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

After an incense stick has burned.

Shen Yun'er lay on the man's chest, taking advantage of his heightened state, and squeezed out two tears: "Young master... I'm afraid Yun'er will not be able to serve you tonight."

Lu Huai'an frowned, his annoyance at being interrupted evident: "What's wrong? Did I hurt Yun'er?"

"Master makes Yun'er... very comfortable. However, Yun'er now has to perform the morning and evening greetings every day, and at night she has to go to the ancestral hall to copy Buddhist scriptures for Madam, to show her filial piety to the ancestors."

Shen Yun'er traced circles with her fingertips, observing Lu Huai'an's expression, and tentatively asked:

"It will take two whole hours to copy. Yun'er herself is fine, but she is afraid that she will not be able to serve the Second Young Master."

Shen Yun'er looked at him with tears in her eyes, her tone aggrieved. It was clear that the legal wife, Li, was jealous of her, which was why she was trying to torment her.

She pretended to be sensible, using a retreat as a tactic to get Lu Huai'an to stand up for her.

As expected, with a beauty in his arms and having been wronged, Lu Huai'an couldn't stand it any longer. He waved his hand and said, "You're my man, who dares to give you attitude? Tell me, and I'll stand up for you!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yun'er immediately sat up: "Today I went to pay my respects to Madam, and she said that since we've entered Ronggui Hall, we must follow its rules. Not only do we have to copy Buddhist scriptures, but we also have to use blood as ink. Look, young master, just this noon, my fingers have been pricked like sieves!"

As she spoke, Shen Yun'er stretched out her hand and looked at him expectantly.

However, upon hearing that it was his legal wife, Madam Li, Lu Huai'an immediately lost his anger, gently stroking her smooth back, and changed the subject:

"Since it is Madam's wish, then so be it! Copying Buddhist scriptures can also cultivate one's character, and going to the ancestral hall is a way to show filial piety to one's ancestors. Madam is allowing you, a mere maidservant, to enter the ancestral hall, which shows that she is not trying to make things difficult for you."

Shen Yun'er was pulled into Lu Huai'an's arms. She never expected that Lu Huai'an would not protect her as soon as he heard that she was Li Shi. She was so angry that she was about to explode.

Shen Yun'er forced out a sob, "But young master, my hands really hurt so much. How can I properly serve you like this?"

"Hmm... alright, I'll talk to Madam Li about it tomorrow."

Lu Huai'an closed his eyes and his voice grew softer and softer as he tried to soothe her.

Shen Yun'er was about to take the opportunity to pour out her grievances when she noticed that the breathing above her was too steady. When she looked up, she found that Lu Huai'an had fallen asleep at some point.

Shen Yun'er frowned unhappily, but dared not shake Lu Huai'an awake. Lu Huai'an didn't like her enough or love her enough right now.

She secretly resolved that once she had won over Lu Huai'an and become the Prime Minister's wife, she would make Li Shi pay, and Shen Qinghe pay even more!

Those who bullied her will not get away with it.

Meanwhile, in the bamboo garden courtyard.

The doctor from the prefectural hospital came and said it was because he was too hot and tired, which is common in summer. He wrote a prescription, filled the medicine, and left.

Although Shen Qinghe was faking fainting, she was genuinely tired and in pain, and slept on the bed for an hour or so before waking up.

There was a knock on the door, and Qing'er peeked in:

"Sister Qinghe!"

Upon seeing her, Shen Qinghe smiled and waved, "Qing'er, come in quickly!"

"Sister, I've brewed your medicine for you. Drink it while it's hot!" Qing'er brought in a bowl of dark medicine, placed it on the table, and mysteriously took something out of her pocket with a smile:

"And this one, ta-da—"

A piece of maltose was presented to Shen Qinghe in the palm of her hand by Qing'er as if it were a treasure.

A warm feeling washed over Shen Qinghe. The scene of Qing'er dying in a fire to save her in her past life was vivid in her mind. She hugged Qing'er tightly.

"Thank you, thank you so much..."

"What's wrong, sister? I remember you love sweets!" Qing'er, unaware of the situation, saw the tears welling up in Shen Qinghe's eyes and hurriedly wiped them away for her. "Why are you crying? Don't cry, don't cry, tears are pearls..."

"It's nothing, I just have something I wanted to ask you."

Shen Qinghe wiped away her tears. "The work in the kitchen is heavy. I'm currently a maidservant, and according to the rules, I need another maid. Would you be willing to come and work with me?"

Qing'er's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes!! Sister, you're the only person I know well in this mansion, of course I'm willing to serve you!"

"Alright, you go back and wait. I'll ask the young marquis for a favor when I see him tomorrow."

As Shen Qinghe spoke, her heart was filled with unwavering determination. This time, she was determined to protect Qing'er!

Qing'er worked in the kitchen and couldn't stay too long. After the two agreed, Qing'er left.

Shen Qinghe lay on the table, staring blankly at the dark medicine and the candy in front of her. The sour and bitter smell of the medicine made her want to vomit.

She really didn't want to drink it!

Drink? Or not?

Shen Qinghe was torn between her thoughts and her own mind. Thinking that the young marquis probably wouldn't come tonight, she wasn't in a hurry.

It just happened very quickly—

"Knock knock knock".

A knock sounded at the door, and Shen Qinghe turned around in fright. The door was pushed open, and a tall man strode in.

Startled, Shen Qinghe jumped up from her stool, gripping the edge of the table behind her back. "Young Master, what brings you here?"

She was flattered and overwhelmed.

Lu Jihan walked towards her with a dark face and a menacing look on his face.

Lu Jihan was very agitated. He had gone to Qin's place for a meal, and the lunch was quite harmonious. In the afternoon, he read a book while she painted, and they did not disturb each other.

At dinner time, Qin Shi, having learned this rhetoric from somewhere, would constantly talk about having children and continuing the family line, speaking in a tone just like a forty or fifty-year-old nanny.

Lu Jihan's patience ran out, and he lost his appetite. He left without hesitation, but halfway there, he felt hungry. For some reason, the delicious and smooth shrimp wontons and chilled pomegranate juice from that morning popped into his mind.

Only then did they arrive at Shen Qinghe's courtyard.

Lu Jihan cut to the chase: "I haven't eaten."

He's hungry, that's easy to say. Shen Qinghe looked at his face and her intuition told her that she couldn't afford to offend him and had to be careful in serving him.

She decisively stepped back several steps, making way for him, and went around to the other side of the table.

Lu Jihan frowned. It seemed she was deliberately creating distance between them.

Shen Qinghe poured him a cup of tea: "Please have a cup of tea, young marquis. I'll go to the kitchen to prepare some food right away."

"What are you holding in your hand?"

Lu Jihan took the tea and sat down directly next to her, which startled Shen Qinghe so much that she retreated a great distance, clenching her fists as if she were avoiding him.

His brows furrowed even more.

"Ah, this is maltose, a worthless thing."

Shen Qinghe opened her hands so he could see clearly.

Lu Jihan glanced at it, took it directly, and stuffed it into his mouth: "You don't mind, do you?"

Shen Qinghe: ...I'm really starving.

"This servant will go here. I heard that the kitchen has just received some new perch. I wonder how the young marquis would like to eat them?"

As Shen Qinghe walked towards the door, she asked, "Braised or steamed? If it's steamed, is the ham stuffed inside the fish's belly or on its back...?"

Her wrist was suddenly tightened, and she was pulled and pressed behind the door, leaving the rest of her words stuck in her throat.

Shen Qinghe looked at the man in front of her and blinked, "Young Marquis?"

Lu Jihan's brows furrowed into a small mountain. "Is my swordplay more intimidating than yours?"

Shen Qinghe immediately understood what he was talking about, and pretended to be puzzled, saying, "Young Marquis, this servant doesn't quite understand what you mean. But Young Marquis, you are wise and mighty, like a god descended to earth, not frightening at all."

Lu Jihan stared at her, his eyes deep and dark: "You can spout such flattering words so easily, then why are you avoiding me?"

Shen Qinghe blinked her big eyes, completely oblivious to his expression, looking utterly innocent:

"Didn't the young lord say that I'm not allowed to approach without permission?"