The Marquis's line has ended? The pregnant maid is pregnant again!

After dinner, Shen Qinghe was constantly gagging, which made Chen Xiaoniang and Qin Shi think differently.

Upon seeing this, Qin asked with concern, "Sister, Qinghe, how long have you had these symptoms?"

Shen Qinghe was too weak from vomiting to answer, so she could only reply softly, "Madam, I just didn't have a good appetite. It was not disrespectful to you. I hope you can understand."

"Sister, what are you saying? Since you don't have a good appetite, you should go back and rest early!" Madam Qin waved her hand, allowing Shen Qinghe to go back and rest.

Shen Qinghe didn't linger. Her stomach was churning and she was feeling very uncomfortable, so she bowed and went back.

As soon as she left, Chen Xiaoniang couldn't stay still. Her mind was filled with that one thought—Shen Qinghe was pregnant!

Qin Shi was also clenching her fists. She had already planned to make Shen Qinghe work for her, but just when she fell out of favor, Shen Qinghe became pregnant.

Wanting to use Shen Qinghe is one thing—taking away the mother and keeping the child is another—but her jealousy of Shen Qinghe is yet another.

Her husband had never even touched her, yet Shen Qinghe was already pregnant. How was she, as the legal wife, supposed to cope?

"Madam, did you see that just now? Shen Qinghe has started having morning sickness!" Chen Xiaoniang was furious and flustered.

"I saw it!" Qin scolded sharply, then looked up and saw Chen Xiaoniang's somewhat dazed expression. Realizing that she had revealed her emotions, she let Hongxing rub her temples.

"Your husband always stays in her room and doesn't touch anyone else. If she's not pregnant, are you?"

Chen Xiaoniang was so angry she was speechless: "This servant..."

"You've been in this household for a year or two now, that's not a short time. When will you finally be able to settle down?"

As she spoke, Madam Qin said earnestly, "Besides, her rank is lower than yours, so even if she's pregnant, she'll still be inferior to you. Moreover, she's already lost favor with her husband, and the news of her pregnancy hasn't even spread yet. Instead of being jealous of her, you should think of ways to win back your husband's heart."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaoniang immediately came to her senses and exclaimed, "That's right!"

Regardless of the circumstances, that lowly maid Shen Qinghe has already lost favor with the young marquis.

Instead, we should take this opportunity to teach that wretched maid a lesson and let her know what's what.

Madam Qin glanced at Chen Xiaoniang and said calmly, "In this grand mansion, it's not a skill to get pregnant, but to give birth. What are you afraid of? She's just a disgraced concubine."

Chen Xiaoniang's mind raced, and she became even more determined. "I understand. Madam, please rest well. I'll take my leave now."

"Go on." Madam Qin glanced at her retreating figure.

Hongxing hesitated: "Madam, Chen Xiaoniang wouldn't..."

Madam Qin fiddled with the jade prayer beads in her hand and said unhurriedly, "Let's see if she's stupid enough."

-

As soon as Shen Qinghe returned, she had finally recovered a little when there was a knock on the courtyard gate.

When Qing'er looked, she discovered that it was Chen Xiaoniang who had suddenly come to visit.

Chen Xiaoniang, still dressed in her Suzhou embroidered long dress, looked stunning as she swayed into the room, accompanied by Green Ivy.

Shen Qinghe rose and bowed, maintaining a semblance of harmony: "May I ask what brings you here so late, sister?"

Chen Xiaoniang said gently, "Sister feels deeply sorry for being too reckless just now. I didn't know that I was unwell, which caused me to suffer. I forced you to eat so much food. Now that I think about it, I feel really guilty, so I came to visit you."

It was like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken. Shen Qinghe looked at her, not believing a word she said, but still smiling: "Sister, what are you saying? It's just a kind gesture from you."

"My younger sister is truly wise and understanding; it is I who have wronged her." Chen Xiaoniang spoke to her while her eyes kept darting around:

"Oh, I heard that my younger sister is embroidering a Buddha image for the Thousand Buddha Festival to help the old lady. Is this the one in front of us?"

Shen Qinghe's heart skipped a beat, and her guard rose even higher: "Yes, didn't I hear that you were also going to embroider a Buddha image, sister?"

"Oh dear, elder sister, that was just a small token of my appreciation. How could she compare to me in needlework?"

Taking the opportunity, Chen Xiaoniang reached out and stroked the embroidered image, her eyes practically gleaming with greed: "Look at this Buddha image, Qinghe! It's so lifelike! I'm truly impressed. If it were displayed at the Thousand Buddha Festival, it would surely make our Marquis's mansion stand out among the high-ranking families."

As she spoke, she grabbed the scissors, ready to slice the Buddha statue!

Shen Qinghe's gaze turned cold, and without hesitation, she pushed Chen Xiaoniang aside: "Chen Xiaoniang, you have bullied me many times and even tried to destroy my Buddha statue. Do you really think I'm afraid of you?"

Qing'er quickly grabbed the Buddha statue and protected it tightly, her eyes fixed on Chen Xiaoniang in front of her with disgust!

"Ah! Shen Qinghe, you wretched servant! How dare you treat me like this, so disrespectful to your superiors!"

Chen Xiaoniang let out a scream and slammed her body against the table next to her.

The maidservant hurriedly helped her up, but Chen Xiaoniang's eyes reddened with anger, and she raised her hand to strike her: "Shen Qinghe!"

Shen Qinghe quickly dodged and was about to grab Chen Xiaoniang's hand to slap her back when she suddenly heard footsteps coming from the courtyard.

She immediately shielded Qing'er behind her, shrinking fearfully into a corner: "Sister Chen, Qinghe knows she was wrong. Qinghe knows it's all because Sister Chen was punished by the master because of me at Fuhua Hall, so she's upset. I can apologize to Sister Chen, I didn't mean it."

Chen Xiaoniang was furious; her face...

Her face was what she valued most. If she were disfigured, how could she possibly win the young marquis's favor?

"What I want is not an apology from you, you lowly servant!" Chen Xiaoniang's chest heaved with rage. "Destroy her Buddha statue!"

Upon hearing this, the maidservant beside him immediately rushed forward.

Shen Qinghe carefully protected Qing'er and the Buddha statue behind her, her face pale and her eyes red-rimmed.

"Sister! I have no intention of opposing you. I only beg you to spare this Buddha statue for the sake of our shared service to the young master! How can I explain to the old lady if I cannot return the statue in three days?"

"How you explain yourself is none of my business!" Chen Xiaoniang laughed arrogantly, her disdain undisguised. "Serving the young marquis together? How dare you say such a thing? What is your status, and what is mine? A mere maidservant, a lowly servant, relying on her seductive tricks to lure the marquis, dares to call me her sister?!"

At this point, Chen Xiaoniang laughed with satisfaction, "Too bad, the master doesn't like you anymore! You've fallen out of favor, you lowly servant! Did you really think the master would protect you... Ah!!"

Chen Xiaoniang was speaking when she suddenly let out a shrill scream. She was kicked and fell hard to the ground, crying out in pain.

Lu Jihan walked in with his hands behind his back and a look as fierce as a demon. He glanced at Shen Qinghe, who was huddled in the corner, with a furrowed brow.

His brows were furrowed as deeply as they could possibly be.

Chen Xiaoniang suddenly realized that Lu Jihan had arrived without her noticing, and quickly knelt down: "Master...Master, when did you arrive?"

He stared at Chen Xiaoniang on the ground, his gaze icy cold, his voice sharp:

"You keep calling her a lowly servant, and that's why you've repeatedly humiliated Shen Qinghe. Since that's the case, then I'll make her my concubine! She'll be your equal from now on!"