The evening atmosphere was peaceful. Before falling asleep, Lin Yuqiao turned to look at Liu Heng.

"The Crown Princess summoned me today, saying that she has taken two new concubines for you."

In the dim light, she couldn't see Liu Heng's expression. She paused for a moment and then continued speaking.

"I believe you, but I'm still worried."

She spoke very frankly, and with a hint of helplessness. Come to think of it, Liu Heng had indeed been celibate for a long time.

Although pregnant women can have sex after three months, given his personality, he would never do so, and he has never asked for it so far.

So, does he really not want to? Lin Yuqiao felt a fog in her heart, with a constant sense that something bad might happen at any moment.

"There's nothing to worry about."

Liu Heng stroked her arm and said in a reassuring whisper.

He already knew what had happened during the day, and he also knew that the Crown Princess was using this action to express her dissatisfaction to him and Lin Yuqiao.

However, Liu Heng had no intention of changing things; on the contrary, he felt that the Crown Princess was making a fuss over nothing.

He doesn't necessarily need relief. He has always been indifferent to matters between men and women, and he has made a promise to the Lin family. Even if he can't tell outsiders, he doesn't want to be disturbed by anything else.

Now, Liu Heng is busy with official duties during the day and is mentally exhausted. At night, he just wants to relax and doesn't want to force himself to deal with other people.

Moreover, for him, only with Lin can he relax for a short time. Watching her energetic and lively chattering and trying to annoy him makes him feel cheerful and happy.

So even if they couldn't have sex, he was willing to stay with her.

As for the two concubines, Liu Heng thought for a moment and decided that since the Crown Princess wanted to keep them, then let them stay. He was unwilling to embarrass her over such a trivial matter.

The person stays, but whether or not to use him is up to him.

"I knew it, that's why I already told the Crown Princess that you don't want to see anyone else."

Lin Yuqiao happily gave Liu Heng a quick kiss on the cheek, feeling a sense of joy as if the clouds had parted and the fog had cleared.

She had initially drawn a line in her mind to keep herself rational and not let herself become too dependent on or emotionally attached to Liu Heng, fearing that the more she invested, the more she would be hurt in the future.

But he was always gentle and loving towards her, as tolerant and doting as possible, and gave her his one and only promise, which sometimes made her feel that her wariness was simply too much.

Liu Heng did not actually harm her. She had been wronged, but she couldn't keep dwelling on it. Given the circumstances at the time, she could understand his actions afterwards.

Moreover, he did not take his anger out on her and Lin Yucheng because of that incident, and he also left them considerable leeway when dealing with Lin Yuqi.

Compared to everything he had done for her, she felt incredibly selfish. She couldn't reciprocate his kindness with the same sincerity he had shown her, simply because something hadn't even happened.

She was always asking others to give to her, whether it was her mother, her brother, or Liu Heng, but she herself didn't give much in return. The longer time went on, the more inadequate she felt.

She now understands that immersing herself in her own world and ignoring others doesn't make her happier. Sometimes, giving can double the joy.

After resolving the will-o'-the-wisp incident, although she kept her achievements hidden, being able to help Liu Heng with more tasks and lighten his burden made her feel more at ease.

Holding Liu Heng's hand under the covers, Lin Yuqiao intertwined her fingers with his.

Admitting that you simply like someone isn't that difficult. Even if you don't give your whole heart, will you really have no feelings left? Why should she bury her head in the sand?

Before drifting off into a deep sleep, Lin Yuqiao thought to herself that this was the last time she would worry about whether he would hurt her. She needed to give him her trust first before she could truly gain his peace of mind.

The next day, Lin Yuqiao woke up naturally, ate breakfast, and waited in the room for Li to come over.

In fact, after her emotions stabilized, Li stopped coming often.

Although she had told Lady Li that Liu Heng had personally promised that she would visit her often, Lady Li still had some reservations and only agreed to come to the East Palace to see her once every ten days or so.

"The more you get heavier and less active you become, the more you need to walk around. This will make childbirth smoother."

It was early winter, and snowflakes, like willow catkins, were drifting outside. But Madam Li still pulled Lin Yuqiao out for a walk, not letting her stay half-lying on the couch all the time.

“I was active for a long time yesterday. You can ask Granny Jiang if you don’t believe me.”

Lin Yuqiao was dressed in thick, warm clothes, wearing a scarlet cloak over a brocade jacket trimmed with rabbit fur and a flowing, eight-panel skirt. She started sweating after walking a few steps and didn't feel like moving much, so she tugged at Li Shi's sleeve and acted coquettishly.

"Yesterday's event is yesterday's event, don't try to be lazy today."

Holding Lin Yuqiao's hand tightly, Li continued walking forward resolutely.

She spoke lightly, but in reality, she was quite worried about Lin Yuqiao.

Lin Yuqiao is pregnant for the first time, and her waist has always been slender. She's only six or seven months along, but her belly is already quite large, probably because she's been eating too much rich food. Li didn't dare say it aloud, but she was genuinely worried that Lin Yuqiao might encounter some problems during childbirth.

Childbirth has always been a life-threatening ordeal for women, and there is no such thing as a sure thing. Therefore, she could only try her best to move around as much as possible so that she would be healthy enough to endure the ordeal.

Lin Yuqiao was tired of walking around her own garden, so she went with Li Shi to take a stroll around the large garden of the Prince's Mansion.

She rarely went out, always feeling that it was more convenient to stay in her own yard. If she went out and ran into someone, she would have to exchange pleasantries. She and the other people in the backyard were all rivals in love, and they all harbored resentment towards each other, so why bother making things difficult for herself?

Unexpectedly, during one of my casual strolls, I ran into someone.

As they passed the greenhouse in the garden, they ran into Liu Ling and her group.

Whether in the Prince of Huaiyang's residence or the Eastern Palace, Liu Ling was Liu Heng's only daughter, and therefore was cherished and pampered by her parents. As the undisputed and only darling of their daughter, Liu Ling's pride was self-evident.

Upon seeing Lin Yuqiao and Li Shi from afar, she settled down and waited for them to come and greet her.

As Liu Ling approached, she looked at Lin Yuqiao Mingyan's rosy complexion and her prominently protruding belly, and felt a wave of disgust.

She harbored an inexplicable dislike for Lin Yuqiao, believing that it was because of her appearance that her father rarely visited her mother. The better Lin Yuqiao looked, the more she thought of her mother's haggard appearance, and the more she believed Lin Yuqiao was a bad person.

"Greetings, Princess."

As the wife of a marquis, Lady Li only needed to curtsy to Liu Ling, so she followed the rules and bowed to her without any mistakes.

As the stepmother, Lin Yuqiao only needed to offer a greeting.

Although Liu Ling did not behave rudely, Lin Yuqiao felt uncomfortable seeing her condescending attitude towards Li Shi. This child was really not likable.

After exchanging greetings, the two went their separate ways. After walking less than three steps, Lin Yuqiao suddenly heard a mixture of screams and cries behind her.

She turned around and found that Liu Ling had fallen on the stone steps at some point, and the maids and servants around her had already surrounded her.

Lin Yuqiao originally intended to pretend she hadn't heard it, but Li secretly pulled her back.

When something like this happens, even a stepmother should at least go over and show some concern, otherwise it's easy for gossip to spread.

So Lin Yuqiao had no choice but to turn back and check on Liu Ling's condition.

She was shocked to see Liu Ling's face covered in tears, her little face pale with pain, and even blood at the corner of her mouth.

Although the snowfall was light, it still laid a thin layer on the bluestone steps, making it easy to slip if one wasn't careful. They hadn't come this way on this route, so Lin Yuqiao hadn't expected this.

Liu Ling originally didn't want to take this route, but when she saw Lin Yuqiao, she thought of her mother and decided not to go back to her own courtyard. Instead, she turned around and went to the Crown Princess's place.

While walking, she was lost in thought and, without realizing it, slipped on the stone steps. The person behind her didn't have time to grab her, so she fell heavily to the ground.

Liu Ling took a really hard fall. Her ankle hurt terribly, she couldn't stand up, and she knocked out half a tooth. Blood also spilled from her mouth as she cried.

"Is the eldest princess alright? Quickly send her to the Crown Princess."

Holding her wet nurse in her arms, Liu Ling listened to Lin Yuqiao's words and knew she was still there. To maintain her pride, she barely managed to hold back her sobs. But before she could wipe away her tears, she heard a rustling sound.

What are you laughing at!

She pointed at Li Shi, feeling both angry and furious. This Consort Lin was no good, and neither was her mother; they even dared to gloat over her fall.

Li had just been adjusting the hem of her skirt with her head down when she looked up and saw Liu Ling pointing at her, which surprised her greatly.

“My mother didn’t laugh, Your Highness, you must have misheard.”

Lin Yuqiao also felt confused, but she couldn't argue with a child, so she advised Liu Ling and instructed the nanny holding her, "We don't know how badly the princess is injured, so hurry up and take her to the Crown Princess."

Who knew that while she wanted to settle things peacefully, Liu Ling was unwilling. She had always been very conscious of her image, and even at such a young age, she always had a commanding presence in front of others. Now, not only did she fall down in front of the person she disliked the most, but after crying in a disheveled state, she was also ridiculed.

Now, Liu Ling disregarded the pain in her ankle and pointed at Li Shi, angrily rebuking her, "Who do you think you are, daring to mock me! I'm going to tell my mother that you're never allowed to appear in our household again!"

Lin Yuqiao didn't like hearing these words, and her face turned cold.

"You can't just say things like that, Princess. My mother never laughed at all. How can you make up something so baseless?"

She then pointed to a nanny next to Liu Ling and asked, "Did you hear laughter?"

Liu Ling stared at the old woman, who suddenly lowered her head, feeling a bit pressured. After hesitating for a moment, she slowly spoke, "This old servant did hear some noises."

"Look, I'm not the only one who heard it, and you're still trying to deny it!"

A maid standing behind Liu Ling chimed in, "This servant also heard Lady Chen Lianghou laughing."

Lin Yuqiao was genuinely amused and exasperated. In her two lifetimes, she had never seen such an unreasonable and annoying child as Liu Ling.

"In broad daylight, I didn't know anyone could actually call black white. You think whatever you say goes? I didn't hear anything, and my mother wouldn't laugh just because the princess fell down."

Is Li Shi really that naive? If she were to say that Li Shi did it, she might have some doubts. But what kind of person is Li Shi? Even if she were truly gloating, she wouldn't have shown it on the spot.

Lin Yuqiao then pointed to the maid beside her, "Did you hear someone laughing?"

There was no sound.

Qingming Guyu and the others all shook their heads. Li Shi also felt that she had no way to defend herself and was afraid of implicating Lin Yuqiao, so she lowered her posture and said, "Please be clear, Princess, I really did not laugh just now."

"Nonsense! Not only did I hear it, everyone around me heard it!"

Even though she could clearly hear the laughter, Lady Chenliang and Consort Lin were still making excuses, which made Liu Ling even angrier, feeling that she was not being respected by them.

"Even if the princess really heard the laughter, the closest people to you were your maids and servants. How could it not have been them who made the sound? Why insist on blaming my mother!"

Lin Yuqiao was at her wits' end with this unreasonable and unruly child, and almost wanted to turn around and leave. She had initially felt sorry for Liu Ling, who was crying her eyes out with blood all over her mouth, but now she wished she could knock her unconscious.

"You have no choice but to admit it. I'm going back to tell my father and have him deal with it for me!"

Wiping away her tears, Liu Ling angrily threw out the classic line, "I'm going to tell my dad," before clinging to her wet nurse and being carried away.

I'm not afraid of you! Your dad isn't Li Gang!

Lin Yuqiao frowned in disgust, then pulled Li Shi away.

"It's all my fault. Have I caused you trouble?"

Li Shi's heart sank. She looked at Lin Yuqiao with worry and regret. Why did she always run to the East Palace? Her daughter was already living in peace, and she was causing trouble for her.

She had no recollection of Lin Yuqiao calling her to the East Palace every few days, and simply took all the responsibility upon herself.

"Mother, don't worry. Do you think something she didn't do will become true just because she talks about it?"

Lin Yuqiao squeezed Li's hand tightly, trying to comfort her. At the same time, she was also a little worried. What if that brat Liu Ling complained and really prevented Li from coming to the East Palace in the future?

The Crown Princess is Liu Ling's biological mother, so she will naturally be on her side. In addition, the Crown Princess doesn't like her either, so even if there's nothing going on, she can still imagine a whole drama.

You can't appeal to the Crown Princess, because that will definitely be fruitless.

After seeing off the anxious Li Shi, Lin Yuqiao returned to her room and sighed.

This matter is neither a big deal nor a small one; it's just a childish and reckless speculation and accusation by a brat.

But if she takes it seriously, she'll still suffer because of it. Not only was her mother unjustly slandered, but the Crown Princess probably already had reservations about Li's frequent visits to her.

She impulsively took advantage of Liu Heng's permission to bring Li Shi to the East Palace. She had already planned that even if she followed the rules and behaved herself, the Crown Princess would not like her, so why not just have a clean break?

If the Crown Princess were to use Li's affair to find fault with her, Li's reputation could be ruined.

After all, the title of Crown Princess carries great authority. If she openly dislikes Li, other wives and ladies of the court will not be friendly to Li in future social situations. If her mother doesn't get any benefits, neither will she. The Crown Princess will probably not allow her family to visit her in the future.

After thinking it over, Lin Yuqiao made up her mind that the only person who could come to her rescue now was Liu Heng.

Will Liu Heng believe her?

After what happened last time, Liu Heng did not explicitly express his support or belief in her, which made her still somewhat insecure.

But Liu Heng didn't suspect her, and Lin Yuqiao tried to comfort herself.

She had to ask Liu Heng for help; she had to give it a try. Besides, she had resolved to trust him yesterday, so she couldn't back down today.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Yuqiao asked Qingming to send someone to Liu Heng's study to deliver a message for her.

This was the first time she had taken the initiative to send someone to find Liu Heng. In any case, she had to make the facts clear to Liu Heng before he was summoned to the Crown Princess's place, so that Liu Ling and the people around him would not add fuel to the fire and smear her and Li Shi.

Liu Heng did not return to the Eastern Palace until it was dark.

He had a habit of going to his study first thing when he returned home to organize his thoughts, prepare for the next day, or deal with any remaining tasks from the day, while also listening to the servants' reports on what was happening in the various courtyards of the mansion that day.

Liu Heng first heard about Liu Ling's matter, and then heard the reply from Peng Jian, who said that Consort Lin had something to ask him to go to her courtyard first.

"What's wrong with Sister Ling?"

He first inquired about Liu Ling's injuries and was relieved to hear that she had only sprained her ankle, knocked out half of her front tooth, and bitten her lower lip, but there was nothing seriously wrong.

A sprain only requires rest, but a broken front tooth is more difficult to treat. However, Liu Ling is still in the process of losing her baby teeth, and a new one will grow in after that tooth falls out.

Liu Heng doted on his only daughter, Liu Ling. He was very worried when he heard that she had fallen and injured herself, but after thinking about it for a while, he decided to go to Lin Yuqiao's place first.

She was probably worried too. Liu Heng thought to himself as he walked.