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

"Ignorant and gullible, blindly following others, and utterly devoid of kindness! It seems the punishment last time wasn't severe enough."

Lu Jihan gave the order: "Kneel for seven hours a day, and you may only stand up after you have finished! Sleep for three hours a day, and you should also take good care of your body and mind! You may come out again when you have changed your temperament!"

After saying that, Lu Jihan stood up angrily, his gaze falling on Shen Qinghe kneeling on the ground. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her away in a long stride.

Wu Xiaoniang was so frightened that she fell to the ground and looked pleadingly at Qin Shi beside her: "Madam..."

"You have been far too reckless. You should have investigated thoroughly before proceeding. Now that my husband has spoken, there is nothing I can do to help you."

Looking at Wu Xiaoniang in front of her, Qin Shi said with exasperation, "She's just a newly promoted concubine. No matter what, you're far superior to her. Why be so reckless?"

At this moment, Hongxing hurriedly said, "Madam, that's not necessarily true. I heard a couple of days ago that Shen Qinghe had a poor appetite and kept gagging after eating. I'm afraid it might be..."

Qin remained silent.

Upon hearing this, Wu Xiaoniang's eyes widened immediately: "She's actually pregnant?!"

"You're in such a hurry! She and her husband don't even know yet, why are you rushing things?" Madam Qin said, a smile in her eyes.

"I understand, I will go back and copy the Buddhist scriptures right away." As if she had suddenly figured something out, Wu stood up and clenched the handkerchief in her hand.

She would never let Shen Qinghe give birth to the young marquis's child so easily!

-

Shen Qinghe was led out of Fuhua Hall without saying a word until they returned to their courtyard.

When Lu Jihan arrived, Qing'er was stunned for a moment, watching as the young marquis pulled her older sister into the room.

Green Sleeves, who was standing nearby, stepped forward with a smile and inquired, "Sister Qing'er, this servant has never seen the young marquis have any physical intimacy with a woman before. Our young lady is truly the first to do so!"

Qing'er was extremely wary of her, and said coldly, "Shut up! You've disturbed the young master and my mother, and you'd be guilty of something worse than death."

After she finished speaking, she noticed that Lin Feng, the guard, was standing guard at the courtyard gate.

in the room.

Lu Jihan sat down on the couch with an air of grandeur.

Shen Qinghe poured a cup of tea and handed it to him: "Master, please have some tea first!"

Lu Jihan glanced at her, took the teacup, and only realized it was cold when his fingertips touched it. "What are you up to now??"

"How could I dare to do anything tricky? It's just that the servants have been busy working these past few days, and I was worried they would get too hot, so I used the cold brew method to make the fruit tea."

Shen Qinghe honestly replied, "Shall I give it a try?"

Lu Jihan took a sip with some skepticism. The slightly sweet and sour herbal tea, with its subtle fruity aroma, calmed his temper considerably as soon as he swallowed it.

Lu Jihan shoved the teacup into her hand.

Shen Qinghe realized what was happening and quickly poured him a second cup.

After drinking several cups, Lu Jihan's expression finally returned to normal. He looked at her with a frown and said, "You can't even explain what happened just now?"

"Would an explanation be of any use?" Shen Qinghe looked at him calmly. "If it weren't for you last night, would you believe me? If you weren't here today, even if I had three mouths and could argue with everyone, she would still have plenty of ways to make me commit this crime in this deep mansion."

Lu Jihan grew up in the backyard, where his grandmother managed three or four concubines and two secondary wives.

The intrigue and backstabbing within it are numerous and complex.

He had seen it before, so he naturally understood what Shen Qinghe meant.

Shen Qinghe stepped forward, reached out and grasped his large hand, looking at him: "Master, you saw it too. I was just going to deliver some food to you, and before I even found out who it was, I rushed here to frame you. I'm already used to this kind of thing, which shows that in the backyard, explanations aren't the most effective."

Lu Jihan's Adam's apple bobbed, and the warm, soft little hand on the back of his hand calmed him down a bit.

The little girl's voice was as soft as cotton, yet as gentle as the waters of Jiangnan, possessing a captivating power.

"As long as you believe me, no matter how they frame me, I will fight to the end and clear my name. If you didn't believe me from the beginning, then even if I had a hundred mouths, I wouldn't be able to convince you."

After she finished speaking, her wrist was suddenly tightened, and she was pulled to sit on his lap. Shen Qinghe was somewhat flustered, and she placed her hands on his chest:

"My lord, this is the kind of life I lead here. If I make even the slightest mistake, I could be expelled from the manor or even face annihilation."

Her eyebrows curved, and her clear eyes were filled with glistening tears, looking extremely aggrieved.

Lu Jihan hugged her waist tightly, his gaze falling on her small face. "I understand. From now on, I will never doubt you easily, no matter what."

As he spoke, he pinched Shen Qinghe's cheek: "Remember this, I don't support subservient people. I won't be in the manor all the time, so I can't protect you all the time. If you are bullied in the manor in the future, just fight back. Whether you are right or wrong, I will stand up for you."

"I understand." Shen Qinghe agreed obediently, unexpectedly receiving a "get-out-of-jail-free card" from Lu Jihan, and the effect was surprisingly good!

She reached out, her fingertips lightly touching his collar, her gaze lingering on him: "Master, tonight..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jihan's expression hardened, and his fingertips slipped inside his collar, touching his skin, causing him to shudder.

He lowered his eyes—

Her eyes were alluring, her expression soft and obedient, like a simple and harmless rabbit, yet what she was doing was something that aroused his desire.

It's only been a few days since I last touched this girl, and she's become more and more like a bewitching enchantress?

This is really bad.

At that moment, Lu Jihan let go of her hand, stood up abruptly, and let Shen Qinghe fall back onto the couch.

Lu Jihan calmed the surging desire in his chest and said mercilessly, "I said, no currying favor!"

After saying that, he strode away without the slightest hesitation.

Even with her good temper, Shen Qinghe was furious. She cursed inwardly: "If you're so hot-tempered, then don't ever touch a hair on my head again!"

Lu Jihan strode out of the room. Just as he reached the courtyard entrance, he heard Lin Feng and Qing'er talking outside the door:

"Thank you for the belt you gave me last time, Miss Qing'er. I've been very busy, so I haven't had a chance to thank you properly."

Lin Feng nervously rolled up the tassel on his longsword, then quickly added, "By the way, that belt is very well made! The plum blossoms and bamboo embroidery is so beautiful! I've never worn such a beautiful belt before!"

Qing'er blushed at his words: "You...you flatter me. The pattern on the belt was drawn by my sister; I'm clumsy and can only draw chicken feet. But after my sister drew it, I embroidered it myself. If you don't mind..."

As Qing'er and Lin Feng were talking, a tall figure suddenly appeared in the courtyard.

Lu Jihan stared at the two of them with a sharp, piercing gaze: "What did you just say? That belt of yours was a gift from Qing'er??"

Lin Feng and Qing'er were startled. Lin Feng, unaware of what was going on, replied, "Yes, sir. It was the day Qinghe gave you the belt, and Qing'er..."

At this point, Lin Feng scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "Miss Qing'er also gave me one. Didn't you confiscate it from me?"

Qing'er explained, "This servant! This servant just wanted to thank Guard Linfeng, but didn't know what to do. Sister said she could draw a pattern for me, so this servant followed Sister to make the belt."

Lu Jihan's brows furrowed into a small mountain.

That belt was made by Qing'er, not by her.

So she never actually intended to lie to him?

She didn't use sweet talk or flattery; she genuinely and sincerely made the belt only for him!

He just pushed her away...