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

We walked back to the small courtyard.

Lu Jihan remained silent, his expression icy, his jawline taut, which made Shen Qinghe hesitant to speak on the street.

Until I got back to my room.

Shen Qinghe looked at him with a smile: "What's wrong, Lord Marquis?"

Lu Jihan frowned deeply: "You can still laugh? Did I slap you across the face if I hadn't shown up today?"

"Isn't that... because Master is here?" Shen Qinghe blinked and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Master said he would protect me, so I believe him."

Lu Jihan was exasperated by her words. "What kind of parents do you have? How could they say such heartless things?"

"I'm used to it." Shen Qinghe sat on his lap, her fingertips lightly adjusting his collar, her tone light and airy, as if she were asking what they would eat today.

"Master, some people in this world are just born to be biased. Just like how you favor me, my parents have always favored my younger siblings since I was little."

As she spoke, Shen Qinghe paused, then looked up at him and said, "But if they hadn't been so biased, I wouldn't have had the chance to sit in your lap now."

She was clearly smiling, but when Lu Jihan looked at her like that, his heart felt like it was being choked by a huge rock.

The more he looked at her smile, the more bitter he felt.

"Alright, let's not talk about those unhappy things. Why did you come back to the manor at noon today, Master?" Shen Qinghe looked at him, not intending to say more.

She knew this was an opportunity to win Lu Jihan's favor, taking advantage of his lingering affection for her.

But Shen Qinghe knew how to strike the right balance, occasionally taking the initiative to say a few words, giving him plenty of room to imagine.

If she were to tell him everything on her own initiative, it would only annoy him more.

Unless he asks him directly.

Shen Qinghe smiled, her eyes crinkling, and approached him, deliberately being shameless, saying, "Master, did you miss me?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Lu Jihan's large hand pinched her cheek. He stared at the smile on her face and said, "If you don't want to smile, then don't."

Seeing her slightly stunned expression, Lu Jihan deliberately said, "Hasn't I told you before that your fake smile is really ugly?"

Shen Qinghe's eyes widened, then reddened. Meeting his gaze, she stammered, "I'm not ugly!"

Lu Jihan relaxed a little, his fingertips lightly pinching her cheek, but actually slowly caressing it: "Isn't it ugly?"

"I'm really not ugly! I was ugly before I was eight!" Shen Qinghe, exhausted, leaned against his chest and slowly said:

"I was sold into the Marquis's mansion when I was eight years old. Before that, I had never had a full meal. My family was the poorest peasant family. My parents had two daughters and one son, a total of six people. They only had a small plot of land, and even the food was scarce for them."

Shen Qinghe leaned her head against his chest and whispered, "Mother said that I am the older sister, and I should give way to my younger siblings. This is what an older sister should do. Since I was little, I drank cold water and ate tree bark, and I could save two cakes a day for my younger siblings."

At this point, Shen Qinghe turned to look at him with a smile, her eyes reddening, and asked, "See, aren't I amazing?"

Her clear eyes held a smile, but even more so, nervousness and anticipation; she gazed at him with tears in her eyes.

Lu Jihan's heart clenched at the sight of her. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice became hoarse: "My Ahe is incredibly amazing."

"Right? I think so too." Shen Qinghe said, turning her head as if to tell a story that had nothing to do with her:

"Once, Dad went up the mountain and brought back a pheasant. The whole family was very happy. Mom stewed a pot of chicken, and the chicken smelled so good. Mom gave two chicken legs to my younger brother and sister, saying that eating them would make them feel grounded. She also gave the wings to my younger brother and sister, saying that eating them would make them able to spread their wings and fly high."

I still don't understand how a person can be both grounded and soaring high at the same time. Later, when my younger brother hit me, my mother told me to give in. I didn't want to, so I asked her, "If my brother had been born first, would he have given in to me?"

At this point, Shen Qinghe's eyes reddened, tears welling up in them: "Guess what my mother said?"

Her eyes were as red as a rabbit's, and her tears were like a deadly poison that could corrode his unyielding spirit. He could only look at her before he was speechless.

Lu Jihan shook his head.

"Finally, there's a time when I don't know!" Shen Qinghe chuckled. "My mother said that if my younger brother and sister were born first, she wouldn't have me."

She spoke in a calm yet smiling tone, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Light, fleeting words are like a dull knife slicing through flesh; the first cut doesn't remove the flesh, but the pain lingers.

Lu Jihan hugged the person in his arms tightly, pressing the back of her head against his chest with his large hand, his chin resting on the top of her head: "Ahe, stop talking."

Shen Qinghe stopped talking at the right moment. The tears in her eyes were real, and she was even more so deliberately saying it to Lu Jihan.

This is a great opportunity to win his favor. He's already taken the initiative to ask, so she definitely can't let it slip by easily.

Taking the opportunity, Shen Qinghe asked, "Did you just praise me, Master?"

Seeing her lively and carefree manner, Lu Jihan was momentarily caught off guard. "Yes, you complimented me."

"You can't just praise me for nothing, can you?" Shen Qinghe blinked her big eyes and pitifully stretched out her hand towards him. "Don't you plan to give me any tangible reward?"

Amused by her shamelessness, Lu Jihan loved seeing her cunning, fox-like demeanor. He patted her palm lightly and said, "Alright, tell me, what do you want?"

"I want..." Shen Qinghe deliberately dragged out the last syllable, whispering in his ear, "I want my master to kiss me..."

The moment the next word was uttered, Lu Jihan blushed all the way down his neck to his cheeks, and he was about to reprimand her in a cold voice.

At first glance, you could see her breath was fragrant, her beautiful face was flushed, her eyes were charming and alluring, and there were still tears on her cheeks. She looked like a ripe peach, making you want to taste her.

Lu Jihan froze, his desire churning at her mere glance and words, and he frowned deeply.

How come her seductive skills in currying favor are getting more and more impressive?!

How can one engage in lewd behavior in broad daylight?!

Who knew?

Shen Qinghe sniffed and looked up at him with admiration: "My lord, I'm just trying to win your favor. I only want you to remember me a little more. I don't ask for your exclusive favor, I only ask that I have a small place in your heart, even if it's just..."

As Shen Qinghe spoke, she pinched her index finger and thumb together, leaving only a tiny gap: "Even this little bit is enough for me."

"Why... do you want me to remember you?" Lu Jihan looked at her and felt that the girl in front of him was both tenacious and gentle.

When she blinks and makes hand gestures, there's a hint of cunning in her eyes, which is cute and makes her even more endearing.

Shen Qinghe drew a circle on his heart with her fingertip: "Because you are the best person to me besides the Old Madam!"