Song Zhiyu reached out and patted Ye Linxi's back to take her pulse, her lips slightly pursed.
A slippery pulse, like pearls rolling on a plate, is a sign of pregnancy.
Even though she already had some guesses in her mind, her expression still became serious.
Whether to keep this child or not is a difficult question.
Ye Linxi wasn't stupid either. Seeing Song Zhiyu's strange expression and her gaze seemingly lingering on her stomach, her face instantly turned pale.
Xiao Xun imprisoned her in the courtyard, spending his days and nights in passionate embraces with her. Given that her period hadn't come for many days, she should have realized what was going on.
"What are you going to do? Do you want this child?" Song Zhiyu released her hand, looked up at Ye Linxi who was in a daze, and spoke in a gentle voice with a hint of worry and concern.
Whether or not to keep the child is a decision for Ye Linxi.
If she stays, it will be even more difficult for her to raise the child alone in the future.
"I won't keep them." Ye Linxi hesitated for only a moment before making up her mind.
She had finally escaped Xiao Xun's clutches and wanted to leave the capital to live the life she wanted. However, the child would only become an unbreakable bond between her and Xiao Xun, which was not what she wanted to see.
Moreover, Lady Hou is already looking for a suitable wife for Xiao Xun, so the Xiao family will probably be celebrating a happy occasion soon.
As an orphan living under someone else's roof, her status was awkward, and it was not appropriate for her to continue staying in the Marquis's mansion.
If Lady Hou were to find out about this child, not only would the child's life be in danger, but Lady Hou's life as well would be at risk.
But now is clearly not a good time for an abortion, so she can only wait until she leaves the city to figure out what to do.
Although Ye Linxi was a bit timid, she was clear-headed and could see the situation clearly. This child could not be kept!
Seeing that Ye Linxi was determined, Song Zhiyu didn't say anything more. Instead, she took out several bottles of pills from the brocade pouch beside her and stuffed them into her hand. "Abortion is harmful to the body. If you are not careful, you will damage your health. These qi-tonifying pills may come in handy."
Perhaps aborting the child would be the best outcome for Ye Linxi.
As for Xiao Xun, let's not mention him.
He said he didn't love Ye Linxi, but his affectionate gaze seemed genuine.
But if you're talking about love, he could disregard Ye Linxi's wishes and insist on taking her as a concubine.
He was even being affectionate with her while simultaneously discussing marriage with other men.
Song Zhiyu gave a disgruntled smirk, clearly looking down on Xiao Xun.
"Find an inn to stay at for the next few days, and leave the city once things have calmed down." Song Zhiyu led Ye Linxi to a nearby inn, booked a room, and left after settling her in.
Thinking of Ling Wushuang waiting for her at Zuixianlou, Song Zhiyu quickened her pace.
As she stepped into the entrance of Zuixianlou, she passed by Shen Yanxi, who was coming out of the pastry shop next door.
A slightly familiar fragrance mingled with the scent of herbs wafted over, and Shen Yanxi's nose twitched slightly. He turned his head in surprise, but did not see that familiar figure.
Perhaps it's just my imagination.
Shen Yanxi shook his head, his thoughts returning to him. Looking at the pastries he was carrying, a faint smile appeared on his lips, indicating that he was in a good mood.
Shu'er loves the water chestnut cake from this pastry shop the most. When she was little, she loved to pester him to come here to buy pastries.
I wonder if she still misses this dish after being confined to the small Buddhist hall for so many days.
Thinking of Shen Jinshu and those things from his childhood, Shen Yanxi's cold and hard face softened, and his steps became lighter.
Seeing that he was in a good mood, the servant behind Shen Yanxi began to flatter him with great tact, "No wonder everyone in the capital is praising you for doting on your sister, Fourth Young Master. You queued for a whole hour so that Miss Jinshu could have her favorite pastries."
If I were Miss Jinshu, I would probably be moved to tears. There would be no other brother in the world who loves his sister as much as you, young master.
It has to be said that the servant's flattery was spot on; Shen Yanxi couldn't suppress the upturn of his lips. "As long as she's happy."
He would personally present any object that Shu'er liked to her.
It was only an hour; he could wait that long.
But the smile on his face didn't last long.
The sight of a group of spoiled young men approaching him instantly turned his face cold, and a hint of displeasure rose in his heart.
"Oh, why did you come to buy pastries in person today, and you're sweating profusely while waiting? Where is your sister from the countryside? How could she bear to see you suffer like this?"
The man in the lead was dressed in fine clothes, had a handsome appearance, and appeared to be around twenty years old.
At this moment, he clicked his tongue twice, circled around Shen Yanxi, and spoke with mockery in his words.
Others might not know the inside story, but how could he, Shen Yanxi's mortal enemy, not know?
Shen Yanxi's younger sister from the countryside had a falling out with him long ago because of his favoritism, and it was said that the scene was quite ugly.
Thinking of this, the man in brocade robes laughed without restraint. He said these words purely because he couldn't stand Shen Yanxi and wanted to make a fool of him.
Seeing that Shen Yanxi's face was turning pale and her knuckles were clenched so tightly that they cracked, the man in brocade was still not satisfied. "I heard that Miss Shen loves the water chestnut cake from this shop the most. Just because she said she liked it, the Fourth Young Master Shen actually came all the way here to buy it himself. It really is as rumored that the siblings are so close."
It's such a pity about your younger sister from the countryside; her brother doesn't even know what she likes to eat.
These words sounded somewhat like they were defending Song Zhiyu.
Shen Yanxi felt somewhat embarrassed. He wanted to refute the man's words, but his throat felt like it was blocked by sand, and he couldn't make a sound.
Because he also knew that what the man in brocade was saying was the truth.
This shop is extremely popular; people line up for one or two hours every day under the scorching sun to buy pastries.
The young ladies from noble families usually sent their maids and servants to queue up, but he, in order to tease Song Zhiyu, once demanded that she deliver the pastries to him within an hour.
He had been queuing for about an hour and was already sweating profusely. Not to mention that West Street was quite a distance from the Marquis's residence, and even by carriage it would take at least half an hour to get there.
Shen Yanxi couldn't imagine how Song Zhiyu managed to deliver the hot pastries to him within an hour.
He only remembered one time when the pastry was already broken when it reached his hands, and he was extremely disgusted, thinking that Song Zhiyu was expressing her dissatisfaction.
What did he do then?
He flew into a rage, smashing the pastries onto Song Zhiyu, pointing his finger at her nose and hurling all sorts of nasty insults, completely oblivious to the bloodstains on her clothes.
Looking back now, she must have been injured at that time.
Shen Yanxi murmured, a hint of regret in his eyes, and a faint ache in his heart.
If he had treated Song Zhiyu better back then, would things have turned out differently?
They were clearly family, bound by blood, yet the way she looked at him was so cold, as if he were a stranger.
He arrived excitedly and waited for an hour before finally buying the pastries he had been longing for.
But now, he only felt that the pastries in his hands were extremely prickly, and his smile was more like a grimace.
"It's none of your business." With those words, Shen Yanxi practically fled.
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