After seeing the Fourth Master off, Li Chenjiao sat on the small couch for a while, propping her chin up with her hand. She was curious about the scene in Dongfeng Courtyard after the Fourth Master left.

The two maids, watching their princess sitting alone on the small couch from the outside room, couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

Qiu Ci was still somewhat indignant: "Why send someone to say they're not feeling well, just when our Princess and Fourth Master have finished their dinner and are about to rest? Isn't this deliberately trying to steal their thunder?"

Qiu Hu couldn't help but sigh, but she was more concerned about her own princess: "In this backyard, a woman naturally needs to have an heir to stand on her own two feet."

This afternoon, Qiu Ci was initially delighted to see the Fourth Prince and her own princess getting along, but now she had to agree with Qiu Hu's words.

"No amount of pampering—" She stopped mid-sentence, realizing that her words were too hurtful to her princess, and even though she knew her princess couldn't hear her, she couldn't bear to finish her sentence.

"Tomorrow I'll go to the manor and visit a famous temple nearby to pray for the princess," Qiu Ci said, racking her brains for an idea.

Once they arrived at the estate, it wasn't as difficult for these young maids to leave as it was in the manor.

Qiu Hu quickly stopped her, saying, "No, don't. If people find out, it will give them something to talk about. What if they use it as a pretext to harm the princess?"

Qiu Ci then gave up the idea.

The two maids silently accompanied their princess until she called out to extinguish the candles in the room, then they quietly slipped inside.

During this time, Li Chenjiao felt that the two girls were looking at her strangely. She couldn't figure out what they were thinking, so she smiled at them.

To the two girls, the smile looked forced no matter how they looked at it, and their heartache deepened.

Li Chenjiao: It wasn't me, I didn't do it, don't think such things!

The rain started falling again at night, but fortunately it wasn't a downpour; it was just a light drizzle that didn't bother her and actually helped Li Chenjiao fall asleep.

At midnight, the two maids took turns keeping watch, while Xiao Luzi outside was also dozing off under the covered walkway.

When the gate was knocked on, Xiao Luzi stumbled, glanced into the courtyard, hastily threw on a raincoat, and then spoke up at the gate: "Who's out there?"

Amidst the pattering rain, Xiao Luzi heard Su Peisheng's voice: "It's Fourth Master."

Xiao Luzi almost thought he was hallucinating. In another hour, it would probably be dawn outside. Why would Fourth Master come at this hour?

However, Xiao Luzi still opened the courtyard gate nimbly. Outside were the Fourth Prince and his servant Su Peisheng, with Fulu carrying a palace lantern for illumination.

Xiao Luzi hurriedly bowed and said, "I didn't know Fourth Master was coming. Princess has already gone to sleep."

Fourth Master instructed: "First, have someone prepare water in the west wing."

Having traveled through wind and rain, if he were to get into the little princess's bed like this, she would probably complain in her dreams that he was too cold.

The west wing was far from Li Chenjiao's east wing, so the noise from preparing water for her bath wouldn't disturb her.

After giving all the instructions, Fulu and Xiaoluzi waited under the eaves while talking.

Fu Lu could tell that Xiao Lu was probably almost asleep: "You're so lucky to have married your princess."

Xiao Luzi smiled and replied, while not forgetting to ask a follow-up question: "With such heavy rain, the journey must have been difficult."

Fu Lu was happy to say more.

"Didn't the imperial physician go to the East Wind Courtyard to see Consort Wu? She's not seriously ill, just a little indigestion. The Fourth Prince was reading in the outer room, and Consort Wu, despite her pregnancy, seeing that he wasn't resting, insisted on serving him tea. Only then did the Fourth Prince go to his side room to rest—"

As for why the Fourth Master came to Li Gege's New Green Hall in the middle of the night, to be honest, Fu Lu himself was a little confused.

However, this incident confirms that Li Gege truly dotes on her.

Perhaps in the past, Fu Lu would only tell these things if Xiao Luzi gave him some money, but now he is willing to tell her on his own initiative after Xiao Luzi just asked him a few questions.

This is the benefit of serving a favored master.

After taking a bath, Fourth Master entered the east wing.

The Fourth Prince wasn't surprised that the little princess was sleeping so soundly; he simply pulled the blanket up for Li Chenjiao as usual.

While asleep, Li Chenjiao sensed the heat source approaching and consciously moved closer to it, even giving Fourth Master more space.

Fourth Master is now quite used to pulling Li Chenjiao into his arms.

Resting his head on the familiar soft pillow, Fourth Master let out a very soft sigh.

Li Chenjiao's hair was still loose, and she would occasionally rub her head against Fourth Master's chest while leaning against him. Once she found a familiar position, she stopped moving around.

Fourth Master lowered his head.

At this moment, the Fourth Prince had no objection to Li Chenjiao's actions, but he suddenly thought of what would happen if Li Chenjiao gave birth to a little princess in the future—

If she looks like a little princess—

Fourth Master suddenly felt a longing.

Thinking back to what Little Princess had said with her head down when she left Xinlutang, I couldn't help but pinch Little Princess's nose.

"Heartless bastard—"

——

When Li Chenjiao woke up, she found that the bed seemed narrower. After tilting her head back, she felt relieved and went back to sleep.

When Li Chenjiao woke up and sat in front of the dressing mirror, still half asleep, watching Qiu Hu comb her hair, she suddenly remembered that Fourth Master was still asleep inside.

"When did Fourth Master arrive yesterday?"

Qiu Hu and Qiu Ci were both quite surprised by Fourth Master's arrival last night: "It was already past midnight. Xiao Luzi said that Fourth Master went to the west wing to take a bath before coming in."

Li Chenjiao said "Oh," and after expressing her surprise, she muttered, "Princess Wu is probably quite unhappy right now."

Wu Gege was indeed quite unhappy.

She only heard from the servants this morning that the Fourth Master had left in the middle of the night.

After her initial displeasure, Wu Gege couldn't help but laugh self-deprecatingly: "So what if I'm carrying one in my belly? Fourth Master doesn't necessarily care that much."

However, Wu Gege didn't care about these things. Yesterday's events were just a test from her.

"Has Granny Xu sent any message?" Wu Gege asked.

The maid replied in a low voice, "Recently, Consort Xie has been visiting Consort Song's courtyard very frequently, as if she is brewing some idea."

Wu Gege was indeed quite surprised that these two people could get involved together.

“I spoke with the Fourth Master yesterday, and this child will be born on the estate. It’s far away from the manor, and the Fujin’s influence can’t reach that far. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.”

This was the other purpose for which Princess Wu had someone invite the Fourth Prince yesterday.

Although Wu Gege had only been in the manor for half a year, she was already quite familiar with the people in the inner quarters.

In the manor, the one in front of Xinlutang doesn't like to meddle in things, and he's a smart man. He wouldn't be so stupid as to harm her during this pregnancy.

For Wu Gege, ensuring a smooth production process is of utmost importance right now.