When Granny Chen came in and carried the Second Princess away, Li Chenjiao's gaze followed her. When Li Chenjiao looked away, the Fourth Prince was staring at her.

Li Chenjiao pursed her lips, feeling a little embarrassed by the Fourth Master's gaze, which was quite rare for her.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Fourth Master asked.

Although Li Chenjiao's delivery was indeed safe and sound, the Fourth Prince was still a little worried, always feeling that Li Chenjiao might have some unseen internal injuries.

Li Chenjiao shook her head: "Master asked me yesterday. Apart from being a little sleepy and tired, there's really nothing else."

Li Chenjiao doesn't talk about her good health; she doesn't like to put a bad word in front of the Fourth Prince. Even if she really wants to say something, she does it in a way that makes the Fourth Prince understand her meaning—half-pretending, half-concealing, half-truthful, half-false.

Fourth Master sat on a small couch, the two of them not far apart.

In the past, Fourth Master would always sit with Li Chenjiao. The fact that they are not sitting together now is not because Li Chenjiao dislikes him after giving birth.

After giving birth to the second princess, Li Chenjiao's figure was not as slim and beautiful as before her pregnancy, but she was definitely not ugly. Her simple attire made her look very serene.

However, Fourth Master was still afraid of Li Chenjiao bumping into something, so he stayed in the side room all yesterday.

That's true now too.

Fourth Master lowered his head and took a sip of tea, the tea he usually loved to drink.

"These past few months have been a hassle for you."

Li Chenjiao was too embarrassed to respond to what Fourth Master said.

Aside from the ordeal during childbirth, Li Chenjiao's pregnancy with the Second Princess this time is practically no different from not being pregnant at all.

However, besides feeling embarrassed, Li Chenjiao was also quite surprised.

She thought that with the current situation of the Fujin (wife of the deceased wife) as an example, the Fourth Prince would forget the hardships of her childbirth and think that her delivery was a very easy thing.

The fact that the Fourth Prince said this shows that he still cares about Li Chenjiao at least in his heart.

It's not easy for a woman to conceive, so does that mean Li Chenjiao is unworthy of attention just because she seemed relaxed when she was pregnant? If it were that easy, why don't men just have another chance to be born?

Li Chenjiao, feeling embarrassed, touched her belly with genuine emotion and said, "The other hardships are nothing to me, but my stomach is truly suffering, and I'll have to endure it for now."

Fourth Master glanced at her: "Thinking about what to eat again?"

Li Chenjiao smiled sweetly and followed the Fourth Master's words, saying, "I haven't had any taste in my mouth these past two days, but I'm really craving that pot of chili peppers. It would be perfect if it were full of chili peppers."

The only person who would crave hot pot in the summer heat is probably Li Chenjiao, standing right in front of me.

However, Fourth Master did not give a definite answer, only saying, "Let's talk about it after this month is over."

Li Chenjiao pouted, but it was mostly an act. After all, if the Fourth Master didn't agree, would Li Chenjiao be able to go hungry in her own courtyard?

The next day, when Li Chenjiao woke up and heard Xiao Luzi tell her to find out what she needed for the hot pot, she almost fell over laughing.

Why is Fourth Master still so hypocritical?

Li Chenjiao suppressed a smile: "I understand. Just pretend you never told me, and go to the front yard later to report to Fulu."

Everything needed for hot pot is readily available, but there might be a shortage of things like charcoal.

After all, Li Chenjiao had already started using ice around this time last year when it was hot in May.

Xiao Luzi noted it down.

After laughing, Li Chenjiao remembered something else.

Although Xie's existence was not enough to threaten Li Chenjiao's life, Li Chenjiao was still very cautious.

Moreover, it's almost the fifteenth, and the Fujin might not send anyone to pay her respects, since she and Li Chenjiao are both in their postpartum period.

Then it's hard to say what will happen to Xie's pregnancy.

Li Chenjiao was still a little worried, so after Xiao Luzi returned from the front yard, she instructed him to keep an eye on Xie's courtyard.

Qiu Ci nodded seriously beside her.

"I heard that Xie Gege's cold has finally gotten better these past few days. After being sick for so long, who knows what she's been thinking about?"

The little girl still remembers the time when Madam Xie meticulously plotted something during last year's Mid-Autumn Festival.

If Qiu Ci knew that Xie Shi was pregnant and about to give birth, she would probably be furious.

Not only Qiu Ci, but all the women in the backyard would outwardly offer their blessings with smiles, but who knows what they would actually be cursing Xie Shi in their hearts.

From the moment Xie Shi chose to keep her pregnancy a secret from everyone in the inner courtyard and from the Fourth Prince, she had placed all her hopes on the child in her womb.

But you, Xie family, even kept it from the Fourth Master. Does that mean you don't even trust him?

Fourth Prince is the master of the entire Fourth Prince's mansion. You, Xie Shi, are in Fourth Prince's backyard. If even Fourth Prince doesn't trust you, then what else do you trust?

This is also the main reason why Li Chenjiao is not worried about the Xie family causing any trouble.

The Second Prince's third-day celebration was not a grand affair; several princes and their wives sent gifts, and even the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes sent gifts.

Although the Fujin was recuperating, she couldn't help but sneer when she heard Granny Qian talk about the things that the Eighth Fujin had sent at noon.

"This pomegranate with a hundred seeds should have been kept by Eighth Brother's wife."

Who in the capital doesn't know that the maternal family of the Eighth Prince's wife, Lady Guoluo, has fallen on hard times?

The more arrogant the Eighth Prince's Consort was because of her noble birth, the more pathetic she is now.

Moreover, the Eighth Prince's wife had been without a place to stay, and now that she had given birth to a legitimate son, it was indeed a cause for celebration.

However, after listening to Granny Qian talk about the things sent from various places, the Fujin realized that although the Fourth Prince had instructed that there was no need for a grand celebration, the proper etiquette should still be observed.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!