Chapter 45: Innocence

Inside Qingxin Cottage, it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Shen Yanzhi's footsteps, coming from far away and approaching, carried with them an irrepressible eagerness and ecstasy, shattering the silence in the courtyard.

Wen Yue knelt on the couch. She didn't even have time to calm the ruthlessness and determination on her face. She could only lower her head in panic and gather her emotions as quickly as possible.

Tears are a woman’s best weapon, especially a pregnant or wronged woman.

This was the scene that Chen Yanzhi saw when he rushed in, exhausted.

The mother of his unborn child was kneeling there alone, her shoulders shaking slightly, like a butterfly drenched by a rainstorm, so fragile that it seemed like it would break at the slightest touch.

Shen Yanzhi's heart felt like it was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand, causing him to feel sore and painful.

All the doubts and indifference turned into an inextricable guilt at this moment.

"Yuer." His voice was so hoarse and gentle that he himself didn't even notice it.

Wen Yue's body trembled, and she slowly raised her head. Her beautiful face was filled with tears, and her eyes held a hint of surprise, as if she had seen a savior, a hint of disbelief, and a deep sense of grievance and fear.

She didn't pounce on him immediately, but just stared at him with her sparkling eyes, her lips moving but she couldn't say a word.

This silent performance is worth a thousand words.

Shen Yanzhi strode forward and pulled her into his arms. His strength was so strong that it seemed as if he wanted to knead her into his bones and blood.

"It's my fault. I'm too late." He held her soft body, feeling the slight trembling, and the last shred of doubt in his heart vanished. He even began to hate himself. Why did he doubt her? She was carrying his child, so frightened, and a little dazed, so what was so strange? Instead of understanding, he believed one-sided stories and almost made a big mistake.

Wen Yue's tears finally found an outlet, silently soaking the front of his shirt. In his arms, she spoke in a voice as thin as a mosquito, intermittently, "Your Highness... Your Highness... Your Highness... I thought I would never see you again..."

"Nonsense!" Shen Yanzhi tightened his arms, his tone stern with a hint of fear, "Don't say such things in the future. You and the child will be fine."

He paused, then gently let go of her. He cupped her face, gently wiping away the tears on her cheeks with his thumb. "What did the doctor say? Is the child...is the child okay?"

Speaking of the child, Wen Yue's face finally lit up with a maternal glow. She subconsciously placed her hand on her belly, her voice tinged with joy and shyness. "The doctor said it's been over a month, and the pulse is very stable. Your Highness... I... I am going to be a mother."

"Okay, okay!" Shen Yanzhi was so excited that he was almost incoherent. He lowered his head, his gaze landing on her flat belly, eyes filled with wonder and awe. There, nurturing his first child, a life with his blood flowing through it. The joy of becoming a father was incomparable to any power or victory.

"You were so uneasy yesterday...was it because of this?" Shen Yanzhi took the initiative to find the most perfect excuse for her.

When Wen Yue heard this, a hint of confusion and realization flashed across her eyes. She nodded slightly, then shook her head and said softly, "I don't know either.

"Those few days I was always anxious and short of breath, with nightmares constantly, always feeling like someone was trying to harm me... Now that I think about it, maybe... maybe it was this child who was causing trouble. He probably knew that the prince had been neglecting me a while ago, and he was speaking up for me."

This was said with great skill, explaining not only her previous "madness" but also, with a hint of coquettish complaint, attributing all the unreasonableness to her sensitivity during pregnancy and her dependence on her husband.

Chen Yanzhi felt even more guilty. He held her hand, placed it on his lips and kissed it gently: "It's my fault. I won't do it again. From today on, you stay in Qingxin Xiaozhu and take good care of your pregnancy. Don't think about anything, don't worry about anything. I'll take care of everything in the mansion."

He turned around and shouted outside, "Someone come!"

The butler immediately came running in, his face a smile that blossomed into a chrysanthemum. "What are your instructions, Your Highness?"

"Tell me what I have said: Madam Wen is pregnant, which is the greatest joy in the palace.

"All servants in Qingxin Cottage will receive three months' wages each! In addition, select the best supplements and the most luxurious fabrics from the storeroom and send them all to Qingxin Cottage! Over in the kitchen, set up a separate stove to ensure the proper nutrition for the concubine and the unborn child!" Chen Yanzhi issued a series of orders, full of vigor and vitality.

"Yes, yes! I'll do it right away!" The butler retreated happily.

Wen Yue leaned in Shen Yanzhi's arms, listening to these rewards, with a gentle and submissive smile on her face, but a cold sense of pride in her heart.

Song Qingyuan, did you hear that? This is my trump card.

…

In Hibiscus Garden.

Song Qingyuan was holding a pair of small silver scissors, trimming the dead leaves of a pot of Clivia. Her movements were slow and steady, focused and graceful, as if the outside world's clamor had nothing to do with her.

Lu Zhu rushed in like a gust of wind, with an expression of uncontrollable anxiety and anger on her face, her voice a little distorted: "Concubine! It's bad! The prince... The prince..."

"Speak slowly, the sky won't fall." Song Qingyuan didn't even raise his head, and with a "click" sound, the scissors accurately cut off a yellow leaf.

"The prince... the prince has gone to Qingxin Cottage!" Lu Zhu panted and said hurriedly, "Just now the housekeeper came to tell me that Madam Wen is pregnant. The prince was overjoyed and rewarded everyone in Qingxin Cottage. He also ordered all the good things in the storehouse to be moved there, and even said he would give Madam Wen a special meal!"

Song Qingyuan's trimming action paused for a moment.

The tip of the silver scissors was only a hair's breadth away from a green leaf.

[Oh my god! Master, this is unscientific! This is simply cheating!]

Tianbao screamed frantically in Song Qingyuan's mind, "Is Wen Yue the daughter of Heaven? She's just been pushed to the bottom, and then she draws a royal bomb! How can we play this game?"

Song Qingyuan's heart sank slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

Pregnant?

This timing was truly a coincidence. It was so coincidental that it seemed like it was specifically prepared to deal with yesterday's crisis.

She put down the scissors, picked up the slightly cold tea beside her, and took a sip. The refreshing aroma of the tea made her chaotic thoughts clear again.

"Concubine, please say something! Now that Wen Yue is pregnant, won't she be even more arrogant? The prince must be completely bewildered by her and won't listen to anything she says!" Lu Zhu stamped her feet anxiously.

Song Qingyuan raised his eyes and glanced at her, his eyes calm and unwavering: "Why are you in such a hurry? Her pregnancy is a happy event for the palace."

"Show? We show her something?" Zi Su widened her eyes.

"Of course." Song Qingyuan stood up slowly. "Go, pack up the century-old ginseng in my makeup box and the pieces of brocade. Also, pick two skilled maids who know a little about medicine and send them to Qingxin Cottage."

Zi Su was puzzled: "Princess, what are you doing..."

Song Qingyuan's lips curled up in a cold arc: "Tell Madam Wen that I heard she was pregnant and I'm happy for her. This ginseng is for her health, and the brocade is for making clothes for the unborn little prince.

As for these two maids, they were sent to help her with her pregnancy because they were worried that the people around her might be inappropriate. Make sure she rests well."

When she spoke the last four words, her tone was meaningful.

[Great! Master, it’s really great!]

Tianbao instantly understood Song Qingyuan's intention

This is called an open conspiracy! On the surface, it's care and reward, the generosity of a mistress. Secretly, it's telling Wen Yue, so what if you're pregnant? The child in your belly will also be under the care of me, the legal mother! These two women are like two pairs of eyes on her side!

Song Qingyuan smiled faintly.

Wen Yue thought that a "happy pulse" card would allow her to turn defeat into victory and regain the initiative?

Too naive.