soon as Jiang Caifeng saw her, her eyes lit up, and her mean face immediately broke into a smile. She rushed over in three steps.

"Oh, my dear Afu, I'm so glad to see you! Your aunt has missed you so much!"

Afu calmly took a step back, avoiding the outstretched hand, and coldly asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you were sick, so I came to see you!" Jiang Caifeng said with concern, her eyes subtly lingering on the elegant everyday clothes she was wearing. "Look at you, you've lost weight. Working at the Marquis's mansion must be tough, right?"

"Just say what you have to say." Afu didn't want to waste time talking to her.

Seeing that she didn't appreciate it, Jiang Caifeng's smile faded a bit. She rubbed her hands together and got straight to the point: "Afu, look, you're quite a respectable person in the Marquis's mansion now. Your aunt's family is a little short on money lately. Your younger brother needs money for school, and your uncle isn't well..."

"How much do you want?" Afu interrupted her.

Jiang Caifeng's eyes lit up, and she held up five fingers: "Fifty taels! No, one hundred taels!"

Looking at her greedy face, Afu felt nauseous.

"I don't."

"How could you not have any!" Jiang Caifeng's voice immediately rose as she pointed at her, "Don't think I don't know! You're now the young master's favorite! It's all over the place, everyone's saying you're a vixen who's got the young master completely bewitched! Even a little bit of what you let slip through your fingers would be enough for our whole family to live on for a year!"

Those foul words, like knives, stabbed into Afu's heart.

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll have someone throw you out!" Afu's voice turned cold.